Rec

Spoiler Free review of Rec by Heralder. "Short and sweet" Rec is 10 episodes(9+1 special) short anime with episodes ranging from 10-12 minutes.Rec is romance/comedy anime with small amount of drama produced by Studio SHAFT in year 2006. Story:8 Rec follows the story of our two protagonists Matsumaru Fumihiko(26 year old employed man) and Onda Aka(20 year old girl trying to became voice actress).Story is mainly focused on this couple and show us their day to day life as well as the struggles that they meet along the way.Story is short and sweet most of the time but get some drama at latter episodes. Art:9 I really liked the animation and color this show had it is SHAFT show so that is to be expected the color palete would go from almost completely gray to vivid in a matter of seconds and character design are done quite well. Sound:7 Op and OST are forgetable and even thou they complement the scenes quite well left me wanting some more tempo and variety. Characters:8 Show mainly focuses on above mentioned couple with few side characters simply since it is a quite short show. - Matsumaru Fumihiko is 26 old average salaryman who works in the marketing department of a snack company.He is quite cold and pesimistic at beginning but as the show progress it's shown that he's caring and kind. -Onda Aka is 20 years old "egg" of the voice actress and huge Audrey Hepburn fan.She is eccentric and often quotes Hepburns lines from various movies.Due to events revealed in first 2 episodes she is living with Matsumaru. For the side characters we have Aka's menager which serves and Matsumaru male coworker which both have a role of helping and supporting our main couple. Enjoyment:8 Rec was exactly what i thought i would be and exactly the thing i wanted to see at given moment and that was sweet short romance anime. Overall:8 If you are looking for a quick watch and want to rest from all the action horror and heavy shows with some light-hearted romance then look no further and go watch Rec.This was Heralder and im out!

The idea of this whole Audrey Hepburn quotes is just pure genius and thoughtful. But the best part is, this has a total different approach to Romance, because of that I could understand from different perspectives and take cautions in every detail in this fast-paced story. I'm not embarrassed to say (as if) I cried with the pair. The pacing is absolutely well plotted, they did not overdo any emotions, I also adore how the whole story was focused on the presentation instead of leaving plot holes. There weren't any unnecessary scenes at all, it's as imperfect as it should stay that way. I also have to praise the soundtracks in this anime, cuz it's also very well done despite the fact that they mainly focus on the presentation of reality when you face Love. I literally never cried in any romance genre animes, especially one that only has 13 mins per episode. People I'm calling you now....WATCH THIS bonus: WOW -from cezrye

Talk about one hell of a breath of fresh air! Rec is a surprisingly good romance anime between TWO ACTUAL ADULTS! Rec is a really short, but sweet adaptation of a manga by the same name. At a measly 9 half-length episodes, Rec was able to firmly stand next to the likes of Toradora by being so different then whatns typical of anime romance. Now when it comes to those differences, they are actually rather simple. Instead of teenagers in highschool whose entire lives seem to somehow revolve around their romantic relationship, we have two adults leading adult lives working two adult jobs. Did I mention they were adults?? The story of Rec is about the two characters, Aka Onda and Fumiko Matsumaru realizing their feelings for eachother as their two careers become intertwined. However the romance never suffocates you, nor does it suffocate the characters, as their lives don't center around it. They met through such a sweet twist of fate, but they come together somewhat because of their jobs, not just because they met one night. When it comes to characters, obviously the ones that matter most Aka and Fumiko, and hey get as much screentime as possible. There are supporting characters, but their purpsoe is to make the world feel larger than just two people, and show that our two leads have social lives outside of eachother as well. Aka Onda is easily the best thing about this show. She is proof that an anime girl doesn't need to be in highschool to be unbelievably cute. Rec may have 9 episodes, but it's qute dense. Not only is there the romance stuff, but also a story about an aspiring seiyuu tryin to make it big. Aka's dream is to be a successful voice actress, and for 9 episodes, she gets fleshed out pretty well. Fumiko, the dude, is a slightly down-on-his-luck salaryman just trying to get by and get an approved proposal. His story is also a compelling one, but understandably less than Aka's. Maybe for japanese salarymen, but not for me. Relatability isn't really the point though. Fumiko was still an interesting guy. Like I mentioned, Shaft made this series. And boy does it show. Rec is a pretty old Shaft series (2004), so I couldn't find it in HD. But 480p is still good enough. Rec has pretty interesting color design and has a very cozy and warm feel to it. Obviously no sakuga to be found here, but Rec keeps things simple, and that's a good thing in this show. Overall, Rec was a very refreshing series. It's not incredibly unique or anything, however the cute and cozy presentation, the notably mature characters, and the short runtime make this a VERY worthwhile romance anime. If you want more, I recommend reading the manga, it's pretty good, but not as dense as the anime. I give Rec an easy and well deserved 9 out of 10. Snuggle up and watch it on a cold night like I did, it really fits the mood.

