Hana Ichinose, a 17-year-old high school student who is not only introverted, but also insecure and timid, has just moved and will be attending a new school. To make her situation more difficult, Hana is a "slow start," which means that she missed a year and worries about attending a class where everyone is younger than her.
During her introduction, the teacher reveals it is Hana's birthday, which gives her the jumping-off point to meet three of her classmates: Tamate Momochi, a charismatic and extroverted girl; Kanmuri Sengoku, who is shy and small; and the popular and pretty Eiko Tokura. Not wanting to lose the chance to make new friends, Hana's interactions with these three mark the beginning of some beautiful relationships that will change her life.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Nenhum episódio encontrado.
Comentários
Fircoal
With the massive amount of shallow school-based CGDCT that exist you'd be forgiven for thinking that Slow Start is another one of those. While there are many shows that try to take a simple gimmick and turn it into a CGDCT show, that isn't the case here. It may look like it, after all the fact that one character is a year behind seems like a nice basis for a show so that it can set itself apart that little bit before going back to the old tropes. Except it's not a gimmick and it's not treading the same ground. Rather it's going farther than mostCGDCT shows ever try to do.
In reality, the core of Hana as a character isn't the fact that she started a year late, but rather how that late start effects her as a person. Hana shows all of the traditional signs of the worrier archetype but it goes beyond that. While sometimes it can be played up for laughs it doesn't exist solely for laughs. Rather it is a core focus of the show. Hana isn't just a worrier but rather is someone who has anxiety and a pretty bad case of that. Whenever something is brought up she is always finding the worse possible scenario for it and then fretting over it. Whether it be a misplaced unaccounted-for screw, fearing if she'd be able to get friends, or fearing what her friends would think about her secret, every event has something to worry about. This isn't something that shows up just when it'd be humorous but something that exists in each and every interaction that she has.
And thusly the core of the show isn't really about a missed year, rather the core of the show is about dealing with anxiety and the support system around her. And what makes Slow Start so magical to me is that it's able to deal with the subject matter while also being fluffy and fun at the same time.
Hana is really relatable as a character. What she goes through and how she approaches situations is parallel to what I and others face as follow sufferers from anxiety. It happens all the time and it can happen from any sort of stimuli. Furthermore, there is this sense of feeling how silly or meaningless the worry is about. Hana remarks several times that she thinks her own fears are stupid but the fears never stop. Anxiety isn't concerned with what makes sense and whether it's logical to be worried or not. It just happens. A scenario pops into one's mind and it cases worry until it can finally be put to rest. And this happens a lot with Hana. No matter what situation she's in there's always something that she can worry about and something that her anxiety can pick on. Furthermore, she's not the only one to have anxiety in the show. There is also Ms Hannen who suffers from social anxiety. In her case, we get to see her slowly come out of her shell as she learns how to deal with society and be able to go out into the real world. She's a shut-in but not even an okatu, just a shut-in, and it's believable in the ways that she acts as a shut-in. And the slow steps that she takes to get out of it. She goes to many convenience stores because it's somewhere to practice being in society at, and while it seems silly there is something real to taking small steps in order to conquer anxiety. Rome was not built in a day, and one can't go straight out into the belly of the beast and expect things to be alright. That sounds like a recipe for a panic attack, and panic attacks are not fun.
The whole show is about taking small steps. And in that way, the name fits. While I understand why shows can try to build up something bombastic and have it resolved quickly, I also really like how Slow Start is comprised of small issues dealt with slowly. Especially the recurring issues like Hana's anxiety are treated with care and are resolved slowly. There is no quick fix for anxiety. There is no way to stop the endlessly worrying mind from worrying. And the fact that this show gets that and rather focuses on having them slowly grow and be treated with love and comfort the whole way is something that I really enjoyed seeing.
The show is even able to show other parts of anxiety rather than just the worry. It also shows the effect of on self-esteem that it has and the ways that it cases Hana to react. Every reaction Hana had was deeply relatable to me. And even better is that they managed to provide this without the full melodramatic pain. Everything was alright. Everyone still loved her. But still the struggle existed and Hana's self-esteem continued to erode at herself, only to be reminded by everyone that her fears were not true. Slow Start shows a level of acceptance I did not expect. Rather than dismiss her worries or how she is, her friends and Shion all accept who she is and that she has those worries. For every fear, Hana has there is someone not just telling her that it's ok and rebutting it, but also telling her that it's ok for her to fear that. That it's ok for her to be herself. That she is ok and that there is nothing wrong with her because of whatever issue is bothering her. Anxiety is not ideal, far from it, but that doesn't mean that the person with it is any less worthwhile, or that their thoughts are stupid. It just happens. And I'm so glad to see that Slow Start not only tackles these issues but reassures that it's ok to feel this way.
