Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora

Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora: 6 episodes at 22 minutes apiece
Genre: Romance

Art and Animation: 3.5
Story and Plot: 4
Characters: 4
Sound Design: 3.5

Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora(Looking Up at the Half Moon), is about a guy named Yuichi who is hospital ridden after coming down with hepatitis. He's always trying to sneak out of the hospital and is often caught by his nurse who commences to kick his ass. He meets a girl named Rika at the hospital with a terminal illness. She is quite selfish and bosses Yuichi around. Yuichi does all she asks because he understands that she doesn't have long left to live. They become friends and Yuichi realizes he is in love with her. And so it goes...

Animation is not very good. It barely passes above average. Your not going to be watching this type of anime for the animation though. The only good thing about it is that it stays consistent throughout the six episodes.

I enjoyed the story. It was original with a unique setting and characters who fit in well. Since Rika's illness is terminal a lot of emotion is shown in the characters. It's not all sad though as there are few good scenes to get some laughs out. None of the characters are wasted. Secondary characters provide vital plot enhancement and add to the wholeness of the show.

Sound effects are standard. Not much more you can expect from an anime like this. The music is fitting. Opening and ending themes set a good mood and provide nice atmosphere. Background music brings out the emotions of characters and adds to the overall enjoyment.

This was a good departure from those standard romance anime. At only six episodes the story moves along at a fast pace. Thankfully, the characters are interesting enough to keep you watching and wondering what will happen in the end. Not a must watch, but if you want to see a show that does things a bit differently then take a watch.