Amagami SS

'Amagami SS' is based on galge (non-hentai dating-sim) 'Amagami'. The title means "light bite", which probably describes the playfulness and cuteness of the heroines (half of them do bite or get bitten). "SS" is believed to stand for "Short Stories". It is the most comprehensive and game-like anime I have ever seen that's based on a dating-sim. STORY: 'Amagami SS' is made up of 7 short stories where the protagonist goes after a different girl each time. The heroines are made up of the most common archetypes for galge or moe anime. The reason I say this series is the most comprehensive, however, is because there's awide spectrum of heroines and the protagonist's personality also changes depending on who he's going after. What we have here is not just an average indecisive main character in a harem, we get to see all kinds of personality match ups, and it's more realistic because we behave differently in front of different people, especially in romantic relationships. In addition, there were all sorts of hentai fetishes and endings for each arc. I will touch on this subject little more in the Character section, but I really liked this about 'Amagami SS' because it's harder to get tired of the story even if same events are repeated 7 times. Another thing that really struck me was how watching this series really felt like playing a galge. There's been plenty of galge/eroge anime adaptations before, but most of them seemed to follow a single route or one combined route. Every such series I have seen so far gave me a sense of a set story. Boy meets girl(s), everyone fall for him, but eventually he ends up with "girl A" over all other girls, or unable to choose for the indecisiveness. In 'Amagami SS', we know exactly who we're going after like picking a route in advance, and then protagonist come in contact with the heroine like every other series. But here, they clearly spell out the possible options; the protagonist frequently think to himself "should I do this or that?" or another character asks "are you coming or not?". While this may be considered poor scriptwriting, it gives us a sense that the main character is actually making a choice himself rather than fate or where the wind takes him. It actually feels like he's consciously making decisions to win over a girl, just like how a player should in the game. Sometimes it's the girl trying to win him over too. The final episode also explains why the other girls back off when he goes after a particular girl (assuming it's when Risa gives up). CHARACTER: One of the better harem protagonist around. There are moments when he gets reluctant or miss the signals, but he is not nearly indecisive nor thickheaded as our typical anime main character. He actually goes after the girls most of the time, and confess his love every single time. In rare occasions when the girls are chasing after him, he notices the girl's unnatural behavior. The girls are still more interesting in him than they should be, but it's far more tolerable because he worked for all of their attention. He also has just the right amount of perversity, which gave us viewers the right amount of fan service, and had relatively rational motives. The heroines are very diverse, each with a distinct personality and status. The main character behaves differently to win them over, and indulges in all sorts of fetishes in the process. To summarize each arc, [Name]: [Personality type (Translation)] [Status] - [Fetish] Morishima Haruka: Nonki (Carefree) Princess - Behind the knee Tanamachi Kaoru: Yancha (Boyish) Girl Buddy - Bellybutton Nakata Sae: Uchiki (Shy) Kouhai - Student/instructor play, maid play, loli Nanasaki Ai: Cool (Composed) Athlete - Flat chest, cosplay Sakurai Rihiko: Tennen (Airheaded) Childhood Friend - Huge boobs Ayatsuji Tsukasa: Seijun (Pure/Innocent) Valedictorian - Trapped in room Kamizaki Risa: Osekkai (Nosy) Stalker - None ...Who are we kidding? Ayatsuji Tsukasa: Tsundere Slave Queen - Masochist play All the girls are not as dumb as typical harem heroines, and behaved rationally with exception of Ayatsuji. There's at least 1 girl that suites your taste no matter what kind of girls you're into. Character developments are poor and love triangle didn't exist, but for the purpose of galge anime adaptation, their cameo-like appearances were very appropriate since they didn't detract from the main story. ART: All the girls are cute and pretty as they should be, very visually pleasing. Backgrounds are decent. Nothing particularly impressive about it, but tried and tested style that projects the peaceful high school life atmosphere. There were also couple of scenes with great composition and camera movements. SOUND: With exception to Konno Hiromi (Sae), everyone sounded like they should. She is a shy character, but the strained high-pitch voice was just too annoying. Itou Shizuka (Haruka) and Satou Rina (Kaoru) were solid as usual. BGM is rather ordinary, but fits the romantic scenes pretty well. OP1 'i Love' by azusa was an extremely strong theme song for a seishun series like this, and the OP animation had a nice flow that introduced the heroines well and represented their personality well with their signature poses. OP2 and EDs were above average as well, and appropriate. ED3 is a soft song that makes us reflect on all the girls conquered before. OVERALL: 'Amagami SS' is a rather conservative seishun (coming of age romance) series that was wonderfully executed. Although things go a bit too well for the protagonist and character development was limited, it depicted the flushing, awkward, and bittersweet high school romance very well. A great simple heartwarming romance anime. The comedy series was also pretty funny without being distracting to the romance, and came off very naturally. It was a very solid series all around that I enjoyed a lot more than I expected from a galge adaptation.

