Kaikan Phrase

I still have a "hang-over" over Nana so I was browsing for some animes thats relevantly similar to it. Came across Kaikan Phrase but had a dout coz its quite old. But I somehow ended up watching it and have no regrets at all.

The story started of typically. A little bit slow but as it progresses you'll find yourself hooked. There's a lot of character development that would make one kind of attached to each band member. It was focused more on the band, on have they struggled, how they developed they're relationship to each other and how they overcame the obstacles ... they faced. It was pretty touching and inspiring. The "love story" started of a little bit late but for me it was just the right timing. You'll see how love can change someone.

Sound is ok, because the anime was done in 1999 so the music is a liitle off my taste. But I most probably would have liked it better if I saw the anime at that time.

I'll give the characters an outstanding. Each one of them has different characteristics that would make different kind of people relate to them. Nobody stood up annoyingly or overly dramatic. Even the female leads character was done just appropriately.

Obviously I had a fun time watching it. Time well-spent! 44 episodes just not enough.

I enjoyed the manga for this very much, though it did have some significant weak points, the adult themes and boldness of the storyline made up for a lot of shortcomings. Unfortunately, the anime production removed the one redeeming feature of the story completely!

The artwork is very dated, for something produced in the 90's, it looks like something from the 70's, and while they give us a lot of background on the other members of the bands, they water all of it down! This manga is really ONLY interesting because it's racy and because of the very titillating relationship between the characters. ... The anime story line made changes from the manga that sterilized everything that was interesting or compelling out of it.

It comes off as a big yawn and if you have read the manga, don't bother with the anime - you'll be disappointed. If you have watched the anime, now go read the real deal in the manga - it's 1000 times better.

Kaikan phrase is quite the squeaky clean anime, although it is adapted from Mayu Shinjou’s manga and those familiar with her works would expect an amount of smut and ecchi-ness but in contrast this anime has everything but those steamy elements.

The story starts off with making the band; each character is introduced with their set of problems as they try to become professionals. Whilst the band is discovering itself at the grass-roots level we’re frequently made to listen to their sounds, composed of catchy tunes Midnight Crow and Datenshi Blue (which are sang by the real-life Lucifer band – clever of the producers to ... make an actual band as counterparts for the anime band). The ballad Dakishimeru hokani also leaves quite an impression as it pops up from time to time when the characters go through hardships.

The manga starts off with the female protagonist Aine Yukimura but in the anime she isn’t involved until half-way through the series. Once Aine and the lead vocalist Sakuya meet though the story picks up pace; on the highs and lows of becoming and being big in the music and media scene, ending practically every episode on a climax- yes you just have to watch the next episode (it’s a vicious cycle).

The art of Kaikan Phrase is as expected from animes made in 1999; it is pretty good and you get used to it after the first few episodes.

It would’ve been better if there was a bit more romance in the anime though- would’ve done justice to Mayu Shinjou the mangaka but I guess the emphasise was meant to be on the music world for this anime instead. But otherwise it is quite the enjoyable watch, where we never quite know what Sakuya will say or do- his level of confidence is beyond measure. Expect lots of drama, many dilemmas and a whole lotta music ~ Kaikan phrase.

I just finished this anime AND manga so everything is really fresh. I have to say I enjoyed both the anime and manga but the anime is much more different than the manga. They totally go off script and change a lot in the anime. Personally , i prefer the manga. I usually prefer anime to manga so that is huge for me to say.

Anime- focuses more on the journey of the band rather than the relationship of the main manga characters. I think hey did this to try and divert from the really adult themes the manga has. 1997, so that should tell you ... why they needed to cut out a lot. The anime is very innocent compared to the manga which I think is where the anime loses it for me. The manga has some very intense, sexual moments that really draw you in but the anime has NONE of that. Overall though, I still enjoyed it so I wouldn't cross it out. It starts very slow, the art SUCKS in the beginning but its tolerable. I was really starting to get bored and was going to stop watching it, but than i read that aine (female lead) gets introduced in epi 22 which is where it starts to really pick up for me.

If you have seen NANA (phenomenal btw!) and liked it, than you will like this also. If this anime was remade now and stuck to the manga story lines woooo baby! it would be FIRE.

