WATATEN!: an Angel Flew Down to Me is a twelve episode (plus one OVA) anime adaptation of the manga written by Nanatsu Mukunoki. The director of the anime is Daisuke Hiramaki, whilst the writer is Yuka Yamada. The studio that produced it is Doga Kobo.
WATATEN!: an Angel Flew Down to Me aired during the winter 2019 season of anime, and is available to watch on Crunchyroll.
Well, let’s not beat around the bush one this one: WATATEN! is about a female university student (Miyako Hoshino) who falls in love with an elementary school girl (Hana Shirosaki). There’s also some rather negative implications with Miyako bribing Hana with snacks to get her to cosplay so she can take photos of her…
However, look past that, and WATATEN! actually has more to offer than a very questionable age gap relationship.
For a start, the real stars of the show are the younger characters; particularly Hinata Hoshino, Miyako’s younger sister. Actually, when it comes down to it, Hana is the most plain member of the cast. Hana like sweet things, and that is more or less her entire existence summed up.
When surrounded by characters like Hinata, who absolutely adores her older sister, and Noa Himesaka, who very much has a thing for Hinata and considers herself to be the cutest, Hana really struggles to stand out.
Even more so when you throw in Koyori Tanemura and Kanon Konomori, who are never seen apart. Koyori is the unreliable type who wants everybody to rely on her, whilst Kanon is the kind and reliable type. The relationship that Koyori and Kanon have is definitely one the cuter aspects of WATATEN!.
Miyako herself also has her moments; she suffers from extreme social anxiety, though there are some aspects of her character that can be surprisingly relatable. Just to be clear, that is in reference to her life as a student.
As the season goes on, Miyako actually gets a taste of her own medicine with the introduction of a character called Koko Matsumoto. Koko is the same age as Miyako, though she is obsessed with her. Koko’s behaviour allows Miyako to understand how Hana feels about her.
The relationships between characters are a vital part of this show. Hinata’s love for her sister really can’t be understated. It probably helps that Miyako actually plays the role of big sister really well, too. The sisterly relationship the two share is a wonderful thing to watch.
On the more romantic side of things – because one of this show’s genres is listed as yuri – we have the aforementioned Kanon and Koyori. Those two may be young, but they have an incredible chemistry together.
Noa also has a thing for Hinata, but at first it seems like a fruitless pursuit because Hinata only has eyes for her sister. That turns out not to be strictly true, again providing a couple of cute moments for them.
There are a few typical jokes about Miyako’s behaviour towards her young friends bordering on criminal, but aside from those WATATEN! actually has a really great sense of humour.
It has humour, but WATATEN! also has heart as well. Its school play episode in particular is a testament to that.
Whilst WATATEN!‘s concept may understandably drive some people away from it, those who are willing to take the plunge regardless will find themselves watching an incredibly charming anime.
Score: 9/10
WATATEN!: an Angel Flew Down to Me certainly won’t to be everyone’s taste. However, stick with it and it provides a surprisingly charming experience with plenty of heart and humour.
Rory Muses 
A most impressive show that I enjoyed a lot more than I thought I would. Even more than Uzamaid. In fact it’s safer to enjoy.
Top 3 girls:
Hinata
Koko
Koyori.
Good luck to Koko and Noa who I am certain the latter has a better chance of winning than the former.
Koyori X Kanon were the highlights of the show without a doubt. Hinata’s cuteness is 2nd only to Koyori’s. Koko was a hoot.