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Oct 23, 2022
I read the manga for this a wee while ago so the story was fuzzy but still familiar, and I enjoyed it enough that when I saw it had an anime adaption I dropped everything I was doing to watch it immediately.
As a standalone film, it definitely could probably do with some work. I already had the benefit of knowing a bunch of context from the source material so I'm not sure just how much in the film was confusing or unclear.
I've seen reviews criticising its cheesy dialogue and use of tropes; personally, this played right into what I love about the shoujo genre. During
...
the confessions and the scenes when characters realise their own feelings, it did a beautiful job of connecting me with the flutter of emotions that come with high school romance. A truly gorgeous soundtrack and art, and the voice acting is stellar.
I enjoyed Yuna and Rio's relationship the most and animated their fairytale romance is beautiful. I would have liked to have seen more moments between Yuna and Akari though, and I noticed that quite a bit of Kazuomi's personal story has been trimmed down; I vaguely remember the manga addressing his family situation in more detail that shines a light on his family dynamic: a dynamic that Akari can sympathise with a lot and fuels their affection for each other. That kind of happened in the film, but it wasn't focused on as much.
The manga is 12 volumes, while the film is just over 90 minutes; obviously, you get the condensed version of the story but I actually think it worked out in the film's favour. Gone are the chapters that just dragged the story out, leaving you to focus on the stuff that actually matters. I didn't find the pacing rushed at all - not any more than your average romance film. I don't necessarily think you need the extra context from the manga to enjoy this either; if you enjoy cheesy shoujo romance tropes then you'll probably find something to like about this film.
To be honest, I really enjoyed this; I can totally see myself rewatching this to experience the story when I don't have the time to reread the manga. It was a lovely adaptation, and I'm really happy to see more of Sakisaka Io's work being animated - especially in 2022 where the art just looks so beautiful and fluid.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Apr 14, 2019
Since the reviews available for this season are very mixed, I've decided to throw in my opinion too.
When I watched the first season, Kodou Ambitions, I actually really enjoyed it but ended up rating it a 5 because of how confusing everything became with the whole Sumisora vs Yashamaru thing suddenly blowing up in the last couple episodes of what I thought was gonna be an average idol show.
So yeah, this season was better than the first although not by much.
Story 3/10
The story is weaker than last season. Episodes are all over the place, although there does seem to at least be a sort of
...
emphasis on the relationships that each of the groups formed before their initial debut, and before B-Project was formed. Then there was the stuff I wanted to be explained to make up for my confusion from the last season with Sumisora and Yashamaru, which was a plotline I definitely could have done without. It didn't add substance to the show and it felt like instead of making some angsty backstory to give Yashamaru a motive for being a creep, it should have given him more of a mentor role to the boys and Sumisora. It's an idol show so I didn't need a cruel antagonist tormenting the guys, I feel like the antagonist of idol shows tends to be more just their path to fame, problems that arise from that publicity and so on. Instead, this anime seemed to prefer making some morally grey antagonist for you to hate, only for things to wrap up pretty quickly after dragging it out for over half the show.
Art 9/10
I really liked the art. I'm not so sure about the live show animations, but for the most part things looked really nice, and I've always like the use of bright colours in idol shows so it was aesthetically pleasing to behold.
Sound 9/10
The music was pretty decent too - the OP was probably my favourite but there are some good songs sprinkled throughout the episodes. I wasn't a big fan of the 'new song' that they perform at their New Year Eve concert in the last episode, but hey each to their own.
Character 5/10
I'll be totally honest here now, I still can't tell you all of the names of said idols I have watched for two seasons now. There isn't enough time for the anime to spend much time on each of them individually, and on top of that they add another four. That's 14 idols. 14 names. And on top of that they all belong to different idol groups. I tried so hard to remember who was who, and trying to remember all of the groups - it's been a while since I watched the first season.
However, at the end of this season I could at least pinpoint the members of each group which is a miracle. The thing is, I'm not bad at remembering a million names (I can thank shows with a million characters in them like Fairy Tail for that), but none of the characters in B-Project really stand out. In a sense it feels like each of them is just there to satisfy a viewer's specific 'type' and as long as they appear to fit into this stereotype then that's fine and we don't need to worry about character development.
