With dark tones and time-traveling twists, Orange takes the slice of life to the next level.
Kodoani.com – While the anime industry has many different genres, the slice of life genre is one that has always been a fan favorite. With easy-to-understand plots and laid-back storytelling, these anime are the perfect source of light entertainment. An anime about life, however, takes a different approach, with heavy storytelling and a plot that can sometimes be a bit confusing for viewers.
Written and stylized by Ichigo Tanako, Orange is an alternate-life romance anime, but it doesn’t quite revolve around the standard light-hearted high school plot that the genre usually tends to include. Instead, the anime focuses on real-life issues raging among high school students, even addressing darker themes like depression and suicide. The plot of the series became even more distinct with its change of time travel, following a more multiverse-like approach with parallel timelines.
Orange does many things differently from its slice-of-life counterparts, but its most differentiating factor is its incorporation of time travel into the plot. This is revealed in the first episode, when Naho Takamiya receives a letter from her future, warning her of events to come. Although Naho initially doesn’t believe in the authenticity of these letters, she eventually begins to realize that the letters are indeed her own in the future as all the details mentioned begin to come into play. become the truth.
The series even offers a scientific explanation of how the time travel mechanics work, but the vague explanation isn’t enough to satisfy fans. The characters’ future selves find a black hole and send letters about their past through that rift in reality. Although an explanation is unnecessary as the unknown nature of the mechanics adds a bit of mystery to the anime, many fans still appreciate the author’s effort in providing an explanation for the anime. events.
It is worth mentioning that the phenomenon of time travel in the story follows a more multiverse-like approach, as future characters cannot change their own timeline but instead try to change it. the past in a separate timeline. The linear timeline approach will create some complications, since even a single change in the past will dramatically change the future.
While most casual anime follows a linear plot centered around drama and high school romance, Orange takes on much heavier themes such as suicidal ideation and depression. This is also why the characters start receiving letters from the future, as the main purpose is to make sure their new friend, Kakeru Naruse, doesn’t succumb to his crippling depression. that.
The show also explores how this affects their relationship, as most people aren’t aware of how a person should deal with a loved one with this mental illness. The awkward moments throughout the film are even more realistic, as dealing with such a complex and serious issue can be frustrating for everyone, especially for those close to them. especially for people with depression.
These causing problems are exacerbated towards the end of the series, when Kakeru actually tries to commit suicide, creating an extremely heavy and heartbreaking scene. Although he did rethink his decision last minute, adding such a heartbreaking scene to the series was necessary to portray the extent of this illness and how an act of love and compassion can be. Simple goodness can prevent a person from taking his or her own life.
In addition to accurately portraying the crippling effects of depression, another thing Orange appreciates is the authenticity of the film’s characters. Unlike other slice-of-life anime that depict high school students as flamboyant individuals, Orange gives its characters a believable depth, from their awkward interactions to their shy displays of love and affection, one could easily put themselves in that spot.
The portrayal of future characters is also an element that the anime perfects, as each character’s distinct personality is clearly visible in their future, just a little more mature. Portraying adult versions of characters is always a difficult task for authors, but Ichigo Tanako achieves this with ease thanks to his excellent portrayal of adult future humans. hybrid of each character. Overall, anime takes a very mundane approach to teen relationships – be it friendships or romantic relationships. With its dark theme and time-traveling tendencies, Orange easily becomes a must-watch anime, especially for those looking for something with a bit of harsh reality.