Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
cameronrb24
Quick Thoughts:
I strongly dislike the type of storytelling that's reliant on some plot twist or info-dump at the end for the story to make sense, and Little Busters!: Refrain was no exception.
Story:
The pacing was incredibly off this season. The first few episodes were fine; the typical 3 or so episodes were spent developing Kurugaya, which is about the same amount as the other characters. However, the next 3 episodes blaze through what I thought was a pretty important arc, with one notably climatic moment being condensed into just a four minute outro. Then there's the ending, which I felt gave many more questions than answers. It also makes a lot of what happened throughout the series seem pointless and unnecessary. The motives behind the key characters of this season were questionable…
Read at the sourceSalmo69
*No Refrain spoliers*Now i played the VN and little busters changed the way i lived entirely and has always had a place in my heart and the anime is now exception
Story:10/10 Now unlike in the first season of little busters.Refrain is changed in NO way from the VN the only thing missing are the alternate endings to refrain which if you LOVED little busters and refrain i recommend you pick up the vn on steam (not released as of this time if you are reading this at a later date check)however one thing i noticed is that key might have noticed that refrain in itself was to short to make it into a anime by itself so they included Kurugaya's and Rin's (part 2) Route into refrain to make it long (refrain if it was by itself would only be like 5 episodes of content) and the problem i have with th…
Read at the source-Remix-
Our past shapes who we are.
Really. It’s that simple. And this is what LB Refrain is all about.
After watching the first season of LB, I was seriously looking forward to the second season of LB. In the first season, you had a series of arcs that centered around nearly all of the LB’s new additions. These arcs – even though they used supernatural/surreal plot elements that were presented in a very Key-/visual-novel typical fashion – did flow surprisingly well as they were all built around the same common themes: friendship and identity. Sure, not too much character development for the original five members of LB (although there was some for the new additions, but definitely not fully flushed out – after their arc was over they didn’t change much anymore), but the plot was definitely soli…
Read at the sourceZachM
"I'd forgotten
That living
Meant losing" -Naoe Riki
Coming of Age is a really tough genre to pull off, especially in recent anime. You have to establish characters, and as the story progresses, force them to endure certain events and cause them to grow up, whether from a child into an adult or grow as a human being. Little Busters pulls off coming of age as good as I've ever seen an anime do it. And it does it while adding such emotional power to the story that only enhances the impact that the story will leave on you. This is thanks in no small part to Key, of whom the original Visual Novel was originally conceived. Key knows how to touch your emotions. And some would say that they've been hit or miss with some of their stuff. But when it comes to Little Busters, which I just finished…
Read at the sourcejc9622
I thought this was going to be "another season, another crappy drama" kind of show but my god was I wrong. This, folks, is an example of a sequel that is a lot better than the original. I'm not a VN reader so I'm reviewing this as an anime-only viewer.
(There will be some SPOILERS in my review)
[Story]: (9/10) (SPOILERS)
The story continues from the season as Rikki now successfully recruited enough members for the Little Busters and won their first game.
Compared to the 1st season's story, the story told in the 2nd season is a lot better. Just by watching the first episodes, you'll think that they haven't learned their mistakes and are doing the same mistake but nope. After the 1st episode ends, the show starts to get serious and you'll know that this isn't going to be the same as the…
Read at the sourcegregdubin
"Wait, let me cry just a little longer."
I don't think any quote from this series can really sum up the emotional energy it carries. Forget the overdrawn melodrama of the first season flicking you on the nose; Little Busters!: Refrain is here to punch you in the face.
Everything about Little Busters! has been revamped and improved for Refrain. The story is tighter, more focused, and more emotional. Since this season is only half as long as the last and only focuses on one main story arc, events move along with a much better rhythm and flow.
The art, while still pretty bland and uninteresting, has been made crisper and clearer, and the animation has been made smoother and more natural. However, there are some moments of great imagery that elevate the show's visuals.
The music is much th…
Read at the sourceWillthemost
SPOILERS
This anime, right here, is the single biggest improvement from a season one to a season two I've ever seen.
