I never thought I'd be able to get into a show like this, but it's wonderful. I absolutely love the settings. I know that the Honey and Clover director is involved in this, and it shows.
I almost wanted to pause during the episode to take in the scenery. The city, the school, everything is setup so perfectly. And the direction of the episode didn't bore me. It's not overly cheesy, it's just right. Characterization seems good so far, I need a few more episodes to give a better opinion.
But this brightened up my day.