A background for those who've read this from the front page:

I like this series, but there's no surprise that I was pretty skeptical going INTO this special.

I was also very doubtful that this trend of "Adapting things the anime had skipped" and that could be quite an annoyance, and a very cheesy and greedy way to nickel and dime fans of the franchise you promote.

Nevertheless, i'm still tuning into it because of Shaft, the studio that created all the greats like Madoka Magica and Monogatari.

Animation:

As expected, Shaft taking over Bibury has lead to some of the CLEANEST animation i've seen in this show, along with that, EVERYTHING in this special looks immaculate

Absolutely my favorite part in this special, as it enhances the comedy WAY more than it needs to be, and then some, along with a lot of the Monogatari vibes in terms of camera angles and cinematography (because, this special is directed by Yukihiro Miyamoto afterall.)

It’s truly a visual treat.

If only they animated the entire show.....

I could only wish.

Characters:

Same baloney, different bread, all of the characters are still the same development-wise:

Futaro: Still the best character in my opinion, as he actually is a very charismatic person, with still tons of charm in his character, and his relationship with his family and the Nakano Quintuplets are pretty well made.

Nino: Actually, I kinda like her character now, she's still the same Tsundere as she is, BUT her characterization is improved here, although quite short.

Miku and Ichika: Along with Nino, They're the characters with the most screen time, and they're still the best developed Nakanos in this entire series, and my 2nd favorite

Yotsuba: nothing actually happens with her?

It still has the problem of Miku, Ichika, and Nino being the core focus though, as i didn't care much for Yotsuba AT ALL in this special.

Story:

Some improvements here and there, since it’s “sort-of” a prequel to the movie (from what i’ve heard)

One notable complaint i have though is THE PACING.

The 2 episodes felt like it goes on for 10 minutes rather than 48, and everything just happens SO FAST in this special for some reason, i understand this is probably due to how little canon material they missed.

Overall thoughts

If you like the series itself, and you want to ~~see the final time~~ you miss seeing them in anime form, you can watch this if you want to, although it's not inherently necessary.