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Have you ever read a series that just makes you feel good with just a mention of it's name? A series that's beyond wholesome without there being much of a story to tell?
Futari Ashita mo Sorenari ni is that series for me.
I picked it up on a whim after seeing some panels on twitter a while back, and I have to say, this is easily in my favorite series of all time.

// Story : 9/10
The story isn't anything too complicated, but that's what makes it work. The textbook definition of a slice of life, giving us an inside view of Yuuya and Rio's lives.
Yuuya and ... Rio are a couple who both want to get married some day, but don't really know how to approach the topic, instead choosing to stay lovey-dovey for a while as boyfriend and girlfriend.

The direction of the story is now pretty obvious, the goal being marriage. But the presentation is something i'm going to have a hard time explaining through words, since most of this series' most wholesome moments are actually shown through the simple yet amazing art.

The story isn't anything too special, it's a slice of life packed to the brim with wholesome moments that'll have you squirming like a girl at each step of the way, and that is what, to me, makes it shine.

// Art : 9/10
The art looks great. The characters are really well drawn, and the style is consistent throughout. As I mentionned earlier, most of the wholesome moments are shown through the art, and that's actually true. May it be through facial expressions or the typical "shiny beams of light" around the characters, the art really lets the characters' emotions and expressions shine, while keeping it simple enough that you don't have to spend 10 minutes trying to appreciate every little detail on the page.

It gets across the main point that the story is trying to tell really well, with amazing character designs and facial expressions.

// Character : 10/10
I won't be talking about the side characters here, as I want to focus on Rio and Yuuya.

There wasn't much in terms of development here, they were already dating for a few years when the series started.
What makes me give this section a 10/10 is their interactions. They go so well together, as if they were made for one another. Some may say that if nothing goes wrong, that's a bad sign, but this series was made to be heartwarming, and I have to give the mangaka credit, he (or she) pulled it off excellently. I got attached to them insanely quickly, and I think anyone who even remotely enjoys laid back SoL's will too.

// Enjoyment : 10/10
I just had to give this section a 10/10.
While there were some chapters that focused on some secondary characters that I didn't find as interesting, the overall experience with this series was an amazing one. When I first caught up, I was reading it weekly, but then fell out of the loop, and only caught up recently, the day of me writing this review. Catching up to the last few chapters really reminded me how much I cherished this series and it's cast.

Some may think that i'm overdoing it, but the way this series presents it's story and characters really had me hooked for how simple and wholesome it was.
Yes, I used the word wholesome a lot in this review, but it's probably the only word I could think of that could describe this series in an accurate manner.

// Overall : 10/10
Personal bias made me give the overall a 10/10, but realistically, i'd've given it a 9/10. The art is simple, and so is the story, but it's such an easy series to get into, and the cast is so loveable that I just had to give this an overall 10/10.

A great series to read if you need a boost of happiness or are just looking for a really wholesome and short read!

// SPOILER WARNING //

I want to start this review by saying that i've never experienced an earthquake so far in my life, so I can't really relate to the situation that the characters are put in. Yes, earthquakes this large rarely happen, but people who have been through one or two earthquakes or more can and will relate to this more than I have.

Japan Sinks 2020 is a show that I discovered when it was announced, i'm pretty sure it was on twitter. When I saw the title, I decided to give it a shot when it came out, because it sounded completely different to ... anything i'd seen so far. Come the release date, I had forgotten about it, and remembered it had released when I was scrolling through Netflix and remembered it was supposed to come out soon, and it had already released, so I started watching.

