
a review by Shogise

a review by Shogise
NO SPOILERS
Have you ever taken up a project with full enthusiasm, only to quit halfway? Maybe you were very interested in drawing, but stopped after a week because it was too difficult and you lost your motivation. Maybe you wanted to become a programmer but you stopped because it's just too damn hard.
If so, you NEED to watch this anime.
Most inspirational anime just tell you to "follow your dreams" and leave it at that. This anime will show you what it REALLY takes and what you must go through.
I should warn you. This second season will hit VERY close to home. All characters in this season portray a specific negative emotion/trait that people face while working towards their dream. And if you've ever tried pursuing that big project of yours that you wanted to do, you will have faced at least ONE of these:
However, this is an anime about overcoming these problems. You'll be EXTREMELY inspired when the character that had the same problem as you overcomes it. If you want to know how the characters overcame these, read the section marked with spoilers below.
The music in this anime is quite generic and forgettable. The art kept varying from average to good. These are definitely not the anime's strong suits. What's great about the anime is the chill vibes, lighthearted comedy, and... oh boy, emotions.
SPOILERS START HERE
I hope you've watched the anime if you're reading this section. I'd hate to spoil the experience for you. But if you find that the anime made you feel something but you can't explain it, read my thoughts below and hopefully they might help you clarify your own emotions.
Aoba's Jealousy

Aoba was extremely happy to work under her idol Kou. However, no matter how hard she tried, she could never surpass her. Eventually, Aoba realizes that she's trying too hard to be Kou. She overcomes her jealousy by accepting the fact that she can never be like Kou simply because she isn't Kou. She had to develop her own style and not rely on Kou.
You can't be like other people simply because you aren't other people. Don't be jealous of them, learn from them and do things in your own unique way.
Yun's Inferiority Complex
Yun was too scared of failure. So scared that she didn't even join the character design competition because she didn't want to risk failing. Because of this, she never tried to improve her skills. Wit the help of her friends, she was forced to design the final boss of the game the team was working on. This, of course, put a lot of pressure on her as she's not used to having so much responsibility placed on her. But this was the key for her to overcome her fear of failure.
Failure is but a stepping stone towards success.
Hajime's Over-Ambition

Hajime always kept her head up. She had a great passion for games but her head was way too high in the sky, to the point where the ideas she proposed were unfeasible (and got rejected). On top of this, she was too proud to accept any help from others as she thought her ideas were genuinely better. When the time came to create a new game, the company was out of ideas. With the help of the director who ensured Hajime stayed grounded and adviced her to hear other people's ideas, she was able to finally able to bring her crazy ideas to life.
Being ambitious is good, but the path to your dreams shouldn't be a lonely one.
Hifumi's Social Anxiety
This is one I don't really relate to, but I definitely sympathize with it. Many introverts are really good at a skill because they've spent a lot of time alone working on their skill instead of socializing. Hifumi was arguably the best one on the team, and the seniormost. She was offered a higher position but she refused it because she would have to talk to people a lot in a leadership role. It was only with the help of an understanding friend that she built the confidence to take this role.
The world isn't as cutthroat as you think. Go, talk to people.
Nenechi's Lack of Purpose

This review is getting quite long, so this is the last one from my end. Nenechi was the only character in the series to not be skilled at anything. She had no goals, no purpose, nothing to look forward to. Then, on a whim, she decides to learn programming, WIthin 6 months, she was able to learn C and C++ and create her own small game. She worked hard for it, and landed a job in a game company. It may not be her passion, but she isn't one to say no to an opportunity. After all, life doesn't have an intrinsic purpose anyway, so why bother looking for one? Create your own purpose. Take every single damn opportunity you get.
Sure, you might get better or worse opportunities later, but you will NEVER get the same opportunity. Take it while you can.
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