Ranked #549

Kimi ga Nozomu Eien

This is quite possibly the best anime drama I have ever seen, and that's saying a lot considering that I usually am drawn to more action oriented anime. One phrase that could describe Kiminozo is 'a beautiful mess of emotions.' The basic concept or plot puts Takayuki (the main male character) on the theme of choosing someone he loved dearly in the past, or staying with the girl he loves now in the present. A majority of the anime shows the feelings and emotions that take place while Takayuki is deciding on who to ultimately be with in the end. This is what makes the anime so great. One truly has sympathy to the characters as they struggle with their feelings. Eventually, you'll start rooting for the character you want Takayuki to choose and thus motivates you to continue watching. This leads up to the dramatic conclusion in which Takayuki chooses the girl he loves...who is the girl he chooses? You will have to watch to find out. All I can say is that the girl I wanted him to end up with got chosen. :)

The animation isn't too bad, but it isn't great either. I felt the character designs were great though. Kiminozo also has some pacing issues. There were some moments where it just felt too dragged out and not much was happening. However, if you're the type who enjoys slow and painful dramas that continuously builds, then you'll enjoy this aspect of Kiminozo. Another problem focuses on two co-workers of Takayuki that provide comic relief. I felt that they did an excellent job with the comic relief since after painful, dramatic, and depressing scenes, the anime usually focuses on the two co-workers to lighten up the mood, but most viewers would say that these scenes of comedy ruin the impact of the sadder moments. The ending itself also left me feeling unsatisfied. After watching this emotional rollercoaster, I expected the ending to be nothing short of spectacular, but instead it was just a 'good' ending.

Some other stuff I would like to point out is that the first two episodes serve as an introduction to the main story. I would highly recommend to continue watching until at least the third episode. The first episode gives the impression that it's going to be a bland, generic, 'highschool life' anime, which this is definitely not. After watching the second episode though, most everyone continues watching to see what happens next. Personally, I absolutely loved this anime and I'm incredibly bias towards giving this a perfect 10. However, that wouldn't be fair to those who are actually using this review to decide whether or not to watch KGNE, so I have pointed out some of the faults this anime has. Overall, I would say if you enjoy dramas, then I would recommend this wholeheartedly. However, if you're more action oriented, expect explosions, and do not particularly enjoy the 'slice of life' genre, you might not enjoy KGNE, but I would still say check this out.

Rating

+ Good, realistic character designs
+ Interesting story with a good theme tying it all together
+ Excellent depiction of human emotion
- Some pacing issues
- Some misplaced comic relief

9 out of 10 read more

Kimi ga Nozomu Eien is one of the anime that I know is not perfect, but I can't find any category to deduct points on. Thus, I had to hurt the enjoyment score. In short, Kimi ga Nozomu Eien bridged the connection between drama and anime. Structure-wise, it is probably one of the best drama anime, due to its non-stop, suspenseful, concise storytelling in only 14 episodes. The mistake of many drama series is to drag out the same dramatic plot for 24 episodes, but Kimi ga Nozomu Eien knows when to stop so the drama doesn't grow tedious. There's no fillers, guest appearances, or any of the sort. From the beginning to end, nothing was left out, and nothing was excessive.

Disclaimer: It is impossible to completely review this anime without giving up some minor spoilers. If the above paragraph convinced you to watch the anime, then please do so without reading on. If it did not, then you can read on; no major spoilers are present.

Story: 10/10

If I had to pick the anime with the best plot, it would have to be Kimi ga Nozomu Eien. Not only does the plot draw you in captures your attention, it is also unique in many ways: It takes on life during and after a relationship, not so much two people trying to convince themselves that they like each other for 20 episodes. In this way, the audience does not need to any unnecessary funny introductions or excessive blushing, but rather, the first episode sufficiently provides all the information needed to move on.

Just when the anime was starting so look like a typical high school romance, disaster strikes, deeply affecting the four friends. This is when Kimi ga Nozomu Eien enters a three year time skip, frequently revealing what happened during that time through short flashbacks. The plot from here on is very unsettling and highly subjective, exploring many major themes such as friendship, betrayal, love, aspirations, endeavors, and escaping from reality. All of this comes together at once, consistently driving the story forward to the very end.

Art: 9/10, Sound: 10/10

Although the art was decent, the 9 rating goes to the portrayal of human emotions. As you can expect for a drama series, this aspect is very important and crucial to complementing the dramatic plot. All of this was done brilliantly in accompany with great background music. I can relive, in my head, half of Kimi ga Nozomu Eien's final episode because the series integrates the aspects of art and sound so well that the series becomes memorable.

