'Tis better to have loved and lost...

Written by stevodevo on May 23, 2011 at 9:43 AM

If you're a sucker for romance then this is the anime series for you. I really wasn't expecting a whole lot especially after finding out the series is based on a video game and not the other way round. However, it turned out to be quite the gem and I thoroughly enjoyed the timewarp back to the days of highschool romance...

The series starts out light enough and although there is humour throughout it is more prominent up front. The romance and drama grows until the final episode where you finally get some resolution! Hooray for happy endings! True to life, however, not every character in the anime will get what they want and it is the thread of these relationships weaving it's way through each episode that kept me watching (and wanting more!).

Technically, the animation wasn't much to brag about. I actually found it a slight distraction in several episodes up front, however (and perhaps it was me becoming accustomed to it) it seemed to improve as the series went on. I gradually came to enjoy the OP and first ED... the 2nd ED wasn't as gripping although there were some episodes where it fit quite well.

I was pleased to discover that in spite of the fact this was a highschool 'romance' there wasn't any ecchi or inappropriate content. The characters had, well 'character' in that they were loyal and in the end, honest... that was a welcome change for me at least from some romance anime.

Overall I was very satisfied with this anime and the romance was captivating. It was not as frustrating as say 'Peach Girl' and the conflict, while there, was light and not threatening. Although I'm happy not to return to my dating days in highschool this was a poignant reminder of days gone by...

One note on the special: I watched it last and while it seems to fit into the middle of the series, it was a welcome bit of comedy after the heavy drama of the last few episodes.

Enjoy!