It isn't just Hana's actions that make her anxiety so relatable but rather the reactions of those around her. Her parents are supportive and try to help her with what they can. Same with Shion. The actions that they take are completely in line with the actions that one would take for someone in Hana's situation. They're careful with her and coddle her a bit more than someone would be at her age. But they still do it because for someone like her it makes sense to comfort her. To tell her that it'll all be alright. She is treated with more care than someone else at her age would be and it makes sense why that is true. Even the teacher knows about it and tries to help Hana along. She tries to guide her as well and tries to give her a good understanding of what's what.
But Hana isn't the only character who shines in the show. All of the characters shine and differentiate themselves from the typical mould of CGDCT. There is Eiko who feels like a real teenage girl, she's fashionable, mature, and is discovering herself like most teenagers do. She has interests that are usually out of the scope of CGDCT, but that fall very in line with who she is as a person. And added on top of that she is a natural flirt who is able to get the attention of almost every girl that she interacts with. It's hard to say whether this is on purpose or not though, on one hand, it all looks innocent but on the other hand, there seems to be a real sense of longing with her, a sense of emptiness that needs filling. Eiko isn't just flirting just because she's the natural flirt but also because it's something that she likes to do and something that makes her feel more comfortable. There is an interesting push and pull with another character from the show that demonstrates this well. There is some level of a game to it for her, and a level, of satisfaction of being wanted and needed. She is an interesting character who I have yet to see another character like.
Tama also shines. She is the typical sort of Genki girl but also an okatu, and unlike what one would expect from that archetype she's actually really responsible. She keeps track of her finances and seems to have a good grasp on what she has to do and all of that. She isn't one of the Genki girls that need to be reminded every episode what's important but rather she knows it already. Really she's just hyper and someone who loves to get the full flavor out of life. And certainly, she adds to the show by giving just that. Adding extra fun and emotional moments that really shine and make the show even more distinct. You can tell her sense of responsibility by how her grandmas interact with her. In many shows, the Genki girl is scolded by their parents over and over again for being too irresponsible and causing trouble, but in the case of Tama, she is revered by her grandmas.
Kamuri is the weakest character of the group but she has her own flavor and certainly, she's better than some of those characters can be. She doesn't have the same character depth as the other three but she certainly does add to the group and is fun to watch.
The character interactions are fantastic in Slow Start, they fully and completely feel like friends and even more so than that it feels like they're fully committed to helping Hana and each other. Both Eiko and Tama go out of their way to reassure Hana and show her that everything is alright. They don't laugh at her issues but rather empathize with her. While the characters certainly can have fun with each other and joke about each other when push comes to shove they're always there for each other and there to try to help out. They're great friends and I loved every moment of watching them grow closer and support each other.
Add onto that the animation of this show is fantastic. The character animation is top notch as the characters are allowed to have small animated movements that make them feel so much more lively. It makes the emotions of each scene that much richer, including the fun which feels that much more vibrant. In fact, I've never been one to care too much about animation quality especially in a CGDCT, but seeing what the emotive animation of Slow Start can do really gave me an appreciation of what animation can do, even for a genre that doesn't rely on it the same way that action would. There are so many little movements in this show that work so well and it's so great.
Slow Start is one of the best CGDCT shows that I've watched yet. It's able to tackle serious issues in the background while still being vibrant and fun. The way that the situations are handled also is very heartwarming and its just so nice to see people bond and care for each other. CGDCT is made off of heartwarming interactions and fun fluff, and for a show to do both so well like Slow Start has, along with providing interesting distinct characters, and dynamic character animation... magical.
MetaThPr4h
Funnily enough considering the title of this anime, Slow Start went from an entertaining but mostly just good watch to one of my favorite series of this winter 2018 season as it progressed. This story is focused on Hana, a shy girl who easily gets worried that she is a year behind the rest after not being able to do the exams for high school. That affected her and she couldn't handle thinking about what everyone else would think of her, so she ended up leaving her house and went to live in the apartment of her cousin Shion to start a fresh life whereno one would know her. That decision gave her the chance to meet three girls from her new school that she will end up being very close to in this fun and heartwarming anime.
Most of the series is focused on Hana and her interactions with the always active Tama-chan, the more adult and lover of accessories Eiko, and the childrish but surprisingly aware Kamuri, who is really attached to Eiko, these four girls are always entertaining to watch and they were just what Hana needed to slowly overcome her fears thanks to their affection and frienship, creating lots of scenes that never failed to put a smile on my face. There are also three other side characters who give some variety to the series, the previously mentioned and very kind Shion, the quite relatable Hannen (who creates a solid synergy with Hana due to her own issues) and Kiyose, the teacher of the girls and that has some very interesting scenes with Eiko. That together with some moments with Hana's parents as well form a nice cast of characters that I enjoyed a lot watching.
The animation of the show is legit fantastic and honestly surprised me since I didn't expect that from it, the characters move so smoothly and feel so alive. In terms of music, Slow Start has one or two memorable songs and that's really all, but that's something I see in general for most comedy/SoL series, where their objective is just to provide ambient sound. On the other hand, the opening song, “ne! ne! ne!” is one of my favorites of this season with one catchy song I sang along each episode.
Slow Start was a very enjoyable anime that I definitely recommend to any fan of the cute girls genre. Hana started high school a year later, don't take that long to give it a try!
