Ranked #4436

Tenshi Nanka ja Nai

I remember loving the manga, which, as everything written by Ai Yazawa, shows lively characters with real, deep emotions and issues.
The problem with this OVA is obvious even before watching it: it's a 30-minute video out of an 8-volume series. It doesn't expect to represent the entire plot, but even the slice taken in consideration by the OVA is really shrunk, and everything happens so fast that there's no time for the characters to develop their feelings or to show their complex personalities, which is a big part of what makes Yazawa's stories wonderful, nor it's possible for the viewer to really get attached to the characters, especially without having the manga in mind. The plot of the OVA is a bit meaningless, by itself, it feels like some things are happening, without real reason or a final resolution.

That said, it's a surprisingly good effort, considering all the issues I've mentioned. The art and animation is as good as one can expect from such an old anime, but not really worth watching, especially if you haven't read the manga.
If you're a die-hard fan with 30 minutes of spare time, and have nothing better to do, watch this, but don't expect too much. read more