Waiting in the Summer - Reviews

       Ano Natsu de Matteru Group Picture (Waiting in the Summer Group Picture)

This was the surprise of winter 2012 anime for me. I was really skeptical going into this show, because it looked like it could have been quite a boring harem, or just bland overall.

But it didn't; it blew away my expectations for the better. And I'm here to explain why you should give this anime a chance. Here goes:

Story: 9/10

The story's development is really unique. It starts with a strange occurence: what seems like an alien ship crashes to Earth and the protagonist, Kaito, is of course in the mix of things. With this being said, the show starts out with an air of mystery. Apparently our other main character, Ichika, is from "out of the country" but we all know what's going on here...

The romance is thick in this show. This is evident from the second episode on. Many love triangles ensue. The thing is, this show does them very well. The story so far is paced wonderfully and every episode has a "cliffhanger" type feel to it. It makes you want to see the next episode immediately.

The story's main plot is one that focuses on a couple of friends spending a summer together to film a movie. Through this filming, many relationships are established as well as broken.

Furthermore, the romance is done very well - you won't see characters think only to themselves about loving/liking someone else. Instead, the characters ACTUALLY TAKE ACTION. This is hugely important and unique in a time filled with bland romance shows in which the main character is either in a harem and does not choose a lover at the end - or the romance simply develops in the final episodes of the show, creating a rushed feel.

This show is different BECAUSE it actually pursues each characters' feelings. Confessions actually happen in this show. And they are done fantastically. The story gets a 9 because it delivers romantically as well as comedically. The comedy is absolutely hilarious because of our troll, Remon. She is truly a devil, but more on that in the character section.

The overall feel of the story so far is a comedic, yet VERY serious romance in which each characters' feelings are explored very well. It should also be noted that there is a fair bit of fanservice in here.

Sound - 8/10

The opening to the anime is decent, but I usually skip it because I do not particularly love it. For me to listen to an opening, it has to either be catchy or just plain damn good. I recommend you listen to it though, because I am just too picky with music.

That being said, the music employed throughout the show is not necessarily memorable, but it is there and it can add to the mood (especially the comedy).

** Finally, the ending theme is great, which is a huge bonus. Once the episode ends, you are greeted with a nice soothing ending upon which you can reflect on what you just saw that episode. Typically the ending of each episode is full of romantic suspense and this ending adds to that feeling greatly. I can't say enough about how this ending evokes emotions from you and is REALLY well placed. Great piece of music.

Character - 10/10

The characters are great in this show. All of them are unique, although some can be a bit cliche. However, the fact that they all actually try to pursue their wanted romance really adds to it.

Anyway I digress;

Ishigaki, Tetsurou
This character is probably one of my favorite just because he is so realistic. He (of course as this is a romance show) loves one of the other characters, a childhood friend, but she is of course oblivious because she is in love with somebody else. He wants nothing for her to be happy, so he actually assists her in her pursuit of love.

Kirishima, Kaito
What you would call the "protagonist" in this anime. He is a shaggy haired, big glasses, and somewhat awkward fellow - yet you can't help but like him. He is of course caught in a love triangle, but his love for one girl in particular is evident. Kaito turned out to be a fantastic character.

Kitahara, Mio
Mio is quiet and is unnoticed by the one she loves. Twists in the plot will frequently pair her up with her lover, yet she is too shy to do anything. She really starts to shine mid way through the anime and grows as a character.

Takatsuki, Ichika
The "other" protagonist of which we are introduced to in the first moments of the show. She is a peculiar character from "out of the country" and is immediately accepted at school. There is a notable shift in her maturity in the sense that she matures (mentally, of course) drastically and realizes that she must take action. She is really a great character as you will see for yourself later down the road.

Tanigawa, Kanna
She is also involved in a love triangle, and she too is a very likable character. At first, she seems to put lots of effort into making the man she loves notice her and to actually see that she loves him. But these are indirect attempts. She realizes this, and claims that she simply has to be herself. Her development as a character was heavy in the first episodes on the anime. She seems to like the spotlight and is always getting herself involved in situations. However, don't take this to mean that she is obnoxious. She is very tolerable and only really tries to take the spotlight so the one she loves actually takes notice of her.