AmericanSomnium
"Slow Start" is true to the name in that not much of substance really happens over the course of the whole show. I enjoyed it. I liked it. However, I just want this to be at the forefront for those who are thinking they'll see obvious and planned character development over the course of the season. The entire season seems more like stage-setting rather than altering character, mostly to show the quirks of each character in a much more magnified light. That being said I'll need to admit two things: This is really the second CGDCT I have ever watched, and I found myself in lovewith this show. I just want to point out that I may not be the best judge on this genre, but I want to give my input anyways.
I don't know if it was hitting all the right buttons for me, but while this was simulcasting it got to the point where this was my major weekend highlight. I love the interactions between the characters, as well as the innocence of the thin plot. It's not wholeheartedly complex, but there are references to something more throughout the show. I could see it deserving it's rating of 6.5 if it was doing anything inherently wrong, but I haven't had that inkling the whole time.
Hana and the cast are very cute, and have a chemistry that I really enjoy. Some of the running gags remind me of jokes similar to those made in Monogatari even, which may have suckered me in. Additionally, the show can get somewhat adult at times. I'm not even referencing the overt adult humor, but some not serious subjects can be brought down to earth by these characters trying to navigate what they perceive as a hurdle. An example without spoilers would be one character having a dilemma of embarrassment over buying a bra. This isn't played for gags like a lot of anime, but handled as a pretty serious issue of self confidence that also ties into the character's main internal conflict. Maybe it's too much to read into a CGDCT, but I can say with certainty I felt like the writers knew what they were doing.
Past this, I have to say the animation are absolutely stellar. It almost makes them out of place, but in the first episodes I felt like they had 2x as many frames as I usually see in other anime. Where some shows I know would benefit immensely from this, I still felt like this added animation fleshed out the characters in a meaningful way.
The average rating looks low, but if you want to see some interesting character interactions in a cute and nigh-harmless environment, I strongly encourage you to give Slow Start a chance.
Rorudan-kun
To be honest, I dropped this show after watching the first epsode, as, even though if it seemed nice, it felt absolutely generic, so cliche and prefabricated as it could be; anyway, a while later I gave it a second chance, and I quickly discovered how wrong I was. Well, not actually wrong in the sense that the setting IS very generic. If you like this kind of slice of life/CGDCT series it's likely that you are tired of seeing a lot of the same characters and scenarios being represented over and over again: a bunch of girls in high school, with the energetic one, theresponsible one, the loli one, the single young female teacher... It's just that it has been done some many times that when a show in this genre separates from this context, it feels so refreshing (like New Game does). There is also the central "theme", what the show is supposed to be about, and that usually drives the action of the series (for example, camping in Yuru Camp, or not being able to speak to others in Hitoribocchi), being, in this case, having lost a year and worrying about not being accepted because of that.
All of the above is what's unoriginal about Slow Start, and that is presented in the first episode, but as you continue watching it you realize that there is something that I think sets this show apart, and that is how the action is developed and how the characters are treated. Let me explain: the characters may be generic, but they do not just behave in a generic way. For example, Tama-chan, being clearly the energetic girl, is not always shouting, being hyper-active and driving the attention to her, but rather she is put into a lot of ordinary situations that let other aspects of her personality being shown. There is a lot of room for the characters' personalities to "breathe", becoming more complex, in a very natural way, than what they may appear at first sight.
This makes the characters feel organic and real, and is partly thanks to how the theme of Hana-chan losing a year, instead of being the central concept around which all the interactions are developed, serves just as a background and a way to understand Hana's character; the show actually centers about the girls' daily lives, and how do they become friends with Hana-chan. Nothing feels forced, no drama or unexpected situations are injected here.
This, though making the show a lot more relatable, takes the risk of making it also a little plain and dull (like it happens in the Tamayura series), but this doesn't happen in this case. There is a really good balance between the rythm, not being frantic but having some intensity, the humor, that is very present but not overtaking, and the characters just being very likeable, that makes it entertaining and keeps your attention. This is well aligned with the cheerful soundtrack and the pastel colors palette that is used through the whole show; the designs, though, are not bad but lack personality and make every character's face look pretty much the same. The animation is pretty good I think, there is even a couple moments where some actions are kind of over-animated (if you see it you'll easily recognise them).
I ended up enjoying this show a lot. It is just pleasant to watch, and even if it doesn't bring anything new to the table, it's a rather interesting take on a generic formula. If you are looking for a show to watch after a long day of work and bring you some peace, and even some laughs, I think you should look this up.
Axew13
"The protagonist is a normal high school student going to your typical all-girls' high school. But wait! She's actually one year behind! I swear I'm not running out of ideas." This was my first thought upon seeing Slow Start. Bear in mind, I actually (guiltily) enjoyed this show after watching it. But flaws are flaws, so here's my review. STORY: Hana Ichinose is a- you already know this. And that's all the plot you're going to get from this series aside from minor character development. Spoiler: The gap year thing ends up not being essential to the show at all. ART: Slow Start has the most generic artstyle it could possibly have. Granted they couldn't take too much liberty since this is a manga adaptation, but the show still looks like a template. The actual animation is stunning: as expected of A-1 Pictures, characters move pretty smoothly. Background art does the job. Fanservice scenes are on-point.