As a result the main characters aren't memorable. I get it, they're super pretty and have nice voices and that's all you really need in an idol show, but adding even more characters seemed like a mistake. We got even less time with the boys from the last season and when they've only got one or two lines (if they're even that lucky) per scene, there's no time at all for them to be well developed characters. The dialogue is literally just there to move the story along which we've already established isn't that riveting.
Sumisora is probably the most interesting character. She gets the most character development which I can appreciate, but she barely gets to have any scenes with the boys that feel meaningful. Sure you can argue that the scenes in which she feels down and then the boys magically appear and make her problems go away are 'meaningful' but she never talks to any of them really. I wanted to be able to cheer for her and B-Project as a unit that were super close and had each other's backs, but it was the excess amount of main characters that really continues to let this show down.
Enjoyment 6/10
I did enjoy some parts of it. I appreciated the light humour, and even some of the more heartfelt moments between specific guys were nice. I do feel like I enjoyed mostly because it didn't pull any more stunts towards the end like last season, and I was on guard for that anyway.
If you're patient I think you could maybe find some enjoyment in watching this season. Personally I'm not coming out of this as a diehard B-Pro fan, but I have a higher opinion of it than I did at the end of the first season, so give it a try.
OVERALL 6/10
I think I've said it all now. The story wasn't that great, but the art and music were. I did enjoy it, but I can barely remember the names of any of the idols asides from Goushi, my favourite since last season - and I had to look up his name ^^;;; If there does happen to be a third season I really hope it focuses more on letting viewers actually get to know the characters more.
I hope this helped.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Mar 19, 2019
Ohhh boy where do I begin...?
First off, this is not a bad manga. If you compare it to your average shoujo romance where the two main characters have a misunderstanding that leads to a break up that leads to millions of chapters where I try not to yell at these silly teenagers for being ridiculous, then B.O.D.Y. is actually one of the nicest shoujo I have read so far.
STORY 7/10
Again, it's a shoujo manga so the most I could be was pleasantly surprised by the story - I know a lot of people like drama drama drama, but so many times that leads to ridiculous
...
misunderstandings that could easily be solved if the two mains just Talked To Each Other And Stopped Making Assumptions Based On Their Insecurites.
B.O.D.Y. was a nice change of pace. At first I thought I wasn't gonna like where it was going - I was fully prepared for a ditzy girl who falls in love with a seemingly boring guy who then is revealed to be a flirty non-committal host. More on the characters later though as this is for the most part a character-driven story.
ART 8/10
Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous~!
CHARACTER 9/10
Now time to really confess.
The two leads, Fuji and Sakura (and I know this might be a bit hard to believe as this is shoujo) ACTUALLY COMMUNICATE AND AVOID FRUSTRATING MISUNDERSTANDINGS. Take that Bokura gaita!!! >.<
They both are still insecure and innocent - the latter is less so for Fuji - but it wasn't so overwhelming that I couldn't finish the story just from how convoluted and boring a temporary break up has the potential to be.
Having a misunderstanding created out of nothing, followed by the main guy LI coldly telling the girl they should break up without actually discussing anything beforehand is a trope that will make me drop a manga immediately.
Thankfully the characters in B.O.D.Y. were its saving grace.
Sakura is straightforward, easy to read, and for the most part very honest. She also isn't insecure to the point where she has zero trust in her beau. When she's conflicted about something, Fuji can figure her out pretty easily and before you know it they've discussed and resolved an issue that a lesser manga would have dragged out for another ten chapters.
It was very satisfying to read about a couple with an actual good relationship where they TRUST EACH OTHER and that trust isn't conveniently thrown away for plot purposes.
They still have arguments, and there are even misunderstandings but nothing was ever overused to the point it was frustrating to read.
Plus, the side characters AKA the friend group was very good. There was a small conflict between Sakura and Asuka, but asides from that Sakura's friends are very supportive.
Enjoyment 9/10
So I got to chapter 12 and I realized that rather than me just having started reading this as a way to procrastinate, I was genuinely enjoying reading it. I enjoyed the light humour, the same romance story that we've read so many times but with different characters, and especially the main leads who I didn't at any point during my reading yell at.
I enjoyed the ending, it was cute and I'm always a big fan of time skips - I like seeing everyone's 'happy ending' or whatever.
