Hoshiai No Sora (Stars Align)

Before jumping into this article, here’s a quick rundown of the series.

The narrative of Hoshiai No Sora also known as Stars Align is based on a middle school kid named Katsuragi Maki. He transfers from another school and gets persuaded by an old friend from his childhood to join the school’s delicate club, the boy’s soft tennis team. He is recruited due to his athletic capacity, regardless of never playing tennis before in his life. From that point, it appears as though it gets more complex than students just playing tennis.

There is a darker side to the story which uncovers itself after some episodes, and the show begins addressing issues of numerous individuals that are hesitant to talk about. Quiet but also outspoken, Katsuragi is an ordinary student who is a just regular member of the club, yet within, he is a defenseless kid, caught by the injury of his terrible past of unfortunate events.

When it comes to the art style of this show, I think it’s fine. Not bad and not great. The drawing and the animation itself is okay, yet nothing in particular sticks out. Nonetheless, I truly appreciate each character’s structure and design. The splendid surroundings are additionally pleasant to look at through each episode. I like how simplistic the Opening Credits is, which I find intriguing and captivating. The Ending Credits is likewise interesting if that’s the right word for it. With several characters dancing in a peculiar way. It’s not a bad ending but its definitely weird.

Since we’re on the topic of Opening and Ending credits, I truly do appreciate the music of this show. The Opening and Ending credits are both excellent additions to the series, and the soundtrack is additionally pleasant to tune in to. This show’s Opening credit song is easily my favorite Opening credit song to date. It fits the theme and overall feeling of the show. I can replay it and not get bored listening to it. I have to also mention and shout out the voice acting. The voice acting is really good as well. I feel each character’s voice matches the character’s persona. 

My favorite part of the whole show is the characters. The studio that created this anime (8bit) created a wide assortment of fascinating characters, from the confident Katsuragai to the timid Taiyou. The characters all have their own journey and it is amazing. Each character in the cast has their very own struggles and hardships that it would be very hard for you not to feel connected to at least one cast member. From debating about their sexual orientation, finding their own identity, experiencing family difficulties, and being introverted, the show covers a lot of issues in a serious manner that is great to watch. A lot of the characters are relatable and a great part of the show is spent building up these characters. The measure of care and love that was put into creating these characters is evident, and as I referenced previously, the character plots are astounding and might be one of the best I have seen in a while.