Awajima Hyakkei

Arguably the most underrated show of the season and it’s a shame because it’s got some of the best direction of the year so far and a really interesting story following multiple girls at a single school across multiple generations. Really enjoyed how this one was social commentary on Japanese school culture, bullying, cliques, conformity AND we got some pretty blatant yuri. Airing on a day with 8 other shows probably didn’t do it any favors, but it definitely deserved more hype if only for the artistry of it alone. The cast are all really interesting and have their own unique stories and internal conflicts that will endear them to you and most importantly, there’s a nice life lesson about sticking to your own path and not letting anyone deter you from what you want to do! Highly recommend this one for fans of stories centered on female relationships, both platonic and romantic. What was the show’s greatest strength for me, might be a weakness for some, but I enjoyed how we bounced around from era to era with different girls as the focus of each episode(until the end). It let us see how even as time changed, a lot of the rot and toxicity at the core of awajima never went away and how administrators and teachers alike just preferred not talking about it rather than confronting the issues because that would require them to admit issues exist in the first place. It’s such a typical thing for East Asian culture and society so I found it very realistic and captivating. It’s insane how so many people can see a system is not working and actively harming children and still just ignore it because they’re too afraid of challenging the status quo. The ONE complaint about the narrative I have is that it can get a bit confusing to follow along with at times just due to the number of characters and how they bounce around in the story. The girls themselves are all really unique, coming from different backgrounds and each have their own career goals. Usually there’s another girl who they end up forming a close bond with because of the roomate system at the school and those relationships are the driving force behind most of the developments in a given arc. It’s quite beautiful seeing how many of them played out and how even when things didn’t work out for the girls as individuals, they still stayed in contact or they found each other later in life and were able to rekindle that bond. Conversely, there’s those who had fallings out and carried those scars with them for the rest of their lives, never getting a chance to reconnect and we see how both sides of that coin affect people. The one thing I would’ve liked to have seen more was the actual stage performance stuff. This felt like it was going to be similar to Kageki Shoujo, but it focused more on the girls than that. Which isn’t bad, I just would’ve liked to have seen the whole performance of it all explored. But, we did get a few confirmed yuri ships so I’ll allow it. The show looks gorgeous and has some really heavyweights helping out with the direction from time to time. If I’m not mistaken, some of the Kamiina Botan staff worked on an episode or two of this as well so you should notice some similarities. The voice acting is awesome too! Couple really good scenes that stood out to me, but it’s consistently really good. As I said, definitely deserved more attention, but due to the volume of anime this season, there’s inevitably a lot of shows that got slept on. Certainly among my favorites of the season and I’ll be on the lookout for anything Shimura Takako does because the way she depicts intimacy between girls is unmatched. Scenes from Awajima gets 8 out of 10.

