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Jun 24, 2023
I really wanted to enjoy this series and I think there is a lot of really good groundwork already done. The only issue is that the execution on this story is half-baked, it makes sense in hindsight that it’s an anime original. A great example is the connection between Hinako and Hajime, they just gloss over him saving her from a dog or something and then it’s expected that we’re supposed to fill in any gaps. If it were just for the side characters this would be par for the course, but it happens with Tada and Teresa as well.
The characters feel like they could
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be well-developed, Ijuin has a lot of character depth for example. He presents himself in one way, but he is really more caring of others than he lets on. I was able to relate with Tada in a way, suppressing emotions because you are afraid to confront them. His character depth feels deprioritized. I’ll be honest, the character development of Nyanko Big seems to have more priority than that of our main cast. A whole episode is devoted to finding him and realizing he’s just in love with the cat he was in love with earlier. I see the parallels with the story, but focusing on an alternative telling of the story instead of telling the story feels like a waste of necessary screen time to show us why Tada and Teresa are falling for each other. There were a few scenes where it felt properly conveyed, but the scene at the starry lake almost felt abrupt. Tada says something impactful but maybe the delivery up to this point was incomplete. All rather small issues by themselves but when looking back they seem to be critical to the finale.
**Spoilers ahead**
Teresa’s position makes it very difficult to believe the trajectory of the story. The true ending appears to happen about five minutes before the given ending, because not enough reason is given to make any of us believe the finale is anything more than a cheap bone thrown to us. It’s a romance, we expect the main characters to get together, but there’s this huge tension they build up and then it’s cheapened by the ending. The frustration we feel with the situation is supposed to suddenly become delight, and just like the characters we’re left wondering what we were holding onto.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Dec 31, 2021
I think 80 minutes probably wasn't enough time to tell this Shirou's story, but it was a good representation of Shirou if things played out much differently than any of the Stay Night routes. I gave it a 7 because while it felt like some sequences were far too short and others were far too long, this was ultimately a Prisma Illya OVA that ties into that world. The art was good, sound direction was good, character relationships felt like they progressed far too quickly. In fact, I am not entirely pleased with the way that we get to the end of this movie. If
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you don't mind spoilers, you can continue for my rationale.
PAST THIS POINT THERE ARE SPOILERS (Also Fate/Zero Spoilers)
Sakura played a very prominent role in this movie. She seems to be close with Shirou, but this isn't really the case in this world line. It's one of those plotholes that kind of bears on me the more I think about it. If Sakura were really so close with him, she would have known about Miyu and she would have been at his house as she was in the Stay night world line. I think the prevailing tone of Sakura's relationship with Shirou is that she has the same feelings as the Stay night world line, even though there is really no way those would have developed in the same fashion and nothing in the movie gives us indication as to why we should believe she feels strongly enough to not only toss a card in the Grail War away for him, but feel the need to protect him. Further, if she cares about him why does she intend to disclose the Grail War in the first place? This seemed strange at the time I watched, but it sits even weirder now. The whole involvement of Sakura in this worldline is supposed to be the straw that breaks the camel's back, but I don't think I can buy it. Honestly, Shirou just needs an easy reason to kill everyone between him and Miyu and Sakura made an easy path for the writers. This was a pretty shameful way out of genuine exposition in my opinion.
The relationship between Miyu and Shirou doesn't feel forced, it is probably the best presented out of any of them in this movie. At certain points, Kiritsugu is presented with a similar desire for an end to suffering that he pursued in Fate/Zero, albeit without any indication that he was involved in the Third Grail War. We know at a later point that the Grail Wars happen here, but Shirou is found orphaned by an apparently unrelated incident. Kiritsugu goes from a philanthropist saving Shirou to a heartless utilitarian ready to sacrifice Miyu if it means saving the world from suffering. This doesn't seem completely on the money to me for Kiritsugu as a character. As an example, even knowing Irisviel would become the Grail, he preferred not to sacrifice her in order to accomplish his task. The question I seek an answer to here is if Kiritsugu was willing to bond with the Einzbern heiress to such an extent in a different world, what compels him to deny the humanity of this younger homunculus character here? It may not be exactly the same Kiritsugu, but there are some critical differences that the movie makes no effort to rectify or rationalize.