This is my first legitimate review, so please bare with me. Ok, let's get on with the review. Amagami SS isn't your typical visual novel adaptation. Unlike other adaptations, such as the Key VNs (Kanon, Air, Clannad) or the TYPE-MOON works (Fate, Tsukihime), this follows an omnibus format. For those that don't know what that means, it's basically several different arcs told separately, with each arc reseting after the final episode. This, in turn, gives Amagami an interesting experience. Due to the omnibus format, each arc is treated differently. The personalities of characters, storytelling, and even pacing are different; which makes it feel as if you're watchinga different series each arc. I personally enjoyed the format since it was more focused on each of the heroines in the VN. Story (9): The story follows the typical boy-meets-girl and they fall in love type of story. What makes Amagami SS stand out from the typical is the approach of each heroine. Due to their different personalities, each arc presents you with a different type of approach. Each story arc was able to be fleshed out due to the focus on each character and their side characters. It caused less interference with the storyline itself. Art (7): Probably one of the less impressive aspects of the series. The art seems fairly generic. You have the girl with long hair, the girl with short hair, the guy with hair swiped to the side. Typical anime features to say the least. Although, what did catch me was the hair colors for each character. There weren't any crazy, unrealistic colors, so that gets a plus. The environment was alright. You have your school, home, park, beach, restaurant. Nothing out of the ordinary here. It isn't as impressive as (insert anime series by impressive studio here), but it's passable. Sound (8): The seiyuus chosen for most of the characters seemed to match the way I interpreted them. However, I did have one problem with one of the heroines, which I will not mention in this review (you'll probably know who I'm talking about). Background music was pretty good as well. It fit each of the scenes well enough that it didn't seem forced. Silly was silly, serious was serious. Character (8): Most of the characters, mainly the heroines, can be put under each of the archetypes for characters. However, the main character, Junichi, goes through some pretty interesting personality changes between each arc. If you didn't know the series was in an omnibus format, you'd think he was bipolar or suffered from a personality disorder or something. Side characters can be seen in one arc, and almost completely disappear in the next one. That was somewhat disappointing, since I thought there were some side characters that seemed more interesting than the mains. Enjoyment (9): For people looking for an interesting experience, this is your series. The different arcs provide a variety of stories. It's as if you were watching a different series each arc, which I thought was a huge plus. Overall (9): I have to say, at first I thought I wouldn't enjoy the series. The pacing would feel odd with only four episodes for each heroine (and only one for a special heroine!), but I was surprised how well the pacing of each arc felt. Although some arcs felt rushed, it was pretty understandable. Sometimes I even yearned for more story since I liked the arc so much. The omnibus format also helped the anime series get this rating from me. For me, each arc could be considered a different genre (Drama, comedy, etc.). It created quite the ride. And now, in the end, I can say I thoroughly enjoyed the series, and am sad that it is over. Goodbye Amagami SS.