// Story : 7/10

The overall idea behind Japan Sinks isn't a bad one, i'd say it's actually decently original when it comes to plot in anime. It loses points for some of it's, let's call them "weak arcs".
In 10 episodes you can't pack a whole lot into the show when it comes to arcs, but Japan sinks can be cut up into a few: The earthquake, the road trip, the cult, lost at sea, and then the ending arc. I may be pushing it, as the road trip got an episode and a half, but when it comes to 10 episodes, it felt like it's own mini-arc.
Overall, the first 2 episodes are amazing, the destruction and the scenery coupled with Ayumu's response to it all was fantastic, and as someone who's never been in an earthquake, it definitely felt real to me.
Where the story starts going downhill is with episode 4 and the introduction of the "cult", it felt so random to me, like a downplayed version of Negan's cult from TWD. From the moment they got there, I knew there was something going on, no-one would be so nice to random strangers, it all felt off, and of course it was.
From FaZe_Grandpa who hit the sickest trickshots of the decade to the kid getting smashed in the most comedic way possible, it all felt like a wierd dream, like a wacky break or a distraction from the destruction that was going on.

// Art : 5/10

I thought about giving this a lower score, but that would be a bit harsh.
I watched this show in segments, first episodes 1 & 2, then 3 & 4, then 5, then 6-10.
When I watched the first 2 episodes, I didn't notice anything wrong with the art, it didn't feel wierd. When I watched episodes 3 & 4, it felt like the art got a huge decline in quality, as if all the budget had gone to first two.
Maybe this is just me, and I need to go and check back, but when I watched episodes 3 & 4, what I first thought was "wow the art was this mediocre?"
Some scenes are done really well, especially in the early episodes, which saves this category from an abysmal score.
I remember one scene in particular where Ayumu was arguing with her mom, and Ayumu looked so distorted up close, I paused and wondered if I should laugh or be horrified...

// Sound : 5/10

I didn't pay any attention to the sound whatsoever, I never do unless it's the Monogatari series. Since I have no recollection of what the soundtrack sounds like, i'll give it a 5/10
As for the voice acting, it was all pretty average, the only one that I really hated was Go, but more on him later.

// Characters : 6/10

This show presented some interesting characters, before killing them off in a fashion that makes Attack on Titan look like Kimi ni Todoke.
The dad's death scene striked me as surprising, shocking, and kind of unnecessary. It was at that point where I started placing bets on who would die next, new characters got bet on the most, of course.
Ayumu and Nanami were the only characters that stood out to me, too bad Nanami got 1945'ed.
Go is the most annoying character i've seen since Bam from ToG and he joins Deku and Bam in the list of characters I want to kick the life out of.
His random bits of english are annoying and unnecessary. Ok, we get it, you can say "dad" in english, so can I. His english felt forced down my throat, I kept saying "no" and he wouldn't answer "はい", but he'd answer "yes" instead.
Overall, a decently forgettable cast with some fun betting along the way.

// Enjoyment : 6/10

I enjoyed the first two episodes, I hated the cult arc, and the rest was "meh".
Joey (theanimeman) put it perfectly, "it's the definition of a 5/10".
It is average / below average in most cases, and while I enjoyed certain parts, it wasn't a pleasant ride the entire way through.
Howevern, this show has managed to weasle it's way into my mind, and I keep thinking about it.

Overall: 6/10. Just above average, but not by much.

Domestic Girlfriend (DG for short) is a series that I picked up one day on a whim after seeing a trailer for it on YouTube. I went into it without looking up a synopsis, and had no idea what I was getting myself into. And boy, was it one hell of a ride.
I've had my ups and downs with this series, mostly relating to shitty waifu wars that, with time, I grew out of, and came to love this for it's story and presentation instead of just a batch of characters. This series is controversial, both for it's initial premisce and ending (we'll get onto ... that later). We have alot to talk about, so let's get going!

(WARNING: Spoilers for the ending in it's own section at the end of the review, review ends at "Enjoyment" section)

// Story : 9/10
From the get-go, DG has a very interesting story that got me (and alot of others) instantly hooked. Natsuo finds himself with 2 new sisters, his teacher Hina, whom he has a crush on, and Rui, the girl he lost his virginity to. This may seem very unrealistic, and it is, i'll give you that, but the situations they end up in tend to teeter on the edge of realistic and unrealistic most of the time. The drama feels real though, and you start to feel for the characters. They are faced with important and life changing decisions that lead to pretty great character development.
I do have to adress the fact that there are stronger arcs than others. Some arcs can feel forced and "too unrealistic", especially towards the last few stages of the story, more on that in the "spoiler" part of the review.
I would've given the story a 10/10 if not for these dips in quality, there are alot of side-character arcs that, in my opinion, are just not all that captivating. I came to see the main trio and how they develop, not to see side-characters that I can't get attached to.
That doesn't mean that all the side character arcs are bad, don't get me wrong, some are genuinely brilliant, some just feel unnecessary or forced.

