A background for those whove read this from the front page: I like this series but theres no surprise that I was pretty skeptical going INTO this special. I was also very doubtful that this trend of Adapting things the anime had skippedhttps://anilist.co/anime/163132/HorimiyaTheMissingPieces/ and that could be quite an annoyance and a very cheesy and greedy way to nickel and dime fans of the franchise you promote. Nevertheless im still tuning into it because of Shaft the studio that created all the greats like Madoka Magica and Monogatari. Animation: 20https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1180403523368779828/1234307166534373396/image.png?ex=663041a0is=662ef020hm=de5f09adb8c8a4437ed7cff806d0b8080a1a4705e972fd0131136f70f5d0a528 As expected Shaft taking over Bibury has lead to some of the CLEANEST animation ive seen in this show along with that EVERYTHING in this special looks immaculate Absolutely my favorite part in this special as it enhances the comedy WAY more than it needs to be and then some along with a lot of the Monogatari vibes in terms of camera angles and cinematography because this special is directed by Yukihiro Miyamoto afterall. Its truly a visual treat. If only they animated the entire show..... I could only wish. Characters: 20https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1180403523368779828/1234306950515396680/image.png?ex=6630416dis=662eefedhm=87e4e547295d7243407fad1eb4ee2a1055472dac1b23136d7e944a19e5099383 Same baloney different bread all of the characters are still the same developmentwise: Futaro: Still the best character in my opinion as he actually is a very charismatic person with still tons of charm in his character and his relationship with his family and the Nakano Quintuplets are pretty well made. Nino: Actually I kinda like her character now shes still the same Tsundere as she is BUT her characterization is improved here although quite short. Miku and Ichika: Along with Nino Theyre the characters with the most screen time and theyre still the best developed Nakanos in this entire series and my 2nd favorite Yotsuba: nothing actually happens with her? It still has the problem of Miku Ichika and Nino being the core focus though as i didnt care much for Yotsuba AT ALL in this special. Story: 20https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1180403523368779828/1234306950515396680/image.png?ex=6630416dis=662eefedhm=87e4e547295d7243407fad1eb4ee2a1055472dac1b23136d7e944a19e5099383 Some improvements here and there since its sortof a prequel to the movie from what ive heard One notable complaint i have though is THE PACING. The 2 episodes felt like it goes on for 10 minutes rather than 48 and everything just happens SO FAST in this special for some reason i understand this is probably due to how little canon material they missed. Overall thoughts If you like the series itself and you want to see the final time you miss seeing them in anime form you can watch this if you want to although its not inherently necessary.