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I probably have more tolerance for anime that can be described as fairly heinous (whether it be because of fan service, weird taboo topics, etc) than most people. I can get behind awful anime as long as it entertains me. That said, this was still pretty painful, even for me.

Let me get this out of the way: MC is a perverted moron. That's most likely the biggest issue here, at the very least it was for me.

For everything else, I'll just summarize the experience because if you're reading this, you're most likely already seasoned when it comes to RomComs and don't need a whole essay:

- ... There are some decent/delicate moments that end up being marred by the perverted thoughts. It's such a shame. I sometimes root for the interactions to be genuine and at the last second, they take that away from you. Same can be said about music choices. There are times when I thought the music choice is poor and ended up ruining my immersion.
- To add on to my last point, this anime is also a culprit of cheap gags replacing what would've otherwise been good story beats. Scenes where there could've been good character development is instead used as a joke. Maybe it's a way for the anime to tell you that it's not 100% serious and it's actually 'funny ha-ha hey we're still hip and relatable'? Who knows. Again, it's a bummer.
- Ending was a swing and a hard miss. Obviously the anime does have multiple seasons so I shouldn't have expected a proper resolution from the first season. Still, it's a shame that the ending holds itself back. It's especially a shame since I felt that the last few episodes were the strongest of the bunch. I thought it could actually somewhat redeem itself. Oh well.

It just boils down to how much you can tolerate. I thought I could, but after a while it's just hard. The protagonist is miserable to watch. Not only does he think with what's in his pants, he's also just an idiot. He makes outrageous decisions that will make you bang your head on a wall. If you think you're up for the task, then maybe you can find it in yourself to like this anime. It's popular for a reason after all.

I usually would have a much more comprehensive and outlined review because that's just how I like to do things and it makes it easier for people to understand my points. BUT THIS ONE WILL BE AN EXCEPTION AND I WILL JUMP RIGHT INTO SPOILERS AND I'M JUST GONNA BE EVERYWHERE. If you haven't, please do watch the anime first before reading this review. You'll have a much better understanding of what I'm about to talk about. Also, I might come off as harsh with this review but I just have a lot of questions, that's all. I actually don't despise this anime for ... the record.

With that out of the way, I only really have only have one question: WHY?

WHY on earth would you give me a revenge plot only for you to not even commit to it in the end? I understand having other arcs in your story but abandoning your main narrative doesn't really count as an artistic choice. You just come off as confusing. I actually had some form of anticipation in the very beginning since the plot line is something I'm not very familiar with when it comes to RomCom. A revenge story, cool, will they actually fall in love? Will he actually reject her spectacularly and get another girl? Or will it just have such a sad ending that nobody is happy at all? DAMNED IF I KNOW. This anime was too busy focusing on Masamune THINKING about his revenge and never gets on with it. IF YOU'RE GONNA TEASE ME WITH A ROMANCE BETWEEN THEM, THEN GO WITH IT YOU COWARDS. Otherwise, stick with what you intended.

WHY would you give me a memory of the protagonist being rejected by the heroine because he was fat only to show me that she actually liked him being fat?! YOU DIDN'T EVEN EXPLAIN WHY HE WAS REJECTED IN THE FIRST PLACE. The beginning episode of this anime will greet you with the arc of Masamune working out for the past 8 years of his life because he was rejected by Aki and called him a pig. We get reminded of this "tragic" backstory quite often through his flashbacks. My one concern though is the fact that later on in the series, Aki mentions that she actually loved Masamune when he was fat. WHAT'S UP WITH THAT?! I get it, you wanna mix things up. Cool. Good for you. But at least give me something to connect those two ideas with. For starters, it was never really revealed to Aki that Masamune was the fat kid in the past, so if you wanted that to happen, tough luck bud, it was only teased. Secondly, why did Aki call him a pig and rejected him if she actually liked him? We even see in Masamune's flashback that he had flowers for her but when she rejected him, he just dropped it on the spot, THEN in Aki's flashback, she actually found the flowers and waited for him to come back, which he never did since he did get rejected. SO WHAT DID HAPPEN? Give me something. Clear it up please. You don't even have to tell me the whole thing, it can be subtle. Otherwise I'm just here thinking one of them has a false memory or something.

