Hidamari Sketch: Season One

The phrase “slice of life” seems made for this series, but what could be just another comedy about high school girls transcends that ubiquitous anime subgenre thanks to creative design and colorful, stylish animation. Yuno, a new student at Yamabuki Art High School living away from home for the first time, quickly befriends three other students at the small Hidamari apartment complex: Miyako is somewhat poor and always hungry, while upperclassman Hiro is kind and pretty but weight-conscious, and is best friends with the third girl, Sae, who writes books in addition to attending art school. While these elements could easily be the ingredients for a drab and formulaic show, Hidamari Sketch defines itself by effectively focusing on the minutiae of friendship, school, and daily life, all presented with visually artistic storytelling. The series also shies away from cheap stereotypes—the school principal (a somewhat creepy-looking old man) is simply just a nice guy and diligent administrator, while teacher Yoshinoya may be an extreme cosplay (costume role playing) enthusiast but demonstrates genuine interest in her students' well-being. Compiling all 12 episodes of the 2007 first season (plus two subsequent specials) in a two-disc set in Japanese with English subtitles, rated TV-PG, this is recommended. [Note: Hidamari Sketch: Season Two is also newly available.] Aud: P. (L. Martincik)