Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
Opperbink
A show that is often carried by its gorgeous backgrounds. It has an interesting setup with our MC having to prove herself before a certain deadline, but the supposed pressure of the deadline is rarely felt. I think this anime(or the manga it was based on) wants to say something meaningful about developping as a young artist and many times it succeeds. My main issue with the show is that most of the time this theme gets either pushed to the background or is delivered in a somewhat sloppy way.
The two leads -Kit and Lili- are likeable enough even tho Lili's naievité/quirkyness feels a bit too much at times. The other characters are mostly generic anime-tropes, but most of them get some characterization to keep you engaged in their presence. Story-wise, there are some twists and turns, but m…
Read at the sourceMoonmilly
Still standing oblivious as to why people love this anime so much...
I kept seeing it over and over on all my socials and wanted to check and see what the hype was all about.
I really believed i was in for a treat with other people's reviews, as well as the beginning which looked very promising and showed some GORGEOUS shots and beautiful art style.
The disappointment began shortly after, just after few episodes, when i started seeing cliches and every trope possible happening one after another. There wasn't one single moment where i didn't know what would happen so i am very confused as to why is this considered a masterpiece when you can find this same storyline anywhere you look.
FL was obnoxious and irritable in every way possible. I am really tired of clumsy and clueless FL that i…
Read at the sourceTrospher
Prism Rondo is an anime that I really want to love, but unfortunately the story is a narrative disaster with the amount of cliches given and with how safe they are with the story.
For the positives, the show's overall lighthearted tone are displayed incredibly well, the chemistry of the friend group felt natural and never once their chumminess felt forced during the group outings, the sceneries of the lands of England are simply stunning, the characters of the show most of the time are very fun, and a lot of the artistic choices in the anime make for great entertainment. It's clear the show was made with a lot of heart and soul put into it, the animation never lacks and the comedy displayed is also written well here. The OST while felt overused by Episode 11+ is still pretty good.
Howeve…
Read at the sourceelumizu
Some stories treat romance as fireworks. Bright, loud, and immediate. Love Through a Prism chooses a different path. It treats love more like light passing through glass. At first it appears quiet and almost invisible, but slowly it refracts into colors you didn’t realize were there. Set in early-20th-century London, the story follows Lili Ichijouin, a determined young Japanese woman who travels overseas to study painting at a prestigious art academy. Her journey is not simply about learning technique, but about proving that her dream deserves to exist. The pressure surrounding her is immediate: her family gives her only six months to become the academy’s top student. If she fails, her artistic aspirations will be forced to end before they can truly begin. London greets her with both oppor…
Read at the sourceTrMin228
The first half were actually quite great. However, the second half introduces drama that, while I understand it’s meant to force Kit to grow as a character, doesn’t really fit the tone of the story. It feels somewhat forced. Even though the series is set in Europe before WWI, which makes the situation historically reasonable, it still feels tonally out of place for this kind of narrative.
The story might have handled the later political drama better if it had hinted more strongly at these tensions earlier in the series, such as labor unrest, political conflicts, or the instability of the European empires at the time. Without enough buildup, the sudden shift toward large-scale historical conflict makes the latter half feel somewhat abrupt.
Kit and Lili’s relationship is developed througho…
Read at the sourceBrownNorwegian
This is my Pride and Prejudice.
Love Through A Prism is one of those anime that sneaks up on you. You think you’re getting a cute, visually aesthetic romance with a quirky color motif and soft soundtrack vibes… and then suddenly you’re staring at your ceiling at 2 a.m. re-evaluating your entire emotional bandwidth.
The concept alone is gorgeous. Love isn’t just a feeling here, it’s refracted, distorted, intensified. Every relationship feels like light hitting glass at a different angle. Some bonds glow warm and steady. Others scatter into sharp, blinding fragments. The metaphor commits. Fully. No half-hearted symbolism thrown in for Tumblr edits.
Visually? Stunning. The use of color grading to reflect emotional shifts is borderline disrespectful to other anime trying their best. Scenes…
Read at the sourcemanafisk_a
Love Through a Prism is truly an amazing way to start 2026.
Set in early 20th-century London, the series blends romance and drama with a truly intriguing cross-cultural premise: a young Japanese woman pursuing her dream of becoming a painter despite being the daughter of a kimono shop owner and the weight of expectations on her shoulders, eventually enrolling in a prestigious art academy, where she meets a genius painter who turns out to be from the aristocracy. What initially begins as a rivalry slowly turns into something warmer, more complicated, and more emotionally honest.
