Personal reasons: the story’s relevant to my own and in a genre I don’t normally pay much attention to, which might be why it stands out over other possible candidates (e.g. Puella Magi Madoka☆Magica). Also, by choosing an artsy show that tackles a serious dramatic subject, full of tragedy (and qbrfa’g erfbyir rirelguvat arngyl at the end), I sound more intellectual.
Psuedo-objective reasons: I feel it accurately captures the feelings of childhood and growing up. I particularly liked the portrayal of the sibling relationship, where you hate each other on a level that’s superficial but no less genuine for that, but will stand by each other when you discover things the other really cares about. The conclusion also felt very true-to-life. I liked the visual style; the character designs are much more realistic than the animé norm (and for viewers who find it hard to tell them apart, serve as a demonstration of the valid reasons for the animé norm), and the whole setting and story feels like something you could do in live action. But at the same time this would be completely impossible to produce in live action, for a different reason than normal (child actors and ethical issues), so it shows off the ability of animé to do what other media can’t. The slightly washed-out, watercolour visual style is distinctive, even among animé - but it’s like that for a reason, the uncertain, blurry visuals aligning perfectly with the emotions this series is trying to convey. Likewise the light, childish-sounding soundtrack is distinctive—but it’s not just style for the sake of style, it fits with the show as a whole.
Practical notes: I prefer the 11-episode (rather than 12-episode) release. I’ve avoided describing the premise because it’s an episode 1 spoiler; if you think you’d like the show from this description I recommend watching it (or at least watching episode 1) rather than seeking out more information.
Many believe that the anime is a poor adaptation of the manga, or at the very least that the manga is the best medium the story is told in. What do you think about the subject?
I don’t generally get on with manga as a medium. I tried to read this particular one and gave up after about three chapters. So depending on your perspective either I can’t compare the two, or I found the anime to be much, much better.
Wandering Son (Hōrō Musuko)
Personal reasons: the story’s relevant to my own and in a genre I don’t normally pay much attention to, which might be why it stands out over other possible candidates (e.g. Puella Magi Madoka☆Magica). Also, by choosing an artsy show that tackles a serious dramatic subject, full of tragedy (and qbrfa’g erfbyir rirelguvat arngyl at the end), I sound more intellectual.
Psuedo-objective reasons: I feel it accurately captures the feelings of childhood and growing up. I particularly liked the portrayal of the sibling relationship, where you hate each other on a level that’s superficial but no less genuine for that, but will stand by each other when you discover things the other really cares about. The conclusion also felt very true-to-life. I liked the visual style; the character designs are much more realistic than the animé norm (and for viewers who find it hard to tell them apart, serve as a demonstration of the valid reasons for the animé norm), and the whole setting and story feels like something you could do in live action. But at the same time this would be completely impossible to produce in live action, for a different reason than normal (child actors and ethical issues), so it shows off the ability of animé to do what other media can’t. The slightly washed-out, watercolour visual style is distinctive, even among animé - but it’s like that for a reason, the uncertain, blurry visuals aligning perfectly with the emotions this series is trying to convey. Likewise the light, childish-sounding soundtrack is distinctive—but it’s not just style for the sake of style, it fits with the show as a whole.
Practical notes: I prefer the 11-episode (rather than 12-episode) release. I’ve avoided describing the premise because it’s an episode 1 spoiler; if you think you’d like the show from this description I recommend watching it (or at least watching episode 1) rather than seeking out more information.
Many believe that the anime is a poor adaptation of the manga, or at the very least that the manga is the best medium the story is told in. What do you think about the subject?
I don’t generally get on with manga as a medium. I tried to read this particular one and gave up after about three chapters. So depending on your perspective either I can’t compare the two, or I found the anime to be much, much better.