// Art : 9/10
If there is one aspect where Kei Sasuga stands out in compared to any other mangaka in the romance/drama section today, it has to be in the art department.
DG starts off with average looking art. It isn't anything spectacular, but still pretty decent. However, with time, Sasuga's art gets more refined, and by the end of the story, it is absolutely amazing to look at. If I had to compare it to another series with great art, I think it's on par with the art in the currently releasing Bakemonogatari manga adaptation, it's genuinely amazing, and some scenes from the newer chapters left me stunned.
I didn't give this section a 10/10 either, as the art isn't always this amazing.
As I said, it takes a bit to get amazing, which is why I genuinely hope that Sasuga has another project after DG, seeing something start off with that art style would be insane.
Overall, a very clean and polished art style that gets better as the years went on.

// Characters : 10/10
This section is where the community for DG is split. There is an insane amount of characters in this series, so i'll stick to the ones I think are relevant, meaning the main trio of Hina, Natsuo and Rui.
I would've done a part for side-characters, but that would spoil certain arcs and take too much time, as I don't necessarily remember all of them and their progression throughout the story.
Let's talk about our main trio of Hina, Natsuo and Rui. It's hard for me to do this section without spoilers, as if I want to detail their growth, there's gonna be spoilers, which is why i'll say things, but without mentionning who i'm talking about, to try to keep this as spoiler-free as I can.
This first character goes from a shy, anti-social person to someone who is able to do whatever they can to realise their dream. Not my favorite character by far, but their progression is very respectable. They go from wanting what another has out of pure selfishness, to being able to give up this feeling of jealousy.
This second character is harder to develop on, in my opinion. They go from a typical character for this archetype, who doesn't want to give in to their real feelings to a character who is willing to accept sacrifice and gives in, a beautiful progression, in my opinion.
This third and last character for the trio goes from your average, run of the mill person, to someone who can live from their dream, who didn't give up despite what they could've been through. Be warned that this character can be considered a "wimp", my least favorite of this trio.

// Enjoyment : 10/10
This section is going to be entirely about what I think of the series, meaning it's going to feature my opinion, so please take what i'll say with a pinch of salt.

I've had my ups and downs with this series. When I first started reading it around mid-late March 2019, I was fully into the "waifu wars", i'd go onto discords and rage-debate who was better while defending my favorite waifu from this series, and I eventually ended up "hating" this series due to the "poor treatment" of my waifu.
In retrospect, that was so stupid, not because of the ending, but just because I think that I took this way too seriously, and alot of people still do.
At the end of the day, this is a manga meant for entertainment, to distract us from the real world and to get us immersed in a different one, and this one managed to do that for me.
I sort of "dropped" this series around mid-July, reading some spoilers and sometimes some of the chapters, but in January 2020, I did some thinking and thought that there had to be a reason behind why I got into it this much, so I went back and re-watched the anime, and purchased all of the available physical copies of the manga in my country, and fell in love with it all over again, this time not for the waifu wars or just the characters, but for the narrative and presentation.
This manga really has changed my life, it's the first time i've followed a series for this long, and it ending left a void in me, but a warm, fuzzy void, a feeling that it wasn't necessarily over, that i'd still be tied to this story and that I wouldn't forget about it anytime soon.

For that, I want to thank Kei Sasuga for writing such an amazing story.

// SPOILER SECTION //

So, a few words about the ending.

Yes, as some of you may have guessed by now, i'm a Hina fan. I'm going to be completely honest in what I say here: I'm fine with this ending, and no, it's not because my waifu "won". I can't even call this a "victory", I don't like Natsuo, but clearly she does, so i'll ship them, plus they look nice together.
However, I do wish that it had happened some other way instead of having her put into a coma and Marie telling Natsuo about her feelings. If she had confessed herself before the Okunugi arc and Natsuo made up his mind during the coma, it would've been much better that way already.

