Review of Sing "Yesterday" for Me
Yesterday wo Utatte has a cast of characters stuck in the past and unsure of how to move forward with their life. The protagonist is Uozomi Rikuo, a college grad tired of living and works in a convenience store. Uozomi Rikuo wins the award of the most infuriating and pathetic character I have ever watched. As of writing this review, I have watched just over 200 anime shows. *spoilers ahead* In the first episode, Uozomi confesses to his long time crush in college and is rejected. The story is set up in the first episode as a great redemption story but none of this potential isfulfilled. This would be the one time he demonstrates any sort of proactivity for the remainder of the show.
There was no moment where he takes charge and tries to be a better person. His two jobs came to him courtesy of his friend and his boss respectively. He did not achieve them on his own merit.
Typically when a character is talentless, they are at least kind to others in order to provide him/her with at least some qualities fitting of a protagonist. Uozomi is not a kind person. His treatment of Haru throughout the show is dejecting to see. Haru is a bright light that comes into his life that he ignores and drive away. There are moments where he demonstrates some empathy and realizes how much he hurts Haru, however he fails to take action to make things right. His long time college crush Shinako even tries to tell him to be more assertive in their relationship. Even when Shinako was with him, he has to be reminded by his coworker to be thankful for all the lunchboxes he has been recieving from her.
Uozomi as a character is so utterly devoid of any qualities that even the writer seems to struggle with coming up with any reason for Haru to like him. The reason we are provided is that Haru likes him because he thanked her once for picking up his student pass.
His supposed 'redemption' moment in the finale comes as he realizes he likes Haru all along. Through out the series Haru has been blatantly ignored, and treated as a nuisance for the previous 11 episodes. This romance at the end is simply abhorent writing.
Overall review: do not watch this show unless you want to watch a show with ultra-realistic characters to the point of infuriation. Uozomi Rikuo is the kind of person that will work in a gas station all his life with no ambition or motivation to improve in any form. The writer has truly succeeded in creating a pathetic character lacking of any redemption.