ReLIFE

## The Anime

### Soundtrack

The opening of ReLIFE is pretty great. Though the animation is a bit dated and cliche, I thought the song itself was alright, if not memorable. It's structured like a standard anime opening, a rock anthem, but it was still really good. Unfortunately, the lyrics basically spoiled the ending. I advise any first-time watchers to not read the lyrics on this one.

Every single credits song was really good. I really enjoyed all of the songs, especially CHE.R.RY (also used in Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings In Russian). That song felt especially lovely within the context of the second OVA. On the other hand, I didn't really like the animation for any the credits. That's understandable, though, for a 2016 anime.

The backing soundtrack was surprisingly good. It was remarkably "jazzy", if that makes sense. I loved the random piano rolls. By the last episode, I had really appreciated the soundtrack fully. It really added so much to the mild absurdity of the plot.

### Thoughts

I expected ReLIFE to be an unremarkable anime. The poster looked boring, the title uninteresting, and it's a 10 year old anime. Previously, I had watched Your Lie in April, and I thought that this wouldn't even come close to that. The first episode really surprised me. I didn't know it was going to resonate that hard. I really started watching this anime at the perfect time, at the end of my high school term. This is an anime that nobody can regret watching.

ReLIFE essentially revolves around the life of 2 NEETs, Arata and Chizuru, that agreed to re-experience life as a high schooler. In their lives, they had previously lost their jobs and were stuck between a rock and a hard place. They weren't bad people per se, nor were they incompetent. Similar to Rascal Does Not Dream Of Bunny Girl Senpai, the main characters have to help solve the interpersonal/intrapersonal problems the people around them have. Unlike the mentioned anime, ReLIFE commits to a theme of grounded-ness. The characters with problems (mainly Rena) have to solve their own problems themselves. They just require a push from some of the characters. I really enjoyed this aspect of the storytelling. After all, no one in real life would want to feel patronized and just be saved by a knight. It really made the story feel more grounded to me, which I appreciate a lot.

The "themes and such" that ReLIFE brings up are unexpectedly serious. I won't list them all, as they basically revolve around one concept: taking action of your own life. At first, Arata helps Chizuru just out of the natural-ness of their conversations. It works out, and Chizuru gets to sit at lunch with her new friends. Then, some seeds of doubt are planted by the storyteller. It starts with Ryo, Arata's handler, asking the whether it's better to rip the thorns off of someone's path. Up to this point, those plot points had been explained rather explicitly, but the reason I'm talking about it is how it's resolved so implicitly. After everything that was said before, we go into an arc regarding Rena and Honoka's "rivalry" that was blown up due to Rena's injury (partly due to Honoka). The conflict is basically about how Rena can't and doesn't want to participate in their last volleyball game together, even though Honoka is fine with it. In this arc, the two characters can't seem to bring themselves to hash it out with eachother. Even with the intervention of their friends, even at the day of the match, Rena can't bring herself to attend let alone participate in the match. Eventually, Arata and Chizuru goes to her house. Here's where it gets interesting. This theme doesn't get resolved by Arata or Chizuru convincing Rena to just participate in the match due to one reason or another. They simply ask the question: Which decision would you rather take responsibility of? After all, it's just 1 match, it's their final match together, and Honoka and Rena's "selfish" desires align. They still want to be friends with one another. Rena had already prepared to participate, she just needed a reality check. In the end, it's all resolved, as they are going to the same college, and will still participate in volleyball there. Amazing, right? I haven't even talked about how these experiences relate to Arata and Chizuru's own experiences of bullying in the workplace and classroom. It's incredible how ReLIFE handles these complex plot points so smoothly that you don't even notice it in the moment.

Okay, that's enough of the story. Just kidding. I have to talk about Arata and Chizuru's character development. Arata's character development isn't even real. Over the course of the story, he just realized something he already had within himself. He's charming, he cares about other people, and he takes action. At first, the anime wants to make you think that Arata's a loser. He lost his job, he pretends to have one, he drinks, and he smokes. In reality, society has failed him into thinking he's failed. He just needed a retrospective on his life. On the other hand, Chizuru's character development is more straightforward. She's a ReLIFE test subject who had to partake in 2 years of development. Fortunately, in her second year, she had ample support from Arata which accelerated her growth. Eventually, she learned to make friends, to smile, and to be more perceptive of other people. It's not that she didn't want to do those things earlier, but in high school it's so much more easier to learn because no one really knows what they're doing. It also may sound like Chizuru's just a pushover, but like Arata, she's also someone who moves the plot forward. She's involved with the people she loves, she cares about them and takes action. Maybe it's slow at first, but eventually you get to know these characters, in and out. This is one of those animes that really makes you understand why each character does what they're doing. It doesn't leave anything up to chance or suspicion, but in a good way, if it that makes sense.

I can't say I don't resonate to any of the themes in this anime. Arata's setback in life due to taking action in his life is terrifying. It's portrayed in such a grim way (his senpai's suicide) that it's harrowing. Yet it doesn't make taking action in one's life any less important. Arata didn't want to work in an immoral company, so he quit. I think I should live my way like that, the way I want to live it. Maybe not everyone has to do it, but if we all just give up to the immoralities and problems of society then it's not going to make anything better. For each decision, we have to be asking which one we would rather take responsibility of?

Oh, and I can't just finish this review without talking about Arata and Chizuru's romance. IT'S SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! Unlike Kazuomi and Rena's high school level awkward romance, Arata and Chizuru's romance felt really natural. It started with Arata pushing Chizuru's ReLIFE development, then into them bonding over taking action in their lives. Eventually they realized they wanted to spend more time with each other. Even though they felt as awkward as any other romance, it just felt different from a high school romance. There was an air of maturity and respect they had for one another. Of course, that's expected when they see the other person as a high schooler. In the penultimate episode, they get together and finally go on a date. During it, they each get a memento they unknowingly use later. They also finally confess to one another. I really love that scene, it felt natural, like what two adults would do in that situation. There isn't an air of adolescence there at all. Finally, at the end of the experiment, they have to forget about each other. It felt especially heartbreaking when Chizuru tried to remember Arata by writing on her palm. Unfortunately, her handler noticed it and had to reluctantly remove it. In the end, they reconnect and get to remember their memories once more. Partly due to their mementos, but also due to the conversation about fireworks they had before. One of the most beautiful good endings I've seen in anime yet. I really felt how Arata and Chizuru had really grown as people.

Overall, ReLIFE is an anime that's too short. I felt like it could be telling more stories about the ReLIFE experience, but I also think that there couldn't have been any more to the story than what I had experienced. These conflicting feelings are why I'm giving ReLIFE a 9/10 instead of a 10/10. ReLIFE is an anime about how important YOUR life is. Live it to the fullest. Take action. Whether it's for yourself or the people around you. Live the life you want to live and take responsibility for it.

Carpe Diem