I can't give the movie much better than a 7, and that may be lightly generous. In my opinion, the narrative integrity of the movie could use a lot more work to classify it in a similar sense to Fate/stay night or Fate/Zero.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Sep 24, 2020
It is time to give my proper thoughts on the final season of one of my favorite series. Midway through the season, I found myself frustrated. I was caught up in the drivel of many online fans who were as flustered and dumbstruck as I was that the course of the season seemed to be rather focused on a specific character, no names necessary.
This was, for all intents and purposes, the best way they could have adapted the source. After reaching the end, I can guarantee that as angry as you may get about the circumstances, the emotional buildup is required to frame the whole
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story and make it an adequate picture of what it was always supposed to be. Yes, this is a romantic comedy, but the tragic attempts to be prepared for reality hit youth a lot more than mere attraction. Without the emotional backbone for this series to be built upon, there would be no substantial take away from this series. It would simply be another show that you watched and forgot about. The characters and their growth would all be pointing to who is the best for so and so, why this person instead of that person, etc.
The story gets a 9. There are parts where they could have done better.
Art was horrendous for the first few episodes. They clearly had to breeze over some massive hiccups in production. I give it a 6, just because the level of absurdity in some of the scenes demands a lower score than "Very Good" or even "Good". Things got better towards the end, but all parts are equally important in this score.
Sound design was good. Great placements of the themes and the intro and ED were pretty clean. I will give it an 8.
Character gets a 10. Watari Wataru knows how to write well-developed characters and this adaptation didn't disappoint.
I enjoyed this show a LOT. 10.
Overall is a 9, there is a lot to be said both good and bad, but I can guarantee that the bad is only hypothetical considering for the most part that this adaptation does a pretty great job of at least remaining pretty parallel with the source material. You will hear a lot of people disagree, but the dynamics between the characters never changed from the source. The development of the characters didn't change. We may have missed a few scenes, and in fact one or two scenes that help knock this score down from Masterpiece. Overall, I found that season 3 of Oregairu was a great way to bring this main story to a close.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Aug 20, 2020
This is not a romance show. Do not convince yourself it is or you will walk into it with the wrong pretense. That’s what Kuzu no Honkai, or Scum’s Wish, is about. The world is not going to be perfect, no one will be entirely good, everyone is capable of love, but equally capable of inflicting pain. Those who we would die for would inflict a thousand deaths upon us before we find the answer to whether we are willing to live for them or not. The sheer emotional weight of the philosophical standpoint Kuzu no Honkai takes is daunting, regardless of what you expect.
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You might end up feeling torn apart, you might end up feeling despair, reminded of your deepest loneliness even if you are very close to those you love. You may take a deep breath and feel much of that weight lifted at the end.
Personally, I found a lot of hope in Kuzu no Honkai. The ending may be an anime-only one, but I personally found it to be profound in its delivery. Without spoiling the end, you want to know that what you have achieved is what will bring you happiness. You’re allowed to have your own self-interest in mind, and no one should be able to call you selfish for desiring the best path in life. Society may try to impose on your personal life. Tragic pasts and traumatic experiences may shape the view of the world you have. Your actions may be weighed by those around you and the consequences may be frightening. Your life shouldn’t be solely dictated by the past which haunts you.
This story is wonderful in its suspension. Every episode carries you through the moments you need to see, you need to feel. This story is not a very uplifting one for most of the cour. You will be rocked with the characters and you will get upset with (or in some cases, for) all of them. These connections are signs of a well-rounded adaptation. If the characters couldn’t be emotionally accessible, they are nothing more than props. The pacing felt a little odd, and some time-skips made for frustrating moments of connect the dots, but as this was not an egregious problem, story gets a really solid 9.
The art and sound are both fantastic. The animations were well done, the manga panel frames were really tasteful although maybe a little dodgy in some situations. The music was one of the best OSTs I’ve experienced in anime. I expect nothing less from the composer who worked on Kimiuso (another heart-wrenching series). The OP and ED are both spectacular, I especially enjoyed Sayuri’s ED. I’ve given art a 9 and sound a 10.
I mention character in story, but these are some strong characters through and through. I was impressed how well they were able to make each character relatable. They show both the outward and inward face. Even Akane became a character I could see the light in at the end. Maybe I’m easily tricked, or maybe they’ve built some dynamic and useful characters. Occasionally, these characters could become a bit rigid, for example I loved Moca as a character, but her dimensions seemed slighted a bit. The same could even be said for Narumi. These weren’t bad decisions, so for character I again go with a solid 9.
