The Fruit of Grisaia (2014)

[グリザイアの果実]

Director: Tensho
Studio: Eight Bit
Starring: Takahiro Sakurai, Ryoko Tanaka, Hiroko Taguchi
Episodes: 13

Synopsis:
A government agent seeking a normal life is transferred to a special school for students with unique circumstances.

Impressions:
I was brought to this series by a mashup of protagonist Yuuji Kazami's standout moments. I liked the thought of an unflappable, acid-tongued lead as the perfect antidote for the typical bland invertebrate. Kazami comes off as a slightly more socially competent version of Full Metal Panic's Sousuke Sagara and Takahiro Sakurai delivers a great deadpan performance. Once the characters are established, the focus of the series is tackling the traumas and issues of each of Kazami's classmates, getting progressively darker with each one. Some get more time than others, which may disappoint some viewers if they feel their preferred girl doesn't get enough screentime. The original source was an eroge, but the content was considerably toned down for this adaptation. There's still a fanservice element, though, sometimes even in situationally inappropriate times. I wouldn't say this series is for everyone, but if the characters appeal to you and the content isn't a problem, you should find it enjoyable enough viewing. I'd say give it a watch.

Rating:
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