Hidamari Sketch (Including x365 and ☆☆☆)

Hidamari Sketch:  B

I began rewatching Hidamari Sketch after being reminded of its existence by a visual reference while watching Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei with a friend of mine.  It has the questionable honor of being the tamest show that I've seen Akiyuki Shinbo direct, though it's also proof that his bizarre, dreamlike style translates well into the playful, calm joy of the Slice of Life series.

Hidamari Sketch revolves around four (later six) residents of a small apartment complex directly across the street from a high school renowned for its Art program.  The apartment complex is renowned for housing the 'weirdos' in the art program, though for the most part the girls (it's a slice of life show, of course they're all girls) are believable individuals with believable eccentricities and relationships.

Beyond that there's not much to say about the plot, like K-On!, it's a slice of life show.  It's about these girls just living their lives.  For the most part, Hidamari Sketch takes a road similar to Lucky Star's in being relatively serene aside from the characters themselves being spazzy.

Hidamari is different from other Slice of Life shows both for Akiyuki Shinbo's amazing creative direction and for being completely non-chronological in its episode order, even between seasons.  The series picks up in the middle of the year as though we've always known these girls and by the end of the first episode you kind of feel like you have.  The "How they got here" episode that comes later on explains early interactions but by then it's all falling into place, and while the specifics are sources of amusement you'll already know everyone well enough that it won't be much of an introduction.  Occasionally the other half of a story that we heard some of will be shown, but the show doesn't have a lot of mystery to it, so if you weren't paying a great deal of attention you won't feel like you missed something.

The laid-back-ness of the series is also my greatest criticism of it, it's a very light and fluffy series, there's not a lot of substance, like most Slice of Life.  It hasn't got a lot of anything, really.  Fan service is tasteful when it appears and mostly absent, humor is adorable but forgettable and there's a distinct lack of schadenfreude, the entire series is soft and unassuming despite its wholesomeness, and that's what prevents it from getting an A rating.

For the sake of alleviating confusion, the three seasons are, in order, "Hidamari Sketch," "Hidamari Sketch x365," and "Hidamari Sketch  ☆☆☆," which is pronounced "Hidamari Sketch Hoshimittsu", Hoshimittsu meaning "Three stars."

If you want something cute, fluffy and inoffensive to watch, Hidamari Sketch is a lovely and giggle-worthy show.  If you're looking for action, philosophy or fan service, this isn't for you.