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Oct 13, 2021
What if you could change your greatest regret?
That, in a nutshell is the concept of Orange. Although I don't think the execution was perfect, the ambition to write an interesting story is there. So what does Orange do right and where does it go wrong?
First, the art in orange is downright gorgeous. It is immaculately drawn with attention to detail on characters as well as backgrounds. The character designs give each individual their own personality from the first glance. Naho in particular is hard not to fall in love with, partially because of the attention to detail taken with her expressions (And let's be honest,
...
her irresistibly cute character design). More on that later.
The concept is interesting and novel, as far as I know. The idea of sending letters is an interesting twist on the idea of changing the future; since the letters are sent all at once and changes that occur based on the first letter could greatly affect the accuracy of later letters.
Each character has their own distinct personality and the group has a believable dynamic of relationships between all the characters. They have fun casual conversations and banter, which makes the lighter moments enjoyable along with the heavier moments. It's easy to read and enjoy.
The romantic scenes especially shine because Naho's level of effort only makes her more lovable. It was nice to see how the letters and knowing about her future regrets gave her so much courage. She really took the initiative throughout the story even though she was embarrassed or scared.
Overall the characters and their interactions were a pleasure to observe. However, there is one flaw with the characters that seems connected to a flaw in the plot.
POTENTIAL "MINOR" SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT.
The characters lack their own individual motivations when it comes to saving their friend. Each of them is the second coming of Mother Theresa; they are all completely selfless and only want to help their friend live.
In particular, Suwa completely puts aside the fact that he likes Naho in order to help Kakeru get with her. All he has is a letter from the future telling him that giving up on her MAY help save his friend, it doesn't seem realistic. I would have loved to see Suwa struggle more with this competing interest, but it never led to any conflict at all and left me feeling like his actions were fake.
As I mentioned, this problem of character is deeply entwined with a flaw in the story. At the start of the manga, Kakeru is just a stranger to these people. And yet they somehow take such an interest in him that they are willing to make saving him the main priority in their lives. I had trouble buying this, and especially as the story reached the final chapter there were moments where I found myself rolling my eyes at how emotional and self-sacrificing they were about a person who was literally a stranger only a few months ago.
I think the story would have been better with a small change; if Kakeru had been a childhood friend of these 5 (similar to Menma in Anohana) it would have avoided this whole feeling of unbelievably altruistic behavior. The author could have shown flashbacks of how he was vital to the group in the past and how he impacted each of the members individually. Then for whatever reason, maybe when his parents divorced, he and his mom move to Tokyo and they are separated for a time. When he returns is when the letters arrive and the story begins.
This way we could have a reason to believe why each of these people feels so strongly about saving Kakeru. Maybe some of them even feel like they owe a debt to Kakeru because of his past actions. Either way, with this background reason for them to care about Kakeru, the 5 friend's vigorous effort would have been far more believable. And the emotional moments would have hit much harder.
With all that said, I still enjoyed reading this manga. The art was easy on the eyes, the character interactions were fun and enjoyable, and even though I sometimes felt like the altruistic actions were unbelievable, I still read through the 5th volume without any desire to stop.
If you enjoy wholesome romance, good-natured characters, and an interesting twist on the sci-fi time travel concept. You'll probably enjoy reading Orange, it's not perfect, but it's good points far outshine the bad.
Happy reading!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Apr 9, 2021
Do you like Romance and Slice of Life genres? Do you like engaging stories that are easy to finish? Can you watch something without trying to find fault to write a scathing review?
If you answered yes to these questions, then give this show a try.
I'm not promising this is a perfect show, most are not. And of course Horimiya has its faults. But at the end of the day it's a simple story that's easy to enjoy. And that's what most of us are after.
If you are ready to give the show a try already, then by all means stop right here. But...
If you're
...
still undecided and want a little more information to know what you're in for, here's a simple breakdown:
Story and Character:
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The story is composed of scenes where we get a glimpse into the unfolding events of the main and minor characters as they live out their high school lives. There's nothing that stands out as life changing, but with each scene it's easy to fall in love with the characters a little more.
The main guy and girl are easy to like in their own way and even more so as a pair. I especially loved the lively family atmosphere of Hori's home. It's romance at its simplest and most enjoyable. Do the two main characters experience problems as they work to grow closer? Of course.
But this show is free of the melodramatic conflicts created out of thin air you'll see in many inferior romance anime. It's free of long, drawn-out battles between love triangles, where both sides compete at full force to win. It's free of the average guy loved by every girl alive harem bs.
