- Genre: Romance, yuri, drama
- Episodes: 11
- Studio: J.C. Staff
When Fumi was a child she was tiny and quick to cry but her best friend Akira (A-chan) was always there to save the day. This is why it was so devastating for Fumi when she had to move away from everything she has known including her dearest friend. But ten years later and Fumi is back. She’s become very tall and very beautiful but beneath it all she is still the same fragile young woman. Thankfully, although A-chan may be the little one now, she’s still just as spunky and energetic as ever. And a decade later, these two best friends are rediscovering their friendship. Everything that’s the same as well as all that’s changed.
Maybe you read that Yuri tag and the description above and you deduced pretty much everything that happens in this series. I don’t blame you. That’s what I did. Childhood friends reunited is such a cliché premise in the romance genre it might as well be a trope in and of itself. By the way, I was wrong. Completely and delightfully wrong.
Visually, Sweet Blue Flowers is a series that I would qualify as calm. In the sense that looking at it was relaxing and calmed me down. The colours are subdued and give the impression of aquarelles. The backgrounds look like beautiful pencil drawn cells. The simple character designs really grew on my (this may have something to do with the fact that I gots feels for one of them so take my impressions with a grain of salt) and little details like how Fumi’s long hair became intricately dishevelled when she collapsed in bed were actually impressive in their quiet and understated way.
I mentioned this once or twice before but speckled sunlight is one of my favourite effects in anime and Sweet Blue Flowers is full of it! Every other episode has scenes of bright sunshine filtered through leaves. Watching the series gave me the impression of walking through a beautiful green park on a lazy afternoon where it’s neither too hot or too cold and for some reason there is almost no one else around. It was calm. And I mean that as a compliment.
There isn’t much movement and as such the animation can’t be considered particularly impressive but the story doesn’t really call for it. What animation there is, is very good and the art remains very consistent. The voice acting is charming. It’s difficult to imagine that the girls I’m hearing haven’t really been friends for years or aren’t really going through strange and confusing times together.
As for the story, Sweet Blue Flowers lives up to its name. It’s extremely sweet, a little blue and full of delicate flowers. Yeah, I was waiting to pull that line out…
In all seriousness, if I could define the story in one word, I think I would chose “gentle”. If I got a few more, I would go with down to earth as well. This may be the most realistic Yuri anime I have ever watched for all the ups and downs this implies. It’s a little slow and sometimes can feel aimless. High school romances don’t generally last forever. There isn’t that much high drama or huge exciting events. For the most part, it’s just a bunch of girls going to school together and trying to figure out who they are and who they want to be.
Speaking of which, and this will only make sense to those that have seen the series. Although A-chan may be my favourite because she really stepped up when it matters, I am so so proud of Fumi. I’m not sure I have ever been this proud of an anime character. I was beaming in my living room as though I had raised the girl myself.
I don’t want to give away too much so instead let me try to tell you what Sweet Blue Flowers isn’t. It isn’t a melodrama. Some characters can be a little dramatic, I mean these are teenage girls, but in general people get over things pretty easily. It isn’t a rose coloured romance either. There are as many sad as happy moments and ultimately this is the story of first loves, not last ones. Not everything ends well and some things don’t really get a resolution at all. That’s just how life is sometimes. You just kind of move on even though nothing really happened.
It also isn’t and Ecchi or a fanservice anime. If you are looking for some hot yuri action, you are not going to find this one very satisfying. In fact, I would say that Sweet Blue Flowers is as much a celebration of friendship (if not more so) as one of romance.
I could sit here and tell you everything that happens. I could probably do so in just a couple of paragraphs at that. It’s not a very complicated story. But it’s an anime to experience rather than understand. And as it is a slow and not that eventful an experience, it probably won’t be for everyone. For what it’s worth, it left a cynical romance and drama hater as myself, a little bit in love. And it’s nice to be a little bit in love at times.
I’m actually curious if anyone else out there has any thoughts on this series. I sort of want to talk about it more…
Favourite character: A-chan but her mom is a close second. Also Sugimoto is hot, I would be in the fan club too.
What this anime taught me: Heartbreak is a precious thing
If you can’t be happy, at least you can be drunk!
Suggested drink: Berry White (I’m proud of this one)
- Every time A-chan saves the day! – Cheers!
- Every time Fumi cries – get some water
- Every time a family member is overprotective – take a sip
- Every time A-chan argues with her brother – take a sip
- Every time any girl wears braids – play with your hair
- Every time we see those two little girls (you’ll know when you see them) – take a sip
- Every time anyone is lying – get some water, you don’t want to kill your liver
- Every time Fumi is reading – take a sip
- Every time A-chan rides the train – I don’t know why I chose her specifically… – take a sip
- Every time we see a nun – hide the booze
- Every time we see the library – take a small sip
- Every time A-chan is full of energy – take a sip
- Every time there is speckled sunlight – take it in
- Every time anyone skips school – tsk tsk
- Every time A-chan thinks about food – get a snack
- Every time hey go to a café – I dunno maybe get an espresso? That sounds bad for your heart, stick to the cocktail!
The images don’t do it justice but it will ive you an idea
