Review of Kokoro Connect

I really, really liked Kokoro Connect. I know there has been a fair amount of controversy surrounding this anime due to outside events and such, but that’s not what I’m giving my view on. I’m focussing on the anime itself, and the anime only. Sound: 8 The opening and ending themes are nice enough, as is the rest of the music, and the voice actors are superb. An arc like the first in Kokoro Connect is very hard to pull off, and it was acted out exceedingly well. It felt natural. Art/animation: 8 The art was cute and the animation was done in a way thatdidn’t divert focus off the other aspects of the story - no ridiculous colour palette or flashy actions scenes to be had here. The show was about the characters, not about the art or animation, and so I have no complaints. On the contrary, I ended up focussing more deeply on the other areas than I would have done otherwise.

Plot: 7
The anime wasn’t really about the plot, and it showed. Many things were glossed over or left unexplained at the end of the story, and, whilst this did add a mystery aspect, it also felt a little random. The characters obviously needed events to force their development, and these fit the bill, but there still could have been more explanation as to why certain things happened and how they were possible. One of the character’s identities could also have been explored better (without giving any spoilers away).

Characters: 10
I know a lot of people have praised the character development in this series, and for good reason; it was fantastic! Not only were all the main characters pretty well fleshed out through backstory (of course some received more attention than others but not by much), their interactions with each other were just so incredibly written. Their relationships progressed (some even into romance, which was handled decently, if a bit optimistically), as bonds were formed, and as a result they all grew mentally. Although they were reacting to a somewhat supernatural event, their reactions seemed realistic and relatable.

Each individual had their own interesting personality – made interesting because of how their personality interacted and clashed with the other personalities in the story. A particular favourite of mine was Inaba, she was probably the best executed version of her trope that I’ve ever seen and arguably progressed the most out of all the characters - It really felt like she was maturing through the series. (It actually even made me feel proud to watch her in the later episodes as she learnt to stop walling her emotions up and trust in others a little more; I was invested in her that much!) 😊 Taichi’s character, on the other hand, was the blandest of them all, but this was due to him being the foil for the other characters. There has to be one person that encourages the others to develop, and Taichi did a good job in this role.

Overall: 9
There’s just something really appealing about watching a show filled with such great characters. At times I found myself smiling, laughing, shouting at my laptop, or even on the brink of tears. I ended up clicking on the next episode as soon as I’d finished one, so much so that I completed the anime in a mere two sittings (to the detriment of other things), and I had fun doing so. That, to me, is the hallmark of a great anime, and consequently my reason for scoring it so highly.

All in all, a great choice if you're looking for a drama, shoujo or slice of life with some depth to it.