DESCRIPTION

CAST

MANGA Dramacitrus

REVIEWS

• 

  ItzToxic

  48/100
  Hahaha...What's consent?

  As a manga reader, there’s many things that must be addressed. For one, since it was 12 episodes long, I knew it would end in the shittiest arc possible. I hated it in the manga, I hate it here as well. Second, the adaptation was close to perfect, unfortunately the presentation of certain scenes were overly expressed more than it needed to be. With the 90% Rape and the 10% Consent, I felt a need, a need to think about this again.

  Let me get this straight, as of right now, I enjoy the manga. The latest chapters started spicing things up. However, since the anime adapted such a crappy arc in the first place, there comes no surprise to when I say that I hated the second half of the anime.

  Citrus is a Yuri manga that decided to show up after a long time since its announcement. It’s one of those series where you say “fuck it, there’s yuri.”

  When I first made my review, I gave it an 8, simply for the fact that I’m biased towards yuri and am basically obligated to watch it for such a reason. But knowing the fact that it goes downhill once the second half begins, just enjoying it for the “yuri” doesn’t become something I say often.

  The first half is what you call exceptional, a girl goes to an all-girls school where her mom remarries and her step sister turns out to be someone of important. Thus the encounter captivates her and gives her the green-light to pursue such a love. But can such a love succeed when all Mei can do is use her hands for anything but love. I understand her situation, I get that her only way of communication can be through sexual acts, but when this continues for a long time with little to no change throughout the series, it makes it harder to take her seriously each time.

  I appreciate the mature-ish tone that the anime decided to take, but each time they try to make it “impactful,” the actual effect decreases each time they attempt this. I also disliked the fact that they try to drag out the story but putting ahem “antagonists.” The first time Matsuri showed up, I was pissed, but thankfully later on she redeemed herself a little bit and became more tolerable. Now when Nana and Sara showed up, oh boy I was attempted to drop the manga there and then. Even though Sara and Nana didn’t stay within the main focus for too long, I just disliked the fact that they’re practically insert characters to prolong the conflict as long as possible.

  But of course, not everything about Citrus is bad. The art for the anime looks just about the same as Uta’s drawings, which I do appreciate. The voice acting was superb, each seiyuu fulfilled the role perfectly and captured the feelings no matter the circumstance or situation. The music and opening song were fantastic since I appreciate the stuff nano.RIPE makes. The animation was fine but the CGI near the start of the series was really off-putting. Thankfully, this occurs less as it goes on. Those were really my two cents of the series. I didn’t hate everything about it, but boy did it get annoying to watch later on.

  Citrus as an adaptation did well. It followed the panels and it showed almost every detail. Unfortunately they extended scenes that were not needed. Even if it didn’t drive off from the original source, there are things that must not be added. It was quite a shame that it ended off at one of the worst arcs possible, however if you do have the time to read past where the anime ended, then I suggest you would. The manga does get somewhat better, but don’t expect it to be amazing. I am enjoying it thus far now. I do have one pet peeve however, I hated, and I mean hated the way they adapted chapter 8’s kiss scene (out of love). That kiss was one of the best in the manga, and it looked awkward and weird on the anime. That’s just me being picky though.

  Citrus succeeded in terms of adaptation, but failed in all other aspects. Although it falls flat, I must say that Saburo Uta did one thing right…

  Making Harumin one of the hottest characters in existence.

  
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• 

  AltoRoark

  80/100
  There's disagreeable opinions, and there's objectively misinformed opinions; Citrus is a victim of the latter.

  Copied from my MAL account: link

  Citrus is a series that is tragically misunderstood; a story with far more substance and depth than word of mouth would lead you to believe. Not long after this show started airing, it’s become easy for people to write off any element in the story as a means to arbitrarily wring out some voyeuristic lesbian action, rather than stopping to think of the purpose it actually holds for the narrative. When a sexual assault occurs, viewers assume that it’s romanticizing such an action and therefore condones it. When an emotional barrier props up, it’s assumed to be nothing more than a way of piling on more drama. These premature assessments are commonly made when shows like this are perceived as simple fetish material, framed as horribly misplaced criticisms that leave Citrus in an undeservedly contemptuous light; as a guilty pleasure unworthy of further analysis or appraisal. Citrus is not mere fetish material, does not promote or romanticize sexual assault, and provides layered and well-developed characters whose actions are realistically influenced by both internal and external conflicts. A bittersweet feeling perpetuates as we follow naive teenagers consistently characterized as those who are lost and confused, behaving in ways that are less than ideal, but are hurdles along the way of a gripping and emotionally compelling tale that is certainly rough around the edges, but well worth the ride.

