Over the last few summers, I’ve been taking the kid to various local comic conventions and noticed that anime dominates not merely the cosplay, but the little shops and artists alleys. Why have America’s youth given up on American superheroes like Batman and Captain America for characters drawn in Japan? The simple answer is not every kid wants to dress in spandex and save the world. Sometimes they want to be entertained by stories about normal kids doing normal things that can still have an impact on their lives. We all don’t want to be bit by radioactive spiders. Sketch Book ~full color’s~ is about an experience most high schools can identify with: Art Class
Sora (Kana Hanazawa) reports to Art Class at her high school. She’s a bit nervous although quickly learns her fellow classmates also have their quirks. One kid spends most of the time talking to her two hand puppets. Over the course of 13 episodes, the kids deal with a big question – what do they need to draw. What do they want to preserve from their perspective. This isn’t about high school kids debating “what is art?” They are more concerned at noticing things around them and how to capture them properly in their sketchbooks. Kind of like real art class if your instructor just wanted to keep your hands busy. The first episode The Girl With The Sketchbook” has the students dealing with the assignment of drawing something that means something to them. Another episode has a classmate worried about the feral cat that roams near the school. They even go to the local festival where Sora does her best to capture the fireworks in her sketchbook. The art teacher has a thing for making chickens and even grilled chicken plushies. That’s really strange. Sora and her misfit classmates coping with being friends provides enough drama for each 30-minute episode.
Sketch Book ~full color’s~ is not an extreme anime series with vampires, demons or tentacles lurking in the shadows. This is about introverted kids relating to each other while drawing. This Blu-ray is the perfect anime show to give an introverted kid that enjoys drawing. I don’t think there’s an American animated show that I can compare to Sketch Book ~full color’s~ with the same intended audience. This isn’t aimed at the crowd that can’t get enough or Peppa Pig or Bluey. The animation seems aimed for a kid that’s looking forward to being a grown up. This is probably why kids can embrace anime to enjoy animated characters that share their interests. Sketch Book ~full color’s~ is a relatable show if you have ever used a sketchbook. It’s also good to know art class students in Japan are the same as ones in America.
The Video is 1.78:1 anamorphic. The transfer brings out the colors in the art drawn by the students. The Audio is Japanese DTS-HD MA 2.0 stereo. The episodes are subtitled in English.
Clean Opening and Ending Collection (54:15) allows you to enjoy the various starts and finishes without the text on the screen.
Picture Drama Collection (44:30) includes the “stick figure” animation and others. These were bonus animations for the original DVD releases.
Promotional Video (1:30) has the kids goofing around in art class and more to announce the show is coming to TV. The premiere was October 1, 2007.
Commercial Collection (2:24) has them promote the show as easygoing. Also it seems to have aired at 2 a.m. There is also the DVD coming out ad. The Picture Dramas were exclusive to the DVD.
US Blu-ray Trailer (1:07) has her talk about taking her sketchbook with her.
AnimEgo presents Sketch Book – Full Color’S. Directed by Yoshimasa Hiraike. Script by Mari Okada. Starring Asuka Nakase, Kana Hanazawa and Yui Makino. Running Time: 318 minutes. Raing: Unrated. Release Date: August 11, 2026.
