This is a spoilerfree review from the perspective of a fan of the visual novel who read EX routes in the VN before watching Thank god. The Ex routes in Little Busters are three additional routes unlocked after completing Refrain. In my opinion they feature some of the best stories in Little Busters but unfortunately this anime adaptation of 2 of them is awful. Saya: Sayas route in the VN is one of my favourite works from Maeda despite its quirks. However this route is already from the getgo very difficult to adapt arc because of how its structured into the VN. But that still doesnt forgive the poor low quality adaptation that were offered. The anime adaptation for this route has major pacing issues because of its time constraints. While yes it does follow the story it rushes through it very fast not giving time to develop Riki and Sayas feelings resulting in their relationship feeling too comical and overall flat. While a lot of people agree Sayas ending in the VN is one of the highlights of reading it the anime feels like a rushed mess that makes very little sense. Giving so little time to try to figure out whats going on for yourself in the plot to become familiar and attached to the characters and this results in a very weird story that feels not thoroughly thought out. Its not the worst adaptation in the world but its bad enough that I would rather you not watch it than only watch it over reading the VN. I do want to mention some positives though it does reference some CGs use the same soundtrack including the infamous ED. I also much prefer Yui Hories voice for Riki. Sasami: Thankfully ironically albeit sandwiched between 2 awful adaptations Sasamis arc is probably the best adapted route in the whole series including S1 and Refrain. In the VN I found that this route went on a bit too long for what it was but the anime gives the right amount of time for everything without leaving anything out. In fact I even think it improved upon it by removing the weird subplot of Sasami suddenly loving Riki despite loving Kengo the entire rest of the series. The adaptation faithfully uses all the CGs and plays the story out faithfully and it feels just as good as reading the VN. I can even recommend watching it over playing the route as its significantly shorter saving people time. Unlike every other arc/route in Little Busters this is the only part I can confidently say that you wouldnt be missing out on anything aside from the more charming art style I suppose. Kanata: Unfortunately the good ends there. Kanatas route in the VN is my personal favourite route aside from Refrain of course and its treatment in the anime is quite frankly an abomination. Kanatas route is probably the deepest darkesttoned story in the game and has way too much content to cover within the time the anime offers which ends up coming across as insensitive and unwatchable to VN readers. The anime does cover all the key scenes but its like a highlight reel leaving out all the substance that makes this route so good and makes those scenes so impactful. Leaving an awful aftertaste to end the series on unlike the VN which was the complete opposite. To Finish: I do like the new opening and ending sequences using songs from the VN. The things this adaptation does carry over are good and fairly faithful. Like I said in my previous reviews the art style loses the charm of the VN and the animation isnt anything to celebrate. I do think production quality is a bit better than Refrain less weird editing and using more of the source materials CGs to go off was a welcome change. But the stories arent given enough time at all it ends up feeling insulting to fans of the VN and makes Little Busters look a lot worse than it actually is. Overall I recommend watching Sasamis arc as its fun to see it faithfully animated but for Saya and Kanatas Id rather you not watch them at all than choose to watch it over the VN My Anime vs VN Ratings: Saya route anime: 3.5/10 VN: 9/10 Sasami route anime: 7.5/10 VN: 7.5/10 Kanata route anime: 2/10 VN: 8.5/10 If you would like to see my short review of the VN check out my backloggd or vndb