True Tears - Episode 7

Well, the writers of True Tears sure know how to leave a cliffhanger don't they? Episode six of the series left us with a revelation of "I am your father"-esque proportions, and just like all the best revelations it left us with more questions than answers - Namely, are Hiromi and Shinichirō really related?

Given the outbursts which ended episode six, it's unsurprising that this weeks offering finds itself as a tight ball of emotion all round, with the various relationships between major characters well and truly shaken up. While Hiromi largely takes a back seat in episode seven, Noe and Ai both make their feelings for Shinichirō known in their own inimitable styles, meaning that just when you think things are about to take a smoother path, chaos ensues once again, leaving us with yet another 'what now?' ending hanging in the air. Do I really have to wait a whole week to find out yet again? Argh!

I know I've waxed lyrical far too much about this series already, but honestly - True Tears is near perfection. It can bring you from tears to laughter to smiling with glee and then back again in the course of a single episode, and manage it in such a way that it never feels forced or contrived. Again, both the animation and characterisations are spot on, toying with your emotions expertly to receive the desired effects. Never mind whether I want to be in Shinichirō's boots or not right now (although Noe was particularly adorable this week), I'm not sure that any amount of this anime will sate my hunger for more of this beautiful piece of work.