I won't dwell on this too much as this is more of something for debate in a discussion, but oh well, Thanks for reading if you made it here!

Before I get into this review, I want to issue a warning that I will be discussing spoilers for this manga, as I don't see how I can review this without talking about the execution of certain key scenes without spoiling them.

Kotonoha no Niwa is a manga that started serializing before the movie version came out in 2013. It's a short, one volume long manga, which makes it an easy read, like the movie, which is only 40 minutes long, making for an easy watch. In this review, i'll try to not compare it to the movie too much, as i'm planning to rewatch it ... to make a review for it. Let's get into it!

// Story // 10/10

The story is where this really shines. Takao, a first year in high school, skips out on morning classes every time it rains. When he does skip class, he goes to a local park to work on his dream: shoemaking. One day, he would meet a young woman who sat there, sipping beer and eating chocolate. Over time, they begin to talk to each other, takao opens up about his dream, and the woman opens up about her bad cooking skills and how she "lost the ability to walk for a while".
One day at school, a teacher walks by with a woman beside him, and it turns out to be Yukino-sensei, a teacher who is quitting her post as a teacher due to being essentially bullied out of the job by her students after some nasty rumors went around about her. Takao recognizes her as the woman from the park. One day, he decides to go to the park, and finds Yukino-sensei standing there. Rain follows, and they are forced to retreat to her apartment, where Takao confesses, but gets rejected. A tense but emotional scene in the building's outdoor staircase ensues and closes the show.

I really like this narrative, it starts off slow and calm, like the rain, before picking up with a violent storm towards the end, where emotions clash and tensions rise between the characters. It's a simple narrative of forbidden love, but one that works.

// Art // 6/10

This one hurts. Once you've seen the movie a few times and then read the manga version, it feels like an insane drop in quality. The movie has insane attention to detail, ridiculously good art and design, and here, it feels empty.
Don't get me wrong, I find the art to be fine, but don't expect the levels of art you'd find in the movie.
Takao looks like himself, he's a pretty simple character design-wise, but Yukino-sensei looks a bit off, and the backgrounds are very simple compared to the movie, which featured Takao's busy room, which is now pretty damn empty, the park doesn't feel as full with life...
It's a shame, really, at I feel like this could've been it's main selling point, but it's just... disappointing.

// Character // 9/10

The characters in this story are all pretty solid and loveable, well, for the ones that are developped, so basically Takao and Yukino-sensei.
Takao to me feels too bland, even in the movie. His simple design doesn't really appeal to me, and he just looks like a typical background character from a shoujo series... He is very assertive when it comes to his dreams, and clearly won't give up easily, so that's a plus for him. I like me some good, assertive characters who don't give up on something because they're told "no".
Yukino-sensei is definitely up there in my favorite characters. Not enough to make my list, but a decent candidate. She's sweet and soft, despite hiding the fact that she was a teacher, which did clearly hurt Takao. She clearly means no harm, and reminds me alot of Hina Tachibana from Domestic na Kanojo.
I would've said something about the bullies, but they're essentially the same as in the movie, literally no change.

// Enjoyment // 9/10

Kotonoha no Niwa is in my favorites list on MAL, so obviously I was bound to enjoy this, even despite the lacking art style. The story pulls this all together so well, and it makes me want to go back and watch the movie again, which will definitely happen soon.
A good and short read, despite the lack of detail in the art, this could've been much better, but i'll take it as it is!

Thanks for reading!

