Review of Days with My Stepsister

I will dare to say it: Days with My Stepsister is an important anime. I'm not saying it is the new FMA: Brotherhood and it won't be a sales powerhouse, but it is a grounded and honest examination of the often fetishized step-sibling relationship in anime. Despite some production quality blips and some rushed but important character interactions in the last two episodes, Days with My Stepsister comes to a mature and satisfying conclusion in relation to the complex psychological problems of gaining a step-sibling later in life. If you are looking for another incest-bait anime, this show will likely not satisfy that itch (though itmay, who knows). However, I do think that this show is worth watching as a sobering palette cleanser from all that Domestic Girlfriend (aka peak), Oreimo, and 変態 I know you read and watch.

Pros:
(1) The climax of episode 12 was remarkable.
(2) Relaxing and slow-paced. Contemplative atmosphere.
(3) Really interesting cuts between past memories and contemplations of characters
(4) Great use of lighting.
(5) Psychologically interesting, even if I wish the characters themselves were a bit more dynamic.
(6) Beautiful, somber soundtrack

Cons:
(1) Characters movement can be noticeably awkward, most notably by how slowly the characters move.
(2) Character faces can be noticeably inconsistent.
(3) As already mentioned, the last two episodes contain some rushed characters but important character interactions that I wished were introduced earlier in the show.