Sep 15, 2021
Note: Review is based off memory. My memory is dodgy at times, keep that in mind. Also, shoutout to Bernard for his beautiful rating system as i shall be borrowing it for this review and possibly for latter ones. SPOILERS BELOW.
Today is a monumental day. It is the day I embark on a beautiful journey of writing reviews for anime I have watched in the past. Truly magnificent. Now, to celebrate this wonderful occasion we shall delve into an intricate analysis of one of the most OVERRATED shows on this planet, known as Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso, or simply Your Lie In April.
Objective Score:
...
Plot and Story Structure -The idea and concept of the plot is good. The incorporation of the meaning and motivations of playing music into the story was done well and was honestly an interesting plot point. I don’t have many gripes with the idea of the plot itself, however the execution is terribly lacklustre and that shall be explored in further detail later. (7/10)
Characterisation and Character/ World Development- I simply do not understand the huge garnering that Kaori (the female lead) has somehow amassed. She might be the hollowest husk of a character that I have seen, holy fucking smokes I got my money up. Anyways, all we see from her is “ah yes let’s do this Arima” to “Oh no I am dying.” No more fleshing out of her character and essentially no development until her unfortunate demise. When you have a female this lifeless it is quite hard to feel emotional when she perishes. Arima on the other hand is a character which is well, actually a character, instead of a placeholder. Sure, I didn’t really care for his character but at least we got some character development for him. His childhood friend was okay I guess, she provided Arima with the typical dilemma of choosing between two bitches. Other characters are forgettable. Did not care for those two randos at the competition but that’s expected when the main focus is on Kaori and Arima. Overall, a pretty sub-par cast of characters honestly. (3/10)
Flow and Depiction of Ideas and Content- This is where the show falls flat. The flash backs holy shit. I understand the purpose of flashbacks but come on, I felt like I was watching recap episodes of Arima’s childhood every time. The sheer amount of these flashbacks really watered down the severity and impact that these segments were meant to offer and left me feeling angered and annoyed. Especially when these flashbacks were occurring in the middle of important scenes, it really took away from the experience. We also have random slice of life or comedic segments which feel out of place and jarring, as they break the mood. I do understand the intention of these additions but it was flat and unfortunately dead. Like Kaori. (2/10)
OVERALL OBJECTIVE SCORE: (4/10)
Subjective Score :
Engagement -To be honest I was quite engaged when I first started this show. Then came the melodrama and overused flashbacks and I found it hard to keep that same level of engagement. The middle of the show became a slog to watch due to this. By the end I couldn’t really care less about the aftermath; I just wanted to finish the show.Yikes. (5/10)
Character/World Attachment -As talked about above, unfortunately I did not really care for any of the characters, especially the female lead. It’s not to say that I didn’t feel anything when she passed, it’s just that I didn’t find it be a particularly emotional moment. Additionally I felt that I would’ve been more attached to Arima if it not were for those cursed flashbacks. (4/10)
General Enjoyment -Honestly the show wasn’t a total snooze fest. It had its fair share of engaging and interesting moments where I was genuinely entertained. These moments were tainted by the constant melodrama and the aforementioned reasons above. I just feel as if there could’ve been a lot more to enjoy if altercations were made. (5/10)
OVERALL SUBJECTIVE SCORE: (4.67/10)
Technical Score:
Sound/Voice Acting- Very well done. The music played during the performances was quite beautiful. Good use of sound effects. Voice acting was also done very well. (8/10)
Art- The art was honestly great. I still remember the cherry blossom scenes, they were done excellently. The characters looked a little weird to me but I guess that’s just down to personal preference I guess. (8/10)
Openings and Endings- A mixed bag. 1st OP is iconic and a banger with the accompanied visuals as well. 1st ED is forgettable. 2nd OP is also forgettable. 2nd ED however is great and is very fitting of the mood. (7/10)
OVERALL TECHNICAL SCORE: (7.67/10)
BASE SCORE: (5.02/10)
Bonuses and Penalties:
Excessive amounts of melodrama. This includes all the flashbacks, Arima’s supposed PTSD, the crying etc. Get that shit outta here. -0.75
Arima the pussio. -0.25
Hikaru Nara. +0.25
Total= -0.75
FINAL SCORE: 5.02-0.75= 4.27/10 (4/10)
Have I been too harsh on this anime? Perhaps. Part of the reason is because I know that I would’ve enjoyed this a lot more if it weren’t for the excessive melodrama and cheesy comedy. A phat 4 is what this show deserves. Below average.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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