In short Here lies a slice of life anime so superb, it could make a plant grow roots in concrete. Alas, my attention span, like a restless toddler, demands a constant dose of drama, leaving this masterpiece to wither away in the barren wasteland of my boredom.
At length This show is like a warm hug on a cold day. The kind of show that makes you want to curl up in a blanket and forget about all your worries for a while. It’s charming, it’s cute and it’s as relaxing as it ever could be.
On top of all of that, look who decided to take a break from all the murder and mayhem! Ufotable, the masters of action-packed anime in my eyes, have actually proven that they’re not just murder junkies. In fact, they can do cute and calming just as well as they can do extremely detailed fights and explosions. This show may not have any fights to speak of, but that doesn’t make it any less stellar.
It’s like ufotable took a step back from all the chaos and decided to smell the flowers for a change. And you know what? It suits them. The animation is just as gorgeous as ever, but instead of slicing and dicing, it’s all about the small moments. The way a hamburger slowly changes its colour while cooking under high heat, the way a smile spreads across someone’s face after a spoon full of ramen, or even the individual fishes in the fish stall. It’s the little things that make this show shine. This takes the every frame is a masterpiece saying and turns it into a motto.
Alright, let’s get real here. As much as I loved the calming atmosphere of this show, I have to admit that it got stale real fast. It’s like eating your favourite food every day for a month straight. Sure, it’s great at first, but eventually, you start to crave something else. Anything else.
I mean, don’t get me wrong, I’m all in for relaxation and taking it easy… says the guy who’s dropped almost all shows from the genre, case in point; K-ON, Tonikawa, Iroduku, Snow White with the Red hair, Adachi to Shimamura, Wotakoi and the list goes on.
But still! This show takes it to a whole new level. It’s like watching paint dry. Sure, it’s pretty to look at, but after a while, you start to wonder why you’re still staring at it. The show isn’t made for people like me whose attention span requires a constant dose of manufactured drama to stay engaged. As the episodes rolled on, I couldn’t help but feel like I was being lulled into sleep. It’s like the show was giving me a sedative without even trying. I appreciate a good slow burn as much as the next person, but this was starting to feel like a sleeping pill disguised as an anime.
It was fun while it lasted, but it didn’t last long.