Review: Suzuka Had a greater potential than its actual success, but none the less It was rather impressive in its own way.
Its introduction of athletics was an original and well incorporated concept which gained it a positive note in my books but what really won me over and influenced my final rating was though the story began with a typical plot line and appeared to be very predictable, it wasn't. There were three or four dramatic turn of events I did not expect and were very effective in getting some important and truly valuable themes across that can be applied in daily life, unlike the unrealistic scenarios many anime provide but I will not spoil what these good ones were in Suzuka.
On the other hand I have a lot of negatives to say about this show also. To put it bluntly it frustrated me, if you are currently in this kind of relationship or a part of one you may be able to tolerate it with nothing but smiles and reflections of, "oh my gosh I was a tool". But! If you have not been a part of one or you have already learnt from such a relationship then the plot can come across as repetitively cold and to an extent upsetting. I did not like the way the 'guy' played his cards but without him screwing up so much there would be no story. Another point worth mentioning is the end was an anti-climax in MY opinion, hopefully my saying that will prove me wrong through your eyes and make this show a little bit better for you but personally I felt the pain to pleasure ratio was way out of proportion.
Story/events/plot: 9/10.
The realism of the events truly deserves some credit without which the story would border towards shi@.
Art/Visuals: 6/10
Nothing great, but no dramatic faults in the art in my opinion. The characters look good but it's their natures which define them.
Music: 9/10
The few moments with the piano in the background were just incredible. Guys who've seen it, you know what I mean. Episode "lips" (very nice)
Dialogue: 8/10
I enjoyed listening to what the important yet peripheral characters had to say more than what the main female and male characters did. Oh, except one random occasion when Yamato finally snaps, that was cool, only because you yourself are already so agitated by 'her' mind games.
Characters: 10/10
Despite my thorough and intense hatred for the female protagonist on two or three occasions, (I also say that under influence because I was routing for another girl), the characters are captured phenomenally. Also to twist the bitterness many people will experience towards Suzuka (female protagonist) into sympathy or some random form of affection is an incredible achievement itself. The peripheral characters are incredible, far, far better than average.
Personal response: A good anime, but a little frustrating for my liking when watching too much of it in one go. I loved the realism, an element absent in many anime I've come across. 3.5/5 stars for its uniqueness but had the potential of more.
All bias aside: It is relatively one of the 'better' anime for its individuality where a romantic story unfolds unexpectedly along with an appropriate reference to the strict disciplines of track and field and realistic depictions of effort necessary to achieve, succeed or 'win over' in life. 4/5 stars Recommended audience: All teens, if you have low self esteem than this will lend you some hope or utterly torture your heart leaving it demolished depending on your interpretation and if you can watch it till the end or not. Little kids, no forget it. Mature audiences may find it lacks a degree of sophistication in areas finding it slightly boring.
Final word: Teens go watch it; you will not be disappointed if you like emotional anime. I applaud the creators (on their side-story characters who were inspirational) yet I hope they learn from the few mistakes they made in the production of this series. And leave the 'beating up' of the main character to someone other than the female protagonist, it's ineffective.
