This review contains spoilers.
Note: When I watched this, I had quite a low expectation since I heard that they totally rushed the development. So I'd like to think that I looked at this anime with a somewhat better and more hopeful light that went above my initial expectations.
- Character art design is my type.
- Outro visuals are so nice. Especially the character visuals for the third outro end credits.
Shinako never looked at people properly and only reflected upon herself and how pitiful she is. Uozumi on the other hand, was looking at Shinako as if he had to convince himself that she was the right answer because he liked her since college. In the end, neither found comfort in one another. Nothing really changed, no one was really moving forward.
Haru and Rou was not given much of a personality besides being side pieces who are constantly waiting and accomodating for Shinako and Uozumi. The anime failed to explore the relationship of Haru and Uozumi which made the ending feel out of place, as if it is something I had to rationalise myself.
In the anime, the face of Shinako's past 'lover' was never revealed, as if she was looking back at the past and towards the future half-heartedly. Her relationship with those around her also reveals this. She's wishy-washy and unconfident. Clinging to the past and the presence of Uozumi and Rou without proper conviction (I'm glad she somewhat acknowledged this in ep 7). However, as I continued to watch (towards ep 9-10 esp.), I realised that although Shinako somewhat understand what she's doing, she feels some remorse but gives little fucks. Everyone accommodates Shinako, but she gives half-assed efforts in return.
No good. This is why she's frustrating as fuck. Selfish and luke-warm who pretends to give a shit about others. In reality however, she just doesn't want to lose anybody. This is why she makes half-assed commitments. Or arguably, no commitments at all. She simply holds on to everyone desperately because she is directionless and makes no effort to move. I have grown to dislike her. Not because she can't let go of her past, but because she holds everybody back and uses her past as an excuse to do so.
Shinako didn't really develop in character. She made realisations but never truly acted on them nor faced them head on. Instead, she relies on the kindness of others, until the very end.
This anime focuses heavily on love with everything else serving as a device to further develop this plot point. I'm not going to say that this is an accurate portrayal of life. Maybe not even an accurate portrayal of love. But who's to say what is and what isn't love? And how do we measure its depth? All I know is that love is everything and nothing; and can fall somewhere in between. It can develop out of the smallest of things and can blossom from sheer curiosity like Haru, or from the constant attention we gain from another like Uozumi, or the desire to be noticed like Rou, or even blossom from sheer force as what Shinako experienced.
What is love? I appreciate that the characters contemplate about these things. About their motives and excuses. Whether their love was simply an illusion romanticised by time passing by, or one that simply developed as time moved forward, in the corner of our eyes, amidst the shadows, blossoming before we even realise it.
In the final episode, Uozumi contemplates about many things which all seem to be varying levels of honesty and truthfulness. Is he going to Haru simply because he liked her attention? Simply because he wanted anyone's attention? Was it because he was dumped? Was he searching for somebody, anybody who he can move towards to? I don't know.
Uozumi choosing Haru in the end seems a little quick, almost like it shouldn't have happened. At least not in this way. Not when there was little development in their chemistry all throughout the anime. Not when he acted as if she was somewhat burdensome, yet someone he can't leave alone. It almost didn't seem to fit together. But in the end, sometimes love cannot be rationalised. Sometimes our feelings are full of excuses and holes that it simply doesn't make sense. But other times, it simply exists, without being right or wrong. Is that selfish? Probably.
This anime explored this question, but doesn't seem to come to a solid conclusion. Uozumi and Shinako somewhat had made a realisation on what love isn't, but I don't think anyone has truly understood or conveyed what it really means to love. I guess that's how the final quote fits in.
At this point, it seems like the questions of love, life, and adulthood are explored in a half-assed open manner, and they simply gave up on trying to comprehend it. What does it mean to grow up? I don't know. What does it mean to love? I don't know. But regardless, we grow and we live anyways, without having a full grasp of either.
Can I say that adulthood is like that? Yes, sometimes. Maybe even for the most parts. But I sure wished they gave me more than what I already know.
Sing 'Yesterday' for me covers many of the wrong ways that life and love can go wrong, but simply falls short on trying to find any right path to growth.
Overall, I can say that I enjoyed watching it. But it suffers from poor pacing and poor execution which resulted to an ending that needed independent rationalisation.
PLOT (6.5), PACING (6), ENJOYMENT (8), PERSONAL IMPACT (7), ENDING (6)
A final rating of a 70 when added all the elements together, but honestly, that's probably being generous. I'll be reading the manga.