Amagami SS is one of those anime where I couldn’t decide if I should watch it or not. After watching a few episodes, I had to say that it was magnificent. You probably thought that Amagami SS would be cliché and boring, but it is not! It is nothing like your boring beta main character and girls falling for the main character for no reason. One reason that made me hesitate to watch Amagami SS is because it was based off a dating game. I didn’t expect a game to be made into a good anime. What can we expect of Tachibana Junichi? To start off,the plot is amazing. Each arc is significant in its own way. The staff made it that you can see what is happening to other female protagonists in each arc. It is pretty unique since each arc is another parallel universe. For me, if you mention a character, you would have to show some interactions between the main characters. It is odd to just leave a character that was highlighted. Each arc has a unique approach. For an example, some may have unique narration; some may even have unique concepts. You may think that the girls are somewhat going to fall for him in a cliché way, but I guarantee you that it is not cliché. You know that childhood friend trend? Well bet your ass that they made the childhood friend win and make it look good. I wished I could have explained the arcs, but then it would be long. The arcs can be related in real life and have some unique foreshadowing. The romance is great throughout the anime. I believe this is one of my favorite since it is kept short and organized. As of now, I can't really watch anime with romance that takes more than 10 episodes to develop a relationship. I'm not saying that they're bad, but I want to know more. There is also drama which I felt put a unique feeling in the anime. The dramatic approach is good in certain aspect and Amagami SS played it out well. Besides the plot, the character development is amazing. An example of this would be a shy girl and a boy. Having a shy girl in an anime is difficult to build up plot and development since the girl is obviously shy. Amagami SS took a nice approach to this and was able to tie the knots. Each girl has their own insight. Since this is based off a dating game, it would be pretty awkward to have girls with similar personality and approaches. The flags that were raised were smart and were implemented perfectly. I guess you can say that Junichi is quite smooth. Throughout Amagami SS, Junichi is a great character. Being heartbroken is one of the worst feelings anybody can have. Especially if you were waiting for your date on Christmas Eve yet that person doesn’t show up. If that happened to me, I would never open my heart to anyone. Due to that, Junichi has a unique way to build up his character in each arc. Another thing I like about Amagami SS is that the staff didn’t make him change drastically (out of the ordinary change that doesn’t match his character). The audio is amazing. It is very detailed. An example of this is when there is a scene in a classroom full of classmates; you can hear other people talk. This is important because it describes the scene and brings light to it. The OST is well put in the anime. The music is amazing and it highlights certain scenes. It is nice to hear soothing music along with a nice scenario. What I favor the most in music is piano and they did have beautiful piano plays. Music and cinematic plays an important role in shows. The opening is one of my favorite. The lyrics are catchy and the animation for it is good. The translation of the lyrics is quite good for a love song. Another great part is that each arc ending is sung by the main female protagonist. It is just like Bakemonogatari. The lyrics for the ending are well put and it describes the feelings of the female protagonist who sung it. The art style is good for 2010. I believe this anime has more focus on the plot and audio rather than the art. The art style is not bad, yet it is not superior. Amagami SS is made in 2010 so I can’t argue and compare it to modern anime (2012~2013). I take art very seriously and I can’t watch anime with badly drawn characters or bad coloring. I can say that the art was still beautiful in certain ways. If I have seen Amagami SS when it was airing and compared it to the airing anime, it would be near the top. Besides the art, we have the animation. The animation is pretty good. There are beautiful events where I feel that are touching. There were great camera angles and such. The animations are detailed along with the background and such. Overall, it is clean and does not look like a potato for sure. Finally, we have reached the conclusion. I felt like I should have explained the arc in this review, but then again it would have been too long. I already had explained three arcs, but then I decided to erase them because then it would feel like I’m writing my opinions with relation to life. There is nothing wrong about writing my opinion as it is for a review, but then I want to hit the point to why Amagami SS is a great anime and add my points. The romance is surely amazing. I guess nice guys don't always fail. I’ve enjoyed writing this review just as much as I’ve enjoyed watching Amagami SS. I’m really happy that there is a sequel, but I had to stop and take my time to write this review. If you found reading this review interesting and good, you would definitely enjoy watching Amagami SS (vice versa). Here is what to expect while watching Amagami SS: http://imgur.com/a/0SbqD

