Each anime season I look forward to seeing new josei titles, only to be disappointed at the lack of josei series, routinely dismissing the adult female demographic. However, I get a little bit of solace from the fact that sometimes a seinen title will be in there that is just gender neutral enough to make it a worthwhile watch. Last anime season Golden Time finished airing, which was definitely a title that blurs the lines between seinen and josei as it has something to offer for the whole young adult demographic.
Below is my review of this little romantic anime!
Synopsis
Golden Time is centered around Tada Banri who is a freshmen in college, looking to survive the ups and downs of college life and romance. He meets Yanagisawa Mitsuo (Yana-san) and Kaga Kouko on his very first day, becoming entangled in a complicated love triangle. He meets other friends (old and new) at his new school who help him learn to deal with his past while attempting to make a future with someone new. This series is a Romance Drama with Slice of Life and Comedy elements.
The Good
---------Great Plot---------
Golden Time has a plot you might not be expecting. It seems like a typical romantic drama, but throws a curveball early on in the first season. This adds a lot of weight and importance to the motivations of the main characters and makes for interesting subtext
---------Great Relatability---------
One thing I went over in my You Should Be Watching Golden Time post was just how great the writing was in the show; that it allowed you to enter its world full of relatable characters and make you feel apart of the experience. I felt that this show captured young adult romance perfectly. The ups and downs, the insecurities and the butterflies, they're all represented here. Anyone who's experienced their first committed relationship will appreciate just how well this show captures that experience. The show presents the inner monologue of both their female and male counterparts making it something you can watch alone, or with your significant other. Both sexes are represented well, making it a universal romantic drama for both men and women. Even if you haven't had a serious relationship yet, it might give you some insight for what to expect. In other words, if you're looking for an insightful romantic drama then Golden Time is that anime.
---------Great Main Characters---------
The last strength to mention about Golden Time is its solid main characters. Tada Banri, and Kaga Kouko have two well fleshed out personalities. Their strengths and weaknesses make them well-balanced. They're not too flawed, but have characteristics that make them likeable and endearing. They play off each other well, and make their relationship feel very real. The other characters aren't as fully developed, but make for good supporting roles. Everyone is different from one another, and there's something to like about each one. You'll find yourself relating to their
situations, and because they are dynamic characters you can see yourself making similar choices if you were in their shoes. Each character grows and changes by the end of the show's run, and their development is captured well at a steady pace. They're some of the best characters I've seen in a romantic drama; real and flawed in just the right ways.The Bad
---------Second Season Slump---------
A lot of people fell off the wagon with this series by the beginning of season two. Season one was very dramatic and full of suspense, while season two took a vacation from the drama to live out scenarios that were more akin to slice-of-life animes. That isn't necessarily bad, but I can see why people were disappointed. While I myself was never hard pressed about the gear change from season one to two, many people were off put by it. It's disappointing that it lost steam, but it didn't ruin the experience for me enough to make me stop watching. Nevertheless, it's still something that many fans of the show were disappointed by.
---------Lost Potential---------
My other gripe about the show was its lack of proper closure. I won’t include spoilers, but something that occasionally plagues good animes is the lack of a proper ending. This show ends abruptly, making it feel
like there was lost potential. Although all the seams are sewn up you
don’t leave feeling fulfilled, and I wish they had done a better job
with how they ended the anime. It felt rushed and slapped together to
get that Disney friendly ending, and that takes away from the whole
experience. It’s always unfortunate when a show ends badly because
that’s what you’re left with after it’s all over; just a bad ending that
you can’t get out of your head. Golden Time is guilty of this, and it’s disappointing that its strengths did not follow through to the very end.My Score
Golden Time gets an 8.5 out of 10
It was one of my favourite animes of the past season, and despite its faults it kept me coming back week after week to see what was going to happen next. It has a strong dramatic and romantic element that make for relatable scenarios. Its characters were interesting and real, their interactions were enjoyable to watch and to ponder about after the fact. All in all this show had a lot to offer to me, and I think it especially will for any josei who wonders about what relationships mean for a young adult.Josei Recommends
I definitely recommend this anime, and if you like Golden Time you should check out these animes/mangas as well!- Itadakimasu - My Review
- Kimi Wa Petto/Tramps Like Us
- Paradise Kiss - My Synopsis
- Honey and Clover - My Synopsis
- Love Hina - My Synopsis
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