I enjoyed the heck out of this show. Even if I felt like my throat was closing and my eyes were going to pop out of my head. Get the tissue boxes ready. Another solid 9.
I could call this one of the better shows I’ve seen. It’s skimmed down and I think the source might provide a more unabridged experience, but the trim on this series was phenomenal. Even though the passage of time is obvious as you get through the show, they take you through all of the important moments and really dive into the lives of these characters. Every stop is an important one. This is one of my biggest questions when evaluating a series, if I’m given needless filler in a single cour show, why could they have not adapted something more useful? In the case of Kuzu no Honkai, every moment carries a load. In terms of heartache, I’d put this on the same level as Orange and AnoHana. A lot of it seems superficial, but the underlying forces at play really bring it home.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Aug 3, 2020
I waited until Season 3 started to properly address Season 2. Not that it was necessary, but I wanted to make sure that Studio Feel landed the transition into the finale properly before saying I was satisfied with how this season turned out. I always express any bias I might have before I jump into reviews and I will be completely honest, Oregairu is definitely my favorite series so far. I don't generally rewatch anything, like really hardly ever, but I've rewatched Oregairu quite a few times all the way through. I've been watching anime for over 20 years, so I think I can say
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that's a decent deal in my own life.
The biggest main reason has solely to do with what I generally look for when I watch anime or read light novels. Character development. The second biggest thing I look for is complex dynamics between characters, and OH BOY do we get some very complex character dynamics in Oregairu. Watari is phenomenal at building a character in this series, because even the smallest of side characters get a personality that is not only believable, but also relatable as an audience member to varying degrees. The anime, and especially Studio Feel's adaptation of the center volumes of the LN, is no different in this approach. There are things that you will miss of course, but as a LN adaptation Studio Feel hit the nail on the head.
The story has quite a dramatic shift from the first season, which was done by Brain's Base and actually does a wonderful job of properly introducing the characters while giving us plenty of comedic relief. Think of it as practice exams before the real deal, because the culture festival arc turns the drama up to 10 and we shift into the heavier moments of Oregairu once 8man antagonizes the culture festival leader. If Season 1 was meant to introduce the struggles that Hachiman faces, then season 2 begins to delve into the darker parts of these struggles and the sources that lie underneath the facade that even Hachiman has yet to recognize.
Youth is a constant struggle, Hachiman recognizes this. The series has yet to truly become a romantic comedy. Sure, there is definitely chemistry between Hachiman and the cast, but this is not the true beauty to this series. No, that lies in the dismantling of a cynical outlook on life that each of the main characters carry on their shoulders. We see Hachiman burning through his emotional capabilities to help people out of a partially narcissistic place, thinking he's the only one lowly enough to break for someone else's gain, and partially out of a lack of true self-worth. He would like nothing more than to be a corporate wage slave, but he also aspires to be a model house husband. These come off as jokes, but Hachiman does not truly believe he is capable of anything greater.
The depth of the characters, their pitfalls, their suffering, their angst, it can get gritty and frustrating and this season really pushes the drama further. The darker tones and the sullen moments are balanced by some of the most beautiful, poetic moments I have seen in anime. One example that strikes me every time I watch is when Iroha is carrying her bags from the convenience store and Hachiman offers to carry them as he usually does. She says she can handle it, and then begins to hobble across the sidewalk. This scene plays out very slowly, but as you watch their silhouettes cross the road in the orange light of a horizon-bound sun, Hachiman slowly grabs the bags from Iroha's side opposite of him. It captures the bond that he formed with someone he would never have anything to do with and the amount he truly cares for them. The moments with Iroha are special because they reveal a deep change within Hachiman. Everyone provides a catalyst for this change.
We see Yukino and Yui both go through their own struggles. They both get set aside by Hachiman unbeknownst, or at least unintended, by him. They're bonds are tested and of course Hiratsuka-sensei is always keeping an eye out for her favorite students. The dynamics are just so well-rounded and they help make the characters more believable.
The art is vastly improved from Brain's Base season one. We get to see Hachiman looking a little more like a human being and his hair is a lot less green. We get to see Yukino look a lot less harsh and Yui a lot more girlish. Hiratsuka-sensei loses some of the tomboyishness that the first season actually nailed pretty well, but that's alright because the pretty boy, Yamato, who looked a little more jocular than preppy in the first season got proper refinement. For some reason, Komachi and Totsuka don't seem to change all that much, they were at peak cuteness for both seasons I suppose. The settings and the expressions are deeper and more emotional. Yui tearing up during the school president election arc, Hachiman and his genuine moment, Yukino with the smile of sadness through half the season. The anger, the passion, the fear and sadness, the happy moments, the goofy scenes. Everything is well-paced and well-placed.
