http://i.ur.com/4v5NxbA.png Spoilerfree review Review in brief: Koufuku Graffiti plays well to Studio Shafts strengths featuring beautiful stylization and a plot that while light is also surprisingly touching at times. It also features frequent foodbased fanservice which may be a good or bad thing depending on what your preferences are. Its definitely recommendable to someone looking for a good cute girls doing cute things show. Review in full: Koufuku Graffiti has a simple setup even for a feelgood sliceoflife anime. What makes it work is how smoothly it builds from its foundation. It mostly follows Ry Machikos middle school life which despite the fact that shes attending an art academy mainly revolves around food family and the many ways they go best together. In more or less following a slice of one characters life instead of a group of 4 or 5 Koufuku Graffiti progresses by slowly developing Rys situation rather than merely mess around with the nuances of whatever club or activity was chosen to be the focus like many other shows in this genre. Of course cooking and food in general are still explored in a plethora of ways it simply isnt all thats going on. Food is what ultimately brings everything together but its not usually the theme rather its the scenic pathway that leads to the theme of each specific episode though the weaker episodes lack this. 500http://i.ur.com/SudDs7Q.gif Even takeout pizza gets special treatment in this anime. Living alone since her grandmothers death Ry initially just cooks out of necessity and with little inspiration outside of the memory of her grandmother but comes to learn that food can be much more than sustenance. She is often accompanied by her cousin Kirin Morino whose outward passion and energy balances out Rys typically reserved demeanor and provides a solid base for just about every situation and character they interact with to bounce off of. In general the more recurrent characters of Koufuku Graffiti appear shallow on the surface unless you pay close attention as they do develop slowly lightly over the course of the show. It covers nearly 3 years worth of time in 12 episodes and while the changes are mostly quite small they are noticeable as a whole. Meanwhile the side characters are quirky enough to fill their roles well and add to the scenes theyre in rather than merely be present in them. The main story is light but plucks at the heartstrings surprisingly well. The anime takes place a while after Rys grandmothers death but a considerable portion of it focuses on Ry learning to become more independent and overcoming her remaining melancholy through food and cooking obviously. Rather than have the parents not show up in the story because who cares about the parents? Koufuku Graffiti makes a point out of Ry starting out almost completely alone in the beginning which strengthens the overall theme of food family and friends going best together. Sometimes its the main focus of an episode sometimes it hardly comes up at all. What remains constant is that most of the animes strongest moments are when Ry learns something new about the things her grandmother did for her and uses that knowledge to help herself overcome problems. Even with this going on the show rarely ventures out of sliceoflife territory and these story moments blend in very well with the more lighthearted majority of the show. Its not always seamless though sometimes Ry is still rather enthusiastic and its not made clear whether her mood has truly lightened up or if shes putting up a front to keep the other characters from worrying about her. Otherwise my only complaint in this regard is that if the anime had better time usage it may have been able to feature more of these enjoyably tender moments. Speaking of time usage 500http://i.ur.com/TtcDcBI.gif Disclaimer: Probably the mildest Koufuku Graffiti eating scene. Back when it was airing this anime was better known for its highly suggestive foodeating scenes. Viewers who dont enjoy watching food or eating could find it to be a turnoff for them. Then again if fanservice isnt your thing youll likely find it preferable to the standard bodybased variety which isnt completely absent here but is mostly done away with in favor of the foodbased fanservice. It doesnt detract too much from the rest of the show in fact sometimes its funny in context but it is consistent and takes a piece of each episode so its effectively well animated filler for those who have no particular interest or disdain for it. As mentioned before this show plays well to Studio Shafts strengths. The animation picture quality is great for the most part. Its vibrantly colored expect when it shouldnt be and the desaturated portions are given just as much care smoothly animated and the CG elements rarely stick out. The voicework sound effects and music are all well done but more importantly its all stylized in just the right way. Nothing really felt out of place and all the elements worked together towards creating a colorful and touching experience to make the whole greater than the sum of each individual part. Verdict: If Koufuku Graffiti were a food it would be angel cake not very nutritious or complex but light soft and full of good feels. If the foodbased fanservice doesnt bother you too much youre likely to enjoy it.
81 /100
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