Up until recently, I had never heard of Karuta. I had heard that Chihayafuru was a really good shoujo sports-ish anime, so I wanted to give it a try, but never found the time. I recently got the opportunity to watch it, and I ended up binging it in 3 days. This really surprised me, as I didn't expect to enjoy it this much, when I found out it was all about poetry, I thought it'd be a one and done deal, watch the first season, and then next seasonal, thanks and goodbye, but it isn't the case. I'm genuinely looking forward to watching season ... 2 of this show. Let's get into the proper review, shall we? (I'll try to not spoil anything as much as possible, i'm sorry if I do, it's not intentional)

// Story // 9/10
The story and plot is kept simple, nothing too complex. Chihaya, a 15 year old high school girl wants more people to join her Karuta club in school. She gets told off by the club advisor, and then cue a flashback arc. A flashback arc so early in the story? Well yeah, but it actually works. It gives us an insight as to why Chihaya loves Karuta so much and how she discovered it. We also get some character introductions through this arc, and these characters will be important later on down the road, at least in the first season.
Overall the story isn't anything too wild, you have your typical Slice of Life parts, the Karuta matches, a tournament arc, and it manages to keep good character development, but we'll touch on that more a little bit later.
*Note: This caught me a bit off guard and took me a while to understand, but Episode 16 is a filler/recap episode, I don't think it's necessary to watch, I skipped it and don't think I missed anything*

// Art // 8/10
For 2011, the art is pretty damn good, i'll give it that. Chihayafuru holds it's own when it comes to the art department. The scenery looks great, the characters to do too... For the most part.
The thing that kind of ticked me off about the art is the lack of detail for the side characters. Chihaya, Taichi, Arata and Kana are very well drawn, and have a nice look to them, the typical shoujo kind of art style, but other side characters like Nikuban-kun and Desk-kun lack detail, most side characters have no eyes, and just lines! Are they blind?
Other than that, the art is nice to look at, it's not aggressive in any way and is relaxing with a nice color palet that comes back regularly.

// Sound // 9/10
This is probably gonna be the weakest part of the review, as I rarely pay attention to the background music / sound, but i'll try to be as detailled as possible.
From what I could gather, the sound worked very well with the show. The background music was fine, no problems there, and the background sounds/noises were fine as well, sometimes Chihaya would throw a fit, and there'd be a cute sound when she waves her arms around that adds comedic effect, or when she drops dead after a match. The sound is good, and works well.
Where it shines though is in the voice acting. Chiahaya and Taichi's VA's are excellent, and I really couldn't see anyone else in those roles, while for some other shows, I could easily see a few different VA's for a single character.
The OP is great, it works well with the theme and vibe, an energetic song for a show filled with an energetic cast.

// Character // 10/10
Speaking of the cast, this has got to be one of the most loveable casts i've seen in a while! Chihaya is a fuzzball of cuteness, Taichi is just cool and likeable, and all the club members are dedicated to their craft, and their dedication to Karuta makes them all look great!
I didn't really see any major character progression in Chihaya for this season, she obviously got better at the game (maybe?), but Taichi and Arata definitely grew, Taichi now has feelings for Chihaya, and Arata should be making his comeback to Karuta, when he wanted nothing to do with it.
Overall, this has to be one of the most memorable and likeable anime casts i've seen in a while, and i'm looking forward to watching season 2 to see them grow even more!

// Enjoyment // 10/10
I genuinely enjoyed watching Chihayafuru. May it be for the story or the cast, it was an enjoyable experience overall. 3 days is the usual amount of time it takes me to watch a 12 episode long series, if i'm fast. The fact that I watched all 25 episodes in 3 days says alot about how much I enjoyed the experience!

// Overall // 9/10
So, with all the praise i've given this show, why didn't I give it a 10/10?
Well it all comes down to a few factors that make it close to a 10, but not quite there yet. The side character design, or lack thereof already kicks it down a notch, but, to me, it just doesn't feel like a 10/10. There's shows that, when i'm done watching them, I can instantly tell that they're a 10/10, and no matter how much I liked this season, I just didn't have that feeling when I finished it. I'll definitely be watching at least the second season!
Overall, it's a great show that maybe isn't for everyone with the whole poetry thing, but it's worth a shot at least!

Thanks for reading!

Tower of God. Probably the biggest hype train to get derailed and combust into a fiery pit of dogshit and luck. I've dropped this show, mostly due to the bad show in itself but also due to the annoying superfans who's only argument is seemingly "Read the webtoon". Let's get into it, shall we?

