INFP - Otaku

It’s the start of the Summer Anime 2018 and I have a long list of Anime that I was excited to watch. One of this is this Badminton themed anime Hanebado!. But does it justify its trailer’s hype with it’s first episode?

The story was set up very clearly and the plot is strong. You can easily identify the motivation of the characters in the story and how they struggle in finding the reason for “Why do I play Badminton” and how the people that surrounds them is affected by it.

I personally feel that there would be a lot of drama involve, high octane battles, and fun an quirky encounters while watching this anime. The first episode feels fast and straight to the point. 

The art is crisp and beautifully animated. I am a fan of 3D CGI when it is done right and the 3D CGI here is just enough to highlight the badminton games while blending with it’s clean and detailed art style.

The opening theme is hype inducing. The song used in the opening theme is a win for me as it perfectly sets me up for the story’s drama, slice of life and intense battle/rivalry with an exciting j-pop song.

Hanebado! started with an intense battle and it wrapped its episode with an intense rematch in the most unlikely of place and situation.

So if you are looking for a sports anime or something that would induce the summer vibes. Hanebado! is the anime for you!

Trailer: https://youtu.be/njaPemKHPus

The story is Very Good (8). This story is not for everyone or better yet, not for the people whose mind is not open to feelings and imagination.

Uchiage Hanabi is a coming of age story centered on a young heart's desire. The desire for various things like the desire to belong, to be love, to love or to be free.

The moment I saw the music video I was hyped on what this story would be about and how it would make me think; moreover, how it would make me feel. And once I started watching it, it did not not disappoint. It was successful to make me think and feel abstract concepts about being young, being wild and being free *sorry I could not help myself* and yes, about being and falling in love.

The whole concept of the title "Fireworks, Should We See It from the Side or the Bottom?" Is exactly how the story wants its audience to ask themselves. On what angle should we see our life? Should it be from the bottom, from above or from the sides? It shows us that decisions that we make in our life can't be reversible and all we can do is move forward from that point; regretting or feeling satisfied the outcome of our decisions. However, before each turning point, each decision you make, you can try looking on it on different perspectives before deciding your action.

What I mentioned above is what I really like about the movie. I was watching the movie and I have these burst of emotions and questions of what how and why? There was not a straight answer from the story but as a feeler type of person, the symbolism were enough answers to my questions.

The art is Good (7). One of the things that ticked me out of focus while watching the movie is the 3D CG art. It just pops up out of nowhere and disconnects me from the world of Uchiage Hanabi. I can point out an example like at the beginning how the animation changes when the students are riding their bicycles. I could not mention other cases because *spoilers* but this really brought down the quality of the anime presentation down heavily.

I would really appreciate it if they just stuck with one type of animation so that the continuity of the story art-wise would not be interrupted.

But overall, without the 3D CG, the animation is beautiful.

The sound is Great (9). One of the things I am looking in a movie is the flow of the ambient music. How it sets up the mood and sustains it all through out. This is because I had to sit for 1-2 hours straight this is very important for me.

This movie definitely delivered to me in this department. It helped me felt nostalgic and kept me glued to every scene that occurs in the story.

"Uchiage Hanabi (打上花火)" by DAOKO x Kenshi Yonezu the ending song is a 10/10 for me it's a beautiful song that I regularly play when I listen to music and the emotion it evokes is perfect.

The characters are Very Good (8). Norimich and Nazuna, being the mains of the story are well crafted. I could see young teens like them thus they are believable and easy to relate to.

They are young teens that have a lot of energy where everything they think and feel  can be done and where there is no limit to what and what not they can do.

The supporting characters in the story, mainly Norimichi's classmates reminds me of the boys from the movie "Stand by me" their journey to know whether fireworks are round or flat is also a story to watch by itself.

Overall, I could see that there's a lot of hate to this movie. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but if you have not watched it yet, consider to watch it then you can judge the movie for yourself if it's good or bad or meh.