In terms of the story, the plot is solid and easy to follow. The character lineup is interesting, and the dynamics between the characters feel alive, with friendship, tension, growth, jealousy, and tenderness all…
Read at the sourceSupersonic_Pain
For a story from someone with such a high pedigree, I find myself a little... whelmed.
I finished the anime earlier today and the only aftertaste I have is slight disappointment.
The final episode in particular just set off like 3 separate bombs that disappointed me (the fact that FIVE characters all got their long hair cut is ridiculous, I've grown to hate that trope) but even prior to that, I can't think of much to say about this show.
If you are in the mood for a decent shoujo romance, this might be up your alley. I liked Lili and Kit's dynamic, found it to have a few laughs, enjoyed the side cast, but the problem is it just kinda spills a lot of things on your lap clumsily along the way.
I thought they'd address the natural challenges that come with being a Japanese woman in early-…
Read at the sourceshoukozzz0
Love Through a Prism has undoubtedly become one of my favorite anime. From the very first minute, its beautiful cinematography and fluid animation draw you in, but what truly makes it special is the meaning behind the story.
The series explores dreams, creative insecurity, and the fear of not being good enough in a very honest way. The friendship between Cath and Lil is wonderfully developed and feels genuine, supportive, and essential to their growth. The characters are not perfect, but their flaws and evolution make them deeply relatable.
This anime was an emotional journey from start to finish. It even inspired me to start drawing again after a long time of self-doubt, which says a lot about its impact. The message of chasing your dreams and not giving up on what you love is powerful an…
Read at the sourceSamuraiMama
I'm not sure that this review needs a spoiler warning, but just in case, I will put it there, while at the same time trying not to spoil any major plot points.
If I were honest with my feelings, I'm not sure an Average rating is even a low enough rating for this show. The absolute cringe of the story writing and the main characters is on a level I haven't seen in anime for awhile.
At first I was captured by the beauty of the backgrounds in this show. They felt like they were striving for Miyazaki level art, like it was so above the level of attention of what a niche anime like this, normally receives. But then I read that it was widely suspected of having had AI used not just on the deplorable opening, but also the backgrounds, and suddenly I lost all respect for what little this show…
Read at the sourceSeillly
This anime is just a masterpiece for those who love calm and sentimental story. 10/10 for sure, I LOVE IT
The animation is amazing, coupled with the colours, the rendering is just unbelievable.
The anime transports us to a London of the early 1900s. Or we follow the story of a young woman who has just arrived in a prestigious art academy, we follow her through all her journeys, whether artists or sentimental. The geopolitical context of the anime adds a grain of drama, which makes it much more captivating and interesting.
Side characters are also very interesting, everyone has their own dreams and ambitions with theirs differents vison for the art.
Read at the sourceimquotable
Prism Rondo feels like a series made by people who care deeply about visual composition and cinematic language. The mise en scène is carefully controlled, with color, lighting, and background design doing as much storytelling as the dialogue. The show treats its environments as emotional extensions of the characters, and its strongest moments come from how image, sound, and pacing work together to communicate inner conflict and artistic identity rather than relying on heavy exposition.
Where it becomes less convincing is in its narrative structure. The dramatic build is inconsistent, some arcs take too long to develop while the final emotional resolutions are compressed. Character decisions, especially in the romance, sometimes feel required by the story rather than emerging naturally fro…
Read at the sourceenadinept
I love this anime—so raw and genuine. The main characters aren’t annoying at all (which is rare), and it’s easily one of my favorites. I loved how the story focused on art, her struggles, and her emotional transformation throughout the series. The fact that he never painted any portrait except hers completely broke me. The yearning is unreal.
The art style is absolutely beautiful. I really appreciated the level of detail in the visuals it added so much depth and emotion to every scene. If you enjoy romance, I genuinely think this is worth giving a try. Every character felt meaningful and well written. Dorothy is my favorite; she’s so caring, and honestly, I wish I had friends like her.
Read at the sourceZXEAN
Love Through Prism is one of the most beautiful pieces of art Wit Studio has ever created. Sadly, it has flown under the radar due to Netflix’s poor marketing many people don’t even know this anime exists. If you ever stumble upon it, don’t skip it. Here’s why this anime is absolutely worth your time.
