Aug 21, 2018
A 2018 review of White Album, a Romantic Drama Harem show, it also involves idol and psychological themes.
The story follows a 20 year old named Touya Fuji, and his relationship with his high-school sweetheart, Yuki Morikawa.
Touya is a hardworking university student that has a strained relationship with his father, while Yuki worked hard to become an idol after high school.
Very little is shown of their relationship and past, but one thing is clear they are deeply in love.
However when Touya's financial and school situation along with Yuki's increasingly busier idol career start getting in the way how will they handle the strain on their
...
relationship?
Why you SHOULD watch it:
If you like drama, and watching people be people. Good and bad behaviours are on display here.
The animation. Its pretty good, when you notice its from 2009 you appreciate it even more. It is consistent aside from some visual cues to give insight into what characters are thinking or key moments.
The characters. They did a good job at establishing each character just enough so the viewer can catch a glimpse of their reasons and motives during the show. The characters, interestingly, are all contained and closer to one another than you think.
The story. Despite being adapted from an adult visual novel game, the show does a good job of providing a straightforward plot with a clear end in sight. Yet, there are enough surprises to keep the simple story interesting. The story showcases each character's struggles with their work and romantic feelings really well. The story sets a sombre tone and carries it well, this adds to the drama and psychological element.
Why you SHOULDN'T:
The characters though well defined, do not change or get expanded over the season. The only exception being the MC, Touya. In about 2 months, he devolves from a confident, smart, helpful student, to a flaky, whiny, spoiler, spoiler.
Despite the story being well planned out, there are slow spots with an occasional bizarre turn of events that doesn't seem to make any sense. I personally feel like this is heading to a deus ex machina ending in season 2.
The general feel of the show is sadness, there are few uplifting moments.
Other thoughts:
This is a good show about what being isolated can do to a relationship, along with how other factors can lead to unintended consequences.
While the story somewhat involves what it takes to be an idol, very little is put into showing this. There are no eye popping animated performances or standout songs. The music is not bad, but it rarely helps set the mood.
Its a harem, this could be positive or negative. Take your pick.
Even though it's a harem show, it's not ecchi. In fact its on the complete other end of the spectrum, 100% cheesy drama.
I know what influenced Hachikuji.
I do not particularly enjoy drama shows, but this one keeps me interested. I was rooting for Touya and Yuki but then spoiler spoiler.
Its worth a watch, then decide if you want to see the ending in season 2.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
What did you think of this review?
Nice
0
Love it
0
Funny
0
Confusing
0
Well-written
0
Creative
0Show all