Hidamari Sketch 365

Staring the day with a real alarm clock.

Yuno was a bit aprehensive about living away from home to go to an art focused High School. However she found that the other three girls who lived at the Hidamari apartments were really nice and Yuno became good friends with all of them. This story focuses on the everyday lives of the girls that live in the Hidamari apartments.

I am surprised the people on the left are drawn.

As you could probably guess from the introduction paragraph Hidamari Sketch 365 is obviously a slice of life show. As with many shows of the genre this show is incredibly episodic, even more so in this show, as even though 365 is the second season of Hidamari Sketch the first episode is the first that happens chronologically. Other episodes happen at random intervals during Yuno's first year at High School.

Yuno is the quiet pillar of maturity

I found the character chemistry in Hidamari Sketch works a bit better than in most slice of life shows and since the show is very character driven this is a big plus. The strength of the girl's friendship allows the show to be somewhat heartwarming as opposed to the cloying feeling that can happen when a show focuses totally on being moe. Also this show is Directed by Akiyuki Shinbo and it shows given how the show can slip into odd visual style with barely any notice.

Overall I found Hidamari Sketch 365 to be a cut above most slice of life shows and if you are wanting to give the genre a look this would be a good option.

Review Glasslip

I think I'm a clone now

Toka Fukakami is a young woman who has the hobby of blowing glass like her father. She lives in a small town with four of her closest friends. Things looks like they could change when a new boy named Kakeru comes to town. His arrival awakens a strange power to see the future in Toka when she looks through glass.

Weren't expecting that in a slice of life show.

Glasslip is a thirteen episode show which is sort of cross between slice of life and drama which seems to be a new specialty of P A works, the studio behind this show.  While this formula has worked in other shows I found that it falls completely flat in the case of Glasslip. The problem I feel is that it is a combination of two genres but lacks the usual draws of both.

Dramatic undressing

As a slice of life show it fails as there isn't any good comedy or cuteness to distract from the lack of a plot. As a drama this show fails as there isn't any really good character development and much of the show lacks a clear direction. While some high concept types might accept this as naturalist storytelling, the presence of supernatural elements in the show ruin even that angle.

Overall Simply don't watch Glasslip. I wanted to like this show but it simply doesn't work at any level.

Rating the Tin flower (Aoi Hana) for being a dreadfully boring story about teenagers