What is the appeal of this anime that depicts the emotions and growth of a 12-year-old?

"12 Years Old": A moving OVA depicting the brilliance and conflicts of youth

■Overview of the work

"12 Years Old" is an OVA based on the manga of the same name by Maita Naho. It was released by Shogakukan Ciao Ciao TV on April 3, 2014, and consists of 12 episodes. Each episode is a short 15 minutes long, depicting the growth of the main characters and the brilliance of youth. Animation is by SynergySP, directed by Oozora Masaki, and produced by Shogakukan Shueisha Productions. Copyright belongs to Maita Naho and Shogakukan.

■ Story

"12 Years Old" is a work that focuses on the growth and romance of 12-year-old girls. The main character, Ayase Hana, has a crush on her classmate Takao Yuto, but she also grows through her friendships and relationships with her family. The story realistically depicts the various problems and conflicts the girls face, evoking empathy in the viewer. In particular, it carefully depicts emotions unique to adolescence, such as the joys and pains of love, the depth of friendship, and the bonds with family.

■ Characters

The characters in "12 Years Old" are all unique and charming. Below are the main characters.

Ayase Hana (CV: Ai Kakuma)

The main character is a 12-year-old girl. She has a crush on her classmate, Takao Yuto, but is unable to be honest about her feelings and is troubled by them. Her growth and love life are at the center of the story.

Yuto Takao (CV: Souma Saito)

A boy who is Hanabi's classmate and whom she has a crush on. He has a kind personality and is trusted by those around him. Through his relationship with Hanabi, he himself grows.

Hamana Kokoa (CV: Hara Sayuri)

Hanabi's best friend. She has a bright and cheerful personality and is there to support Hanabi when she is troubled by her problems. She herself is also depicted as having trouble with love, which evokes sympathy from viewers.

Marin Ogura (CV: Masayuki Makiguchi)

Hanabi's friend. She has a cool personality and sometimes expresses harsh opinions, but she values ​​friendship. The story also depicts the struggles of adolescence from her perspective.

Eiko (CV: Takumi Watanabe)

A classmate of Hanabi's who supports her love life. With his humorous personality, he provides laughs to the story.

■ Production staff

Many talented staff members were involved in the production of "12 Years Old." The main staff members are listed below.

Original author: Naho Maita

She is the original author of "12 Years Old." The appeal of her work lies in the realistic emotions and growth of the girls she depicts.

Director: Masaki Ohzora

He directed "12 Years Old" and visually expressed the world of the story. His direction conveys the emotions of the characters more deeply.

Character design and animation director: Shoko Ogiwara

She is in charge of character design and illustration. The characters she draws are sublimated into animation while retaining the charm of the original work.

Art Director: Kyoko Haruna (Big Studio)

She is in charge of background art. The backgrounds she draws play an important role in enhancing the atmosphere of the story.

Color design: Kayoko Ohno

She is in charge of color design. Her use of color makes the emotions of the characters and the atmosphere of the scenes more vivid.

Director of photography: Hiroki Tsubouchi

He is in charge of cinematography, and the camerawork and texture of the images enhance the realism of the story.

Edited by: Hiromi Komine

She is in charge of editing. Her editing keeps the story moving at a good pace, so viewers can enjoy it without getting bored.

Sound Director: Takumi Ito

I am in charge of the sound. The character voices, sound effects, and music add depth to the world of the story.

Sound effects: Kaori Yamada (Sound Ring)

She is in charge of sound effects. Her sound effects add to the realism of the scenes.

Selection: Kaori Ogoshi

She is in charge of selecting the music, and her choice of music really brings out the emotions of the story.

Sound production: HALF H・P ​​STUDIO

They are in charge of sound production. Their skills ensure that the quality of the sound is maintained.

Animation Production: SynergySP

They are in charge of animation production. Their skills allow the worldview of the original work to be recreated in animation.

Produced by: Shogakukan Shueisha Productions

They were in charge of production. Thanks to their efforts, the work was completed.

Produced by: Shogakukan

They were in charge of the production and writing of the work. Their support helped get the work out into the world.

