Audience reviews
14 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
Hvar
There's something wonderfully unhurried about «Awajima Hyakkei», one that, much like Shimura's own «Aoi Hana» made it difficult to binge but nevertheless all the more rewarding to sit with. Hyakkei, a mode of presenting interconnected glimpses of a place and its people, is so perfectly apt for Shimura's storytelling, which accumulates meaning through changing perspectives and fragments of lives, gradually giving way to small revelations. Its ever-gorgeous direction complements the intimate script beautifully, imbuing its world of theatre and revue, as well as the cast's yearning to be seen, with a palpable tenderness.
What I particularly loved was the way the series treats femininity not simply as a gender role, but as a way of engaging with the world: finding joy in beauty for its own sa…
Read at the sourceShyNinjaGirl
Has potential, but in the end it feels like a great big mess of spaghetti all swirled together and knotted in a great big ball. Characters and places and storylines and interactions swirl in and out and over and in and back again without much in the way of introductions. Several characters may just show up once and then never again, or several episodes in the future.
I can kind of appreciate it taking place at a high school, but at the same time... I still don't remember what the overall plot was other than a bunch of high school girls all being rivals at a music and drama department and everybody competing to be the best at whatever.
When you can't even remember what the plot is beyond all that, well... that's trouble. I wish there was a little yuri in there too, but... alas. Maybe when…
Read at the sourceCaptainKenshiro
There’s this Discord server I’m in where I said that Akane-banashi was a show without much to tell but a lot to write about. Afterwards I proceeded to write 7 word pages about it in the course of three days. Awajima Hyakkei is kinda the opposite, on paper I should have lots of things to talk about it but it doesn’t leave me much to write about. So hopefully this should be one of the short ones. But why does this review even exist then? Well because I already reviewed both previous adaptations of its author so I might as well cover this one too.
This anime wasn’t even under my radar initially and judging from its quantity of viewers it is safe to assume that that was the case for the vast majority of people, which is kinda funny considering how it could appeal to certain niches. It’s the s…
Read at the sourcemonokerus
Never have I ever felt this confused when first starting a show. Right from the start, the story introduces many different protagonists, each with their own story to tell and their own timeline to show. The time jumps can come abruptly, sometimes out of nowhere. But somehow, I continued watching. Somehow, there was something in this story that stirred my interest. A melancholic atmosphere combined with breathtaking artwork that appears so sparsely in this medium nowadays.
This is a show all about the characters, their individual stories, but also how it is all connected. It is about the realness of life and the struggles that often come with living. About hope, jealousy, and friendship. The people in the story are portrayed very realistically, and all of this makes the show feel fresh and…
Read at the sourceKino55
There are some things to like here. The art style is nice, enough though it becomes an issue with differentiating characters later. The direction is pretty nice, but nothing too crazy or bizarre. I did like how it would sometimes switch to the cutesy dot eyes and go back the next shot. Most scenes are in hallways or dorm rooms. It doesn't focus on their training or schooling at all. Are they all there for the same thing? Do some of them focus more on dancing ,playing piano, play production, or singing, instead of just "acting"? I don't know, but the show isn't so much about the characters in that way. Everyone is gunning for main billing, there are no supporting actors here.
This is one of more confusing shows I've ever seen in a way. Not because you aren't sure what's happening on screen…
Read at the sourceSoulwarfare
I am absolutely shocked at the low rating and low popularity of this series.
This is easily up there with Journal with Witch on the best anime of 2026!
It explores multiple characters, generations of girls who enter this acting school called Awajima!
Each episodes shows people with different struggles,admiration,competition, jealousy, those who made it and those who didn't.
There are definitely a lot of characters and because each story jumps between different time periods, it can be a little disorientating. This is definitely a show where you really need to pay attention. Still, each character is incredibly layered and the way many of the stories connected to each other in small little ways is a very neat touch.
However, all the stories comes down to one thing, whether Awajima is a place…
Read at the sourceRuril
I'll admit that it's a difficult anime to watch. It's very slow and confusing in the beginning (and also in the end, that's the worst thing about it), but it's not a TikTok anime as you would say. You must watch it carefully, digest every dialogue and think about it.
It's an anime to think about things. You don't need to like theater or performance, that is just an excuse to develop the story. The art style fits excellent with it, and the opening is just beautiful.
Awajima is about many topics, and though it's difficult you can get to the point of loving it.