// Story // 2/10
Bam, no, Yoru, no Twenty Fifth Bam, whatever the hell his name is at this point is being pampered by some girl called rachel, and we learn that they get seperated and he wants to become the biggest simp of all and decides to climb the Tower of God ... that can supposedly grant any wish, his wish being to see the stars with said Rachel (rahel?). Already not a great start, not very original but maybe i'll stick through it. What do we get in the very first episode? A rushed first test and the MC getting an OP sword because "he's cute".
But that has to be a slip up right? A one time deal right?
Wrong. Throughout the 4 episodes i've seen, luck/BS reasoning has found it's way into the situations at hand. The second test where he definitely would never had survived, given the fact that it was a battle royale where he was surrounded by bigger dudes with better weapons than him? He made it out by the skin of his teeth. The mini-test after that? He's somehow the only one to not get pushed back. The third test? Dino-Alligator-Crocodile guy opens a random door and guess what it's the right one! No, wait the entire point was to just open a single door.
Too much luck in this story so far, leaving a bad impression.

// Art // 1/10
The art style used wouldn't be so bad if they just stuck to that one style and didn't branch out to a bunch of other styles in the same episode, they go from the regular simplistic-fanartsy style to a chiibi style to another different style back to the original style in the span of 10 seconds...
The original style in itself is very criticizable, it looks like something that would come out of a Pixiv fanart account, the art is simple, but it contrasts too much with the thickness of the lines and the detail in the eyes.
Either you make it simple or you make it complex, but not both at the same time.
I'm also gonna talk about the animation, as it seems pretty unbalanced. While some episodes have respectable animation (for a seasonal), some episodes look choppy, almost as if they just threw the budget out the window for some scenes.

// Sound // 3/10
The voice acting isn't all that bad, but given the lack of good animation, it hinders the experience as it feels like the same as when a cheap english dub is placed over and the lip sync is completely off. The OP is a nightmare to sit through, i cannot stand kpop, and this just had to have an OP done by a kpop group for extra exposure towards kpop stans, not a good thing overall.

// Character // 2/10
Maybe i'm gonna be a bit harsh here, but man, fuck Bam/Yoru. He is the single most annoying MC i've seen in all of anime. He's a wimp that gets lucky, he's a child trying to play an adult's game. He clearly is not ready for the task of climbing the tower, but he throws himself into it anyways because plot armor, i guess. The only interesting characters i found to be noteworthy were dino guy, but he just kept getting ridiculed week in week out to the point that he isn't the beast he was made out to be at the end of episode 1/start of ep2, and Yuri, but we haven't seen much of her so far.

// Enjoyment // 1/10
These 4 episodes were a pain to sit through, i'm not going to lie. So why did i sit through them? why didn't i drop it one episode in? Because i actually thought that this could somehow get better. I get that a series doesn't instantly get better an episode to the next, but 4 consecutive bad episodes with the same exact problems is just too much for me, maybe it gets better later on, but i'm not willing to put myself through more problem -> luck -> solution.

// Overall // 1/10
The hype killed it for me, i came in expecting a top tier show, and i was disappointed. Had this not had the hype it did could i have enjoyed it? Probably. The fans built this up as a masterpiece in every respect, and so far i haven't seen anything worthy of more than a 5/10. This just isn't targeted at me i guess...

// SPOILER WARNING //

Natsunagu! is a very cute short show about a girl who wants to meet up with someone she met in an online game after an earthquake hit the area her friend lives in.

// Story // 9/10
This one is a simple to understand show, nothing complex about it, but it's simplicity makes it good.
Natsuna met a girl on an online game and after an earthquake hit where her friend lives, she wanted to check on her, especially after said friend sent her a text saying "i want to see you", before the game shut down, cutting all ties between them.
Natsuna now has to ... track her friend Itsuki down with nothing more than her name and old adress, making some good friends along the way, and eventually reaching her goal in the end. Overall a good development for a short story, and it kind of reminds me of Kimi no na wa in some aspects, the whole looking for someone but you don't know who exactly you're looking for aspect.

