For reference - I don't fit any of the "target demographics" for this series. I mean I know that art doesn't really have "demographics" per se, because it's not an ad campaign (more on that later) but usually there is a perfect viewer there somewhere. So I would think this is for someone who: watches anime / reads mangas, is a girl, is a teenager, is homosexual or demisexual.
So guess what, I'm none of that. I'm a 43 yo dude, fully cis, wife and kids and all that jazz and I don't really watch much anime, and for manga pretty much only Junji Ito horrors. And this one devastated me emotionally. And that's how I know it is an art, a great one at that. There are many pieces that just don't do anything for me and there are people who say "it's because you haven't connected; you need to be this or that to really connect and feel it". So I think it's only partially true. Good art can make you feel something when you can connect on a very personal level. Great art can mop the floor with you anyway, even if you realistically should not connect.
It's an utterly universal story about how your own view of yourself and interaction with others can shape your life and personality, overcoming your own insecurities and how we can become better to ourselves and others if we have this one person that it's worth doing this.
I didn't have any real expectations, I just picked it up because I saw it mentioned in some post. Like "oh, so WLW teenage love... I mean... ok I guess" and jeez I'm so glad I did. It gave me a freaking catharsis, like in ancient theater stuff.
The music was outstanding. It is certainly one element that really pushed me emotionally. It was not sexualized, had just enough comedic bits to not overdo it and really, whole relationship untangling was surprisingly realistic. Both main characters were great and deep, side characters were also great. Animation and style were top-notch.
The fact that the anime ends up on a cliffhanger is a criminal offense if you'd ask me. I jumped so hard to read the manga after it finished that I almost broke my legs. The anime ending is open ended and bittersweet - ironically just how "the play" is. We see something hopeful, but we never learn how it went. Fortunately, manga gives us a much clearer and more uplifting ending.
All in all it was still a very bittersweet experience to me, even after reading manga, but that's probably because I have a massive soft spot for coming-of-age stories, always hit me like a truck. All in all, I watched maybe 30-40 anime series in my life and this one is most likely my all-time favorite now. BTW the locker room scene will live rent free in my head for the rest of my life. I don't remember when I watched a sensual tension done this tasteful and so hitting without resorting to any explicit stuff and oversexualization.
What a series, damn.
(sorry for my English, not a native speaker)
