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Dec 12, 2019
2nd review goes to this month's horror winner, When they cry!. For fairness, I'll be basing this on both seasons, since it really doesn't feel right to separate them. As much as I'd like to review this per arc, like I did with Yosuga no Sora, I wouldn't be able to do so without spoiling pretty much the whole anime. And this is one anime that really doesn't deserve to be spoiled. So I'll be reviewing it conventionally. I'll try to keep it brief this time around, as I get the feeling that every little word I might let out regarding the show could potentially
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ruin or spoil its surprises (even what I'm saying now, lol). Let us commence.
Story: 10/10
It's brilliant, 'nuff said.
Seriously though, plot twist after plot twist, as you delve deeper into the mystery, you'll find yourself hooked. The story ties in extremely well with the lore of the village, explored through different PoVs, one per character arc. And that's all I'm saying. To truly understand its brilliance, you have to watch it.
Art: 8/10
It's nothing special really, but quite decent. The real reason it scores so high though is because it isn't fitting at all. And that's the point. Bright colours, cute character designs and all give you the illusion of a 'safe, fun anime', a sense of false security which will quickly become replaced by something far more dreadful.
Sound: 7/10
This show's weakest point, at least for me. It's there when it counts and provides extra scare to some of its creepier moments, but other than that, nothing too memorable. The openings for both seasons though were pretty awesome and very fitting for their respective seasons.
Character: 9/10
The main characters appear like a 'bland happy bunch of schoolmates'. And that's exactly what they are. This is a boon however. Them being 'normal students' makes what is to come all the more terrifying. It isn't so much what their personality is like, rather how they each react to the situation at hand. Besides, each of them does hide more depth to their character, which will be used to drive the plot in the first arcs. It isn't really important 'how they are', rather 'what they do'. And it's a marvel to watch.
Enjoyment: 10/10
This makes up for its lack of gore (although there are some disturbing scenes) with something far more terrifying: paranoia. The intricate mystery, the building suspense, it all leads to an experience which will leave you frightened, perhaps even horrified, but wanting more. Psychological horror at its finest.
Overall: 9/10
A must watch for horror fans, and why not, anime viewers in general. So what are you waiting for? Don't just go watch it. Experience it. Live the fear. Dive through the building tension. Persevere in the hopes of finally unravelling the mystery behind Hinamizawa. Most importantly though, enjoy it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Nov 5, 2019
First review, as promised, goes to Yosuga no Sora. Since it has a very peculiar structure, where each heroine ends up with the main character in their own route, I'll be unconventionally judging it per arc without considering art, sound and whatnot as marks of their own. They will have their relevance on the overall verdict however. I'll try not to spoil anything, but just give you the generalities. Without further adieu, let us commence!
Motoka Nagisa arc (omakes at the end of each episode). Vote: 6/10
These 12 mini-segments at the end of each episode were played more for laughs than anything else, given how it
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was all done in chibi style. Motoka is Kazuha's pink-haired maid. And that's it. Nothing memorable about her, other than that time she was a ninja-maid. Were her segments entertaining and funny? Somewhat. Were they serious as far as feelings are concerned? Not really...were they out of place? Completely. They should have just dedicated an entire arc to the maid if they really wanted to include her. Still, her segments were kinda entertaining.
Kazuha Migiwa arc (episodes 1-2-3-4). Vote: 6/10
The love plot between Haruka Kasugano and Kazuha always felt like the least realistic one. The guy's just come back in town with his twin sister, and after barely two and a half episodes, he's already in love with Kazuha and viceversa. It was rushed. Kazuha is your typical young rich lady in anime: long, raven-colour hair, rich, always dressed elegantly, somewhat of a tsundere. The one distinctive trait I like about her is that she cares deeply about her friend Akira Amatsume. In fact, I found their bond to be more interesting than the forced romance we got between Haru and Kazu. Other than that, this arc was somewhat decent, and a good way to kick-start this peculiarly structured anime.
Akira Amatsume arc (episodes 1-2-5-6). Vote: 9/10
My personal favourite. Akira is a miko, the shrine caretaker. Always energetic and with a positive attitude, she hides her true thoughts behind a beautiful, perhaps occasionally fake smile. I just love this girl. The bond between her and her friend, Kazuha, is further explored in this arc, joining it with the first one. Here it is finally understood why the two care so much for each other. The romance between Haruka and Akira also feels pretty solid, albeit rushed. The two have some back story to them, which gives credibility to the pair as a couple. Akira's personality though is the main winning point for this route.
