Four girls grow up. A little bit.

Well, it took me a while to finish it (four and a half years, that adds up to… a bit under three episodes per year?) but it wasn’t because I didn’t like it. Just it was always simmering on the backburner.

Since most people have probably forgotten this show existed, I’ll give a bit more background. It follows four friends through the summer before they enter high school, when they encounter a rock that grants their wishes.

For me, the main appeal of this show is Yuuka (green-haired girl above). I love how she’s always smiling and seems to count it all joy. She’s childish (necessarily so) and mostly takes everything happily as it comes while giving precious few fucks. I can’t think of any other anime characters quite like this, who can be so cheerful without coming across as either stupid or fake.

I also liked how thematically it dealt with them growing up, particularly the bittersweet transitory way the viewer experiences the series, even if the character themselves are mostly unaware. They are all worrying about how their friend is moving, and talking about how they will all stay in touch, and in the back of my mind I realize it will never turn out that way, that they will all drift apart and leave this world as alone as they entered it.

• Storytelling – B – A “slice of life” show where there is actually a point.
• Voice – B – Loved the cheerful atmosphere.
• Characters – B – Yuuka is great, the rest are good too.
• Attention Grab – B – Kept my attention for four years! I guess.
• Production – B – Looks fine.
• Overall – B-

Recommendations – Kokoro Connect, Kamichu