The Reverse Thieves Secret Santa project brings you the first of 3 posts. Each will profile something that was recommended to me by some anonymous person looked over my profile on MAL and took up the challenge of finding something I would like. First up is punctuation’s Sketchbook: ~Full Color’s~.
The first question I had to ask was why exactly was this recommended to me? I think it had something to do with the genre preference I expressed in my MAL profile I had not updated since August 2009. I had “Slice of Life (comedy sub-section)” listed prominently there and the genres for Sketchbook read “Comedy, Slice of Life.” It’s that simple.
Now onto the actual viewing experience. Watching the early episodes of this series proved to be a somewhat frustrating experience. It would be something on par with getting together with a group of friends with nothing planned, then wasting the day simply talking. While many may find that a good use of a day, my experience would be similar to the main character Kajiwara Sora.
Sora spends her days generally being silent and admiring all that goes on around her. Surrounded by eclectic personalities, she goes on sketching in her sketchbook happily going about her days. In a way, she’s the perfect character for this genre, but much like myself in that group of friends doing nothing, it wouldn’t be very interesting.
The introduction of Kate in the 7th episode seemed to be an attempt to liven things up, and it did for that one episode. Once she was integrated into the group things returned to their previous state. Even the animals were used in a similar way, showing that a group of people in a common state can come together and have good experiences.
Now my final thoughts on watching this series. It wasn’t a particularly entertaining experience watching Sora communicate frequently through the medium of nodding or mumbling. The only real hints I got that she had changed as a character came either through flashbacks, or in the last episode itself. Even that was minimal in my opinion.
Ultimately, it sort of proved a similar frustrating experience to an unplanned get together with friends with big ideas only to end up staying close to home doing very little. Some may find that great, others, myself included, would see it as a waste of time outside of getting together.
Tomorrow: Part 2 of 3 features action on a much greater level than going to see the sakura bloom. Also, as it is Christmas Day, it will be watched in the same way that I typically enjoy the holiday, heavily intoxicated. Plus, there’s also details of a conversation I had with a coworker about it.
Lower Mid-Table 
I got recommended this as well, perhaps due to how I seem to enjoy K-On!! and Lucky Star. It may seem not so good due to the lack of fit with your own temperament, but a lot of people seem to like it.
I may still check it out eventually, but I am not that keen to do so at least for now.
I sort of saw it as those 2 series with the best parts taken out. I was just looking through MAL favorites for these series, and percentage of favorites to seen is about half to a third for Sketchbook as it is to those 2. So a decent number of people like it, but nowhere in the ballpark of the top of this genre.
It’s definitely a show with a more relaxed pace than even what you’d expect to see in shows of “this nature”, so it can be hard to get into it, for sure. It’s a solid show, but not something I plan watching again anytime soon.
Thank for review, it proved to me once again, I wouldn’t like anything of this nature.
It’s mainly not a lot of things happening. I understand people like stuff like Aria, but just as many stay away from it.
everyone keeps trying to get me to watch this even though every fiber of my being is telling me I will hate hate hate it.
I enjoy cats and all sure, but a funny cat in an anime does not save it at all. See ARIA!!! >.<
I went straight from this into Tamayura, and Sketchbook was far, far superior in my opinion. That probably doesn’t mean all that much nor should it.
chii, what makes you think that you’ll hate it? 😛
Of the art school trio (Sketchbook, Hidamari Sketch, and GA Geijutsuka Art Design Class) the only one I have ever enjoyed is GA. While GA occasionally get super duper meta in its analysis of art theory at least it’s charaters have energy. Sketchbook and Hidamari Sketch just move like molasses for me. I know Narutaki can’t stand any of the three despite the fact that she is an art major. I can do slice of life but the character have to be engaging. The slow slice of life shows tend to put me to sleep. I can do Master Keaton but Aria is a sedative foe me.
Well I hope you got something from the experience more than never to listen to the person who suggested you watch Sketchbook. I hope you will participate next year with a show you enjoy.
– Hisui
This was the first of the trio that I had seen, I probably stayed away when they initially aired on purpose. Now I find myself sucked into wanting to watch Hidamari Sketch because of a few recommendations. Part 2 and 3 will be much better from an enjoyment perspective.
Of the three, my impression would be Hidamari Sketch > GA > Sketchbook. Characters factor a lot here, as well as atmosphere, and I think Hidamari Sketch has it much better than the other two shows in that regard. Granted, the latter two also focus more on art than Hidamari Sketch does (in terms of learning about techniques and actually performing that craft), so I think it also depends on how much interest you have in art as well.