Review of ReLIFE

With two decades of tomfoolery under my belt, I will tell you that the older you get, the more decisions you'll have to make, with increasing consequences for whatever your decision may be. Many times, you just want to hit rewind and have a redo for multiple situations. And even knowing that will never happen, you will still find yourself dreaming about taking a different path and end up playing out the scenario in your head. (I'm sure everyone has done this, regardless of age, but it just becomes more agitating when you screw up on something major). ReLIFE is basically this exact concept andsoo much more.

Think of any slice of life or romcom anime. It is a fact that the mc in a majority of these anime are absolute idiots. They are either dumb and dense, or super intelligent and dense. The plus side to having an mc like this is purely for plot depth. Seriously, try writing a small scene with the mc talking to a girl and being able to pick up on all the subtle body language and sentence phrasing. Then have the mc plan his next dialogue based on everything he's gathered from the girl. It's extremely hard because it involves thinking from so many angles. Whereas, if the mc lets everything fly over his head, there's intrigue that can be played on and a lot of comedy that can be explored.

Kaizaki Arata is the lead character in ReLIFE; he is a jobless 27 year old that gets a chance to redo his third year in high school (Japanese equivalent of senior year if I'm not mistaken). There's a reason why it's 10 years ago, but explaining is somewhat spoiler territory. Instead let me say how good Kaizaki is socially. First and foremost, he's an absolute nightmare academically, but he's got ten extra years of social skills on his classmates. Therefore, he picks up on the mood of a place and the nature of other characters way quicker than anyone else. With that ability, he aims to better the lives of his classmates via helping solve some of the problems that the characters are going through. His charm comes from the fact that he is able to see things that an average high school guy completely overlooks. What's more is that Kaizaki falls for the one girl that is the complete opposite of who he is.

Another quality trait of ReLIFE is how down to earth the plot is. If you ignore the sci-fi of an anti-aging pill, the entire plot can actually happen in real life. Too many anime play on the "my parents died and I'm trying to cope with it" just to have a tear jerk moment at the end. Honestly, it's pitiful and embarrassing to watch. I may be the only one in this boat, but it's such a letdown when an otherwise good anime throws nonsense like that into the plot. By the way, the only anime that plays the "I have a sad life" to a sufficiently hilarious and moving extent is Angel Beats only because all the characters are dead starting in episode one (no, that wasn't a spoiler). In ReLIFE, all the characters are very likable and have a unique trait that sets them apart. Granted they are all the stereotypical high school attitudes, it's still refreshing to see it cast in a new light. When Kaizaki attempts to help his classmates, he isn't helping them cope with loss; instead, it's the more realistic feelings of jealousy, hate, love, and anger. Such simple emotions are dealt with such precision that it isn't dry or boring. It leaves a sense of satisfaction after watching him solve a problem. Along with the realistic plot, the comedy of ReLIFE is not flamboyant but rather subtle and witty, being placed at calculated times. In fact, a lot of the more memorable jokes tend to play on the dramatic irony of the audience knowing the true age of Kaizaki. I won't ruin the jokes, but suffice to say that it won't have you bursting in laughter, but it will leave you with a wide grin and a few chuckles. Normally, this isn't what you want with comedy, but there are SO MANY tiny details that cause you to smile that it has the same effect as boisterous laughter. This may also just be me; I may have a slight immunity to burst out into laughter from watching a lot of stand up comedy.

The art of ReLIFE is nothing special.... which is exactly why it's sooo good. Throughout the entire show, there is a mood of maturity. This in itself is contradictory to the fact that the show takes place in a high school. With this sense of maturity, the straightforward artistic style creates an added depth of a little more sophistication. If you've watched Shigatsu wa Kimi no Uso, you'll get what I mean because the art is very similar.

The music of ReLIFE is probably the only gripe I have with the show. I won't say that I'm an expert in music, but I will say that I trust my ear for music more than others. This show has a very clear vision of the type of impression it wants to leave in the viewer, and I fully understand the reason for why the background score is the way it is. I just don't think, it was executed well. There is a heavy piano overlay for suspenseful scenes, which is totally understandable, but that same arpeggiation is used in comic relief as well as for the general plot. I may be overthinking it, but if and when you end up watching it, you'll get what I mean.

Overall, ReLIFE is an excellent anime that I highly recommend. The dumb and sensible character that is Kaizaki Arata is not only relatable but very lovable. Please leave comments below on what you thought of the show if you've already watched it. I'd love to hear your views.

BTW: If you're interested in a show with an mc that is super intelligent and sensible, I recommend Oregairu. It's also a high school romcom, but way deep and well thought out!