  There’s a common conjecture about Citrus saying that it treats sexual assault as a form of love and the blossoming romance is in the form of Stockholm syndrome, and both these things are wholly untrue. Firstly, while the actions of Mei Aihara undeniably walk on the borderline of sexual assault, none of these instances are framed as romantic or mutual in any way. The first of these depicts Yuzu struggling while Mei lashes out her aggression. Following this is a low shot with Mei, spitefully uttering “that’s what it felt like” in response to Yuzu’s innocent curiosity about Mei’s romantic affair. Nothing about this is painted in a positive, approving light. Subsequent events like this are blatantly shown to be a byproduct of Mei’s misconception of how relationships work, or a means to vent her frustration. The sheer discomfort is emphasized through both the cinematography and the expressions of the characters involved. This does not mean nefarious actions like these are excused, as the story never does. Yuzu always retaliates to these actions once she regains control over herself during these events. Depiction and endorsement are not the same thing, a fact that should always be considered with regards to a story like this. Another thing to address is this: the assaults are by no means the foundation of the leads’ romance, and that is a myth that should have passed long after this show had aired. Yuzu develops feelings for Mei long before the first assault occurs, which is most evident during the scene where she is lost in thought about witnessing Mei being kissed by Amamiya. Her focus is squarely on Mei’s behavior and what kissing must feel like for her, with Yuzu’s own attraction to Mei not even apparent to her. Overall, when proper attention is brought to the characters’ actions as well as the framing, it becomes clear that the criticism of Citrus romanticizing assault holds no truth whatsoever. I'd like to make a point here that not all opinions are equal, and opinions on Citrus based on the conception that it romanticizes or normalizes assault and abuse are invalid and therefore wrong. A valid opinion doesn't require high intelligence or sophisticated taste or anything like that. It requires a correct interpretation of the content, one that is often not taken through first impressions or face value.

  Citrus and its content is highly reliant on context and characterization. Just as these confused adolescents struggle to understand each other and themselves, wondering who and what to believe, viewers are left on their own to base judgement on characters’ behavior and what they say, save for some frequent monologuing by Yuzu. And even then, her own thoughts aren’t always reliable. Content that comes off as questionable or discomforting to certain viewers is perfectly explainable through indirect characterization, a method of storytelling that challenges the brain beyond just relying on narration and monologues to provide answers without viewer effort. Viewers share frustration and confusion with the characters themselves, and the payoff is all the more rewarding because of this. The character Mei Aihara exemplifies this most of all, as she is a person whose subtle mannerisms bring light to a personality misshapen by the worst of circumstances, and very applicable to reality.

  Mei is a character with practically no conception of right and wrong, let alone the idea of consent, and has never been shown, or had any experience of, what a true romantic relationship is like. The only proper relationship she has ever had in life was with her father. After he left, Mei felt as if she was being abandoned by the only one she was ever truly close to. It’s clear that prior to where the main story begins, Mei has had no emotional support ever since her father’s absence. She is used and neglected by her grandfather, is constantly taken advantage of by her fiancée, and is under perpetual social pressure to follow her duties accordingly for days on end.

  As a result, Mei’s attitude towards romantic and sexual relationships is completely distorted. Her one and only understanding of love relationships is through physical contact, of which she uses to control people just as she has been controlled herself. This is symptomatic of being in a sexually abusive relationship like she had with her first fiancée; she doesn’t value her own body and is incapable of interacting with people normally. In many situations, whether it's a love relationship or otherwise, Mei passively accepts everything that is piled on her with no concern for her own well being, a trait that is consistently apparent over the course of the story. On the other end, her way of taking control of situations is her sexual advances towards Yuzu, who understandably objects to these actions. The main point is that Mei only acts in the way she knows how. This conflict of hers isn’t a singular matter, but numerous elements about her past and how she was raised which come together creating the version of Mei we see throughout the story. Mei is depraved, misguided, and some could even say mentally ill. And again, none of these elements are used to justify Mei's behavior. It's merely a case of cause and effect, one which leaves morality out of the question entirely.

