After the Rain is perhaps one of the most beautiful hidden gems of last year. A deviation from the battle-heavy Attack on Titan and the fantasy settings of The Ancient Magus' Bride, this latest Wit Studio offering is a subtle yet gripping take on rediscovering yourself.

Story: 100/100

This series has a strange premise: A 17-year-old high school student falls in love with a 45-year-old single father who's also her restaurant manager. But the romance is actually the tip of the iceberg. What unravels throughout the series is a journey of rediscovery. Akira has been injured and thus lost her love for running, while Masami felt inferior after his old friend became more successful than he is and decided to be a typical salaryman. These two are on a heart-gripping journey to finding their love for their crafts once again and hopefully patch things up and move on from the past.

This analysis alone makes After the Rain all the more worthy of your viewership, especially if you have been in the same boat as both Akira and Masami. This series spoke to me on a personal level. Koiame reminded me of how I became Akira that lost her love for the things that she used to love, and finding that Masami that somehow helped her to love them once again. It's such an unspeakable personal connection, and one I could never, ever forget.

Animation and art: 90/100

All those bokehs make the series cute while being mesmerizing at the same time. There were also beautiful shots and scenes from this series, especially the bedroom scene at episode 7 and the final shot at episode 12. This just proves that Wit Studio can not just do Attack on Titan, but be flexible enough to do a romantic drama as well.

Music: 100/100

The moment I heard Furui Shiori ~Shizuku no Yukue~ play on the very first episode of the series, I fell in love with everything about it. How the music was used throughout the entire series was phenomenal. The aforementioned 7th episode bedroom scene which used an instrumental version of the ending Ref:rain, arranged by Masahiro Tobinai, was such a perfect track for an emotionally-charged yet subtle scene. The rest of the tracks were beautifully arranged as well, so props to Ryo Yoshimata for composing the score.

Overall enjoyment: 100/100

As I've said earlier, this series spoke to me on a personal level. From the story to the music to the animation, it's such an underrated masterpiece. I just can't get enough of raving about this series.

Overall score: 97/100.

This is one of the best that 2018 has to offer. If you're looking for a beautifully written drama that's not A Place Further than The Universe or Violet Evergarden, this one is a good find, and perhaps Wit Studio's best work so far.