Time to get yelled at for giving this a 10 by some random member of the mal community but frankly, I dont give a shit and i'll tell you why. Rec was just something I stumbled across (at 2:00 in the morning) and I just figured on watching the first episode and I would see what I thought. I was pulled in automatically and decided to watch the entire series right there on the spot even though it was late at night and I had to be up and 4:30 for work. Lets talk about why I liked it. Story: Okay a guy gets stood up on a date but meets a new girl as hes about to go storming back home, and upon her apartment building burning down later that night he invites her to stay with him. Throughout the series from here on they kind of tiptoe around a relationship with each other and while other people can see it, they just don't. As such the story is pretty much just them at their jobs and everybody just waiting to see how long it takes for them to realize their feelings for one another. To be honest you know how its going to go the minute you start watching, but I don't think that that is a bad thing. Art: The show was animated very simply and I think anyone who watches anime should get what I mean by that. They don't waste time with unnecessary details and give us what we need to see so I actually prefer this animation because there's not as much to distract me. Sound: I usually never talk about sound, and if I do its usually to say it sucked, but not here. The other time I will talk about it is when I think that the voice cast was absolutely perfect for their roles and while many people probably don't pay attention to this, or even care, I really focus on this because if the voice actors don't convince me, i'm done then and there. I especially like the actor for aka onda (the girl) which I thought was humorous since she is a voice actor in the show. Characters: Never before have I felt that there was a character that I could really relate to, and that all changed with this. Matsumaru is now that anime character that I totally got and related to. He works in advertising and he gets to spend time with aka that way due to her job as a voice actress. I also have to say that they are one of the cutest anime couples I have ever seen. Aside from them we have matsumaru's friend and colleague who is funny as hell and aka's manager who is sorta trying harder to make aka and matsumaru's relationship work than they are. Like I said, I liked all of the characters which rarely happens for me. Enjoyment: ...I gave it a 10, do I really need to say anything else? Overall: I don't know that I've ever seen an anime that felt so real, and connected with me in such a way as this. I liked everything it had: the story, the humor, and of course the romance. It impresses me how much happens in such a short series, and I will definitely be watching this again, and again. While I don't usually do this, I will make an exception and say that if you are reading this, you need to watch this! Now!

REC A bit of a back story Male lead named Fumihiko he's 26 and work as a project manger for a confectionary company A female lead named aka 20 just starting out as a voice actress not having the best luck with tho This story is fantastic the series is about how the two meet and due to an accident Aka finds her self living with funihiko. the story touches on how the two live together and how the two help each other further there careers and their relationship with each other, for a series that only had 10 eps of 13min episodes I felt the story was told very very well ive watch allot of 13eps/24eps series and there stories couldn’t compete with this. The first 5 mins had a big impact on me I feel allot people should be able to relate to this anime due to the fact that it touches on allot of real life subjects and how a love life can be effected by ones work life and how no matter what you say at times you cant always say the right thing at times no matter how hard you try -Spoiler- the story starts with Fumihiko waiting for a date with a girl he works with in a rage of being stood up he scrunches up the tickets in his hand and goes to throw them on the ground when he hears a high pitched voice that replies with "NO!... Don’t throw me away " he then spots a small cute girl -Aka- who persuades him to take her into to the movies "it would be a waste to throw tho's tickets away so you should go with me" ill have to remember that one for myself one time lol. Overall I would really recommend this anime whether it is a filler in between series or a need for something good to watch

This is actually a good series despite the obviously short and few episodes. It actually developed this simple story about how two people came to like each other and even had this tiny issues aside. I must say, I'm kinda reminded of Just my Luck by Lindsay Lohan and Chris Pine as the idea of the story is quite similar. The short episodes worked for me because it is not hassle to watch. It only takes about 15 minutes of your time. Add to that the simplicity of the story, making it easy to watch in between work. On the other hand, the story may be too simple that it can be skipped to watch.

