Hidamari Sketch

Welcome to one of the most relaxing anime's you have ever watched! I was pleasantly suprised about how this series turned out. I expected it to be an average slice of life with nothing special, and thoroughly enjoyed the series. Even though the series is slow-paced, its never dull or mlacking in any way. It does exactly what it says on the tin. Each episode follows the trials of our 4 main heroines through the course of a day. That means no magic battles, no mushy romance, just staight up good, enjoyable slice of life, and all the bettter for it. What makes it a winneris its mix of comedy and heartwarming moments. From Hiro's constant worry over her weight, Miyako's obsession with food, Yuno's cutesy whining, Sae and her sister problems and everyones favourite cosplaying teacher, the series continues its run of constant laughs and entertaining views of the lives of these girls. And even though there is very little overriding plot, the development of the characters as they grow, and how the themes develop is a blessing on what could have been a total snorefest. Animation-wise, you know what your getting into watchinbg a SHAFT series. Limited plot, but visually represented in a beautiful, yet simplisitc way. A perfect blend of bright colours, live-action photography and the pure moe of the characters make watching the show a treat to the eyes. The character's look distinct and cute, and the chibi deformations are used effetively and neither are over the top or underused. The soundtrack may be the shows weakest factor, but its by now means bad. Background music gives a calming effect, and moves elegantly from daft over the top during comedy to gentle, moving pieces when the need arises. The Opener and Ender Songs are perfect examples of this, with Sketch Switch acting as the fun, chirpy happy tune thats so addictive, it gets better every time you listen to it. Mabae Drive, on the other hand, is calm and sweet, perfectly complementing the series' moral and sweeter side. There is very little to complain about in Hidamari Sketch, as it is a beautifully quaint show. Sure it never hits those comedy/tearjerker highs that other series experience, but what it does, it does extrememly well. Needless to say that the show itself is part of a small niche audience and if you don't like slow slice of life, you wont like this. But I feel You will miss out if you miss this series. Its an underappreciated gem, not helped by the fact that it was released around the same time as another 4 girls at high-school comedy slice of life, namely Lucky Star, which recieved much more critical acclaim being KyoAni (but in my opinion Hidamari Sketch is the better overall series). Watch this show, and it shan't disappoint.

Hidamari Sketch is sort of a cross between Gakuen Utopia Manabi Straight and Lucky Star. One thing is to be sure: all of these titles center around high school girls living their daily lives (although Lucky Star advertises to a more general audience and Manabi Straight focuses a bit more on maturing). What makes Hidamari Sketch a little different though is the way the show comes across. The animators were obviously sort of unique in their thinking. It’s just sort of directed in a different sort of way. One might say arty, even. Which isn’t so much a surprise considering Hidamari Sketch takes place ata art school, Yamabuki Art High School to be exact. Hidamari Sketch starts off with Yuno, who, mostly, is the protagonist, but mainly it centers around the four high school girls. There’s not so much of a story, as with all the other slice-of-life high school animes. You’ll get many a laugh out of it though, and it has it’s sweet moments as well. Some shoujo-ai is integrated in, mostly with Sae and Hiro, but it’s definitely not extreme, purely fluff, and it sort of depends on how you look at it. It could be just seem as a very caring friendship. Speaking of the characters, they were all very likeable. Yuno is kind of the typical airhead who wants to do her best, but she seems introverted; Sae is unquestionably shy as well, blushing a lot (mostly due to Hiro’s teasing) but also levelheaded; Hiro is the gentle and sweet of the girls, but what sets her apart is her weight obsession: she’s constantly dieting and worrying about weight; and finally Miyako, certainly the most inimitable of the bunch, and also the most nonsensical. However, you don’t really delve into the characters lives or relationships that much, but that’s because the setting never strays away from the high school (besides the school trip and going shopping) and the Hidamari Apartments. Which is good, really, because it isn’t about their lives completely, it’s about their lives at Hidamari Apartments. You can’t forget their extremely silly teacher, Yoshinoya-sensei, and as she said in an episode, looks like she’s “enternally seventeen”. Seriously, how old is that woman?? Yoshinoya-sensei often dresses in various outfits which she insists, is most certainly not cosplay. Her childish actions provide a few laughs (and she always ends up being scolded by the frail eccentric principal). The art, though not outstanding, is completely adorable and the animation is very creative. The angles it’s shown at, and the fast switching of the “camera” makes it more interesting. Also, what I really loved, was how they incorporated quirky things real-life photos, or the wiggling of Hiro’s wavy hair. The characters switch into chibi mode a lot, and their regular expressions are already adorable to begin with. Oh, and I really loved the music. The opening and ending themes were so adorable! They contrast one another: the opening is peppy and chipper, while the ending theme is a little melancholic and has a sweeter, gentler sound to it. The seiyuu were wonderful, too, and all their voices were cute and fit the personality of the character, providing believable displays of vocal range. You might think this is one of your typical high school girl lolicon sort of show, but I believe it goes beyond that, ranging from the wonderfully done animation to the relaxing feel to the show overall.

