The Ramparts of Ice
Koyuki Hikawa has trouble interacting with others, instead preferring to keep her distance and spend her time alone. However, when she meets Minato Amamiya, he suddenly starts trying to close the distance between them.
I may have liked the beginning, but in later parts it became more about emotional struggles in terms of love and I don't really care about it. And this is me not saying that the anime is bad, it's just a bit cliche what they did by the end of episode 14.
Let me start from good parts and what I liked:
- I didn't mind the darker approach, not for everyone school was all sunshine and flowers, for many it was a dark time of bullying and fights. In a microcosm it was a society, but also a limited one where people didn't bother thinking tey might hurt others or on the contrary were doing it on purpose. The high stress level does not excuse anyone from being a horrible human being and scarring someone for life. This made Koyun quite a layered character with her initial guarded self to opening up with someone and realizing that some of the things she did to another boy Minato (MMC) is something that was done to her. So it was a nice portrayal.
- I really liked the part where we get perspective from different point of views on the same situation. My biggest example is the bench talk between Miki and Koyun after which Koyun started dating boy named Igarashi. Miki at the time thought it was partially her fault that she pushed Koyun towards Igarashi, but through their talk we realize Koyun herself does not remember things as such and she started dating not for this reason.
- The main female character does ambiguous things instead of being one-dimensional.
- The story explains really well the circumstances of several characters and how they came to be as they are now, what they went through, at which stage they are now.
- Not to make matters too depressing anime includes many cute moments (mainly the chibi version or when a character suddenly does something more unexpected).
What made me a bit sad is the turn toward romance and the approach.
So we have four friends that formed their own circle: Girls Koyun, Miki and boys Minato, Yota. Then we have the following situation →
Koyun realizes Minato might like her, but she doesn't know how to approach this situation. At first Koyun misunderstood that Miki might like Minato and it will become a struggle for Yota and his feelings she is aware of.
Minato likes Koyun, but misunderstands for a long time that she might like Yota, since she makes the happiest and most comfortable face around Yota (the only logical misunderstanding that has some valid proof, instead of just being a speculation)
Yota has like Miki since middle school and was not ready to confess, but it just happened like that. He is the only one who has no misunderstandings about others.
Miki who was once ennamord in the fantasy that her best friend might be in love with the guy she appreciates as a friend too is now facing a confession and although she likes Yota, but does not see him as love interest (yet). So they left with this amniguous open ending for development for both parties.
The most cliche part is actually including a first year girl who has eyes for Minato and she does a lot of undermining like a hardworking villainous supporting role. She plants a seed of doubt when she sees Minato liking Koyun, but also wants Koyun to give way. Manipulative and selfish, does what she wants.
So from some emotional drama and how teenagers cope with life we switch to love~
Anyway, it was okay.
RATE: 8/10.
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