Music alone deserves a special mention. For the first and second episodes of the anime, there were no opening sequences. That doesn't mean that the anime did not have an opening. The opening starts out with a scene with Mitsuki swimming and Haruki watching, Takayuki and Shinji talking under a tree, and all of this was accompanied with soft, soothing music. The ending for the first episode was nothing except Mitsuki silently listening to the Haruka's voice on the answering machine as the credits roll by. In fact, it wasn't until the second episode that there was an ending. This ending sequence, called Rumbling Hearts, is the second best ending sequence I have ever seen; it continues the story from the second episode in an amazing way. The best, however, is Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, the ending for the 14th episode. It is an emotional sequence, summarizing the entire series with the lyrics of a song. In my opinion there could not have been a better way to end the series, and the conclusion of Kimi ga Nozomu Eien is probably the reason why the series is still my number one favorite.

Character: 10/10

Three of the four original high school students were presented with the utmost detail. The fourth, however, was not. While some people did not like this, I am very comfortable it. Even though the story is technically about the four high school students, the plot was only between three, so the (dis)appearance of Shinji for some time was understandable. He did play a very big role later on in the plot, although it did not explore much more about him that we couldn't already assume in the first two episodes. I agree with this decision to turn Shinji into a supporting character because it clarifies the plot without leading it into confusing territories.

With this anime specifically, supporting characters are one of its most important elements, maybe even more so than the main characters. It was the main characters' actions that created the plot, but it was Akane, Shinji, Fumio, and others that actually drive the plot forward. And then there's Ayu and Mayu, the well-needed comic relief of the series. The balance of character development in Kimi ga Nozomu Eien was perfect down to the very last character, neither too excessive or lacking.

Enjoyment: 7/10

The first time around this series will be excrutingly painful. No matter which female lead you like, there will be moments where you feel very sad and sorry for a character, and it is just not a story you will want to sit through and enjoy. Even though I'm a pretty tough guy, I was teary for certain scenes of the final episode. It doesn't really have a great re-watching value either, but one time watching through it is all you need. You will end up watching specific scenes over and over again though, so you can be prepared for that. It is enjoyable once it's over, but it might not while you're watching it.

Overall: 10/10

All that aside, it is an excellent series that you have to watch and experience. It is not for everyone; people who haven't watched a drama or romance series should not start with Kimi ga Nozomu Eien. There are several memorable moments, such as the train station in episode two, Haruka telling the story of the fairy in episode fourteen, and Akane reading Haruka's story in episode fourteen. If you are looking for a deep yet concise drama/romance that doesn't drag on endlessly, then Kimi ga Nozomu Eien for you. I highly recommend it to all who can stand a little bit of drama.

Akane: "Heave-ho, heave-ho, heave-ho. This is how Haru found the real treasure."

Hontou no Takaramono (The True Treasure)
-Murakami Haruka read more

Wow... this is a great anime... and belive me, I'm not a big fan of romantic animes and somehow this one ended up in my top10.

Story, Characters
This is not your normal happy, romantic, shallow, childish, idiotic, puffy pink harem anime that i hate so much, even dough it has the triangle love story... it's quite the opposite, it's realistic, dramatic, depressive and really deep and somehow it managed to impress me so much that it even gave me tears... and belive me, I'm not an emotional guy at all so tears are rare with me.

It starts like a normal, generic, romantic anime but it really takes a huge and tragic turn that will keep you on an emotional ride like you never experienced in a romance/shoujo. You might hate Takayuki or even simphatize with him and the difficult situation he's in and the imposibile choice he has to make, you'll really feel sorry for the two girls, Haruka and Hayase and you'll blame the director for all the suferince they are going through... but in the end you'll really be happy you had the chance to see such a great anime.

Animation
The animation is shoujo, big eyes and cute faces, apropiate to the genre, but it looks like they didn't give too much atention to the animation or they didn't have the money for it, but I can forgive them for that and still give them a full grade since this anime impressed me much and I got really sympathetic with the characters.

Sound:
The music was just right with the situation, and the Ed song is a real masterpiece, being sooo smooth and romantic, just a delight to the ears. The voice acting was good and belive, it has to be since it involves expressing many feelings, but moslty sadness.

