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Dec 17, 2024
This manga is very nice, and one of my favorite that is currently undergoing serialization. As others have already stated, I think that the greatest strength of the manga is Fujita's storyboarding and strong visual design. Although the artwork is definitely more on the rudimentary side, the careful and deliberate way the panels are laid out gives the work palpable tension and narrative momentum. This tension is what keeps me engaged and interested with the narrative.
For a case study to show a specific place where this manga excels, let's look at the confession scene on the bridge in chapter 39. Just before the big payoff,
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there are a solid two pages with no dialogue (unless you count the MC's stuttering, idk). The persistent shots of Nico's face, the fact that she averts her eyes in one of the panels, the close-up of Tatsuhiko's hands, presumably tightly clutching his bag (which ties back into hands, one of the important visual motifs as it regards their relationship) -- all do an excellent job of reflecting the appropriate level of tension that this scene should, and propels the reader through the scene towards the big emotional payoff at the end. The manga also did a good job of building up tension in this and the previous chapter so it really is a perfect little moment. Another moment that stood out to me is in chapter 41 when Tatsuhiko is getting reamed out by Nico for moving in with his guy buddies. While Tatsuhiko is apologizing and explaining his rationale, there is a set of successive panels over many pages deliberately showing Nico's expression slowly softening, which culminates in her apologizing to Tatsuhiko after a page flip. This is an excellent way to visually communicate the emotional progression of the scene and the shift in Nico's emotional state. These are just two examples that stood out to me, but the whole manga is full of examples where it uses carefully laid out panels that echo certain motifs to show emotional progression and draw the reader through many pages which eventually result in an emotional climax/payoff.
I also quite enjoy the characters. In particular, I think Nico's personality and character design are standout, and very unique for a female romantic lead in this era. Most female romantic leads in manga of this type, especially shonen, are the same tired iteration of the Japanese ideal of what a woman should be -- that is to say, polite, somewhat reserved, and conservative in both dress and sensibility. This character archetype is, in my view, boring and overdone. In contrast, Nico has many traits that would be off-putting to many -- she is aggressive, slovenly, boorish, outspoken, and generally wild and irresponsible, plus she probably drinks too much booze. Additionally, I appreciate her design -- she looks and dresses distinctly like an American, resulting in an appearance that is generally not seen in manga. It's not that I would even particularly like Nico were I to meet her in real life, I just find her personality to be refreshing, and it creates for more dynamic interactions between her and the more passive Tatsuhiko.
The themes are also well-developed. As someone who currently works hard to pursue my ambitions, I find the struggles of Tatsuhiko to balance his work with his personal life and relationships to be relatable. Fujita did a great job of realistically showing the isolation that one often must impose upon themselves to realize their creative ambitions. Overall, I don't know where this will end up by the end, but I hope it keeps going for quite some time, and I find it a strong example of how things as simple as storyboarding can turn a rather banal concept and setting into something fresh and compelling.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 18, 2024
Alright the official English translation for the final volume (#6) just dropped last week so it's time for me to officially get on record and say that this shit is GAS fr.
I have heard most people describe this manga along the lines of being "wholesome, cute fluff", but I think that this take is an absolute disservice to the clear level of care and expertise that have gone into every level of this work. Let's begin with the characters -- I want to start by noting that the male lead (Ichiro) is an actual character with a personality, and not just an empty vessel for
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the (presumably male) reader to project upon. He may not be as immediately distinctive as the female lead (Shiori) but he clearly has his own personality, weaknesses, and merits. To build upon that last point more, it is a common criticism of any romance manga (regardless of its target demographic) that the MC is simply not very attractive or interesting and that there is no way that the far more attractive love interest would like them in real life. While it is obvious that Shiori is highly attractive in almost every way, I think that anybody who says that it is unrealistic that Shiori is attracted to Ichiro or that she is way out of his league is outing themselves as someone who doesn't actually understand women. Ichiro is hardworking, responsible, reliable, and trustworthy. He is able to handle the immense burden placed on him and does it without complaining or whining, but he is not too proud to ask for help from his partner when he needs it. He is patient, emotionally stable, a great listener, and very emotionally attuned to Shiori's needs. He can quickly deduce how she feels in any scenario and quickly makes adjustments to his behavior to better suit her needs. And although the industry he works in is not very financially stable, he is good enough at planning and figuring things out that finances would never be an issue as long as you give him the proper support. Of course, he is certainly not perfect; his confidence issues and undoubtedly shaky finances are proof of this, but he is always willing to cooperate and communicate through any issues. Shiori is essentially the same, but with a different person; the has her own flaws of being naive, stubborn, and overly whimsical, but she is an extraordinary reliable person who asks for help when she needs it and provides help when she can. I think this is what makes OnG such an exceptional and unique series because it is literally the only one I've read which depicts an ideal, realistic adult relationship. The romance between the two is built less on a dramatic, hormonal whirlwind, and more of a foundation of mutual trust, respect, and teamwork. It is thus no surprise why they are so successful at navigating the numerous challenges of adult life because they have the correct attitude towards things.
