Charlotte | Anime Review | Pinnedupink.com

CHARLOTTE

Charlotte is a small anime with a wholesome story and a relatable cast of characters. The sheer number of negative remarks surrounding this series is overwhelming, but this is part of why I thought it important to write about it as truthfully as I could. It is a series with many issues, but none big enough to make this bad or even mediocre by any means. The series had me hooked from the very start. I will explain why.

The series starts with a meteor strike which gives a bunch of children powers that will remain until they become adults, after which they will lose these powers and forget about them. When I watch something by Jun Maeda, the influential writer of Clannad and Angel Beats, I expect a ton of melodrama.

We get that drama, but we also get so much more. The anime follows Yuu, a young boy with the power to control anyone for five seconds. He uses this for his own gain and gets into the best schools and gets the best grades. Once he gets busted, however, things change completely.

Some students figure out that he is using the power for his own personal gains, and so they force him not to abuse it and enroll him into a school filled with people with supernatural abilities like his. They are tasked with enrolling even more students with supernatural powers. However, Yuu’s task seems to be a bit different.

The series’ start focuses a lot on character development for specific individuals, especially Yuu and Nao. This makes the starting relatively slow, but later on, it picks up, and the final few episodes have a lot of emotional weight to them, despite the ending feeling a bit rushed.

While I’ve read many people complaining about there not being much character development, this is highly untrue. The character development in Charlotte is so subtle and fluid; you almost miss it as it goes by right in front of your eyes. I prefer it this way, compared to the overly dramatic cheesy happenings in most contemporary anime.

Once you finish the series, and if you ever revisit it. You’ll see the stark contrast between the characters’ personalities beginning when you first see them unto the last few episodes of the series. Yuu’s development is so well done; I was thoroughly invested in a main character, which is hard to do in anime.

This is one of the few anime in a long time where the main character isn’t downright annoying to me, reminding me a lot of characters that grow fluidly, such as Eren Yeager from Shingeki No Kyojin. The subtlety can be explained in the sum of the fact that you won’t see characters blushing aggressively every time someone compliments them or when they’re shy or nervous.

Finally, the two characters that I think should’ve gotten way more attention were Tokajo and Yusa. Whose relationship isn’t focused upon at all when you reach a conclusion. Yuu and Nao’s relationship blossoms throughout the series, going from disliking one another at the start to actually developing a bond.

This common trope in all media was backed up here because both of these characters had a lot in common, which is part of why they couldn’t get along. Once Yuu begins to change and grow, along with Nao, their relationship develops into something extraordinary.

I do have a problem with how the series utilizes certain characters on the side, though. Zhiend’s singer, for example, shows up earlier in the series but is later seemingly completely forgotten. There was a lot of potential for characters to develop mature relationships with the rest of the side characters.

Still, the anime chooses to focus on only the main cast. Regarding the last few episodes, a bunch of things happen very quickly. This leaves us with a ton of information and a ton of twists, but the ending feels rushed. Yuu’s development, while being decent, his savior persona wasn’t something I found realistic when compared to the rest of the series.

While the story might not be for everyone, the production value here would make even the biggest critic’s jaw drop. P.A. Works’ colorful creation of a beautiful world and a distinct cast of characters is prevalent here more so than ever. The level of art featured here, primarily showcasing the gorgeous vistas and landscapes, is nothing less than poetic. The characters might be generic in design, but they are distinct in their personality and style, and their powers are showcased to the maximum with visual effects.

Yuu’s ability to control others’ bodies is portrayed with a heightened focus on his eyes. The framing on these characters’ faces, showcasing the full strength of their emotions, is also a neat way to invest viewers.

The color in particular that they used here was magnificent—a ton of purples and blues, with a beautifully immersive look at the skies. The coloring pallet means a lot when it comes to good art in anything, and Charlotte features a perfect one.

The OP and ED focus so much on evoking emotion and showcasing the ominous nature of the series to make the audience intrigued. The fictional rock band ZHIEND makes the music in this series so enjoyable. Most of it is going into my personal music library, honestly.

In conclusion, if you like things that surprise you and subvert your expectations. This series might just be the perfect one for you. Charlotte features a heartwarming story, a great cast of characters with a potent soundtrack, and some of the most beautiful animation that you will find in a drama anime in recent times.