I really want more characters like Fuji and Sakura >.<
OVERALL 9/10
I'm just gonna end up going off again about how much I liked Fuji and Sakura's relationship so I'll stop here. Definitely a manga that you shouldn't overlook ^^
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Mar 10, 2018
I am writing this review because there are certainly two different sides to whether or not Amnesia will be enjoyable for you, and I would like to offer a little more perspective into it after seeing this argument with 'The game was better, but the anime deserves recognition too.'
I've rewatched this a few times since I first came across it as a newly made anime addict. Amnesia was a lot of firsts for me: reverse harem, romance, or just the first anime I ever watched through completely.
What put me at a disadvantage is I went into the series completely trusting the synopsis that had been
...
provided; a show covering an amnesiac and her many beautiful LI? Count me in.
Except the show wasn't nearly as simple as that.
Since then I've played through the otome game Amnesia: Memories it was based off, rewatched the show knowing the source material, and come up with my final opinion.
In this review I will be comparing the game and the anime as a way to explain my reservations. I understand that this might be an annoying thing to do for the fans of the anime, or a casual reader, but I really want to show you that this story is DEFINITELY worth forming your own opinion about because the two types of media are very different in how they present the story and I want you to choose the one that will help you enjoy the story the best.
STORY 3/10
The moment it became clear that the show was going to try and squeeze in hours and hours of character development for each guy's personal route within 12 episodes AND STILL TRY TO MAKE IT ONE COHERENT STORY is ridiculous. You'd need far more episodes to try and pull it off.
As a new anime fan last year, the idea that the MC was jumping from character to character without really acknowledging the LI that came before the current one made me very baffled, not to mention disoriented.
It is EXHAUSTING trying to keep up with a show that hasn't really explained anything about what is going on - instead leaving us to rely on Orion for random tidbits of information when relevant.
It is extremely frustrating to watch a show that constantly shifts what is true and isn't true due to the amount of parallel universes that are constantly being introduced. It's no wonder, when Shin's route (the first one you'll watch) finishes and the MC is suddenly taken to a completely different world, and takes everything in her stride that yes Ikki is now her boyfriend...? As a viewer, I didn't even realise that the anime included jumping from parallel world to parallel world (although I'm inclined to believe that this could be my mistake as well). I was extremely confused.
Any thoughts of satisfaction you might have had after investing yourself a few episodes deep (and thinking you were actually progressing the plot) is taken away, and suddenly you have to start from scratch, figuring out how this new parallel world works; who the MC is friends with now; who her enemies are; who works at the cafe with her or not... all these things change every few episodes as she goes through each world.
Nothing is steadfast, and when you binge this show like I did, there isn't enough time to process it and hence how I managed to watch a show that made me really uncomfortable and cramped with the pacing. Playing the game gives you a lot more breathing room to consume the story and fully understand what is actually going on.
And there is no payoff.
In the game as you might expect, you choose one single character route, play through it and depending on the choices you made, get a good ending or a bad ending *with that character*. There is a payoff to the hours of reading and playing you've put into the story - you get a snippet of what the MC's life is like after spending so long gathering memories and reforming relationships.
No such luck with the anime.
Trying to keep the spoilers to a minimum, the MC does not end up with anyone. We don't see what happens when she returns to her own world with her memories. And that is the frustrating thing when you end up spending around 4 hours trying to keep up with multiple storylines and the ending throws it all away and tells you that it never really mattered.
ART AND SOUND 10/10
I am pleased to say I cannot utter a single complaint about the art or sound. The OP and ED are GORGEOUS. The OP is something I end up listening to on a regular basis ever since I came across it, and even in the soundtrack there are some gems - Ukyo's Melody for example? I wish it had been in the game because it suited the general mood of the story beyond perfectly.
And you only have to look at the art to realise how wonderful it is. Amnesia probably has my favourite art in an anime ever and I love the style of each of the characters - especially the choice of colours. Aesthetically pleasing? Absolutely.
CHARACTER 2/10
This is where I get into my real issues with the show. The MC and Orion. You're gonna end up spending a lot of time with these two so naturally they have to be strong characters, or moderately okay characters, right?
Did the game do this? Without a doubt.
Did the anime? *laughs*
If you're wondering why Orion is even in the show to begin with asides from plot convenience at the beginning, that's how you know something is wrong. To give you an idea of his role in the game, Amnesia: Memories was very loose with their characterisation of the MC. In the game, Orion is basically the player's window into the world; and is the voice of narration for most of the game. He'd guide the player through scenes, explain the consequences of specific choices, and says his piece when Toma did that one thing and the MC forgives him anyway.