Yamano, Remon
She is the troll of this show and my favorite character. She is a favorite most likely because she is just so devious and hilarious. She is not involved romantically, but she really knows how to be a sort of cupid in this anime. She seems to be omniscient and manipulates all the other characters frequently and hilariously. She rules the comedy department.

Enjoyment - 10/10

I just really have enjoyed this show so far. The characters all seem real and are likable. The situations they find themselves in are also just hilarious. I can't say enough about how much I have actually enjoyed this anime. But I don't want to go crazy and go on a rant. Just know that this anime really is quite enjoyable!

Overall - 9/10

This show gets a 9 because it has delivered pretty well on all fronts and is definitely one of the better anime of the season. Thoroughly enjoyable.

Many compare this to "Onegai Teacher", but I have personally not seen that show. Therefore, my claims that it is unique may be slightly biased in a sense, but it really is refreshing to see a romance done so well and realisitically.

Those coming in expecting a drama similar to AnoHana will be disappointed. This show is a standalone and a whole different anime. AnoHana focused on the drama of letting a loved one go, while also incorporating romantic drama on the side. AnoNatsu is filled with romantic drama and is where it shines. Therefore, it is hard-pressed for one to compare these two anime so closely because they are so vastly different. One key point is that both of these anime incorporate drama heavily and fantastically. All in all, you must go into this show with a clear frame of mind, or at least an open mind to ensure maximum enjoyment.

With all of that said, alll comments, good or bad are appreciated. I'd prefer constructive criticism, but you can't stop the trolls haha.

Hopefully you find this review helpful - if not, be sure to let me know WHY so I can try and clear some things up.

Thanks and enjoy the show folks :)

As I’ve said for many years, I love the typical, oft cliche slice of life romance genre of anime. I’m sure that most people reading this review have seen at least a few examples of these tropes; the lead male protagonist meets an exotic girl and they slowly fall in love over the course of a series. I mean who could love a genre that does the same thing over, and over, and over again? Obviously some idiot who has no good taste in anime.

Joking aside, what brings me and other lovers of slice of life back to the genre again and again is the unique twists that each anime puts on the same formula. For some anime it’s strongly written, complex, relatable characters. For others it’s animation that makes the characters seem real to its audience. Still other anime try to connect to the viewer on a personal level. Whatever direction an anime takes, it should grant the viewer a unique viewing experience that’s at the very least entertaining but also hopefully thought provoking and emotionally captivating.

So what is it that distinguishes Ano Natsu de Matteru from other anime in the genre?

FIGURE 1: YOU GET A CONFESSION! YOU GET A CONFESSION! EVERYONE GETS A CONFESSION!

People who praise Ano Natsu commend the characters’ willingness to take actions on their feelings. Confessions are certainly an exciting part of romance anime, but they only work if the audience is invested in the characters confessing their feelings. The problem with Ano Natsu is that the characters are simply not interesting enough for the viewer to care about what happens to them. That’s not to say that the characters don’t have their moments; in particular I thought Kanna Tanigawa was a surprisingly good third wheel character by the end, and I absolutely loved Remon Yamano’s aberrant yet hilarious contributions to the ensemble. Kanna does an excellent job of getting the viewer to root for her through her fierce determination, despite it being evident from the beginning that there’s no chance that she’ll have a happy ending. She stood out a little more because the lead girl wasn’t the most interesting, but even on her own I’d consider her a pretty strong character. Remon almost single handedly saved Ano Natsu from the “mediocrity zone.” She’s the only character in the anime whose archetype isn’t ridiculously overused (childhood friend, exotic girlfriend, shy quiet girl with a secret etc.). She seemed to help advance the plot along when it got stale, and she was always guaranteed to provoke a few laughs when on screen.