Something I hate in anime is when fans compare an anime to a different anime, just because it was made by the same company. Whenever a new show adapting a key visual novel is announced, everyone just instantly compares it to Clannad and Clannad after story. I think this is unfair, because this show, while having many very similar aspects was its own show and should be taken as such. Anyways, onto the review. Little busters was a nice little high school drama show, but suffered from unoriginality and some of the sad moments felt forced to me. This is all fixed in the second season, where all the buildup done in season one pays off for a very satisfying conclusion.
Story- *M…
Read at the sourcenishfx
Once in a while, I find myself craving for good drama with at least a decent story depth and a somewhat intense atmosphere. Apart from the latter, Little Busters ~Refrain~ was not able to deliver.
There's one thing in particular that is always inherent to KEY anime: borderline drama. In some cases (Clannad, Kanon), this drama plays out well because it feels genuine. In other cases (Angel Beats!, LB ~Refrain~), it is forced upon the viewer with all one's might and consequently feels artificial. While I must admit that Refrain does have its strengths, especially in terms of plot twists and tension, the characters totally fail along the way, which is the primary reason the drama that is being told here sadly mutates into something melodramatic.
When there is one thing about the story that I…
Read at the sourcekamikenshi
This Review For Little Busters and Little Buster! Refrain
When I look at this like the early story of friendship which is housed in a comfortable school.
every character undergoes each for its development in the first season of the series little busters this.
the most I like this anime was the development of characters ending with ending the coolest!!
until I can not say much ... sorry for bad english :p
Overall 10/10
Read at the sourceIrohaUtsugi
Little Busters! ~Refrain~, the sequel of Little Busters!. This anime was adapted from Little Busters! VN Refrain route. Maybe some of you will compare this anime with Clannad. In my opinion, we can't compare these two anime because they have different genre and different main story. It will be great if we compare this anime with Angel Beats! because both of them have a same genre. That's my preface of reviewing this anime :)
Okay, i'll start my review of this anime.
Story:
The story was based from LB! VN. The anime producer of LB! Refrain, J.C. Staff, is doing good enough to represent the story. The first story is about Kurugaya's route. It has a little different story from the VN because J.C. Staff made Kurugaya's route become the intermediary to Rin's route. It is nice because when you…
Read at the sourceMicsupreeme
I don't usually review sequel series' for shows, but Little Busters will be an exception.
After being completely blown away by the original series (10/10) mostly due to the amazing character development - despite its predictability, i loved it.
Then i completed Refrain.
Completely different ball park
It was EVERYTHING and more that i wanted it to be.
The best phrase to describe this masterful sequel would be "Edge of my seat", and it does this seamlessly, not through cheap action scenes. Instead, throughout these 13 episodes, doors are constantly being nudged, you lean forward - hoping to find out more, but it wasn't even a door in the first place. I guess what i'm trying to get at here is the utterly different frame of mind that the show induces so differently to the original, it com…
Read at the sourceRaghnaq
Drama
A lot of good series out there depict an emotion-filled story where the romance comes secondary, if at all. Strong depictions of friendship and in challenging situations can really draw a viewer into the story and start making them sympathize with the characters. It’s a bit of an all-encompassing genre, but only a handful of series really pull viewers in with their screenplay.
It took a while to build. Little Busters! started out slow, and after the first few episodes some people were condemning J.C.Staff for ruining the latest Key adaptation. many of the fans dropped it but I hold on to it. It built slow because the fast punch isn’t nearly so devastating as the freight train slamming into your soul. By the time Refrain rolled around it had built up a head of steam, and when all the…
Read at the sourcejchang
Usually I do reviews following more technical matters but in the case of Little Busters!: Refrain I feel it's more important to talk about it's impact and it makes you feel. All in all Refrain is a great sequel that tied all the unknowns of its prequel in an outstanding way. However just like its prequel, the concept is splendid but suffers from some execution mistakes. There are behaviors you can't understand and things that seem to short due to lack of depth in the arcs. However all of this is forgivable if you consider the way it strikes your senses. With its more serious vibe, Refrain is a powerful tearjerker.
Now let me tell you the feelings this series provoked on me.
To me little busters is about friendship something that we seriously lack in Anime. Friendship is always a side to…
Read at the sourceVeronin
It is rare to find a sequel as emotionally powerful as Little Busters: Refrain. Where the first season blundered with its melodrama, Refrain instead provides a much more thoughtful and meaningful story. If you have developed any sort of attachment to the characters in Little Busters, you will undoubtedly shed at least a few tears by the end of Refrain. It is the second best Key anime to date.