  Being so used to her strict upbringing, Mei frames every scenario as a bargain or exchange rather than a desire, even if she doesn't necessarily intend it. Her feeling obligated to follow in the footsteps of her father to gain his affection encapsulates this quite well. Having received no unconditional love since her father’s disappearance, this is the way of thinking which governs almost all of the decisions she makes. For this reason, she’s perplexed as to why Yuzu bothers to do all these unconditional favors. The answer to this is simple: Yuzu cares about Mei. Unconditional love is a foreign concept to Mei, and this trait continues to subconsciously affect her even long after she has experienced the true virtues of a love relationship. (cue the beginning of episode 10)

  The psychology of Mei is one of the main things which the story lives through, and is one of Citrus' most fascinating aspects. As frustrating as her actions can be at times, the consistency of her character and the relatability of her plight makes her highly sympathetic, and as such Yuzu’s efforts to make things right for her, however reckless and brash, are very admirable. When you consider everything I've previously stated, it turns out that Mei has every reason to act and behave the way she does. Her attitude and behavior are both realistic and morbidly consistent when acknowledging this perpetual turmoil she lives through.

  Mei’s problematic, manipulative behavior is not only addressed as such, but is also a conflict in itself. Discomforting scenes that people insist to be mere sleaze and titillation always leaves a negative effect on characters involved. Mei’s first assault turned Yuzu’s pending lust for and curiosity of Mei into a maelstrom of confusion and hysteria. Repetition of these acts behind the scenes gave us Mei Aihara as we know her. A certain character who does this to another results in the victim avoiding that character extensively.

  The way Mei gradually becomes more open to Yuzu about her feelings and personal issues, is a cathartic and satisfying affair in and of itself, and it’s kept at natural pace throughout. Not only this, her behavior changes for the better the longer she spends time with Yuzu. Little by little she displays improvement and development as she makes decisions of her own, acting beyond her mental protocol. It’s rather easy to see why Yuzu is in love with Mei, besides her beauty and status. Hiding behind this cold exterior is a frightened and lonely young girl that Yuzu wishes to nurture and protect.

  What’s truly commendable, however, is how many instances of her development are deliberately presented for us to infer on our own, rather than being told directly and explicitly. Here’s one particular example of this:

  SPOILERS FOR EPISODE 7 AND 8 BEGIN HERE
  .
  .
  The moment Mei truly develops romantic feelings for Yuzu is at the end of episode 6, and the exact moment she realizes these feelings is episode 7 when Matsuri forcibly kisses Yuzu out in the open. This is all indicated through her sudden change in behavior compared to before. She is now less grim in her expressions around Yuzu, and looks slightly more sentimental. Her actions convey this even further, such as the way she compliments Yuzu for the meal that was made. The day after that, Matsuri is shown to be envious of Mei continually deriving attention from Yuzu at the expense of Matsuri’s, causing her to shove off. This causes Mei to feel guilty, having created distance between Yuzu and one of her closest friends. This is where she first experiences the baggage that comes from being in love.
  .
  .
  SPOILERS END HERE

  The reason this works in service to the narrative is so viewers are put into the perspective of Yuzu herself. She struggles to understand Mei, using signs in her behavior to understand what she feels. Mei is deliberately presented just as enigmatically as she is to everyone else.

  With so much about Mei already covered, it’s only fair that the other heroine, Yuzu, is given the same treatment. Yuzu at the start has an idealistic view of the life that lies before her. She acts with unrelenting confidence in almost all occasions, expecting everything to go smoothly and perfectly in line with what she envisions. I think I speak for most people when I say that when we were young teenagers, our ways of thinking were hardly any different. We’ve had strong ambitions of our own, believing we could achieve them all without entirely knowing the reality of certain situations. Of course, like most teenagers, the decisions that Yuzu makes are not always wise. Quite rarely so, in fact. She often does things, with or without good intentions, unperturbed by any potential consequences they could raise. Her greeting with the chairman is a particularly good example of this. Having become a new addition to his family, she approaches him expecting to be welcomed with open arms. Instead she’s scolded for her meddlesome behavior and unruly fashion choices.

  On the flipside, while she makes unwise decisions, Yuzu is not completely unintelligent. She shows a degree of rational thinking alongside her impulsive behavior, which is an important distinction from a character who is near hopeless in their stupidity. Yuzu eventually does mature past her idealism yet retains an optimistic outlook which drives her to do better in her more realistic pursuits. Yuzu is shown throughout the story to be a very capable individual thrusted into situations she’s unprepared for, often falling back to impulses or superficial goals. Despite this, she’s quick to bounce back and make things right through the best of her abilities, learning from past mistakes and focusing on what matters most in the long run.

  One of Yuzu’s strongest and most prominent traits is how empathetic she is. While she’s often self-absorbed in her appearance and overall image, she’s quick to understand others and wants to be on good terms with those around her. She’s the type of friend who would listen to your problems, forgive you for whatever quarrel you had with her, and be willing to keep any reasonable promise you ask of her. Amidst a locale of people’s misdeeds and the oppressive dominion that is her school, Yuzu is someone who is incredibly easy to root for and would be an overall great person to be with. It’s easy to see why Harumin became friends with her so quickly, and also why Mei eventually fell for her.