Only problem:
... one thing that really bothered me was the restaurant duo, yeah the two little girls who seem to be a reminisence from the hentai game that this anime was inspired. the little girls ruined the mood, had no real importance and effect in the story development and if you think about it from the realism point of view i really doubt that in Japan they let 12 years old kids work in restaurants (minors aren't allowed to work)... but

I'm not gonna lower a story or character point for that since these chapters were brilliant, i'm gonna lower one from the animation who wasn't 10 worthy anyway, just to show this anime wasn't perfect.

Value and Enjoyment:
In the end it's more that a romantic triangle story... it's about a tragedy, an imposibile choice and in the end about passing life's hard obstacles and growing up... we are all moving and "the eternity you wished for" is just a moment that passed.

What can i say.... even if you're not a romance fan, watch this, there's always an exception to the rule, i know this one was for me! read more

Rumbling Hearts (Kimi ga Nozomu Eien) is another anime that I checked out because of a recommendation on this very site. Right off the bat I’m going to say I have a sort of love/hate opinion of this anime. On the one hand I think the story is pretty good, the characters are for the most part written well and the music is excellent. However there are three underlining issues I had with this show.

First problem. Somewhere along the line in the making of this show the writers somehow got the idea into their heads that this story needed comedy for balance. Sometimes that is needed for certain stories but for a tragic love story like this the comedic element had no right being in there. Take a look at Voices of a Distant Star do you think that story needed humor, of course not. The problem is that not only is the comedy not funny its not even balanced at all, it just randomly pops up jolting you out of the mood of the story. The comedy comes in the form of two young girls that work in the family restaurant with Takayuki. All I can say about them is that there are so many words I can use to describe this element of the story; stupid, pointless, annoying, jarring, unnecessary, not funny you get the idea. The two characters just ended up being this sort of out of place scratch on perfectly good story. Takayuki doesn’t even seem to be the same person when he’s around these two characters, like he doesn’t even have all this drama going on in his life. Fortunately these comedy scenes don’t appear too often, and when they do the fast forward button is your friend. They contribute approximately zero to the plot and the point of the story.

Second problem. Takayuki and Haruka’s initial ‘courtship’ I suppose you could call it, is way too short. It starts a bit abruptly in the first episode and only goes on to the end of episode 2 which is when “tragedy strikes” as stated in the synopsis. In the story it’s implied that the relationship went on for weeks but as a viewer all we really got were two episodes of it. Although I thought it was an interesting move to shift time to when the characters are in their 20s, those scenes of Haruka and Takayuki together in the second episode are the best scenes in the whole series and it really would have been nice if they’d gone on longer.

Now if it was just these two two things I could’ve lived with it and gave the show top marks but this final issue is a doozy, a major point of contention among people that liked this anime. The ending. Obviously I’m not going to say what it is, but never in all the time I’ve been watching anime have I disliked and disagreed with how they ended a series, and I’ve seen evangelion. I’m not saying that the ending made no sense or that they didn’t wrap everything up properly, I just really really disagree with how they dealt with it. The thing with romance stories is that it’s all about the ending, if you don’t like that then what came in-between doesn’t really matter. The closer it got to the end more I got the feeling I wasn’t going to like where each of the main characters was going to end up when the music stopped. I mean this seriously bugged me afterward and I can’t help but feel that it was the intention of the writers. If you’ve provoked a strong emotional response with the viewer then I think you’ve succeeded at something. Whether or not it matters if it’s a negative or positive response is debatable.

I could quite easily do a fairly objective bullet-point tirade on how much I disagree with the wrap up of Rumbling Hearts but that would require major spoilers across the board. But despite all my ramblings on the ending there is light at the end of the tunnel, something that saves this anime for me. It comes in the form of the four episode OVA called Kimi ga Nozomu Eien ~Next Season~, it was released a few years after the initial anime. The existence of this OVA only goes to reinforce my belief that there were many people that weren’t happy with the original ending. This OVA essentially rewrites the ending to the way it should have gone, as well as putting in new flashback dialogue to make the ending work with what came before in the original story.

So if you are new to Kimi ga Nozomu Eien then I recommend your viewing to go like this: watch the anime up to the second last episode (13) and forget about the last episode (14). Then watch the OVA. This will deliver a much more satisfying and better ending. It will also be how I plan to watch this when I decided to see it for a second time. read more

You know what? I really can't not give this a ten personally, because I was able to relate to the main character completely thought the entire show, right up to his decision in the end. Me and Takayuki pretty much both had the same issues, especially the avoidance and misplaced senses of loyalty and responsibility. So needless to say, Rumbling Hearts (which seriously needs a better freaking name. I hate trying to recommend this to people, it sounds like the pilot for Days Of Our Lives) was personally a show I was extremely moved by. It won't reach every viewer so well, but from a strictly technical standpoint it also deserves some serious credit.

