At first glance this show seems like a really shallow "diabetes" show that's full of sugar and sweetness, that's what I thought it was at least. There's a bit of build up for the romance but quickly it seems to just stick at diabetes for a while. It might seem as if this show simply tried to cater to that audience and that's all. In reality this show's biggest strength isn't actually in the overly sweet experience of watching it but rather the writing and realism it has. Now anime is obviously fictional and most barely seem to have a shred of realism if even that, but the characters and story as a whole are written surprisingly realistically in this show. When some extra attention is focused on what they say and do when watching the show it becomes quite clear why this is a step above the usual over sweet show. The realism, but why is the realism of the writing so important? After all shows can be quirky, comedic, and even completely unrealistic and utter nonsense and still be good depending on what it is, so why does realism make this show good? When writing good characters there's a few key aspects that most shows generally struggle with. The depth of a character, the personality of a character, or the development of a character. Having a character that grows, develops and improves makes them all the more impactful and meaningful. Having a character that has personality, not just something as simple as their likes and dislikes but the personality that dictates their dialogue in a sense and can make a character either feel bland or enjoyable. And of course the depth, do the characters have things that help bring meaning to their personality, their development, and their entire self?
So what exactly do those points do to affect this show and make it good? This review isn't one that includes spoilers for anything about the show and it's story but I think it's pretty obvious who the main pairing is and that there will be romance between them just based on the title, cover, and synopsis on MAL so I'm gonna push it a little here with this section. Mahiru and Amane both have a very natural and realistic progression of their romance for the most part. A common thing seen in most romance anime is taking advantage of "quicks" in a character to make a relationship happen. For example the "popular" girl in class who falls for the "nobody" because he did something nice for her at one point in time and no one else treats her normal cause she's popular. Which by the way happens a bit here in this show too, but it works completely different, why? Because the romantic relationship wasn't built upon or relying on that fact or action to make it happen. Lots of romance anime make nice guy things seems like something important, to which they are, but they aren't special. In real life there's lots of guys that would give someone something they dropped, return a lost item, or just treat someone "normal" even if they have a special status or job, it isn't something unique or special about that person, they just have human decency and morals. Amane does all the nice guy things, he gives the umbrella, he returns items, he treats her normal, but he isn't made out to be special or unique because of it, nor does their relationship start or form just based on that. That key fact is what sets this apart from most high school romance anime. As they spend more time together, get to know each other a bit better, and understand one another better, their relationship naturally progresses and goes into a romance mode at some point. This natural progression IS the realism that makes this show stand out for the most part. There is no love at first sight, no suddenly liking a guy because of something he did, and certainly no bait and switch from "I like you" to "I hate you now" or feelings shifting like a love triangle would have for example. The characters are believable, their development and depth not only having meaning but they work specifically because of the realism in how the characters are written.
To sum it up, "diabetes" is definitely still the best way to describe and recommend this show, as "diabetes" fans are the most likely to enjoy it. However I think the strong writing combined with the deep and realistic characters are thing that makes this a step above the usual "diabetes" anime. If you're still wondering whether it's worth a shot watching this or not then I suggest you give it a try with an open mind. This show definitely isn't for everyone, but I'd say it's not bad a watch in any way even if it's not for you. Even if you know what you like already you probably know whether or not this isn't for you, maybe be a little open to something different and give it a shot and see how it is, after all changing things up a bit is a nice way to keep things fresh and enjoyable. 8/10