Story is Very Good (8). Gigant is one of those stories that come from the mind of Hiroya Oku, the mastermind behind the hits Gantz and Inuyashiki. This means that you should expect 3 things: bizarre story, high violence and profanity and a sci-fi theme. The premise of the story is a half blood Japanese AV Idol, Papico gets a mysterious digital dial-like object attached to her that has the ability to gigantify her body. *I can't help myself giggling while writing this* The first 10 chapters of the story is more of a slice of life focusing on one of Papico's fan, Rei who develops feelings for his dream girl his journey to be with her. Along with that is the rise of a strange website named ETE (Enjoy the End) which makes poll with weird choices, and whichever gets the highest votes would come true. It seems like a bland premise right? But as the story progresses and the stage has been set like any other Hiroya Oku's works, everything would be in chaos. This is already eminent to the latest chapter (14) upon writing this review.

Art is Great (9). The art is beautiful for me. The blend of pseudo realistic backgrounds with the character models and the brilliant alien-nano art on the technological aspects of the manga is stunning to look at. This is one of those things that would keep you glued on a manga drawn by Oku-san it makes the story easy on the eyes and easier to read.

Story is Great (9). Unlike today, anime before the age of digital advances put a lot of time in developing a single episode of 20-24 minute show for the audiences and this in turn makes the all the people behind the anime work hard to provide at least the best story that they could ever provide to justify the amount of time and money that is invested in a project. That is why if you are looking for wonderful anime in terms of story and content I would suggest you go back to watching the classics like cowboy bebop, samurai x, detective conan to mention a few.

Now how does this relate to Megalo Box? A lot! To begin with, this is a love letter to one of the most popular stories ever made: Ashita no Joe (Tomorrow's Joe) for its 50th Anniversary. It's a story of a true rise of an underdog from the slums to the peak of the highest pedestal. It does not keep you waiting and throws you to the depths of it's ssemi-dystopian world of underground megalo boxing. It is boxing with the addition of supporting boxing mechanical gears that enhances the boxer's skill, strengths and abilities.

Upon knowing this, you would be immediately pulled by the idea of it and the possibilities that it would bring. But I bet the you would not be able to guess the direction that the story would pull you through once you start watching it.

The story kept me guessing on what would happen next or would they be some high end upgrades that the protagonist would be going through. Yes there were tons of upgrades but not in the part that you may interpret it.

This is one of the stories that I can say I was totally satisfied from how it piqued my interest, how it sustained my interest and how it satisfied me with its conclusion.

Art is Outstanding (10). Megalo Box's biggest advantages is it's art style or to be more precised, how it imitated an art style. remember how I mentioned Cowboy Bepop? It was because If you have at least watch one of its episode or seen its art, you can directly see where it adapts the art style.

There are no, flawless lines here or vibrant colors. It stayed away from the flawlessness of anime of today and went to the classic 90's anime look with how it handled color and texture. Even on 1080p you can see the intentional grainy or imperfect lines that creates that character models and I love it!

Sound is Very Good (8). Sound is also very good. I would like to commend the ambient music and mood setting chimes and tunes it plays along with the story. It is a major factor of sustaining the moment when I watch Megalo Box.

"Bite" by LEO Imai the opening theme of the story is a great tool to setup the hype of the battle that the anime shows all through out the story and it greatly shows the personality of this anime: ruthless. Even if I am not a fan of the type of rock they play in this opening theme, I can truly appreciate it.

"Kakatte Koi yo (かかってこいよ)" by NakamuraEmi its ending theme is just fun for me. It brings me to a bar setting vibe not only with the music but also with the accompanying animation using neon lights. a perfect way to wrap up an episode.

Characters are Outstanding (10). This is where Megalo Box shines as the story is heavily reliant on the characters. All of the characters, knows their roles in the story and they are not pretentious or confused about it.

From the underdog protagonist of the story Junkyard Dog to his partner in crime Nanbu up to the end boss of the story Yuri and his manager Yukiko, all of their characters critically weaves the story altogether.

