ef - a tale of melodies.
ef ~ A Tale of Melodies
In a story set years in the past, Himura Yuu is a studious and diligent young man intent solely on maintaining his top academic position at Otowa Academy. One day, he meets a mysterious girl named Amamiya Yuuko, who, to his surprise, recognizes him. Memories of a distant childhood, memories rather left forgotten...meeting Yuuko again will force Yuu to confront the regrets and sorrows of their collective pasts and presents. In the present, Kuze Shuuichi may seem like a womanizer, but upon closer inspection, is a man who would rather be left alone. Hayama Mizuki, however, is not the type of girl who would let him be, especially after hearing the beautiful sounds of his violin performance. As Mizuki attempts to become closer to him, Kuze attempts to push her away—the tale of their budding relationship is darkened with undertones of an imminent tragedy.
Names
| Original | ef - a tale of melodies. (latin) |
|---|---|
| Romaji | ef: a tale of melodies. |
| English | ef ~ A Tale of Melodies |
| Also known as | ef: A Tale of Memories Second Season · ef: A Tale of Memories 2nd Season |
Facts
| Format | TV series · 12 ep · 24 min · 5h total |
|---|---|
| Aired | 2008-10-07 → 2008-12-23 (Autumn 2008) |
| Status | FINISHED |
| Studio | Shaft |
| Source | Visual novel |
| Origin | Japan (Anime) |
| Genres | DramaMysteryPsychologicalRomanceSupernatural |
| Themes | HeterosexualFemale ProtagonistMale ProtagonistDrawingPrimarily Female CastSchoolClassical MusicEnsemble Cast |
Reception
| Community score | 7.80 / 10 |
|---|---|
| Bayesian score | 7.78 / 10 |
| Composite | 60.1 |
| On lists | 30,367 |
| Favourited | 478 (1.6%) |
| Completion | 85.4% |
| Drop rate | 4.3% |
| In backlog | 45.6% |
| Score spread σ | 1.65 |
| MyAnimeList | 7.98 / 10 |
Score distribution
Where it places
| Cohort | Value | Tier | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broadcast season | Autumn 2008 | B | 10 of 77 |
| Source material | Visual novel | A | 19 of 266 |
| Year | 2008 | B | 27 of 231 |
| Studio | Shaft | B | 28 of 110 |
| Era | Late 2000s | A | 106 of 1,149 |
| Genre | Psychological | C | 147 of 416 |
| Genre | Mystery | C | 180 of 652 |
| Genre | Supernatural | B | 269 of 1,234 |
| Genre | Romance | B | 269 of 1,687 |
| Season (all years) | Autumn | B | 276 of 1,921 |
| Length | Single-cour | B | 449 of 2,668 |
| Genre | Drama | C | 519 of 1,917 |
| Format | TV series | B | 620 of 3,322 |
| Origin | Japan | B | 975 of 7,157 |
Key staff
| Director | Shin Oonuma, Shouhei Uchimura, Youta Tsuruoka |
|---|---|
| Series composition | Katsuhiko Takayama |
| Character design | Naru Nanao, Nobuhiro Sugiyama |
| Original creator | minori, Naru Nanao |
Franchise — ef - a tale of memories.
B
D
D
DRelated
| Relation | Year | Title |
|---|---|---|
| prequel | 2007 | ef ~ A Tale of Memories |
| prequel | 2008 | ef: a tale of melodies. - prologue |
AniList id 4789 · MAL id 4789 · record updated 2026-08-27