SOUND: The OP, ED and that one background song are as catchy as they should be, without doing anything particularly innovative. I'm not Japanese, but the voices fit the characters for me, and the acting (especially Tama) was great.
CHARACTERS: Hana is a self-insert crybaby. Tamate represents the male otaku audience. Eiko is kind of like an older figure, especially to Kamu who is the token loli. The characters are by no means realistic, but if you're willing to overlook that, they do show more (perhaps unexpected) traits that deviate them from their archetypes.
If you're a fan of moe then Slow Start is a good watch. Hell, watch it just for Tama-chan. But don't prioritize it, because then you're likely to be disappointed and miss out on better shows.
SovietWeeb
Here comes the time when all the shows of the season starts to finish up. Slow Start was the first show of the Winter season that i finished. I came out really enjoying it. Kind of Ironic that just like the name of the show " Slow Start " The show is kind of slow at the start. But i feel it does pick up. There is lot's of Yuri themes happening , Me being a connoisseur in the ways of Yuri, I got to say that i enjoyed this. Even if they never get together. It's nicely done with them not overly teasing Yuri andthem just not doing it at all. I still would have liked if the shows characters actually got together. But i'm fine with it as it is. ( Eiko x Sensei is best pair )
This is just a fun show to watch when you want to relax in my opinion. Nothing extreme or crazy happens. It's just a nice Slice of Life show to watch. I don't get the low ratings that this show has though. I'd say that this is one of my favorite Slice of Life shows.
cakegun
Slow Start caught me very much off guard. I went into it expecting to be routinely bored by a show that by all accounts should have been weekly filler, just a fluff show to pad out one of the empty time slots between all the more interesting shows I followed this season, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much it managed to exceed my expectations and keep my interest. I think the reason this show stood out to me as being above average is also the largest reason I cannot recommend it fully or give it a higher rating, the characters. Slow Start hinted ata few interesting points of character growth and relationship development, but ultimately it failed to deliver on them. The main characters began as fairly generic and their group dynamic kept them from being completely stale but the supporting cast is what tended to steal the show for me. The teacher Enami-sensei, the main character's cousin Shion and her neighbor Hiroe are all good characters who despite being relatively generic themselves are presented as far more interesting because of their interactions with the main cast and one another. Without getting into spoilers, I felt let down by the lack of resolution to one particular supporting character's relationship with one of the main girls. Their story was extremely unexpected and at first I figured it would just be a one-off gag but instead it kept going and hinted at one of the main girls becoming a bit more mature and sensitive, even if only for one person. It was a welcome change and I fully expected the series to run with it and set the tone for the rest of the show but it instead danced around the subject and felt like it ended an interesting arc midway through. I should also mention a problem I personally had with the show, it felt like one of the main girls, Kamuri, was little more than a discount Kanna from Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, she was even played by the same voice actor. It left a sour taste in my mouth as little more than an attempt at a cash grab because if she had been given another episode or two or some more defining character traits than "extremely shy loli that makes uncharacteristic and lewd jokes regularly" then I would have been fine with her.
Aside from characters, this show felt average to me. The art and animation were top quality for a lower-profile slice of life show and you can definitely tell that a lot of care went into the art direction and general animation, most of the show has a high frame count so character movements both in and out of conversation are extremely smooth and generally realistic. The story was nothing particularly groundbreaking but it did well enough to be enjoyable. The sound and music were nothing really noteworthy but again were good enough that they did not detract from my enjoyment. Overall, this show was far more interesting than I anticipated and I would gladly watch a second season, which is heavily hinted at. It feels like this show could really release itself from the "popcorn show" formula that it seemed to embrace and start taking itself a little more seriously, and I would welcome more interesting character interactions to finish what was started with this promising first season.
BasedGodgers
Slow Start is just one of those anime where you find a gif or screenshot or YouTube clip and think "hey these characters look pretty cute and the scenes look enjoyable, I want to check out this anime!" Boy what a mistake that was for me. Story 2/10: Well, the story behind Slow Start is about a girl, Hana, has a gap year between middle and high school due to having the mumps so she spends a year studying to get into a high school far away where people won't know her. So yeah that's basically the plot (omg gap year) which they mention, on average,once per episode. Sometimes more, sometimes less, but most of the time they're just hanging out doing stuff and then Hana is basically "oh yeah I have a gap year I'm nervous to tell my friends about it." Speaking of her friends, the only reason they're together is probably the most forced reason I can think of that all centered around Eiko. Kamuri was Eiko's childhood friend....who played together once as kids. Tama was in the same middle school as Eiko but never really spoke to each other. The three of them became friends with Hana after Hana said, in class on the first day, it was her birthday so Tama wished her happy birthday then the other three girls gave her charms from a train station and they go to view the sakura trees...that's seriously the best the writers could come up with? Speaking of the characters....
