Review of Laughing Under the Clouds
SPOILER FREE! This review is going to be split into two parts: subjective and objective (or the difference between my heart and my mind). We'll start with OBJECTIVE. The art is aesthetically pleasing and the character designs are unique enough that you don't mix up anyone. It pulls off both serious and cutesy expressions very well, but that's standard for shoujo. It also showed me a male outfit that made me go "WTF" in the same way I look at the suits in Kill la Kill. The animation is mediocre at best. The fights are nice towards the end but the beginning is pretty lazily done (asound effect and a flash). I said before the interspersed serious and cutesy art is nice, but they really don't transition well animation wise. There are some parts which are jarring and completely take you out of the story.
Character wise, the three brothers and shirasu (and their relationship) were well developed, considering this is a 12 episode series. Some people might find the third brother, Chuutaro, to be a bit annoying but it doesn't detract too much overall. Everyone else is pretty one note in terms of personality. It's really just from the size of the cast and the amount of backstory that had to be crammed into this. Despite the fact that they all love to blab about their pasts, it ends up feeling like you missed out on a lot of characters.
When it comes to story, Donten suffers most from its clumsy exposition. The first episode starts off introducing the characters, the setting, and all that jazz in a pretty standard way. But then it drags on and on into the next episodes because it needs to introduce so many other characters and establish their connection to the main plot, most which is dropped on you like a brick in the form of an episode long flashback. The romance is also mediocre, considering it's between a tsundere chick and a hopelessly devoted dude, though fans of reincarnated lovers probably will like it.
Set up aside, however, the execution of the second half of the series is excellent. The action is gripping, the plot twists leave you stunned, and the pay off is emotionally satisfying (or crippling, depending on your tastes). There are a couple, not so much plot points, but character motivations, that are unresolved at the end.
With that said, SUBJECTIVELY, I adore this anime. I love all of the character designs so much. The girls are pretty and the boys are hot, and that's enough for me. None of the characters were unnecessary or unlikeable and the story put them all to good use. I loved all the plot twists even the one I saw coming because it's timed so well. Every episode left me itching to watch another one and I'm not ashamed to admit that I cried. I also love the romance as cliched as it is, and I ship two other couples. I would totally watch this again, painful exposition and all!
tl:dr Don't judge this one until you get to the end.