Jul 5, 2015
This review considers both seasons to be one entity.
If any anime has ever been able to evoke feeling of pure joy, it's this one. This isn't the prettiest anime, nor does it feature the most original story, nor does it have the most complex characters. But it is hands down one of the most easygoing, pleasant, and enjoyable anime I have ever seen.
The first thing I want to note is how much I adore the show's aesthetics. The food is of course, a focal point of the show, and A-1 Pictures managed to make it look damn tasty, as they needed to do in a
...
show about agricultue. I love Hiromu Arakawa's style and the character designer really nailed the way everyone looked. Which is surprising considering A-1 produced this. Their style is generally so typical and bland to me. It just makes me appreciate Gin no Saji more. However, the animation won't make your jaw drop through the floor like ufotable or Shaft can do, but the show isn't about heavy action or surrealism. The animation did what it needed to do to serve the purposes of the show, and it did it well. However, there are some cringey CGI bits that I didn't like.
Sound-wise, I just need to gush about the ED for a moment. It's so good and it's catchy as hell. The song perfectly fits the cheerful tone of the show and it forms an excellent bridge between the ending of an episode and the credits. The OP, while it isn't as good as the ED, is still adorable, catchy, and very cheerful. Beyond the OP and ED, though, I don't really remember much about the soundtrack at all to be honest. It did it it's job, I suppose. It wasn't exactly memorable. However, the animal sound effects are good, as they should be. No problems here, but the soundtrack of the anime is it's weakest point.
The story is rather simple, a boy, a studious and urban child, attends a rural agricultural high school. Little does he realize, he's in way over his head. Hijinks ensue. But the point of Gin no Saji isn't to tell an astounding story, it's about the lessons we learn alongside Hachiken. He learns about the brutal realities of farm life for the livestock and the farmers. He learns about responsibility. He even learns a little but about love.
It's through these lessons that Gin no Saji shows itself to be a very special anime. Personally, I find Hachiken to be very relatable. I wasn't good for much other than memorizing facts and doing tests in school either. I don't know anything about working on a farm or taking care of animals or growing crops. For me, it was like I was right there beside Hachiken, learning about the world and agriculture with him. That is exactly what makes Hachiken such an effective protagonist. A good story, but not all, requires an ignorant character through which the audience can learn more about the world the story presents. It's immersive and informative. The rest of the cast is entertaining. None of the secondary characters were grating or annoying to me. Not all of the characters are explored in that great of depth, but we do gain significant insight into their lives. Ichiro's character probably had the most interesting development of the other characters, but I don't want to spoil too much. I'll just say I loved the characters. Hachiken Yuugo is an excellent protagonist, and he is one of my favorites in all anime.
Does it present an accurate interpretation of farm life? I don't know, I'm just a city boy. But I've heard that lots of what the anime shows us is very accurate. Hiromu Arakawa was raised on a dairy farm after all, and we follow characters in the dairy sciences program. I'm inclined to say, yes, this story presents entirely plausible and realistic situations.
As I stated before, I enjoyed this anime immensely. It's some of the best fun I've had watching anything. It's also very touching at times, and even a little sad. It's a story about growing up. It's a story about living life. Life is gonna have its ups and downs and it'll be a confusing, tiring, exciting ride. Gin no Saji conveys such a powerful sense of being alive (it's difficult to put into words). I don't know, I loved every second of this anime. I think it's a masterpiece of the slice of life genre and it's one of the best anime I've ever seen.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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