ivory18 - 2017-03-15 03:33:39

This is amazing. So many emotions. I would recommend to anyone, but you need to have a strong heart. Enjoy it.

valerie.frami - 2017-02-10 17:59:06

It was a nice show to watch but the ending lacked any real punch. I would have loved for something unexpected or spectacular to happen but it just fell a little flat for me.

effertz.easton - 2017-01-30 12:44:40

In my opinion one of the most fantastic, refreshing and underrated animes out there. It’s a new take on the romance and time travelling genres that also brings up a serious issue (suicide). This anime never failed to keep me on edge and wanted to watch more. I still remember fondly watching this anime as it was being released and my impatience for the next episode to be revealed and to grow one step closer to the final chapter of this series. For anyone looking to have a short, heart wrenching feels trip I would recommend this for certain.
Rate: 9.5/10

stokes.sandy - 2017-01-12 16:00:57

Orange, the 2016 summer anime that I had predicted to not only be anime of the season, but anime of the year as well. It is a slice-of-life anime set in high school with some sci-fi elements imbedded into it for a little twist. Orange was made by Telecom Animated Film whom to my knowledge haven’t made anything significant before. This anime started off so well, it had everything going for it at the time and although Telecom being a newbie studio, I had faith that their project could be something really special and blow everyone away.

Story:

Orange follow main character Naho Takamiya and her gang of friends, when a new guy named Kakeru Naruse transfers from Tokyo to her class. You quickly learn that Naho has received a letter from her future self instructing her to befriend him, as well as completing certain tasks that she will end up regretting in the future.

The story has a great start as it explains the premise, and sets up everything you need to know from the get go. Sadly to say though, the story after going strong for a while quickly goes downhill. The story up until the half way point is great to follow as little details are revealed slowly as new information from the future is presented to Naho and more tasks that she needs to accomplish. Details on the new guy Kakeru are also slowly revealed, but half way through the series the story not only becomes lackluster but infuriating to watch.

Characters:

The characters more so than the story were the shinning aspect of the story. Naho’s gang of 5 friends are entertaining and varied in their personalities, and the dialogue and banter between them feels so real it makes you wished you had friends like that. The gang of friends gave me flashbacks of Steins;Gate and their cast, and that is a huge compliment considering that cast is one of my favourite in anime. The characters in Orange might not be individually great, but as a collective they sure are.

But again the second half of the story is a let down. Somewhere down the line the characters lost their sparkle and become so annoying to watch. The main pair Naho and Kakeru suffer from this the most; Naho became the most infuriating character to watch as her shy persona started off cute and endearing, but then quickly devolved into annoying as she struggled with the basics of human interaction. While Kakeru started off as an aloof and all-round likable guy, but then became a lost cause, and no matter what or how hard his friends tried, he didn’t listen and became an even less likable guy as the story continued.

The supporting characters during the second half didn’t get better or worse, but rather just didn’t progress along with the story, and were left behind. New relationships formed between the cast, but none of the members felt fleshed out as the story continued and none of their back stories or motives got explored to the lengths that they should have been. This resulted in me not caring about what happened to the supporting cast, as the story hadn’t given me any reason to care for them.

Animation:

And here is another section that let itself down half way through the series. The art and animation for Orange was amazing at first, the character design felt new and fresh, the background art was splendid and the overall atmosphere presented through the colour palette was well done. However past episode 4 of the series the animation was just horrible to watch, the detail in the art was non-existent, the colours felt either too bright or too dull. It felt like the studio behind Orange wasted their whole animation budget in the first 3 episodes, and considerably dumb down the animation quality in the latter half of the series due to lack of funds. This is a real shame since I thought Orange was one of the best looking shows of the summer season along with Mob Psycho100 and Amanchu!.

Sound:

The sound design in this series is very well done, the background music mended well with the scenes they were in as enhanced the atmosphere of the series as a whole. The standout which showed me how far they thought into their sound design was the inclusion of cicada’s during the summer period, which enhanced the feeling of summer and all the effects that summer brings. The OP and ED were also great to listen to as I hardly ever skipped them, and all the music used in between were also great. The OST on the whole was a thoroughly thought through as everything in the series showed care to it.

The Negatives:

Orange is a series that had a lot of potential, it showed great promise at the start but quickly took a nose drive. The whole second half of Orange; from the story to characters and even the animation made the show not only feel like a chore to watch, but was also disappointing to see considering how strong it started off as. If this anime was done by a more experienced studio that knew how to manage their budget and a better director to add some better writing I think it could have been a strong contender for anime of the year. This was ultimately a show of wasted potential.

tl;dr

Orange is a series that started off great then fell flat, this is a shame considering it was my most anticipated series for the summer season beating out shows like Mob Psycho100 and 91 Days. It has a great story at the start, but then pacing issues as well as bad writing quickly made it lost interest. The characters also follow suite as they were interesting and likable at the start, but the main duo became irritating as they become even worse characters than when they started; whilst the supporting characters didn’t undergo any development at all to further their character progress. The sound was done well and shows thought put into it, whilst the animation was amazing at first but then what I suspect to be mismanagement of funds lead to a drastic decline in animation quality.

