Review of Arte

Disclaimer that I have not read the manga for this. Don't know if I will, but in case the manga is much more well done, I just wanted to let you know I cannot testify to that. I think if you expect this anime to be good because of its unique setting and main character, I would tell you not to expect that. Overall, this anime is fairly generic. It's not really bad, but its also not fantastic which is why I felt like writing a review, it feels like most of the reviews already out there are very polarizing. The first few episodes areextremely heavy-handed with the sexism, and it felt like the author didn't trust the audience to get the message the first time. It was kind of awkward. But it got better, or at least, it got more subtle and natural in the ways it brought up the feminist themes and Arte's own feelings about her place in the world. Sometimes it was even too subtle.

The animation and art style is very generic. It's not bad but it's nothing special. The only way it really stands out is with the historical clothing, especially for the women's clothes. I really liked that detail, although I think even that was unable to reach its full potential. At some point we learn that Arte's knowledge of lace and jewelry has a hand in her personal touch as an artist, but it's far too late in the show and we have to just take that as "obvious" just because she is a woman.

I think some people expected the art of the show to be more captivating and creative, especially as the cities it takes place in are also gorgeous cities filled with unique and beautiful architecture and scenery. But ultimately, this show is about feminism and classism more than it is about art. I do think it could have elevated the viewing experience to have more detailed scenery but the show could also very well have spent even less time displaying the scenery and it could have still been done well. As it is, it feels like the show has an identity crisis. It wants to portray Arte's passion for art and infect the audience with it, but that's not the main purpose of the story so it ends up just being a distraction to the other more meaningful themes.

Overall, this anime is more of a light entertainment than a truly meaningful piece of commentary. But if you like your entertainment to have meaning to it as well, I don't think its a bad show to watch. It may be a bit forgettable but sometimes there is value in watching shows like that too. It may motivate me to try out the manga and see if I like it any better. Thanks for reading