As somebody who regards the Little Busters visual novel as one of the most emotional stories they have ever experienced, I was sceptical hearing about an anime adaptation of Refrain. Did it turn out to be some dreadful abomination in the end? I don't believe so, but the visual novel is still undeniably the superior experience. Large sections of story (including half of Rin's route) are skimmed over…
Read at the sourcetukky12
Little Busters Refrain is (loosely) based of the key visual novels who have notably produced some great shows such as Clannad, Kanon and Air. Little Busters Refrain is no different. For a LB refrain is the sequel to Little Busters and in my opinion (and widely regarded to be) much much better than the first season, not that LB was bad in any way. This 2nd season is 13 episodes long.
I should mention at this point that this again would fall under the category of high-school life (almost all of the action occurs here), fantasy and slice of life perhaps. As we have come to expect from key, LB Refrain is just as emotionally hard hitting in its own way but I will leave you to decide that for yourselves.
Now for the actual show itself. It picks off basically where LB left off and continues to…
Read at the sourceStark700
There is a "secret of this world"….
If there is anything, it’s no secret that Little Busters Refrain is a sequel of the first season based off the visual novel of the same name. Also no secret is the fact that the visual novel has gained tremendous success as one of Key’s works. Key is known to produce a variety of their works with supernatural elements including Kanon, Clannad, and Rewrite. The Little Busters franchise tells the story of a boy named Riki Naoe who is a member of the team known as Little Busters. Along with three other boys and a girl named Rin, they are led by Kyousuke to play baseball at their school. But little do they know there’s much more than meets the eye...
If the first season of Little Busters was the prototype, Refrain would be the final product. This means tha…
Read at the sourceChargedCoin
Little Busters! ~Refrain~ Full Review
This fall season, I get the joy and honour of reviewing Little Busters Refrain on Anime Corner. Honestly, I didn't expect it to be this good. It surpassed my low expectations garnered from the mediocre first season, to one of my favourite series of all time. However, please note that I have not played the visual novel, so this review will be solely based on the anime only. Anyway, let’s get on with the review.
Story (9/10):
“I totally didn’t expect that to happen.”
If you have watched the first season of Little Busters, you must have found it rather boring and mediocre. Everything was kinda predictable, and as such when they hit you with the feels, somehow the tears just don’t flow. As such, Refrain is the reward for managing to watch all 25 episod…
Read at the sourcethelotusf1fan
Let's get one thing out in the open, I played the VN. Little Busters has always been close to my heart with the story itself one of my favorites around. But enough of that, let's get the review under way! Oh, and this review will contain comparisons between this and the first series and occasionally, reference to the VN.
First things first, this series is a massive improvement in every aspect compared to the first series, be it art style, script, or timing of music. If I were to choose one stand out improvement however, it would have to be the animation. I found the previous series almost unbearable at some points but this series, well was top class compared to what we have already witnessed within the Little Busters universe. This series blitzes the first series. One thing I must add is…
Read at the sourceCosmic06Star
Now that I watched the last episode, I can finally write a review for this anime, I can go on and on about this and list 675 reasons why you should watch it, but I am just going to keep it simple so that people who aren't sure about it, can at least consider it.
Little Busters!: Refrain is a continuation for the first season, where in that they just focused on introducing the characters best way possible. But Refrain is where things start to get really interesting, the main story will start to unfold, and many plot twists and shocking moments will occur that will pull you in.
Story: 10/10
Nothing shocked me as much as when the true story of little busters! started to unfold. The story just hits you on the head without you even knowing, you start noticing things that you didn't notice bef…
Read at the sourceAsfaria
As soon as I saw the first season of Little Busters! end announcing a second season, I couldn't help but think that it would be similar to Clannad After Story (I'm assuming almost everyone planning on watching Little Busters has already seen Clannad in this review but I won't spoil anything from it). Having not played the visual novel and only knowing how other Key anime have done so far, I knew Refrain would bring tons of drama that the first season only a small amount of. Since Little Busters! is basically the friendship version of the family-focused Clannad, it's easy to imagine that Refrain would follow in it's footsteps of being much better (to me) than it's prequel. And Refrain did just that.
Refrain is a bit of an odd sequel as far as sequels go. For most shows, it is a requirement…
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