Not Recommended
I've seen a lot of hate reviews for this anime, mostly due the actions of (or lack thereof) the characters therein. True netorare in my mind presents a realistic, or at least believable scenario where the main protagonist's significant other is taken from him by means of gradual seduction on the part of a rival male character. The scenes where this takes place and how it goes about should be something that we, as viewers, can relate to, or at least understand. The most important element of a good netorare story is that the characters involved Must behave in a way that we can empathizewith; if you constantly find yourself thinking "WTF did he/she do that for?", you're not watching good netorare action. Ultimately, True Blue does not even come close to a good netorare story.
Story score: 3
Okay, so the main male character, Kurusu Akito, has been in love with his childhood friend and next door neighbor, Kanzaki Aoi, for a long time. She obviously thinks the same way, but downplays these feelings a lot. He and Aoi argue at times, but otherwise have a strong bond with each other; she wakes him for school all the time, hangs out with him after school, etc, etc. Both characters are virgins, at this point. Sounds normal, typical, right? Enter Shoda-sensei, a lecherous brute who also happens to be both a member of the Discipline Committee of the high school where Aoi and Akito attend, and a PE coach. Shoda sets his sights right away upon Aoi, and the story progresses quickly and predictably from here.
The entire rest of the show consists of Shoda dominating and violating Aoi in many places, and usually in a degrading way. Poor Akito bears witness to this activity a number of times, but unfortunately, for one reason or another, is unable/unwilling to do anything about it; he often sulks about what he encounters, but doesn't think even once of pursuing legal routes to put an end to this unacceptable student-teacher relationship. If Akito was considered a school delinquent, or otherwise someone that could not be trusted or had a bad reputation, I could see him having apprehension at calling in the authorities; however, there is no evidence that would place him in this category. He is content to try and take matters into his own hands, but fails miserably, over and over again. Overall, the unlikelihood of some of the sex scene placements, as well as the lack of story development beyond just Akito's occasional generic monologue grants this anime a pretty low story score.
Despite its bland, routine storyline and very predictable ending, True Blue does manage to set the bare minimum of groundwork for the next installment, True Blue: Gaiden. However, if I had not already known that the next story existed, I might have given a lower score.
Art score: 4
There's nothing particularly remarkable about True Blue's artwork design, though it did kinda remind me of the old version of Kanon, produced several years earlier. Sometimes though, the bodies of the characters were shown with odd proportions or curving at odd angles.
Sound score: 4
The BGM of True Blue sounds like it was borrowed from other sources, and doesn't really add anything significant to the scenes taking place throughout the story. The incidental and sex action sounds were done fairly well though.
The characters were voiced pretty well, but it's nothing you haven't heard many times before.
Character score: 2
This is where True Blue takes the biggest hit. Though the character's basic personalities were believable enough, the way that Aoi and Akito reacted to what was happening to them is so far outside the realm of what a normal human would do, that it is practically comical.
Kurusu Akito, a devoted baseball club member, has a typical wannabe shounen action hero attitude, but when that kind of mindset would matter the most, he becomes completely ineffectual and bewildered. He'd rather wait for Aoi to pull herself out of the situations she's placed in, rather than do anything proactive--aside from punching Shoda-sensei, a man much stronger than he, and then getting curb-stomped. I guess his personal vow to always protect Aoi at any cost doesn't count when she's getting raped.
Kanzaki Aoi is the school's idol; though outwardly demure, she knows she's beautiful and deliberately wears clothing to accentuate her figure. She is polite and responsible, gets good grades in academics, and is a tennis club star; she seems to be an all-around "good girl". However, Aoi is highly susceptible to sexual stimulation, causing her to lose all sense of morality and judgement when she's on the receiving end. She also flip-flops regularly between her desire to stay as Akito's girlfriend-to-be, and Shoda's plaything.
Shoda-sensei is the most believable character of this series; he uses his authority, physical prowess, and sexual experience to rapidly mindbreak Aoi into his willing sex slave. His aims do not waver, and continues to do what he wants, wherever he wants with Aoi. He also never seems to change his clothes. Though a thoroughly unlikeable character, at least his personality remained consistent throughout the story.
There are a few other minor characters, and actions between them and those listed above help to set the foundation for the next series.
Enjoyment score: 2
Because I found myself laughing more at what was going on, rather than feeling passion or arousal, I didn't enjoy this series much; the ridiculous character behavior just kills it. Unless you're looking for tie-ins to the next series, True Blue has very little rewatch potential.
Overall score: 3
This is not an anime that I would particularly recommend to anyone, unless you're a hardcore netorare fan, and want to see everything produced in that category.