Overall, show is a good watch. I highly recommend reading the manga though so you can see the comparison. Trust me it will be worth it.

kaikan phrase calls to your inner musician, it gives a different view on music in anime series, this is an older anime more directed in a rock and roll genre of music unlike classical as an example of Nodame Cantabile or an idol anime like kirarin revolution, for an old anime the sound and art style if great. so i must say kaikan phrase is a good anime.

read the manga before I watched this anime, and based on what I thought of the manga, the show is very different. Thinking about how smutty the manga is, the anime contains surprisingly little romance, even though there certainly is some.

I was a bit sceptic about the art at first. I didn't really like the art in the manga either, so it might not be a surprise that I wasn't fond of it. Though, after a while I started to get used to it and then it was just amazing. The music is better than I expected, and I found myself really enjoying listening ... to it.

Also, the story is wonderful. It shows a lot of the pressure that a big band have to go through to get what they want, their struggle to keep themselves on the top and how cruel the media can be. For an ordinary human .. it's just something we can't imagine. It's also amazing how they can capture such feelings in just a 20 minute long episode.

[WARNING, THE TEXT BELOW CONTAINS SPOILERS]

I hope they will release a second season of this anime, because I thought it was way to short to represent the manga which has over 100 chapters. And the ending was really frustrating, because you really want to know how they are going to make it in London and if they are going to be able to go from being an underground band in the UK to have a single reaching top 1. Are they going to win over all the other artists, when they originally are from Japan and some of them don't even know a sinlge word english? And if they are able to , are they going to have that famous guy making them go international? And when are they going back to Japan? What happens between Aine and Sakuya, what are their future going to look like? Is Lucifer going to disband after they reached the top?

That's something I really want to know so if there isn't going to be a second season .. then I'm going to kill them ;D

In short, 'Kaikan Phrase' is about a band 'Lucifer' that strives to get famous. 'Kaikan Phrase' starts with Santa and Yuki quitting their old band and starting a new one.That isn't so easy if you want to make a wonderful band.
In this anime there are beautiful drawings, Lucifer's songs are great, Sakuya's voice is outstanding. Every member of 'Lucifer' has their own unique character, especially that mysterious Sakuya Ookouchi, but even he who seemed a very cold guy at the beginning, is able to fall in love.

The reason why I wanted to write a review on this anime is because it has only a few and people might want to hear more opinions. As it is an old anime, Kaikan Phrase is not so well-known. Yes, the animation might not be at it's best, yes there is no HD version and the sound is not perfect but this anime has the charm most old anime have.
I have began reading the manga just recently and for those who look for something similar, you might be disappointed because this anime is not focused on romance even if it includes some. I honestly ... like the anime better than the manga because it focuses on the band and has some real character development. The truth is, you get attached to the characters because each member of the band is a different typology and you automatically will find someone similar to you (for me it was Santa).
I was doubting the anime the first few episodes because the main character was a little annoying but as time goes by everything changes and you find yourself hooked.
Of course I take in consideration the fact that it might not be everyone's piece of cake but for people who like music and realistic/slice of life anime I think this might be a good idea. It's a story about a building friendship and trust and about fighting to protect a dream. I hope you found this review helpful and that you might give Kaikan Phrase a chance ٩(^ᴗ^)۶

I first read the manga which I enjoyed and then I accidentally stumbled on the anime. The difference shocked me. It focused more on the characters and the making of the band. Until Aine came into the picture I actually really liked it.
The thing I liked about the manga is that you can create the music of the band to you're liking in you're head, so in the anime you really have to like the music to think they're amazing. It's an old anime, quite long with 44 episodes, and the tech part is very old, a little hard for the eyes.
After Aine was ... introduced I was already forcing myself to watch it. I didn't like how they portrayed love between Sakuya and Aine, there was no "spark" between them. It looked rushed, as soon as she came, he changed. No questions asked.
You can see the characters truly develop and rise to the top. Their struggles to realize the dream of being on top of Japan's music industry.

I was reading through some recommendations for a good manga online and saw the manga at first, read through it before and was planning on reading it again since I had a lot of chills and giggles throughout the manga and I didn't even know that there was an anime for this not right after I went and look in this site. Anime wise it was good but left through a lot of good parts from the manga and they never really finished the anime too. I was hoping for some continuation but regardless I was a little disappointed on how it turned out.