There’s this Discord server I’m in where I said that Akane-banashi was a show without much to tell but a lot to write about. Afterwards I proceeded to write 7 word pages about it in the course of three days. Awajima Hyakkei is kinda the opposite, on paper I should have lots of things to talk about it but it doesn’t leave me much to write about. So hopefully this should be one of the short ones. But why does this review even exist then? Well because I already reviewed both previous adaptations of its author so I might as well cover this one too. This anime wasn’t even under my radar initially and judging from its quantity of viewers it is safe to assume that that was the case for the vast majority of people, which is kinda funny considering how it could appeal to certain niches. It’s the same for everything this woman does and although the previous two have managed to gain some kind of cult niche classics between LGBT themed fiction audiences, this one is just too recent and short to have had the same luck, maybe in the future but not for now. Anyways, when it comes to Takako Shimura works, I didn’t like Aoi Hana, so that wasn’t an incentive to watch this anime, but I did like Hourou Musuko, so that was an incentive. So the tides were tied for me to watch this title, it was like tossing a coin. Then I have seen and read people comparing it to Kageki Shoujo, which was one of the few 2021 anime that I liked and that were good, so yeah, I had to watch Awajima Hyakkei at that point. Like that third aforementioned show, Awajima Hyakkei certainly is also about a girls school specified in theatre, stage plays, dancing, singing and everything that comes along with it, but it’s more about the drama of lots of girls attending there, even across many generations. Thus, when it comes to flesh out its characters, it sort of gives everyone a backdrop and a resolution I guess, even if it never manages to give them a strong presence nor personality. At the very least, those personalities are well founded because of those pasts each one carries. In Shimura’s trademark, this work is a lot more toned down compared to anything akin. Despite being about the toxicity of the theatrical world, much like Glass no Kamen or Revue Starlight (both of which I did not watch) or Kageki Shoujo, but it follows the approach of the latter and its author of toning down the characters and make them easier to empathize with at least to a point, even the pettiest and ill intended characters and actions are nothing compared to what you can get on plenty of other anime and fiction in general. The constant switches in time to show a girl from a different generation and some facial resemblance across some of them makes it somewhat complicated and challenging to follow up to a point, but on the site I was watching the anime, someone shared a Japanese chart which detailed every generation and relation amongst the characters. Not that it helped me one bit but it was a nice detail. The themes are about people not always getting what they want, in fact that’s the norm in this anime, it’s as if nobody could get exactly what they want, which I guess it’s valuable in itself to talk about how more often than not life takes you to different places or through different ways than the ones you expected. Also, about how a person, any person, is more layered and different with and from the perspective of different people, basically that no one is as simple as you can see and that everyone is a different person than you might think. Also, that you might walk different paths than a close person to you from one moment to another. There’s also a lot of focus in upbringing, even the shittiest character in the show might be the result of the life and family they had or that they left behind for reasons and tried to get away with it. There’s also lots of unrequited love as usual, another trademark of this woman. Unrequited lesbian love at that, so yeah this anime is closer to Aoi Hana in that regard. As can be noticed, the themes extends to the characters, but again there are no outstanding personalities here and because of the constant switches in narrative from one to another in a segment or anthology-like manner, there’s no real development nor catharsis, especially not because almost no one achieves what they want. On top of that there’s no real closure, or rather, a clear path to a closure, for any character, in the same episode or some following one you get to know what happened to them, but nothing in between. Say what you will about the previous adaptations of this woman, but they had smaller and more focused casts. And despite there being themes, there’s clearly no plot whatsoever, the narrative moves from a character to another with no clear end goal until the last two episodes and…like, 5 minutes of another one? And it’s the publication of a book and a certain play starring several girls seen throughout the show. One would probably think: well that was the slowly prepared end goal that would tie everything together, but spoilers, not all of the highlighted characters are important for it, and it is never shown in the anime. Unlike its older sister series, this show has an ending, but it doesn’t feel like one, so you might as well consider that it is as unfinished as those other two. In fact, as far as a theatrical show goes, Awajima Hyakkei is also lacking in that regard, as there’s almost no stage play being played in the series. Imagine making an anime about arts and not showing the arts, and yes, the medium suffers quite usually from that. Even aesthetically Awajima Hyakkei is not all that. It clearly tries to mimic the visual style of Aoi Hana and Hourou Musuko, and although it has a more polished artwork and completed backgrounds with no overdone lighting, it is also quite lacking in the artistic sense compared to those. The special effects are quite lacking for what they intend to do, the blushing one in particular is laughably dated, which is an issue in anime since at least the last decade, and the character figures are as usual simple and with facial repetitions to the point of confusing you, even with the characters chart at disposal. At the very least they have realistic figures especially for their career, and they visually age as they get older throughout the years. As for the voice acting, it isn’t as realistic and natural sounding as in its older sister series, it’s more typical, and for a show that’s supposed to be about acting, Kageki Shoujo has it beat in that regard. The sound effects are good but the best audio part is the music, which is still quite absent and forgettable after you finished the show. Despite that, even the lowest and slowest theme fits the anime very well. What I said does not apply to the opening and ending sequences, which although helped by the visuals, are the best ones I have seen and heard so far from this year, especially the outro. In conclusion, I can’t really say that this anime was worth watching nor is it worth recommending, but at the very least it helped pass some time. Managing to handle as many characters as it did and with that type of narrative is worth mentioning, but the sheer amount of the cast didn’t leave it to flesh them out as well as needed and there’s no real sense of plot progression nor closure whatsoever. Is a competently made big whole, but at the same time a big hole of nothing. Both previous works from its author pulled off better results exactly because they had smaller and more focused casts of characters, Kageki Shoujo beats it in theatricals and fleshing out a sympathetic cast, and even in this year, Akane-banashi and Ikoku Nikki are better female led shows. But if you have watched those, or feel like watching something mature with an ensemble cast, this might work for you as a time passer.