Amagami SS is a lighthearted romantic high-school anime with a little bit of humour here and there, telling the story of Junichi Tachibana, who had his heart broken two years ago on Christmas when he got stood up by his date. Therefore, he has a hard time opening up to his feelings and fears that he will have to spend another Christmas alone. Luckily for him, there are plenty of girls in his high school that he will soon get close to. This anime consisting of twenty-five episodes is divided into story arcs, each leading to a different path for Junichi as he gets involved withdifferent girls. There are six girls in total, each developing a deeper relationship with Junichi over the course of four episodes, after which everything resets and it starts with a different story arc. The last episode is sort of an arc on its own, and it’s mainly there to explain some stuff such as why our hopeless romantic protagonist got stood up two years ago. Watching Amagami SS can be kind of an unstable experience, as some episodes may be better than others, or even entire story arcs could go right or wrong for each individual viewer. I did enjoy most of it, although there were indeed some ups and downs here and there, and by the end it was pretty obvious to me how I felt about each story arc in particular. As such, I’ll be giving you a closer look into each arc and why exactly I liked or disliked it. This remains, however, my own personal opinion, and I’m sure some may have a different view on the whole thing. Let’s get started now, shall we? Some minor spoilers ahead. Haruka Morishima The first story arc starts in a pretty great way and I have to say that even though I did not expect much going into this anime, I was entirely captivated by the first episode. It was very entertaining and kept things at a casual level, which made it an easy and pleasant experience. Regarding Haruka Morishima, she’s in her final year and is considered one of the most popular girls in Junichi’s high school. Like I said, this story arc had a good start, but over its course I kinda felt more and more turned off by it. First of all, there’s a scene involving a weird fetish that even though is somewhat cute, feels awkward and ultimately throws that entire episode off balance. Then there’s Haruka’s personality – her insensitive manners and the way she treats Junichi at times doesn’t give much credibility to their whole “love story.” Plus, there’s little to no chemistry between them, which makes things even worse. The 10-years-later scene at the end of the arc was a nice little touch, though. Kaoru Tanamachi A huge improvement over the first story arc, this one works much better as it features a good sense of progress between the leads’ relationship and some drama over its course keeps things interesting and more emotionally involving. One of Junichi’s childhood friends, Kaoru Tanamachi is in the same class as him and works a part-time job as a waitress. There’s a good sense of development between them as the story goes on and the final episode delivers a satisfying conclusion, even if it feels a little rushed. The chemistry between Junichi and Kaoru is also excellent and their interactions are quite enjoyable, often accompanied by some good laughs. One of the better story arcs of the series, for sure. Sae Nakata Next up is Sae Nakata, an underclassman and friend of Miya’s, Junichi’s younger sister. Sae is extremely shy and the reason why Junichi and her end up spending so much time together is because Junichi decides to help her improve her social skills. Do not be surprised if you find her voice to be annoying, which many actually did. For those who enjoy Sae’s personality, this should prove to be a really nice arc, as it does pretty much everything right, including the ending. Ai Nanasaki Another friend of Miya’s and around the same age as her and Sae, Ai Nanasaki is part of the school’s swimming team and her first encounter with Junichi leads to her calling him a pervert. Unlike many of the other girls, Ai’s personality is easily likeable and her relationship with Junichi develops in a natural and pleasing way. Unfortunately, there were some weird stuff in this arc as well, including a trip to the amusement park that makes for some odd moments that just don’t fit in this anime. Nevertheless, Ai’s arc is an enjoyable one and has become my favourite, especially due to the well-done ending. Rihoko Sakurai Rihoko Sakurai is another childhood friend of Junichi, although their relationship has been minimal over the years and mostly held at a casual level. Most of this arc centers around Rihoko’s battle with her unusually big appetite as she tries to go on a diet. For me, this arc has been by far the least interesting, especially considering that nothing really happens, even in the final episode, as Rihoko and Junichi actually don’t end up being together, although it isn’t out of the question in the long run. Tsukasa Ayatsuji Coincidentally or not, the final story arc is the one I’ve been looking forward to the most, as I found Tsukasa Ayatsuji quite intriguing as the anime progressed. Unfortunately, this one took a surprising turn when it was revealed that Tsuakasa actually had two personalities and her real one was marked by extreme tsundere qualities. Not to say that the arc wasn’t interesting, because it really was, and the ending was satisfying enough, especially since it showed us another “10-years-later” scene, but Tsukasa’s sudden change of personality simply ruined my view of her for the rest of the arc. Still, it’s one of the most well-done arcs in the entire series. Final episode and closing comments The final episode features yet another girl, Risa Kamizaki, with her very own little story arc that develops in the last twenty minutes, as well as explaining why Junichi got stoop up on his date two years ago. I was mostly lukewarm towards this episode, although it was somewhat of a nice addition to the end of the series. Risa’s actions, however, made it hard to root for her or even like her, but it seems that Junichi had no problem with that at all. All in all, Amagami SS turned out to be quite a good anime and made for some really pleasant experiences. I found it to be very addicting to watch, especially since everything develops so fast and new story arcs always make for a breath of fresh air. On a visual level, Amagami SS looks great. The art is very fitting and the animation is very well done. You won’t likely end up calling this one of your favourites, but it’s still a series well worth watching.

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