Scoring:

Story: 4/10
Characters: 5/10
Animation: 6.5/10
Sound: 8.5/10

[5.2/10]

Enjoyment: 6/10
Overall: 5.6

cruz67 - 2017-01-09 02:44:11

Was fun to watch weekly and discuss, other then that the show was lackluster

weimann.cristal - 2016-12-28 21:34:41

it was one the most sweetest, heart warming anime in along time. Well done! The concept of sendings letters back in time, a love story, and a story about death is really hard to pull off. But wow, a bilizillan stars out of 10!

harber.alverta - 2016-12-28 16:06:41

OK, let’s just start off by saying that this is no ordinary shoujo anime. There is a more serious undertone to it for those that can understand it. What I really like about this anime is that it challenges the stigma of depression and tries to show others what it’s like from the perspective of someone with depression vs. those who don’t have it. In fact, I feel like this is more of a drama than just an everyday, slice-of-life show.

I find that depression is not commonly portrayed in animes which is why I found this show so interesting. I have not interacted with people who have serious depression until this year actually, so this anime really hit home with me. Watching this was actually frightening to me because it made me think of the people I know in real life who might be going through the exact same thing.

There are lot of generic stereotypes used in this show, like parallel worlds and cliche character types, but I still feel like the plot turned out great. Instead of being tacky and overdone, the stereotypes were subtle and contributed to the story. In fact, I feel like these stereotypes are accurate depictions of how different people act in real life. Many people with depression try to hide behind a mask and don’t like to burden others with their problems. The same goes with selfless people.

That’s why I found this show so powerful. It was realistic,relatable, and tackled an issue that we may come across in real life.

A R T:

The art in this anime reminds me of the art in mangas and less like traditional shows on TV, which would make sense since the show is based on a manga. I like that they kept the characters looking identical to the manga.

The low budget/13-episode artwork becomes apparent in some episodes, but I find that that’s what gives some scenes the relief that they need. Otherwise, I find the art to be very pretty!

S O U N D:

THE ENDING SONG HAS SO MANY FEELS. That is all.

C H A R A C T E R:

The characters aren’t all that great when you look at them individually, but put them together and they become something special. The close-knit group of high school friends is pretty cliche, but that’s what I find so charming about this anime.

Naho is the typical shy, polite girl, which I found frustrating at times, but the series did show some good character development so that was good. Though sometimes it felt like she wasn’t learning at all.

Suwa is your ordinary popular, athletic, good guy, but his role in this show is more than that. He pretty much becomes the anchor in this friend group. I’m not sure if I found any favourite characters in this show, but if I had to pick, Suwa would have probably been the closest bet. Selfless, strong, and always able to look on the bright side; this is exactly the kind of character that inspires me.

E N J O Y M E N T / O V E R A L L:

While I do really like fantasy and action, I also do enjoy a good, realistic anime once in a while. If you’re someone who particularly enjoys dramas, this is not one that you want to miss. Even if you’re one to shy away from shoujos and slice-of-lifes, I feel like this is one that everyone needs to watch in order to open your eyes or remind you about depression and that it exists in the world. Besides, it’s only 13 episodes. Such a good message depicted in such a short time.

kertzmann.larue - 2016-12-27 18:26:40

Orange was an incredibly lovely shoujo with beautiful art and a unique plot. The series is also quite well-paced, and rarely draws things out or becomes boring. The characters are incredibly likeable, and the message this series conveys is sweet and heartwarming.

If I had one complaint for Orange, it would be that the science they try to use completely threw me off. Episode 11 tries to explain exactly HOW they were able to send a letter back in time, and it’s so far-fetched and implausible that it just kind of tears a hole in my enjoyment, to be honest. I think I would have been more satisfied if they had left that a supernatural mystery.

Be that as it may, I still found this series to be really cute, romantic, and fun, and would totally recommend it. Just… try to suspend your disbelief.

constantin.lakin - 2016-09-29 04:21:04

Orange strikes me as a typical over-dramatic romance Shoujo with a bit of spicy added to it. 

STORY

Orange starts off a bit different when comparing it to other Shoujos. One evening, our MC Naho gets a letter with information written to herself from her future self. The letter contains the exact events of the day, including the fact that there will be a new transfer student in her class. The Naho of the future gives the present Naho plenty of instructions on what to do, so that she will have no regrets. 

My first problem begins with the time traveling aspect. If the future is ever-changing, then eventually the letters will cease to be helpful. When that happens what will stop Naho from making different mistakes? While the time traveling mechanic was explained, it was done poorly with very obvious info dumping. 