  While Yuzu is a highly good-hearted individual, to say she’s only ever kind and generous sells her personality woefully short. She can be irritable, snarky, jealous, and is overall more insecure than she lets on, using Harumin as an emotional crutch when she finds herself in a quandary. She often lets these emotions get the better of her, as teens typically do. The bubbly, boisterous personality of Yuzu, while oftentimes funny and endearing, can also come off as irksome and frustrating. Rather than being portrayed as an all-loving angel, Yuzu is a lovably flawed individual with a good heart and poor self-control. Compiling all these traits together results in one of the most compelling, lovable, sympathetic, and relatable main leads I’ve come across in all media.

  As for her relationship with Mei, Yuzu is on a constant struggle to comprehend her feelings. She knows that something is amiss about Mei, invoking a feeling of concern. At other times, she wonders if what she does hurts Mei more than it helps. This confusion is a result of their inability to communicate with each other effectively and coherently, mimicking typical romance between teenagers more than people seem to realize. Yuzu doesn’t understand Mei, and by extension doesn’t know how to act around her. The two of them had been raised in completely different conditions, and thus operate and communicate differently from one another.

  It’s obvious that Yuzu has an unfaltering love for Mei, but one obstacle she must overcome is resisting the urge to give in to her superficial desires, and pursuing what is realistically best for Mei in the long run. At one point her only choice is to put her love for Mei aside and to treat her as a sister. Although she does all these things selflessly she still has a degree of self-preservation, in stark contrast to Mei. What Citrus does well is distinguishing the superficial aspects of love from the emotional aspects. Crushes aren’t developed through logic, and our own real life experiences prove as much. What this series explores is the multitude of consequences that come with loving someone. In this case, it’s dealing with the complications of being in a love relationship with your step-sister.

  Differentiating perceptions of love are what pervade a majority of the cast in Citrus. The students at Aihara Academy all knowingly grew up in an environment where sexual experimentation is a normality. Of course I can’t speak from experience, but to my knowledge this mimics reality in Japan. Referred to as Class S, it’s common for girls in school to have crushes on other female classmates, forming bonds with them. These bonds could be described as romantic, but the sexual aspect of the attraction is out of the equation entirely, assuming they’re straight. It’s telling that a Japanese audience would have a far better understanding of this kind of story, and the positive reception of Citrus in Japan compared to the west is evidence of this.

  Harumin really emulates this concept more than the others. She is essentially a direct foil to Yuzu in how sexual relationships are perceived. For Harumin, particular actions between couples are a source of curiosity. By contrast, Yuzu thinks about what these actions mean for the relationship. The most obvious example is arguably when the two eavesdrop on Amamiya’s phone call. However, one other particular moment drives this home more than any other. Harumin discovers the yuri incest manga Yuzu was reading. Fascinated, she puts herself in a scissoring position with Yuzu. She’s so confident in her heterosexuality that doing this means nothing to her. Yuzu on the other hand recognizes this as an expression of love, and thus is highly discomforted by this scenario. This is largely presented as a comedy moment, but it does a lot to signify the differences in their characterization. It also benefits in a way from being depicted in such an over-the-top manner.

  Harumin acts as a companion to Yuzu all the way through to the end, but in reality she isn’t able to truly understand what Yuzu is going through, regardless of how much she thinks she does. This is also the reason Yuzu decides to take on these tasks by herself, because she’s the only one who truly understands. We can also assume that she keeps it to herself in fear that Harumin wouldn’t accept her for being in such a taboo relationship. After all, this is why she keeps it a secret to Matsuri and anyone else outside the school campus.

  Moving on from the characters, I bear no hesitation saying that the plot of Citrus is undoubtedly its weakest aspect. Although the events it strings together can catch viewers off-guard, maintaining a dash of unpredictability in the whole adventure, it all too often relies on contrivances. Coincidences in fictional stories aren’t inherently a bad thing. The reason I can accept the reveal of Mei as Yuzu’s new sister is because it’s so early in the story. In fact, it’s arguably made better for the fact that it’s coincidental, as it comes as a shock to both the audience and Yuzu herself. However, the numerous contrivances beyond this point become harder and harder to swallow as they come by. The way that some situations are arbitrarily resolved through circumstance, rather than on behalf of a character, doesn’t do the plot much favors either.