Story; 10. I can tell you now that I enjoy seeing realism in anime, to a certain extent. Wild shows can be fun too, but we simply don't get to see enough anime that has a realistic and relatable plotline and cast. That said, Rumbling Hearts is a show that had realistically shows a group of friends struggles through growing up. The script is really what sells it, and I am happy to say that it's written masterfully. I really was caught off guard by the quality of the writing, because as good as some shows are, you can really feel the cheese in the dialogue; This was not an issue here, and there were character monologues that carried the characters above simple representations of human suffering for me on many occasions. I can't stress enough how well written this is. The script alone would make a good novel.

Art; 9. It's a small bit aged by now, but the art is still good. The color palette is nice, the girls are cute too, and not in a Yoko way where I can tell they are simply TOO hot to ever exist. It was a nice change (though I do love me some Yoko. She can save my earth any day, even though I know she never will cause she's a cartoon ;__;) All in all, good art. Oh, and the DVD boxart inside is very very nice!

Sound; 8. This was iffy. On few, but existant occasions, the sound caught my ear and all I could think was "wow. bad music." However, most background BGM isn't intended to be FREAKING GREAT MAN, and this was far from the worst. So, I only docked it two points.

Character; 10. Takayuki, as stated before, is pretty much me. I was so infuriated at his struggle, and only moreso when I really thought about how I would have made the same mistakes as him myself. He's relatable to anyone who avoids things, is indecisive and feels responsibility, and loyalty to everyone around, but doesn't know who to be most loyal to. And if this describes you, like myself, you're going to really get a kick in the gut from Rumbling Hearts. This characters power is enhanced a tenfold by a supporting cast that I am sure other fans will relate with. They were all o well done, and I really applaud the script for allowing this amazing characterization to take place.

Enjoyment/Overall; 9. This show is nothing new, but is so well done that it may as well be. Much like Welcome To The NHK, the stunning realism that applied to me personally really got to me, and this is a show I know I'll never watch again but will also never forget. It's powerful stuff, so drama fans should not turn up this glistening jewel. read more

Story: 10
The story was really original and while I started it off thinking it would be some lame school days knock off I can look back now saying I was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't. The story is really compelling and the ending felt just right. Don't be fooled by the synopsis.

Characters: 10
The way the characters are represented it feels like you've known them forever and you really get attached and into the story more through them, which is how characters are supposed to be. You may start disliking some of the characters at first but then you realize that you're wrong in your assumptions about them.

Sound: 10
The ending song really fit the story and the story always left off at a very dramatic moment with the end music amplifying it, I didn't believe that any of the voices were out of place or didn't fit the characters and all of the syncing was fine. (Note this show is dubbed, but I watched it subbed so I have no idea of the dubbing quality of the show)

Animation/Art: 10
The backround's were always beautiful and fitted the feelings wonderfully and the characters all had a very new and crisp look despite this show being 4-5 years old. I also cannot recall any moments where the characters randomly look different (you guys know what I mean) which is pretty rare.

Overall/Enjoyment: 10/10
I really liked this story the more I watched it and before I even realized it I got hooked onto the plot and started talking to the screen telling the main character what to do and thinking what I would have done. I wasn't disappointed at all by the ending or what the main character ends up doing and I hoped it would turn out that way and it did. I cried at the end of this show, and in fact I cried a few times during the last episode, think what you want. A 2nd season exists and I might watch it, but the ending leaves off well enough to not need to.

read more

Title: Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien

Game, Anime: Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien was originally a PC dating sim released in 2001 by age, and was later ported as a family-friendly version known as Rumbling Hearts to the Dreamcast by Alchemist (who also did a port of Aria the Natural and Bincho-tan), and to the PS2 by Princess Soft.

The anime itself was produced by Studio Fantasia (who also produced the Saikano OVA and did the animation for The End of Evangelion), and directed by Tetsuya Watanabe (who also produced the Tsubasa and xxxHOLIC movies). It ran on Japanese TV from October 5th, 2003 to January 4th, 2004, and has been licensed Stateside by Funimation; the third and final volume was released March 27th of this year.

