I've been in love with this show since ep 1, and with the demise of TM8 it's been my favorite show of the season. It's one the best romance anime I've ever seen, shoujo ai or otherwise, second only to Koi Kaze.
The story and presentation are wonderfully subtle. The art is beautiful, the music is enchanting, the VAs do a great job. Even the "cinematography" / shot selection alone sets this show apart.
But somehow I can't escape the feeling that I'm not really fit for this show. I remember being annoyed at some of the digressions the story took during the earlier episodes. I was bothered by the fact that the show didn't really focus fully on one relationship; instead we got more of an ensemble of love related stories - musings on adolescence and love in general.
Maybe I've been manhandled too much by simpler natured romance anime so I was expecing a bigger emotional payoff. Maybe some of the first episodes are deceptive in what they make you expect of the show, or maybe I've been spoiled by too many unrealistic "Hollywood" happy endings.
A lot of this was set straight by the ending though, and hopefully the whole thing will fit neatly into the bigger Fumi-Achan picture.
Either way it's the first anime that has made me -as a viewer- feel inadequate to watch it, and that's saying a lot. I'll be sure to rewatch it in 10 years
Now, time for the best part after watching a great show: the all-nighter reading the manga!
Tomorrow be damned.. art > future > *