I've been watching Dagashi Kashi recently, having discovered that Funimation actually had the first season subbed and accessible to Europe, while Crunchyroll has the second. This obviously isn't an ideal situation as it means being signed up to two streaming services, but there are things I want to watch on both anyway, so, well, whatever.
I might do a full writeup on Dagashi Kashi on MoeGamer when I've finished watching the second season; I've been wanting to write a bit more about anime for a while, and a lot of the people who follow my blog on WordPress are anime enthusiasts who are also interested in games, rather than the other way around, so it'd be something nice to do for them. But for now, I thought I'd dump a bunch of thoughts here, exclusively for you, dear Patrons!
In short, I've really been enjoying it. I knew that I would, and I hadn't put off watching it for so long because I didn't want to watch it or anything; I simply hadn't made time for anime for ages. Having "broken the seal" a few weeks back with How Heavy Are The Dumbbells You Lift? along with some of this season's short-form stuff to watch at the gym while I do some warm-up cardio, I thought I'd delve into something a bit more substantial that had finished running — i.e. something that I'd be able to binge if I wanted to.
I wasn't really sure what to expect. I knew that both Hotaru and Saya were going to appeal to me for different reasons, but I didn't know what their actual personalities and voices would be like. Neither of them disappointed; Hotaru is just the right side of crazy to be endearing, while Saya is just the most wholesome character I've seen for a very long time. Prime girlfriend material. Kokonotsu doesn't know a good thing when it's right under his nose, but such was always the way in anime.
One thing I've been really appreciating about it is how it emphasises completely mundane activities (mostly eating dagashi snacks) using completely over-the-top shounen-style animations and special effects. This is the sort of thing that only works in anime, and it's something Dagashi Kashi absolutely runs with, particularly in its first season.
I haven't finished watching the second season yet but I found it a bit curious that they went to a short-form structure. Thankfully it hasn't hurt the characterisation or narrative too much, and even the slight shift in art style that I remember seeing some people criticise hasn't been too jarring.
This has been a great anime to watch over the summer. Its lazy, mundane, laid-back attitude has been the perfect accompaniment to days where you don't want to do outside into the blazing hot sunshine — but the whole thing has plenty of stuff to "say", too. The characters are well-crafted and demonstrate some depth and development over time, there's a sense of narrative progression, even though not a lot really "happens", and the whole thing is just a damn good time.
I'm interested to see how the second season continues and wraps up, and I know this is going to be one of those shows I miss after it's over!
Discover more from I'm Not Doctor Who
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
