Oh man. I love this anime, and with good reason. It's so radically different from other anime. Uniqueness is one thing, but this is like a whole other style of anime. I have no idea. I guess it's because it's about art and everything has to be artistic about this anime. It's just awesome.
It's a shortie. 13 episodes long. They also have a second series: Hidamari Sketch x365, which I'm watching right now. And I've heard rumors that a third series will be coming out.
This anime is like the Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya in the sense that the episodes are not presented chronologically. But unlike Haruhi, I don't think it makes a difference if you watch Hidamari Sketch in broadcast order or in chronological order. I'm not entirely sure how to figure out the chronological order, but you can either look online for the correct order, or maybe use the dates in the episode titles.
ENOUGH. For probably the last time for a while it's time to do the character...
ROLL CALL
Yuno - The MAIN main character. There are 4 characters that the series focuses on, but Yuno is the one that we follow most of the time. Yuno is a junior in high school and attends Yamabuki Arts Academy. She always wears X-shaped hairpins, and for that reason, is often represented in the anime as an X. You might not understand what I'm saying right now, but just watch the series and you'll get it. She is a very innocent person and probably the shortest out of all of the 4 main characters. She lives in room 201 in Hidamari Apartments. Oh yeah, she is also called "Yunocchi" by the next character.
Miyako - Also known as Miya, this is the most physically matured person, but the least mentally mature. Also a junior, she lives in 202 at Hidamari Apartments, right next to Yuno. Her room costs way less than the others' and you could see why when you see the inside of it. She's very wild and a fun loving person. Her stomach is bottomless and she's always eating. She loves her friends and is an especially good friend to Yuno.
Hiro - Hiro is one year older than Miyako and Yuno, making her a senior at Yamabuki. She is very sensitive about her looks and always goes on diets to try and lose weight. Even though she tries to avoid food, she always cooks for everyone else at Hidamari Apartments, especially for the next character. She is sometimes represented in the anime by her crazy hair. Well, it's not crazy when you first look at it, but when the weather's just right, it starts moving.
Sae - Same age as Hiro, which means she's also a senior. She lives in 102, right next to Hiro and right below Miyako. She is a writer and only attended Yamabuki because she wants to be able to illustrate her own books. She gets embarassed very easily. She also has a sister named Chika, but you only see her one episode. In Hidamari Sketch x365, you see her more often, however.
Yoshinoya - Known as Yoshinoya-sensei, because, after all, she's the teacher. She's probably even more immature than Miyako, which means she's a crazy teacher. She always cosplays for her class and is scolded by the Principal for it. She has a pretty good relationship with the other girls at Hidamari Apartments.
The Principal - Kinda nameless, but he doesn't really need a name. He's the character that really sticks out because it looks like he's out of place. He just looks really weird. His head is super long. It's like a hot dog. He doesn't really play a big role, other than occasionally showing up and talking to some other people, or scolding Yoshinoya for her crazy behavior.
The Landlady - Also nameless, to my knowledge, she is another character that appears less in the first season but more in the second (the other being Chika). Her name says it all, she's the landlady of the Hidamari Apartments. She's pretty easy going and is a frequent smoker. And she talks in a weird accent, but also cool. Yup...not much to say here.
This anime is another slice of life animes. If you don't remember what that means, it just means that there's no real story. Instead, the anime shows "slices" of the characters lives. So even though it doesn't have a story, it's still successful in developing the characters and making the series entertaining.
This series comes with a LOT of extras. There's probably like 5 OVAs and 2 specials. Which is a lot. I haven't watched them though.
So what's Hidamari Sketch all about? Well, I can't really answer that because, I told you, it's a slice of life. What it's pretty much about is Yuno, Miyako, Hiro, and Sae hanging out at school, but mostly in the apartments. It looks like a fun lifestyle because they make it seem that way. This anime takes slices from all around the year and gives the variety that keeps this from going stale.
Another thing about this anime is how artistic it is. Unlike other animes, Hidamari Sketch has this unique way of making you think and making you interpret different images and symbols. It sure worked for me. I loved Hidamari Sketch.
Some of the music is very artsy too. I tried to find some soundtracks but I failed. Which sucks, because I wouldn't mind putting this in my library.
So is there a downside? Well, as much as I hate to say it, there is. And it's probably the same thing that was the best part about the anime, the artistic viewpoint. Some people might get confused watching the series or not like the way the anime is portrayed. If that's you, you might want to try the manga. I've never seen it though, so I'm only guessing.
I can't really say much about this series since it's so short AND it's a slice of life. But overall, it's a good anime. I'd probably keep watching this. If you're looking for something totally different, try this. It might turn you on. Just kidding. It is good though.
Storyline: 9/10
Characters: 8/10
Mood: 9/10
Uniqueness: 10/10
Overall: 9/10
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