Supporting characters are there not only to move the plot forward but to make the mains of the story bloom and shine more as the story progresses in to it's final act.

Overall, I would greatly recommend Megalo Box to people who are sick of the mainstream approach to anime and wants to go its roots, or for people just love on brilliant story telling. It does not matter if you like boxing or sports genre in general, this anime is definitely for you. So watch it! Better yet... Binge watch its 13 episodes

Story is Very Good (8). Re: Creators story is a great meta deconstruction and reconstruction story that mashes different characters from different media into the real world setting.

While watching it, I felt the strong potential that it has and the possibilities within its world. I strongly believe that 22 episodes would not be enough if they did not contained the story about Kota, Setsuna and Altair, the main characters of the story.

I could summarize the anime points:

1. The first half of the anime being drawn into the world of possibilities and surprises. 2. The second half being the introduction to the characters and world building. 3. The and the final half being the start and the end of the story.

This is the reason why Up to the 12th episode, it felt slow and they had to add a great filler/breather 4th wall breaking episode to reset any lag that you might feel during the first 12 episodes of the story. You can literally watch Re: Creators in this way: Watch Episode 1 then jump to 13 and continue from 14 to 22.

Setting those imperfection aside, what I really love about this anime are the creators of the story; their motivations, struggles, failures and success. I can strongly imagine Re: Creators without the over the top battles and just watch the slice of life part of it. That is why I have mixed feelings about the story.

However, concept and theme wise, the story has a great potential to be a total masterpiece, but it was far from it.

Art is Great (9). I love the 3D CG in this anime, the 3D CG perfectly melds the worlds together like the digitalization of the characters and world, the skills and abilities of the characters and Gigas Machina.

The direction that they have chosen to approach the art is great, but it could have been perfect if they had decided to use different art styles for each of the characters. I understand that it would be difficult to unify different art styles in the story although it would be really cool to imagine how it would look.

Sound is Good (7). "gravityWall" by SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]:Tielle & Gemie opening theme for the first half of the story doesn't feel right. I could not feel that I am being set up for the world of Re: Creators.

The second opening theme "sh0ut" by SawanoHiroyuki[nZk]:Tielle & Gemie for the final half of the story is a little better, yet it still make me connect as much to the story with something like the opening for One Piece which clearly makes you feel that you will be on a grand adventure with its protagonists.

Although what I appreciate more on the theme department is the ending song for the final half of the anime "Rubikon (ルビコン)" by Sangatsu no Phantasia. I could feel the Re: Creators feel which was paired with a beautiful animation. This could simply be the opening of the whole Re: Creators anime and "world Étude" by Aki Toyosaki for episode 13 should be the ending theme of the story.

Characters are Very Good (8). I also have mixed feelings about the characters in the story since the main characters for me is Kota, Setsuna and Altair. The majority of the anime should be building these characters more in the story and not just 1 or 2 episodes for the back story. They are simply the heart, mind and soul of the anime if you break it down to its core, and this could also be one reason why the story felt the same: mixed feelings.

I would like to give a special mention to Meteora in this anime, as of all the characters, she was the best written character for me and she accomplishes her role flawlessly as a support that does not eat the story with her presence, but enhances and drives the story forward. I could simply see her having her own spin-off story Kingdom Hearts style. *Make it HAPPEN!!!*

All in all, I love Re: Creators for what it made me think, feel and understand. Because in many ways, it inspired me to continue moving forward in being a creator myself even if there is a minuscule number of people that are reading what I write. It did its job on that department for me.

Story is Good (7). Initially, I thought that  Eden's Zero would step away from the kind of grand adventure type of story and focus more on the story of the main characters and that it would be revolving around mechs and have a steam punk kind of feel; however, after reading the entirety of the chapter, this was quickly dismissed

Eden's Zero is definitely a grand adventure, similar to One Piece and might be a parallel to the major concept of One Piece as I quickly notice how the ocean was changed into the cosmos and the island into planets. Moreover, a hint that could possibly pointing into a space grand fleet of 100 "friends" (crew).

