Ano Natsu de Matteru [Overall Review]

Animation Company:  J.C. Staff
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi, Shounen
Episodes: 12
Summary:  Kirishima Kaito ends up being saved by an alien named Ichika who was responsible for his critical condition after crashing into his community. The two then meet again when Ichika enrols in the same school  and gets invited by Kaito’s friend to take part of their summer film project.
Story & Plot: 8/10
The last two episodes is what really makes this show amazing. The rest beforehand… very slow. It really depends on how you feel about certain relationships because they all have an influence over the show. Either way, I found the plot to be great- but I certainly found it not memorable.
Characters & Development: 9/10
The characters and development is one of the best highlights of Ano Natsu de Matteru. Every single character is awesome. It will be impossible to passionately hate one. These characters are a group of friends like no other. They support each other, they are selfless, brave and incredibly strong.
Animation Quality: 10/10
We’re talk about J.C Staff here. You know how bad their animation can potientially be! Well guess what? They survived, they actually pulled it off and kept the quality up from start to finish. Congratulations J.C Staff, I’m giving you a 10/10 for the first time in god knows how long- in fact maybe this might be their first since I’ve started blogging? I’m not sure.

OST: 8/10
While the OST was absolutely stunning and memorable, it lacked originality, which is why I’m giving this an 8/10. Without a doubt, I’m 100% certain I heard what I believe we’d identify it as REMIX tracks that I’m familiar with from Toradora and AnoHana.
Overall Score: 8/10
Ano Natsu de Matteru wasn’t my favourite of the season, neither did I find it stand out very much in its own spotlight among both Nagai Tatsuyuki’s past productions and Kuroda Yousuke’s past scripts and screenplays. I’ve never watched Onegai Teacher, but I’ve seen and heard from fans who have, noticed the comparison and similarities of the characters in a heartbeat. Some find it nostalgic, others criticized Kuroda Yousuke for lack of originality.
I found this show rather forgetful and lacking the urge for more. Please understand that it doesn’t mean this show is bad! It certainly wasn’t exactly a masterpiece (though others may claim so), but in fact it’s a pleasant experience and enjoyable to watch. I found the romance between Ichika and Kaito considerably dull in comparison to the other characters who were facing Love Issues themselves. The one and only pairing that I shipped and enjoyed in this show was Tetsurou x Mio. Unlike Ichika x Kaito, their relationship was far more intriguing, something we can easily relate to, and cheer for.

Recommendation: Absolutely
If you’re looking for romance, never fear, you will get great development of it in this show, and have a good laugh with our star Remon! In comparison to other 12 episodes romance series that aired this season (Winter 2012) such as this would be the perfect treat for you, and it’s safe to say is the one and only that actually had strong romantic developments.
If you’re worried that this is going to be another AnoHana were you shed tears every episodes, rest assure- you won’t. This is much more lighthearted and more closer to Toradora‘s humour and love triangle.