Sakura Trick-7/10
I'm not sure if I wasn't really into this show because it wasn't great or if because my expectations were too high or just down right incorrect. I was expecting a romance anime only with Yuri but instead what I got was a Slice of Life show with added Yuri. Not that I don't like Slice of Life, quite the opposite, I love a good Slice of Life when it's done well which, unfortunately, this isn't. Right off the bat, in the first two episodes, the show did something that was massively jarring, which is what tipped me off that maybe the show isn't so great.In the first episode the main 2 Girls Haruka and Yuu get together and kiss. There is little build up to the moment as it happens in the first 10 minutes of the first episode and we don't know the characters that well at all so it has little impact. After this their relationship just kind of coasts for the rest of the show, up until the last 2 episodes when the status quo is rocked very briefly before being corrected again by the end. This made the relationship kind of boring to watch and in a show where that's half the reason you're watching, it's not great. The second thing I didn't like in the first two episodes were how fast the other characters became friends. It's established that they have just started High School and they don't really know each other very well but by episode 2 it's like everyone has been friends for months. As I said, it's really quite jarring. The characters themselves are also quite stock and don't really develop at all throughout the show. There is a secondary relationship going on between two characters but it gets so little screen time they might as well not have bothered despite the fact I thought it was more interesting than the relationship between the main characters. I also took issue with most of the premises for the episodes in the show, as most of the time it felt incredibly formulaic, as if the writers were just coming up with excuses for the main two girls to kiss. In the second half this problem is lessened but it's still there for about half the show and it's rather distracting.
While there is a lot wrong with the show, it's not all bad. The art and character designs are nice and the animation is very smooth and fluid. My only issue with the art is they feel the need to put this random polka dot overlay on the screen sometimes and it's just incredibly distracting whilst serving no purpose. The show can also be quite funny sometimes although it can be a little hit and miss in the comedy department. However, what I enjoyed the most about the show is why anyone is really watching it in the first place. The Yuri scenes. I like Yuri and if you watched this show because of another reason other than the Yuri I'd probably say you're lying. As it's the shows main draw, it's hardly surprising that they are done well and they are easily the highlight of the show if you're into that kind of thing. The show also has other bits of fan service sprinkled through out but it can't even compare really.
Overall, I'd say it's an enjoyable if not heavily flawed show. What it really did is make me realize how much I want a really well done Yuri romance show.