On the day
Takamiya Naho met
Naruse Kakeru, she received a letter from someone who claims to be her future self. The ten year older Naho writes that she shouldn't invite Kakeru to join her and her friends,
Suwa Hiroto,
Chino Takako,
Murasaka Asuza and
Hagita Saku, after school to hang out. Thinking that the strange letter might just be a prank or would have no impact whatsoever, Naho stayed quiet and let Suwa convince Kakeru to join them. Little does she know that not heeding the letter's advice would lead to tragedy, which would affect them all until the very day that future Naho would write the letter to her past self.
If you watch a lot of anime, you will encounter titles where you feel like you've watched it all before. Over the years, it's easy enough to pinpoint the usual story elements that gets rehashed in one form or another every season. I like to give every title a shot and without the burden of prejudices if I can, but more original fares or a fresh take on tried and tested genres are always welcome. And you have to admit, getting letters from your future self to help you navigate through high school drama is definitely not the usual anime offering.
The time traveling letter that Naho receives definitely adds a unique layer to what could have been a straight up
slice of life story about teenagers dealing with heavy
drama in their lives. The letter served two purposes... the first is to inform Naho that Kakeru would no longer be a part of her future because of his decision to commit suicide, and the second is to give Naho instructions on specific days and events that could possibly alter Kakeru's fate. After the initial lapse to follow future Naho's instructions, she takes it more seriously and becomes even more invested in changing the future as her feelings for Kakeru deepen.
What follows is Naho's attempts to change Kakeru's stance on sharing his feelings, with Suwa and the others helping along and supporting their growing relationship. The challenges range in difficulty, such as being more open with her feelings (a trait that cost older Naho a lot of opportunities), convincing Kakeru not to date an older student in their school, ensuring that Kakeru will win a relay race in school, and avoid missing out on giving Kakeru chocolates for Valentine's Day. And in the course of several months, Naho ends up living her life filled with worry over Kakeru and happiness at leading a more fuller life than she would normally be capable of.
When you watch slice of life titles that feature high school students, you usually get stories about growing up. While that is still true,
Orange is also about tackling mature themes. Kakeru's flirtation with suicide is not a thing to joke about, and it's obvious that the ten year older Naho, Suwa, Asu, Takako and Hagita have suffered because of his death. Guilt is a prevalent topic, not just for Kakeru, but for the rest of the group. In Naho's letter, she reads about the many things that her future self is guilty of, such as not speaking out more for herself or taking chances. Sacrifice is another topic covered in the series, especially for Suwa who has the most to lose compared to his future self in exchange for ensuring Kakeru's happiness with Naho.
Orange could have easily been confusing with its time traveling element, but they covered the topic in a manner that made it easy to understand for viewers. And even if the science of it all escapes you, what viewers will come away with from their discussion is that the future versions of Naho, Suwa, Asu, Takako and Hagita could only hope that their letters reach their younger selves so that they can save Kakeru and they wouldn't have to experience the guilt that their future selves are suffering from. The switch of the narrative between past and present is done well, ensuring that every reveal from the future would heighten the viewers investment in what happens in the past (or what they would change in the past).
Orange maximizes its twelve episode run and featured a mostly great animation style. I say mostly, because there are a couple of episodes that were a little less detailed or were a little less smooth when it came to character movements, but I'm willing to let that go because the story more than makes up for it. The characters are easy to root for, so much so that a less than happy ending would have elicited violent reactions. The series is serious for the most part, but it does temper the drama with lighthearted moments, especially when Asu and Hagita are interacting.
I wouldn't recommend
Orange if you're just looking for a light series to tide you over when you have free time. If you're looking for something that features great slice of life storytelling, then, by all means, watch it and root for Naho. And root for Suwa, because I think he needs it the most (aside from Kakeru, obviously)... in fact, he needs it so much they're going to make an
Orange movie that's told in his perspective.
Happy viewing!!
