Just Because!

And I mean it. Some of you may have seen my previous review, which was fairly harsh on Just Because. I’ve decided to rewrite my review. Why? I thought about it again and came to the conclusion that I might have misunderstood the intention behind the series. Just to be clear, I did not rewatch Just Because for this review, but I still have a particular picture of it etched in my mind. I’ll fully admit that I love some good drama and tragedies, none of which are the main focus of this slice-of-life romance. And to be totally honest, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing per se, so I’ve decided to change the perspective of my review and try to give it another chance.

So, Just Because aims to be a simplistic, personal addition to the romance genre.
There surely are wholesome, intimate and realistically portrayed romances as well as absolute entertaining train wrecks out there.
The thing is…

Just Because fails at being either of them.
And I really do mean it.
It is an original anime, thus giving it the advantage of establishing a dedicated story at its own pace. Theoretically, that should been the case.
What it manages to be is just… mediocrity. With a story that bland, characters being so forgettable and the visuals so flat, I fail to see the why Just Because should stand out from the rest.

Alright, well, it does stand out. Just not in a positive way.
I shall explain in greater detail.
The bare plot is about the protagonist returning to his home town to finish high school while reconnecting with his old friends, while focusing on their relationships and their future.
The story is executed in such an unimaginably lethargic and shallow way while having all the typical clichés that someone would expect from a show of this genre.
It doesn't add anything new to it and is predictable to the fact that I already know what will happen after the first episode.
The pacing, however, is the main weak point of Just Because. The first half is busy with introducing our “main” characters, while not really establishing them or their motives behind anything, really.
The rest is spent with attempted drama and development, none of which are necessary nor bring the plot forward and ultimately, it just becomes more boring as the show drags on and on.

And thus, being boring doesn’t necessarily equate being realistic or good in any kind of way.

Further adding to the misery are the characters, which are the vital point of a romance.
Unfortunately, Just Because manages to divest my interest in them fairly quickly.
Obviously, the show aims for a more realistic tone, and I don’t expect crackheads or blonde exchange-students to suddenly appear but I can’t comprehend how bland these are.
With Eita Izumi supposedly being your typical high schooler, I cannot even remember what his background is.
He doesn't show any emotions through the whole ordeal and could easily be replaced by any generic anime protagonist.
His friend, with whom he regularly plays baseball is just as unmemorable and cardboard-like. His love interest is a girl who plays the trumpet. And yes, this is genuinely the only thing I can say about her.

The main romantic interest herself is not really interested in the protagonist until the plot says so otherwise, the consequences are to be expected: they have little to no chemistry at all and seem very distant to the point where it feels like they don't know each other at all. Funnily enough, this makes them perfectly fit as a couple as they both never show their emotions, never do something to bring them any closer and, literally, just feel dead inside.
They all have something in common though, they all lack interesting or unusual character traits which would distinguish them, making them very shallow and leaving them without any real character development.
There is no real focus on fleshing out the characters so I can’t actually relate to them.
As they are right now, I can't be bothered to care about any of them.
The only character that is memorable in some way is the leader of the photo club, being energetic and somewhat likable (in comparison to the main cast) but except that, she doesn’t have much going for her.
Truth to be told, no one can save Just Because from sinking into deep, ice-cold water.
The visuals are alright, but nothing outstanding. Character art is downright ugly and animation is mediocre at best.
Good visuals set the tone and mood of the show but this here does absolutely nothing.
The soundtrack just follows up. The opening (over and over from yanaginagi) is fine, but the ending is already forgotten the moment it ends.

Final thoughts Well, what should I say? Having such a slow story progression stuffed in 12 episodes doesn't end well. It's lifeless, dull, and frankly, bad. The protagonists are characterless and legitimately uninteresting and their only purpose is to already add to the misery that this show is. Even considering the direction of this show, Just Because is so disappointing with so many obvious flaws including the outstanding sub-parness of everything that nothing ever gets together. It’s boring, unrealistic and annoying to the point where it annoys me.

And again, being boring doesn’t necessarily equate being realistic or good in any kind of way.