kohler.brennon - 2016-02-07 01:53:35

kraig.feest - 2014-09-14 03:38:50

LATER SEASONS ARE BETTER BUT IT HAS ITS OWN SPECIAL KIND OF CHARM TO IT

uoconnell - 2014-09-10 21:55:25

Let me just start off to say I'm basing this review to include all the show's seasons, all the way up to the final OVA. I'm writing this review to give my little thoughts about this series but mostly it's really just a guide on what to expect for people who want to watch this. No use being too critical about this show since it's really laid-back and you could just turn off your brain for a second and let the 22 minute ride take you away. With that said, let's begin.

Hidamari Sketch is an anime series adapted from a manga of the same name. Produced by studio Shaft and it stretched for 4 seasons keeping a constant 12-episode per season with each given its own respective OVAs. These OVAs are nothing really special and they might as well just be a continuation to the title they represent but I highly recommend watching it since mostly these episodes are best ones and for more wide material.

Story:   

Our protagonist, Yuno, is a newly-admitted art student at Yamabuki Arts High School. Being her first time away from home; she currently resides at Hidamari Apartments along with other residents who are also students of the same school. Yuno experiences different scenarios in her everyday life both as a student as well as a tenant of the apartment alongside her new found friends. 

The story is really plain and simple and to a more extent really generic.  High school art students doing cute art student things. Short sweet and to the point. Despite it being a typical school life anime, it doesn't really focus only on the character's school adventures but rather their life in Hidamari Apartments as well.Seeing the premise, this show is something that doesn't really require much brain work and is perfect for relaxing after a day's work or getting angry at random people on the internet.

At the first few episodes you might realize that it's focusing on the character's day to day experiences but I'd like to point out that the show is not on chronological order. You might not realize it after getting a few episode in but yes; the order of episodes is mixed up in the first (Hidamari Sketch) and second (x365) seasons. It's also present on the later seasons but it's not really that of a big deal by then. Some characters (and some minor characters from time to time) are gonna get introduced later on in the series but I think it's already pretty obvious, going by the anime cover, though I won't go far as to delve on who they are. Just enjoy the ride and let the gentle breeze sway and take you. By the time you get to graduation arc, it's by then that you actually realize that the show is going to end and how far you got swept with the show's easy going pace.

Animation:

Let me just say the bad thing about this first, the first season looks like it was done on a really low budget. You get your typical Shaft still images and what might put turn most viewers off is the fact that you get these still images. A LOT. They focus more on dialogue and character interactions and you can see less actions and movement animated; so you feel like you're listening in on the character's conversations most of the time rather than actually watching something. This might put off casual watchers who are not too experienced with dialogue driven comedy. But luckily enough, the succeeding seasons did a lot better. They put more effort on character movements,reactions and the show's visual gags to go along with the great conversations that really increased the over all enjoyment(wide faces too OP). In other, the animation is improving and get a lot prettier in later seasons if you decide to continue on with the show.

Sound:

One of the best parts of the show. Let me start of with the OP and ED. The opening is mostly done by the main cast while the ending sequence is done by by a 2 member band called "marble". The thing that I like the most is the way how the show sync well with the opening and closing sequences. The show mostly starts with Yuno waking up or a scene that is usually seen in the morning; then BAM, cue the cute upbeat OP. Nothing like a little energetic tunes to start your day with. Afterwards, the show mostly ends with Yuno taking a bath while recollecting about her day in  preparation for sleep. Once again, cue marble's relaxing ending song to simulate a lullaby for the end of the day.

Just listen to xSP's ED song. How could this not be relaxing:

The soundtrack's also well made to fit the show's relaxing and easy going atmosphere. Some scenes are made very well while these are playing in the background whenever some idling is done rather than conversations.  So it's a plus on that department.

Characters:

This is the cream of the crop. Like any box of crayons, the show is filled with a colorful cast characters. And also like crayons, they were able to brighten up your mood like a crayon does to a boring piece of paper. I'm not gonna delve too much on their individual stories but I must say that these characters and how they interact with each other made this entire show for me. They are a lovable bunch and I swear if you like this show, they are the reasons why. From Yuno's cuteness and gentle,bashful naturel to Miyako's random antics (Best Girl)l and Hiro and  Sae's couple-like interactions. Along with an overly inappropriate and happy-go-lucky Yoshinoya, interesting side characters and two new freshmen to add to the bunch in the later seasons. What more could you ask for? 

Enjoyment:

I really enjoyed this anime for some reason and it's sitting on top of it's genre on my list. I can't explain why but it just captivated me in a strange way and I am not one bit of sorry for myself to be blinded as such. It was sad to see such character go when I finished the series but I saw that ends are really just a medium for new beginnings. 

The show is flawed as most shows are; but I even gave it a solid 11/10 just to prove how I love this series and I think everyone should really consider giving this one a try even though it's not their cup of coffee or even to go as far as they hate it. Because I assure you that if you like it as much as I do, your day might just get a little better. Hidamari does translate to sunshine after all.

robert05 - 2013-06-05 17:56:01

Overview:Well, my friends were always talking about this anime, so I figured I would pick it up and see what all the fuss was about. I wasn't disappointed at all, and if you go into it expecting a typical boring slice-of-life anime, you will probably be pleasantly surprised, at least if you like this type of anime. If not, steer clear of this anime as it is just about the daily lives of some art students. If you don't mind anime about everyday life, though, I think you will enjoy Hidamari Sketch.Story:The story is the only category I really subtracted a bit from. The story is a typical bunch of girls live together, become friends, and go to school deal, but this is really what you should expect in this type of anime. The story doesn't disappoint, but it doesn't redefine the anime genre either. Despite this, I thought it was good.Art: The art style is honestly one of the main reasons I decided to watch this anime. You can't really make an anime about an art school and have bad art. That just wouldn't work well. The art style in this is very unique, unlike anything I've seen before, at least one of the art styles in this anime is. There's a typical Japanese anime realistic looking style which they use a lot and isn't really unique, and also a super deformed almost chibi-looking art style which is very cute and each character has an extremely wide face. The art style was wonderful, in my opinion. I won't ramble on any more about how great it is, but I really liked this aspect of the series.Sound:This anime has a VERY catchy opening theme and perhaps a not-so-catchy ending theme, but they are pretty good. It gets you in the mood for the anime and does its job well. I also found the music in the preview for the next episode to be very relaxing for some reason and it fits the "everyday life" theme well. The characters all sound very cute. The sound is creative and used well.Character:Well, there are quite some odd characters in this series. Most of them tend to be flat (one-sided, don't change much), but that's exactly what I enjoyed about them. The characters were so predictable in their actions you could almost imagine what they would do in any scenario: Yunocchi worries about lots of stuff, Miyako eats anything available, Hiro worries excessively about her weight, and Sae worries about writing stories and her sister. How each character is so one-sided they seem like they have infinite sides to them somehow is what made me like the characters. They are very enjoyable to watch interacting with each other. They tend to be very simple characters, but all of them are cute in their own way. Enjoyment: I highly enjoyed this anime and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys slice-of-life anime. I never got bored with it and never paused for very long to stop watching. It is a very fun series, in my opinion. If you enjoy anime of this type, you will probably enjoy this series.Overall:I rated it a 10 simply because it's just about the best everyday anime I have seen. You may or may not like it as much as I did, but I mostly found this to be an excellent show. I tend to rate things higher than most people do, but I really thought this series was great. So, if you haven't seen it yet and like slice-of-life anime, I would recommend watching it sometime.