Until the ending has arrived, the MC barely says a thing, which I thought to be a very refreshing idea for an otome game.
But obviously, that leaves the writers at a disadvantage for the anime because they have to try and bring to life this MC character who was basically just a shell for players like me to hide behind to play through the game as.
Problems immediately arise with Orion in the anime - it isn't a game, so there are no choices to be made, and his comments about the current situation are brought to a minimum, making his character suffer dramatically.
When I watched the anime the first time through, I hated Orion. He was completely pointless, and I couldn't understand why he was around when all he did was argue that she couldn't go the hospital (this point is explored further in the game, but there are some routes in the game where even he ends up agreeing that a visit to the hospital for other health stuff would benefit her.) without explaining further.
Then I played the game, expecting to hate him (I literally chose mean dialogue options my first playthrough because I was that annoyed with him in the anime) and I ended up being in tears over him at the ending. It made me more frustrated rewatching to see such a vital character brought down due to the necessity of giving the MC a more active role in the anime.
Maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if the MC wasn't so frustrating to watch.
Her speciality includes blinking cluelessly when asked a simple question and staying silent, staring into space, and asking Orion what she should do for the simplest of tasks. Again this comes down to the idea that she is barely a character in the game, and the writers probably thought they could get away with it in the anime because 'Hey, she has amnesia so what do you expect?"
She still had more of a personality in the game - emotional attachment to a character (Orion doesn't count in this example) and an incentive to recover her independent mind without constant mothering by Orion.
The guys in question have similarly annoying habits, and I actually ended up making a pretty intense workout routine (non-related but I wanted to hint at the idea for people rewatching anyway) everytime something annoying happened because something happened every few seconds i.e: Shin brooding for no reason, Orion stating the obvious, Toma and Shin fighting for no apparent reason other than to make Toma look like a nice guy and Shin the broody guy, all the guys acting very patronising (and then kissing them like right after), Ikki being fangirled over, or Kent being an arrogant know-it-all.
The game elaborates on these behaviours, why Toma and Shin fight, Ikki's loneliness, and Kent's obliviousness to the idea that he even said something rude and feeling a little insecure (before offering to fix said behaviour if it was too much).
That's why the short time spent on each character makes the show suffer so much. At the end of the show (with the exception of possibly Shin who I felt had the strongest route in the show) there isn't someone who you'd really want to see again with the MC anyway. They come across as very weak, frivolous characters with no thought behind them whatsoever when in fact it's the opposite.
OVERALL ENJOYMENT 6/10
I was conflicted rating this anime, because it had so much potential and it got reduced to a 12 episode waste of time, yet the game is so enjoyable that I keep thinking that maybe it's just in my head and I'll enjoy it if I rewatch it one more time which never happens. No matter how much I remind myself I disliked this anime, I keep coming back to it which makes me think that it must have done something right.
If you are new to anime, do NOT watch this first. Get some more anime under your belt, so that it doesn't leave you with a bad impression of the reverse harem genre, and try to watch it knowing what you're getting into.
I would suggest Amnesia: Memories - the otome game, for someone who is serious about getting into the story and character plots.
If you're just looking for a quick non-commital reverse harem anime to get through then you might just be okay.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Nov 9, 2017
I watched this anime for two things
* A strong female lead
* An interesting, adventurous storyline
I can't exactly say I didn't get that.
It might be useful to add that this is the first Shingeki no Bahumut related thing that I have seen, so I have nothing to compare it to.
Story 6/10
At first, the story is wonderful. Nina meets certain people who end up relying on her power and so on in order to rebel against the king. Just when things started to look really good, and I was certain that this would be a big 10/10 that I could tick off my list, the worst happened.
The
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story turned AWAY from the action and intrigue, and decided to focus on ROMANCE.
I knew there would probably be some type of romance subplot, but I didn't think it would suddenly become something that resembled Fushigi Yuugi.
Suddenly, Nina, who can be a clown but very strong-willed about being used just for her power, only cares about her love interest and worrying about the future, when will she see him again, *insert tired groan here*.
This anime was great, until they hinged the whole story on it's weakest point. I was hoping to see more Azazel but he ended up fading into the background after his plot convenient factor had run its course. It might mention that he's a main character, but don't that fool you about his involvement.