The sound, specifically the voice acting, is wonderful. For both the sub and the more recent dub, both have a great cast that shine. The soundtrack borrows some from season one, but there are plenty of new songs that capture the moments well.
I will praise this anime until the cows come home because it is an exceptional example of the rom-com genre. It proves that romantic comedy doesn't always need to be romantic and doesn't always need to be funny. Comedy without a little bit of tragedy is tasteless. Romance without non-romantic relationship building is overplayed. Oregairu is not going to hold your hand or give you the fan service you desire, but it will give you plenty of wonderful characters whose quirks may drive you up a wall but their good moments are heartwarming and their bad moments can be absolutely heart-rending. This season of Oregairu gets to be called a masterpiece in my humble opinion, because it adapts the light novels in a way that stays relatively true to the nature of the source material. It is capable of capturing a respectable amount of the depth you would get reading this series. I want to go back and read the whole LN series again...
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jul 31, 2020
I am a huge fan of Wataru Watari and I need to get that out of the way before I dive into my review. This doesn't necessarily reflect on my enjoyment or lack of enjoyment associated with this show and I have admittedly not touched the source material for this show. I will say, first and foremost, I have no idea why people enjoy the character that is Chitose Karasuma. She is awful, she is disdainful, she is prideful, she is a pain, and worst of all this doesn't really change by the end. They just continue to allow her to be the way she
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is because it supposedly makes her a good seiyuu. The supporting cast is alright, but none of them are particularly great as individuals. I think Kazuha and Momoka stand out as well-rounded characters, but we only get a semblance of true depth from these two as the rest of the characters are mostly passed over in favor of a more general plot that targets the shortcomings of the animation industry and the many pitfalls that both source authors and everyone responsible for adaptation.
The skeleton for a great series is present, but I found myself frustrated with the lack of enjoyable moments. It felt like I was waiting for a character to grow and possible become a reasonable human being, but instead they double down and continue to be a trash character. Parallel to the producer, Kuzu-san, who just so happens to also be a garbage character. The motivations for these characters to become rich or famous or respected, they're shallow. Is this realistic? Maybe in some ways, but the characters themselves are caricatures or portraits of real-life stereotypes. It could be said that this was intentional on Watari's part, again I have not touched the source material so I can't rightfully say whether this would be more or less clear based on the original work.
This series does give a good idea of a story that doesn't necessary fulfill the wishes of the audience, maybe it was never meant to. This series in ways gives me Haruhi vibes. Our main character is a selfish brat who has all the other characters at her whims. What made Haruhi much more interesting, however, is that Haruhi has the other characters on a string and if they do anything adverse to her plans the world could end. Chitose has none of this power and yet still manages to have the others cater to her moods.
Story gets a 5. It's right in between really good and really bad, so that means I'm neutral on it. I was able to watch the entire series without having an aneurysm but did I enjoy watching it? It's a question I'm not sure I can answer because I really enjoyed the take on life in the animation industry for all the characters, but the characters we followed made me grit my teeth at times. The heartfelt moments with Chitose, I honestly felt like she deserved to feel like crap. So maybe I got satisfaction from those moments simply for the fact that her brother's opinions were validated. Kazuha's upbringing being displayed was a highlight of the storytelling.
Art is good, gets a 7. Some animations were awkward as hell, a great example being the scene right before Chitose completely disrespects Gojo by saying he wasted his time trying to be a seiyuu, he waddles into the frame. A lot of the characters were clean and well-done, Nanami seemed to be a little less focused on in terms of design than the rest of the characters. She's young of course, but not much younger than the rest. Some scenes delivered very well, like Chitose running to the recording studio and falling, breaking the phone and getting soaked.
I give the show a 6, which I think is more than reasonable for something that is a subjective score. I don't think this is a great show, but I saw plenty of ways it could be an amazing show. As a viewer, I often look for character development and design as a cornerstone for how well a show is written. Believable characters create a believable story. This show started off with believable characters, but by the end the illusion faded. Chitose's importance was emphasized while her growth was stunted. Her attitude was in direct opposition to everyone else involved and she stood her ground at the end to applause and acceptance (besides the author's liaison who appeared to be the only rational being by the end of the show).
