I didn’t go into After the Rain thinking I was about to find my next romance obsession.

Honestly, I hit play because I’m a romance anime fan and it felt kind of criminal not to at least try it. But I already knew the premise probably wasn’t going to be for me. A high school girl falling for her middle-aged boss? That’s not a “cute trope” to me. That’s a situation that has me watching with one eye squinted, waiting to see if the story is about to cross a line.

And… yeah. I made it to Episode 8 and tapped out.

Review: What ‘After the Rain’ Is About

After the Rain follows Akira Tachibana, a high school student whose track career ends after an injury. She starts working part-time at a family restaurant and develops feelings for her manager, Masami Kondou, who is much older than her.

It’s set up with this moody, rainy, quiet tone, like it wants to be delicate and reflective. But the core dynamic makes it hard to relax into the story because it’s always hanging there: she’s a kid, he’s a grown man, and the show keeps you in this “is this going to get uncomfortable?” suspense loop.

The Problem Isn’t Just the Age Gap… It’s the Vibe

Let me be clear: I wasn’t rooting for her to “get the man.” Not even a little.

The show frames her feelings like something poetic and longing and deep, but I never found it romantic. I found it tense. Like I was watching a slow-moving situation that could turn gross at any moment depending on the choices the story makes.

And when the pacing is already sluggish, that tension doesn’t feel intriguing. It feels like you’re trapped in waiting mode.

The Wasted Potential: This Could’ve Been a Solid Story

Here’s what bugs me. This show actually could have had potential.

A high school girl having a crush on an adult isn’t some unrealistic concept. That part is believable. And if the anime leaned into it as a coming-of-age thing like, “this is a confusing first love, this is what longing feels like, this is what you grow out of,” it could’ve been thoughtful and even emotional.

But that’s not what it does.

She confesses. She actively pursues him. And the story keeps letting the situation drift into “almost-dating” territory. There are moments where it kind of, sort of treats their dynamic like it’s romantic. They basically go on a date. She ends up involved in his life enough that she’s helping with his kid.

And that’s where it turns into bleh for me.

Because once you start adding “date vibes” and “playing house” moments to a high schooler and her grown manager, it stops being an interesting portrayal of a teenage crush and starts feeling like the show wants you to entertain the idea of them together. Even if it occasionally throws in a “this is wrong” acknowledgment, it still spends way too much time walking right up to the line.

The Side Character That Made It Worse

There’s also a coworker subplot that genuinely grossed me out.

There’s an older employee (not as old as the boss, but still too old to be acting this way) who’s clearly interested in high school girls. When he finds out Akira likes the manager, he gets all excited about it. He takes her out, tries to make a move, and the whole thing just feels predatory.

Instead of adding anything meaningful, it made the show feel even more uncomfortable, like it was piling “ew” onto an already questionable setup.

Pacing: Slow Doesn’t Automatically Mean Deep

I’m not anti-slow anime. I love character-driven stories when they’re giving me something emotionally rich to chew on.

But After the Rain felt boring.

By Episode 8, I wasn’t invested, I wasn’t curious, and I wasn’t emotionally hooked. It felt like the series was stretching a thin thread of longing across episode after episode without enough payoff to justify how much time it asks from you.

Art Style: Not My Favorite

This part is subjective, but the art style also didn’t do it for me. It’s not terrible, it just wasn’t appealing enough to carry the slow pacing. For a show that leans heavily on mood and atmosphere, that matters.

Content Notes (Just So You Know What You’re Walking Into)

• A high school student pursuing an adult manager (age gap dynamic)
• An older coworker showing interest in high school girls and attempting to make a move
• Multiple moments that toe the line into “this feels uncomfortable” territory

‘After The Rain’ Review: This Gets a 2/10

I’m rating After the Rain a 2/10.

And to be honest, the only reason it gets that 2 is because by the time I made it to Episode 8, the manager at least acknowledges the obvious: that being with her would be wrong, that she’s a child, and that the situation isn’t okay.

But that’s… bare minimum.

It’s not enough to redeem the show. It doesn’t fix the uncomfortable vibe, the creepy subplot, or the painfully slow pacing that made it feel like a chore to get through.

Stream or Skip?

Skip.

If the premise already makes you hesitate, trust that instinct. If you’re a romance anime fan and you’re thinking, “Well maybe it’s deeper than it sounds,” it might be. But it still wasn’t enjoyable for me, and I wasn’t willing to keep watching to see where it goes.

Where to Watch

After the Rain was available via Amazon Prime. It, however, appears to have recently been picked up by HIDIVE.