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The drama is great, but it lacks romance, there's not a hint of it and only manga readers will say otherwise.

I'm gonna preface it with this: tagging an anime as GL based on the manga is controversial at best, but bullshit if we're being rational. There should be a distinction between manga and anime as it can drastically change depending on the adaptation.

Bottom line is, the anime up until this point is just not GL, the relationships and their dynamics down to the most subtle details are platonic however you look at it. If you're interested in GL, pick up the manga, the anime just ... doesn't reach that part and the tag is misleading. Not that it makes the show worse, it just sets the wrong expectations.

This show revolves around coping with suicidal thoughts and tragedy, but also around hope. This part is well done, it's emotional but not overdone. I'd say there's a lot more depth to it but considering it's not a full adaptation it's fine if these 13 episodes don't fully explore it. What's more of an issue is that they're running in circles so to say, some scenes feel a bit repetitive, which could be credited to the very topic the story is about, Hinako's emotions being up and down, but the last 4-5 episodes just felt like an alternative iteration of the first half of the show with different storylines but the same underlying feelings and intentions. It doesn't make this show bad, just makes it feel like it could've achieved more in these 13 episodes.

The supernatural/mystery side of the anime was good too, it mixed very well with the drama, it could've explored the history of yokais among humans even more in my opinion.

If you like drama, go for it! If you want romance, either be prepared not to get any of it and having to pick up the manga after the anime, or go for the manga right away.

This anime turned out pretty okay, it wasn't looking all that promising at the end of the first cour, but the second cour made up for most of its shortcomings.

In the first cour there were 2 major issues. First off it had a hard time deciding if it's a drama or a comedy, a so called identity crisis. It was just not working constantly switching between a serious and joking tone, it was odd when a dramatic scene was suddenly ended with a bad joke and swept everything under the rug with it. The show had potential both as a drama and comedy, but not ... both at the same time, in the end it swayed more towards drama and it worked out well.

The other issue in the first cour was the lack of any driving force in the show. It was mostly driven by the characters not being honest with themselves and refusing to grow in any way, everything came down to almost every character having exaggerated internal struggles and it was just not interesting or sensible. Thankfully that slowly stopped being the case and characters starting having growth, the relationships between the characters became more complex that went beyond "I'm his friend and I help him" or "I love her but won't tell her" or "I think I like him but idk" etc. Gradually all characters had their own agenda and acted upon it rather than sticking to their conventional roles as MC, heroine A, heroine B, MC's friend, side character B etc...

The show is rather unconventional compared to other high school romance anime, but it worked out great. Usually they're made using the same formula with the same constraints, they're sort of locked to the school grounds with occasional out-of-school meetups and a mandatory beach and festival episode etc. This show is almost like the opposite, it barely spends any time in school and it even barely has any focus on school itself after a while, this gave so much room for characters to be more unique and seen as people, not just students, it's really refreshing. For this reason alone this story was more interesting and I would've recommended it even if it didn't improve on its flaws solely because it's different from other high school romance anime.

What was originally an annoying show with dumb shenanigans without a reason became something interesting towards the end of it. I can't stress how important it was for this show to be 26 episodes long. Realistically the first cour felt dragged out and could've easily been adapted in 8-9 episodes, but you can't just adapt an odd number of episodes, and if we had to choose between 13 or 26 episodes, 26 is obviously better. Even with that in mind, it gave the show a chance to come around despite its bad start, and it did. This is once again unusual for a romance anime to be adapted in 26 episodes in one go, hell, it's even unusual for them to plan for 2 cours form the get go compared to half adaptations that may or may not get a second season. I can only hope other studios will take the same risk in the future.

I strongly recommend this anime if you're into romance, the fact that it's not your usual high school romance story is already a good reason to watch it regardless of how good the story it, but on top of that the story itself is fine, it starts out slow, annoying and even boring at times, but it becomes good as time goes on. It's a memorable and unique romance show.

Waiter, waiter! More nothing burger please!

This show is insulting, it has nothing to offer while giving off the false hope it does. It starts off like any other 'okay' romance anime with a tease-dere (idk the correct terminology) who endlessly teases the MC, often sexually, while also kinda being the fan service character, then also there's a tsundere. But after that it's not moving anywhere, you get introduced to the characters, their dynamic, their feelings and intentions and that's it, you won't get any progression for the rest of the show. Instead you get uninteresting subplots that add nothing to the story or characters most ... of the time. There are a few good highlights among these subplots but it doesn't make up for this dumpster fire.

