Orange: The Complete Series

Based on a romance manga by Ichigo Takano, Orange features some supernatural elements, but is essentially a high school melodrama told from the perspective of Naho, who before heading off to class one morning receives a letter from her older self. The strange missive, supposedly written 10 years in the future, foretells the coming day's events, particularly the arrival of transfer student Kakeru, who Naho and her band of friends immediately take under their collective wing. Kakeru is traumatized by domestic tragedy and tormented by guilt. The letters from the future—which Naho continues to receive, as do other members of the group—offer suggestions about how to help Kakeru, with friendship proving to be key to a successful resolution. Orange never satisfactorily addresses the question of how the mysterious letters travel through time, and it deals rather gingerly with the issue of how the students' actions in the present change their future lives, but for viewers willing to set these concerns aside, it does offer a story that generates suspense while also delivering a strong message about how misfortune can drive a young person to thoughts of suicide and how support from friends can be instrumental in saving lives. The relatively small coterie of main characters allows them to be developed nicely, and the animation style is engaging. Presenting all 13 episodes from 2016 in a dual-language Blu-ray/DVD Combo set, rated TV-PG, this is recommended. (F. Swietek)