  A widely-used, yet reasonable, complaint about Citrus is its continuous introduction of characters to move the plot along. The way I see it, this is at least as much a problem with the pacing than the actual inclusion of these characters. When these subplots are coupled with Yuzu and Mei’s progressing relationship, then focus becomes a problem here. Tone shifts are frequent and occasionally jarring as a result of having to constantly switch priorities. The interpersonal affairs between Yuzu and Mei are heartfelt and down to earth, whereas dramatic confrontations with outsiders are tense, frantic, and somewhat theatrical. When meaningful interaction between Yuzu and Mei is abruptly followed by these sideplots, that can challenge one’s ability to stay invested in either plot.

  However, while pacing and tone is certainly an issue here, to say that these subplots serve no purpose is untrue. Each story arc in Citrus presents a barrier in Mei’s psyche which is resolved with every passing conclusion. Every resolve is satisfying in its own right as it brings Mei further out of her shell whilst bringing her and Yuzu closer together. It’s apparent that new characters are introduced to fill a certain role in these affairs, but the focus on Yuzu and Mei is unrelenting and the characters serve their purpose quite well. To start with, Himeko "Twindrills" Momokino at first appears to be quite the villain, but she actually shares traits with both Yuzu and Mei, and even has strikingly similar motivations. Like Yuzu, she has an unfaltering love for Mei, arguably in a “romantic friendship” sort of way as opposed to sexual attraction, and goes to great lengths to claim her affection. Like Mei, she is both dedicated to her job and remarkably strict with school regulations. Her intentions are what make her a rival to Yuzu, and then later bring them to a resolve. They wish the best for Mei, but are oblivious to her true feelings. Matsuri is a character acting as a parallel to Mei. Only instead of closing herself off, she seeks attention. In the worst ways. Her rebellious nature and sinister antics make her a worthy addition to the cast. It’s not done just for the sake of it though. It’s a situation where Mei sees her own self and is willing to make amends for someone Yuzu is close to.

  The arc with the Tachibana sisters is considered by many to be the weakest arc in the series, and I am no exception. While it serves its purpose well and the payoff is rewarding, it isn’t put together nearly as well as the others. I think what it sets out to do doesn’t warrant new characters to be introduced into the middle of the whole dilemma where their intrusion can be seen as more frustrating than serviceable, especially when those characters lack depth. The situation between Mei and Yuzu at this point is already complicated as it is, so piling more characters on top of these complications is more of an annoyance than anything else. I think other less irritating methods would have served the function of this arc quite well without having to bring the sisters into the mix. It also doesn’t help that in this arc, conveniences pile up even more than in any other, even attempting to sidestep this with “fate” and “destiny.”

  As I said before though, the payoff is largely worth it in the end. It’s not necessarily a case where the abundant problems in this arc can be forgotten, but rather forgiven. This arc is an unfortunate blemish on an otherwise great story overall.

  The dialogue of Citrus is also worth commenting on. It’s no Shakespearean writing, but it feels natural and works in service to whatever is going on. The characters’ lines are filled with personality and subtext which makes conversations feel alive. Characters are also quick to point out irony in another’s lines, making the exchanges even more human. Certain moments in dialogue are quite significant and memorable for how expressive they are and how it piles emotion into the situation. The scene where Mei and Yuzu are on a bench on a cold winter day is a good example.

  With all that said, I think it’s finally time to traverse into how Citrus fares in the audio/visual department. Regarding the visual front of the Citrus anime adaptation, it’s unfortunately a mixed bag. Obviously it would be unreasonable to expect the level of quality in the manga’s art to be fully translated into a costly animated product, especially with a studio like Passione. To compensate for this, the adaptation uses character models that are simplified versions of the exquisitely drawn renditions in the manga, and does so successfully. These character models would’ve been a satisfactory page-to-screen translation if not for one major issue: one of the main things which I believe gave the manga so much of its charm and made it so appealing to many, was how expressive the characters are. Characters, especially Yuzu, would regularly emote and make different facial expressions for many situations. This also happens to the anime to some degree, but not frequently enough to where it captures the manga’s original charm. It’s much rarer in the anime for characters to deviate from their default expressions, making the experience somewhat more sterile. Perhaps this was to cut down on budget costs, or it was a design choice on behalf of the director. Whatever the case, it’s a compromise which I can only feel detracts from the viewing experience. Manga and anime are different mediums, so of course compromises should be expected. But various scenes only stood to lose by omitting so much of the vibrance the characters displayed. Even the many chibi moments in the manga wouldn’t need to be adapted, as simply varying the facial expressions of the characters would be enough. Anime-only viewers probably won’t see this as a huge problem, as it’s rarely a sheer detriment to the visuals (save for a few lamentable instances). Scenes between characters are delivered well and there is plenty of emotion to be found in the visuals. The problem is that the adaptation, by not harnessing the kind of quality seen in the manga, wastes its potential as an adaptation and as an animated product. As it stands, it could be a hell of a lot worse, but it also could have been a lot better.