■ Episode

"12 Years Old" consists of 12 episodes. Below are the subtitles of each episode.

• Episode 1: ~Love, hate, love~ (Ciao May 2014 issue)
• Episode 2: ~Not an adult, not a child~ (August 2014 issue of Ciao)
• Episode 3: ~Kokuhaku (Ciao October 2014 issue)
• Episode 4: ~Kokuhaku~age2 (November 2014 issue of Ciao)
• Episode 5: ~Kokuhaku~age3 (Ciao December 2014 issue)
• Episode 6: ~Kizuna~ (January 2015 Ciao issue)
• Episode 7: ~Dream~ (February 2015 Ciao issue)
• Episode 8: ~Kizuna~age2 (Ciao March 2015 issue)
• Episode 9: ~Dream~age2 (April 2015 Ciao issue)
• Episode 10: ~Kizuna~ age3 (Ciao May 2015 issue)
• Episode 11: ~Dream~ age3 (Ciao June 2015 issue)
• Episode 12: ~ Love, hate, love ~ age2 (Ciao July 2015 issue)

■ Theme songs and music

The theme song for "12 Years Old" is "Koi no 12-sai" (Love at 12 Years Old), written and composed by Ogoe Kaori, arranged by CANDYBOY, and sung by Utataneko Opera Company. The song features a melody and lyrics that symbolize the brilliance and conflicts of the protagonists' youth.

■ Evaluation and impressions

"12 Years Old" has been highly praised for its realistic portrayal of the growth and romance of 12-year-old girls. In particular, the show carefully depicts the emotions unique to adolescence, such as the love lives, friendships, and family ties depicted around the main character Hana, and resonates with viewers. In addition, the story is compactly wrapped up in a short 15-minute episode, so viewers can enjoy it without getting bored.

The characters' personalities are also appealing, especially the relationship between Hana and Yuto, and the friendships with Kokoa and Marin, which are portrayed realistically. Eiko's humorous character also adds laughs to the story, entertaining the viewers.

The production staff's skills have also been highly praised, with high quality maintained in all aspects, including character design, background art, color design, photography, editing, and sound. In particular, director Masaki Ohzora's direction conveys the characters' emotions more deeply. The theme song, "Koi no Juunisai," also plays an important role in livening up the worldview of the story.

■Reasons for recommendation

"12 Years Old" is a work that can be recommended to many viewers as it realistically depicts the growth and romance of adolescent girls. It is especially recommended for viewers who want to empathize with the real emotions and conflicts of 12-year-old girls and for viewers who like works that depict adolescent romance and friendship. It is also recommended for viewers who want to enjoy a compact story wrapped up in a short time.

It is also recommended for viewers who want to enjoy a work that maintains quality in all aspects, such as character design, background art, color design, photography, editing, sound, etc. In particular, you will enjoy the direction of director Masaki Ohzora and the theme song "Koi no Juunoshi Sai."

■ Related works

The original work for "12-sai" is a manga of the same name by Naho Maita. The original manga has also been highly praised for its realistic portrayal of the growth and romance of 12-year-old girls. In addition, by reading the original manga, you can learn about episodes and character backgrounds that are not depicted in the anime version.

In addition, like "12-sai," other recommended works depicting the growth and romance of adolescent girls include "Kimi ni Todoke" and "Orange." These works are also highly acclaimed for their realistic depiction of emotions and conflicts.

■ Summary

"12 Years Old" is a moving OVA that realistically depicts the growth and romance of 12-year-old girls. The emotions unique to adolescence, such as love, friendship, and family ties, are carefully depicted, centering on the main character Hanabi, and viewers will empathize with the show. In addition, the story is compactly summarized in the short 15-minute episodes, so viewers can enjoy it without getting bored. The quality is maintained in all aspects, including character design, background art, color design, photography, editing, and sound, and you will especially enjoy the direction of director Masamoto Ohzora and the theme song "Love at 12 Years Old." This is a work that we highly recommend to viewers who like works that depict the growth and romance of adolescent girls, and those who want to enjoy a story that is compactly summarized in a short time.