Brother and younger sister-in-law live in the house which parents are often away from. Yuki who is the younger sister is secretly yearning for Kenji who is the elder brother. However, one girl came to show up from the closet in Kenji's room after a certain night. Moreover, her body is transparent, and she looks like the ghost. Her name is Hiyori. She is a friend in their childhood. They are pleased with reunion though Kenji and Yuki are perplexed with the way of Hiyori's strange appearance. However, Yuki gets the mind shaken as Kenji and Hiyori become intimate, and the pain in her mind in the childhood is recalled.
At the childhood, Yuki was going to pass the light blue toy ring which Kenji had had to Hiyori in exchange for Hiyori's yoyo. However, because Hiyori became sick, and had moved, the promise was not an accomplishment. Their events in the childhood seem to be related to Hiyori's showing up in front of them. A painful love story of Kenji and two girls progresses.
Mizuiro is a touching little OVA that is convoluted, cute, and unapologetically 2000s. It's one of those things so easily forgotten in the rush of time, that I think regardless deserves more attention than it gets as a fun romance anime. Beginning with the story, it must be recognized as this anime's greatest strength. It sets up the viewer with this complicated, bizarre love story, involving broken promises, toy rings, yo-yos, and the supernatural. It unfolds with expert pacing for an anime so short, filled with charming, natural character interactions, and conflicts which build tension and resolve themselves exactly when...they're supposed to. When paired with light comedy that doesn't feel desperate for laughs, the whole thing takes on this poignant yet lighthearted character that fits the show perfectly. This emotional intelligence permeates the show, even exhibiting itself in the art.
The art has this colorful, playful aesthetic, establishing its own style while also embodying all the best and most nostalgic aspects of anime from 2003. Of course, it does have some flaws which betray a limited budget, but these are so subtle that one can think of them simply as artifacts of the style itself, if you notice them at all that is.
The sound is quite good, with sensitively tuned sounds of life, and a soundtrack that fits the theme flawlessly. However, the voice acting, while generally good, does drop in quality during certain moments, and these are indeed noticeable.
The characters are strong, fitting perfectly into this story, and of them I liked Kenji and Yuki the best, as I believe the step-sibling duo are the most three-dimensional by way of the screentime they're given in relation to even characters like Hiyori, their spectral best friend from childhood. Overall, Mizuiro is a cute, unique OVA that I can easily recommend, especially if you have a special place in your heart for distinctive romance plots, or anime from 2003.
This is quite a bizarre OVA and I'm surprised that it isn't more well-known, I'd definitely say that it is thoroughly underrated. Alot of people might be thrown off by the start which makes it feel like a generic slice-of-life VN adaptation but it really (really) picks up quickly and by the second episode things are tending more toward a Makoto Shinkai-esque story with a really nice, satisfying ending.
The animation style isn't anything extravagant, but it's perfectly alright. It's very, very '2003' and if you like that sort of visual style then you'll enjoy it, but if you don't then it'll probably just be...par for the course. While the anime is definitely alot more grounded it might've been nice to see some more interesting movements or exaggeration in some of the comedy relief parts, though obviously that's a matter of directing taste.
The music was also pretty decent, though I think the ED on the second episode was the highlight. The voice actors are all pretty good, though Hiyori was by far the best, though I can't say if that's more her character having a bit more varied direction.
The only real complaint I have is that with such a short runtime, it does have a bit of a tendency to hyperfocus on seemingly random plotlines and ideas - some characters get introduced if only to deliver advice and are never heard from again and the anime 'doubles up' on some of the imagery and themes in a way that just makes them feel a little bit less focused and clear than they could have been. Honestly for what it is, I think it's really underrated and deserves more recognition.
Despite it's simple and cliché plot (a promise between friends, [probably] a love triangle, etc) it's really well done. It gave me a sweet, fuzzy feeling when I watched it. The soundtrack is really great and fits the atmosphere of the OVA very well. The OVA itself isn't appealing and outstanding, but does a good job when it comes to entertainment and enjoyment. Don't expect something deep full of drama and development of story/characters. It's short, simple and very enjoyable.
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