Eternal Boys

The best analogy I can make for this anime is that it's like a really good racecar driver is driving a really average racecar. The general concept of a realistic idol show will greatly restrict how much depth is going to be allowed through the medium. While it's possible to make a 10/10 SoL Idol anime, it would be incredibly difficult, especially without delving into surrealism. That said, the writers of this anime were adept at using this medium to convey an engaging and overall very moving story. It really feels like this is almost as good as it possibly couldhave been without trying to do anything grandiose. I'll break down some of the strong points. The characters all feel real. They're not overly engaging, but that's kind of the point; this anime really blurs the line between work drama and idol show, so having characters like Yamanaka feels on-point. By the end of the show I liked every character, but it wasn't in any way overwhelming, which is good because no one character stole the show. Their development feels correct for adults of their age and their responses to the situations they're put in are understandable. That makes for a very muted show compared to a lot of high school SoL anime, or even anime about younger working folks, because writers use youth as an excuse to inject both levity and louder plot effects. That's removed from this anime, so expect a lot of understandable reactions and human responses to pressures. Personally I liked that, even if it did mean that the emotional stakes would remain relatively low. The episode length adds to the feel of the show. That it's quarter-hour episodes rather than half-hour episodes allows them to tackle things with a speed and attention to detail that they should. Things that would take almost half of a twelve-episode anime only take a fraction of that amount in this anime. The use of the "Character Backstory -> Character Plotline Advancement" episode structure really works with this and makes the focus on individual characters seem less onerous. The usage of montages is correct. I find that a lot of Idol anime focus heavily on the same plot points, and this anime straight up bypasses some of the expected idol anime plot points using montages. They instead fill their space with character development and actual plot. The time skips are frequent and well-used in order to progress the storyline at a captivating pace. I have to say some people might find that a little bit jaunting, but for me as someone who is tired of seeing idol anime practicing scenes taking up entire episodes, it felt like a breath of fresh air to see the plot moving more quickly than all that. Finally, the overall feel is solid as a stone. The message and themes are definitely adult and will likely not resonate with many. I can't get too far into specifics on that without venturing into spoiler territory, but by the end of the anime the writers have definitely chiseled the feelings they were trying to put forth. I can't remember the last time an anime was this outright brave in doing that. Like, they knew what they were trying to do and what they had to do, and absolutely accomplished it. I have an incredible amount of respect for that, and hope more anime will choose to take these kinds of risks. I'd recommend this to anyone who likes Idol anime, Office/Work anime, Slice of Life anime, or who generally likes anime featuring adults dealing with non-sexual adult themes.