The setup in the VN is what made Refrain what it is and that setup cannot be reproduced in anime form nor can it be so drastically changed without consequence. The problem with foreshadowing is it ruins the whole impact of Refrain. Nevertheless, the anime still has added a ridiculous amount of foreshadowing, some of which makes zero sense.
![little busters rin happy ending little busters rin happy ending](https://www.gematsu.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/Little-Busters-NSW-Init_12-25-19.jpg)
As such, there is a fundamental need to animate all the routes but do so without any real foreshadowing. All of the routes connect in a very specific way that serves as the basis of Refrain: the secret of the world. The anime chose to forego real attempts at storyboarding and just insert some foreshadowing. I’m sure everyone is aware of all the foreshadowing that has been used. The second and main problem is simply a storyboarding issue. But those who have not already dropped it are willing to continue with the anime because “it’s Key” or “what’s one episode a week,” and “so many people are saying it’s the best, okay, I’ll stick with it.” For anyone unsure about whether to invest time into this story, this is a huge turnoff and would realistically not continue, and I personally know people who have dropped the anime due to this.
![little busters rin happy ending little busters rin happy ending](http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sl-2WWGmLn8/UsEwaLdArFI/AAAAAAAEBpw/GwGFLJ9nfYs/s1600/Little+Busters+Refrain+-+13+-+Large+01.jpg)
The fact that the majority of the routes range from mediocre to atrocious writing yet readers were able to forgive everything they had to sit through and still consider it one of the best VNs of all time is a further testament to just how powerful Refrain is. Getting through all the routes is a real chore and the quality of Kud’s route is one of the worst things I’ve ever read anime viewers should be glad the EX version got animated as opposed to the vanilla version. Perhaps the most impressive thing about Little Busters is that the first 70-80% is actually trash. The first problem that works against both the anime and the VN in terms of people trying it out is just how incredibly poorly written the initial story is. I had no clue what people meant by this until I read the VN then I thought an anime would never happen due to it being too difficult and then it somehow got an anime and now I just watch and laugh at how bad it is. Unfortunately, the anime will never live up to the hype of the VN. They would rather just not spend 50 hours and live without knowing about it or…watch the anime, spend a lot less time and still see for themselves.
![little busters rin happy ending little busters rin happy ending](https://cdn-us.anidb.net/images/main/221080.jpg)
Most people are unwilling to invest ~50 hours into a VN just so they can supposedly experience the greatest tearjerker around. But no matter how I try to convince people how good Refrain is, my words will never be able to convey it. To this day, Haruka Kanata still evokes more sadness in me than any other song. Of course I agree that beloved KyoAni would do a better job, but besides the fact that they have moved on to the cash cow of moeblobs with a hint of plot, the problem here is that the storyboarding of a Little Busters anime is a very interesting and even paradoxical problem that any studio would not be able to solve.Īs a VN reader, I am fully aware of just how powerful Little Busters’ Refrain is. Nevertheless, I was one of the people who, from the day the anime was announced (that is, before we knew what studio was in charge), were very doubtful about the quality of the anime. Most complaints, or at least the vocal ones, blame JC Staff, a studio that is quite hated for a plethora of reasons that may or may not include a certain anime that doesn’t actually exist. And yet, as excited as people are and were for the anime, the fact of the matter is, an anime was a terrible idea and was bound to fail.
![little busters rin happy ending little busters rin happy ending](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/littlebusters/images/4/43/Rin_Icon.png)
Clannad: After Story has nothing on this. Hailed as one of the greatest VNs of all time, Little Busters is indeed one of the most well written stories out there and probably has one of the strongest emotional impacts ever. Key, infamous for their ability to make stories that drown their readers/viewers in tears, produced Little Busters in 2007, showcasing Jun Maeda’s mastery of tearjerkers. Little Busters: one of the most controversial anime recently in terms of quality, potential, and execution.