REC is, once again, a romance/ slice of life anime. Though it is very special, since it only has 9 episodes and each are about 10 minutes long. Story: The story is very short, to the point and fast paced, as you might expect, since each episode is quite short and there are only very few. The show starts of with the main character, Fumihiko Matsumaru, standing in front of a cinema and wanting to throw away his tickets, since his date obviously hadn't arrived. Suddenly this random girl, Onda Aka, starts "voice acting" as the tickets, persuading Matsumaru to go with her to see the movie, during which she voice acts the whole time. At the end of the movie she reveals that she "wants to be" Audery Headburn, who she will quote very often during the show. Matsumaru, having seen his date go away with another man, is clearly unhappy and thinks that Aka is a very strange person, to say the least. She then takes him out for dinner, to make him happy. There she tells him how she wants to become a famous voice actress, clearing up some of the confusion from before. When both of them walk back home they realize that they were practically neighbours. Matsumaru, being a bit happier now, goes to bed, only to wake up again by the sound of fire engines. Matsumaru immediately runs out to see whats going on and sees, that Akas house is burning. After finding her alone, in the rain, on a swing, he invites her over to his house, thus laying the foundation for the actual plot. All I can say is the first episode overwhelms you once it's finished and is quite "breath taking"... The story then goes on to show how they live together and how there jobs evolve into a problem. Animation: The animation wasn't great. It didn't bother me, but you could clearly see that it wasn't the most well animated show. But I must say that the characters were designed very well. Sound: Though I found the voices of the characters to be great I didn't really notice the music during the show at all. Characters: The Characters are very easy to sympathize with, and you can really feel sorry for them at times. During the show both main characters mature a lot, making each episode better and better. Enjoyment: I enjoyed this show a lot, since it didn't "bullshit around", but was very fast paced and to the point. The first episode was absolutely amazing, but after that the show went kind of downhill. It wasn't getting that much worse, but the first episode just set the scale really high. Since the characters are really easy to relate to the show was very enjoyable and fun to watch. Overall: Since the first episode is only 12 minutes long there is NO reason not to watch it. I highly recommend this show if you've had enough of thosenerve-taking dramas.

This is how you make a real romance anime. Rec is a show that's always been on my radar but somehow I never got around watching it until now, 17 years after it originally aired. It's a SHAFT show from before it was well-known for SZS, Monogatari and Madoka. Story's as follows, Fumihiko Matsumaru's an down in his luck salaryman that just got dumped by his crush on a movie date. He's about to give up and go home but then he meets a girl that insists to go with him. A few hours later and her house burned down and now she moves in with Matsumaru. Her name? Aka Onda. The premise sounds flimsy but trust me it's anything but... this series is a down to earth look at both Matsumaru's and Onda's work and personal lives. But then what happens next? The show ends. God, it's criminal how this show ends prematurely with only 9 episodes and the runtime of 12 minutes each. Anyhow, if you don't have anything better to do... give it a spin!