Character 4/10: The characters ranged from pretty good to no opinion to straight up garbage. The "pretty good" characters were Tama (real name Tamate) aka Tama-Chan who is the genki girl who likes playing dating sims and has the fang tooth (but is a skin fang instead.) Hiroe, the younger sister of the teacher is a NEET who...surprise, currently has a gap year. Then there is Shion, the titty monster landlady and Hana's cousin. Usually when either of those three are on screen, those are where the better character moments come in. The characters I have no opinion on are Kamuri (her seiyuu is the same one who did Kanna from Ms Kobayashi's Dragon Maid, just getting that out of the way.) She is very shy and is very clingly toward Eiko. Honestly she feels just like Eiko's pet for most of the series. Then there is the teacher who...I don't really have an opinion on honestly. The worst main characters of the series? Hana and Eiko. Hana is scared or nervous or worried about EVERYTHING and it gets really annoying, really fast. Everything they come across she's like this for little to no reason at all. Then there is Eiko who, when I think about it, is probably the worst character in the series. I'm honestly not sure what they want to do with her, as one minute she's the calm mature beauty and the next minute she makes you think she's probably a lesbian (the most obvious is with her teacher and they never explain why she's attracted to her.) For an anime that has no real plot and is about characters interacting with each other regarding whatever it is they are doing, having them be one of the least enjoyable things about the anime is not a good look.
Sound 3/10: The BGM is nothing special, the OP is skipable after the first 2-3 listens and the EP is ok at best. Not much else to really say here.
Art 8/10: Now as bad as everything else has been, this is probably one of the high points for me. The characters do look cute, the reaction faces they have regarding whatever they're doing is nice, the chibi forms are adorable, and the scenery looks pretty nice. Easily the high point of the series.
Enjoyment 5/10: It has it moments, but towards the end it felt like a chore watching it. It has it's good scenes and it's crap scenes. Didn't really drag but nothing really hooked me to see what happens next.
Overall 4/10: If you were to ask me who to recommend this anime to, I honestly could not give you a straight answer. I mean the girls are cute but most anime have cute girls. The art is nice but anime for the most part has pretty nice art. This is really the kind of series you can watch YouTube clips or webm or gif links and enjoy as well as save reaction images to your computer or phone to look at and enjoy but in terms of committing time to watching it, I would pass 100%. There are plenty of cute girls doing cute things anime out there that would be a far better use of your time than watching this.
Wuzzer
Tldr: 10/10 when it comes to reliability for viewers who are in any limbo in their life. This review is just an excuse for my to write a mini essay about the love and my relatability to Slow Start. Slow start is, aesthetically, your typical "cute girls doing cute stuff" kinda anime. During my first viewing of the show, i dropped it within the first episode, primarily due to the overly "cute" characters; Tama was hyper active, Hana was a pain in the ass passive in every situation. I wrote them off as the typical tropes you find in these anime. However, i was very wrong.Our cute girls here have layers to them, each are going through and living their own lives behind what they portray to their friends and the outside world. All except Hana, are not hiding it but rather feel that its no big deal that they have to put it out for the world to know. Kamuri is infatuated with Eiko, more than just a friend or as a little sister. Tama, while hyper-active, is extremely filial and possibly an otaku. Eiko has her own night life and is a total manipulator. She knows what makes others tick, strong social skills and easily charms the other girls whether she knows it or not. Because of that, she is caught off-guard by the tomboyish Kiyose (their homeroom teacher). Kiyose is a straight character but is also more mature and has more life experience than Eiko; she's unfazed by Eiko's move and consistent flirting, mainly because she does not see as anything but her student. Eiko, on the other hand, sees Kiyose as a target, someone she can charm and be friends/lover with. Because of that, Kiyose often turns the table on Eiko, making her flustered and confused with her own feelings.
Hana, our focal of the show, struggles with the shame that comes with being a year behind everyone which in turns affect how she views everything around her. Everyone around her have shown in some ways or another that they arent bothered about that fact (both explicitly and implicitly). The show implies this gap between how you perceive your own situation vs how others perceive it, notably when Shion reveals that she too was taking a gap year. Both Shion and Hana feel the some feeling of being left behind by their peers due to their circumstances, however, both took a difference approach in viewing and adapting to their situation. Hana lives in fear of her secret being exposed and the guilt of hiding it from her friends whereas Shion remains positive, channels her free time to be a good landlord to her tenants.
My favorite character, Hannen Hiroe, too faces the same situtation as Hana. She too is a year behind her peers when transitioning to the next level of education. However, due to her reputation she high school as a role model, she felt an overwhelming shame and could not bring herself to continue to the next phase of her life. She perfectly described the feelings of loneliness of being left behind and shows what happens if Hana failed to pick herself up and let her life spiral out of control. She lost contact with the outside world, coops herself at home and even struggles to go to the convenience store to the point where she orders delivery for every single item like tea leaves. As the series goes on, Hiroe picks herself up through encouragement from Hana, Shion and subsequently Tama and Eiko. However, all this would not have been possible if Hiroe did not open up to Hana about her circumstances, letting Hana into her life. I just love her progression across the episode and such a character really gives hope to others who may be in similar situation; Ep 12 where she was debating with herself whether or not to force herself to enter the prep school, you can see that she was surrounded by other girls who already have friends accompanying them while she, due to her seclusion, was alone.
