This past weekend I learned of the death of animator and director Osamu Kobayashi from kidney cancer at the young age of 57. It’s uncommon that I follow the careers of anyone in particular in the anime industry aside from a few big-name directors because I have a poor memory for names, but there are a few folks whose work has interested me over the years and Kobayashi happens to have been one of them.
Streaming: Funimation
Episodes: 24
Source: Game
Story Summary: Ruka is a quiet girl with a longing to connect with others but an inability to do so effectively. She carries regrets with her after transferring schools, and can’t seem to change her situation for the better. When her roommate Hiori returns through the window of their shared dorm room after an absence, Ruka is immediately struck by her natural, outgoing nature. Though they are very different people, they seem to share a connection; the ring that Ruka found dropped on the ground one afternoon seems to make a pair with one that Hiori received from her sister’s belongings, and both house a power that neither could have imagined.