Read at the sourceperseii
A Hundred Scenes of Awajima, as the title suggests, is a collection of snapshots. It's about the many different people whose lives are touched by the titular performing arts school and theater troupe - students and teachers, stars and fans, friends and family. Some of their stories are heartwarming, others heartbreaking, and many bittersweet. And they all come together to paint a scattered but beautiful picture.
It should be noted first that the show never directly depicts the subject matter. You will not be getting song and dance numbers here. The show doesn't really get into much detail about the craft either, almost as if it's holding back on purpose. What you do get is the human experiences surrounding it.
The show focuses on the regular people struggling with relatable life problem…
Read at the sourceHydraKat
A Hundred Scenes of Awajima is a drama anime, and I’ve always loved this genre especially stories centered around theater and the Takarazuka Revue.
Setting aside the obvious themes of toxic environments that often exist in these kinds of industries, every character is dealing with their own personal struggles. I really like the anime adaptation. Even though it leaves out many of the characters' thoughts from the manga, it still does an excellent job of expressing what they're feeling.
If you ever feel like the story lacks context, I think the anime expects you to look deeper. It asks you to interpret what the characters are feeling and put yourself in their shoes. It’s true that many things are left unexplained, but I believe that’s an intentional part of its storytelling.
I also enjoyed t…
Read at the sourceChika1017
If you are confused by the first few episodes and can not enjoy this anime afterwards because of it, trust the process and watch it a second time.
I watched this anime weekly and it’s hard to get into. You get introduced to a bunch of characters and their different backstories relating Awajima school and it does feel overwhelming at first because the timeline also varies from one character to another. One episode you’ll be following a teacher in her younger years, the next the daughter of another important character’s friend so it’s all a bit over the place. There are main backstories and kind of a main story that becomes the whole plot of this series, but it’s easy to get distracted while watching it.
I recommend watching it once to get to know who is who and watch it a second time to g…
Read at the sourceChuy_diazz
What appears to be a story about girls singing opera ends up being a reflection on the search for identity and the pressure of talent.
Awajima is a story that doesn't focus on a single character, but rather on a message. It doesn't have a clear protagonist; each girl is the protagonist of her own life, as well as the villain in someone else's. This allows the story to be somewhat more "mundane," despite being about talented girls at an opera and theater school. The anime uses the school setting to explore something we all know perfectly well: achieving the best version of ourselves. Some will succeed, while others will fail in the attempt. Some, trying to find themselves, will end up lost, while others will find themselves in places they hadn't even seen before.
Awajima uses a complex to…
Read at the sourceAsuken
Have you ever wondered how a particular tradition in your workplace or school came to be? About the people who came before you, whose generations shaped the way you work or study there? Awajima Hyakkei explores this idea through its large ensemble of characters. However, instead of a typical story focusing on a main cast, it is a non-chronological anthology told in patches of thematically-related narratives that ultimately stitch together to form a singular cohesive lineage. One steeped in all the hope and beauty, despair and dashed dreams, regrets and expectations that come with a school as reputable as Awajima.
The anime deals with fairly heavy topics such as parental and peer expectations, bullying, and suicide among others. This can make the viewing experience emotionally draining and…
Read at the sourceP_F_V
Awajima feels like an artist’s anime, low concept, defying narrative convention, and looking very pretty while doing it. It doesn’t trip over its pretensions; it has some powerful stories to tell. I love the girl with the religious upbringing, the boy who’s a fan of the Revue, and everything involving Ibuki, her family, and the girls she bullied.
However, it’s really hard to keep track of all the different characters. There are characters that appear once and never again, characters that appear when they’re older, and all of these different time periods that are hard to distinguish due to the barely changing school uniforms. I think a re-watch could help a bit with this issue. There are still a few standalone stories that aren’t as resonant as the rest, or that feel incomplete, but they c…
Read at the sourceMarinate1016
Arguably the most underrated show of the season and it’s a shame because it’s got some of the best direction of the year so far and a really interesting story following multiple girls at a single school across multiple generations. Really enjoyed how this one was social commentary on Japanese school culture, bullying, cliques, conformity AND we got some pretty blatant yuri. Airing on a day with 8 other shows probably didn’t do it any favors, but it definitely deserved more hype if only for the artistry of it alone. The cast are all really interesting and have their own unique stories and internal conflicts that will endear them to you and most importantly, there’s a nice life lesson about sticking to your own path and not letting anyone deter you from what you want to do! Highly recommend…
Read at the source