Art 10/10
Gorgeous. Stunning. It felt very fluid and unique.
Sound 6/10
My impression is that the sound was good for what it was used for. There was nothing extraordinary about it that made me want to listen again and again, but it certainly isn't a boring soundtrack.
Character 7/10
As usual, most of my overall score is swayed by the characters, and these ones were... interesting.
When she isn't fawning over her ridiculous love story, Nina is actually a pretty cool person. She is stubborn and a bit cocky, but that adds to her likeability; which only makes the love story make me even more frustrated.
She's proud of her abilities and of her origins, and has no problem showing off her unnatural strength in arm-wrestling matches.
THIS is the stuff that should have been highlighted more in the anime, instead of reducing her to a snivelling 'girl in love'.
Anyway.
The most interesting character for me was Mugaro - one of the supporting characters. The subplot surrounding him was very interesting, and a welcomed distraction from Nina's love story dilemma.
He is the character to whom most have a fondness for, and I think this is one of the things that helps meld this dynamic group of people into a working, functioning group.
Then there is the other half to this love story whom I won't name for 'spoiler purposes' although it doesn't matter much.
He underwent a HUGE personality change - some of it I could keep up with, and some of it just seemed ridiculous. He is introduced as completely ruthless, but is then shown to have a softer side when he meets Nina (in an arm wrestling match of all things). You want me to believe that this man isn't completely cold and cruel when he spends time with a bouncy, energetic girl, that's totally fine.
But then I'm supposed to believe that in the span of 1-3 episodes, he has completely disposed of his arrogant, 'I am the strongest and I know best' attitude.
That's pushing it a little too much, to say the least.
Enjoyment 7/10
Despite the frustrations that I had, I don't regret watching the show. It might seem like a really bad sequel - and maybe it is, as I said, I haven't watched the previous Shingeki no Bahamut - but I think it does hold it's own as a show; as long as you aren't in it purely for an action/adventure.
Overall 8/10
The bittersweet ending made for a pretty unsatisfying ending. So much happened, and yet the only thing that gets focused on for the most part is this love story. If the romance could have been sidelined then this probably would have been a much better product.
However, there was still plenty that I enjoyed (it takes at least 13 episodes before romance really begins to domineer). It could be comedic, which was probably it's saving grace in this score, since the pressure of actually having a good story lightens a little when it is accentuated that Nina is just this powerfully strong disaster that explodes every time a young man makes her heart race.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Nov 8, 2017
I first came across this anime in May this year. It is now November, a few weeks after finishing this anime, and I feel as though I must urge potential viewers not to make the same mistake I did all those months ago, lest you miss out on an outstanding anime.
Don't judge it by the first episode.
The first episode pales in comparison to the next 23. I finished Chrno Crusade and for a while all I could do was stare at the screen in awe.
I'm putting on a big dramatic air here, but I really did feel as though this was what a perfect
...
anime felt like.
The story. The characters. The stakes.
It was done perfectly.
Rosette is a STRONG character. She might come off as being erratic and irresponsible at first glance, but throughout the series I really came to understand just how deep her feelings of dedication, duty and loyalty towards finding her brother were. And when mixed with the bittersweet story of how she and Chrno ended up being intimately linked with each other made for an anime that you know is only going to end with tragedy.
If you love this anime, you will cry.
Some people might not think that Chrno's backstory was covered enough for the story to make sense. Sometimes it might seem like he's just a plot-convenient piece to be moved when it fits. But I think that enough was mentioned for me to get the overall picture without the story suddenly revolving around his angsty backstory. Certainly, his motivations about how he came to work with Rosette and the Magdalene Order are important, but this is a story about Rosette, her personal mission, and the short amount of time that she had in order to accomplish it.
If you've come here looking for romance, then take a pass. There *are* moments that pass between Rosette and Chrno, but it most certainly isn't the focus of this anime (at least from my perspective). It is subtle at times, but very sweet. Just thought I'd mention it, in case you were wondering. The moments that did pass were very bittersweet and there is one image in particular in the last episode that I just can't get out of my head.
The other characters, Azmaria and Satella make for an interesting pair. Azmaria gives strong Wendy (Fairy Tail) vibes but she's very sweet when she isn't getting in the way. Satella also has someone she wants to find, and she bonds with Rosette over this throughout the episodes.
