Orange

Full disclosure: I'm picky to the point of exasperation when it comes to anime. (As a woman, fanservice drives me nuts.) But I liked the dubbed version of this one so much I now own the full series. Yes, it's a slow burn. And yes, Naho can seem a little timid, especially when viewed through the American cultural lens. But that's kind of the point. We wouldn't be able to really see her growth as a character if she didn't start out that way. And that's what this anime is supposed to focus on: how our choices either encourage our growth as human beings or stall it. Romance is certainly a part of this, but it's not all of it, which is why it plays the role of a subplot in this anime (as many have griped about). Great balance, fantastic music, very respectful handling of sensitive topics, and yes, cute couples (without a hint of fan service in sight if you watch the dubbed one). I docked it a star only because there is one mild innuendo, one (relatively innocent) comment about how short some girls' shorts are, and (in the dubbed version), a handful of misuses of God's name (though this is likely a translation problem). Not quite as squeaky clean as its sequel, but definitely a must-watch! (Keep the tissues handy, though.)

Note: The original subbed version does contain a joke about fanservice, which I do not endorse. This review applies only to the dub.

I'm honestly speechless. This anime is a masterpiece! The character developments on point for most of the characters and it was just such a rush of emotions! People told me I would cry and I did. A third of the time I wanted to scream because of frustration, the other third of joy and the last third I wanted to cry Because of either happiness or sadness, it depended on the moment/episode. I honestly wasn't expecting it to be so emotional, especially since it dealt with themes such as suicide, which for me, are very close to home. I'm still reeling from this wave of literally everything! If you are still considering watching this anime and are okay with the suicide theme in general. Very brilliantly done!

This anime rook me on a rollercoaster of emotions. In Every episode it hits a different emotion from happy to al different kinds of sad. Not that you just cry watching this (well i defently Cried a lot) but it is also a Beautiful story and well written. It showes the emotions of the characters really well and you can emphasize with them. You really want them te save him and you feel really sad for the fear of losing him en guild that they carry. The emotions they show and actions they take are really realistic what makes it easy for you to emphasize. For me this anime Will have a special place in my heart, it brought back some deep emotions wich was Nice. The end Made me happy-sad and relieved. I hope I gave my message correctly and didnt make too many mistakes since this isn't my mother tongue.

When I first watched orange I loved how they started the episode off with the letter from naho's future self as I continued the show I never really got bored and at first when I heard from my friend that it was supposed to be a very sad anime I thought I wasn't gonna cry like full on tears because I'm not much of a crier during sad movies or shows but orange really made me cry especially during very sad scenes and in this show they talk about some very serious topics that happen in real life so this will definitely make you cry even if you don't think so

This is a show that everyone could benefit from watching. It covers some very heavy topics around mental health and relationships so please take into account your own mental state before choosing to start the show. With that being said, I am a different person having watched this and I truly wish I could've watched it sooner. The show is only 13 episodes in length but I was easily sobbing at the ending of over half of the episodes. Seeing how each of the main characters navigated their own personal lives and distinct personalities to comfort a friend will stick with me. Someone else on this site mentioned a quote from the show about how sometimes we can see those around us as being fragile or that we may break them. What this show has taught me is that no matter how fragile we may think them to be, just hug them and show them that their life matters.

I can honestly see myself rewatching this show once a year for the rest of my life as a testament and reminder for the person that I want to be and how noticing the little things can in-fact save a persons life.

Please watch this show, you won't regret it.