Much of Hatsukoi Limited comedy was derived from its characters, timing, and a bit of slapstick. I didn't really feel dumber and rarely did things ever get really stupid for the sake of comedy. In fact the many times I laughed I would have probably cringed in lesser titles. This shows the level of skill that was used in creating this title. However, the best part of the comedy is how well it integrates and transitions to the drama/poignant moments seamlessly even within the course of a single episode. While Hatsukoi Limited is mostly a fun/enjoyable title to watch, there are plenty of poignant moments for example, Chikura arc and the end of the Valentines arc.
Although I use the term 'arc' to categorize the various stories, its not as distinct as your typical 'arc'. By this I mean the various stories are interspersed throughout the 12 episodes, these 'arcs' don't begin and end within 1or 2 episode. Yes, there are episodes that focus on certain stories but at the same time Hatsukoi Limited will address and move other storylines. While, this may sound overly complicated, especially with its large cast, it never seems like that. This is because, they introduce the various plotlines slowly and seamlessly. It is only when you sit down and actually try to map out all the relationships will you realize how complex it is. Plus at the same time you get to see most of the characters mature throughout the series.
There is a catch concerning the story/characters, with such a large cast, a complex relationship chart, and only 12 episodes the characterization does suffer a bit. A few of the characters could have been eliminated and I doubt anyone would really miss them, honestly I wish they did get rid of them as they were either annoying or boring. Also, with such a huge cast, even some of the "main" characters lacked some development, this is why I said "most" in the previous paragraph.
Despite the problems with the large cast of character and short time, I found most of the characters extremely likeable and can relate to them. Also, if one looks at Hatsukoi Limited purely from theme point of view, it does capture the various aspects of a first love and to do this you need a large cast.
Another complaint I have would be too much focus on the girls side, in particular the middle school girls, by the animators. I'm not implying that the male characters lacked any characterization/development or are weak characters, they just spend too much focusing on the girls point of view. This was apparent by the last arc which has a strong focus on the middle school boys and I felt as if they needed a bit more time seeing things from their point of view in earlier episodes to make the final arc stronger. Once again cutting down the cast and/or increasing the length would solve these problems. I heard the manga (source) was cut short, so I guess it can't be helped however, J.C. Staff did an amazing job with what they had leaving me both wanting more and completely satisfied (sadly I can't make any comparisons to the manga as I have yet to read it...).
Since this was done by a well known studio animation the expectations for animation quality was quite high. In of consistency and animation they succeeded. There was never a point I noticed any inconsistency with the character designs nor did the movements feel choppy (granted there wasn't much action...). However, the backgrounds seemed almost missing at times, not really a major complaint as most of the time we're looking at the characters. The character designs were done by Mizuki Kawashita, of Ichigo 100% fame, and are beautifully done. Her designs seem to work perfectly with the watercolor-like animation and add to the soft, idealized, almost nostalgic feel of the series. However, since she is also known for Ichigo 100%, we are treated to or forced to endure (depending on your view) fanservice moments. Personally, I wasn't really distracted/annoyed by those moments, as it didn't feel overly forced.
Hatsukoi Limited a well executed romance anime that focuses on "first love". It also has very well timed jokes and a very endearing cast who are often the reason the jokes are funny instead of cringe worthy. To show the various aspects of a first love Hatsukoi Limited has a huge cast but at the same time suffers due to this huge cast. In particular, lack of characterization and development for many of the character, hell even a few of the main characters. This made a few of the characters kind of worthless and will not be missed if written out. However, since the manga was cut short and thus only 12 episodes, I can be lenient. Nevertheless, JC Staff did an amazing job wtih the adaptation leaving me wanting more and completely satisfied. JC Staff also did an amazing job on the animation and art and was also very consistent, granted the background lacks details. KimiKiss, Toradora, and now Hatsukoi Limited, J.C. Staff is quickly becoming a studio I associate with quality romance anime.
