Review of Sagrada Reset

Real Score:8/10 What's the favourite word that everyone that calls himself elitist uses?A word that describes his superior taste and that we've been enjoying anime in a wrong way, just because it's not his way of enjoying it? Underrated, many use this word in arguments when talking about anime with friends or with people, this word is enough to win any arguments and elevate someone's taste; however this has a really interesting meaning and if some people didn't stop at :"This show is underrated, go back to your popular stuff", it could have more importance and meaning. Sakurada Reset, adaption of the Novel written by KounoYutaka by David Productions, the most fabulous and stylish studio of them all, is Underappreciated for a particular reason, it utilizes a very specific technique that uses foreshadowing and slowly building up a climax through stories, character development and very small details:This technique can throw off some people and the slow pace at first mixed with the very long speeches can make people drop this Anime, for obvious and justifiable reasons, i'm here today not only to give my thoughts on it, but also to explain what to expect and how to watch this show, because if you narrow it down, it has one of the most well written stories and some of the most intriguing characters this year.

Story 8
The story is borderline simple, a boy, Asai Kei, and a girl, Haruki Misora, teaming up and solving problems for the small city of Sakurada, but it goes really deep. The presentation is slow but is essential for the character arc of Both our main leads and Souma Sumire, their closest friend, and introduces a concept that will be very important later: Every detail or form is explained through metaphor, folklore stories and very detailed explanations, but it is never fully seen, ultimately is the viewer's role to figure things out by himself, and this particular technique of writing is very bold and full of risks, but the author handles it correctly and expands on it
The pacing is nothing great, basic and with too obvious moments of "filler", even though every episode is important for the characters and the story
The speeches and very long lines of dialogue have a bit of that Monogatari Vibe, but they're not as good as those, and this is not a problem, because the dialogue in Sakurada Reset gives personality, gives a very smooth flow to the narrative and takes on vary interesting and amusing themes: like whether their powers are right or wrong, political and social themes and even an intriguing take on life
The foreshadowing and attention to detail is excellent, everything is important in this show and every slight hint concludes in an incredibile and amazing payoff
All of this combining in a climax devoid of action, but full of satisfaction, character accomplishments and a final showdown of ideals, life viewpoints, in order to really understand who's right, who'rs wrong or if this dispute was really necessary to begin with, and a finale that we, the viewers, have to fully decifrate
Too bad there are no JoJo's references, i'm disappointed, silly David Productions

Characters 8.25
This is hands down the best part in the show, even though not all of them are important, they all return for the climax, and each of them are a stepping stone, a way for our main characters to evolve and grow
The growth of our main leads is outstanding, their development feels real, their chemistry is cute and adorable and, most importantly, they grow with age
Asai Kei is intelligent, cunning and a bit cold, but during the story he learns what having powers really means, what life really means and the ultimate reason he was chosen to be a part of Sakurada, he's a really good lead and some of his ideals and dialogue are what makes us really think( remember this)
Haruki Misora is the most developed amongst all, she starts off cold, emotionless( but she has a fantastic reason for it) and Meow, but she grows as a person, she has some of the best interactions and banter in the show, she is the best example of an emotionless character done right and her relationship with Kei works so well that i actually felt good while watching them
But the symbol, the essence of the show is Souma Sumire, she is the very representation of the show's soul, she is a deep and complex character her character arc is the most beautiful one and central in the entire story, her entirety is amazing and the most well done in the entire runtime, she truly is a Muse that sings a melanchonic yet happy song, a depressing yet real song, an amusing yet bland song, like life itself, like Souma itself, like the show itself

Sound 7.5
I have to praise Yui Makino, WEAVER and THE ORAL CIGARETTES, they did an amazing job with the endings and opening for the anime, they fit the tone really well, they're catchy, the visuals are really astonishing and are essential to the show, i couldn't imagine them without Sakurada Reset
The problem lies in the soundtrack in the actual show, it's forgettable and, if not for a couple of moments, i wouldn't remember a motive or some notes
They do not fit particular scenes quite well and never have that emotional impact needed
Only in some scenes the sound directing really shines, and they do a really fine job, i only wish they could have done this in the other scenes too

Animation and Direction 7.5
The direction is handled really well, with really wide cuts and camera angles, and, speaking of the camera, it is always placed in the perfect position for every scene, creating a frame that acts as an integrant part of the whole narration, every single cut or camera spin has some meaning behind it
In the very few action scenes it focuses on showing the vital points of every character and where they may go next, not where they're going at the moment, very unique method
The animation is really well polished, some frames look incredibly well drawn and everything look fluid, the problem stands in the overall look and animation, it's kinda generic and bland at times, i get that sometimes this is the feeling the author wanted to give, but this is a problem that persists throughout.The character models are the most problematic, only one character stands out for her design, but the rest are very generic with very little to offer
Quick note for the characters' eyesm they are really pretty and have a lot of emotion inside them

Enjoyment 8.25
Some may think that i enjoy slow-paced shows that explain everything and that have really complex plots, and they could call me close-minded for this, but when wanting a good show with good writing and good characters is a sign of ignorance and of a "close mind"? If this means being close-minded then yes, i am. I really liked the study of the characters, each with their specific role in the narration and in the growth of the main leads, i appreciated the bold narrative moves of the author and how he told this story. The excellent foreshadowing was the icing on the cake, it's handled so correctly that it became a pleasure to see and actually rewarded the people who paid attention to what was going on
I loved how this actually challenged me, this anime wanted me to think and to deeply analize the characters and their dialogue, because no one is really wrong or right, and the line that separates them is very blur and subtle

This was Sakurada Reset, the Anime that i personally think is the best of Spring 2017 along with SNK II, Tsuki ga Kirei and Sakura Quest
It went down the radar because of his unique and very risky approach, i hope that you found this review helpful and that you understood why i like this anime, because only in facing different opinions and points of view someone can really grow as a person and understand something completely, facing his own opinions and evolving them thanks to different point of views; just like the message of the show, and i hope you will take this show and revaluate it, if you've seen it, or watch from the start to fully appreciate it, if you didn't
Thanks for reading this review, May Our Sweet and Merciful Madoka be with you and, through the touch of our angel, Souma Sumire, you will know the splendid future that awaits you in the arms of our Lady, or, if you don't accept the gift, we'll just RESET everything