An experimental take on the slice of life genre that manages to create an artistically relaxing piece of art soothing for the soul. Hidamari Sketch is a simple slice of life anime circling around the highschool lives of Yamabuki Arts High School freshmen, Yuno and Miyako. As they adjust to the new life as living independently in the Hidamari Apartment, they are guided by their 2 seniors Hiro and Sae which also living in the Hidamari Apartment and attends the same school. From the get got Hidamari Sketch story at its core is “Cute Girls Doing Cute Things” set in high school type of narrative whichis now becoming a typical staple nowadays. But Hidamari Sketch was very unique and innovative for the time it was released in 2007. Back then the number of anime about "Cute Girls Doing Cute Things” is very limited. Most of the time the story follows the same pattern as Azumanga Daioh formula it predecessor in the anime medium. What is unique about Hidamari is the way it executes its themes and concept. It created an identity for itself, more specifically on the visual art direction. The Art style visuals are a combination of cute hand-drawn animation with a mix of real-world photos of objects. Its seems kind of weird there is two contrasting art style but it doesn’t feel out sync with the 2D visuals. On the contrary, the two styles blend well with each other. It looks natural in the sense. It also has a very inventive way of illustrating certain scenarios that work with the show's overall artistic theme. It uses colors and symbolism to demonstrate that a person is deeply sick but sometimes it also features also dementia-like visuals. Sometimes I forget I am actually watching a slice of life comedy and not a queer psychological anime. Hidamari Sketch uses warm and calming colors heavily on its visual design. This range to pink, blue, orange, grey, green, yellow for a comforting and cozy atmosphere. And with a combination of white and light color for a sense of purity, cleanliness, and peacefulness. It uses these color combinations to express the show's good nature of being laid back and easy going. The soundtrack does an amazing job of complementing the show's overall mood. The music used is a rather unwind tone that has a soothing flow. The OST gives relaxing vibes that get better over time. Mebae Drive by marble is a good example of a relaxing ending song that delivers a soft conclusion in every episode closing. The "Sketch Switch" by Kana Asumi, Kaori Mizuhashi, Ryoko Shintani & Yuko Goto however is the opposite. The Op is quite a cheerful and energetic upbeat which is pretty fun to listen to at the start of every episode. As for character dynamics, Himdari Sketch has a lovable set of main characters. Their interactions and everyday conversation are quite entertaining to watch every episode while side characters are also while compelling supporting character's roles.The short second gags are very funny on many occasions. You will also learn some Japanese culture along the way because some gag is based around it and might be harder to comprehend. Miyako is my favorite girl in the series for being energetic, outgoing, playful and purely care about her friends though she is a bit clumsy at times. Nonetheless a good comedy anime for its genre. Final Thoughts Hidamari Sketch lacks a linear plot on its episodes. The show is pretty episodic in a format where its first episode starts in January last days then skip to August then revert back in June in the same year. You can actually watch in any order want except for Ep 1 and Ep 12 which the intro and the finale of the first season. But even it lacks and plot or direction it manages to deliver its message around. Hidamari Sketch is primarily an anime you watch to sit down and relax on a hard day of work. The characters did well in reminding the audience about simple but good things in life. Hidamari Sketch reminds me of Azumanga Daioh highschool comedy while at the same time the relaxing slice of life aspect makes of Aria the Animation Series. If you are feeling like a yawning metapod with that want to watch something simple and relaxing. I highly recommend Hidamari Sketch's warm and comforting aesthetic display and elegant audio tone.

Happiness has a name, and that name is Hidamari Sketch! If you're a fan of slice of life animes that leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling then look no further! Every episode guarantee to leave you in a euphoric joy! take a peek into the life of some of the most lovable, adorable, and kindhearted characters ever made. While Hidamari Sketch may not be a fast paced action packed show that usually top the charts, its a slow and steady anime that will never let you down or fail to make you smile :D Lets start with the beginning! The opening theme song for the first seasonof Hidamari Sketch is "Sketch Switch" sung by the cast themselves. This catchy smile inducing song mixed with the opening really shows you what you're about to expect 4 girls, art school, living together, and their close knit friendship and their generally carefree view on life. The first thing that surprised me is the simplicity of the art style, and this by far is not a drawback, if anything its simplicity is what gives it its charm. its unique "wide faced" style really caught my attention on how well it works to both show the feelings and emotions of the characters, as well as knocking you out of your chair in joy :D The storyline gives you just enough to feel like you're there with them, living at the hidamari apartments going through the'yre hardships and happy times by their sides. you'll want to give Yuno inspiration, toss Miyako a little snack, tell Hiro shes fine the way she is, and tell Sae to hang in there! And speaking of the characters, I have yet to be introduced to one that I didn't like! Everyone has they're place, from the fun loving childish sensei to the kindhearted chain smoking land lady. The four girls themselves fit perfectly in what I like to call a "cozy family" (there is even a reference to this in the 2nd season) the friends care for each other unconditionally and are always there to support one another in times of need. But this show isn't without its cons.. :D and my biggest complaint? its far too short! 12 episodes is hardly time to say what needs to be said and to explore what needs to be explored. At the end of each episode you'll be begging for more! It was almost too hard to watch the last episode you'll hate to say goodbye to these girls that you feel such a bond with... That's where season 2 comes in ^_^