What a ride. Each character has a vibrant uniqueness and makes me feel like I wish that I had friends like this in high school! The blooming, naive relationship dynamics between [spoiler]Naho and Kakeru[/spoiler] is cute and rich, and the animators spared no detail in really sweeping you into the emotions of it all, while still keeping the serious undertone of a sensitive moral issue in reverence. At times I felt like yelling what I would do, but I think that's how the writers wanted me to feel, to actually raise my own awareness and root for the underdogs. Overall, I had a lot of fun watching it, it was artistic and well drawn, the voice acting was good, and worth the 9 I'm giving it.

If I had to give a drawback? The love triangle between [spoiler]Suwa, Naho, and Kakeru[/spoiler] didn't really add to the story. In fact, in one of the final scenes a left-field acknowledgement of it is put on the table and it not only seemed out of place, but made the ensuing laughter feel contrived, IMHO. Another minor one was how meek/timid Naho was all the time. She only broke that character trait once, maybe twice. Maybe I'm wrong here, but given the subject matter, you'd think there would be a call for a wider spectrum of behavior.