I have no problems with the parallels I noticed as long as the story justifies itself.

Art is Good (8). Art-wise, it is good but it is not the kind of art that fits well with my taste. You can clearly see that it used the same art as Mashima's previous work, Fairy Tail. I guess it is for readers to quickly identify who's work it is immediately. Character models are bothering me personally since they really look like mash ups of Fairy Tail characters. Speaking of characters...

Characters are Good (7). Since this is a review after reading the 1st chapter of the story, characters are established but not yet developed. Roles of the main characters Shiki, Rebecca and Happy (same Happy as Fairy Tail in a parallel universe?) are identifiable and easy to follow in the story.

Overall, Eden's Zero still feels Fairy Tail for me. I don't know if it is the intention of the author, but if for some crazy reason that it is and we are still in the expanded universe of Fairy Tail then I would be both surprised and happy at the same time.

Story is Outstanding (10). I was was never a fan of the Magical Girl genre since I was young, although I've watch a good amount of Card Captor Sakura and Sailor moon since I don't have a choice back in the Television era. But there is something with Magical Girls and a dark and morbid story that really tingles my weird taste in anime.

Mahou Shoujo Site is another anime that I did not expect much to blow me away in the Spring Anime 2018 lineup together with Hinamatsuri. I just thought that this is a mixture of totally contrasting genre and since I love opposing genre mashups that I would give this a try. And after watching the very first episode, it swept me away like a tempest in the end of days! I could not get enough of it that I have started reading its manga and the other work of Kentarou Satou Mahou Shoujo of the End (You should read this). This meant a lot for me since I am the type of person that is really picky when it comes to story and Mahou Shoujo Site did not disappoint... well I've never really set a huge expectation to it to begin with.

The anime does not adapt the manga on a 1:1 ratio. It omits some parts and rearranges the story to fit the 12 episode seasonal format. Surprisingly, I did not feel that it was badly adapted; moreover, I felt that the anime developed an identity of itself that it can stand toe to toe with it's manga counterpart. I am glad that it did not have the adaptation disease that Tokyo Ghoul had.

Outstanding Story of bullied, abused, mistreated unfortunate girls who receives special items to help redeem their lost life and happiness.

Art is Great (9). The art felt magically eerie and I absolutely love it! The way that it mashes cutesie magical girly stuff with grunge darkness surprisingly works well. And I should not forget to mention how they combine live action, 3D CG, traditional hand drawn animation at the ending of the episode that makes me cringe for a bit then appreciate it after watching it. It is well represented in this aspect.

Sound is Outstanding (10). "Changing point" by i☆Ris is one of the best opening songs for the Spring Anime 2018 lineup. It perfectly hypes me up to watch the episode and goes well with the dark theme of the story.

"Zenzen Tomodachi" by Haruka Yamazaki tremendously adds to the eerie cringe of the ending animation. I couldn't even skip the ending song even if I want to. It is what I can describe as a satisfying cringe.

"...Watashi dake Mitete♡ (...私だけ見てて♡)" by Nijimi Anazawa (Yuu Serizawa) the ending song for the 3rd episode is another surprise for me. It is not as a cringe-fest as the main ending theme but it felt out of place at the beginning but after it was over it felt "Yeah it was a perfect ending theme for this episode"

The overall sound and song choices for Mahou Shoujo site scarily fits the theme of the story well.

Characters are Great (8). As for the characters in the story, the main protagonist of Aya and Yatsumura-san are one of the best yuri team ups that I have ever seen and I was not even aware of it at the beginning. Both of their back stories fleshes out their characters more which in turn make them into an endearing and easy to relate to characters.

I also want to give a special mention to Sarina's character in the story. I strongly believed that she is just a one off character that would eventually die at some point earlier in the story, but I got surprised on how she developed to one of my favorite characters in the whole Mahou Shoujo Site story.

The supporting characters are good, but not great enough to hold their ground. They are more developed in the manga compared to the anime.

