Golden Time Collection 1 Review

4 stars for this moving and funny love story.

Golden Time is based on the Japanese light novel series Gōruden Taimu, written by Yuyuko Takemiya and illustrated by Ēji Komatsu. It was adapted as an anime by J.C. Staff Animation Studios (A Certain Magical Index, A Certain Scientific Railgun).

Tada Banri is a young law student, who’s just arrived in Tokyo to start a new life studying at Fukurai University. However, due to not knowing his way around things don’t get off to a great start as he misses his entrance ceremony.

After attempting to follow two girls who seem to know where they are going and losing them as well, he bumps into a fellow lost soul, Yanagisawa Mitsuo and the two strike up a friendship.

Things immediately take an awkward turn with the arrival of Kaga Kuoko, a stunningly beautiful girl who is besotted but angry with Mitsuo and introduces herself by hitting him with a huge bunch of roses. He will go to any lengths to avoid her but this doesn’t seem right to Tada.

They all gradually settle down and begin to make new friends and choose their clubs. They meet 2D-kun through the crazy Tea Club, Chinami and of course Linda, who is a member of the Festival Club.

All of these friends must now try to sort out their new lives and relationships in a strange city, while dealing with Tada Banri’s difficult past and help him to come to terms with it so they can move towards the future.

Golden Time is a very well written story, with lovely animation. You become attached to the characters very quickly and share a real sense of the wonder and trials they face starting out in the world and making their way at University, while navigating the mine field which is forming and holding on to relationships.

It has it’s serious moments, but there is plenty of humour and lots of genuinely heartwarming scenes. This is a real feel good anime, definitely worth adding to your collection if you enjoy a good romance.

“I’m conforming to your desires, Mitsuo. I’m attending this university, as well. My, you look so happy. We’ll be able to study together for four more years.”