Action is good, the suspense is good. There are even comedy parts to lighten the mood when needed. Chrno Crusade's strongest point is its dramatic side.
Some people have complained about how it ended, but I suspect that is only because it wasn't the happy ending 'all the bad guys are dead so let's move on now' that they wanted and expected. I thought it was satisfying and again, bittersweet. That word is how I would describe the entire series.
I was fascinated by the impact that religion has on the overall plot which continued to intrigue me as time went on.
Again, I must stress the point. Don't give this up if the first episode bores you - it has much more to offer if you let it.
I went from watching one episode in 5 months, to watching all of them in one day. It is a hidden gem that deserves to be in my top anime list.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Aug 20, 2017
At the time of writing this, I have rewatched Kamigami no Asobi at least 4 times since I discovered it 3 months ago. It's easily in my top 5 anime but even so, decide for yourself whether this anime is for you or not.
Story 8/10
So we have Yui, the only human to be summoned to the almighty Garden created by Zeus; tasked with teaching 7 gods from Japanese, Norse and Greek mythology about humans in order to gain an understanding of humans and why connecting with them is important for them as gods.
I liked the simplicity of this main story objective being laid out
...
right from the start. It allowed me to be on the same page as all the characters and experience everything with them together. The story itself is by no means weak - especially for a reverse harem. It certainly has an allure that picks up speed as more episodes go by. The pacing is very comfortable and even as things escalate and get darker towards the end with Loki and Baldr's arc, it is very well done. I easily would watch another season of this.
Art 10/10
Gorgeous! I could stare at the art from Kamigami no Asobi all day and it's obvious why this did so well as a visual novel. The boys all look wonderful.
Sound 10/10
I've downloaded the Kamigami no Asobi OST. I really could listen to it all day. It's intense, poignant, spritely, comedic and extremely fitting for the all round feel of the show. The opening sequence song Till The End is also sung by the voice actors and is divine. It also really does feel like something out of a fairytale. Want some proof? Google the 'Strong Ties' soundtrack used for the friendship between Baldr, Loki and Thor. It evokes some STRONG emotions.
Character 10/10
So right from the get go we meet Yui and blah, blah, blah. Stuff happens and she meets major gods from Japanese, Norse and Greek mythology (below I have excluded side characters Dionysus and Thor).
Japanese: Takeru & Tsukito Totsuka, god of the sea and god of the moon.
Norse: Loki Laevatein, Baldr Hringhorni, god of fire and god of light and destruction.
Greek: Apollon Agana Belea & Hades Aidoneus, god of prophecy and god of the Underworld.
Yui herself is a sufficient character, she certainly has her merits and most definitely isn't a weak character. She has a tendency to be very protective of her new friends and takes her role as their teacher very seriously; despite also because she wants to go back home, she really wants these gods to graduate from 'Garden School'.
They are wonderful characters to watch. Each has a very different personality with weaknesses and strengths, but they each develop and change for the better (and sometimes for worse) throughout the show. Even the side characters, who we don't see nearly enough of, are very fun to watch.
The friend dynamic between these gods and Yui is very touching and it's a pleasure to watch it become stronger with each episode. Of course, there are gods that Yui has to win over (primarily Loki and Takeru). She brings something humane and positive to each of the boys. It also has a little fanservice but it's not super annoying.
There are scenes between these boys that really do provoke feels but it also is surprisingly strong with humour.
Enjoyment 10/10
The only other anime that has made me laugh as much as this is Ouran High School Host Club. Every single episode was truly enjoyable. It was a pleasure to watch something that is just so damn PERFECT. The story, art, sound and characters mesh together to make a friggin' masterpiece.
OVERALL 10/10
Was there ever any doubt that this would score lower than a 10? Kamigami no Asobi makes you laugh and cry and at the same time gets rid of more annoying things in reverse harems such as EXTREME jealousy between all boys over the main character (perhaps with one story-related incident with Baldr). I'll be rewatching again for the 5th time very soon.
There isn't an anime that I want to have a second season more than Kamigami no Asobi.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Aug 12, 2017
I feel as though this is one of those anime that you either love or hate. I'll be keeping this fairly vague so as not to spoil anything. As a side note, this is also my first review.
Orange struck some very personal chords with me and perhaps that's why at the end of it I looked like a right ugly mess from crying so much. But I can also understand that not everyone connects to a single anime the same way which is why some the flaws in Orange stuck out like a sore thumb to others.