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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Jul 16, 2020
B, rest, Bbm, rest, B, rest, Bbm
I know that the source material wasn't finished by the time this adaptation was. I was interested in this series for the sole fact that the creator of Bunny Girl was behind it. I honestly don't know how to approach this series. In ways, I enjoyed it and in other ways I found myself frustrated, flustered, upset by the way things were playing out. The characters at times really gave me bloodshot eyes. The extremes in this show were way too played out, and the low moments were way too drawn out. There was so much I enjoyed, and
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almost as much that got under my skin.
Jin and Misaki, for example, their relationship seems rocky for no better reason than to act as a parallel for Kande's feelings. The cats were a plot device, with no purpose other than to force a reason for Kande to be sent to Sakura Hall. Characters being used as little more than story devices, including Kande, Mishiro, and Aoyama. It hurt to see Mashiro treated like an inanimate object rather than a character. It truly hurt to see the headstrong Aoyama turn away from being completely honest about her feelings to Kande.
In fact, there was something acrid about Aoyama's "confession" scene in Episode 22. A moment when I genuinely wondered if the main character's path was true to how it should be. Emotionally drained, and increasingly frustrated by moments that felt forced or rushed, I was upset to see Aoyama not let her feelings speak for her. We have a moment of main character gets the slated girl that's all too common in the romance genre. The right way for this show to have played out and the actual way this show played out feel at odds here. Kande either sees Mashiro as a burden and a curse, or as someone worth spending time with, but he can't choose both.
I'm not sure how far the anime deviates from the source material, but there was a lot of things that felt like they could have used tightening up. The separation between talent and trial was worlds, making it seem like talent gets you everywhere and working hard gets you nowhere fell flat in a lot of ways. I know it sounds like there is plenty I'm critical of, and I think it's mainly due to the way they tried to adapt this series. I wonder what an anime would look like now if they used the rest of the source material to wrap things up.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Jun 24, 2020
Please note there may be minor spoilers in my review, mainly points of reference to evaluate my feelings through the show.
Regrets, haunting memories lingering, sadness and self-pity. The transition to adulthood is a treacherous journey with plenty of roadblocks and slippery slopes. At first, two of our main characters seem on a parallel path. Rikuo firmly planted in the seat of self-consciousness and denying any value or merit to his capabilities. Shinako stuck in her past life in Kanazawa. Two driving forces, Haru and Rou find their way into the fold and make it difficult for Rikuo and Shinako to keep standing still.
A scene
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in episode four, as an example of a highlight of this series, was when Shinako viewed the cherry blossom tree from the back of the house. The surreal feeling of death lingering over the memories of someone is that you have this sense they are there with you and you look again and realize that you expect them to be there, to be somewhere. The scene captured this feeling so well. Another moment was when Minato says "I thought I'd never see her again". This moment of relief accompanied by bittersweet heartache burned deeply and in a subjective sense spoke to me as a viewer. It's clear that the writers have done an amazing job of adapting emotional appeal into this show.
The characters are all very realistic, in some ways maybe a little dauntingly so. Their hearts are on full display for us as the viewer and I personally found it difficult to approach the painful moments without being affected. The depictions get messier as the season progresses, about episode 5 or 6 is when it feels they start to unravel a bit. Their motivations, their personality, their interpersonal connections are clearly defined, whether that's through implicit or explicit means. Dialogue and monologue are both delivered exceptionally well.
If I could think of anything that holds this series back, there are a couple things. First may be the quieter moments. They are abundant, but I think in a way these moments are necessary because there is a lot that is unpacked through this series. Four episodes in and I had already felt like these characters were not only fully realized, but that I had been with them for much longer than that. This is not to say that the pacing is necessarily slow either, considering that there is quite a bit of exposition for each of the main characters. It all comes together naturally for the most part. The second would be the latter half's pacing and direction. We got numerous episodes where the main characters seem to stagnate in a situation that neither of them are particularly fond of. This arc would seem, by far, to be the weakest. While I understand the tension is building for the finish, it is painful. Maybe that pain was intended to be part of the experience of this show. To some degree it feels masochistic to enjoy such emotional pressure, but at the end of the day the adeptness of this show at driving these emotional beats can't be ignored. The characters start to lose their initial appeal in the process, making this approach a double-edged sword. While it may have done a great job of tension, it also risked the integrity of the characters. That being said in terms of romance, I find this show to actually focus more on the dramatic aspects than the romantic. I actually enjoy this approach. It does its best to place proper value and realism on the bonds of the characters.