*No spoilers for the anime, but I do hint at events in the manga, even if I don't explicitly state them here.* Rec is a cute, heartwarming, funny, and emotionally mature romantic comedy which is a pleasure to watch, and continually surprised me with how uncharacteristically realistic it is in its portrayal of a relationship's ups and downs. By all means it should be at least a 7, and indeed, there is nothing about the anime itself which deserves anything less. So why have I rated it a 5? The problem lies with what is simultaneously this anime's greatest strength and most glaring weakness: the story. It is a charming little tale about random circumstances bringing together two strangers who have to navigate their feelings for each other. Despite its sheer brevity at 9 13 minute episodes plus a special, it manages to feel carefully constructed and well-developed the whole way through, and it is very easy to get invested as a result. Besides the special episode being an unspoken episode 7.5, everything makes sense and impresses down to the last detail. However, as I was reading discussion about the manga online, I discovered something which happens later in the manga which puts a bitter taste in my mouth. it made everything I experienced throughout this show feel cheap and wasted for no good reason. Does the anime deserve to bear the sins of its manga? Maybe not, but this knowledge has turned Rec into something I was going to rewatch and read the manga for, into something I'll review and put on the shelf, perhaps forever. Without the story, this anime doesn't have much else which sets it apart. The art is fun and inviting in that 2006 kind of way, with expressive characters and a lively palette which it is not afraid to play with. The sound meets the basic standards of quality, with a lighthearted intro which captures the spirit of the anime well. The characters, while strong, are not enough to save this show from its score, fulfilling their roles as colorful subjects upon which the story acts without being classic masterworks of characterization or breaking the mold in novel ways. As far as favorite characters go, the only real choice is the main duo, Aka and Fumihiko, but this is tainted by what I know of the manga. At the end of the day, this is another classic case of an Anime which is for all intents and purposes very good being held back by one glaring, inexcusable flaw.

I need to be honest about REC, this is going to be a VERY, very subjective opinion on my part, just because I love this anime. I'm forty years old, and pretty much I have watched and rewatched REC since I'm 28 years old. Every time I watched it, it pushes me to be a better person, a better husband, why? Rec touches many adult themes in many ways, despite it only has 9-10 minutes of content each chapter and it does way better than many animes of 25+ episodes with 22 minutes episodes. The way the main characters meet each other is kinda silly, let alone the part how they ended living together is way sillier. From then, the anime turns out to be more serious than it may be intended to be, giving some space for comedy. 1- What happens to a couple when one of them is becoming successful while the other is struggling? 2- What happens when someone can not express his/her feelings because they feel insecure? 3- What happens when you give your best in work but things are not going accordingly? 4- What happens when you feel you are a boulder in the way of the person you love, you do not want him/her to go but also you want this person to fulfill his/her dreams? Spoilers!! From here I'm going deep in my viewings of the series and I will mention stuff some of you could consider spoilers, so you were warned. Also, my opinion of how REC showed me how to be a better person, which you would find boring, sorry for that. Not everything is so serious, there is a space for comedy and absurd animation scenes. Also, the atmosphere isn't that grim at all. Even on the job, our male protagonist has a good friend that supports him when things aren't going all right. It is not like the male protagonist is not talented, on the contrary, he is a hard worker and talented marketing designer, but the series explores when even people like him are struggling. One of them develops feelings of insecurity because the career of the other is having a big push. Of course, this could mean this person won't be needing the other financially, this is a pretty adult thing. So this person is fearing it could be alone again at any moment. At the end of the series, we learn we have to develop a relationship based on our honest feelings and caring, not on things like the house, the money, the status. I think Rec showed me that saying "Welcome Home" to my wife and daughter every single time they get through the door is important, take time to have a hot meal when they come from studying or working, saying "Good morning" every single day, and hugging them every time they have to go out, making them feel there is someone waiting for them at home, is very important, do not hide those feelings!! PS: The scene when Matsumaru runs and hugs Aka when she said "Let's Go home" is breathtaking. He throws away his briefcase, somehow indicating what you have at home is way more important than you have out of home. I love it and I learn a lot from it. Thanks to the anime makers and the mangaka for REC, maybe not the most common format and time, but deep enough to make us meditate about our personal situations.

If you like a predictable anime neatly packaged and also neatly tied with no loose endings to swoop through in one sitting, then definitely give REC a try. [Story] 7/10 The story revolves around both of our MC's, depicting their daily routines, hardships in both work and interhuman relationships, and their subsequent conclusions/resolvings. It starts out with fair amount of comedy, which later is surpressed by more serious topics. [Art and Sound] 7/10 The artstyle, having a retro feeling to it wasn't my cup of tea although I didn't hate it. In the end it managed to execute and depict everything on a plausible level (that includes not only characters themselves but also surroundings). Sounds were, well they were there, nothing which gets stuck in your memory or get in the way. [Character] 6/10 Character development was rushed, incredibly rushed, along with the story they develop fast and the creators give us just the bare minimum for us to work with, however kudos to at least developing minor and supporting roles since these tend to be neglected in short series. Despite its fast pace, we still do get (or at least I did) moments, where we can side with either of the main characters and sympathise with their situation. [Enjoyment] 9/10 I went into the series with a right mindset, requesting something down-to-earth like, something not too complex and mainly the ability to watch it in one sitting made me pick this up. I was definitely satisfied. [Overall] 7/10 Mixing all these traits up gives out a decent output, bringing us a short slice of life type of anime with a taste of comedy and striking us in our feels with couple moments. Having only 9 episodes and half the time of an average one, it manages to bring us a dense story with no fillers, yet on the other it unveils flaws of this kind of approach. Nevertheless, in the end all is neatly tied up and doubts can be swept off the table if one bites into this with the right mindset.