So this series would already be worthy of an easy recommend based solely on its depiction of a substantive adult relationship, but it is also commendable on pretty much every other aspect. I want to draw special attention to the translation team for the official English release by Kodansha -- as far as I can tell, this primarily composes Rose Padgett and Max Greenway as the translators for the first and last 3 volumes, respectively, and Cayley Last as the editor. I personally don't care for the anime adaptation very much and I think a huge factor why is because the subtitle translation in the adaptation is just less stellar than that of the manga. I do not speak Japanese at all so I obviously don't know how technically accurate any of the translations are but I can say that the Kodansha release does an excellent job of infusing a lot of humor, warmth, and character into all of the dialogue. There are many times when the exactly particular way that something is translated causes a suddenly mundane line to become laugh out loud hilarious. There is a similar precision in the artwork where the facial expressions are often just precisely right to communicate the humor inherent in a scene.
I am honestly quite blown away by the quality of this series and eagerly look forward to Gido Amagakure's next work. It is baffling to me that this series is not very popular in the west. The only real rationale I have by this is that readers were likely a little confused by the sci-fi elements because the details behind it are not really ever explained in detail, as opposed to most other pop culture placing heavy emphasis on explaining the exact mechanics behind the fantasy elements. I actually think that it was the right decision to leave the science fiction elements mostly unexplained because they aren't really important; the characters and their interactions are what matters, and you don't want to take time away from that. I also think that the later three volumes are generally quite a bit better than the early three. In retrospect, I think that the first volume is as strong as any other but I do remember it being a little confusing on my first go through because it is hard to tell what exactly it is trying to be yet. I does settle in during the next two volumes but I think those two, more than any other, suffer from an excess of fluff (there is still a lot of good content but it is not all great). However, by the fourth volume, their relationship has developed to a point that it can consistently deliver on back to back to back banger chapters, and I think the nearly flawless final volume which caps off the series with an abundance of adorable but entirely substantive content makes the perfect ending.
In conclusion, I want to say that I think that the word 'wholesome' is consistently misused, especially by anime fans. It is typically used by annoying teenagers whose baby brains are too underdeveloped to detect tacky, cheesy bullshit. Otonari ni Gingia, on the other hand, is ACTUALLY wholesome. Its fluffy moments are always realistic, mature, and human, and this is because it is written for adults. Go read it now.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 24, 2024
If I had to pick one way to describe this anime it would be that it grows on you. This is evidenced by how I really didn’t much care for Hidamari Sketch after first finishing it, but for reasons I’m still trying to articulate it continued to bounce around in my head even after I had completed all the episodes, a state that has persisted in my brain until now, about 2 years after first watching, where I would now easily place it in my top 5. I could forward many arguments as to why it has grown on me so much – perhaps it’s
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an attachment to the characters; I find Yuno and Miyako to be especially relatable (for different reasons of course), and the magnetic chemistry between those two in particular is highly charming. It could also be the audio component – many of the tunes that effortlessly float through the background have me tapping my foot along every time I hear them, and the consistently great VAs only further accent the characters. But the thing that I find most impressive and truly innovative about this show is the visuals. Despite obviously not having a high animation budget, the talented workers at SHAFT managed to create so much visually striking and iconic imagery. Again, despite mostly consisting of extended still shots and other simple animation techniques that I could probably recreate in powerpoint, almost all of the symbolism and visuals in this anime are instantly recognizable as distinct and serve to make it visually entertaining always. I would even argue that this first season of HSketch in particular, more than the other seasons or even the rest of SHAFT’s visually excellent repertoire, is the best example of why an anime does not need to have quality animation to be visually interesting. In fact, I think this season makes a good foil to many overproduced shows such as Demon Slayer which, for all their “fluid” and noticeably high-budget animation cuts, end up feeling visually stale and boring due to the lack of creative vision behind the direction. As HSketch’s subject matter of art serves to show, it is reductive to view the artistic medium of animation as solely the pursuit of creating motion that is as fluid and realistic as possible. What really matters is whether or not the creators are able to create a compelling vision with their animation – if this is present, as in HSketch, it will be interesting without even needing extensive animation, and if it is absent, no amount of hyper-detailed animation will be able to save it.