My favorite episode has to be Ep 2. when the girls gathered to celebrate Hana's birthday together with Tama. Tama said that they are now the same age, which broke Hana down, the girls obviously knew something was wrong but chalked it up as happy tears. Of course, somewhere deep down, they know that thats not the case but they respect Hana's privacy and value her as a friend because of her kindness that they are willing to wait, slowly but at her own pace, to open up about the true reason why she cried.
I love this show, and I love Hiroe.
Tomm01p
Is it almost always the same with moe comedies. Cute girls doing cute things without much thought beside it - it really is one of the easier genres to create. On the other hand, it is also one of the toughest genres to impress in, as you have to present a bit more to remain memorable. If it was New Game! with games or Blend S with maids playing different roles (interesting idea no matter how vague it may sound), the most famous CGDCT shows always had something which immedieatly catched the viewers attention. In which we get to shows like Slow Start. Shows that firstof all don't present almost anything in terms of originality and are the epidomy of the word generic. And second of all don't have remarkable overall qualities or much memorabily in themselves. Shows like these get ignored, which is understandable from a certain POV, but a shame from the other. Because it happens sometimes that a show this generic and unoriginal surpasses the others of the same genre in it's most important aspects. Which in terms of moe comedies are funny moments and cute girls.
And Slow Start does exactly that.
To completely understand what I meant with that opening rant, we need to clarify what can be considered generic in the world of CGDCT shows. The list would propably look like this: A shy girl getting into new environment, meeting new people; almost always the same character cast of a loud girl, smart girl and the loli; different chest sizes; pool/beach episodes; meta jokes; yuri feeling. Slow Start checks every single one of them, so keep in mind that if you really care about originality, it surely isn't an anime for you. However, while I personaly didn't find to be a problem, the fact that there is almost no originality whatsoever has to impact the rating one way or another.
Anyway, for what makes Slow Start so good is that while it includes all the clichés and things we've already seen, it does an excelent job at balancing everything out. There is a yuri episode there, beach episode there and it never felt like I was watching the same thing again. Which was the case with the shows like New Game or Blend S, which focused so much on it's main theme from the start that the second half was either not as good, in the case of New Game!, or they suddenly started doing things way more randomly, in the case of Blend S. Slow Start doesn't have that problem. It's a sheer randomness from the very start and I sincerely feel like that's a good thing.
While I already said that the whole character cast consist of very overused characters, the show does a a really good job at working with them nonetheless. It's always able to put them into funny encounters and the dialogue writing was also decent. That is a reason why you could see characters like Tamate or Eiko (the loud girl and the seductive girl), which tend to be less impactful most of the times, really thrive under the heavy-dialogue conditions. On the other hand Kamuri (the loli) was not able to make as much of an impact as it does elsewhere, which however I didn't mind as much as I'm not a person who would go crazy for this type of character. Strangely, I haven't even mentioned the MC yet, so I propably should. It's Hana, and like always she is the shy and confidence lacking individual. Kinda like with Kamuri I thought she wasn't as flashy here as her similiar instances are, but like I said, I don't mind. If anything, I welcome the change of making the less popular personalities the most entertaining to watch.
The comedy is, of course, the most important part of all moe shows. And once again, Slow Start was able to deliver very well. The gags were not only damn funny, but also suprisingly original at certain times and the comedy thrived the most when the main characters had to interact with other people. That seriously resulted in many laughs on my side. Especially the way Eiko was able to 'seduce' most of the characters she met was a thing a beauty and really made me like Eiko as a whole. Some of the characters introduced only for certain episodes really helped too and made the whole show more refreshing.
The moe factor, how I like to call it, was also of a very high quality. There were a lot of times I smiled at how cute the show managed to be. The whole artstyle, which I consider to be one of the better I've seen, surely helped with that a lot too. I love how it managed to make even the adults look really good yet still more mature than the younger ones. Overall, the show just did a really good job at staying nice to look at.
The overall animation quality is something a bit more different however. Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't think that the animation was bad or something, but surely the fact that the arstyle is nice doesn't mean I'll consider it very good as a whole, because the animation itself was very average. The sound was actually very good for the most part. The OST wasn't really there, but voice-acting was great and the opening for whatever reason became one of my favourites in a long while.
-----
To be completely honest with you, under normal circumstances, Slow Start would propably get a lower score from me than this. But seeing all the hate the show gets just because it's 'generic' even though in reality it's better and way more funnier than most of moe comedies out there boosted my impression from it. Generic? Sure. But it's fun, I like it and I would go as far as call it one of the best balanced CGDCT shows out there.
