Gift ~eternal rainbow~

Synopsis:

The Gift, a once in a lifetime opportunity to grant a miracle for someone. However, for the Gift to work the recipient must accept it and share mutal feelings or the Gift will become distorted and may even wreak havoc on those around it. Haruhiko Amami is a firm believer in the Gift ability since if it were not for the Gift he would not be alive today. However, the Gift is an ability that is only given the the residents of the town of Narasakicho as the unknown phenomenon known as the eternal rainbow hangs in the sky above which he suspects is tied into the town's strange magical abilities. Although Amami is not fully aware of his past when his sister Riko, who mysteriously left 7 years, shows up in front of his house with a loaded suitcase claiming she's back home... forgotten emotions and a clouded history are about to be revealed that Amami had all but disregarded.


Reviewer: Endosanity
Number of episodes watched: 12 + 1 OVA


Review:

You ever have those times you're between anime series and you're not really sure what to watch next? Sure you have. But, how about when you see one series just sitting there that you never heard of and you read a little bit about it and it sounds interesting enough to give it a try and it turns out to be a damn good show? That, my friends, is Gift ~eternal rainbow~. The first thing I noticed about this anime is that the animation style uses a very classic style that doesn't try to be different and by doing so presents some very well drawn characters and the girls are extremely... cute, if I do dare say so myself. Now, putting that aside, let's take a look at the story itself. You have one guy and a few good looking girls, this might read like your typical harem anime it really isn't as only 2 of the girls in this story, Riko and Kirino, are the only ones who show any interest in Amami and Amami himself only has an interest in one girl and his feelings never wain, not even for a moment, in which this makes him a respectable and likable guy. I liked this approach as I didn't have to deal with watching a bunch of girls fawn stupidly over one guy but instead Gift uses this to present some decent character depth to all the wonderful ladies you encounter while watching this anime and that makes for a quite different and pleasant viewing experience.

Don't get me wrong though, Gift does have some romantic conflict and don't be surprised if you find it tearing you up inside because both Riko and Kirino make for two fantastic female leads. But Amami has his heart and soul only set on one (no spoilers) and he remains true to that fact and you can't help but have your own heart go out to both girls as you will be cheering on the recipient of Amami's feelings but also be overcome with sadness at the victim of unrequited love. Gift really is an amazing little unknown anime that has a wonderful presentation that manages to give you a great story, deep rooted romantic tension, fantastic character depth, a great cast, and a love story with the right amount of comedy thrown in that is simply a joy to watch. Put all this with it's tried and true animation style, Gift ~eternal rainbow~ is an anime that should be watched by any fan who is a romance schmuck such as myself. Don't miss out on this little known gem.

Gift ~eternal rainbow~ (opening)

Recommendation: |High|