Story: The first few episodes focus on the developing relationship between two high-schoolers (Takayuki and Haruka), and how Haruka's friend (Mitsuki), who also has feelings for Takayuki is dealing with this. Don't immediately write this off as your stereotypical shoujo romance, though; in the second episode, Haruka gets into an accident that sends her into a coma. The next episode picks up three years later, with Mitsuki and Takayuki in a relationship, and Haruka just coming out of her coma. The rest of the series is centered around what happens because of Haruka's waking up.

This is one of the best romances I've seen in a good long time. There's a real push-and-pull between Mitsuki and Haruka, whereas you're clearly meant to side with one or the other in most series. Also, one of the reasons for the first two episodes, which may seem unnecessary at first glance, is to establish all the characters and get you involved before they start getting into the real meat of the story. And damn, does the actual story of the series deliver. Like Saikano, if this series doesn't make you cry, or at least get close to it, at least once, you're a heartless bastard.

There's one thing I didn't like about this series, though: all the female characters. Yeah, I understand that there's going to be a lot of them, what with it being based off a dating sim and all, but about half of them were simply two-dimensional and simply put there comic relief. Here's the thing: they could've limited the story to just Mitsuki, Takayuki, Shinji (another one of Takayuki's friends), the girl he's pursuing, Haruka and her family, and the series wouldn't have suffered at all, though it would've been a bit more depressing.

Also, if you don't like the way the series turned out, there is an OVA that's due to come out on December 21st in Japan that gives the happy ending for the girl who didn't end up with Takayuki (what, you thought I'd spoil it for you?).

Art: I love the way they did the eyes in this series. I know that's an odd thing to pick out, but they really stuck out to me. Otherwise, the art's pretty standard; good quality, and pretty. The only real color scheme I noticed was a tendency towards blues, purples, and greens, which are some of my favorite colors.

Music: The OP and ED aren't anything to write home about, really; the OP's the standard female upbeat number, and the ED's a female balladish-type of song. The background music's heavy on strings and piano, and it's nice enough, but it doesn't really stand out all that much.

Length: Just the right length; honestly, I probably couldn't have taken any more than what they had here, and any shorter than this, and it would've screwed the story over.

Seiyuu: Takayuki's seiyuu also played Seiji in Midori no Hibi and Eusis in Nishi no Yoki Majo: Astraea Testament, and Daisuke Ono shows up in a throwaway role, so that's a nice touch. Good cast, overall.

Overall: An excellent story with a strong emotional core that gets you invested in all its characters and pretty eyes.

Story: 8/10
Art: 8/10
Music: 7/10
Length: 8/10
Seiyuu: 8/10

Overall: 39/50; 78% (C) read more

"Being too kind is also cruel." this may be true in a love triangle. Eventhough KGNE is a romance/drama anime, you will find it focusing more on realism or a slice of life type.

Imagine yourself a lover, a loved one, a sister,a friend, someones who wants to achieve something in life, or in short what any normal person would be. this anime portays such characters and the circumstances due a love triangle that they must overcome.

If you are looking for an anime that touches your heart and involves real life experiences in relationships, this will take you through an epic series of emotional rides, at the same time, leaving you to raise questions in every part.

I highly recommend this to anyone. KGNE is no doubt one of the best animes when it comes to either romance, drama or slice of life genre. Expect to being feeling depressed when you watch this anime, along with a beautiful ed song.

read more

If you like drama this is it hands down. This indeed is a slice of life more revolving around romance. It has all the twists and turns you'd find in a drama. The best part is how you really get to know the characters in 14 episodes. The dialogue is very well done, and every line is a shot throguh the heart. One thing is for sure whether you'll like the anime or not you wont stop watching to see what happens next.

Story:

The story starts out very cute, and somewhat childish but that is hardly the case. After a few episodes it becomes more and more serious and by the end you realize the impact the short but sweet series actually had on you.

Art:

Good animation, beautiful backgrounds and memorable scenes. Nothing else really to say. Wasn't perfect.

Sound:

The sound was very memorable and I love the music. It was kind of subtle but at the same time it contributed to the whole atmosphere

Character:

By far the best part of the series. You'll get attached very easily. Characters have their faults, epiphanies, you name it. You'll find you're extremely confused on which character you want the most and the person you want to be happy.

Enjoyment:

Very short series, but oh so sweet.

Overall:

Loved it, I would recommend it to anyone with a soft heart that loves romantic comedy stories. Very high on my list of best anime! read more