Daily Archives: July 19, 2014

0First Impressions, One Week Friends

First (And Final) Thoughts: One Week Friends

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I recently read the description of Isshuukan Friends (One Week Friends) and immediately went to check out the first episode. I was expecting a heart-warming slice of life anime with fun and sweet moments.

What I got was pretty much the opposite.

First off, the premise of the show sounded very interesting. A girl who can’t make friends because every Monday she forgets any memory she has of being with someone she wants to be close to. And a boy who still wants to be her friend even though he knows this. It could easily become a very sweet, memorable (ha ha) romance. Or just a wonderful tale about friendship.

Instead we get forgettable characters (with even MORE forgettable designs), unnatural and forced dialogue, and events so unrealistic it hurts. (Every anime should have a sense of realism to SOME degree, and should ESPECIALLY be realistic when said anime is a Slice of Life!) Often times, characters say things that are obviously directed towards the viewers which causes the flow of dialogue to come off theatrical.

Character relationships were very unnatural and everything just felt kind of like a big jumbled mess.

I couldn’t believe how shallow the main guy, Hase, was. The only thing he likes about the girl is the fact she’s pretty. If that’s the core of his feelings, I don’t want a romance.

The art isn’t anything to praise either. It looks nice, but there’s nothing that really makes it stand out. Which is ironic considering how gorgeous the manga covers are.

The animation isn’t a strong point either. Character movements are choppy in pretty much…er…every scene. Just look at this:

I think the absolute worst part of this anime is how badly they throw things out of proportion. They act as if her Monday memory loss is the end of the world. And I don’t understand WHY Fujimiya, the main girl, has to keep it a secret in the first place. They don’t even bother to tell you the reason why she forgets everything on Mondays. Or why it’s only selective memory loss. (Even if they explain this later, it still won’t make sense as to why it’s only certain types of memories.) She’s able to remember her family members, just not friends.

What?

Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that impossible? I’ve never heard of anything like that.

And if she KNOWS that she forgets on Monday, why doesn’t she just keep a diary? A daily log so she remembers people and what she did that day? There. I just solved the idiotic excuse for melodrama using logic.

It could be hard and tiring to keep up a diary like that, but if she REALLY wants friends like they make it sound, it’s not that big a deal.

Like I said, this anime is just a mess. I’m disappointed, Isshuukan Friends, I really am.

But…I have a two episode anime rule, so I will be looking at the next episode. Though, since you could solve the “problem” (Fujimiya’s memory loss) in this anime using simple logic, it’s overall nothing but forced drama with idiots that can’t think.

EDIT:

Well, in episode 2, they took my advice and got Fujimiya a diary. However, it’s really not interesting enough to, well, keep me interested.

Dropped.

All

Usagi Drop

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  • Characters: 3  /3
  • Story: 2.5  /3
  • Enjoyment: 2  /2
  • Art: 1  /1
  • Animation: 1  /1

Overall Score: 9.5/10

Usagi Drop in one word: WarmFuzziesForEveryone

Usagi Drop (Bunny Drop) is…an anime I completely fell head-over-heels for. All the way from the art to the characters; it’s a series that only makes me WISH there were more like it.

Rin was too adorable for words. Her character is just so rare to find in anime, she really is unique. I don’t understand why kids in anime can’t just act like kids. The reason I loved Rin was because of how realistic she was. I’ve always detested lolis. Sexualization of little girls is something that makes me physically nauseous. (I’m not joking in the least.) Usagi Drop is the perfect example of how children SHOULD be viewed in anime. Which is, exactly how they are in real life.

I also had lots of love for Daikichi. The sacrifices he made for Rin were what truly made me respect him. Asking to be demoted for the sake of being able to pick up Rin from nursery school on time, quitting smoking and drinking, and overall just changing himself for the better are some of the things that made me love his character so much.  The relationship between Rin and him is the heart of Usagi Drop and every second of their journey is enjoyable. The story is very simple, yet it’s executed brilliantly. Even the side characters in this show are very well done and lovable.

Another thing I especially loved about Usagi Drop was the fact they used actual children to voice the kids in this show. None of those loli/shota voices that sound like the seiyuu has bile in their throats. I had plenty of “aww!” moments just from hearing the kids laughing when they were playing at school. In fact, every seiyuu in this anime sounded natural. There were no lines that sounded forced or contrived in the least.

The art in Usagi Drop is different and I love it to DEATH. It’s a wonderful change from all the overly bright and shiny coloring seen in all the anime nowadays. (The colors are always so overdone, it’s like looking at unicorn barf.) The animation is also very well done, and the little extra movements such as the bouncing of hair or additional walking frames are animation treats. It’s flawless.

Even the music in this anime is beautiful. I can’t help but bounce along whenever the opening and ending play. The piano used in the background is gorgeous and always fits with the scene playing.

I loved Usagi Drop so much that when I watched the last episode, I had no idea it was the last episode! I was enjoying myself so much, I flew through the series and didn’t even realize I was at the end. I clicked the “next episode” button twice before I realized there was no next episode. I couldn’t believe how into the story I was that I didn’t even know what episode I was on.

So to sum it up:

Pros: Pretty much…everything! It’s beautiful, it’s wholesome, it’s clean, it’s fun, it’s sweet, and its execution of turning a simple story into a masterpiece is brilliant. The art, animation, characters, story, and music are all excellent. This series is warm fuzzies all around and just…makes you feel happy. Usagi Drop is realistic and gives new standard to the Slice of Life genre.

Cons: The only possible con I can find is that the story events skip around a bit.

Worth watching? If you’re a fan of the josei or slice of life genres, (especially if you’re a fan of the movie Wolf Children) Usagi Drop is an absolute MUST. If you want a well written story with excellent characters that will make you smile, this is the anime for you. I can’t even begin to describe how much I came to love Usagi Drop.

 

((I’ll save you the trouble though and say do NOT read the manga. At least, the second half. I have no idea WHAT the author was thinking. It ruins everything that is Usagi Drop.))