Exuberant hijinks and melancholic narration meet in Honey & Clover, a sentimental show about art students, inspiration, and love. Its calm moments are poignant; its loud attempts at humor obnoxious (but still funny). Honestly, it's a bit shrill in its first episode, and I don't love it. I also don't like stories about men deciding that they love women who don't communicate with them, purely on the basis of their cuteness. The music is good, though, and while a bunch of the character introductions are kinda wonky in this episode, we still get a feel for their interconnectedness. This is going to be a show about human relationships, and it's going to be a bit more mature than a high school rom com anime. Iconic character designs and a soft water color-y feel complete the picture.
As a word of warning, the opening claymation is nightmare fuel.
Recommend: Meh.
Rewatch Disclaimer: I've seen all of Honey & Clover multiple times. It has its flaws, but it's really special. One of my all-time favorites. The first episode just isn't that good. The show becomes less shrill and more thoughtful as it progresses, and deals tenderly with disability, PTSD, depression, and other topics. It gets about as real as one can hope from anime, and it's quite the journey.