Awajima feels like an artist’s anime, low concept, defying narrative convention, and looking very pretty while doing it. It doesn’t trip over its pretensions; it has some powerful stories to tell. I love the girl with the religious upbringing, the boy who’s a fan of the Revue, and everything involving Ibuki, her family, and the girls she bullied. However, it’s really hard to keep track of all the different characters. There are characters that appear once and never again, characters that appear when they’re older, and all of these different time periods that are hard to distinguish due to the barely changing school uniforms. I think a re-watch could help a bit with this issue. There are still a few standalone stories that aren’t as resonant as the rest, or that feel incomplete, but they can’t all be 9s and 10s. The ending ties them up nicely, ending on a note that isn’t too cloying or heavy, but isn’t apathetic either. It’s odd how I feel guilty giving this a “mere” 8 out of 10, because it feels like it deserves more, especially when this isn’t the type of anime that’s going to make waves. I guess while it’s very pretty and heartfelt, it flits a bit too quickly from character-to-character to really stew any of the ingredients it so tenderly picks. Don’t let that deter you, though. It’s based on a manga by the author of Wandering Son, directed by the guy who helmed Ore Monogatari (he also directed an episode of Frieren), and it’s definitely worth your time.

If you are confused by the first few episodes and can not enjoy this anime afterwards because of it, trust the process and watch it a second time. I watched this anime weekly and it’s hard to get into. You get introduced to a bunch of characters and their different backstories relating Awajima school and it does feel overwhelming at first because the timeline also varies from one character to another. One episode you’ll be following a teacher in her younger years, the next the daughter of another important character’s friend so it’s all a bit over the place. There are main backstories and kind of a main story that becomes the whole plot of this series, but it’s easy to get distracted while watching it. I recommend watching it once to get to know who is who and watch it a second time to get a hold of the story and see how this anime is beautifully made. The characters are extremely well-written: good development in them, they are not left ignored after seeing their backstories in one episode (we see what they become and how they develop all through the end even more secondary characters) and they are all different. No character feels the same as another even if they are all deeply connected to Awajima. As for the storyline, it is very realistic for an anime of this type, nothing feels over-exaggerated and even the ending is the cherry on top that really brings closure to us as the viewer, very heartwarming. As for the art, simply amazing. The watercolor style is pretty and really brings out the softness of this anime for how sad it is in some episodes. A few metaphors that are absolutely worth analyzing (partly why I think you should watch it a second time) and it is also well-directed. Some scenes that hit hard are shown again later in the anime with small differences that can change your perspective in some situations which is just greatly done. The OP… Wow, what an OP, Hana Hope really killed it for this anime. Even the ending was great for the show. I liked it a lot…but only after the second time I watched it. I would’ve rated it a strong 5.5/10 the first time for how confusing it was and for how hard it was to really get attached to the characters (probably because I was lost and because you see some characters 1 episode and see them again only late into the anime). Now it’s definitely one of the best anime for spring season 2026. Rating: 8/10

What appears to be a story about girls singing opera ends up being a reflection on the search for identity and the pressure of talent. Awajima is a story that doesn't focus on a single character, but rather on a message. It doesn't have a clear protagonist; each girl is the protagonist of her own life, as well as the villain in someone else's. This allows the story to be somewhat more "mundane," despite being about talented girls at an opera and theater school. The anime uses the school setting to explore something we all know perfectly well: achieving the best version of ourselves. Some will succeed, while others will fail in the attempt. Some, trying to find themselves, will end up lost, while others will find themselves in places they hadn't even seen before. Awajima uses a complex tool to tell its story: fragmented chronology. It's not a linear story; it has constant jumps in time. It visits the present, past, and future, connecting everything with almost surgical precision. It's a story that demands your attention as a viewer. It's easy to get lost with the fragmented chronology. You have to pay attention to the girls' names, the era they're in, who's close to them, and whether someone from this story might appear in someone else's. Each story is a link that connects to the next, even if they aren't chronologically continuous; they connect in one way or another. The central message of the work is somewhat pessimistic, but not cruel. The series suggests that not everyone will be able to fulfill their dreams. That becoming an adult means accepting that the version of yourself you imagined will never be real. Therefore, the fact that the story takes place in a theater and music school, where the girls aspire to fame, is the ideal setting. Girls who even change their names, pursuing an ideal. The ideal takes the form of a family lineage, chasing after your favorite actress, or simply figuring out if this life is for you or not. Speaking of girls at a theater school, the anime takes a much harsher approach to the concept of "talent." It's not your typical performing arts story where the more talented you are, the more you stand out. The series explores how talent, rather than helping, can end up being a target. That envy is more powerful than admiration. Reaching the top is incredibly lonely, and only those willing to accept solitude can get there. Finally, the best arc in the series is the Ibuki Katsurako arc. It's a multi-layered arc because you have to keep track of the stories of everyone involved. It's a story of bullying, where the goal isn't to torment the victim, but to make her live with the guilt. A guilt that never goes away, a guilt that haunts you every day as you get older. A guilt that makes you understand that some mistakes can't be undone with a simple apology. It's the most complete and complex arc in the series. It's an exercise in empathy and attention. This arc is worth watching a couple of times, either by following the numbered episodes or in linear chronological order. Awajima is one of those anime that's worth revisiting a few times, because of all the details you might miss watching it only once. There are so many stories, so many messages, but what stands out most is that in the end... we're all just humans with flaws and virtues.