Overall, this anime is not for everyone's liking and I know that. But if you are into the eerie, bizarre and good cringes, I would definitely recommend this anime to you in a heartbeat! One of the best Spring Anime of 2018.

Story is Great (9). Hinamatsuri is one of the anime that I did not pay attention during the initial spring lineup yet placed it on my to-watch queue, but to my surprise it took the No.1 spot in my Best Spring Anime List of 2018 together with Mahou Shoujo Site. The reason why it is one of the best, boils down to its honesty and child-like innocence. Hinamatsuri in Japan is a kind of festival/celebration for the coming of age of girls, and this is hugely represented in the Anime with its young girl characters having their own quirky coming of age stories.

What makes it stand out from other slice of life anime is that it develops the characters in a natural way that you can almost see them appearing in real life. It perfectly mixes comedy with action and drama which is a difficult feat to accomplish.

There were moments while watching this anime that I ended up bawling my eyes so hard because of a side story with a supporting character, or segments that cracked me up so hard with the simplicity of its jokes. It amazes me that the story allows it's main characters to be out-shined by its supporting characters, but still keeps the story intact. Simply brilliant!

Art is Good (7). Graphic wise, Hinamatsuri does not stun me with its animation approach. It is a standard looking anime when you first watch it which made it hard to pick out with similarly animated anime it was group with. However, the art is well made and clean that it does not distract me from enjoying each and every episode it releases so that is a great thing.

Sound is Great (9). The opening theme "Distance" by Rie Murakawa is definitely one of the best theme songs that I have heard in an anime. It sets the mood quite nice which is a great thing, and I never found myself skipping it unlike other opening themes.

"Sake to Ikura to 893 to Musume (鮭とイクラと893と娘)" by Yoshifumi Nitta (Yoshiki Nakajima) the ending song is the one song that makes me feel the yakuza vibe of the story. Although I felt that it doesn't mesh well with the whole anime package, it is still a good listen.

"Shashinchou (写真帖)" by Yoko Ishida, the ending song of Episode 6 was the trigger to me crying my heart out. The story Anzu, one of the supporting characters, is something unexpected in a story that sells itself as a comedy anime.

Characters are Outstanding (10). I strongly believe that Hinamatsuri's characters are the strongest part of this anime. They are well written, beautifully characterized, fleshed out, and knows their roles in the story. From the bar tender Hitomi, the garbage collector Anzu to the main character Hina, even the lately introduced Mao, all of them stands out in their own charming way.

Even the minor roles in the story like Hina's classmates or the families of Nitta and Anzu are incredibly well written. You could feel the amount of care they put in the characters of the story.

No doubt, that the characters are the best part of Hinamatsuri.

All in all, even if you are not into the slice of life/comedy genre of anime, you should give Hinamatsuri a shot. I am 100% sure that you would not regret watching this anime.

Story is Very Good (8). The question is... Did Tokyo Ghoul :re redeem the failure of its root a brother? I would say it did, but it could have been better. The reason for this statement is that, although :re did well with the story and presentation, it failed in its pacing. I have been reading the manga and it takes 3-4 chapters of the manga per episode. Please take note that each chapter of Sui Ishida's Magnum Opus is filled to the brim with details and character build up that would take time to fully adapt. So having 3-4 chapters congested in a single anime episode is too much. In the case or :re, it ended up taking the story and character build up out of anime and focused more on the head on battles among doves, quinx and ghouls. Don't get me wrong, I love some good anime fights and some of the best I've seen was in this anime, but have not enough build up to back the battles up would end up in just a "generic" battle AMV style. This is what they should really try to work on the second season, even if it ends up as a patch to the mistakes of the previous Tokyo Ghoul anime.

Art is Very Good (8). The difference is clear when you watch the original Tokyo Ghoul anime and it's :re counterpart. There was a huge bump in the budget this time and it shows on the details in the art per episode. It now has a refined feel to it which I really like. I would like this to be kept on the second season and polish it even further.