// Art // 10/10
The art style in this anime is actually quite simple but refreshing from all the plastic looking bright anime we've been getting as of late!
A very water-color vibe and 90's ish vibe for the backgrounds, the art style is very clean and nice to look at, and definitely fits the tone of the story!

// Sound // 8/10
There isn't much in the way of sound effects in this anime, when Natsuna stumbled, there wasn't any sound when she hit the floor (and if my memory is correct she didn't even say anything) but the voice acting is very good, Natsuna's voice is especially nice to me, it just has a nice ring to it.

// Character // 8/10
The characters are kept simple and likeable, which is a good thing for a short show like this one. The only character surrounded in a mystery is Itsuki, but we do get to see her by the end of the series, so that's all good. Izumi's dad is also very likeable, reminds me of a typical american dad who likes to have a cold one with the bros on a saturday

// Enjoyment // 9/10
I enjoyed watching this as the episodes were short and so there wasn't time for any filler. Everything you watch adds to the story and development, so you aren't wasting any time, everything builds up to the finale, and in my opinion, a nice and fitting conclusion to a cute short anime!

Your Name.
A movie that I decided to watch one night out of boredom and a lack of shows to watch.
A movie that changed the way I percieved anime to this day.
And a movie that I absolutely do not regret watching.
But enough about the movie, how does the manga adaptation square up?

// Story // 9/10
The manga follows the same story as the movie does, makes sense, it's an adaptation of the movie into the manga form. There are a few subtle additions in the manga that I find great, scenes that were cut from the movie or just added for the manga, I'm not really sure ... which. These scenes focus mostly on Mitsuha, happening in volumes 1 and 3. Vol. 1 at the very start, after the color pages, and shows in a few panels her desire for freedom from her life in the countryside, and at the end showing her new life in Tokyo after the comet disaster. The one key flaw to this story however, and this goes for both the manga and the movie, is that towards the end, it gets pretty hard to follow. Volume 3 especially, with Taki going back and forth, from the past to the present and back again, but I think that with a careful re-read and the establishment of a timeline, this could be fixed.

// Art // 10/10
Probably Your Name's biggest selling point, it's art. The art in the movie was impeccable, looking beyond anything seenn in most anime today. It's on par with Makoto Shinkai's other works, notably Kotonoha no Niwa/Garden of Words. The art in the manga is still very good, but the character designs for Taki and Mitsuha do look quite different, but I'm actually very open to this change. I always felt like something was off with their original character designs, but I brushed it off due to how good the movie was. Here, Taki and Mitsuha look amazing, Taki's face is a bit shorter, and same for Mitsuha, and her hair looks less...big? I don't really know how to qualify the changes in Mitsuha's design. I know they're there, but I can't seem to put my finger on it.
The scenery is amazing. The few colored pages we get reflect that perfectly. The scenery is very true to the source, and, having watched the movie almost a year ago now (yikes), it allowed me to re-discover elements of the scenery that I may have forgotten.

// Character // 10/10
It's easy to fall in love with these characters. May it be from their personnalities, to their designs or even the way they act, I found myself overwhelmed with joy when i saw the two of them on top of the hill, before Mitsuha disappeared at the end of the katawaredoki. Again, the design for some characters is quite different, but that doesn't hinder the experience in any way (for me at least).
Throughout the manga, we really get to see how they got closer, the little notes they'd leave each other, and even their breif moment shared together, to their reunion in the end on the steps. The facial expressions make it all feel so real, making it easy to fall into the story, making it feel as though you're reading about something that actually happened instead of a fiction.

// Enjoyment // 10/10
I read this over a period of one afternoon. I didn't want to rush it, and I wanted to take my sweet time in reading this to really get the full experience, and boy, it did not disappoint. I could genuinely feel happiness in the moments that expressed them, and despite knowing what happens, my heart dropped again when I saw the crater left behind by the comet, and again when Mitsuha disappeared after the end of the katawaredoki. I also felt immense relief at the end, seeing Mitsuha alive and well, despite knowing full well that she'd make it, and the staircase scene almost made me cry. (It made me cry in the movie for like, the seventh time...)