Has potential, but in the end it feels like a great big mess of spaghetti all swirled together and knotted in a great big ball. Characters and places and storylines and interactions swirl in and out and over and in and back again without much in the way of introductions. Several characters may just show up once and then never again, or several episodes in the future. I can kind of appreciate it taking place at a high school, but at the same time... I still don't remember what the overall plot was other than a bunch of high school girls all being rivals at a music and drama department and everybody competing to be the best at whatever. When you can't even remember what the plot is beyond all that, well... that's trouble. I wish there was a little yuri in there too, but... alas. Maybe when I have the sheer focus needed to get the spaghetti untangled.

There are some things to like here. The art style is nice, enough though it becomes an issue with differentiating characters later. The direction is pretty nice, but nothing too crazy or bizarre. I did like how it would sometimes switch to the cutesy dot eyes and go back the next shot. Most scenes are in hallways or dorm rooms. It doesn't focus on their training or schooling at all. Are they all there for the same thing? Do some of them focus more on dancing ,playing piano, play production, or singing, instead of just "acting"? I don't know, but the show isn't so much about the characters in that way. Everyone is gunning for main billing, there are no supporting actors here. This is one of more confusing shows I've ever seen in a way. Not because you aren't sure what's happening on screen; it's more you're not sure who you're looking at and when. It's hard to really grasp onto much here because of the show's structure. Usually two sometimes more students or fans of the school are the focus of an episode. At first I tried to think of Tanabata being enrolled there as being the present day in the show, as she is one of the first characters introduced. But that kinda falls apart later and doesn't really help you understand. The way it instantly switches between time periods can really be jarring at first. You get used to it, but there is a big "who is that factor?" at times. Is that the one middle aged woman i saw before or a different one? At one point i stopped even trying to figure out who I was seeing at times as it kinda doesn't even matter. I get its about the passage of time and very similar things happening to very similar people. There is no present, past , or future. There is only Awajima and the hope of Awajima. The only characters that are visually distinctive are Tabata, Okabe, Ibuki, and Ibuki's grandmother. It is hard to name the other characters and them also having stage names makes it impossible to keep up with them. For a show about performance and drama there is very little of it in the show itself. There is also no music or Ost practically outside of the opening and ending songs. I did like the ending song though. They also seemed to give every character a different voice actor so I'll give them credit for that. Even if it doesn't serve to lessen the confusion of who is who. I liked the first half more than the second. Once you're used to what its doing, it loses a bit of steam. It really makes sure to not be dramatic so as short stories it kinda can't help but meander in circles at times. I guess you can say it's lack of drama is a juxtaposition to the setting. I just wish it had a bit more there, there. Early on I felt like it was on the cusp of being pretty good, but it never gets there. Yes Awajima is great, but Awajima is also empty hallways and empty seats. (This was typed by my 2nd son who also looks exactly like me, inspired after he read my other reviews) lol 5.5*

I am absolutely shocked at the low rating and low popularity of this series. This is easily up there with Journal with Witch on the best anime of 2026! It explores multiple characters, generations of girls who enter this acting school called Awajima! Each episodes shows people with different struggles,admiration,competition, jealousy, those who made it and those who didn't. There are definitely a lot of characters and because each story jumps between different time periods, it can be a little disorientating. This is definitely a show where you really need to pay attention. Still, each character is incredibly layered and the way many of the stories connected to each other in small little ways is a very neat touch. However, all the stories comes down to one thing, whether Awajima is a place of hope or a cesspool where dreams and people are crushed. As one character says "whoever makes it on stage, wins" This is deffo recommend!!!