In itself, the characters are fine and I do think they are (or could've been) interesting, but they're not being used for the most part, they all exist just to enable basic romance shenanigans, like jokes or lovey dovey moments. The premise really had a ton of ways to make the story interesting, shameful job by either the author or the studio adapting it, I can't be assed to check the LN or manga.

The ending is the biggest slap in the face, feels nothing like a last episode, if you didn't know better you'd think there's a 13th episode, but no, there isn't. Nothing concludes, no importance to the plot whatsoever, it's like a filler episode almost.

Best to avoid, even if you come in expecting nothing, you will burn yourself. Provides little to no value, I'm sure watching any other anime is a better way to spend your time.

Kinda disappointing. Not because it's bad, but because it could've been much better. Very similar art style and mood to Aija-do's other recent romance anime, Sign of Affection. A laid-back, sweet, innocent romance anime, heavier on the comedy side.

At first it seemed like it's going to be a boring, one dimensional show that's all about Yano being a clumsy, unlucky bastard and the butt of the joke in every scene. Thankfully that was not the case for the rest of the show and the comedy side of the anime became really strong, it stops weaponizing Yano's predisposition to force jokes and starts relying more on ... less absurd but still silly situations. Gag humor worked way better than Yano getting insanely unlucky for the 213rd time.

There was still a big issue early on, which was the lack of romantic development. It started going somewhere and then towards the middle of the season it started showing the same charm as Sign of Affection, the subtle moments of innocent, sincere love was captured in heartwarming ways (sometimes in unserious and awkward ways too), but then the romance kinda got forgotten towards the last few episodes once again.

Then there was the final episode, which made me question why didn't they make the season 11 episodes only instead of 12? That's about how impactful that episode was... It really was a bummer, nothing really happened, nothing got concluded, and it was all built around something dumb that Yano was anxious about.

Otherwise the characters and their chemistry were great, it was a joy to see how the friend group grew together and became closer. The characters are what gets you hooked to keep coming back for the next episode, they really grow on you.

It's a shame it had to end this way, otherwise it was great, casual romance anime. I wouldn't expect a second season solely because of how it usually goes with romance anime, this studio, etc. It's a great watch, but really makes you wonder "what if..."

After the many movies, the new season goes back to the roots and follows the same format as season 1, adapting arcs/storylines in 3-4 episodes at a time. There's a slight transition between the storylines and the progress makes sense storywise, but the arcs are still very distinct, it's just a tiny bit odd, just like it was in season 1.

In the grand scheme of things it's the same quality as before, it's a great continuation of something everyone was waiting for, something that just works. Puberty syndrome is a hell of a concept and carries this series heavily, it's just really interesting. People criticize ... this season for the lack of romance, but it's always been secondary, and even then there's plenty of it, romance comes up in every subplot, if it's lacking something, it's affection, that is a reasonable complaint.

While storywise it's just as good as before, the animation took a hit, there's a ton of inexcusable CGI used for the stage performances. Like, that's the very thing people are looking at, and it's hideous CGI. Using CGI for crowds or something that are not the center of attention of the scene is the norm, but these caught me off guard, especially because it was just bad. It was disappointing.

It's still the same old series we all love, a bit less emotional than before, but still great.

The expectations were very high for this anime, to the point that it was near impossible to live up to them. It's still a really good anime altogether, but it has a few issues that make it fall below those expectations.

The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity is what romance anime is about, it really makes you feel warm and root for the couple, it's a really sweet journey of two people bonding. In this field there's nothing negative to say about the anime. The characters all feel like they have a purpose and not just there to fill the story, their individual stories are interesting ... and it's easy to get invested in them. While nothing outstandingly interesting happens through the 13 episodes that would push the story, it kept up the interest quite well and this alone didn't ruin anything.

The biggest issue is how overly apologetic and polite everyone is. Walking on eggshells and being anxious over the smallest stuff endlessly slowed down the whole show, it's just so weird and unrealistic and unnecessary. When things are moving forward, there's always one character that suddenly goes "wait, is it okay for me to be happy despite <insert internal struggle here>?", then it causes a minor conflict, said conflict gets resolved, rinse and repeat. Just to clarify, characters dealing with personal struggles is basically the whole point of every drama/romance show, don't get me wrong, but when it's minuscule stuff being blown out of proportion mixed with every character being 110% polite, then it feels cheap and forced. This is just way too noticeable through the entire show, no matter what happens, everyone is apologizing to everyone, it's really odd and it goes way beyond the fact that Japanese people are just very polite in general.