This review will definitely be unnecessarily long. However I am doing it not only to help others realize how great and innovative the visuals of this show truly are and to push back against the common understanding of what makes an anime look good, but also to try and figure out for myself just why it is I find the franchise to be so endearing.
The best way that I can describe the way this series is so visually compelling to me is that the editing is superb. Specifically, it has this persistent rhythm that is constantly driving the framing of shots, the timing of cuts, and the placement of sound effects. It is through the constant energy provided by the shifts between all the stills it uses that the show feels warm and alive despite not containing much traditional animation. To be sure, each and every still frame in this show is impeccably designed from a color and graphical standpoint, but the directors somehow know just how to shift between these diverse and interesting framings at just the right times that it always commands your attention despite the obvious banality of the topic matter. This is all without even mentioning the impeccable sound design and perfect use of sound effects – they are always timed to either compliment the shot transitions and make it feel as though scenes flow effortlessly from shot to shot and from each scene to scene. They also add a great deal of punchiness and comedic effect to the jokes due to their perfect timing. The last thing I want to touch upon in regards to the visuals and sound are the use of idiosyncratic symbols and sound effects which add a feeling of familiarity and symmetry to many of the moments. The show so often transitions to these highly reduced, minimalistic cuts placed in between shots of more traditional visuals in order to add visual variety, and the characters are typically represented with a specific symbol that the viewer quickly learns to associate with that character. Not only is this just a really interesting technique that further diversifies the visual repertoire, but it makes each of the character designs feel that much more iconic and memorable when there is a symbol that can be associated with them. In most other shows, Yuno’s hair clips would just be a completely unremarkable part of her design, but the visual design in this show is so strong that it managed to turn such a banal trait into an instantly recognizable part of her character as well as a great running gag (such as when other characters put on the clips). In my view the core cast of this show have some of the most iconic character designs ever made and much of their iconic nature is owed to the strong symbology. The framing of shots within the characters’ rooms uses a similar technique, wherein a small set of specific, static angles was deliberately used for each separate room – in this way, the viewer is actually able to subconsciously realize which room a scene is taking place in just by recognizing the angle that is being shown. The sound effects do the same thing, as the viewer begins to associate specific sound effects with specific actions due to how they are used. Not only does it make me grin like an idiot to hear those familiar little chirps play when, say, the show is rapidly showing a bunch of cuts of the food Hiro made or something, but the use of that same golf sound effect every time Miyako gets clobbered in the head makes me burst out laughing every time. This repetition of familiar sights and sounds might not even be noticed by first-time viewers but I think it goes a long way in making the setting and the characters feel familiar which is crucial for the overall feel of the show. The whole point of this genre is to make the viewer feel like they are comfortable in the company of old friends, and by adding all these repeated, idiosyncratic bits of sight and sound it feels as though you are “in” on some sort of secret language that the show uses. There is simply just a very specific, unique, and instantly recognizable sort of communication that this show uses through its visuals and sound which is absent in the vast majority of other shows I’ve seen that makes HSketch stand out among its contemporaries as unique and full of personality.
Another great choice made by the first two seasons is the choice to air episodes in an asynchronous format. The episodes jump back and forth between the seasons of the year with little care for chronology, with the first chapter of the manga actually not even being adapted until the second season. The anime adaptation never even takes the time to introduce its characters and instead just throws you into a random day in their lives in the middle of winter. Evidently, many have found this choice to be arbitrary and annoying, but I think it’s actually genius. The whole point of this show, as I view it, is to allow the viewer to completely relax in the hypnotic rhythm of the presentation and enjoy the company of these wholly likable characters in the context of its comforting setting of the Hidamari Apartments, and in this view, the actual order that events or even time happens is of little significance. The asynchronous structure helps to take the emphasis off the specific things that happen and reinforces that the show is about how relaxed the characters and the environment make you feel. In this sense I really feel like HSketch is the ultimate Slice of Life show because it is fully focused on taking these perfectly contained little vignettes of a single day in life at the Hidamari Apartments and focusing on making the presentation as warm and charming as possible.