A Hundred Scenes of Awajima, as the title suggests, is a collection of snapshots. It's about the many different people whose lives are touched by the titular performing arts school and theater troupe - students and teachers, stars and fans, friends and family. Some of their stories are heartwarming, others heartbreaking, and many bittersweet. And they all come together to paint a scattered but beautiful picture. It should be noted first that the show never directly depicts the subject matter. You will not be getting song and dance numbers here. The show doesn't really get into much detail about the craft either, almost as if it's holding back on purpose. What you do get is the human experiences surrounding it. The show focuses on the regular people struggling with relatable life problems, albeit with complications (and somewhat heightened emotions) that come with the unusual setting. A student can't stop thinking about her best friend who didn't make it into Awajima with her (we also see the friend's side of the story later). A mother, who attended and quit Awajima all those years ago, has mixed feelings about her daughter entering the school. An actress reunites with a friend from her school days who has grown distant as the two of them jostled each other in show business. The stories are very quiet and thoughtful in tone. They rely heavily on internal monologues that almost feel like confessions, as if the characters are looking back many years later after having made peace with the events. The style keeps things direct and compact, wasting very few words and scenes. It allows the stories to really resonate despite the limited time we have with each of them. While I loved how the show kept some "distance" from the viewer, it may leave some people a little cold. Each story is standalone, but many have surprising connections to other stories that give them extra context. We see some characters in multiple stories in different stages of their lives. An antagonist of one story may show up as a protagonist of another. The show isn't afraid to freely jump between characters and time periods with little warning or signposting. This can get a little disorienting and frustrating, but I feel it's not strictly necessary to understand every detail in order to enjoy these stories as is. It was a satisfying bonus when I connected the dots when I could, and I appreciate the show for trusting the viewers to pay closer attention and notice things. The visuals and the audio are gorgeous and complement the story and the tone perfectly. The art is simple and clean, with soft colors and a watercolor style. The animation is fluid and detailed without being flashy. The direction feels sharp and intentional, with lots of creative touches and abstract visuals. The voice acting, the music and the use of silence really draw you into these stories. I have nothing but praise towards the director and the staff at Madhouse. This show is a gem of the Spring 2026 season, similar to how Ikoku Nikki was the previous season. This may not be as clever, likable and occasionally devastating as that show, but I loved how calm, bittersweet and gently-insightful it was. Every episode left me processing my thoughts and emotions as Mika Nakashima's ED was playing. While I enjoyed watching it weekly, I'm enjoying it even more re-watching it, one or two episodes a day, which is my suggested watch pace. This is highly recommended if you like quiet dramas with characters that feel human.

There's something wonderfully unhurried about «Awajima Hyakkei», one that, much like Shimura's own «Aoi Hana» made it difficult to binge but nevertheless all the more rewarding to sit with. Hyakkei, a mode of presenting interconnected glimpses of a place and its people, is so perfectly apt for Shimura's storytelling, which accumulates meaning through changing perspectives and fragments of lives, gradually giving way to small revelations. Its ever-gorgeous direction complements the intimate script beautifully, imbuing its world of theatre and revue, as well as the cast's yearning to be seen, with a palpable tenderness. What I particularly loved was the way the series treats femininity not simply as a gender role, but as a way of engaging with the world: finding joy in beauty for its own sake, expressing admiration without embarrassment, and allowing emotional intimacy to be something valuable rather than shameful. Seeing boys and men, for instance, find meaning in forms of expression culturally coded as feminine, without the narrative turning their interests into a punchline, was especially refreshing. So much of the cast's yearning stems from the self-imposed rules that determine what they believe they're allowed to enjoy, feel, or openly care about, and there's something deeply moving about watching those boundaries gradually loosen. It was such a joy to savour an episode whenever the mood called for it.

A Hundred Scenes of Awajima is a drama anime, and I’ve always loved this genre especially stories centered around theater and the Takarazuka Revue. Setting aside the obvious themes of toxic environments that often exist in these kinds of industries, every character is dealing with their own personal struggles. I really like the anime adaptation. Even though it leaves out many of the characters' thoughts from the manga, it still does an excellent job of expressing what they're feeling. If you ever feel like the story lacks context, I think the anime expects you to look deeper. It asks you to interpret what the characters are feeling and put yourself in their shoes. It’s true that many things are left unexplained, but I believe that’s an intentional part of its storytelling. I also enjoyed the episode structure. Instead of following a completely linear narrative, it presents the story in a way that gradually reveals the characters and their emotions. To conclude, I went into this anime expecting more yuri. As I mentioned before, that aspect is largely left up to the viewer’s interpretation. There are a few subtle moments, and while I was hoping for a little more, I wasn't disappointed. I would definitely recommend it if you enjoy character-driven dramas or anime like Kageki Shoujo.

