Kids join the koto club and play in competitions.

This was a huge disappointment to me. The manga is one of my favorites, and the anime is plainly not up to snuff.

Technically, the animation quality is lacking. The art for the manga is beautiful. Somehow it has more motion to it despite not being animated. And oh my god, the facial expressions in the manga…

Also, the shipping. The romance in the manga is absolutely adorable. Here, it feels like an afterthought. In everything, the anime has much less of an emotional impact. The manga is all about people’s feelings and healing, etc., but the second season especially feels like a shounen tournament arc.

Anyway, I highly recommend the manga.

• Storytelling – C – Barely conveys the manga’s story.
• Voice – D – Feels very generic.
• Characters – C – Have great material but fail to convey them.
• Attention Grab – C – Dull.
• Production – D – Disappointing.
• Overall – X

Recommendations – Chihayafuru, Hibike Euphonium