Rec is a release that really missed a lot of markets. As anime watchers, we all eagerly await the next season of shows to launch and we all begin to recognize which shows flop and which show will make it into my top 10 list. This show seemed to miss both of those targets. As the story opened up, I noticed that there was no deliverance of a standard run of the mill character or plot line. Our main character has his own personality which I believe has yet to be introduced into anime. Whether the watcher finds the main character interesting is up to him or herself, but the girl counterpart is quite the character herself. To watch these two grow towards one another in this awkward scenario they live in, is very entertaining. The show capitalizes on its goal, to tell a modern story. It doesn't meander around, filling time. The 9 episodes each mark a point in this anime that holds some sort of meaning which is reflected across the entire show. Each episode continues the plot and grows, and in that sense the story is very powerful. The Art somewhat lacks, but it is understandable because a show like this might not receive much funds for production. The voice actors did a Good job, but it was nothing out of the ordinary, it was well done. Overall the experience that Rec offered was short and sweet. It delivered the story in a solid 9 episode series, and that's all there was.

This anime is really enjoyable with much romance. The real world relations really tug at the viewers heart strings. The drama in here is crazy deep, but crazy short and makes the series feel lacking. PLUS the whole sleep with the girl before you get to know here is kind of funny and surreal. 8/10, Just too short X(

Story ~ Very interesting plot, story is overall very enjoyable, however, there is always a feeling that I have seen anime with same plot before. Lack some uniqueness Art~ What killed this serie... for an anime aired in 2006... the graphic is... very bad... need improvment Sound~ Same goes for sound Character Designs~ lack uniqueness, every character look just like character from any other anime... Enjoyment~ Suprisingly, this serie is very enjoyable, the short episodes are a very refreshing experience Overall~ Very enjoyable romance anime, refreshing experience i recommand every1 at least try watching it You just might fall in love with it

Don't think of this like a series, think of it as a movie. It's just over 1 1/2 hours if you include the special and don't watch all the intro/outro for every "episode". But the episodes do break it up if you want to watch one episode at a time when you have a short break. I don't know if you'd consider it a spoiler because it happened in the first episode, but I was glad to see a more "adult, without being echii/hentai" take on the relationship. Sure they slept together, but it happens in real life. The story takes off from there. There are other "adult" situations, but completely reasonable ones; like a voice actress voicing an H-game while she's still an unknown. I love how they went back and forth between their relationships and their jobs and how a person's job can affect a relationship the same way a relationship can affect a job. Some of the supporting characters were pretty blah, but they were meant to be; and they do have their moments of growth and depth when it's needed, but the focus is entirely on the two stars and how they navigate what it is going on between them and their ups and downs in their careers. I always worry especially with these shorter animes how it will end. Will it be satisfying? Leave me hanging? Contrived? It was perfect. Nothing over-the-top, just a great finish to a great anime. To sum up, it's a realistic story which interweaves two people's separate careers and their relationship, segmented into easy to watch small bites while also being short enough to binge if you want.

Thanks to Mangareader from their article "15 Romance Anime Series Featuring Adult Relationships" on the Sotaku website, I would never have come across this anime whatsoever. I thought the whole thing was cute with Matsumaru and Aka getting to know one another, especially with both of them having different careers (voice actress & salesman). As well, we see the challenges that the pair of them face in regards to their work schedules and it is understandable to juggle your double life in order to suit the other persons needs. That seems to be the hardest that the couple have to face. It's too bad that this anime didn't expand each episodes length or make it out to be a OVA\movie. I felt it could've offered more but it didn't bother me that much to thoroughly enjoy it. Definitely romantic fans will like this anime a lot!