Never have I ever felt this confused when first starting a show. Right from the start, the story introduces many different protagonists, each with their own story to tell and their own timeline to show. The time jumps can come abruptly, sometimes out of nowhere. But somehow, I continued watching. Somehow, there was something in this story that stirred my interest. A melancholic atmosphere combined with breathtaking artwork that appears so sparsely in this medium nowadays. This is a show all about the characters, their individual stories, but also how it is all connected. It is about the realness of life and the struggles that often come with living. About hope, jealousy, and friendship. The people in the story are portrayed very realistically, and all of this makes the show feel fresh and different in a world where everything needs to stand out, be more, and do more. This product is a hidden gem for those who want to be emotionally invested. Those who don't want to be served a story, but instead piece together the fragments shown in each episode into one whole, beautiful piece. The road may have holes, and it may lead you astray sometimes, but as a finished product, it certainly deserves more attention.

I'll admit that it's a difficult anime to watch. It's very slow and confusing in the beginning (and also in the end, that's the worst thing about it), but it's not a TikTok anime as you would say. You must watch it carefully, digest every dialogue and think about it. It's an anime to think about things. You don't need to like theater or performance, that is just an excuse to develop the story. The art style fits excellent with it, and the opening is just beautiful. Awajima is about many topics, and though it's difficult you can get to the point of loving it.

Have you ever wondered how a particular tradition in your workplace or school came to be? About the people who came before you, whose generations shaped the way you work or study there? Awajima Hyakkei explores this idea through its large ensemble of characters. However, instead of a typical story focusing on a main cast, it is a non-chronological anthology told in patches of thematically-related narratives that ultimately stitch together to form a singular cohesive lineage. One steeped in all the hope and beauty, despair and dashed dreams, regrets and expectations that come with a school as reputable as Awajima. The anime deals with fairly heavy topics such as parental and peer expectations, bullying, and suicide among others. This can make the viewing experience emotionally draining and hence, dreary. Every narrative is told as a first-person recount and it feels like listening to an interview (which actually makes sense later in the show). While it adds to the realism and relatability of the cast, it may also feel repetitive and dull. The plain artstyle and character design exacerbates this. Nonetheless, these aspects are definitely intentional because they complement the anime’s subject matter very well. There are only 2-3 short stories that are more comical and laid-back. Despite the pensive tone the show aimed for, I would liked to have seen greater variation in mood. That being said, I do enjoy the overall presentation. The anime frequently uses close-up shots or faceless/back-facing figures of characters often paired with a monochrome background. Blue seems to be associated with shock/realisation or a general “turning point” color. Yellow/orange with admiration and dreams. And B&W with regret, isolation and melancholy. The use of these colors to fill the screen, sometimes in painting-like blobs makes each episode feel vivid and colorful. This alleviates my previous criticism on dullness. Aside from color, the director occasionally superimposes character silhouettes against backdrops which I found unique and impactful. Furthermore, he uses floral imagery to represent the passage of time, death and even confrontation/regret through a withered tree. These artistic decisions elevate the anime from what could have been a mopey melodrama, to a genuinely touching experience that is worth reflecting upon. I recommend following the character map on the anime's official website every episode. The large cast of hard-to-distinguish characters combined with the constant jumping around time periods makes the anime hard to follow at times. However, the last few episodes are when things really click into place, elucidating how each event actually influenced another and the real purpose of all those disparate stories. The show is not exactly a slow-burner because there are already heavy-hitting episodes early on. But in any case, you should definitely stick around till the end. While binge-watching is an option, I still think it’s important to give the especially poignant episodes more time, which can also reduce emotional fatigue. Awajima Hyakkei is an anime that will move your heart. While it deals mainly with issues in drama school and the acting world, its insights into the human condition is universal. That’s because, like any good work, it is fundamentally about its characters—their goods, their bads and their uglies. So let me correct myself: the anime is not just an anthology of narratives, it is a kaleidoscope of human emotions that, through embracing and engaging with, we can achieve katharsis.