Ranked #5123

Akane Maniax

Story:

The overall story is pretty good. I really liked all the obstacles the main character had to overcome just to get accepted. However, the ending was a little disappointing but at the same time reasonable as well as weird and funny. Also, this OVA is really funny at times especially all of the mecha parodies introduced into the story line.

Animation:

Not much to say here, but clean, crisp animation expected out of an OVA. Especially, the comedic scenes.

Sound:

There's not much of a soundtrack to this OVA, just your typical instrumental background music. You don't really notice it at all. It really doesn't make much of an impact during the more serious scenes.

Character:

By far the main character Jouji Gouda is one of my favourite anime characters. You can't help but admire his determination even when faced with many difficult obstacles. Although, he still shows his human side of getting down every now and then, but sure enough his strong determination picks hims up out of the gutters. If anything, Jouji is the reason to watch this OVA just to experience his character. However, my one pet peeve is that his imagination is so random that it kind of gets annoying at times and I feel it interferes with the story. In addition, Akane Suzumiya's character is done pretty good as well. This OVA gives you a better understanding of Akane's character. However, the secondary characters don't make much of an appearance and are there just to solemnly interact with the two main characters.

Enjoyment:

This series is really funny and gives you a light-hearted view of Kimi ga Nozomu Eien's character Akane Suzumiya. But again, the star of this OVA is definitely Jouji Gouda. I had a really good time of witnessing Jouji's efforts in convincing Akane of his love.

Overall:

Overall the series is very good. It's especially great if you're looking for something light-hearted and funny. It also does a fairly good job (although slightly) of epiloguing Kimi ga Nozomu Eien. The only thing I would change is to provide more screen time for the secondary characters since some of them appear to be very interesting and having less time for Jouji's flamboyant imagination scenes. read more

Akane Maniax, almost to be considered a "sort of " sequel to the Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien (Rumbling Hearts) anime. Of course, this is only for recognition and this OVA is to be treated as an OVA and nothing else - it is only a spinoff.

I'd be happy to consider if I'm being biased towards my opinion on this show, since I have afterall watched Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien earlier and grown accustomed to the characters; coincidentally, in particular Akane Suzumiya. With that said, it should not come in the way of judging this anime objectively, since it is rather hard not to treat it as a stand-alone anime. Why do I say this? Afterall, it does include references to Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien, and some of these references cannot even be fully understood without watching said anime, particularly references about previous relationship(/-issues) - but having said that, Akane Maniax doesn't incorporate these references to their fullest making the story a quite bit awkward mix of "OVA"/"spinoff". To me, it was however quite difficult to treat it completely as an OVA, and at times Akane Maniax even assumes that the audience hasn't seen Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien to begin with.

Having treated it as a stand-alone anime, judging its story was not difficult at all, since it is quite horrendous.. Judging it firmly based on its own soil, its own attempt to be a story - conclusion is obvious. No, the story isn't anything to write home about, but maybe that wasn't what the directors were aiming for either. No matter if you see it as a "sort of sequel", following Gouda's attempts at getting Akane's heart, or as a stand-alone anime where a certain unknown character is attempting at getting a certain known character's heart - you really never get to the point that you care or wish that you cared. Not even having a slight bias for Akane, a character which I dearly took fancy to in Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien, do I ever begin to wish that I cared for her life or love-life. Again, you ask yourself whether or not the directors were really trying to aim to achieve a love-story of the century with a very lovable character. I think not, and I think you won't either, if you're about to watch the show. With this said, the story is indeed poor and it does not get better - but remember that it is only an OVA, and should maybe only be considered viewing after watching Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien-- for that little extra Akane screen-time, not forgetting the extra touch of fanservice that is oh so typical, but perhaps nothing that should be complained about in this case.

Getting to the art, it is not bad at all. If you watched Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien you will notice that the art is not different enough to warrant any complaints. Of course, having said this it is nothing 'special' or out of the ordinary. This, is nothing to complain about.

The music, was forgettable. Both intro and extro, gosh, I don't remember it even now. But I remembered not having any arguments with it and so it was enjoyable in a slight degree. Sadly, it is all too hard to judge something you don't remember too well. Forgettable but enjoyable.

The characters were not bad at all, although all too odd. And now I'm not even talking about Gouda. Whilst red hair and blue hair isn't impossible to get (I'm talking about Akane and Mits(z?)uki in particular) and was seen in Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien - the appearances of some of the characters in Akane Maniax is wildly out of tune. It does afterall happen in the same 'world' as Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien so not judging it based on that would be unfair, even if the story can be judged as a stand-alone. So, going to the wildly out of tune characters I suddenly see a girl in pink hair with nekoneko (I mean cat, excuse me) appearances. It felt odd, like she didn't belong there. She was pleasant to watch, and although she of course didn't have much lines in a 3-episode OVA, you can still forgive her. But in the world of Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien, it did feel somewhat wrong. Akane I've already covered, she is pleasant, although not the breath of fresh air she wasn't a character trying to be someone she wasn't from the beginning, so this is all in tune - and indeed the Akane Suzumiya we know from Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien. The protagonist (or, really?) in the show, Gouda, who we follow - is however crazy, and as stated in other places I felt too that he was oddly placed. His humour and wild imagination is however the only "great" thing about this OVA, and is perhaps the only reason besides Akane screen-time (if you like it) to watch this anime as it is quite amusing sometimes, bordering on insane (still, funny). Thus, the anime's enjoyment is raised a notch, and whilst the anime isn't great you probably still won't hate it enough. It's enjoyable to a certain degree, owing to the director's wish to make it a comedy. Love-story? No. Comedy? Kinda. And still pleasant enough not to hate.

Still pleasant enough not to hate? That sounds harsh, but I really felt that way. My own personal recommendation however would be that, if you are going to watch this show, at least watch Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien first (if you haven't yet you really need to anyway) and only consider this OVA as a little bit of extra cream on the cake. read more