austin97 - 2013-03-30 21:30:54

Utakoi is an adaption of various classical Japanese poems that were written during the Heian period. Most of the stories are about love that can't be requited due to social statuses, court politics, arranged marriages, or similar obstacles. This gives the anime a very melancholic and hopeless feel. There is the occasional happy ending though. The show is steeped in history and imperial court culture. Whether that's a good thing or not will depend on you, but I found that a very enjoyable aspect of the show. The primary character and couple frequently changes, but all of them share some kind of relationship to each other. For example, the first segment follows a man names Narihira and his affair with an imperial consort. The next segment follows Narihira's brother and his wife, and a later episode follows the imperial consort's son.

The animation is what jumps out the most. It uses the same style as Gankustuou: The Count of Monte Cristo except far less gaudy and in your face. It's a visually pleasing and unique style. There are also some unique stylistic choices that work very well with the setting. For example, the way the clouds are drawn gives it a ukiyo-e feel.

If you enjoy historical or romantic anime, then I would strongly recommend Utakoi. But if you don't typically enjoy one of those two genres, then it's unlikely that Utakoi will change that.