Outside of the letters, this show is your typical run of the mil Shoujo. The main character does a ton of silly mistakes in an attempt to hide her love for the edgy new student. Nothing new at all, but what really bothers me is that someone else already loves her. You can tell by the very first episode. Suwa (the other guy) seems to be very aware of Naho's feelings for the new transfer student. So in words he is willing to be the rebound guy for the main character, which is just really shitty in my opinion. 

My second main problem is how everything seems forced. Nothing in the show feels truly organic, rather everything feels like a poorly placed contrivance. Examples of questions I had about the plot:

1. Why does Naho not ask her friends for help?

2. Why didn’t the future gang just write a detailed letter together and then copy it over?

3. Why does Suwa pickup on Naho’s emotions the fastest?

4. What ever happen to “girl-talk”? Like seriously there’s two other girls.

And there are many more as the story continues. I will not list anymore as they do spoil part of the series. It’s like the story tries up the ante of its melodramatic aspects every episode. Outside of the plot conveniences, the story is way too slow. Every episode contains too much empty space, which leads to an overly boring tone. I honestly wished more things would happen, but most episodes contain nothing but Naho monologuing to herself.  

DIALOGUE 

Now you would think that for a dialogue heavy show, that this would be its selling point. This is not the case. Most of the dialogue feels awkward or forced. The awkwardness typically stems from the joke. Most of the jokes don’t seem that funny, yet the cast still laughs at the jokes. Maybe it’s a cultural thing, but my guess is that the writer doesn’t understand the younger crowd much. The rest of dialogue is driven by melodrama. Other than that there is not much dialogue. Majority of the series is spent on Naho’s monologues. 

“The pain in my foot will go away eventually. But the regret won't.”- Takamiya Naho

CHARACTERS

Most of the characters are very typical and 1 dimensional. Suwa seems to be the only fleshed out and organic feeling character of the series. The rest are bland one hit wonders. At first they seem likable, but eventually they begin to become annoying.

Suwa: Suwa, a natural born leader, acts as the ringleader of their little group. He is very tall, outgoing, handsome and good at sports. He puts others before himself and doesn't seem selfish or petty whatsoever. Overall he’s a great guy, so I’m not sure why Naho doesn't like him. He clearly likes Naho from the very first episode, but also knows her feelings for Naruse. Most of his development happens slowly throughout the series. He makes for an awesome character, but unfortunately he is placed within a bad series. 

Naruse: Naruse is just the edgy new boy that the main girl falls for. The writers seem bend on creating a scenario, where we feel obligated to pity him. His relationship with his mother seems completely contrived for plot convenience, and he acts completely depressed the entire time. Depression creates a very atmosphere when done correctly; however, the subtlety of depression is lost in this series. 

Naho: She is the main character of the series. She’s your typical Mary-sue with nothing that sets her apart from the dozens of other main character within the Shoujo genre. She is painfully stupid to any situation at hand. You can easily count her talents on one hand, and overall she feels bland and unimportant (despite being the MC of the series).

Hagita: The nerdy friend who’s kinda funny. In all honestly it is easy to forget he exist within the series sometimes. He lightens the mood usually, but overall he gains no character development. 

Taka: The tomboy of the group. She's honestly just a tomboy. 

Azu: The short girl of group. She brings them bread, and laughs a lot when nothing is funny. She seems to have a crush on Hagita. 

AUDIO & VISUAL

The animation overall is decent. There are a lot of random cut angles and horrible freeze frames. The director sticks to the typical shojo directing style (lots of randomly panning and jump scenes). The character designs seem uninspiring, but overall the animation is the best part of this show. 

The music is bland and very forgettable. The opening seems very fitting; however, the ending track carry over a melancholy feeling. Outside of the opening, the OST does not make much an impact either.

CONCLUSION

Regret is a powerful thing, but only when used correctly. If characters fail to move pass their arctypes, then it renders the theme of regret useless. Even when we approach the end, it feels like the series accomplishes nothing. It fails to show the future that many wanted and leaves the audience with a blank and questionable ending. Overall you would be better off watching something like Ano Hana or My Little Monster. Both of those series handle their story, characters and plot much better. 

FINAL GRADE

D

elton.littel - 2016-08-17 23:48:39

All in all this anime, in my opinion, gives a refreshing take on the Romance genre in general. For example there is no love rivals, there is no real jealously, and there is no true teenage drama that interferes and frankly boring. That usually becomes repetitive and ultimately is just lazy writing, but this Anime/Manga is about saving someone in a group of friends. It is about love and loss and regaining what they had once lost, even if that is only in, at least in this anime universe (multiverse theory), is saving that someone in a different dimension. Even the one who would expect to become the said "Love Rival" is actually the one pushing the two that are attracted to each other the hardest and also, aside from the main character, working the hardest, that we've seen, to save the their friend. That is just a general overview of the story and the characters within it. You will see some rather cliche's that anyone would typically see in any story, but the how it is approached in the actual story makes it seem refreshing. Now one final thought, as a man, I do highly recommend this Romance story, it is very beautifully told.