Since Japan releases a staggering amount of anime each season, many series seem to slip through the cracks - and usually North America doesn't see many series for months after the initial release, assuming localization actually happens.
At any rate, this season of anime held a few great series, so I have to limit myself to choosing just one for the sake of this post. The one I intend to begin my reviews with is Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo (さくら荘のペットな彼女; lit. "The Pet Girl of Sakurasou"). It's a 24 episode series - or full cours, as it's typically called for such a length - that began in October and ended last week. It follows Sorata Kanda, a second-year student in Suiko, a high school that also serves to vet potential candidates for the attached university, Suimei Univeristy of the Arts.
Before the series begins, he is forced to move into a dormitory for 'problem' students, Sakurasou, for keeping pets in his room - you learn he has a soft spot for cats, to the point of picking up abandoned cats whenever he happens across one. Anyway, soon after the series begins, he learns that a relative of the dorm administrator will be moving in with them, and soon meets Mashiro Shiina.
Mashiro, as it turns out, has absolutely no sense in cleanliness, and someone is designated to manage her in the dorm. Unfortunately for him, Sorata is the one who gets this duty. With this newfound responsibility, can Sorata overcome it and escape Sakurasou as he originally planned?!
Pointless cliffhanger aside, I figured I should stop detailing the plot and instead focus on the series over the course of its run. At first, it seemed fairly bland and indeed a borderline harem - unfortunately, that harem feeling seems to persist throughout - but within a few episodes, it really begins to hit its stride. It explores Sorata's feelings of uselessness and failure while Mashiro - a talented and decorated artist - receives acolades and success. It asks the questions of whether life is fair or unfair; whether talent is born or nurtured. These questions drive Sorata through the series, and we see how his answers to those questions shape his outlook.
The final arc of the series details the intended demolition of Sakurasou, and it shows the lengths its residents are willing to go to save it. The second to last episode details the graduation ceremony of two residents of Sakurasou, Jin Mitaka and Misaki Kamiigusa. Misaki's speech to the student body about saving Sakurasou is amazing, and the entire episode had me in tears all the way through - last anime to have that effect was Clannad. The end result was that the dorm was saved, and everyone learned the meaning of friendship - yea, that sounds fairly bland, but that's all I can really say about that ending without spoiling too much.
The voice actors were phenomenal, with their portrayal of the characters spot-on. The music was, sadly, nothing too spectacular, but the scenes were more character-driven than anything else so the music wasn't required to be memorable.
With that in mind, I would definitely rank this among my favorite series. It was a lighthearted series with plenty of drama, and really embodied the feelings of failure that everyone has experienced at some point in their life. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a series that has a bit of everything - at its core, it's a romantic comedy, but frankly it could've stood on its own without any romance.
It simulcasted on Crunchyroll, and it has been picked up by Sentai Filmworks for a North American release. There is currenly no word on when Sentai plans a NA release, but it's certainly worth a look when it finally releases.
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