Anime 1718 Winter Garden

I have absolutely no idea why does this even exist. It has barely anything to do with Di Gi Charat universe. It's not bad, but I think this should have been own anime in itself. But I guess nobody would care about it in that case.

The story is incredibly average at best and very predictable. Yet, the pace is really good and it's pretty interesting how many things they were able to squeeze into two 24 minutes long episodes. And while I knew how the story would end, I will admit that I was at the edge of my seat at the end, which definitely ... delivered.

When it comes to the characters - Dejiko was stripped of any personality she previously had and became a very flat character. It's hard to imagine that such a temperamental, assertive and over all not-to-be-screwed-with girl would turn into such a shy girl that only hopes that senpai will notice her. I am glad that at least Puchiko kept her sarcastic and sassy personality, which I loved. There is also a Rabi~en~Rose in few scenes, but she doesn't talk or interact with main characters in any way, but it was nice to see her.

The art style is pretty cute, but veeery simple. It can't match the art style used in Di Gi Charat Nyo. Colors were not so vibrant and some things reminded me of original Di Gi Charat - especially the use of simple sketches in crowded scenes.

So, nothing that special, really, I'm afraid. I am giving an extra point for absolutely amazing and catchy music, as is always the case with Di Gi Charat. And another extra point because I am currently in love, so it had a slightly bigger impact on me - reviews are subjective after all.

Winter garden is a romance /slice of life spin off of the Di Gi Charat series. Unlike its parent story though, it holds very little similarities to it and could be viewed completely on its own.
  The only shared traits among Winter Garden and Di Gi Charat are the character designs, names and a few references that reveal the link between them. From the setting and tone of the original series to the personalities of the characters, everything is changed. An instance of this change is Dejiko's personality; from a hot tempered and sassy alien princess, she turned into a normal ... shy human who's also a bit of an airhead. But this is not necessarily a bad thing.
   Winter Garden is an enjoyable and calming series. It is nicely paced as there are many events taking place in these two episodes without feeling rushed. The way the characters acted was pretty natural; a nice change of pace from the usual exaggerated manners found in anime. There were also some funny and cute scenes here and there, centered mostly around Puchico teasing Dejiko.
  Moving on to technical details, the animation was good but not anything extraordinary, given that this is a sol and the most extreme movements that were shown was running. The character designs, while resembling the originals, were changed to fit a normal, everyday setting, but still managed to look cute. Regarding its soundtrack, it was mellow and fitting; it greatly enhanced the slow paced, atmospheric, winter setting of the story.
  All in all, I believe this is a relaxing and sweet watch. Nothing revolutionary or deep will be found in it, but for its short duration it can be worth someone's time. Fans of the traditional Di Gi Charat series might be put off from how different this one is, but it can still be enjoyable, not only as a separate story of its own, but also for the alternate designs and references to the og series that it offers.
(This is the first ever preview that I'm writing, I hope someone finds it helpful. If there are any issues or mistakes in it, please let me know.)

This OVA completely stripped away everything unique and interesting about Di Gi Charat. Dejiko is no longer the cute, temperamental, sassy protagonist everyone grew to love. This series portrayed her as a cookie-cutter anime girl: Complacent, shy, easily embarrassed, who spends her days doing little more than hoping the guy she likes will notice her...nothing like her original personality at all.

The plot was dull and uneventful. The art was lackluster compared the the original; even the colors were a lot duller. I really don't understand why this was created, and I kind of wish it hadn't been.