There is something nice about devouring a small, cohesive, and properly finished story in a short time, especially in this era of series that either span hundreds of chapters or episodes or end up being canceled without a proper conclusion. And the beauty of REC lies exactly in that: it's a short story spanning nine 12-minute episodes and one special, one that tells about the development of a relationship between two very ordinary people.
Aside from the shortness REC captivates the viewer with how down-to-earth it is, how realistically it portrays the career development, the changes in the relationship between the two main characters, and how they deal with troubles. The premise is based on a coincidence: Mastumaru Fumihiko, a designer, was stood up by his date, while Onda Aka, an upcoming voice actress, finds him in front of a cinema and forces him to watch the movie together. Reality is as unpredictable as it can be: Onda's apartment catches fire that night and she has nowhere to live, so she spends the night with Matsumaru. This encounter should've been a simple one-night stand, but Onda ends up living with him. And they end up working together, roo: Onda voices the mascot Matsumura designed.
For a series that you can finish watching in two hours, the characters are incredibly well-fleshed out. They are likable, understandable, their motivations clear, their fears relatable. Both of the main characters are shown through the moments of failure and success and live through the consequences of their ups and downs while also developing some romance. It shows the challenges that people face while trying to find a livable work-life balance.
It's not as cliched as your regular romance series, although it’s still predictable. The mood changes from the first episode throughout the whole run. Sure, the length of the series didn't let it show much of a backstory for the characters, but what the viewers were able to witness allowed them to create a pretty cohesive picture of those characters.
So if you're looking for something short to unwind on a night where you don't really know what to do, REC may be a good choice.
Keep the characters humane.
There is something nice about devouring a small, cohesive, and properly finished story in a short time, especially in this era of series that either span hundreds of chapters or episodes or end up being canceled without a proper conclusion. And the beauty of REC lies exactly in that: it's a short story spanning nine 12-minute episodes and one special, one that tells about the development of a relationship between two very ordinary people.
Aside from the shortness REC captivates the viewer with how down-to-earth it is, how realistically it portrays the career development, the changes in the relationship between the two main characters, and how they deal with troubles. The premise is based on a coincidence: Mastumaru Fumihiko, a designer, was stood up by his date, while Onda Aka, an upcoming voice actress, finds him in front of a cinema and forces him to watch the movie together. Reality is as unpredictable as it can be: Onda's apartment catches fire that night and she has nowhere to live, so she spends the night with Matsumaru. This encounter should've been a simple one-night stand, but Onda ends up living with him. And they end up working together, roo: Onda voices the mascot Matsumura designed.
For a series that you can finish watching in two hours, the characters are incredibly well-fleshed out. They are likable, understandable, their motivations clear, their fears relatable. Both of the main characters are shown through the moments of failure and success and live through the consequences of their ups and downs while also developing some romance. It shows the challenges that people face while trying to find a livable work-life balance.
It's not as cliched as your regular romance series, although it’s still predictable. The mood changes from the first episode throughout the whole run. Sure, the length of the series didn't let it show much of a backstory for the characters, but what the viewers were able to witness allowed them to create a pretty cohesive picture of those characters.
So if you're looking for something short to unwind on a night where you don't really know what to do, REC may be a good choice.