Ah, just skimming through the screenshots of this anime gives you the nostalgia surrounding that age-old dream and idea: if you believe in yourself and work hard enough, you can achieve anything you set your mind to. If you’re not too old to root along for a small band raising to the roof, “Kaikan Phrase” might be up your alley.

I can’t quite remember why I put this on my list. I think it was recommended to me by someone when I mentioned I hadn’t watched much music anime. Truth be told, if you notice the aesthetics, it’s not much to look at. The anime was ... aired in the late 90s but the quality was terrible to stream wherever I checked. You’d have thought it was even older. So if you’re someone who would be irritated by that, you might want to be wary of this, because even later they start putting English subs over the Chinese subbed version and the audio quality is taken from VHS, etc.

If you’re here for the right reason, though, which is to listen to some music put around a plot, you might be around for a treat. To be honest, the music is better than the plot hands down, but the story wasn’t something that made me tear my hair out (at least not all the time). I enjoy watching characters become better people, improving themselves and then making the most of their dreams. I can’t speak as if I were in a band, but I imagine that these conflicts do happen day-to-day in the music industry.

It was a little too convenient to see four of the members come together in the first episode or so, but Sakuya the vocalist seemed to be impossible. I pretty much hated his character for being so difficult and stubborn in the beginning. He was the typical brooding male that wanted to do things his way and had a hard time showing his feelings. He was good at giving insults and seemed to care only for himself. But I guess that’s how musicians can be sometimes. But I do remember them taking quite a while to recruit him just because of his attitude.

Once things got going, though, of course I expected everything to go smoothly. The music industry is harsh, and unless their band Lucifer stood out, not just with their looks, but also with their skills, talent, and emotional music, they would stay unknown. They fought through haters, rivals, jealousy, and the hardship of teamwork. I can’t say that the conflicts they went through as a band were cliche… I mean, what else is there? You’d expect for there to be competition among bands, jealousy between bandmates, differences in opinion for stuff like musical arrangements and lyrics, etc. They were resolved within a good amount of time and without too much fuss.

What I complain about most, though, are the other cliches. If you missed it in the info, this is also a shoujo anime. Unfortunately, it’s subject to those shoujo stereotypes. You can guess who in this show has a relationship with the high school lyricist they pick up. They say cheesy things to each other once the ship is canon, and the problems they face do threaten to tear them apart as they try to keep their relationship hidden from the public. There wasn’t enough to make me drop the series, though. The shoujo cliches mixed with the band plot can be a little bit entertaining, though.

Of course, it’s only natural to have every band member have a different hair color so viewers tell them apart; it’s a classic anime strategy. Nevertheless, that also helps differentiate their personalities as well. The leader of the band is the laid-back and calm Yuki, whose hair is long, smooth, and dark purple. The drummer Santa has a shock of chestnut hair that imitates his quick temper but powerful beat on the drums. The bass guitarist Towa has long golden locks, perfect for his nonchalant personality that is still bent on arranging the perfect music. Atsuro is originally a brunet but dies his hair a surprising magenta later in the series. He’s an avid guitarist that makes mistakes occasionally but definitely has skill. And Sakuya, with the most normal hairstyle, speaks volumes with his voice and bright blue eyes.

They’re a fun bunch, I have to admit. The only time I was annoyed with them was when they were trying so hard to recruit Sakuya, and he was being a big butt about not joining and insulting them all the way. Once he gave in and joined to make the best music, though, they were quite a team. Of course they experience their ups and downs—Santa and Sakuya’s personalities clashed all the time, Atsuro was really downhearted when he messed up, etc.

People might have complaints about Aine, though, the lyricist that shows up later. She seems like a typical shoujo protagonist to me, always trying to do the right thing and feeling completely crestfallen when things don’t go as planned. I think she’s probably better in the anime than the manga, though, based on what I’ve heard from other people, but viewers can see that later.