Instead, it's a simple story about the main guy and girl learning about each other and growing closer together. And that's all romance needs to be.
The remaining portion of the story is a balance of other slice of life elements among the other characters. Whether these take the tone of romance, comedy, or just everyday events, those chosen are easy to enjoy. This show does not contain one scene that doesn't add something to the overall story or world.
Art and Music:
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Even the harshest critics can't fault the beautiful art in this show. The only comparison that can make it look bad are some of the Shinkai films, but the art in all of those in on another level. This is better than you'll find in 95% of anime.
I didn't take particular note of the music. it didn't stand out, but it didn't get in the way. It added to the show in a pretty typical way. One musical element that definitely did stand out was the ED song which I found myself listening to even though I wanted to get to the next episode.
Overall:
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I'm not gonna sit here and pretend like I'm some professional reviewer. Nor will I try to impress you with some fancy language to make you feel like I have so much authority that you have to watch this show. Frankly, that's all bullshit.
Reviewers love to bitch about the details. And pick apart every little story element until the overall picture is blotted out and unenjoyable.
Forget all that noise. At the start of this review I asked you all three questions. And even though I spent the remaining time rambling on about the good and bad of this show, the answers to those three questions were all you needed to know.
If you want to watch an engaging and enjoyable romance anime that has: beautiful art, makes you fall in love with the lead couple, and leaves you feeling satisfied. You don't need to look any further than this show.
Forget all the reviews; even this one. Just watch this show and develop your own opinion. If you come at it with an open mind and intention for enjoyment, the thirteen episodes will fly by and you won't regret your initial decision to hit play.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 23, 2021
Tsuki ga Kirei is far from your typical anime romance.
The romance genre has what seems like a standard formula in anime:
1. Main characters meet, but something is in the way of them being together
2. They seem to get closer but obstacles keep getting in the way
3. In the last episode, they finally acknowledge their interest in each other and their relationship can begin; happily ever after.
There are definitely variations like: no progress even by last episode of season or main female character dies; sadly ever after. But for the most part romance anime doesn't break from this mold.
I won't spoil any of the details here,
...
but Tsuki ga Kirei doesn't follow this formula. Sure, there are problems, what story doesn't have obstacles, but there is real progress in their relationship. And contrary to what the romance anime status quo would lead you to believe, the story is more satisfying for it.
Story and Character:
This anime is rare in that it captures the human experience artfully. The characters and story both feel real and will give many people nostalgia over what middle school romance looks like. They are initially awkward and the main voice actor and actress did not have any shortage of opportunities for practicing their awkward pauses and filler words. But rather than make the characters less enjoyable, it only added to the realism of a first romantic experience.
There is real character growth. The lead characters are forced to grow overtime as they learn how to manage the rest of their life and their relationship in tandem. The characters act in a way consistent with who they are and aren't there just to serve the plot. This is solid storytelling from the ground up.
As you watch the story progress, you relate to these beginners at love, remembering your own experiences. They are definitely not perfect people, but that just makes them easier to empathize with. And by the time of the emotional climax of the story, it's hard not to mirror Akane's emotions (You'll know what I'm talking about if you've seen it).
Art and Sound:
A lot of people may complain about the art and even I will acknowledge it wasn't perfect. Some people were frustrated by the use of cgi background characters. But I see this as a non-factor. Sure, if you look closely at characters that are not the focus, it can look a bit strange. But animes like Toradora used still background characters who were stuck in place and other animes have used background characters without faces drawn or any other number of techniques to save on time and budget.
I definitely enjoyed the music. Like all good music it adds to the emotion of the story where it can, but because there were no real standout moments, aside from the very end of the series, I have a hard time giving it higher than an 8.
Enjoyment:
I've said it many times, but I'll say it again. At the end of the day, enjoyment is all that matters. We can talk about art, sound, story, character, and all the minute details that make up any one anime, but what we remember months later is how it made us feel.
The pure and innocent romance of the two lead characters is beautiful. They explore romance through the eyes of a child; untainted by any bad experiences or baggage. They grow alongside each other learning about love, creating a little bit of awkwardness and a ton of cute moments.
If you want to see something a bit different from the typical romance anime and don't mind newbies at love stumbling their way through a pure relationship, then you'll love this anime. It is strong from the awkward start to touching finish.
Give it a watch; you won't regret it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Feb 6, 2021
On paper Nisekoi looks like a tired concept recycled into a slightly different form. It's a harem anime where the mostly boring main character is somehow loved by a bunch women at the same time. All the girls compete to win the boring male's heart and drama ensues.