Unfortunately, it seems as though the success of seasons 1 and 2 may have been the downfall of the series. With seasons 3 and 4 came an obvious significant increase in the animation budget and visual style – these seasons lose the charming “hazy”, almost dreamlike feel of the first two and replace it with a more sharp feel, and the director team behind these seasons is completely different than the first two. Furthermore, the aforementioned asynchronous format is abandoned in these two seasons for a strictly linear progression of time, which just makes it feel less interesting. Although seasons 3 and 4 are by no means bad I think they lack most of the particular visual charms of the first two and are generally inferior – again, I think that the creative forces behind the first two were so instrumental to why they felt idiosyncratic and endearing, but those staff members were absent from the last two seasons which kind of removes the point. Also, it’s not that I even dislike Nori or Nazuna, but the chemistry between the original four was so perfect that I think it’s impossible to add characters to and have it stay as perfect.
Again, I really cannot stress enough just how great all the character interactions and sound design is, but the main focus of this review is on the visual design, and you can experience the strength of all of these aspects if you just watch it. The first two seasons of Hidamari Sketch, especially the first, are in my view a classic case study into how strong color design, interesting framing, and unique symbology can be used to create engaging visuals even in the absence of traditional animation. Given all this, it is both puzzling and saddening to see that HSketch has fallen by the wayside in comparison to its contemporaries. Most internet users probably know what K-On, Nichijou, or Azumanga are or have at least seen a few memes containing their characters, but I’ve literally never seen an HSketch meme in the wild. I just think HSketch should still be considered as relevant and innovative today as it was when it first aired over 15 years ago, because it is proof that smart, intentionally designed shows focused on the characters and setting can be made for cheap, and will have infinitely higher quality and shelf life than overproduced CGI crapfests with massive budgets.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jan 28, 2024
People really like to shit on this show but it is actually one of my favorite SHAFT animes. This probably just has to do with my personal sense of humor, but I find huge cartoonish nosebleeds, sadism, and comical degeneracy to be hilarious. This really is just weird SHAFT humor at its peak IMO; the grotesque excess of the bizarre parody that this show is is really the entire point. I can understand why someone would find it offputting but again the kind of over-the-top, absurd humor that this show employs is right up my alley. It is also decked out with many classic VAs
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from other SHAFT shows which are all just music to my ears. Of course I would never place this even near the true SHAFT crown jewels such as HidSketch and SZS, but I think this anime gets too much of a bad rap because I quite like it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jan 28, 2024
I do not think I have seen another animated narrative as tightly polished and well executed as this one. It manages to address so many important and relatable themes such as the joy of competition and the disappointment of failure, and it does it all in just 11 episodes that are packed so full of thematic weight and good writing that I think it is nigh untouchable in terms of overall construction. The animation is inventive and wonderful. There is no use of janky, fake CGI that would otherwise break immersion. This is a REAL fucking anime, not kiddy bullshit, and it shows in every
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level of its obvious polish and care. Anybody who is a fan of sports or any sort of competition for that matter needs to watch this ASAP because it taps into something deep in the human experience. I cannot say enough good things about this show.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jan 28, 2024
Kodama Maria tickles my brain. If you are a fan of the works of studio SHAFT then I think this is a must-read because it tickles my brain in the same way that SHAFT does. The cadence with which events happen feel almost dreamlike, and the way in which it just effortlessly floats all these interesting ideas around makes it a pleasant read. Of course, the constantly invoked theme of literature is somewhat misleading because I don't think that this manga ever approaches levels of pretention or high complexity in its writing. It mostly just takes these strange, intriguing ideas that are tangentially related to
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literary themes and makes interesting narratives out of them which make perfect sense in the overall narrative, which is dominated by an unreliable narrator in Fueda. If you like things such as SZS which explore these strange, offbeat concepts and built upon them until some ridiculous situation arises, then you will like Kodama Maria, and it is for this reason that I strongly recommend it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jan 28, 2024
Chica Umino is a true multi-talent genius and this work shows why because it excels at so many things that it is unbelievable to me how something like this is allowed to exist. It mixes a truly compelling character drama with excellent sports manga elements, and an outstanding cast of characters that is balanced out with its incredible humor and amazing art. Umino-sensei has an excellent understanding of the human condition because it really is just so balanced; it seamlessly transitions from deeply introspective, relatable moments regarding the pain of competition and the Rei's struggle between self-imposed isolation and trust, to hilariously funny scenes about
