Review of Tsukigakirei

Tsuki ga Kirei, as of the date of its finishing episode, seems very much to be a sleeper hit. Now, I don't watch a lot of romance shows but I decided at the start of the season 'hey this looks cute, I'm sure this'll be a good way to pass time' and then, lo and behold, it became what will probably be my favourite show of the year, possible even my favourite show ever. The story has a simple premise, first love high school romance but it's all in the execution. The story is focused on the characters, as a romance should, and talking abouta character driven tale without actually mentioning the characters, sound or animation would be nigh impossible. The story, as stated, is simple but relatable and the way it presents itself seems very refreshing especially with the two main characters hooking up before the end of the series which isn't all too common in romance series.

The art/animation is probably the worst part of the series but it's in no way bad. The backgrounds are very detailed and the animation is at its best when there are two characters, typically the main ones, talking. It has a look to it that makes it seem like it was made with the thought of it looking like a movie which did, at least to me, wonders in ways of production. The worst part of the animation would be the CG background characters in many scenes. They don't look outlandishly bad and there's never any focus on them so don't worry about this too much. The general animation, with the exception of the above mentioned, is what you should expect from a TV anime.

The character designs are very simple yet they remain distinct from each other. They're very realistic and they don't break the immersion of the story. The characters, as per usual, change clothes as the seasons continue and they all go together well. There's also the occasional hairstyle change.

There's a decent amount of characters in general but the main focuses here will be Azumi and Akane, our protagonists. Let's start with Azumi. Azumi comes across, especially at the beginning, as a very awkward kid among his peers who's often very passive at the way people act towards him and gets embarrassed easily. Among his friend group though, he is a bit more open and often yells (softly) at them when they tease him and give him grief over something. He also has his fair share of quirks, interests and friends outside of Akane. Firstly, he has two friends both of whom he is seen interacting with and talking to at various points throughout the series, both with distinct personalities and designs that make the world feel that much more real. A quirk that's often made a point of showing up his when he shadow boxes with the chord to his bedroom lights, which joins with the roughhousing of his friends. He has a deep interest in literature and seems to love the works of Dazai Osamu, a famous Japanese author, often quoting him during separate parts of the series. His family is also present throughout the show, giving him grief over his studies and future alongside encouraging him at several points in the show.
Akane, our other protagonist, is very much similar at the start of the series as she is shown to be rather awkward, although a bit more loudly spoken than Azumi, and she's easily embarrassed. Among her peers she's shown to be very open with her emotions, especially more so as the series progresses, and she seems to have a bigger friend group than Azumi. Her friend group consists mainly of girls, with one male who serves as a minor block in the road for her and Azumi's relationship alongside one female within her friend group that serves the same purpose. At school she's shown to have above average grades and she's the ace of the track team. One of her quirks includes using a beanbag creature to relieve her stress. Her family life consists of her parents and a sister, all of whom serve as a driving force and give another layer to her character as she interacts differently with her parents compared to her sister compared to her friends and so on.
I mentioned a male and female road in the block that are within Akane's friend group and I think that they deserve notable mention for the purpose they serve. Despite largely seeming to exist for a specific purpose they're given enough personality and interactions outside of the specific purpose to make them seem more integrated into the world and more as if they could actually exist. A lot of people don't seem to like them for how they end up going about things but I think otherwise and I think it's important to note that they're just kids that do what they do to give themselves peace of mind and are great characters in their own right.

The sound is one of the things that makes the series. It's not that the soundtrack is particularly amazing or memorable, though it is very nice, but it's in the use of sound. There are many times in which there is no sound, just visuals with the main purpose to make you stressed or to make you worried. There are moments when the music is playing then stops or the opposite happens and it's all used very effectively to play with how you feel at that moment.

Tsuki ga Kirei, at its core, is a heart warming (and sometimes heartbreaking) coming of age romance story with realism highly valued and characters used fully to the advantage of the plot.