Amagami SS (2010-2011)

[アマガミSS]

Director: Yoshimasa Hiraike
Studio: AIC
Starring: Tomoaki Maeno, Shizuka Ito, Rina Sato
Episodes: 26

Synopsis:
Alternate stories of romance for a loveshy boy who gives love another chance after being stood up two years ago.

Impressions:
When I saw the sequel series Seiren, I had trouble seeing how it was so poorly received that further expansions got canned, but now that I can compare it to its predecessor, the answer becomes clearer. While I think Seiren is an alright show, it certainly pales in comparison and surely that was the audiences at the time felt. (Still, I would've liked to have seen the other three arcs originally intended.) Anyway, on to the subject at hand, we have six four-episode stories that adapt the best or good endings from the original visual novel (with one glaring exception). While part of me wishes for more time with greater depth of development, this way we get a clear focus on each romantic interest. Each girl has her own appeal. Your mileage may vary, but I enjoyed all six arcs rather well and have a hard time picking a favorite. Not related to the girls themselves, I particularly liked having Jouji Nakata as the fourth wall-breaking narrator of Sae's arc, though there are apparently some uncultured swine out there who can't appreciate his performance. The male lead Jun'ichi is a little on the generic side but just active enough to not be quite as annoying as the typical passive mollusc we get. (Only having four eps per arc probably helps in this regard. No time to dilly-dally.) The supporting cast is pretty good as well, especially kid sister Miya and best bro Umehara. I definitely recommend this for a watch, so be sure to check it out.

Rating:
Watch It