Adachi and Shimamura

(HEAVY SPOILERS INCOMING)

WOW, I don't even know where to start. I don't even write reviews but this anime is amazing that I have to.
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Below I'll address the things that I like:

Pacing

SUPER SLOW, at least relative to other romance anime. I really liked how this anime went in depth into the characters thoughts (for some episodes, most of the dialogue were thoughts) because it really shows the character development.

Even though nothing really "major" happens in each episode, if you pay attention, it's not "boring" or "monotonous", the characters grow and discover more of themselves ever so subtly each episode.

The pacing is so slow and done so well that it's a relaxing, peaceful and calm watch, perfect for any time of the day to make you feel at ease.

Character Development

Both of the main characters are delinquents. They met each other by skipping class. But they're also very different.

Shimamura - thinks her life is "boring", "no color". She doesn't like the idea of going through the same routine every day and making "fake" friends, but she is able to do that.

Adachi - she does not like making any friends or interacting with people at all. Unlike Shimamura, she can't fake it.

With each episode, the anime gives little pieces of info on each characters' personality, values, etc. but doesn't explicitly state it.

For example, Shimamura changed a lot from when she was a kid, but we don't really know exactly when or why or what triggered it. We just know how she currently views the world and people around her.

Another example, Adachi does not like making friends and isn't bothered to talk to strangers and such, but it's never stated why. We need to rack our brains and connect the dots - given how she acts around Shimamura, it's probably because she feels anxious about whether or not she's bothering people.

Both characters are also struggling through some degree of trauma / mental health issue that isn't explicitly stated either.

Adachi does not view herself and worth much and always downplays her self worth. Shimamura is so used to having "artificial" friends that she always thinks that someone "needs" something from her if they want to talk with her. Adachi has had a lack of physical and emotional affection, hence why she reacts the way she does when putting her head on Shimamura's lap or hugging her. There is so much in their behaviors that show how deep these characters were written.

The Ending

This anime is yuri, so I expected (and was hoping) that they would get together in the end. Sadly that didn't happen, but I was very pleasantly content with the ending. Although they did not get together (like officially as a couple), they did grow closer and developed a type of "love" that is rare amongst friends. There are multiple kinds of "love" and this definitely qualifies as one of them.

I'm getting pretty lazy writing the rest, so here's a TLDR: I love the slow pace of this anime as it made me feel relaxed and serene watching it. I loved how in-depth and relatable the characters were.

10/10