"Conclusion" is spoilery, be careful.
Story: 6.5
Simple but fun anyway. The plot is a little bit weak but the mysteries are interesting so its fun nonetheless. Don't expect this show to blow your mind with its themes or mind boggling plot twists, the interaction between the characters is what drives it forward. The show makes use of nonsensical situations to teach different lessons and while "plot" is not a very good way to describe the connection between each lesson, the growth process of each character is very interesting to watch.
Characters: 6.5
They are extremely fun and unique. The way they interact with each other is incredibly entertaining and even when acting separately, they still have enough in them to keep you engaged in what is happening. At first I wasn't super intrigued by each one of them and it took about four episode for them to win me over, though this delay was only caused by my disappointment in the lack of a bigger plot. One thing that made me like the characters even more was the dialogue and voice actors' performance.
Character Development: 7.5
It was good, but that's it. Mayumi went through interesting growth during the show but the other characters didn't have as much time to be explored - or rather, the show chose to not explore them. Despite the lack of development we get enough out of them to know they are actual people that live and interact with the world so I guess its fine. Even with this lack of exploration, the show holds itself well enough with Mayumi's growth as an individual. The way she changes is really interesting. Her thematic struggles are not always explicitly shown to the audience, but even when nothing is said out loud, all the pieces to figure out what is holding her back are always shown beforehand. This keeps the audience engaged, and the viewer feels a sense of accomplishment when the character finally realizes what they have shouted at the screen for the last 20 minutes.
Conclusion (SPOILERS): 8
It is a good finale. We get to see the results of Mayumi's growth, seeing her bring everyone together in the final episode. Manabu's speech was also great, basically explaining what kind of person Mayumi is and how she has grown during the story. Still, I have some issues with the way they went through with Yokuya. At first he was set up as this mysterious figure with multiple theories about his intentions. The thing is, while those theories where being presented, we took a full 180 with the world's atmosphere and style. The background art was more realist, as was Mayumi's classroom, and even Naganawa was a very common 14/15 yo girl (in the sense that she wasn't over the top like all the other characters, and acted more like her age). On top of all that we get to see Manabu's brother and his journey growing as a person. I think the best approach to the finale would be less of a "there's a big scary scheming villain" and more of a "not everything in the world works like a mystery novel". Taking a more realistic view on the world towards the end, realizing that this little fantasy is something that they will probably graduate of but still live the moment to their best efforts is a great message and complementing it with a "even if there are no big villains and most people are just people, our dreams, hopes and beauty lie within us" is more like the show. Heck, the story even made the point to tell us that Mayumi stopped trying to reach the star and in doing so she actually became a more realized and happy person, basically incorporating the star she longed for so much. Understanding that beauty and dreams are not external while trying to be the most beautiful self you can is a fucking great message, and I don't think that there was a need for a final villain to make that statement. So, at least imo, the show could have ended in the same exact way, just remove the "Yokuya is baddy bad baddie" development.
Animation: 8
The animation is very solid throughout the show, and while it is certainly beautiful, it doesn't stand out too much.
Soundtrack: 8.5
There was never a time where I though "hmm, this OST is kinda weird", or even thought that any of them were less likable than the other. Actually, I really loved all of them. I'll definitely find the whole OST and download it (if not available on Spotify). They fit the show's vibe really well, are interesting on their on and incorporate a considerable variety of genres (going from classic music themes to more synthetic sounds and music throughout all episodes).
Enjoyment: 8.5
I really enjoyed the show. I just won't give a it 10 because I didn't get as invested in the Fudatsuki arc. The start of the arc was pretty strong with interesting mysteries, but the last episode was pretty weak imo (despite the lesson Mayumi learned being pretty cool and Fukuroi being an interesting character). The comedy was great, I love the style of dialogue and overall it was a really satisfying watch.
Art: 10
Shaft really came back with this. Literally every scene is amazing, the colors are gorgeous, the character designs are on point, the backgrounds are super interesting and fucking beautiful, the lighting is amazingly done. There really isn't a single thing to criticize on the art, and honestly in one of the most visually interesting things I've seen in a long time.
Voice acting: 8
I just really, really love the the way every VA delivers their lines. I think its a "Shinbou style" kinda thing, because the show is very similar to the Monogatari Series in this aspect. The only voice I didn't like very much was Hyouta's, but I didn't exactly hate it, just not my favorite. Despite not loving his voice, his and everyone else's dialogue is just amazing. I think this only happens when Shinbou directs a Nisio Isin work. Part of it is definitely because the way Nisio writes his characters, but I wonder if Shinbou explicitly asked the VAs to deliver their lines like that. I really love this style of dialogue, and the VAs did an amazing job. My favorite performances were from Sakamoto Maaya (Mayumi's VA) and Murase Ayumu (Manabu's VA). I really enjoyed Murase's delivery, especially since its a very different type of performance than what I was used to coming from him. Maaya on the other hand was less of a surprise and more of a "ah shit, now I remember why she's one of my favorites".
Directing: 8
I really don't know much about directing, so ignore my ignorance lol. What I do know is that Shinbou Akiyuki is a fucking genius and I absolutely love him. Shinbou was Chief Director but the Director was Ootani Hajime. Unfortunately I don't have a clear image of what his style is like so I'll probably check the episodes which he worked in Monogatari and Sangatsu no Lion. What I definitely can see is that Shinbou was a pretty big influence in Ootani's work (at least judging from what I already saw).
Storyboard: 9
Well I know a little bit about this one but take my word with a grain of salt and go check the anime for yourself for a better understanding. The storyboarding in this anime is fantastic. We see the characters from super interesting angles, sometimes from far away (for example, every time they are in the art club room), and at times very close to a character's eye or face. The shots are always engaging, going through someone's eye and then coming out of other character's eye, or with specific placement of things in the ambient (again, any time they are in the art club is when this is most noticeable, other example is when Mayumi and Fukuroi are in the music room). The shots always have a great sense tridimensionality but somehow we always have the characters standing out the most in the scene (again, take a look at the art room, even if everything is super shiny, beautiful and interesting to look at, we always look at the characters in the sofas, like they are magnetic or something). I think this has to do with the thirds of a scene, but I don't know enough to give an explanation (I'll link an article if you want to read more about it). Its like we are watching a play, and the characters really stand out from the background, while also blending in perfectly with the atmosphere of the world.
Final words:
The show has some really fun moments, great comedy and characters, and the way their relationship evolves is really satisfying. While we see characters trying to deal with their internal struggles, we are presented with the theme of beautifully being the best version of ourselves that we can. Fun ride, nothing too impressive in the plot side, but grate production and fun characters make up for it. As a final comment, my scores are definitely influenced by my bias towards Nisio stuff, and above all, my love for Shibou. I hope you found any value in my comments, and if you agree or disagree with anything I said, you are welcome to tell me so.
Final score: 7 (or just smiley face :)
While I know this wasn't the most incredible of shows, it was super fun for me. Took me a while, but the characters eventually did grow on me and I really wanted more content to watch, tho I don't think there will be a second season since the finale wraps up pretty much everything it needs to.
Article about the thirds thing: https://www.studiobinder.com/blog/what-is-the-rule-of-thirds/
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