Review of Kakushigoto

I absolutely adored this series, and I really didn't expect to at all. It sounded like a funny enough premise, but the emotion in Kakushigoto blew me away. I've seen a lot of people talk about this series being incredible because it touches on parents' secrets from their children, but the point I kept coming back to while watching this series--a point which I loved--was seeing how Goto-sensei was learning from his daughter in every episode. There were silly scenes and heartwarming scenes and bittersweet scenes where that was evident, and I found it so clever that that's how this narrative built up the relationshipbetween Goto-sensei and Hime.

Of course, there were also the general moments of interaction between the two that made Kakushigoto feel very inviting, in which Goto-sensei would do something kind for Hime or Hime would express her love for her father--those moments, too, really laid a solid foundation for the story of Kakushigoto to be revealed on top of. Though this series is primarily a comedy, I was very impressed with how the comedy served every aspect of the anime, not just the funny bits. It felt like every piece of Kakushigoto mattered because it wasn't just the story that had to feel warm and entertaining--it was the characters, too.

The story itself, mostly told in bits and pieces across the whole season, was unveiled beautifully. It was very minimalistic in its approach--it didn't ever give out a bunch of information at one time until the series neared its end, which actually heighted the experience because it felt like there were higher stakes involved the longer the series went on. I will say that the ending did feel just a touch too convenient compared to the hints that get dropped all along the way, but I still think it was carried out well because of all the solid work that was done prior to that.

Basically, Kakushigoto was an incredible experience. As I said, I didn't expect to love a series that seemed to mostly be lighthearted comedy, but it worked so well because it wasn't aimless--it had a purpose, and that beautifully crafted purpose is what makes this anime so special.