Story 9/10
Overall, I did enjoy the story; it was
...
cliche the way everything was arranged but I can only describe it as a good kind of cliche. Yes, the time-travelling, parallel worlds thing does get a bit wonky when it comes down to giving the viewer a straight forward explanation as to how Naho and her friend group are able to send those letters in the first place. But I was forgiving on that end because I felt like the characters are the story and it's their experiences and feelings that you end up watching for instead and they do a very good job of telling their story (but more on that later).
Art 10/10
I'll be honest, I probably judge the art in anime too extremely. I either hate it or love it; there is no in between. I really did love the art in Orange - it matched the feelings of the show so perfectly, not to mention it's just gorgeous to look at.
Sound 10/10
The soundtrack is phenomenal. Nothing else could adequately describe the poignant beauty of this anime. It makes you laugh, it makes you cry. It makes you tense, angry, inspired. Probably one of my favourite anime soundtracks so far. If I had to blame anything for the emotional rollercoaster I had as a viewer, it would be this.
Character 9/10
As I've said before, I felt as though the characters were the story. In the first few minutes, you meet the 5 (not including Kakeru) high school students whose actions and guilt are still long in their mind 10 years later. And Kakeru.
Oh, Kakeru.
Don't get me wrong, his characterisation could have been fleshed out better seeing as the whole series revolves around him and his relationships with these other 5 people. His actions do tend to get repetitive but not overly so that you begin to feel frustrated because the show does a pretty good job at explaining why he acts as he does and the reasoning behind his actions.
Naho is a bit of a different story. I don't know how I feel about her.
She isn't annoying. But she could have been much stronger. And her character writing needed to be a little more consistent. There will be times when this girl is the shyest human being on the planet; to a point where she doesn't interact with Kakeru DESPITE KNOWING that the whole point of the letters was for her to change these things. But does that make her a more relatable, more human character (albeit with weak resolve.)? I get that she's usually the quietest girl in the group, that she's sensitive and whatever.
But then we put her in the same room as Kakeru, and she always changes. It's like her sensitivity to people just vanishes in order to make Kakeru look like the ultimate people reader. She becomes awkward and oblivious to any more sensitive issues that arise (and they do because she is the potential love interest of a boy struggling with depression). Then Kakeru walks out the room and hey presto! she's back to noticing every tiny detail about everyone and worrying herself silly about the one guy who she always successfully brushes off in some way after each encounter.
However, I also think that her character development wasn't bad. There were times she frustrated me - especially looking back at the scenes where Kakeru kept offering her his hand and Naho is just like "ERROR 404 DOES NOT COMPUTE". Just. Hold. His. Goddamn. Hand.
But I think if it was a normal shoujo romance I just would have laughed it off, but because we know right from the beginning the dangers of the butterfly effect and what Naho is trying to change in the future, whenever misunderstandings arising from small encounters like that happened, I just got so anxious which is probably why I've been harsher than usual on Naho.
Throughout the anime though, she becomes more assertive and realises the importance of her task - which is to save Kakeru no matter what. This is when Naho really blossoms.
The real gem in this anime though isn't Naho or Kakeru.
It's Suwa. Without him, this story would be VERY different and that's a credit to his character. Definitely one of my favourite characters ever. Because of him, whenever Naho falls short or struggles to reach Kakeru, Suwa is there to push her along and support her to try a bit harder and persevere. He balances out the flaws in her character PERFECTLY. I could sing praises about what a blessing Suwa is to the story indefinitely.
Enjoyment 10/10
I can't say I didn't enjoy this anime. Not at all. It's way up there with my favourites. When it tried to squeeze some emotion out of me, I ended up a wreck - crying with laughter; actual crying; absolutely fuming. There were times when I felt so incredibly helpless. Times where I felt like I was a part of this story and friend group myself. Times I wished I could reach through the screen and tell Kakeru that he was loved more than he knew.
Overall 10/10
I would easily watch this again - and soon. It's certainly an experience, and if you're a crier like me then get some painkillers nearby because, by the time I finished this at 3am in the morning, I had a splitting headache. It gives you a lot to think about, potentially stuff that you continue to think about days after watching.
But like I said before, it's more of a 'you love it or you hate it' anime.
But please, give it a chance because it really does tell a wonderful story and I'll be looking to buy it on DVD very soon.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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