The first time when I started watching anime, I was noting more than a 13 year old kid. The happiness and the excitement for the unknown was something that made so many of us so attached to this medium. As years went by and we all got older, we started to forget what was it about anime that made us skip a beat in anticipation for the next episode. While everybody is different and common opinions are not always the case, there is that one show that comes once in a long time that hits way too close to home. Some may like a show, some may completely dislike it, some may see it as mediocre while others will see it as the best thing ever. For me IRODUKU: The World in Colors was one of those shows in which I went in completely blind and came out with a bittersweet smile.
If I were to describe this show in the simplest terms, it would go with something along the lines of ''teenage life, coming of age and magic mixed in for full effect''. This is not a show for everybody and the blandness of its initial episodes may drive off many people. But that's exactly it! This show doesn't try to go over the top and doesn't try to add in unnecessary drama to move the plot ahead. If you take away the magic and time traveling aspect of it, you're left with the lives of our group of friends as they try to deal with their teenage ordeals. Tough, the plot mostly orbits around our protagonist Hitomi, the show takes short breaks to give some screen time to the other characters in the group. Unfortunately, none of them get enough development. They don't feel like blank states, they are somewhat relatable but at the end of the day they all feel like missed opportunities. For what is worth, P.A. Works tried hard enough to cram as much as possible into a small screen time of only 13 episodes. The only one that really got a fairer treatment was our protagonist's grandmother, Kohaku, which felt the most human from the whole show. As much as I wanted to like and emphasize with Hitomi, for me at least, she often felt bland and uninteresting. The main love interest, Yuito, was just a few centimeters more interesting than those dense ecchi protagonists. In this department, their relationship felt like a frustrating lost cause.
Spoiler about the ending:
Spoiler, click to viewclick to hideThe ending was undoubtedly a tearjerker. Though it felt rushed. Also all this buildup for a relationship that never came to be was also a big disappointment. I expected to at least have Yuito travel to the future with Hitomi and start a new life with her there, but no... screw you, viewer.
I didn't bother to research this series in detail, but I'm amazed they managed to pull off this show without any source material. The audio was meh-ok, but nothing to remember. You usually have at least the OP or ED songs that you listen to each episode, but in IRODUKO both are skippable. The visuals are surprisingly good, though not something I would call amazing.
I don't even know if I should recommend this show or not because it highly depends on the personality of the viewer. It can either turn you off quickly or make you go to the flow, hoping to see what will happen next. For what is worth, it is an enjoyable and pretty chill watch for the weekend. I didn't expect anything when I started watching it and finished it decently satisfied.
