Anime: Little Busters! Refrain

Hanging around the anime community often makes it impossible to get away from certain shows. Take Little Busters! as an example. When I first watched it, I was disappointed. Though it was enjoyable, the lack of care on the storytelling and presentation was too much to ignore.

Which makes me proud to say that Little Busters! Refrain is an improvement over the first season in every way imaginable. Gone was the fanservice the first season used which it never needed at all, and present was a true sense of unity among the childhood friends than the first season had with its entire cast. Komari, Mio, Haruka, and Kud are likable characters, but their story arcs didn’t contribute to the series’ theme of friendship. In contrast, the childhood friends—Rikki, Rin, Masato, Kengo, and Kyousuke—contribute to the series’ theme of friendship because what one of them goes through affects at least one of the others if not all of them. It’s a small thing, but it does so much to making them feel like real friends, who share their laughter and bare their burdens.

And it’s quite a burden the childhood friends have in Little Busters! Refrain. We learn how they became friends, but the real treat is seeing their friendship tested. They’ll challenge each other over what they believe is the right thing to do, they’ll do anything necessary to protect each other, and sometimes they’ll fall in love. And in addition to being an emotionally charged drama, Little Busters! Refrain is also, in a sense, psychological. The story will be disorienting and nearly impossible to make sense of at times, such as Masato’s story arc, but considering a certain plot point central to the entire series, this is actually a compliment. Little Busters! Refrain’s story is unique in this aspect.

The only major problem with the story is the early episodes with Yuiko’s story arc. Her problems with the story arc’s antagonists are resolved as quickly as they started without learning much of the actual problem. On the other hand, Yuiko’s chemistry with Rikki is surprisingly honest, compared to a later couple that’s just plain awkward. Yuiko has an underwhelming story arc compared to the childhood friends or even the four heroines of season one, but as a character she stands out at least as much as the rest of them. Little Busters! may stumble on storytelling, but it doesn’t fumble with its characters. But the storytelling problems unfortunately extend to the presentation, as stormy weather suddenly hits in Little Busters! Refrain the moment Yuiko’s story arc starts in proper. The stormy weather cliché itself isn’t a bad thing, it just needs to be used after the drama has been built-up, not as a start to it.

But the visuals themselves are very good, not just because they’re clean and vibrant, but because they’re creative. The ending to Yuiko’s story arc is fittingly transparent and ethereal. The writing on the classroom blackboard becomes a smoking gun of foreshadowing in hindsight. The beginning to Masato’s story arc turns the characters into mere outlines to show the disconnect between them. Kyousuke’s story arc is presented in a way that makes it literal and figurative at the same time. And Rikki and Rin’s last serious conversation with each other is saturated with a golden bright monochrome to show their heart-to-heart.

But the presentation really stands out on its music. In addition to just being very good, it’s also timed impeccably well. The one-note and low pitch but memorable “Nothing Happened in This World” fits the most oppressive scenes in the show. The techno organ of “Slow Curve” is as normal as the scenes it plays in. The slightly melancholic and fully ironic “Boys Don’t Cry” plays during parts of the male characters’ back story. The soothing but sad “Guiding Light” is most noticeable during a scene where Rikki learns something about Kyousuke. The winter wonderland flavor of “Thin Chronicle” is peaceful on its own, but discomforting for where it’s used in the show. The high pitch and quick tempo for “Sunshine after the Rain” is appropriate for a track that accompanies the normal scenes after the drama clears. The lyrics of the nostalgic but tragic “Hanabi” beautifully fit the scene it plays in. But the standout piece among the standout soundtrack is “Song for Friends,” not because it’s anything sad, but because it’s uplifting, because it plays during the resolution of the characters’ story arcs, because it embodies the very essence of Little Busters!. Something the first season got consistently right was the music, and it’s even better here with how well-timed the tracks are, giving an extra punch to the story.

But make no mistake that the story isn’t terribly complex. It’s simple, but simply told really well from beginning to end, and that’s what matters. Once Little Busters! Refrain passes Yuiko’s story arc, it’s a smooth ride through Hell and back that keeps viewers fastened to their seats with a swerving mystery and at times, roadblock characters. Those characters will undoubtedly do things that seem rash or extreme, but it’s never shock value for the sake of it, because there’s always an idea of what makes them tick. It makes them overcoming themselves or overcoming each other all the more rewarding.

The end to this ride, to Little Busters! Refrain, will assuredly divide viewers, but regardless the journey itself is its own experience. An experience of friendship. An experience of betterment. An experience of life~