Anime Review of Golden Time

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.

Are You Watching Golden Time? Because You Should Be!

A little seinen series that has taken over my free time is Golden Time. I did a first impressions review here, but since the first couple episodes it has exceeded my expectations and become one of my favourite anime series of all time. Why may you ask? Well keep reading to find out!

Deep Character Development

This show will have you second guessing yourself, especially when it comes to what characteristics you find admirable in a character. There will be characters you like, some you don’t, but over time you’ll find yourself changing those opinions. It’s fantastic, and Golden Time does it so seamlessly, showing you how life is complicated for everyone; you’re going to sympathize with those you might have had a hard time sympathizing with earlier on. With some of the most interesting unique characters I’ve seen in a long time for a more mature anime, this show does it refreshingly well.

First Impressions of Golden Time

The new anime season is upon us! One of the first titles to be released for the season is Golden Time. A comedy romance anime will have any josei interested as it features an older cast of characters freshly graduated from high school. There’s only one episode out so far, but does it warrant a second look for next week? Let’s find out! This quick review is spoiler free!
It begins with a scene out of context but introduces the 3 main characters, Tada Banri, Yanagisawa Mitsuo, and the female love interest who is riddled throughout the intro, Kaga Kouko. Tada stumbles into his entrance ceremony at law school late, giving the audience the impression that he’s hard working but might not live up to everyone’s expectations. Kouko is conniving as the swats that rose bouquet in Yana’s (Yanagisawa’s) face. And Yana plays off as a too cool, but somehow very befuddled young man. He however holds the mysterious past with his involvement with Kouko, who in his words, is someone to be feared. The anticipation that plays through the episode is funny and exciting, making the comedy romance duo a nicely executed combination.

All the characters make for a funny combination as it seems Kouko runs the show. Their interaction is entertaining, and I look forward to what hijinks they’re going to get into. The love triangle is obvious, but there’s a lot of anticipation regardless. The inclusion of other girl characters later on in the episode alludes to some sort of harem type dynamic, but that isn’t really deterring me as each character feels unique enough to not be a cliche. The setting is also interesting, as it thrusts you into a colourful university with the clubs that are recruiting freshman. It opens up the antics to the other students, which could also play for some interesting comedy later on. But it’s not just about the comedy, small internal monologues from Tada suggest that this show is going to attempt to get at the heart of young love and new experiences; entering college is a big step in anyone’s life, and there’s a lot of life experience to be learned from it. I’m glad to see this show will be lighthearted,while also addressing deeper issues too.
Will I stay for next week? Yes!This show has a lot of potential and I’m looking forward to what it has to offer by addressing an older audience. If you’re a romance fan, a drama slice of life fan or a josei fan you should give this first episode a try, you might get hooked like me!
Christina