Little Busters! Refrain

A baseball game may sound like a light starting point, yet Little Busters! Refrain is built around memories, separation, and the fear of returning to square one. This 2013 TV season runs for 13 episodes and adapts a visual novel, using its compact format to push the emotional material toward heavier questions about destiny and the afterlife. Amnesia and an alternate universe give the story a deliberately unstable footing, while absurdity keeps its more painful turns from becoming relentlessly bleak. The series is best approached as a continuation for viewers already attached to its group dynamic; its 8.2 score reflects the strong response it has earned from that audience. J.C. Staff handles a show that asks for patience with its mysteries and willingness to let friendship, angst, and strange rules share the same emotional space.