Reaching for Greatness, Grasping at Straws – A Review of "Sing Yesterday for Me"
I wanted to love Sing Yesterday for Me , I really did. The premise was solid – a seinen show focused on the post-graduate ennui as reality crashes into and destroys the idealistic hopes of youth. The main character, Rikuo Uozumi, languishes in his angst after graduating from university, unable to bear the tedium and frustration of job hunting and thus preferring to simply work a dead-end job at a convenience store. Watching as his friends get jobs, get married, and get on with their lives while he wallows in his self-pity, Uozumi is similar to other characters like Hyouka ’s Oreki or Oregairu ’s Hachiman in their apathy. Because of this, I had hopes of an interesting social drama developing along with the main theme of moving from the past. Instead, what I found was a terrible soap opera that plays fast and loose with character development, wrapping up with a slipshod and unsatisfying ending. ...