Sound is Very Good (8). If there is one thing that Tokyo Ghoul animation did right, it is on the sound department. Although not perfect, it captures how its universe should feel and presented through the sound. "asphyxia" by Cö shu Nie still continues the trend of and eerie vibe with the opening, and "HALF" by Ziyoou-vachi is just a perfect way to end each episode; a light, fun, yet pretentious wrapping up of the dread and darkness of the story.

Characters are Very Good (8). One of the strongest part of the story are its characters. However, if they are not presented right they would fall into the land of forgotten characters. After watching all 12 episodes of :re, I could only count the number of characters that I remember. Most of them are remembered either because I watched the original Tokyo Ghoul, or have read the manga. This is bad, and this is the product of fast pacing of the story. Its hard to invest in characters if you do not let build up and shine as the story progresses.

All in all, Tokyo Ghoul :re is an amazing story that everyone should try. But I would still recommend that you read the manga, then watch the anime if you want to have a strong grasp of the characters and story. Or you watch the anime for the action packed Kagune and Quinque battles then go to the manga for details. Either way, you need both to fully enjoy Tokyo Ghoul.

Story is Good (7). The story of 3D Real Girl is simple yet it is fun to watch. A full blown otaku is pulled into the world of 3D Girls (Real Life Girls) by a drop-dead gorgeous yet mysterious girl who's trying to look for something real in her world. I wanted to point out that even if my rating for the story is just 7, the amount of enjoyment I got from following the character's mundane yet interesting interactions is still a 9.

Art is Good (7). The manga, which was the source of this anime adaptation has a very basic art that does not try to hide the feelings of its characters. As for the anime, I was looking for the same treatment/interpretation to stand out from similarly animated anime that dominates the anime market. This was a bit of a disappointment to me since I really appreciate experimentation in how anime is presented artistically. Megalo Box is one of the standouts of the 2018 Spring Anime (I will go in more detail on my review of Megalo Box after it ends almost less than two weeks from today).

Sound is Good (7). "Daiji na Koto (だいじなこと)" by Quruli the opening song is really well made. It is honest, innocent and simple that it perfectly sets the mood of the story for me. I would have given the sound an 8 or even 9 if it was the same for the rest of the OST of 3D Real Girl. I really felt that it is a wasted effort to have a good start, but a mediocre follow up. "HiDE the BLUE" by BiSH the ending song is nice but not good enough.

Recently, me and my wife went to Baler's Museum and there are a few historical pieces that caugth my attention.

This painting depicting the first lady of Manuel Quezon is surprisingly pensive and made me feel the sadness during the time of war.

This painting about a woman being shielded from the 7 deadly sins feels dreadful to me as I notice the sins almost drawn in blood first than the center of the piece.

Finally, this painting of a warrior wearing an agimat (magical charm) feels like he was looking into my soul and ready to come out of the painting anytime.

Berserk’s lost chapter: The Idea of Evil.

After reading this chapter, it gave me a whole level of veneration to Kentaro Miura on how he puts everything in telling this masterpiece.

This is such a philosophical chapter delving into the idea of what is evil. You may need to brace tightly on your faith when reading this chapter as this might confuse you, and question your beliefs.

You need to be reminded that this a work of fiction, so just let it be that way.

You can read the chapter here: http://mossmanga.blogspot.com/2014/09/berserk-lost-chapter-1.html?m=1

Story is Outstanding (10). No matter how hard I think about it, I could not remember watching something similar as Mahoutsukai no Yome. How the magical/supernatural genre is married to the romance genre is like how Elias and Chise are: opposite ends of a magnet that attract and attach to each other to make one beautiful story. It is not just one aspect of the anime that is wonderful. All of my 5 senses are heightened by this wonderful anime. I find something new to dive in every episode. It's like the new things that uncover in front of me would never stops. It keep me asking for more like a magical drug. It never pretended to be something that it is not. Truly, it stood out to me as something magical.