It doesn't deviate from this mold, but still finds a way to be enjoyable.
First, let's get the easy stuff out of the way: art and sound.
The art was futuristic and saturated. It looked good, but was sometimes lazy. Many anime use still images with some sort of directional pan to save a little bit on budget. This
...
is just the nature of the medium and it's cost limitations.
But in Nisekoi they used these still images as excuses to gawk over the various female characters bodies. 7 times out of 10, a still image would be either peering up a skirt or looking at large boobs. Especially ridiculous were the still images in the pool and beach episodes. They basically bumped it up to 9 out of 10 tit, ass, or leg images. This tactic is cheap and I wish anime creators wouldn't be so lazy to use it.
I do have to give Nisekoi props for the onsen episode. After I saw the pool one, I thought the onsen episode would be borderline hentai, but they managed to make it more tasteful.
The music fit the mood of the current moment and amplified the power of scenes. It wasn't outstanding, but it did it's job.
Now for some of the tougher topics: story and character.
The plot was definitely not the most original, with tons of tropes that you'll have seen before. But even so, it did keep me interested throughout the entire length of the 20 episode season. It was a bit cookie cutter, but still managed to be unpredictable enough to be engaging.
Character is where I feel this anime really lacked. And not for the reasons you've probably read in other reviews. Sure the characters are all typical. The nice girl. The tsundere. The rich girl used to getting what she wants. The tomboy friend. The perverted friend who always gets beat up. You're not going to find any complex characters here. But I don't really see that as a problem. Artistically, it may be a little tired and if done too much, it may make viewers cringe. But as long as the characters work in the context of telling the story, I'm ok with cookie-cutter characters.
The problem with character in Nisekoi is not that the characters are cookie-cutter. It's that the characters are forced to fit into the plot. In the beginning of the story this is not bad. But toward the end, when the drama between Chitoge and Raku begins, that's when it really started to go downhill for me.
Raku was pretty clueless throughout the story. He didn't really know what was going on in his own head, much less the heads of the other characters. But in order to extend the drama between him and Chitoge, the writers basically cut 50 points of his IQ. For the last few episodes, he wasn't just pretty clueless. He was oblivious. I kept rolling my eyes every time he and Chitoge had a scene together. He kept saying: "何だよそれ" and I lost respect for him every time. ばか doesn't even cut it.
With all of that said. I still enjoyed the anime. It's fun, funny, and entertaining. The character interaction is interesting and I was actually curious to see which of the girls would win. Chitoge is the classic tsundere, but still manages to be likeable. Kosaki is ridiculously nice and cute. Hanazawa Kana delivers that high-pitched, airy, delicate voice that perfectly fits someone as nice as Kosaki. Marika is not the most likeable and I didn't really think she needed to be part of the story, but she added another element the the competition.
On paper, you wouldn't think I'd score this anime above a 5. And without the cheap sexualizing tactics and degradation of Raku's modest intelligence, I was planning to give this an 8. But even with all these faults, I still enjoyed this anime and that's what matters most.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 28, 2020
It's easy to box this anime into the category of yuri anime, say, "I don't really like yuri animes" and overlook this show. But that would be a huge mistake.
To put it simply, this is one of the best stories of romance you'll see.
Yagate Kimi ni Naru captures a truth about relationships: a good relationship should grow you. It's a story about two imperfect, realistic, and relatable characters getting their first real experience with love.
Story & Character
Romance anime stories often have serious problems. Plot and Character are intrinsically tied together and often writers ignore this; writing characters to fit their goals for the
...
plot, a new season, or something other than creating consistent characters.
Instead of falling into these traps, Yagate Kimi ni Naru ties character and plot beautifully. Each character has a realistic personality, goals that make sense for them in the context of their scenes, and actions that are consistent with their character.
The story isn't perfect (the student council play, which took many episodes to set up, should've been resolved before the end of the season), but with its focus on characters and fidelity to them, minor problems are easily forgiven and forgotten.
The characters are the focus and carry this story, as they should in a romance.
Art & Sound
The art didn't stand out. And it shouldn't have. It was good enough to make it easy to focus on the story and characters, so I can't say I noticed or paid much attention to it. But all you can ask of art is that it makes telling the story possible and doesn't wrench the viewer out of the story.
Sound, on the other hand, did stand out at times. Mostly the sound was fitting and added to the emotions of each scene. But there was one moment that the sound really took the scene to the next level (If you've already watched this show, you'll know what scene I'm talking about 🙂).
