Orange - Reviews

I normally don't write anime reviews, but this one I had to write about.

After the first two episodes the series caught my attention, it has a interesting plot: changing the future with info from the future. But as a got deeper into the series, it wasn't all that great.

story.
as I said the plot is certainly interesting but it lacks content. A episode is about one day in the anime. And not  lot happens. Some conversations, normal school stuff. There is no action or something to make it interesting. The story seems to progress very slow to me. I stalled the series for quite some time.

But today i  picked it up again and watched the last  few episodes, and i am glad i did. It made me realise it has got FEELS (yes capitals were needed) It made my cry , even when I usually dont, only 3 anime series before managed to do that. It also has very memorable moments, especially the ending, it is great and solid.

Characters
Every one of them has a distinct personally, and is being realistic. EXEPT for Naho.
That girl is so socially incapable it is just painfully to watch. She cant say no, the cant say what she wants to say, and she lies in her tries to comfort people, futile, as the others can clearly see that.

And Kakeru doesn't make things better, because he hides the truth, build a fake smile so everything seems all right even when he is in deep trouble. watching the two of them being together is the most awkward television ever.  I am watching and i was like " Come on just say it already" but they dont. they rather avoid the subject or just run away from each other. pathatic.

Rating
Dont pin me on the rating, i am not good at it anyway
If the it wasnt for the feels on olny would have given it a 3.5 out of 5. but it has feels. and really good ones too. that why i gave it a 4 star rating.

Les personnnages sont bannales. L'histoire de Naruse est intéréssante mais bon faut qu'il aille voir un psy. Naho la filles insuportable qui au moment décisif prend les pire décisions. Le wtf du voyage dans le temps... Quelques bonnes émotions mais si rare pour un anime qui est censé en ètre rempli... L'anime est vraiment très très lent en terme de rythme. Regarder Ano Ana ou clannad à la place.

Must be only for hardcore romantic types

Romance anime or any kind of romance for that matter is pretty far outside of my comfort zone. Orange bored me to the point where I could watch beyond episode two. There was nothing witty or clever in the conversation. The story hook, while interesting enough to keep me around for episode two, was treated too normally.

GOOD GOD

Earlier today, I sat down to watch Orange. It had been years since the last time I heard about it, so I thought "meh, this is just going to be another cliché romance and stuff". But boy, was I wrong!

I see many people saying how 'nothing really happens' and they 'don't care about what's gonna happen to the characters' and I can only see that as a lack of empathy, or maybe just a lack of experiences. For anyone who's ever been remotely close to a suicidal, depression situation, this anime is very touching and beautiful. It really brings you to the edge of your seat, asking yourself if they'll manage to protect the (very lovely and well-built) Kakeru from his own thoughts and fears. It is also very eye-opening, showing us that sometimes, people very close to you are hurting, and kind words and support can save them.

Listen, if you're looking for a more "graphic" shoujo (you know what I mean), or just a sugary romance that will make you feel at ease, Orange is not for you. Orange brings us the real world, with a light shining through the horrible things we face. No one is a lost cause, we can build the future we want and there is always hope. That's what Orange teaches us.

If this were based on the finale alone, the score would be much higher. Unfortunately, Orange wobbles uncertainly towards a masterful conclusion.

Animation and Sound: I'll lump these together since its pretty standard, with a somewhat forgettable OP. The animation rarely gets a moment to shine, but is decent enough that it isn't distracting. 

Characters: Overall, the characters are solid, but it is what they go through that irks me more (but we'll get to that). The group of friends are a close bunch, with Kakeru, Naho and Suwa being the standouts. Their dynamic is great, both in the high school setting as well as the stuff in the future. The other three (Azu, Hagita and Takako) are also welcome additions to the witty writing in the fleeting but not uncommon comedic moments. There aren't really any other noticeable characters in the cast except for Ueda-senpai, who spends most of her time being the moustache-twirling villain in the way of Naho and Kakeru being together. She's fine as an antagonist, with great voice acting, and that goes for the rest of the cast as well. 

Story: The big thing that drags the story in Orange for me is the inconsitency. It is either really compelling and emotional (like the firework scene or the entirety of the finale) or it falls flat attempting to justify a weak reason for characters' actions or events happening (like the entire concept of sending the letter back in time). Take the athletic meet "arc", for example. It spends so much time focusing on information we already know of, like Kakeru telling his friends about his mother, of which both us and the friends are already privy to, and their reactions to the news only amplifies the issue. The final act of this arc revolves around the friends completing the relay race together and cheering on Kakeru. This is fine in itself, but it borders on being too happy and cheerful that it starts to become irritating. This arc is also the prelude to the conflict that originally drove Kakeru to suicide, and the big twist is that despite the letters warnings, Naho causes the argument for a second time.

However, this time the reasoning behind it feels so jarring, considering Kakeru has had his friends' support in the race earlier, switching back to being bitter about his mother and worrying about his grandmother feels like massive whiplash for a character that had already come to terms with those issues a few episodes earlier. It's thankful that the fallout of the argument sets up the finale well, and the finale itself is truly amazing. It's just so baffling to have a dip in logic for characters that seemed to already come full circle 3 episodes before the finale only to f*** it all up. 

Finale is on the level of Clannad After Story, though.