Spoilers ahead. Skip to the end for a short, spoiler-free review
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What initially garnered my interest in this show, barring being created by Studio SHAFT, was the multi-plot story. ef is situated between two homestay romance premises, the love triangle with tenseness that Guts couldn't hope to slice open and the boy-meets-girl cliché alarmingly ripe with innocence.
Though, contrary to the cliché nature of the premises all the more elevated by the dated 2000s character designs, ef defies them with sincere characterization and poignancy. That is to say, their heart-stirring internal conflicts. Taking the most prominent and tragic as example, Chihiro's existential crisis derives from the fact that her memory resets itself every 13 hours, resulting in a self-perception that she possesses no concrete identity, no future, no present. Eternally entrapped within a 12-year circle, her reach extending 13 hours. Forgetting people pains her, but people forgetting her pains her more. Thus, Chihiro's heart opens just enough for books to seep in, the only things that won't hurt her. Though comparatively mundane to Chihiro's extreme situation, the remaining cast possess heartfelt struggles, as well.
However, I found the love triangle plot substantially weaker. In cohesion, that is. Hiro, Miyako and Kei worked well individualistically. Particularly, Miyako had an especially amazing monologue that broke her character up to that point. Disappointingly, the attempt in connecting their internal conflicts into a cohesive plot made for a laughably theatrical cesspool that love triangles are no strangers to. The symbolism of Miyako and Kei representing Hiro's freedom and future turned into a complete failure of the Bechdel test that quite literally made me pause the episodes to pace around my room to cool down. Somehow, rather than conveying the impressive pathos behind their internal conflicts, the show chooses to render it all to melodramatic crying, screaming and running like some poorly-budgeted chick flick. Though it occasionally works at times to execute the high intensity and emotional explosiveness of the characters, it's comedic all else where.
Miracles don't exist in this world
Though, saving graces are present in all other regards in ef, to a degree. Shin Oonuma and his team stylized ef far removed from the head-tilts and geometrical, vector orgies usually associated with Studio SHAFT, but the direction possesses a similar eccentricity, yet comparatively subdued. The framing and cinematography stands out most prominently in regards to ef's memorable direction. Camera angles switch jarringly between consecutive scenes, though certainly effective and interesting to see. Visual symbolism and imagery are also a common reoccurrence, sometimes elevated by striking effects like silhouetting a character into a black-and-background mask. However, this all certainly borders nauseatingly ostentatious once you're hit with desensitization to the visuals. I suppose in this regard, it complements the just-as ostentatious and nauseating plots as they progress down-the-road.
Conclusion
ef gracefully waltzes and embarrassingly stumbles. Born out of cliché premises all too welcomed in the romance genre, are surprising intricacy in internal conflicts and walloping pathos. Though I found the two plots noticeably disproportionate in quality, the individualism of the characters shine through. However, the very intricacy that breathed life into the show, also dilapidated it after some time. The complex, intense, rampant thoughts and emotions swirling in the characters' minds vomit out in overdramatic, blatantly laughable courses of actions and trains-of-thoughts. While some scenes portray this extreme intensity well, amazing even, they unfortunately aren't sufficient in compromising for the not-so-good instances of high-running emotionality. Though the characters were potently laced with intricate potential, they find themselves acting out of irrationality as ef progresses.
The visuals suffer from the same intense plague to a degree. Though unique and effective in conveying emotional intensity, the charm falls apart when its intrigue becomes borderline ostentatious after some time. Still, the visual direction alone made it slightly-less-than-bearable to trudge through this show.
For a show that prides itself with intricate characters through careful characterization, it fails to fully blossom and instead ventures to deprecate them through frustratingly laughable melodrama. Including, but not limited to, obsessive girls fighting over a guy, screaming at God at the beach, running through the city to find ripped diary entries. Though I understand the intent of intensity, its execution mostly comes off much too frustrating to appreciate how it complements the nature of the show. However, the melodramatic romance market has always been one overripe with eager fans, so I can certainly see the merits in ef. Unfortunately, I'm not part of that demographic.
Oh, but let's not forget the banger soundtrack. Bump that shit.