WHY is he still plotting revenge? Look, in the beginning, the plot was actually sounding pretty neat-o. I was genuinely interested for a while. But after everything that plays out, especially with Neko and Gasou coming in, Masamune didn't need his revenge anymore. WHAT'S THE POINT OF THIS ANIME? Neko fell in love with him. Gasou (which by the way is a man who pissed me off at first but when I saw his character as a whole, he really doesn't have bad intentions) is gonna be married to Aki. There really is no loss here if he gave up on her. It would be much different if Masamune ACTUALLY fell in love with her and they develop romance. OR HELL, YOU CAN EVEN GO ON WITH YOUR REVENGE PLOT AND I'LL SUPPORT YOU, BUT PLEASE, ACTUALLY STICK WITH IT. But no, the anime ends in a cheesy "oh are they gonna kiss?" thing. I think they had intentions for a second season which honestly sounds like it's just gonna drag this story pretty long when it could've honestly been told with 13 episodes.

So what's the verdict? Well, you can probably tell I'm not the biggest fan. Saying that I'm disappointed would mean I had some form of expectation, which I honestly didn't. It was (personally) an enticing plot but it falls apart immediately. There were some parts that I enjoyed but to be honest, the only thing that sticks out is the fact that this anime seems to not have an idea of how to go through with his EPIC revenge plot that they decided to half-ass the ending. If you still find yourself liking this, well, to each our own I suppose.

Today is a critique of the anime Charlotte, from the studio P.A. Works. Keep in mind that this review is mainly my opinion and in no way am I dismissing other people's view of the anime. Whether you like the anime or not is your own right, just keep that in mind so we have an understanding and respect of each other's opinions.

I'm gonna be breaking my reviews down to 3 main sections, though MAL gives you more options. I'll be talking about the art style, sound, and story.

Art Style: 8/10

The art style, from a personal perspective, is definitely pleasing. Nothing short from the same ... producers who animated Angel Beats! which is another anime I admire and is something that I will actually mention later on. There are certain scenes where they use 3D backgrounds which I found amusing though a little bit off, but hey, just my personal preference. There's not really much to marvel about the art style. Although I did say it is good, it's nothing I've not seen before. I guess you can call it traditional in this modern era of anime. That's not something to complain about though.

Sound: 7/10

Now you have to keep in mind that in no way am I a professional when it comes to criticism, especially with music. So I'm basing this off of whether or not I enjoyed it personally. Well, did I like Charlotte's music? To be honest, I'm conflicted about that. It's definitely something that struck my interest. Of course, that's probably that "new anime" vibe that it gave when I first started watching the series, but for me, the ED is really the only song I actually enjoyed when it comes to the series. An OST, in my opinion, is supposed to make you feel something special, especially in those intense or dramatic moments. I didn't really feel it with some of the songs in this anime, in fact they didn't have much impact on some scenes and sometimes I never noticed them. Again, this is just personal opinion, some people might be big on music but I only really notice them when they give huge impact on the characters or the story. (As an example, if you've watched Clannad, take a listen to the song "A Place Where Wishes Come True". You will feel the emotions right away. That's just the kind of impact it has, which a good song should do.) As for the voice acting, again, nothing special. I think there could've been times where the actors could've put more emotions into scenes, other than that, it's mediocre. I am a big fan of Kouki Uchiyama since he also voiced Raku Ichijou from Nisekoi, another anime I love.

Story: 8/10

Oh boy, here we go. Before anything else, let me ask you this; have you heard of Angel Beats? The anime about a group of supposed high school students banded together to solve their conflicts about life and supernatural events where there's this one feisty girl leader that doesn't get along with the protagonist at first? Well I basically described Charlotte AND Angel Beats. That does sound like a bad thing to some but surprisingly enough that actually kept me company. Like I said, Angel Beats is an anime I admire, and to find an anime with a similar story line is a guaranteed bonus. Of course, there are complaints. There are some elements that Angel Beats were able to deliver better than its twin and vice versa, but if an anime even remotely touches that moment where I clench my fist and make me really emotional, I won't judge it poorly. This anime made me feel sad, excited, sad, and excited again in a span of 13 episodes. A lot of plot twists and is sometimes surprisingly dark and brooding. For an anime that presents itself goofy in the beginning, I didn't expect a bunch of plot twists that are emotional. Since it only has 13 episodes however, the story line feels a bit rushed in my opinion. If given enough episodes, I think the story could've been progressed a lot better, especially the romance between the main protagonist and girl protagonist, though if the writers did not have enough material, then I can understand why. I wouldn't want fillers anyway. Still a pretty interesting story though, unless you're not a fan of a repeated story line if you've already watched Angel Beats or something similar.

Overall: 8/10

So, what's the verdict? Well, I like it, and I think you will too. I think this is something a casual fan will enjoy, though if you're really heavy on analysis, you might find a lot of flaws, but that's only if you're really nit picky. I think the best way to enjoy an anime is to forget about criticism for the first time and analyze it a second time. This anime is going to take you on a rollercoaster of emotions so if you're gonna watch it, which I recommend you do, well you better be ready for that.