Apr 10, 2014
I've been reading a lot of mixed reviews for this show so here I am wanting to add in my two cents.
Overall, I personally would give this show about a 7.5/10 but since MAL likes their whole numbers, I will round it up to an 8.
Story - 7/10
The story was heart-warming to say the least. Although there was definitely some plot-holes left, and I felt that 12 episodes wasn't enough to unfold the story for all the characters. The story itself was focused on finding your own identity - your place in the world, and also about friendship, with a little bit of romance.
...
This was very well done for the main character, Kotoura, but weaker for the other characters. I think the story would have been better adapted into arcs if we wanted to get a better sense of the own character's story and self-identity builds. Instead, their backgrounds were only glimpsed at from Kotoura's mind-reading. Overall, I was satisfied with the story, but I wish to have seen better endings for the other characters.
Art - 7/10
The art was well-done for the most part. Kotoura's "moe" portrayal worked really well for this anime. It gave her the cute/innocent vibe and helped draw the attention to her. However, the other character's designs were not as rich/expressive for their personality to shine through (note: I feel that a good score should have art being complementary to the personality of the characters, as well as the setting). One of the worst examples was Manabe; he had a bland character design, and I was not drawn to him at all -- only his personality was kept me somewhat interested in him. I also found Moritani to not be particularly done well either. She should have been drawn a little more intimidating to match her background for my liking -- she appeared really weak/frail, and almost like her personality changed from the antagonist to protagonist was as if two different people actually switched. Overall, I really enjoyed Kotoura's art, and the portrayal of comedy scenes (e.g. Manabe's perversion).
Sound - 8/10
I really enjoyed the opening, and the various ending themes. It had more of a cheerful disposition which gave me some hope that Kotoura's tragic backstory would result in a better ending for her. I also liked how the different endings matched for certain episodes to help get you in the mood when continuing to the next episode. Lastly, I am pleased to see that the opening and ending themes are not major spoilers to the anime itself -- I have seen some animes where this has been the case. Overall, I found the sound the themes appropriate for the show.
Characters - 8/10
I am giving this an 8 solely on the character development of Kotoura throughout the show. I really liked her, and I felt pity and happiness throughout the different episodes. When I am moved by a character from a short anime like this, it is a good sign. However, as I expressed within the story rating, I found the other character's to be much weaker and wish I knew more about them, and that they had a better ending. I also had difficulty believing the character change on Moritani. She originally was portrayed as an initial antagonist but suddenly became friendly (I won't get into spoilers), and I felt her addition to the rest of the cast was random. I wish she wouldn't have became so 2D later, and acted as the show's cheerleader. One other character that I did enjoy was Mifune, although I wish I saw a better ending for her. Overall, Kotoura was done well, but the other characters were weaker in this series.
Enjoyment - 7.5/10
I felt moved by this series, and I really enjoyed the slice of life element to it. Some of the transitions between tragic, and happy were done too fast which felt a bit chunky and unbelievable at times. I am a sucker for animes that involve friendship conquering all which was a nice element to have in here.
Overall - 7.5/10 rounded to 8/10
I definitely recommend this series if you are interested in slice of life, romance, and comedy. It had a nice mix of in between. Although if you really want a deep development in different types of characters, this anime isn't for you. The story focuses on Kotoura, and it becomes apparent throughout the series. If you like moe as well, Kotoura-san gives you plenty of it!
...This also makes my first written review!!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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