Overall
In the end, Yagate Kimi ni Naru is a moving story about love. Where two believable, relatable characters: learn about themselves and each other simultaneously, face real challenges owing to their same-sex relationship, and grow as people as they grow closer together.
To dismiss this show as "just another yuri anime" would be to miss out on wonderful characters and one of the most beautiful romance stories out there. I'm happy I didn't make that mistake and after you watch Yagate Kimi ni Naru, you'll feel the same.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 8, 2020
Not a bad show, but not great either...
The concept itself is a promising one. The main character is assigned to tutor 5 sisters who are all the same age and hate studying. Most of the conflict is personal, with him trying to connect to them in order to get them to study. It definitely makes for an enjoyable watch and there's lots of silly and funny moments.
My main gripe with this show is character design. Why do all of the sisters have such huge breasts? You can't go 5 minutes in this show without the camera panning from low-to-high in order to highlight these girls's
...
chests. They gave them boobs unlikely to exist on any real human and take every opportunity to show them. It's a really boring and lame tactic to try to keep people engaged. Without this ridiculous character design, I would've given the show an 8 for enjoyment, maybe even overall, but this cheap tactic really turned me off.
It's not going to be a life changing show for anyone, but it was never trying to be that in the first place. If you want to watch a light-hearted show and don't mind huge boobs being on the screen all the time, you'll probably enjoy it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Nov 24, 2020
The premise of this show is likely to turn off many potential viewers before they even give it a chance. But in doing so, these viewers would be missing out on a beautiful story that transcends the romance genre.
At the start, Akira and Masami are both lost in their own way. Akira is disconnected from running, which brought her close to Haruka and excited her. Masami is going through the motions, reading other people's work to vicariously connect with the passion he's lost: writing.
Although both characters are distant in age, they both have the same problem: they've lost connection to what makes them feel
...
alive. Each is just making it through one day at a time, dispassionately living. Their lives aren't terrible, but they are stuck.
What follows from this stagnant start is an intertwining tale of love, friendship, pain, and hardship. And through these events both characters are forced to grow and confront the truths they've been ignoring.
Writing off this show because of a difference in the Akira and Masami's ages is a mistake. And if you come to this story with an open mind, by the time you reach the final scenes, you'll be glad it was a mistake you avoided.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Oct 6, 2020
This show does not deserve to be rated as highly as it is. Plain and simple. The only reason I think it has this rating is because so many people love Kurisu. Otherwise, there is no justification.
I was as much of a Steins;Gate fan as anyone having watched the original over 10 times, but this continuation doesn't do the original story justice and in some ways makes the original feel worse on a rewatch.
My biggest gripes with Steins;Gate 0 are character and story so I'll focus on those, with minor comments about the other categories.
**MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS AFTER THIS POINT***
First and worst: character.
The characters
...
are unlikeable, one dimensional, and sometimes idiotic.
Okarin is dumbed down to a depressed, reactive, shell of his former self. And I honestly don't buy it. She literally told him to move on with his life and instead he spends much of the show whining, reacting, and generally being a shitty protagonist who doesn't drive the story at all until it's almost already over.
Daru was not my favorite character already, but the writers decided to try and make him more mature in this season and it didn't work at all. It didn't fit his character, maybe there was a right way to make Daru mature, but it didn't happen. Instead we get an unrealistic fairy tale love story where Daru just happens to be liked by an attractive girl for no reason at all. He doesn't have much in the way of admirable qualities as far as attracting women goes, and somehow we're supposed to believe that just "being himself" was all he needed. His sudden "care" for Suzuha, just because she's his daughter even though he doesn't know anything about her childhood and wasn't there to see any of it is also equally unbelievable. Daru is a mess.
Suzuha. Where do I even start with her. She lost any of the charm she had in the first season, all she does is try to get Daru to date her mom and try to convince Okarin to go back and change the past with her, even though she doesn't even have enough fuel to go more than one time.
Mayuri was still cute, I'll give her that, and unlike some of the other characters she did have some good episodes, 16 had a great Mayuri moment, probably one of my favorite scenes in the whole show. But overall, she was just there as a story device.
Kagari. I seriously didn't care about her at all, did not need to be in the story.
Maho. Best new character. Had some believable backstory. Didn't act like a fool. One of the reasons to watch this show.
The rest of the new characters (besides the antagonist) are irrelevant. They don't need to be in the story and yet, they are.
Ok, so if you're still with me after that rant, let's move on to the next worst part of this show: Story.