I don’t think I can comment much on the animation and artwork since the quality is so terrible. I can only hope that when it aired, it was much better than what I watched. I can complain, though, about their stances when they performed. Most of you are probably familiar with moments when guitarists get into the music and throw their heads back, etc. Unfortunately, for the first few performances, the band members don’t have any different poses. Sakuya throws his body around awkwardly, Yuki tosses his hair the same way, Atsuro holds his guitar at a weird angle, and other things like that. I don’t play any of those instruments, but as a musician myself I do know there’s more to performing than what this anime shows. Later on there is more to see, but I remember feeling disappointed with how they started out. I might chalk it up to beginners’ shows, though.

The band members are popular not only for their music, but also for being handsome, and I do admit that they are. Aside from their longish limbs and thin torsos, they can be pretty attractive. Towa’s hair is so distractingly flowing and shiny, and Sakuya always carries that aura of effortless coolness. I can only imagine that this anime looked really good when it came out.

I really did love the OPs and EDs, and I think it’s rare for a viewer to like everything they hear. What’s interesting about this anime is that the producers actually hired a real band to perform these songs and “become” Lucifer to give the show a little bit more realism. The real band played for a little bit after the anime ended and disbanded later, but I still think it’s impressive they thought so much to put this together. Japanese rock from the 90s is still cool.

Furthermore, it’s good that the songs that the band composes and performs are so great. The driving point of the plot is Lucifer’s rise to fame through talent and cooperation in the band. It would be inexcusable to have them make terrible music. All their pieces except one feature Sakuya as the vocalist, and while I wouldn’t say his voice is as phenomenal as the other characters make it out to be, his mellow tone and ability to meld with the band’s flexible style (not just rock, but also some slower ballads) is just as important as the tunes themselves. I don’t play the guitar or drums, so I can’t comment too much on the sound with more knowledgeable critique, but a good majority of the time my ears liked it. I think one piece was in a weird key, but all of them were head-jamming and seemed pretty cohesive.

The soundtrack isn’t bad, either. There’s a little piano tune they keep playing during emotional moments that I liked from the start. It was from a piano piece that Sakuya performed and sang in at a private club, a pretty and wistful melody that rang a chord in all its listeners. Other pieces were not as memorable, but just as fitting for the anime.

Hmmm, I can’t say that I would love this anime enough to read the manga, but that’s mostly because I heard it focuses a lot on Sakuya and Aine’s relationship and excessive smut. For the love of humanity, DO NOT PICK UP THE MANGA if you cannot tolerate sex and rape. The anime takes almost a whole new take on the manga entirely, being more about the music. There’s also the fact that since it’s manga, it won’t be accompanied with music, so I’ll have to imagine it in my head. Furthermore, it hasn’t exactly been very binge-worthy for me until the end.

All in all, it’s not a bad anime to watch, but it’s nothing I’d sing praises about, either. It well builds the ambience of a small-town band making its dreams come true, but it can be pretty cheesy about it and doesn’t bring anything new to the table in terms of music production. Perhaps in its day, it WAS the newest thing around, though. I have a feeling it was popular in its release. It’s a pleasant memory to watch, though, and I rather like seeing the band become better friends as they grew.

Kaikan Phrase is one of my favorite MANGAS, but as for the anime it could have been better. To read the manga and then watch the anime, I was dissopointed. The first half of the anime is all about the band, who they are (but not their lives), how they get together. Truthfully, I was not intrested in them at all. I wanted to know more about Aine and Sakuya. What was happening with them. They threw in peices of the other band members stories too. I would have liked to have side stories about the other memebers too, because as much as I loved ... Anie and Sakuya, the other characters stories were intresting too. I would say read the manga and skip the anime. You wont want to put the manga down.

Honestly I began watching the anime of after having read and fell in love with the manga. And I think it because of the order of them, that I couldn't't give the anime a higher mark than a 7. I began watching in December but after 18 eps I felt as if I was forcing to watch each I found these ones quite repetitive and found myself being easily distracted by other thing and I left it for over 2 months before telling myself I had to finish the rest. And I was hooked! 26 eps in under a day and yes I went ... totally fan girl (squeal and all) when Aine and Sakuya finally met! It is an older series and of course the animation or at least the version I watched was very poor quality and nothing to what we expect from more recent animus as was the audio but its worth sticking out if its something you find irritating as it does me.
But I would strongly recommend watching the anime then reading the manga to fully enjoy how great the anime really builds itself up into.