First, the story is genuinely unique. It’s a coming-of-age romance set in early 20th-century England, which already sets it apart from the usual high-school romance formula. The characters are mature, layered, and refreshingly not the typical 16-year-old protagonists. The emotional conflicts feel grounded, and the drama is portrayed with subtlety and grace rather than cheap exaggeration.
Visually, this anime is stunning. The art direction and animation are top-tier, even by Wit Studio stand…
Read at the sourcehbaby1093
Love through a prism is a story that surrounds itself with art students in London in the 1900s.
The actual animation is rather stunning, and every scene is just wondrously picturesque. They did a fantastic job capturing the feeling of art in this show.
However, for me, that is where my praise starts and ends sadly. I had incredibly high hopes for this, however I personally could not enjoy it to the fullest.
Firstly, the protagonist and love interest had a very underwhelming romance. They barely had any time together, had no moments that showed they had any chemistry or sexual tension, and lastly and most importantly for me - there were no moments of deeper understanding of one another.
This is vital for me to believe characters actually love each other. And regarding these two, while…
Read at the sourcetaramisuu
This is my Pride and Prejudice.
This anime whisked me off my feet with its beautiful scenery, larger-than-life characters, and sincere ode to romance. Not only did I appreciate how the characters are in their 20's, but they dealt with themes that make you ponder your own life. I never expected to have the urge to draw again after 4 years of quitting, but this anime convinced me. To make art is to face yourself.
To be honest, I haven't felt like this in a while with a romance anime. Somehow, it made me feel like I was watching Kids on the Slope, Skip to Loafer, Fruits Basket, Orange, and The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity, all rolled into one. So if you enjoy any of these, I'd love for whoever reads this to experience Love Through A Prism and take your time with the series. Hopefull…
Read at the sourceLajto-kun
Not a bad series, but a pretty average anime.
It's basically a shoujo cliché story, packed in a narrative form / structure typical for western cartoons that are aimed towards teenagers and adolescents - it's obviously intentionally produced in that way for mass appeal on western markets and for the likings of mainstream audience.
What this means in practice:
- very straightforward, melodramatic storytelling
- very clichéd character types and romance - emotions that are told / shown in a pretty plain way
- occasional average humor used for regulating pacing and tone
- it's nice too look at because of high production values
- there is not much depth beneath that surface
And this sentence describes Prism Rondo perfectly - it's nice to look at - and that's it. The overall mix was…
Read at the sourceDearMaple
The visuals of this anime are the only parts of it that I found amazing, you can feel the vibe of the scene through the colors alone, and that's so cool
But that's about the only amazing part (except catherine, I loved catherine) Considering that this is tagged as a romance, the romance was lackluster and honestly VERY frustrating. The leads do not communicate at all, hell I haven't even seen them talk to each other properly in all of 20 episodes. They like each other... why exactly? the buildup wasn't there because we don't see them interacting as much as it would take to be believable. I get that they love each other's paintings but.. that's just called admiration, not love. You can love someone's art without falling in love with them.
Even then it would have been tolerable but lili pis…
Read at the sourcebabanosii
Love through a Prism is the kind of anime that quietly grows on you. It doesn’t rely on dramatic twists or fast pacing, but instead focuses on emotions, atmosphere, and the inner worlds of its characters.
I really liked the soft, gentle colours and the European historical setting. They give the series a warm and elegant atmosphere that makes each episode feel calm and immersive.
The soundtrack is subtle yet beautiful, supporting emotional moments without ever feeling intrusive, and it fits the tone of the story very well.
Atsumi Tanezaki and Koki Uchiyama give sincere and amazing performances that bring authenticity to their characters. Their acting, especially toward the later episodes, adds emotional weight and made many scenes feel genuinely moving.
My only wish is that the anime ha…
Read at the sourceB4PEI
The English version is below the French version
Prism Rondo est un anime abordant le thème de l'art qui ne cherche pas à en faire trop, et c’est justement ce qui le rend touchant. On sent dès les premiers épisodes une vraie volonté de créer une ambiance douce et émotionnelle. Ce n’est pas une série qu’on regarde à toute vitesse, mais plutôt une œuvre qui se savoure tranquillement.
Visuellement, l’anime est agréable et cohérent avec son univers. Les couleurs et les jeux de lumière apportent une vraie identité, et même si tout n’est pas spectaculaire, l’ensemble dégage une certaine poésie. On sent que chaque détail est pensé pour refléter l’état d’esprit des personnages.
L’histoire avance à un rythme calme, parfois lent, mais jamais inutile. Ce choix permet de mieux comprendre les émotions…
Read at the source