First of all, the pacing was so strange in this story, the beginning just drags and drags, with not much at all happening. But unlike in Steins;Gate where there was light-hearted conversation in the lab and strange events building intrigue, this time it didn't go anywhere. The middle of the story is the worst offender here, it seriously takes until 17 episodes for things to really start moving. 17 out of 23. And because of this the last few episodes feel so rushed and unsatisfying.
Art: Inconsistent, but good at times.
Sound: The best part of the show, I loved the entire soundtrack especially the openings and the endings.
Enjoyment: Unfortunately, this show is super inconsistent. There were good moments and good scenes, but overall, only one episode maintained a decent level of enjoyment throughout. And that is episode 8. I enjoyed some parts of the first few episodes and episode 16-17 too. Otherwise, great moments were few and far between.
Overall: Steins;Gate 0 is a disappointment. As someone who loved the original, this left me with a sour taste in my mouth. The fact that it has as high of a rating as it does is criminal. If you loved the original, maybe watch it, otherwise, don't bother.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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Sep 7, 2020
*** SPOILERS INCLUDED ***
This was a very enjoyable show and if not for the ending, I would've definitely given it a 9.
The whole show built up to them finally starting their relationship together; very slowly. At the end of the last episode they missed out on the perfect ending. And for that reason, I can't rate this show higher than an 8.
Earlier in the show, Sawako pulled on Shouta's sleeve and closed her eyes, from that moment, the two almost kissed. In fact, more than a few times, the writers teased us with these close to kissing situations. Although it was a bit of
...
a let down when it didn't happen time and time again, as their romance progressed, you were left feeling like there was no doubt that they'd kiss at the end and be a couple.
However, instead after a perfect evening together, Shouta just walks away, and Sawako, who just read her fortune that told her to take the opportunity she has, stands there and does nothing. It was a bit of a let down after spending all that time building up to a kiss.
A better ending would be:
As Shouta's walking away, Sawako remembers her fortune, and jogs to catch up with him. As she slows down, she pulls on his sleeve, and closes her eyes. Shouta sees her there (There could be a still shot, of what she looked like to him at that moment, like they often did showing her smile). Then he leans in and kisses her. Fade to black. Perfect ending.
Other than that, the show was great. It was awesome to see Sawako growing and trying to make new friends. Sawako was super cute and pure. Her gratitude for the simplest things made her lovable. Shouta was kind and friendly. The other main characters were all likeable and added humor at times.
The art has its own style, which I thought was really pretty. And the music was used well to add to the experience.
Overall, I loved this show. The ending just left me unsatisfied.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Aug 17, 2020
At the center of this movie is a single question: Is it possible to make up for what you've done wrong?
And in answering this question, Koe no Katachi tells an amazing story of regret and reconciliation...
The plot itself is beautiful and well-crafted. Starting with the initial bullying, we see Shouya torment a fellow classmate, Shouko, because of her disability. From there, we watch Shouya struggle throughout the movie with forgiving himself, which culminates with a moment as touching and heart-wrenching as anything I've seen to date (maybe more so than kimi no na wa, katawaredoki scene).
The art was gorgeous with some still shots
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taken from the action being beautiful enough to marvel over without the smooth animation scene throughout this movie. Like the art the sound was breathtaking, amplifying emotional moments and light-hearted moments alike.
I felt character was the weakest part of this movie. Certain characters like, Ueno and Kawai were a bit contrived. I don't think they went into their motivations enough to really understand why they acted the way they did. Especially Ueno. I can chalk up Kawai's behavior to being a little overly emotional and dramatic. But Ueno still doesn't make much sense to me.
Regardless, I enjoyed the Main characters. Obviously our protagonist, Shouya is the most fleshed out and the internal conflict in his character drives much of the story. I found his guilt and inability to forgive himself very believable. When you come down to it, this movie is really a story about Shouya forgiving himself and this element was handled exceptionally.
Some may not have liked the way Shouko was created, saying she's just a one dimensional moe character used as a plot device. However, I completely disagree. All of her moe-like traits, besides her Kyoto Animation cute appearance, can be explained given her life experience. Is it so hard to believe that her expressiveness with her body was not a result of being unable to effectively express herself with words? Or that her timid personality could have stemmed from constant bullying, rejection, and her feeling like a burden on everyone she interacts with? Given the story, I find it impossible to describe her as one dimensional.
Koe no Katachi asks us whether it's possible to be forgiven for what you've done wrong. But it doesn't just tell us yes or no, rather it paints a spectrum through the various characters to show how your actions effect everyone around you. And how in the end, the hardest person to earn forgiveness from is yourself.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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