I give the show a strong 8, I can't quite give it a 9 as there are some pacing issues that hold it back and direction towards the back half that could probably play a little less risky. I can definitely say if you're looking for a good sob, you will find a couple watching this.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Jun 4, 2020
Bakemonogatari is one of those shows that makes it hard to say bad things about. It's an amazing art-series that definitely makes use of vivid imagery, amazing choreography and wonderfully fleshed-out settings. The artwork in this show is some of the best I have seen in anime. Everything has its right place and every scene is meant to evoke the audience into the emotions and thoughts of the characters at hand. The characters are all very strong and its nice that we have very few background characters to pull down the story. Everything that happens, all dialogue, all events, they build upon the current arc.
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I will say that there are moments where I feel a bit overwhelmed by this show. Not that it's too much, but moreso that everything that happens is quite relentless and very much impatient with the audience. If you need a break you can pause, but don't expect the show to slow down and give you moments to breathe. In a way, I think was the only major thing that held me back from giving it the highest rating I could.
This is definitely worth a watch, it will thrust everything at you from episode one and won't hold back the rest of the way. It knows no bounds. It's relentless, it's confusing, it's unnerving. Just like a monster would be.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jun 1, 2020
Addressing the elephant in the room, yes the step-sister has feelings for her brother. And so, we start on an awkward path that will continue from the clumsy first five minutes of the first episode. The setup is all too direct in my opinion. The characters felt a bit too advertised at the beginning rather than slowly unraveled by the writing. It gave me the sense that the dimensions behind these characters are rather flat. Our main character is the cheery, naive Fukami Touko but she is technically introduced second to the cool and collected male MC, Okikura Kakeru.
The power to predict the future, are
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there any repercussions to such abilities?
Why do the two main characters have these abilities?
Why is this friend group so tense? It's a weird love triangle going on here.
A lot of preliminary thoughts that I will do my best to address as we go further. I'd like to note a few oddities and a few gems in the rough I noticed along the way as well. I will do my best to avoid heavy spoilers, but I must warn that there may be a few minor spoilers after this point.
The strange still shots throughout the show are there too present a dramatic moment in time, but they feel overused and often used in the wrong moments where there are moments they could have been utilized more effectively. The way the ability to see the future is treated, by both Fukami and Okikura, seems completely aloof with no discipline whatsoever. This makes more sense as the story progresses, but leaves me frustrated at first. It's at episode 7 that I realized something that I probably should have questioned from the beginning. "The future cannot be changed", does this mean that any actions the characters take will be effort wasted against the battle of fate. This also implies that the timeline is either immutable, or on-rails, or that the characters have a false impression of what the future actually is and can in some way change it. These questions made me think there was definitely more to the show than what's on the surface, even if the presentation is rough.
There's really well-delivered moments in this show, for example the scene in episode 4 where Yukinari asks Fukami about Okikura. The emotions brought into that scene, his slight frustration but also realization and her confusion, but slightly improved understanding of what she is thinking all come out in their interaction. It was a wonderful balance of show and tell. The emotional turn at the end of episode 6 was another excellent moment , where we finally come to understand the premise a little better. The second to final episode provided a serious amount of insight into the phenomenon between the two main characters, while also providing a great deal of tension. It's not the most clear delivery per se, but it was definitely not ambiguous either. I won't go into spoilers on this one, but it does require a bit of stretching to grasp what is happening.
The tensions in the friend group are there to provide some back-and-forth. All in all, the premise of the show doesn't bear a tremendous amount of weight on the outcomes of their actions and this should have been the main tension and relief, but the relationships between all of them took precedence here and it was a little disappointing to see that prioritized over something that could have helped the series stand out from other series in this particularly well-defined genre. Subtract the friendship drama from this romance and you are left, for the most part, with some shallow future-sights and a romance built on that hardly explored premise. The premise itself doesn't truly hit the ground running until the latter half and even then it gets a slow burn until the moments that they decided it would be best to throw it into a climax presented themselves.
One last thing I will mention is the soundtrack, it's pretty good. Classical piano music through most of the season. The show as a whole wasn't too weak to be considered mediocre, but I think it was a fair watch. While I probably could have enjoyed it much more without some of the awkwardness and occasional tumbles, there were some remarkable moments of writing and delivery.
Reviewer’s Rating: 6
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