Review of ReLIFE

Have you ever wanted to turn back the clock and redo life differently? Relife takes this concept and applies it to Arata Kaizaki, the second subject for the illusive Relife organization to conduct their social experiments on. It doesn't foray into the science fiction elements, instead it teaches adult life lessons through the thunderstorm that we call our adolescence. These messages are often conveyed through humorous, melodramatic and heartwarming scenarios. Arata is the glue that holds everything together. He begins as a honest but unmotivated part time convenience store clerk. From the outset we can see that he is unsatisfied, having to lied to his friendsand family about his current successes. It's his growth as he comes to terms with past issues and relearns how to build healthy connections with those around him that makes him great. His inner narration constantly reminds us that he is a cynical adult, while his actions show his heart is in the right place.

There is little focus on the science aspects, you take a pill and it makes you look ten years younger without any serious repercussions, and then you are to be monitored at a school for one year with the opportunity to have a fulltime job after completion. It does occasionally have elements that show the possible dilemmas of the experiment, like the comedy driven situation were Arata was being tested to remain non intimate with the temptation of a schoolgirls crush or a saddening glimpse into the first subject which resulted in failure.

From the second episode the story progresses in a typical anime high school comedy, romance drama fashion. He quickly makes friends with the aloof and lonely Chizuru, the hot headed Rena and the overachieving but romantically dense Ooga to name a few. The characters are really what drive the plot and the way they interact with one another with their constant misunderstandings and glib is reminiscent to the feel of Gekkan Shojuo. In the final third a typical melodramatic volleyball dispute that dragged on for too long but the way from which Arata relates to it and grows from it was both memorable and emotional. It was also nice to see how far Chizuru had come.

The art is colorful and simple. Character designs were clean but felt a bit outdated, giving an initial impression of budget constrains. There were a few small details that were suiting, like how Chizuru's design had one twin tail behind her neck and one in front giving her an awkward but cute appearance, which matched her comically awkward forced smile.

Backgrounds never really stood out. The direction retained this low production feeling by having clunky Windows Movie Maker like transitioning effects. Animation fared better but also too having no noteworthy moments. The OST utilized plenty of piano which melded into the background nicely. There was also multiple ending themes that matched the tone of each episode which was a nice touch.

Is Relife is a playful tale of redemption? Is it a unique take on the typical romance comedy? Its both, as the ideas mirror of one an other. It might not be the prettiest, or most well directed and at times situations can feel down right cliche. However, there were moments that had me laughing, empathizing and cheering on the characters as they grew, failed and fumbled.