The rest of the main ensemble, by contrast, seemed to be retreads of characters that we’ve seen before. Honestly I thought that this anime was the type of show Haruhi Suzumiya had in mind when she was filming her own movie. You have the bishonen friend (Tesurou/Koizumi), the quiet girl there for fanservice (Mio/Mikuru), and while certainly not the same in personality, there’s still the obligatory alien character (Ichika/Yuki). The difference that makes The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya a modern classic and Ano Natsu de Matteru simply a solid anime from the early part of the decade is that Haruhi Suzumiya played with the tropes that made up these characters and developed them before the characters started confessing to each other left and right. Ano Natsu seemed to not give the characters full development until after they made their feelings known, which makes the scenes far less effective and the plot sequencing seem almost backward.

The technicals of Ano Natsu aren’t really anything to write home about. The animation in Ano Natsu is definitely above average, but not to the level of Tatsuyuki Nagai’s other works. I didn’t feel the same impact in the character animation as I did from his other works, particularly Toradora! and The Anthem of the Heart. Looking back, the characters did appear expressive, but not in a way that really stood out like in Nagai’s other works. Sometimes it’s difficult to know whether the animation was inferior due to budget/time restraints, lesser source material, or substandard direction. Quality aside, I was surprised to see the level of fanservice in Ano Natsu that wasn’t present in Nagai’s other works. It seemed like there were breast shots and crotch shots at every opportunity, which was incredibly awkward for an anime of this tone. I admit that I’m a bit of a prude when it comes to fanservice, but even then many of the fanservice shots just seemed random and distracting. The voice acting and music were mostly passable. I swear though that the opening music could have been replaced by the music from Destiny of a Shrine Maiden and no one would have known the difference.

Despite Ano Natsu de Matteru being solidly above average, I find it hard to recommend over Tatsukyuki Nagai’s other anime, or even anime of similar quality in the slice of life genre. While Ano Natsu doesn’t make any major mistakes, it doesn’t have enough distinguishing qualities (besides the fact that the characters confess a lot) to make it stand out in the ocean that is slice of life. But if you’re a fan of the genre (or Nagai’s work in general), it’s worth checking out. Just don’t expect it to be one of the greatest anime you’ve ever seen.

I've become rather tired of these kind of anime to be honest..It's mostly the same story,almost identical characters,same unimaginatice writing..And you have to wonder why they appeal to such high percentage of the populace.I mean is there really anything special about them?

Oh yes there is..The "special" people that watch them..And don't think i mean special like charismatic special..Oh hell no,i mean like special needs special.These anime are for the sort of people who cry their eyes out and can't sleep at night when the soap runs out and they have to throw away the package the soap came in..And that leads straight into a problem.And the problem is that to please these people you have to throw away any good ideas you might have and write the most generic piece of shit ever to exist in god's green earth.

So what u end up with is Ano Natsu de Matteru.An anime that can easily be described as the "Bold and the beatiful" of the anime industry..Basically you get some shitty story,a bad case of romanticitis,throw in the mix some harem spice and some really really bad comedy cheese and then garnish the whole thing with some love octagon lard.

And when i say love octagon i do really mean love octagon...Well without the love octagon good attributes...Here someone loves someone else and that someone else loves someone else which loves someone else but that someone else is in love with the 2nd someone else...I know it's hard to follow..And that sums up the whole anime really..Hard to follow and more harder to watch.Cause the situations this gathering creates are the most idiotic and irritating possible.After watching 3 eps i was in the brink of booking a ticket to Japan,meet the guys who wrote this monstrosity and gun them down with an AK47.And like i said previously it's the same with every character in these romantic soap fuck operas..Why the hell would you make characters that makes the audience fill with rage and poor blood from every hole?It would be tons and tons better if they all run through a burning meth lab and died in a tragic explosion..Yes they all were that bad.

Story?Well this is more or less a remake of Please Teacher,which was another idiotic piece of turd.You got the alien broad that came crashing to earth,then meets a hideously ugly chap they fall in love and that's it..Interested are you?

Animation was bad to say the least..I've definitely seen worse but that doesn't mean anything.

Wanna watch it?Go ahead,be my guest..Just don't come crying to me cause you know what i'm gonna say,right?I told you so..

