Orange

Orange.

An anime about time travelling letters, romance, great art and friendship. It tells the tale of two socially [redacted] individuals, Naho and Cuck, and how their relationship develops and saves the mentally unstable boy. Along with 4 of their friends, they work together to ensure Kakeru doesn't kill himself yet again.

The story starts off with Naho being late for class, after reading a letter supposedly from the future. "Don't invite brunette out after school today" It said. Naho, despite that, doesn't stop any of her friends from inviting him out, albeit understandably. Firstly, she had no idea if the letter was reliable or just some prank. Secondly, it would be one hell of an awkward situation if she were to be against welcoming the new kid into their town.

Off they go choosing bread and Kakeru's mother ends up dying because like her son, she is mentally unstable and killed herself. This is essentially the basis for everything that happens in the anime. Let's finally get started on the review.

The art was the first thing I noticed. It was crisp, nostalgic and fluid. Easy on the eyes and calming, it was one of the better animations I've seen. Each picture sets a fitting atmosphere, although the atmosphere itself could be enhanced with more activity from the public, instead of the scene showing only Naho and Kakeru for the entire duration.

The music was alright, it wasn't memorable but it was very fitting. I appreciate the opening sequence for giving me goosebumps with how... nostalgic it feels. It's as if I were travelling back to the countryside to my home, with my childhood memories waiting for me.

One thing Orange does right is the brilliant characters. Brilliant side characters. Suwa, Shinpachi, Azula and tall brunette girl were the best wing men you could ask for, and the most reliable friends. They constantly wash down my rage with their smart decisions and quick saves, like Naho vs Short hair senior girl, ending with Naho running away and Suwa stopping her. Azu was really a bubbly character, often turning the gloomy atmosphere into a warm one. Tall brunette girl....just keep doing whatever you're doing.

Plotwise, this anime is like Shiina Mashiro. Smart, artistic and absolutely destroys tests with perfect grades, but doesn't realise you can't run your finger against the blade of a knife. I love how they barely explained how the letters went back in time- that wasn't the point of the anime and I'm glad they didn't throw in some Deus ex machina. However, the constant [redacted] of Naho and Kakeru's uncontrollable rage- hitting her, ignoring her all while claiming "hurrr i just didnt wanna git close to you innit?"- worsened the experience of what could be a great anime.

One thing that majorly irritates me is how all the future characters INCLUDING suwa ship Naho with Cuck despite Naho ALREADY MARRIED TO SUWA. What is this foul smelling shit? It doesn't make sense at all. Despite Naho saying "I'll choose you even if Kakeru were alive", it doesn't help that she EXPLICITLY states in the letter that she regrets not confessing and dating Kakeru.

Despite the cockamamie plot (In the last quarter of the anime, the first 3 quarters are actually fine) Kakeru's "ticking time bomb-esque behavior" and "easily angered" behavior seemed over exaggerated. I don't get what Naho sees in him. I felt that the writing doesn't justify his anger most of the time, especially during the shrine visit. The anime went downhill after episode 9 and that is extremely unfortunate, because aiming to let the viewers leave with a sweet taste should be a goal amongst all content creators.

In conclusion, Orange is a slightly heavy slice of life/romcom, but it is definitely worth the watch if you're a sucker for such things. I never regretted watching this anime once; It was a good experience and heartwarming watch. I'm sure we all wished for friends we don't come close to deserving, like Suwa, Hagita, Azusa and Takako.