Aoi Aoi Ano Sora
Amidst of all the art talk, I never expected the direction of this anime nor did I expect to be moved by it this much. Even though it's ironic that the animation was pretty mediocre for an art anime, the masterful character odyssey more than made up for it.
The main characters were high school students who were trying to get into art schools. Through the process of learning about art, each one faced their own struggle in trying to figure out who they are. Again the theme of identity vs role confusion was at the forefront. The journeys that were displayed all led to another common theme that resonated more with me: self-doubt. Our main guy, Yaguchi, constantly felt insecure about himself. Multiple times I can't help but reflect on myself, and it didn't feel so comfortable.
Another aspect was the difference between hard-work, innate talent, and the expectation that came with each label. The character Yotasuke brought out this theme the most. Sometimes being labeled as having talent or already good at something doesn't feel as satisfying as expected.
Overall, an unexpectedly dark, personal, yet satisfying exploration that I never thought I would love so much. 9-9.5/10.
