In a regular high-school academy, a special dorm called Sakurasou is created for "special" people, more inclined towards arts, though it is primary used as a loony bin. Sorata (Sora for short), goes there after he's told that he's not allowed to keep pet cats in the normal dorms. While adjusting to his life there, with the goal to finally return to his normal dorms, his teacher/dorm watcher/task master gives him another "pet" to care about, her niece Mashiro. Mashiro is most certainly a "special" case, fitting to Sakurasou, as she is completely oblivious to how the world works but at the same time an extremely talented painter/manga artist herself. Imagine a combination of emotionless sleepy loli with brush & palette for a brain. Along the way more characters join the mix, primary of which Sora's childhood friend Nanami, a hardworking girl who can't handle the rent of normal dorms.
There's A LOT of stuff going on to explain in one paragraph, so I'll say instead that the anime reminded me an awful lot of Bokura Wa Minna except with way more gritty realism and way less fun and games. The protagonist and his childhood friend both have their dreams for their future, that are constantly crushed back to reality, while Mashiro keeps succeeding at one thing after another, creating constant conflict between them. And that's where I congratulate the anime.
SPOILERS:
"If you try hard enough you can achieve anything." That's the comforting message most animes try to pass to the audience. Sakurasou is the first anime I've seen WITH THE BALLS to throw the hard truth straight to your face instead of feeding you lies, : "When compared with natural talent effort means nothing." Both the protagonist and Nanami suffer a lot from this, but that's exactly what elevates their character when in the end they bare no ill will to Mashiro, who was simply born superior to them. It makes the situation even more tragic, especially when you consider that Mashiro loved both of them but they ended up hating her.
And it IS a tragic anime. But what makes it all so magical is that it initially fools us into thinking it's a comedy. Really if you look at the first episode you'll think of it as another Bokura Wa Minna, but as the episodes go on it turns into something so much more, something way more fulfilling that makes you, the viewer, a better person. As the protagonists go through one hardship and despair after another, their, and your, catharsis will be all the greater.
While all the chaos is going on (and believe me, there is A LOT of that), the protagonist and the viewer will constantly swing between choosing Mashiro or Nanami as the "lucky" girl. On one hand you have a girl who literally can't survive on her own and is deep down definitely as innocent as it goes, to the point of being considered naive. She is far from perfect but she is so talented and pure that she will end up hurting you by accident. On the other hand you have one who life just loves to bend over every other Tuesday, and who constantly sees her hopes and dreams crashed by a dark reality that doesn't seem to care about her effort or sacrifices, with whom you can definitely relate since the same happens to you (the protagonist I mean). She's not perfect either, and at times is both selfish and manipulative but that's exactly what makes her human and considering what she constantly goes through she can definitely be forgiven. And you know that in the end one of the two is gonna break.
...
You know, same thing Kiznaiver tried to do with Nori and Chidori except here you don't want one of them to die horribly by decapitation a'la Mortal Kombat style.
PROS:
-Great humor.
-Even greater drama!
-The viewer will honestly have a hard time deciding between Mashiro and Nanami. Personally I went for Mashiro but you definitely feel for Nanami as well.
-So many subplots going on and yet somehow you're invested in ALL of them.
-The last episodes are one tear-jerker after another.
-Amazing writing.
-Wonderful animation.
-Finally an anime that doesn't feed you bullsh!t about the effect of effort vs natural talent.
CONS:
-When Sora and Nanami manage to convince Mashiro to stay in the final episode, Mashiro only hugs Nanami. It might be clear that she's also feeling grateful to Sora, but still, going by her character she should have hugged both of them, not just one.
-At the start of the anime there are a few moments when Nanami goes tsundere and can be annoying. Fortunately they don't last long.
-Also at the start of the anime, Misaki goes Haruhi was too much, you wanna punch her. She is also redeemed as the anime goes on though.
Overall: The flows are mostly me neat-picking, definitely worth your time.