Watch the original

Ok, so bad reviews aren't really my thing, but since it seems this series has been getting a lot of attention (for understandable reasons) I figured I might as well give my two cents. So first things first I guess, my expectations going in... I expected more of an AnoHana-esque series. Obviously it was unrealistic to expect another AnoHana, but just something along those lines. I wasn't expecting a complete rehashing of Please Teacher. I know that it was a reunion of most of the Onegai staff, but a good number of them also contributed on AnoHana and obviously AnoHana being much more recent, it wasn't unreasonable this think that would be the direction of Ano Natsu. But as I've said, that was not the case. So now that you have my context, we'll get into some of the knitty gritty. Granted, I liked Please Teacher a lot (you can see my review), but I was very put-off by the whole copycat vibe through the 1st half of the series primarily (but throughout the series as well). That's a big reason for the (generously) chasming score on the story. It's one thing to copy a good series, it's another to be a much lesser copy. And that's what Ano Natsu is through the 1st half, a much lesser rehashing of Please Teacher. There's no argument. Zero originality through the 1st half. The 2nd half does bring in some originality and highlights the positive aspects of the series. That is with exception of the ending. But we'll get to that later. So it doesn't seem like I'm just a total hater I will take some time to go over the positive aspects of Ano Natsu. The series retains the strong animation and solid music of its predecessor. The voice acting is admittedly superior. That was certainly a weakness in Please Teacher which is why it was one of the very rare series I preferred the Dub. The characters become an interesting comparison. Same character archetypes are used in both series. The leads are far superior in Please Teacher. However, the secondary characters are far more significant and interesting in Ano Natsu. So there's more depth in that department. My fav character had to be Tetsu. Also liked Rinon's comic relief more so than Marie's (from Please Teacher). Hated the blue-haired girl though, as well as the Please Twins version of Moreno (aka Remon). I never understood why Moreno became a total creeper in Please Twins after being a respectable secondary character in Please Teacher. But I digress. So the biggest (and only) strength Ano Natsu has story-wise is the completely ridiculous romance polygon. It almost seems like everybody loves everybody else lol. And considering all I really got out of the series was comedic value, that was indeed a strength. And this ties back in to the greater character depth. The secondary characters do provide a good bit of substance to Ano Natsu. I get the feeling that most people cared more about the secondary characters than the primary characters in this series. And here's a little note before I get to the crux of the matter here. When it comes to opinions on Ano Natsu: If you watched Please Teacher (like me) you probably didn't like the 1st half of the series and liked the 2nd. If you didn't watch Please Teacher you probably liked the 1st half and didn't like the 2nd. But one thing both parties can/ should agree on is that the ending is absolutely terrible. One of the worst endings I've ever seen. Like going into ep 10 (yes, I'm going a little further back) given a reasonable ending I probably would've given this series a 6.5-7. Hell, if it was good maybe a 7.5 (not really). But this thing just absolutely tanked, so now we're left with a generous 5. So what happened? *Spoilers, if you really care* A bunch of random nonsense with Mechas and MIB and wtf. But the "best" part... You get to the actual ending. You're telling yourself, at least there's finally gonna be some resolution now for the main pairing. And for probably the first time in the series you actually care what happens to them and want them to be together. But NO. And it's not even like the ending's sad/ touching, it just makes you angry that you wasted you life watching the 2nd half of the series. So my immediate advice is in the title, go watch Please Teacher. But to be fair I will say, if you want something with a little more of an SoL vibe rather than a romance you may enjoy Ano Natsu. The thing is, you could classify both Ano Natsu and Please Teacher as rom coms, but Please Teacher is definitely heavier in the rom aspect and Ano Natsu is more SoL to me than com. But no matter how you look at it, Ano Natsu is a well below average series in my book, 5 out of 10.

My anime reviews are always simple, short and straight-forward and is 100% spoilers-free.

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Sci-fi, Shounen, Slice of Life

Additional Info: Love Pentagon, if you know what it means.

Ending Rating: 88%

Short Review:

An excellent anime overall. The anime has a nice blend of comedy, drama and romantic moments and also mix that with a litte bit of intense action scenes. There will be scenes where you will feel like you wanted lock the door and sulk but still doesn't make this anime not worth of giving a try.