  Additionally, the animation quality is a department that ranges between average to well above average. There are various moments where I was very impressed by the animation, such as certain comedy moments, intimate scenes, emotional engagements, and characters’ body language. But there are also a select few times where I was dumbfounded by just how low the quality could really get. Overall it’s a pretty decently animated show with some flukes here and there, and thankfully it can only improve with the BDs. One of the fronts I was most impressed by in this adaption was the soundtrack. It genuinely surprised me with how good the music was in this adaptation. Using a mixture of graceful orchestral performances with vivacious electronic beats, the music of Citrus is vibrant, diverse, and well-suited for the exuberant and bittersweet tones that the story delivers.

  What’s lacking most of all in the visuals is the background art, a case where access to technology seems to have expended a team’s creativity. Several shots will display setpieces with little to no detail or texturing. Perfect cuboids and stainless steel populate much of this world. This is most prevalent in Yuzu’s own house, with walls that are solid colors and doors looking less like wood and more like metal. The school grounds also display a disgustingly high amount of textureless objects, falling short of selling this environment as something that could exist in the real world.

  This also extends to background characters, which often consist of CG models walking awkwardly and robotically. Once this is noticed, it’s impossible to ignore, and immersion struggles to stay in tact. All of this is the mark of a bare minimum effort on the part of Passione, and fans of the source material aren’t nearly as scrutinous of this as they damn well should be. Incompetent decisions like these are one of the main reasons we as anime fans are so desperate for ideal adaptations of the manga and novels we dearly love.

  Fortunately, the shoddy effort in the backgrounds is alleviated through great shot composition and luscious color directing, for which we have director Takeo Takahashi to thank. This is a director who excels at visual storytelling and framing, emphasizing certain moods when applicable. Climactic scenes are sold effectively through this as well as character animations which, as previously stated, are well-done when they really need to be. This adaptation of Citrus is overall very well-directed, save for the aforementioned faults in production which Takeo should have been more mindful of. In an ideal world, the production of Citrus would be on par with Hanasaku Iroha, a show that I hold as a high standard for animated melodrama. The end result here is not without its faults, but is a satisfactory effort all things considered.

  So that concludes my review of Citrus. The story at large is quite rough around the edges with its frequent use of coincidences. It’s also arguably flawed in how many things are framed as a formulaic routine. With a new girl continually intruding on the situation, it’s admittedly easy to feel some degree of frustration. The core story however, with the two main leads, remains very strong. Various facets of their character are explored well and brought to a satisfying resolve. That said, there are many loose ends in the story yet to be tied up, in which case I can only hope a second season will be made eventually to adapt the rest of the source material to complement the anime-viewing experience. All things considered, however, Citrus is a great anime overall. One of the things which motivated me to write this review was to address the criticisms this show had been receiving. If you have already seen this anime, and anything I’ve said gave you something to think about, then perhaps it deserves a second viewing. For a show so widely shunned as being a lesbian fanservice show, the story of Citrus is one that anyone, gay or straight, male or female, can relate to on any level.

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• 

  KuZkan557

  45/100
  Przyjemne wizualnie, słabe animacyjnie, z dziwnymi zabiegami montażowymi anime. Albo jak kto woli - Citrus.

  Słowa wstępu

  Zabrałem się do tego tytułu nie ze względu na główną tematykę tego anime (no może trochę), ale przede wszystkim ze względu na popularność mangi oraz adaptacji anime. Ponieważ lubię zajmować się tematami popularnymi, to Citrus'a po prostu nie mogłem ominąć.

  

