The anime Sing “Yesterday” For Me started airing in April 2020. It is based on the manga of the same name, which started its serialization in 1997 and ended in 2015.
Why it took so long for the anime to finally be released is a great mystery. Especially considering how popular it was amongst romance and Seinen fans with its heartbreaking storyline for a long time.
It is a beautiful story of a man as he is torn between his past and his future, the dilemma of which is highlighted using romance as a central factor.
1. Quick Review
The anime is a poignant story that will get you looking back into your high school life. It is full of plot elements that are pregnant with nostalgia and poignancy.
It is definitely an anime whose plot can be found appealing even by fans who aren’t romance junkies. As with any romance Seinen anime, this one too has elaborate love triangles that the plot revolves around. However, this love triangle does get tedious at times. Overall, it does have the ability to fascinate and captivate viewers with its brilliant plot and dazzling visuals.
2. Is it worth watching?
The anime is definitely worth watching. It is a really good slice-of-life drama. In fact, if you haven’t watched slice-of-life anime before, this one would be a great place to start and to get you hooked to this genre.
I. Plot
The plot of the anime progresses around the love triangle of three people: Haru Nonaka, Rikuo Uozumi, and Shinako Morinome. Nonaka has had a huge crush on Rikuo for five years, but the tragic part is that Rikuo does not even notice her.
Rikuo instead cares deeply for a former classmate Shinako who is unwilling to accept his feelings. Apart from the romantic aspect, it is also a sort of coming-of-age story of three people who are clueless about the future while being fixated on the past.
One artistic aspect of the animation that I was really enamored with is the use of colors and background to differentiate between the past and the present. The past is presented in the form of a webtoon with very minimal movement while the present is vibrant and very much alive.
The premise of the plot may not strike as the most unique or extraordinary. It is not your loud and lively anime whose main plot device is the use of humorous and exaggerated antics.
One needs to attune himself/herself to the slow (wrongly called boring by some) pacing of the plot to enjoy the anime in depth.
It also deals with many issues of alienation and cluelessness of many of the young adult characters of the anime, which may be part of the reason why it is so popular.
II. Characters
The three main characters of the Universe come with their own pasts, idiosyncrasies, and quirks. The anime takes time out to follow a character through their struggles, trauma, and aspirations.
This feature helps us make sense of the characters and relate to their pain and suffering in depth. Nonaka is considered the eccentric girl who walks around with her adopted crow named Kansuke.
She was also a student of Shinako before she was expelled for misconduct. She has intense romantic feelings for Rikuo, who doesn’t reciprocate.
While Rikuo Uozumi is a very laid back man who is a little too timid at times, it does show his character development quite remarkably.
He is not the type to seize the day, as evidenced by the fact that he works part-time at a convenience store solely because he was afraid to get rejected for jobs.
The whole plot revolves around the predicaments and peculiarities of each character, which help bring forth many issues and moral lessons about the hardships young adults face.
Hence, the fact that it is targeted at a young male audience is understandable, though its scope extends to fans of many other genres too.
3. Final Thoughts
The anime is a wonderful watch. Its carefully articulated story of a serious love triangle among three characters can be relatable and enjoyable.
It is an anime that will get you scrolling down memory lane and will leave you reminiscing a lot about your youth days. Keeping the plot aside, even the aesthetics and visuals are breathtaking and exude a very welcoming feel.
You will end up rooting for the good of all characters, which is a good thing since choosing sides gets too much. I’d definitely recommend it.
4. Grade
Story: A
Cinematography/Animation: A
Art: A
Music: A
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