Anime Hajime Review: Hidamari Sketch 365

***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Hidamari Sketch 365. Reader discretion is advised.***

Series Synopsis

Welcome back to the Hidamari Apartments. Like before, moments of randomness and liveliness fill the lives of the residents.

Yuno (voiced by Kana Asumi) is still in her first year along with her best friend and next-door neighbor, Miyako (voiced by Kaori Mizuhashi).

While doing well on their own, they keep looking towards their seniors Hiro (voiced by Yuko Goto) and Sae (voiced by Ryoko Shintani), for advice. Yet no matter what, the four rely on each other for support.

As the days and months move on, the tenants of the Hidamari Apartments continue to grow.

Series Positives

There's not much set up because there wasn't much to this show. Hidamari Sketch and Hidamari Sketch 365 don’t need it.

The first season was enjoyable and fun. It didn’t use complex humor and instead focused on a feel-good atmosphere which made it a relaxing watch. 365 did the same, but better.

Before getting into the improvements, I want to highlight what remained. The main thing being the show’s art style. 365 was once again under the direction of Akiyuki Shinbo.

If you didn't know, Akiyuki Shinbo also directed the visual marvels that were Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica and the Monogatari series. If that wasn't obvious, the first episode of this series made it unmistakable. I say that knowing full well that Bakemonogatari was released a full year after 365.

As it was in Season One, the animation of 365 was, for the lack of a better word, unique. Yet it very much complements the tone and humor of the series.

More Polished

365 was funnier. The jokes worked more. I was laughing harder and more often. I had almost never without a big stupid smile on my face.

Hidamari’s comedy for both seasons came from the same core. Except it was Season Two that was better timed and better utilized. A lot of that has to do with the visuals. Even though I loved them in the first season, they did have a tendency to become overwhelming. In 365, they got toned down and supported what was going on. Rather than overtaking what was happening.

Also, the characters played more to their individual advantages.

In the last season, the girls had their own traits specific to them. But they would borrow from each other and play a role that was probably better suited for someone else.

Yuno was the most emotional. She was the one who usually had the biggest reaction to any given situation. There were times where she got scared, flustered, or intimidated. And it was beyond cute. Yet she never ran away from anything either. She was able to balance out the group as a rallying point and source of clarity.

Miyako was carefree and went at her own pace. You could never know if what she was about to do was going to result in something good or bad. But her actions kept the ball rolling. She didn't have any sense of what people wanted to hear and instead always said what they needed to hear. Too bad she thought too deep about a problem and ill would blurt out the reality. She had no qualms about throwing out a playful jab every now and then.

Hiro was the group’s mother. Her speaking was calm, slow, and she chose her words with care. Except she had her insecurities. Often this resulted in her doing something foolish or childish. Although this never detracted from her maternal image.

Sae was the most serious of the group and with good reason. She was the one under a constant pressure due to her job as a writer. Because of this, if you were to see Sae and Hiro as the parents of the group, Sae would be the stricter one. That said, she was also the one who got the most overwhelmed and needed the support of her friends.

I liked these characters ever since meeting them in Hidamari Sketch. At that time though, I wasn’t able to go into much detail into what made me enjoy them so much. Having watched Season Two, the answer is as clear as day. This is what I meant when I said 365 was the more polished the first two seasons.

Series Negatives

The girls could have interacted more with some of the secondary characters. This is me trying to think of something to say here.

I had a lot of fun with this show. Along with Non Non Biyori, this is one of the most relaxing series I have watched. Therefore, any negatives that may or may not be in this series completely flew under my radar.

Thus, I am not going to force a negative, but I will ask you to keep this in mind. I am a fan of the slice of life genre. Though I enjoy stories in anime, I find equal enjoyment when nothing is happening. Provided it's with characters that are fun to have to around. If nothing happening sounds boring to you, no amount of positivity will convince you to find interest in this series.

However, as a slice of life comedy, Hidamari Sketch 365 is one of the best.

Final Thoughts

The first one was good and the second was even better. I have high hopes for the rest of this series.

Hidamari Sketch 365 was funnier, more relaxing, and more enjoyable than its predecessor. Based on the set up of this series, I worried there wasn’t going to be that much for me to talk about. Should the next installments continue this path, this could become the case in the future.

I think I’ll be okay with that too.

But these are just my thoughts. What are yours? Have you seen this show? How would you advise Hidamari Sketch 365? Leave a comment down below because I would love to hear what you have to say.

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I’m LofZOdyssey, and I’ll see you next time.