// Overall // 10/10
Overall, this is a work of art.
A short story, but one that, in my opinion shouldn't be overlooked. It is in no way better than the movie, I don't think any adaptation could beat it, but it definitely adds a little touch of detail and "heartwarming-ness"(?) to an already great story.

Thanks for reading!

I watched this show in december of 2018, and i keep coming back to it to this day, as i'm currently reading the manga.
That alone should give you a hint as to how good this anime is.
Kimi ni Todoke is the adaptation of the manga by the same name, and it is quite true to the manga, for the parts that are adapted, that is.
Despite looking quite dated in 2020 standards, it still holds up to this day.

// Story //
This anime follows Sawako Kuronuma, a shy girl who recently entered high school. There are lots of rumors about her being able to see and talk ... to ghosts, and because of that, people are afraid of her and refrain from interacting with her.
Despite that fact, the popular boy in the class, Kazehaya, ends up talking to her, and ends up in a group for a class event with her, a prank pulled by the fellow classmates. Sawako starts to admire Kazehaya, and eventually falls in love with him, and has to endure all the hardships of a typical high school girl's life.

// Art //
As i said above, the art style is very different to today's standards.
No overly plastic looking characters and backgrounds, Kimi ni Todoke opts for a pastel palet of colors, typical of a shoujo anime from the late 2000's. The characters are all very polished and clean design-wise, and the bakgrounds, while some are pretty plain, work with the story, and the scenery looks beautiful.

// Sound //
I am not one to pay much attention to sound in an anime. I will of course pay attention to the voice acting, as i watch anime in sub format, and the voice acting in this anime works perfectly. Sawako's VA is perfect for the role, portraying the shy girl persona perfectly. Kazehaya's VA is also great, performing the "popular boy" role very well.
As for music, i only really paid attention to some of the background music that was used very often, but it works in pretty much every situation it is used in.
For the OP's and ED's, the ones that stood out to me are the first opening, and the season 2 opening (Sawakaze). They are to this day some of my favorite openings, and i find myself listening to them quite reguarly.

// Character //
I'm going to break this section down into multiple parts, one for each important character. I will use some spoilers to show the evolution of each character and the relations between them.

Sawako:
She starts off as the shy girl in the first episode, and slowly starts to break out of her shell, slowly becoming more sociable, first with Ayane and Chizu, and then with Kazehaya, and then Kurumi (More on her later). By the end of the anime's first season, she has stable relationships with multiple characters, despite having none in the first episode. In season 2, this climaxes with a hug from Kazehaya to Sawako in the classroom, before ending there, and the rest comes in the manga.

Kazehaya:
The popular kid in the class, he has all the girls dropping like flies, and he wants no part of it. He has most likely rejected every girl in his grade by now, but he set his sights on Sawako, trying to approach her using his exteroverted personality, but sometimes getting shy and embarrassed along the way. While his character doesn't evolve too much, his relationship with the ones around him does. He stays best friends with Ryu, becomes lovers(?) with Sawako, and friends with Chizu and Ayane, all while rejecting Kurumi.

Kurumi:
Speaking of Kurumi, The anime does a great job in making the hateable character actually hateable. It's quite easy to be decieved by Kurumi, although it is also quite easy to read through her as the episodes go by. She quickly goes from Sawako's cute blonde rival, to a broken girl who got rejected by her love interest.

Ayane & Chizu:
I'm gonna group these two up because they've had similar growth in the anime, despite Chizu having a love interest of her own. Ayane is the gyaru that you usually wouldn't really talk to and would try to avoid, but she ends up having a warm heart and showing real affection for Sawako, that kind of feels like it comes out of no where. Chizu is the same as Ayane, but she ends up having a love interest of her own, only to have her heart broken.


// Enjoyment //
I really, really, really enjoyed this anime. It's one of the few that i've gone back and rewatched, and it's as exciting the second time around as it is the first. It was my first ever Shojo/Romance anime, and i haven't watched one since that has come close to having the same impact that this anime has had on me.
A real 10/10 anime in my book.