First off i'd like to point out your opinion may differ vastly from mine; reason being i'm not a fan of 'Tsundere' characters. In my opinion, this anime starts off really well. It follows the story of an insufferable prick(my own opinion) of a person: Fumihiko Matsumaru. After being stood up by his date, he's cheered up by an aspiring voice actress Aka Onda. The story starts off fairly decently, the first few episodes show good character development, but then it starts to go down hill. Due to circumstances they start living together, this is when our protagonist starts pestering Aka for sex. Now if this was done for comedic purposes, it's outright bad, it just doesn't work. Trinity seven would be a good example of where characters are set up for sexual humour, this anime fails at that miserably. ~Spoilers~ To top it off our protagonist starts becoming more of a bellend when he basically forces himself on Aka, leading to a fight and for some reason the anime wants us to believe that both parties were somehow at fault. Later on Aka starts to become succesful whereas Matsumaru seems to be struggling and he takes out all his frustration on her. If this were set up properly it couldve worked but all this does is give us an insight into the mind of a tsundere character and also shows us how pathetic our 'likeable and relatable' protagonist is. Overall it is a bang average show, it does have some sweet moments but all of those are usually ruined by our weapon of a protagonist.

[SPOILER FREE/SHORT REVIEW] I enjoyed Rec way more than I originally thought I would. A romantic comedy where the characters actually hook up in the first episode? This is a story where the characters feel real. Its like this is a story that you could actually believe would happen in real life, and that is part of its core appeal. The setting is what really lifted this show up and above the typical rom-com/drama. This is not a high school show, and the characters are actual adults that behave like human beings. I cannot stress this enough, the characters, for the most part, act like real people with real life struggles and responsibilities. Considering this is a show from 2006, I can say that the art isn't really my thing and the animation is pretty lacking; its average at best for a show of its time. I do have to give credit to the voice acting in this show, especially Aka. She put on a lot of different voices, and just by listening you could tell when she was do her job as a voice actor, when she was quoting a movie or just being herself. It was a nice touch. Now on to the most glaring flaw there is. The directing was extraordinarily flat. There was a strange need for the characters to tell the audience what they were feeling instead of showing it and letting us understand their emotions through their actions. There was also an over-reliance on conversations that feel unnatural because they focus dumping information on the viewer. Despite this though, I would still recommend this show to anyone interested in romance. 10 minute episodes makes this an incredibly easy watch. The bonus episode is also worth watching in between episode 7 and 8.

Rec is only 9 episodes long, unless you are including the special, it was short and sweet. Rec has a sort of element that goes straight to the point that continues to have that flow without sudden moments on purpose. It all felt natural, but short, and doing this technique is what most shows fail to accomplish, but this still manages to do so with just 9 episodes. Sometimes you enter a scene with your main character, Matsumaru, and you can tell by the mood how he felt. When all seems down, you get this white, shaddy, background that expresses the emotions. One episode, ---(SPOILERS)---- Matsumaru was at a state of depressed thoughts, and his color was gray, shady, and depressing, while around him it was colorful, even with Ako sitting beside him being colorful as she is, you can tell how much he felt. The official soundtrack had the perfect tone of each scene. When all seems settling and comfortable, you get blown away by the sound of calm, relaxing music that plays over. Make yourself comfortable because this is perfect to listen to relax. My only complaint is there are cliche's that hit you in the face because you've seen this happen before. Some may be acceptable because it was understanding, but for comedy sake, not so much, and some details were questionable that seemed cliched, such as a person guessing a relationship. I would recommend this anime to anyone who are willing to be interested with a peek of interest of a story. You may a few things from this anime that aren't so ignorant and meandering. I give Rec a SOLID 7/10.

Rec was to me a subtle but great "slice of life" series. With the exception of the first episode. From the meeting at the theatre to the next was like woah, this really fast start to this story. The way one of the characters were acting after the first night was a little unbelievable at first. Anyway this is where the story starts, and from here on it moves along smoothly staying focused on the main characters and how they're dealing with their lives and each other. Two people meet, become friends, fall in love(without knowing it), while following their dreams. Nothing major or dragged on here, just a simple and very enjoyable story.