Boynisan5622
I just watched this anime from Ani-One Asia last week. At first, I was worried that this anime would be in an all-female genre with unique characters. At first, when I first got to know this anime around 2020, I found this anime on LINE TV. When I watched episode 9, there were a few nude scenes. Until now, I have seriously watched all 12 episodes. In my opinion, these 12 episodes give me a very satisfying feeling. And each character can be a good indicator of the future. But except for Hana-chan, she was delayed by 1 year in school because she had mumps.Had to stop taking exams for 1 year, but for me I didn't think much of it. It's just an anime that makes me feel like I'm really happy with it. No matter how much, it's still fun. As for the other characters The protagonist Hana-chan is naturally shy or suspicious in anime. Because other things are like this as well. Shion-chan is a relative of Hana-chan's parents. who is a dedicated caregiver And it's a character that is considered one of the selling points. Tama-chan who is always cheerful and Kamu-chan who is a bit shy. But how? Even though Hana-chan is a little slow in studying. My friends in the room still like and love Hana-chan. There are no blind spots or conflicts at all. It's an anime that I feel very comfortable watching. If compared to negative reviews For me, compared to Stardust Telepath, I was really disappointed with Raimon's side as she was stubborn and aggressive. So I can't continue watching. I was seriously disappointed in Stardust Telepath, but overall Slow Start was the best for me, but not necessarily for everyone. Unfortunately, this anime's score dropped to 7.0 in 2018. It's still at 7.13, but it's not classified as being that bad or terrible. But it's just an anime that many people overlook, especially the Kirara style in many stories. Overall, I give this anime a full 10/10. Anyone who criticizes it as bad, I don't care. I don't care. I really like this anime.
raccoon_mask
Character: 5, Enjoyment: 4 At first 4 episodes or so, I would have given it a solid 9/10. However as it progresses, it is clear that they were running out of ideas for comedy. Character development didn't feel complete even by end of the series. In fact, I even considered dropping this show before completion. Art:9, Sound: 10 Art is amazing for what is expected from anime budget; i am not expecting any movie-quality art, but it surprised me. A lot of small movements were seen. Sound track is also great, but feels overdone for a light-hearted CGDCT anime series. Occassionally, soundtracks did not seem to fit thesetting but I personally liked the soundtracks, separate from the anime.
Trifortay
Slow Start hits very close to home for me and I don't know why. The fact that Hana is scared of losing friends due to unforeseeable occurrences. And then finding some new friends and yet still dreading losing the friends she used to have. She's a year behind in school. All the characters are memorable and Kamuri is just Kanna 2.0. Same VA and similar personality. The only thing I don't like about the anime is how short it is. I want more. It is fun to watch and good to watch if you wanna get away from something traumatic or if you justgot done watching a rough anime.
The artstyle compliments how cute the anime is and the voice acting is perfect.
EvanLoh
"A high quality CGDCT anime by A1 Pictures, surprisingly." Pros: 1. Cute girls 2. Relaxing and heartwarming at times 3. YURI!!!!!! 4. High production quality 5. Great OP and ED themesCons:
1. Run of the mill CGDCT anime, nothing compared to Yuru Camp and HakuMiko
2. Cliche character troupes
3. Loli Fanservice paradise
<LONG REVIEW>
Among all those big titles airing this season, it's easy to look past series like Slow Start, especially when the plot isn't anything special, just cute high school girls doing random things. However, Slow Start actually did it differently compared to other anime in the same genre. Let me explain why.
Firstly, Slow Start has high production quality, meaning it's art and animation is on a whole new level compared to other series in the same genre. This is quite surprising coming from studio like A1 Pictures, which will mostly put less effort in these kind of series. The frame rate for Slow Start is unexpectedly high. It's very comfortable to look at. You can see the animation team putting their all into animating this. The art is also very well drawn. They did pay a lot of attention to details in the backgrounds.
The characters in Slow Start, although they are nothing we haven't seen before, are still very likable and cute. The characters I like the most is Tama-chan. I like her positive energetic side. It always brings a smile on my face. Hana-chan is your typical unsure of everything protagonist. Eiko and Kamuri is the true yuri pair in this series. When I say Yuri, it's full on yuri man, not your normal hinting ship kind of thing, the ship actually set sails. Hell they even prepared an episode focused on developing the relationship between Eiko and Kamuri. BTW, I forgot to mention that Kamuri has the same VA as Kanna, so she has the same voice and also quite the similar design. Their personality is also quite similar. Now going back to topic, it's quite rare to see this kind of moe SoL anime going full yuri. The last one I seen I remember was HinaLogi, which is also quite a well done CGDCT anime. Moreover, the character designs are cute. They also prepared this kind of super deformed character designs, aka chibi form which also adds in a lot to the cuteness.
