Review of ReLIFE
Anyone else in their 20s and having difficulty relating to high school anime? Well don't worry because ReLIFE has found a way to appeal to audiences of ages 15-30.Our protagonist, Kaizaki Arata, is a washed up and jobless 27 year old man who accepts ReLIFE's proposal to become a high schooler again in exchange for paid living expenses and a job upon the experiment's completion in one year. Who wouldn't jump at the chance to repeat high school again by swallowing a magic pill handed to you by a complete stranger? Frankly, the plot of this series is rather unoriginal and definitely overused by othermovies and dramas. BUT, even a simple story can be great if it's executed well and that's definitely the case with this series.
Characters are in many ways the most important aspect to story telling and ReLIFE does an excellent job at delivering the motivations and personalities behind its characters. What the show lacks in originality, it makes up for in characters, who are in many ways its defining feature. Nearly every story arc (2-3 episodes) applies focus to only one or two characters. As a result, the series effectively provides backstory to individual members of the cast and gradually builds their relationships over the course of the series. Overall, I found most of the characters relatable from the standpoint of a someone living a very normal life. This is partly due to the show's excellent portrayal of everyday issues and a fantastic performance from the voice actors/actresses.
Personally, I think it's important to go into this series understanding that there is a slice of life tag. In other words, ReLIFE is NOT entirely focused on romance. There are other themes explored in its 13 episodes, such as ambition, confidence, and of course friendship. Other reviews have given this show slightly lower marks mainly due to its rather slow pacing and lack of romance between episodes 7-10. While I can agree that the show might have benefitted from devoting more time to its lead couple, it's only a personal preference and I don't think it's appropriate to fault the studio for including episodes that address other equally important themes. In fact, those episodes add depth to the characters and a measure of realism because normal lives are not only filled with instances of intimacy and romance.
Finally, we arrive at the anime's greatest fault which is unfortunately its predictability. From episode one, I could tell that even though there was some great writing and surprising sequences, I got the vibe that every scenario was going to be wrapped up nicely and neatly. Admittedly, it was difficult to actually feel sad for any of the characters even when they were struggling because I just knew that things were going to be resolved for them. The bright atmosphere of the show and the optimism of its characters just doesn't allow for prolonged somberness. It's clear to me that the author enjoys happy endings so I never feared for the possibility that certain couples would not end up together. There is also a small mystery concerning the identity of one character throughout the series and when my suspect was revealed, I thought it was every obvious because it resulted in the perfect ending.
In my honest opinion, ReLIFE is a humble and satisfying addition to anime of school and slice of life genres. Romance is not as prevalent in this show as in others, but it is still substantial and interwoven neatly into sequences of realism. I'd recommend checking this anime out if you enjoy stories that are more balanced in these elements as opposed to overreaching in any single one. Tuck into this anime when you're feeling down and unmotivated because you might just find yourself smiling.