I was hoping that Diamond Daydreams was about baseball. But when I saw the alternative title of Diamond Dust Drops, I knew my hopes were dashed.

OK, so there is no baseball. What there is are six stories, all told in two parts, of young women trying to cope with life and love. So this is a slice of life anime, six times over. The final episode lets you know how all eventually turns out well, though it is a bit sappy.

The stories include a teen working in her family’s struggling business while facing a loveless arraigned marriage, a young skater back from a crippling injury hoping to reconnect with an old friend, a young girl trying to cope with an alcoholic father, a student film maker who has problems relating to others, a talk show hostess who gives advice on relationships despite having a disastrous relationship of her own, and a young girl facing major surgery and her relationship with a sort of odd doctor.

The animation is just acceptable, and nothing special. The artwork is very good. But what drew me in were the realistic story-lines. There are no demons, mecha androids, bloody samurai here. Just real people with real problems.

This is more of a chick anime, but guys should appreciate it as well. Diamond Daydreams is not an out and out classic. I rate it pretty good, but worth a look.