NOTE: Contains spoilers First off my condolences to the production team of the animeunfortunately its abundantly clear their work was anything but labor of love. That said judging Whisper Me a Love Song on its own merits it sadly falls short on practically all counts: many episodes are rife with incongruent plotlines impulsive actions and unrealistically melodramatic realizations among other faults. I would be remiss if I didnt mention the lackluster production however Im primarily here to discuss the narrative given that this anime has neither endearing enough characters nor compelling storylines to balance out its technical deficiencies. My first fault and perhaps the most central one lies with the execution of Himari and Yoris relationship. Truthfully I often fail to see the value in the love at first sight trope as it entails greater effort on the viewers part to piece together and grow invested in a relationship. In other words if an anime lacks the necessary introspection and exposition to justify a characters love it often falls on the audience to make their own deductions. Thats not to say theres no inherent value in the tropeBloom Into You for example executes this concept in a palatable and authentic mannerbut it risks confusing and alienating the viewer if no subsequent justification is provided. Such is the case with Himaris onesided crush on Yori: in the fourth minute of the first episode we see Himari become enamored with Yoris singing followed by an apparent love confession in the eight minute. Keep in mind at this point we know virtually nothing regarding their interests personality and ambitions yet were suddenly thrust into their unknown world of romance. Consequently I was quite apathetic to Yoris subsequent dilemma after all if you saw two strangers on the streetthe label Id apply to Himari and Yori at this pointsuddenly fall in love how much would you care? Therein lies my main issue with Himari and to a lesser extent Yori: these characters are defined almost entirely by their romance with each other rather than their distinct traits and aspirations. Throughout the first two thirds of the show I feel its no exaggeration to claim that 95 of Himaris dialogue and actions are related tangentially or directly to her affection for Yori. Himari engages in conversation with Miki? She fawns over Yori and her musical prowess. Himari seeks out an afterschool activity? She ultimately settles on the cooking club to woo Yori with baked treats. Himari has free time during school? She seeks out Yoris companionship and ponders whether shell enjoy the privilege to hear her sing yet again. Thats all to say prior to the introduction of Shiho Id be hard pressed to tell you any distinct character interests or traits Himari has: sheenjoys fashion I guess? Of course a romances principal aim is to flesh out a relationship but when it suffocates the plotline to the point that its characters lack much independent thought it quickly becomes unrealistic and offputting for the viewer. As a result Himaris characterization is equivalent to a hollow caricature of a romantic easily interchangeable with another generic lovestruck protagonist without so much as an impact on the plot. By the same token the nature of their romance is equivalent to a paintbynumbers scheme: saccharine and satisfying enough on the outside but ultimately formulaic with little room for interpretation. For instance Yoris rationale for falling in love with Himari essentially boils down to shes cute with minimal elaboration provided while meaningful interactions where they discuss their interests or more frankly why they became enamored with each other are few in number. Likewise Himari discusses little about Yoris personality traits preferring to focus almost solely on her musical talent which culminates in her almost mindnumbingly predictable confession following Yoris second performance. The end result is a relationship that relies almost entirely on telling rather than showing making for a paperthin romance that hinges on declarative statements in a feeble attempt to convince the viewer of their chemistry. In the same vein much of the supporting cast lacks any semblance of personality or distinction. Mikis role is largely confined to being Akis sister with no traits of note Maris only distinctive trait is that she weirdly refers to others using their first and last name Hajimes only purpose is to round out Laureley andI cant even recall the name of the other member of SSGIRLS. Similarly Momoka Aki and Shiho while given slightly more space to develop ultimately fall flat as characters and romantic interests. Little explanation is provided regarding Akis crush on Yori beyond the fact that it exists causing her sudden antagonization of Himari to feel unsettlingly out of place yet this drama is largely relegated to one episodeand she somehow comes to terms with Himari and Yoris relationship within the span of a few minutes..? On the other hand while Momokas relationship with Kyou tries to pull at the heartstrings its three minute montage lacks the attention and development needed for a greater effect. As for our resident antagonist Shiho her backstory attempts to invite sympathy from the viewer but ultimately fails at portraying her as anything besides petty and egotistical. While the intended narrative seems to be childhood prodigy explores new musical endeavors as she grapples with past relationships and her insecurities the five minute montage reads closer to entitled whiny teenager copes with main character syndrome by embarking on a petty revenge arc. Given the complexity of such a narrative as demonstrated by shows like Sound Euphonium and Your Lie in Aprilwhich develop similar stories over multiple arcsits only natural that this shows rendition lacks the nuance and clarity of dialogue needed to sell Shihos character. Chockfull of generic selfcentered lines like the more I talk to you the worse I feel and she positively adored me and I thought she was pretty all right Shihos backstory amounts to little more than surface level victim blaming and projection causing Himaris sudden fixation on and sympathy for Shiho to feel rather contrived. Of course compelling characters dont necessarily need to exhibit the highest moral fiberyet Shihos utter lack of self awareness and empathy shown when she unapologetically trashes Yori to Himaris face seriously who does that? does little to endear me to her. Unfortunately the final two episodes which premiered six months later by some miracle do little to change the tide. Shallow monologues and confounding choices galore round out the festival arc: apart from the bizarre creative choice to entirely sideline Himari and Yoris relationship Aki and Himari nonsensically blame themselves for Shihos inner turmoilculminating in Aki seemingly professing her love for Shihoor not? As a viewer I was honestly left with more questions than answershow did we go from enemies to lovers within the span of five minutes? What in the world compelled Aki to give Shiho a second chance? Melodrama can only take a plotline so far and by a certain point I feel that introspection and dialogue are needed to convincingly sell a story. So while I can respect the narrative intent Akis 90second monologuean exercise in telling rather than showing her feelings for Shihoand Shihos explicit avoidance of Aki ultimately culminated in a resolution that felt unearned if not entirely manufactured ringing hollow on all fronts. All in all Whisper Me a Love Song while ambitious in its attempt to capture the viewers attention ultimately lacks the nuance and gravitas needed to elevate its plot beyond an elementary level romantic drama amounting to a confounding watch experience best left forgotten.