Nao Yorihime arc (episodes 1-7-8-9) Vote: 5/10
Just as the first two arcs are connected, so are the third and fourth. This, however, works more in favour of Sora's arc and against Nao's one. I'll explain why afterwards.
Nao is your typical childhood friend. Caring towards everyone, short hair, wears glasses, she's a bit dull as a character. She does however shine in...not this arc, but the next! And that's what angers me. Haruka and Nao had the makings for being a decent couple. Problem is, the focus of this route was placed more on Haruka's twin sister and her disapproval of the relationship, rather than on Nao. Why doesn't twin sissy want the two to be together? Find out by watching! 'Cause that's all this route revolves around. The twin sister learning to accept the relationship between Haru and Nao. And they shouldn't have ended it with a sex scene. That sucked.
Sora Kasugano arc (episodes 1-7-10-11-12) Vote: 10/10
Remember that twin sister I mentioned? This is her. Yep, she's one of the romantic options for Haruka Kasugano, her own twin brother. And the only reason why I watched this entire anime in the first place. Sora is the splitting image of her brother, Haruka, except she's a girl, is way shorter and has longer hair. Whereas Haru is your usual nice guy, sociable with everyone, that all girls fall in love with at first sight apparently, despite the fact he's as interesting as cardboard, at least until the final arc gives him a personality, Sora is frail, antisocial, reclusive, rude, an Internet addict, probably because she spent most of her early-life in hospital and was denied that normal life which many take for granted. She's basically a hikokimori and a bit of a bitchy tsundere.
When I first took a dive in Yosuga no Sora, after the end of the first episode, those who've seen the last scene of that episode know what I'm talking about, I thought this would just be another ecchi with little to no plot and crap-ton of fanservice. I was pleasantly surprised to be proven wrong. And this final arc is the pinnacle of what I just said. Excluding Motoka, Ryohei (the friend nobody wants to bone) and Kazuha and Akira, whose personas were already explored in their respective arcs, this route allows many a character to shine. Whether it's Kozue Kuranaga (the class president) whose views are opposed to Nao's, giving the girl a personality, or Nao herself, who, in the harshest of situations, despite everything that happened, proves to be a true childhood friend and a genuinely good person at heart, both these characters are given a spotlight to shine, way more than in the previous routes.
Those who shine the brightest though, are the two mains: twins Haruka and Sora deliver one of the purest love stories I've ever seen in anime. This is IN SPITE OF IT being incestuous. Hell, at times I'd forget they were related just because they looked so good together!
While the arcs are separate, like different universes, throughout the whole series there is always that incest undertone, you get the feeling that the twins are closer than normal siblings, and they gradually get closer with each passing arc (Motoka's excluded). It all explodes in the final arc. It's obvious this is what the series has been building up for from the get-go. The 'main attraction' of this anime. And it was handled perfectly. How Sora couldn't stand to 'live like a doll in the house', always in love but never able to fulfill that sentiment, or how Haruka couldn't admit his own feelings because he thought they were immoral, finally developing a conflicted character that's more interesting than cardboard. So close, living in the same house, yet far apart, unable to confess to one another. Until they do and cross the line. I never thought I'd say this for something regarding incest, but this truly is the best part of the show, the one that really delivers the feels.
That's all as far as the arcs go. Yosuga no Sora isn't a bad anime at all, and doesn't deserve its infamous reputation. The branching system works more against it though, if they wanted to do it properly they should have done more episodes per girl, or scrapped all of them in favour of the canon route. The sex scenes are a big no-no too, often coming out of nowhere just to say "hey look, they are officially in love now". This doesn't really apply for the Sora arc, where the build up was slow and you could see the sexual frustration between the two main characters. The execution of said scenes was weird though...
The characters were decent, appearing bland at first, each having depth later on. The best, in my opinion, were Sora and Akira.
While the previous factors (structere and sex scenes) would be worth a -2 mark penalty, the beautiful art, with stunning background images and character features focusing the feelings on their expressions, not just their words, and the outstanding (but sometimes repetitive) soundtracks, adequate for each scene, nullify that penalty. Overall verdict: 7/10. This anime deserves more than the mark it has on MAL, especially for the provocative question/message left at the end: 'You cannot stop yourself from falling in love with someone' HOWEVER 'Is the feeling all that matters?' May each of you be able to find the answer that makes you happiest in life.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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