Review of Tsukigakirei
SUMMARY This is a wonderful show. It's wholesome, sweet, romantic, realistic, and overall a kind of surprising show coming from the anime industry today. There's no fanservice, no characters that are little more than tropes or cliches, and no formulaic plot. It avoids all of those pitfalls of anime and manages to combine great elements of drama, romance, and slice-of-life and packages them into a very rewarding 12 episode length show. DETAILS Story - 10 This is the selling point of this show. It's a romance about two middle school students in Japan. It's their first relationship for the both of them. Theyare young and inexperienced; they are maybe a bit naive and embarrassed with the whole situation, but they also learn to really care about each other and are willing to work through the difficulties of being in a relationship. I found it to be surprisingly relatable despite the characters' very young age. It's a show you can probably learn something from. And I like that it's a good-natured, wholesome show, and that it's not cynical. It succeeds in its realism. If you think about the fact that the characters are basically plain and realistic people and that the setting is as mundane as possible, then you can really appreciate how the writing and directing for this show are so phenomenal.
Art - 8
This show won't wow you with its art or animation, but it doesn't need to and it's not trying to. It looks slightly low-budget for anime in 2017. There's nothing unappealing about the art, and I think the characters do look cute. Actually, I think the show hits a sweet-spot and uses its resources well. The somewhat plain presentation is appropriate for the nature of the show. It complements the characters and the setting well. This is why I score this category as high as 8. But you also can't really give a 9 or 10 to a show that looks like this, no matter how appropriate the visuals might be. Don't let the art or animation stop you from watching this show. It does exactly what it needs to do to present the story.
Sound - 8
Basically the same level of quality as the art and animation. The character voice acting is good and, again, exactly what it needs to be for this show. It's not going to wow you or anything, so it's not like it can earn a 9 or 10. But it's probably the perfect level of performance for this show. I thought that the acting for the female lead was particularly good in the last few episodes during the more dramatic moments.
Character - 10
Same as the story category. The characters are so great because of the writing and directing. Each of the male and female leads are likable and you want their relationship to succeed. Other side characters involved in love-triangles are also well realized. The heartbreak some of the characters eventually feel has weight due to the character development and the depiction of the relationships. The things the characters try in order to either win someone over or to protect their relationship all feel like things kids might do or try.
Enjoyment - 9
Obviously, kind of subjective. The reason I don't give it a 10 is because the first episode was kind of slow, and I honestly thought about dropping the show at first. But I decided to give a few more episodes a shot, and I'm glad I did. Once the ball gets rolling and the relationship between the lead starts, the show really settles in. So overall the show is a slow-starter, but becomes engaging and earns your attention later on. The show will take you on a roller coaster of emotions, along the ups and downs with the characters. If that's not what you're looking for out of drama and romance, then I don't know what to tell you.
Overall - 10
Everything about this show from the writing, characters, art, animation, sound, etc., seems to come together perfectly in the presentation of the story. In that sense, it's harmonious, and in that sense I can't find very many faults with the show. It did exactly what it needed to do in order to be a wholesome, good-natured, and realistic romance between very young people. If that's the kind of show you're hoping to find, then what are you waiting for? Watch this show.