  Tyle słodyczy w tej goryczy

  Podoba mi się kreska. Bardzo podobna do mangowego oryginału, o ile nie lepsza. Postacie są bardzo szczegółowe, co jak dla mnie z wizualnego punktu widzenia jest ogromnym plusem w gąszczu średnich wypełniaczy sezonowych, których rysunki oraz inne wszelakie elementy rozmazują się już na trailerach. Tła wypadają całkiem dobrze. Jednak czar pięknych widoczków nie trwa wiecznie. Jedynie pierwsze odcinki prezentują dobrą jakość, lecz im dalej w las tym częstsze spadki jakości. W dziesiątym odcinku ok 19:35 minucie zdarzył się nawet bug w animacji! Muzyka przygrywająca w tle nie robi wrażenia, jest zwyczajnie średnia. Fabuła do szóstego odcinka jest całkiem ciekawa. Podoba mi się homoseksualny motyw miłosny pomiędzy przyrodnimi siostrami. Jest on ciekawy z tego względu, iż pozwala on na tworzenie wielu emocjonalnych sytuacji pomiędzy bohaterkami. Dodatkowo temat ten jest trudny sam w sobie, co nadaje mnóstwo okazji aby zaciekawić widza w meandrach fabuły. W trakcie oglądania można poczuć sympatię do Yuzu i Mei, czego nie można powiedzieć o pozostałych postaciach. Przeszkadza mi fakt, że te same sytuacje uczuciowe są powtarzane aż do porzygu, dzięki czemu w dziesiątym odcinku wyłożyłem żur na to jakie relacje będą miały ze sobą siostry i czy historia zakończy się szczęśliwie. Powtarzanie ciągle tego samego schematu w relacji pomiędzy głównymi bohaterkami nie poskutkowało dobrze.

  Opening oraz ending

  Co do opening'u - Jest w mojej opinii zwyczajnie dobry, ale nic ponad to. Piosenka jest całkiem lekka i przyjemna. Strona techniczna w większości daje radę, choć nie mogę odeprzeć wrażenia, że montażystę lekko poniosło w krótkim momencie gdy występuje zbyt duża ilość zbyt silnych przybliżeń na twarze Yuzu i Mei. Jest to też moment gdy widać spore braki w klatkach animacji. Jest to spora wada, ponieważ na czołówkę wydaje się zazwyczaj spory budżet, aby widz nie uciekał sprzed odbiornika na widok fekaliów technicznych.
  Niestety muszę też ponarzekać na umieszczenie opening'u w pierwszym odcinku. Pojawia się on zdecydowanie zbyt szybko, przez co zdradza on zbyt dużo elementów w dalszej fabule. Najchętniej nie umieszczałbym go w ogóle, lub wrzuciłbym go w ramach ending'u, co przy okazji zalepiłoby małą dziurę, która tworzy się pod koniec odcinka.
  A co z właściwym ending'iem? Nic nadzwyczajnego. Szkoda czasu na rozwodzenie się o nim.