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these crazy ass old people and the pleasantries of everyday life. I am serious when I say that this manga has more panels than other that make me almost die laughing and I always have to try and hide the stupid smile on my face when I read it. It also always manages to construct these tight, well-constructed and fulfilling story arcs that build upon the themes and characters perfectly to create what I would regard as one of the best dramas ever made. Chica Umino has set the gold standard for good, humanistic writing, and it is for these reasons that Sangatsu no Lion leaves most of its peers in the dust.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jan 28, 2024
I actually don't think I can add much to what others have written about this manga but I still want to put my thoughts out there. This is one of the most consistently engaging and well-rounded dramas I have ever read and is an easy 10/10 for me. Although the art is not particularly detailed, careful and deliberate visual design and panel layouts still create a visually compelling product despite the rather simplistic drawings. Furthermore, the character designs are standout. All of the characters, ESPECIALLY the main girls, look unique and do a great job of reflecting their individual characters. It is not just the
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diversity in body types, hair colors, and clothing styles, but their faces are all unique as well -- you will never see the same exact face copy-pasted onto different hair colors here. But of course the writing and characters are the main draws here and they are always top-notch. Every character is realistic, believable, and multifaceted, and it always delivers these tightly constructed narrative arcs with satisfying conclusions every time. I find almost all of the characters in this manga to be very relatable in at least a few key ways which is a testament to how human the writing always is. I will continue to eagerly anticipate each new chapter release because Skip and Loafer can only go up from here. And while I hope this manga doesn't end anytime soon, I'm excited to see what else the young Takamatsu Misaki does with the rest of her career because she reminds me of a junior Chica Umino, only a bit more level-headed, and I mean that in the best way possible in regards to them both.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jan 28, 2024
Zetsubou-sensei fucking rules and if you disagree it is probably because you are intellectually maldeveloped. Koji Kumeta is the most powerful disgruntled middle aged man in existence and it shows in every frame of this. Because the humor actually references things like sports, politics, and literature instead of pornography and video games, the average w**aboo will not be able to appreciate most of the jokes, but this only serves to reinforce that SZS is a thinking man's manga. The way the jokes build upon themselves and upon the central idea of each episode really tickles the brain. The art is idiosyncratic and beautiful. If you
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like Zetsubou-sensei, then I like you.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jan 28, 2024
I wouldn't normally write a review for something I deem so bad but I was so shocked by how quickly this turned from having a promising opening into diving headfirst into trashy harem bullshit. I honestly wish I hadn't dropped this just so I could have seen how bad it got because the only merit of this manga is that it is interesting in how terrible it is. Not only is it obvious which girl the MC is "supposed" to pick from a narrative standpoint, but this relationship that the author keep trying to push would actually never work. The MC is by all accounts
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a normal, hardworking, responsible, and serious kid, whereas the "main girl" is a completely spoiled, vapid, materialistic, and vain princess. The old saying goes that "opposites attract" but I don't think that platitudes should hold weight here considering that the two have nothing in common and would actually hate each others' guts in real life. However, the characters are constantly espousing dialogue about how "they're both really good for each other" and "oh I'm so jealous bc of how good a couple they would make". It is highly incongruous to see this considering that again, they have nothing in common and in fact their entire values systems are diametrically opposed. This disconnect between reality and what the writer makes the characters say is really apparent in the whole manga; it is of course a moot point to criticize the unrealisticness of the harem genre as that is really the whole point, but there is simply no reason for any of these women to be so interested in the MC. They apparently even introduce the old childhood friend into the love pentagon(?) some time after I dropped it and that really goes to show the level of intellectual thought put into this work. I honestly would tentatively recommend this because its unbelievable degree of trashiness imparts some degree of entertainment, but of course I need to maintain high standards for intellectual integrity here at Clabsauce Reviews Anime so I conclude by giving this a strong thumbs down.
Reviewer’s Rating: 2
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