Sola... Is this good?

[chikorita157]

I have already watch Kanon and both seasons of Clannad and they were masterpieces... and I am in the process of watching Air right now... but seeing the lackluster fall season with nothing interesting to watch, I came across sola which the story line is similar to Air. I know there is a boxset for that already released already, but I wondering for people who watched it, do you recommend it?

[qwertyuiopz]

i dropped it at ep5
i found it really corny lol

[Solace]

The first five or so episodes of Sola are mostly slice of life type with a few hints of darker things to come. There's a little bit of romance, some mystery, some humor, a lot of drama and tragedy, and ultimately a nice ride from beginning to end. It does start out slow, but by the end of the series pretty much all the plot points are wrapped up, so this isn't one of those series with a weak ending. The remaining loose ends are mainly for you to interpret for yourself, so not entirely a bad thing.

The animation and sound are very good as well. For an original series (there's a manga that came at the same time this aired, but Sola itself wasn't based on any existing property), it's well done and worth a watch if you don't mind a slight adventure off the beaten track of anime plots.

I'd advise you not to read any spoilers though. There's a few key ones that are very central to the plot, and knowing them takes much of the mystery out of the story.

[chibi_nekoi]

It's a fine anime I guess. I like the story, it's quite touching and actually have some plot twist that makes you supprised.
I enjoyed the manga more though, especially the ending. It's slightly different from the anime but basically it's still the same. But as far as I remember, there are only 5 or 6 chapters released in english.
And like the previous poster said, don't read the spoiler if you want to enjoy it

[monir]

I recommend Sola also. The pacing is this show's biggest asset. The simplistic background imagery, wonderful music, and the above average voice acting makes the series better than the average.

[Vexx]

For me, mixed. I liked the premise, the music, the voice acting, pacing,etc. I was simply disappointed with the direction the story went. Ah well, compared with many anime - this was a pretty good series.

[4Tran]

For me, Sola's strongest point are the scenes of sheer brilliance sprinkled throughout the show. The ending to episode 1, where we see Yorito's "cruelty" is a perfect example of this. The general atmosphere of Sola is also very flavourful and makes for a moody viewing experience. About the only real reservation I have about the show is that the plot is a lot less interesting than the other aspects deserve.

[monir]

I agree with 4Tran. The plot is its weakest point so it was a pleasant surprise how this show was able to salvage itself and managed to keep my interest. That's why the series is above average from my point of view.

[Skyfall]

I found Sola to be a largely positive experience, even if i didn't like some of the details in terms how the plot unfolded nearing the end. That said, i agree the show had its share of brilliant moments paced through it, and is a quite atmospheric and "touching". The mood of the show shifts about halfway through, which made me miss the beginning episodes all the more (Not to say the last part is bad, but it didn't live up to the first half imo), Matsuri is a simply awesome character and her interactions with Yorito are a load of fun to watch. Great music, pretty decent animation and good atmosphere. There was something about the anime that that made it feel like "one of a kind", even if it didn't end up as good as it could have been. It is a good show, but "good" does no justice to something that had the potential to be "great". Don't let that stop you from enjoying the good though, the show is well worth the watch ... even if it is nothing like Air, don't know where you got that comparison

[KholdStare]

In my opinion, it's just an average show at best. Sure the characters are great, but the plot was lacking too much. And for me, enjoyment is the #1 factor. If I don't like the plot, then chances are I'm not going to care about anything else.

I actually really enjoyed the slice of life aspect of sola the first 8 episodes or so. But then it dropped a plot bomb, much like Toradora's drama bomb. It is all confusing at the end...and not in a good way.

Oh yeah, great music, animation, etc...

In short: slightly positive experience, above average, did not regret watching, but not sure if I will recommend.

[chikorita157]

Okay, I finished reading the recommendations and I will watch it although I'm not going to expect it to be as good as something like Air, but it shouldn't be that bad...

Edit: I noticed something, the boxset is not even out yet until August 18, 2009... I guess I'll have to preorder and wait.

[Guardian Enzo]

I'm a late arriver here, but I love Sola and I think it's a worthy watch, especially for a short series. Perfect? Nope - there are flaws, but the characters are wonderful and the highs are so compelling that it's easy to forgive the lows.

[Fate21]

The graphic is good and nice, but kinda boring to me. And I'm only saw the beginning and the ending. The ending looks quite cool though.

[MeoTwister5]

The first half moved really slow, but the anime shines when you get halfway. There's at least one scene that was so brilliantly crafted and animated that it was almost worth watching everything else just to see it.

[velvet nightmare]

i dropped it after the second episode

i couldn't figure out how someone centuries old seemed to have the IQ of a 6 year old, and how the guy was wagging his tale over a complete stranger willing to do anything for them ignoring everything else

[GreatTeacherKen]

I thought it was OK. It starts off good and female lead Matsuri can be really cute and charming. The second half is where the story starts to shift gears and introduces a lot of plot twists and revelations and I think this is where the show falters. The ideas behind them are interesting, but there are things weren't well explained enough for my liking, and some interesting characters and one twist that would've been shocking contradicts something established earlier.

In other words, good 1st half, wonky 2nd half.

[chikorita157]

The only thing is that I already preorder it along with the Kannagi Vol 2, so it's too late to change my decision, although I do like melodrama and slice of life alot...

[Shadow Kira01]

I plan to watch sola for a variety of reasons. First of all, it is an adaptation of a visual novel like many other animes, not mentioning quite a cast of seiyuu and it also features supernatural elements like Air, Kanon, Clannad, and the Da Capo series. For that matter, I should at least give the anime a try before deciding whether to drop it or not. I doubt I would drop it though..