⬛Review info
- Reviewing Info: How I rate/review stuff is explained HERE
- Review layout: WP non-H
- Review type: Anime
- Note: Still testing review layouts. This line will be removed when I’m satisfied with the layout.
⬛Review (short ver):
⚡In a nutshell: Story of lonely Shogi player being mellowed and saved from dark vortex of himself.
🟢PROS
✅Absolutely superb bittersweet drama
✅Superb inner monologues around themes of loneliness and depression
✅Great heart warming drama
✅Beautiful art presentation
✅Touches some fairly great subject for drama
✅Shogi made at least dramatized and interesting to watch
🚫CONS
❌ Honestly… nerdy Shogi aspect wasn’t really my cup of tea… but at least was made fairly entertaining
❌ Man….. I somewhat wished for romance
❌ Just my personal issue.. but somewhat hoped to see more of Season 1 character darker mindset…. before him being mellowed and saved by such heartwarming and fantasy like…. environment…
⬛Review (comments/longer ver):
✦Story
To avoid any particular spoilers. In a nutshell story takes likeable approach with bittersweet drama. It presents you with locked-in character with plenty of issues that drowns itself into game of Shogi, which story revolves around. As story goes on, slowly main character past, family issues, his personal issues and drama starts to unfold giving you this unpleasant drowning feeling. Which already is something really I personally like and can relate to a fair bit.. But the way story is presented, how impactful and such is done quite well. Anyhow, that is the premise and that start of how story unfolds with the bitter part. But over time story will start giving you droplets of sweetness, how the world, environment, people around the main character essentially in unlikely fantasy like manner start helping him out of that drowning shell.
Anyhow…. story essentially juggles between such bad emotions and giving at the same time cozy feeling of warmth. Creating such very longing and fantasy like “wouldn’t that be nice” type of setting.
That was the whole setting, drama part of the storytelling. Let’s not forget the second main aspect of the story. Shogi a.k.a Japanese Chess. I personally don’t really care much about it but, story revolves around Shogi tournaments, characters, growth and such. Here only part that matters that, there is progression. There are fairly interesting characters and Shogi is dramatized and made entertaining, because Anime can do any “sport” genre entertaining.
✦Character
Well, since it’s drama story and character section go hand to hand so as mentioned before bittersweetness is this Anime main charm. We have main character who struggles with depression and solitude and has to deal with bunch of other issues whilst drowning himself into Shogi matches.
And the 2nd biggest part of main cast would be the sisters trio he meets. Essentially clumps of happiness and warmth that obviously have their own set of problems. But their encounter with main character is the spark of things to come and how the main character essentially gets “saved”.
There are a lot of other more interesting characters that play part in main characters past, growth and such. But in the end it’s slice of life drama, talking about those things would be too much of a spoiler.
Long story short. Over the course of 2 seasons, I consider the the whole character growth, past, encounters and such were pretty well done. There are plenty of moments where I felt for the main character and there were unreal amount of moments where I felt emotional for his encounters and environment where I simply thought “….man… wouldn’t that be nice” or something along the line.
But overall… felt glad for the main character and those around him. Wish for another season.
✦Art & Sound
First things first. Animated SHAFT . So artistic presentation is absolute bliss to look at. Very vivid, well delivered and emotional moments have powerful impact. Scenes are high quality and overall everything was well brought to front that mattered whilst all the backgrounds were pleasant to see as well.
As for music / soundtracks. There were lot of pretty soundtracks that were quite pleasant to listen to. Well delivered in most scenes with proper emotional impact.
So yeah, overall when it comes to Art, Animation and sound part of this Anime. It was superb. Pretty cozy style, great animation, superb delivery. Nothing to complain about. Enjoyed it a lot.
✦Enjoyment & Overall
I probably would have rated this Anime much higher if it would have hit those next 3 criteria. 1. Maybe less shogi mumbo jumbo 2. Hoped for some romance… 3. Somewhat hoped to see/hear more of season 1 earlier part MC monologues where he had darker mindset…. as it was somewhat relaxing and more relatable.
But overall.. I found it still amazing Anime, like with “honey & clover” which is made by same author. While honey & clover had that bittersweet feeling related to various romance couple dramas. This Anime had that bittersweetness mostly revolving around to inner issues, family drama and social dramas. But how Author suddenly decided to go with Shogi, is beyond me.
In the end….. if you are someone who can enjoy that bittersweet type of story telling. Someone who doesn’t mind getting edged by depression with sparkles of warmth & happiness then this is amazing Anime. Great characters, great presentation and especially great combination of emotional deliverance. Having constantly told in storybook manner some sad, dark stuff while at the same time being cozied up by warm characters and environment.