The character visuals are great, the animation is okay, I guess all the cloverbucks went towards My Dress-Up Darling, but at least it's not ridden with CGI like Bunny Girl Senpai.

The positives greatly outweigh the one negative, so it's still a no-brainer to pick up this show if you're into romance.

The quality is insanely good, it was a pleasure to watch each episode, really outstanding stuff. But the story it adapted on the other hand...

The whole anime is about cosplaying for sure, but the insane focus on cosplaying is inexcusable. No romantic development, no drama, not that much comedy, this felt like an authentic SOL about cosplaying, almost even a CGDCT too if it wasn't for Gojo and the crossdresser.

It was just uninteresting. It did go over sensitive topics and real life struggles, but it was so bizarrely unproblematic that it sucked. The class got to know Gojo is the one making Marin's makeup and ... costumes and paints hina dolls? Everyone is fine with that, the most natural thing ever, what a progressive class! A crossdresser? That's totally normal, fascinating even. It's as if the anime is set in a universe that's made up with the most accepting and welcoming people. There are literally only a handful of no-name side characters that ever challenged these characters, and it was all through flashbacks. The storylines could've been so much more meaningful if they were presented in a much more realistic way, not in a "best case scenario" way.

I'm contemplating if it's even important to watch season 2 in terms of the main (love) story. Nothing of significance happened, just a new set of characters introduced with their backstories, the main story didn't progress at all. It's almost like a filler.

It's a great continuation after season 1, there are twists and interesting storylines, answers to previous questions and new questions are thrown in too.

There's not too much to write a review about, the quality remained the same, characters got more backstory, deepened their bond, all you could ask for. There could've been a bit more romance, but oh well. Anko enjoyed a ton of focus in season 2, and with her being a likeable character, it's more than fine.

This season is definitely more emotional, more so than you would expect. It deals with many hard topics, sometimes seriously, sometimes casually, and I don't think it ... missed a beat, which is commendable.

If you watched season 1, you should definitely watch this too. There's nothing to add to this.

An animated travel show, slice of life in its purest form. But it's not for everyone.

This anime does one thing and does it perfectly, which is showcasing Japan and traveling across the country. A prerequisite for this anime is to have an interest in Japan, its culture, its landscape, its sights, its food, the list goes on. Otherwise you will probably find this anime boring. It's not like other slice of life/adventure anime out there, it really is just a travel show that's animated, with extras.

There are notable side characters that tag along Chika, somtimes there's a tiny bit of drama around them, but honestly ... it's unnecessary, the show doesn't rely on drama to spark interest. However Chika's struggles with becoming a mangaka and just in general figuring out her life and relationships and goals is what makes it a bit more than just a general travel show, it is a nice touch.

I personally liked the artstyle with the still frames with Chika and the other walking around, it perfectly fits this kind of anime. But there are a few CGI shots that are unforgivable. It's one thing to use CGI for moving crowds, but there are even STILL FRAMES that use stationary, choppy 3D models, many times with repeating models with different colors and the same exact, weird default pose, sometimes not even facing the correct angle... this is just unacceptable.

It's aimed at a specific audience, but you can easily tell if this anime is for you without even watching an episode.

Good enough anime, but a bit too generic, it's hard to blend all these genres and themes into 12 episodes.

The development of the couple's relationship is the main attraction of this anime, which is sometimes sidelined by the fantasy plot, so it is romcom heavy. In that regard it achieved what it wanted, can't say the same about the fantasy theme.

The fantasy side of the anime was just the right amount and perfectly fine up except for the whole Daybreak plot, there wasn't really a need for it to be the main plot for most of the second half of the anime, it's too ambitious ... for a 12 ep anime that's trying to be both fantasy and romcom. Instead of the Daybreak plot there should've been something that doesn't eat up that much screentime and doesn't take over as the main focus in a few episodes, sometimes less is more.

The romcom side was more focused in the first half but it was still present in the second half, it even felt a bit weird that the finale of the anime was more around the Daybreak plot, it felt out of place compared to how for the most part of the anime the romcom side was more focused, it was like 65-35.

The characters were fine, they weren't too complicated and it's expected from a romcom, the couple had the chemistry and the rest just worked out, not too much to say about that.

There are some really poorly animated scenes that I just have to mention.

All in all it's a decent anime, 7 feels a bit generous, but it's definitely not a 6. Pretty easy watch, if you look for a light romcom that leans into the fantasy theme then it's recommended.