Wooh~That's pretty long. Now let's talk about the music. The OP theme sang by the VA's is very catchy. I like it. The ED theme is too. But now let's focus on how the OP is drawn. I can see the OP team really really did put in lots of effort in drawing the OP. It's unique, cute and it's not just still pictures of the characters nor scenes cut out from the anime. The characters surprisingly have a lot of movement in the OP, which also shows how much attention the OP team put in while making this. A very well done OP indeed. Props to the OP team. They really did a fantastic job. The ED sequence, although quite simplistic compared to the OP, still didn't fail to show the charm of this anime. It's cute and it suits the series very much.
Now let's head into the cons, which is a minor thing if you are a fan of these kind of series. Firstly, the plot for Slow Start is very unoriginal in its genre. They did nothing new to fresh it up. It's just high school girls doing random stuff but with high quality art and animation. Also, there is surprisingly a high amount of fanservice in this series. If you don't like loli fanservice, then I suggest you skipping this series.
So, in the end, I still highly recommend Slow Start if you like CGDCT anime. Don't overlook this. Trust me. It won't lose to the likes of Kiniro Mosaic or Yuru Yuri.
Thanks for reading.
AbnerA
Slow Start is an anime adapted from a manga serialized in Kirara magazine. Most manga from Manga Time Kirara are the comedy slice of life with girls being the main cast. Some examples include K-On! and Kiniro Mosaic. Slow Start is also a comedy slice of life with girls being the main characters. When i first watch Slow Start, i was not expecting much. The first episode doesn't really make a good impression. Some conversations felt really suggestive, making me think that this will just lean to mediocrity with fanservice. Now after watching, i have mixed feelings about Slow Start. I'm starting to like it whileretaining the dislike from the start (which is still fading).
The story is that our main character, Hana Ichinose, went to high school but she got in one year late. This become her secret among her friends as she was to shy or scared to reveal it. This is actually important because as episodes pass, it will make moments focusing on that while Hana compares her problem to her friends' stories. It's not just forgotten after being shown in the first episodes.
The art style here is bright, colorful, and cute. The animation has more frames than my low expectation, which looks nice. When the characters move, some small details move as well such as the hair or their clothes. It's not spectacular, but it's still good. But the real part that makes it more pleasant to watch is the soundtrack. It sets the tone of the scene, be it the characters having small talk, making some jokes, or the sweet moments.
The characters don't feel too unique. We have the shy Hana, the overly energetic Tama-chan, the calm Eiko, and the little Kamuri (a lot like Kanna from Kobayashi's Dragon Maid). Although not so unique, they are made likable and feel different as you know their secrets and stories.
It might feel slow in the first episode, but thereafter, episodes are better built. Some start at their normal lives, then smoothly transitions into heart warming moments by showing the depths of the characters. This includes Hana being self conscious about her one year gap amongst other characters' secrets.
Overall, it has quite good animation and great soundtrack. The characters are not that unique but made likable through their stories. Episodes should go from normal chit-chat that sometimes turns into heart warming moments that dive more into the characters. The downside is that conversations sometimes have suggestive fanservice content. The comedy my not leave you laughing for hours, but it's not horrible and can sometimes bring a smile.
It feels like everyone has a little secret. That's okay. It feels sweet to see Hana try to be braver to share hers to her friends. As she thinks more about it when she hears her friends' intimate stories.
Haaselh0ff
SLOW START, an anime about a girl who misses her first year of High school because she got sick and couldn't take the entrance exams and must now suffer the terrible fact that she is one year older than all of her classmates. Will she be able to make any friends?! Will she become a shut-in and a social outcast!? ... I mean... probably not. Otherwise this show probably wouldn't be on the CGDCT list. Story: Yes the story is about a girl trying to essentially make friends... and then after she makes friends it turns into just pure CGDCT. There's a sorta plot about Hanatrying to tell her new friends about her late year but it's never really resolved (much to my dismay).
Art: Looking good in the art department, gotta have these cute girls looking as cute as possible. Cuteness levels are ON POINT in this show.
Sound: ...
Character: Hana is a very shy but cute character. Eiko is a very mature but cute character. Tama is a very rambunctious and cute character. Kamuri is a very cute character. Do you really care for more?
Enjoyment: Yeah I'd say I enjoyed it. Pretty solid show if you want to watch CGDCT or just have some free time while you're not watching the seasons next top anime.
Overall: I give it a 9. Maybe I'm being too nice to it, haven't watch a whole lot of these types of shows but I really enjoyed it.
TL;DR - Slow Start feeds your hunger for cute things with characters that you're sure to adore. Great for debating with your "Friends" over Who is Best Girl.
OG_Otaku
Recommended with a big asterisk. Bottom line: if you like CGDCT, yuri, and ecchi, then you will enjoy Slow Start. It is a PG-13 teaser, with enjoyable fan service and lots of yuri flirtations between the characters, especially so between Eiko and her teacher. But there is no nudity, nothing explicit, just a lot of joking and CGDCT. The plot is minimal. The anime writers and producers let us down, suggesting a number of story lines that just fizzled out before they could get interesting. The art style is sort of classic for CGDCT, and may not be everyone's cup of tea. I mayfind myself watching bits of this again someday. Sometimes you just need a little yuri CGDCT to get through the week.
6/10
