Overview:
I reviewed the first episode of this when it was airing but ultimately dropped the show because it wasn’t really my sort of thing, plus I had a lot of other shows in my line up last season. However, I picked it up after it completed airing to watch through. The story follows Kotaro and Akane as they muddle their way through their first real romance.
Review:
I’m keeping this short because there isn’t a lot for me to say on this that I haven’t already said elsewhere. This is a really sweet story, but it is also really slow and full of characters who are so busy being shy and cute and relatable that it sends this story into the overly sleepy category where I find myself getting frustrated just by watching. That isn’t to say there aren’t some great moments in the story but watching the inbetween as they go about their daily lives, consult with friends, message each other, wait for a message from the other; it all just bored me a little too much.
The other issue I had with this series is the art itself as all the characters are excessively shiny and the shading on their faces is at times outright distracting. Okay, that’s my personal view but I found myself watching where the light spots and streaks would move as the characters did rather than reading the subs or listening and then I’d have to go back again and rewatch a conversation that ultimately I wasn’t too interested in.
However, that isn’t to say I wouldn’t recommend this title. It really is a cute romance and for people who don’t want explosive fights or fast paced action or dialogue, this is a very real story. It looks in depth at the genuine trials of being young and the first time you fall in love. And most people find it a very beautiful anime to look at.
There’s some pleasant surprises in the story. They don’t take the whole season to get to a confession or start dating. They actually progress to that point fairly early on considering how incredibly shy and uncertain both of the main characters are. They do introduce rivals but they don’t stretch this out to far and it is actually dealt with in a reasonably direct and mature manner. The support cast feel like real classmates and the like rather than tropes and they add some real substance to the story.
But of course there’s also the usual standards that we need to go through with this kind of story including miscommunications, jealosy, uncertainty, tears and stubborness. None of these things are bad as they are standards in the genre for a reason and they are, for the most part, handled well. Just every now and then it seemed like they were adding drama just for the sake of trying to stir up the story a bit though.
Ultimately, I’m glad I watched it through but I’m not going for a rewatch of this one. Neither of the main characters grabbed me in a way the cast of Kimi ni Todoke or similar titles did where despite the slow pace I found myself really looking forward to the next episode. However, if you are into romance and you haven’t checked this one out yet, it is probably worth your time.
Thanks for reading.
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Thanks,
Karandi James.
Hmm, on the one hand I’m curious about this one, on the other hand I already have way too much I still need to watch, and this is not my usual cup of tea. These days though I am willing to give pretty much anything a try, so I have added it to my list 😊 As always great review ! 😀
I actually found Tsuki ga Kirei more valuable for the friendship aspect than the romance one. Love is certainly fragile, but my life experience as it is reflected in Tsuki ga Kirei resonated more with Chinatsu than with either Kotaro or Akane combined, which is why I felt it necessary to include her in both of my reviews on the anime. I hate it when fans and critics only dive into the romance part of this series, and forget that it also has a take on youth and friendship as well.
On a side note, Tsuki ga Kirei may have been the catalyst for me to start thinking about dating again, after a 10-year hiatus of being so scared of hurting someone. The animation style and slow plot development may not have been appealing to you, but it forced me to contemplate on things that I was once afraid of. Thanks for revisiting the series.
It’s great that you gained something while watching the show.
Hmmm, I’ll have to look into this one a little more. Thanks for your thoughts 🙂
On paper this isn’t really the kind of show that would grab my attention but I found myself eagerly anticipating every new episode. You touched on some of this, but the characters and the interactions just felt very genuine.
In a genre that so very often over-complicates itself with drama (Fuuka) or ends with a bittersweet feeling (any Makoto Shinkai story), the straight simple romance of Tsuki ga Kirei was refreshing and sweet.
It is certainly sweet and I fully see why this show appealed to so many of you when it was airing. While it isn’t for everyone, those after a simple but sweet romance are going to have a lot of fun watching this.
I saw a lot of praise for this while it was airing and it was one of those kinds where the words used to compliment it made me go ‘ok definitely not watching it nope’. I’m sure you’re not surprised to hear that given what you’ve seen of my tastes. Thanks for the review – it was good to see your take on this.
Yep, not surprised this one isn’t appealing to you. I honestly knew going back to this series where I would probably end up, but it just got so much praise I had to at least give it a go to the end. And in honesty, I didn’t hate it. I just never really got into it.
I am so going to have to give this a chance; thanks for reviewing!!
If you are in to more real romance and you like cute, this will definitely work.