  Największe bolączki

  Niedomaga animacja, z czym można się szybko pogodzić już po pierwszym odcinku. Montaż pomiędzy scenami wypada po prostu dziwnie. Wygląda to tak jakby ktoś na siłę uciął fragment zbyt wcześnie aby sztucznie przyśpieszyć daną scenę, lub chciał wyciąć ją całkowicie. Rozumiem tworzenie w ten sposób skrótów, albo chęć dodania odpowiedniej dynamiki. Jednak nie tutaj. Ten zabieg jest wykonywany nagminnie.
  Przykładowo, w 2:40 drugiego odcinka rozkręca się całkiem niezła akcja w łazience pomiędzy głównymi bohaterkami. Jednak reżyser chyba nie miał za bardzo pomysłu jak zakończyć tą scenę, tak więc w środku akcji umieścił cięcie które natychmiast przenosi nas do innej sytuacji, która ma miejsce kilka godzin później, a może nawet do następnego dnia. Dlaczego "może"? Właśnie tutaj jest problem. Wydarzenie to kończy się tak nagle, że nawet nie wiemy ile czasu mija pomiędzy dwoma wydarzeniami. O ile wcześniej mieliśmy do czynienia z scenami przejściowymi, gdy główna bohaterka rozmyślała nad różnymi kwestiami przed snem, tak tutaj czegoś takiego zwyczajnie zabrakło. Rozumiem, że autorzy muszą trzymać się oryginału, jednak aby trzymać się go właściwie na tyle, aby dzieło było znośne do oglądania należy stosować odpowiednią narracje. Nie miałem okazji czytać mangi, natomiast tam takie przejście działa zupełnie inaczej i jest mniej kłujące w oczy.
  Przeszkadza mi również nadmierna przypadkowość w fabule. Głównej bohaterce zupełnie przypadkowo O C Z Y W I Ś C I E (pozdro dla Mietczyńskiego) udaje się być w właściwym miejscu, o właściwym czasie. Inne sytuacje mają miejsce tylko dlatego, bo a jakże, przypadkowo ktoś jest córką innej postaci, lub ktoś przypadkowo wiąże się z daną osobą, przez co skazuje na przebywanie ze sobą dwóch nie lubiących siebie postaci. Staram się wszystko opisać tak, aby możliwie jak najlepiej ominąć spoilery, tym samym zachęcam samemu do obejrzenia tego tytułu aby doznać tych wszystkich "przypadków", których jest oczywiście o wiele więcej.
  Mam też mały problem z nagłym pojawieniem się homoseksualności głównych postaci. I nie, to nie jest spoiler, ponieważ anime to reklamuje się jako Yuri. Zaraz... czy ja użyłem słowa "reklamuje"? Raczej powinienem użyć określenia PRÓBUJE NAM WCISNĄĆ DO RYJA informację z jakim gatunkiem mamy do czynienia. Tytuł obfituje w masę różnych seksualnych prowokacji między postaciami, tylko po to aby natychmiast urwać wątek szybkim cięciem, (o czym już była mowa) lub następnym miałkim i przewidywalnym dramatem.
  Osobiście nic do homoseksualności u obu płci nie mam. Jednak mam delikatne przeświadczenie, że wątek miłości pomiędzy Yuzu i Mei pojawia się tak nagle, znikąd. Z resztą... nie tylko u nich. Ten stan rzeczy możemy przypisać wcześniej wspomnianym wszelakim przypadkom.
  Wątek o miłości między siostrami miał zapewne wyglądać tak, jakby główne bohaterki dopiero co odkrywały swoje nowe zapędy, jednak w finalnym produkcie przypomina to prędzej nagle pojawiający się i w żaden większy sposób nie uzasadniony wątek. A szkoda, bo postacie głównych bohaterek są całkiem dobrze napisane. (przynajmniej do pewnego momentu)
  Gdyby przesunąć to nieco dalej w fabule i stopniowo rozwijać, mogłoby to wyjść o wiele lepiej.
  Problemem są też nielogiczne sytuacje. Jedną z nich jest chociażby początek dziewiątego odcinka (spoiler), gdzie Matsuri zaczyna dosłownie molestować Mei. Scena ta jest mocno przesadzona, ponieważ nie wydaje mi się aby tak poważna i zimna osoba jaką jest Mei dała się dotykać w nieprzyzwoitych miejscach totalnie obcej dziewczynie. Swoją drogą, postacie w tym anime cierpią na ciekawy syndrom. Nie zależnie od tego jak bardzo dana osoba jest wysoko postawiona, silna czy poważna - wystarczy ją pocałować albo dotknąć w intymnym miejscu, a z marszu staje się uległa i dostaje swojego rodzaju paraliżu, przez co nie jest w stanie się obronić. Małym wyjątkiem tutaj jest Yuzu, ale tylko momentami... Jeżeli jeszcze nie oglądałeś Citrus, to polecam bacznie obserwować postać Matsuri, ponieważ dzieje się z nią i dookoła niej sporo ciekawych i często głupich sytuacji.
  Pod koniec pojawia się jeszcze wątek sióstr bliźniaczek który również jest nafaszerowany masą głupot i oczywistych sytuacji. Jednak szkoda mi już klawiatury na opisywanie tego wątku. Na prawdę.

  Podsumowanie

  Jestem w pełni świadom tego, iż jest to tylko anime i nie można tego tytułu brać na poważnie. Szczególnie gdy spojrzymy na to ile rzeczy zostało zrujnowane w tym tytule... Natomiast gdybym miał wyciągnąć jakąś lekcję z tego anime, to mógłbym wymienić między innymi: środowisko lesbijek jest pełne niezdecydowanych, niepełnoletnich i niebezpiecznych osób, kobiety homoseksualne posiadają braki w inteligencji oraz w klatkach animacji, w szkołach dla dziewczyn nie ma nauczycieli lub ci nie przychodzą do pracy. W tytule trudno uświadczyć tych postaci poza pierwszymi odcinkami..

  Citrus w pierwszej chwili potrafi ucieszyć i pokazać kilka całkiem fajnym rzeczy. Jednak przez to na ile chorób cierpi ten twór, nie da się go pozostawić z pozytywną oceną. Mam bardzo mocno zmieszane uczucia po obejrzeniu ostatniego odcinka, który jak zwykle nie szanuje naszego zaangażowania i czasu poświęconego na jego obejrzenie.

  Jeżeli uwielbiasz kiepskie wątki, marnowanie potencjału, powtarzanie w kółko tych samych wątków oraz brak poszanowania czasu i chęci włożonych w obejrzenie danego tytułu - Citrus jest dla ciebie.
  Mocno się zawiodłem w połowie oglądania. Liczyłem na coś mniej sztampowego i bardziej ciekawego, ale niestety. Citrus stał się kolejnym zapychaczem sezonowym nie wartym czasu widza.

  Ta recenzja to wyraźny znak, że ten animiec mnie mocno zawiódł.#

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