Art is Outstanding (10). This is the only anime that I have patiently read the manga side by side each episode. I do not want the manga to spoil me, so I had to restrict myself to read only up to the latest scene in the current episode. This opened a new experience for me in consuming the manga and anime media and made me realize two things about this story: the manga is well done and the anime enhances it a lot which is eminent to how the art is presented. From the lush and vivid locations and the quirky animation jumps from serious to clumsy is amazingly illustrated. You would really feel that all the characters are alive and not just a moving manga drawing.

Sound is Outstanding (10). One of the best opening theme, "Here" by JUNNA which was followed by change of mood with "You" by May'n that I have ever listened to in an anime series. It perfectly tells you on what the story is about and sets the feel for you that you are in for a magical journey with Chise, Elias, Ruth and Silky. And the great thing is that, it doesn't end with the Opening theme. The OST is one of the best in setting different moods of the story; one time it is cheerful and zesty and suddenly it becomes dreaded and sulky. The timing is perfect every time the music changes. You would almost know what is going to happened by just listening to the song. That's how the musical arrangement perfectly plans, sets, and executes the superb symphony. Simply, the music is a story of it's own.

Characters are Outstanding (10). You can never have a masterpiece of a story without a powerful cast of characters. Ancient Magus Bride has it all and more. From it's perplexing thorn mage Elias to the quiet and cute caretaker of the Ainsworth household Silky, every character has a purpose not only to move the story but to give a scintillating color to the story. As each episode can be a story of it's own, characters are well fleshed out, and they have a time to shine in the series. As for the focal point of the story: Elias and Chise, I know these kind of parings are already used in various series, but the execution of the characters is what separate them from the fake and fan-service characters to the ones that stands out. Clearly, every character is real and organic to the feel.I can write more praises to Mahoutsukai no Yome, but I believe this is enough to at least spark the magic in your heart to watch it.

10 Silky’s out of 10

Story is Outstanding (10). This anime is one of the biggest surprises for me in the winter season. I usually avoid romance stories as they are most of the time predictable and difficult for me to relate to as most of the stories are set on a high school setting with a ton of high school characters. But here comes a seinen romance that caught my heart as soon as I watched the first episode. The setting was great and the use of rain in the story feels right at home. The love that builds up with the 45-year-old Kondo and the high school student Tachibana is simply beautiful and innocent. Someone who had a lot of experience and someone who is dead sure of her feelings hits a sweet spot in my heart.

Art is Great (9). I would say that the art would be dependent on the viewer's taste. Well it's not experimental, but I feel that some people would not like the art and would prefer a mainstream look of modern anime. However, I love how the characters were modeled to look as slender as possible. Moreover, they put a lot of  attention on the rain scenes since this is mainly in the title of the story. It is not Kotonoha no niwa (Garden of words) quality but it is enough to trigger those emotions from the viewer which is enough.

Sound is Outstanding (10). From the opening them up until the ending theme and everything in between, the music of Love after the rain is light, fun, bubbly and somewhat nostalgic of from when it rains during summer time. "Nostalgic Rainfall (ノスタルジックレインフォール)" by CHiCO with HoneyWorks is one of those songs that I have on a loop majority of the winter season, and I listen to "Ref:rain" by Aimer from time to time as it triggers the nostalgic sadness in my heart whenever I hear its tune. Moreover, the themes and effects during the Kondo-Tachibana and the solo scenes themes of Kondo, Tachibana and Haruka really sets the mood and helps to make you feel on their characters more.

Characters are Outstanding (10). The main character's motivation as well as their personality are well written and designed that you will feel they could have been based from real people which is great. You can easily relate to the like on the struggling writer inside Manager Kondo, the conflicting feelings of going back to running in Tachibana and the loneliness of her friend Haruka. The same goes for the supporting characters that supports the main characters while bringing out their own wonderful quirks in the story.As of the writing of this review, the manga had already ended and this a great thing since the anime staff would have a complete material to adapt once the continue with a second and third season to wrap their stories up. I am really looking forward to this story, and you will also be looking forward to it once you have watch this rain formed love story.

9 milk cuplets out of 10.

MAL Review Page: https://myanimelist.net/reviews.php?id=277028I