The debate surrounding stereotypes can be found in almost any type of media. Anime is obviously no exception in this regard. Quite the contrary actually (and this might be due to availability heuristics) I find it especially prevalent in this artform. Which brings us straight to the point of this review: The usage of stereotypes (or should I rather call them archetypes?) and their effect on this particular show.
First of all I want to focus on the animation. It's not outstanding but definitely has its shining moments. Much more visually captivating is the art though at least on certain occasions. Sure it follows the usual polished stlye that we have all come to accept. But even for that there were some truly great shots in there from the start of episode one right up to the end.
When it comes to the bit of story that is actually present I'm by far not the first one to mention the resemblance to "Roman Holiday" (just with highschool and club trips) but it's still a concept I was rather intrigued by (especially because you rarely ever see stories with European/Japanese couples). At least in the beginning that is. Unfortunately the story takes some major dips towards the end which really hurts the good build-up in the first half. Unfinished plot-points, unsatisfying pay-off and a lack of consequences make the ending seem rushed and overall unfulfilling.
Characters on the other hand were quite surprising. This may come as a surprise to many that have watched the show and also to those who have read the summary of this review but I genuinely found the characters interesting. Although they mostly consist of stereotypes they fit surprisingly well together. Contrary to other shows that rely on such "plot-devices" it somehow doesn't bother one as much when the typical suspects are introduced like the "well-spirited and energetic best-friend" (who is a genuine bro) or the "tsundere redhead" just to name a few. It also helps that our main pairing actually features two characters who may seem typical in the beginning but who actually have some sort of deeper motivation (even if they are not that original and deep). Overall I'm rather surprised how the show handled its cast. If you go into this anime with the expectation that no character ever diverges from his/her stereotype then you are in for a few little surprises.
Regarding the soundtrack there is really nothing worth mentioning although I personally enjoyed the OP. It seemed to fit the tone of the show quite nicely. The only real problem (aside from the obvious lack of deeper meaning one shouldn't even realistically expect form this type of show) was the rather heavy foreshadowing that lets you deduct personality and motivations as well as later plot-points immediately. The soundtrack aside from the OP is nothing special. Definitely not something that will stick with you for longer than half a day.
You might be wondering why I gave this show such a relatively high score. Well, I simply have to admit (as stated above) that despite the really heavy and frequent usage of overused plot-and charater-structures I had quite the fun time with the show. It's main flaw is probably caused by its short length, a problem many seasonal shows face nowadays. In the end the show is decent. Nothing life-changing, nothing cancer-inducing nothing really special but definitely something you can watch when you don't know what else to watch (Fuck the title though).
Edit: Adjusted the score majorly(lowered it) due to change of perspectives after quite some time.
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