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Jun 21, 2018
(Review is spoiler-free.)
The agonizing wait for a good vanilla yuri anime has ended. Asagao to Kase-san brilliantly delivers a finely crafted lesbian love story, with romance and drama blended in perfect proportion.
Vanilla yuri fans have had a rough time when it comes to original anime or adaptations. Although there have been tons of series with undertones of lesbian relationships, outright and/or serious lesbian romance hasn't really graced anime since Sasameki Koto and Aoi Hana (2009) or Sakura Trick (2014). With the recent advent of adaptations of derivative yuri series Netsuzou Trap and Citrus, I had hoped that this would herald a revival in good old
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vanilla yuri romance.
And it did with this fantastic OVA. Let's talk about it.
The story in itself isn't anything special or new. Two girls fall in love with each other - one is more experienced, the other incredibly naive - and they go through the highs and the lows of their relationship. The first couple of scenes establish their relationship very quickly (thank goodness), so the rest of the anime focuses on the nuances of an already established romance. It is wonderfully paced, giving the viewer balanced proportions of sweet fluff and substantial drama and conflict in turns. The conflicts come up very organically and feel very natural in the course of the characters' relationship, and they're interspersed with sweet scenes that paint the relationship with further detail. The climax of the story is nothing new, but it was built up and executed well. As a result, the anime is a very tidy hour-long package, smoothly summarizing multiple volumes of the manga in a well-paced and well-executed manner.
The OVA is finely crafted, with excellent art style, music, and voice acting. The characters look and sound incredible, and animation is excellent - you can feel the emotions displayed by the characters from the screen. Music comes up appropriately and with impact, further tempering the mood being expressed in the scenes. Such great execution was very critical to enjoying the story being presented in this OVA.
I actually do not share the complaints of this OVA being too short or not covering enough material. It covered very pertinent strains of the manga and stands alone very well as a fantastic summary of the series. In fact, I had not read the manga before watching this and had a very effortless viewing experience despite my lack of prior knowledge.
If Asagao to Kase-san is any indication of what the future holds for vanilla yuri romance, I am incredibly excited. What the OVA lacks in novelty it more than makes up with solid execution of a high-quality vanilla yuri plot, making for a highly enjoyable romantic anime.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Dec 23, 2015
TL;DR: Very light-hearted, fluffy, and sweet read that will enamor any girls' love fan!
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Story: The premise is relatively simple. Haru, a young, sheltered woman, is married off to Sensei, an older woman who writes novels for a living. Having no idea of what is expected of her as Sensei's wife, Haru putters around awkwardly as she tries to settle down and resolve her feelings - and Sensei is too busy to notice! It's a very light premise that mostly serves to set the stage for the blossoming romance and the slice-of-married-life fluff. There's not much to keep track of: there's the two main characters and
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two (and counting) supporting characters, and Haru and Sensei dominate most of the manga.
Art: Pretty! The color covers for each book are very beautiful and pleasing to look at. The actual manga also features clean and pleasing art reminiscent of Fu-fu - a little leaning on the moe style but not to an extreme super-deformed form. The art style changes for emphasis and to show emotion or highlight a certain scene, but is mostly very pleasing to look at. The cat ears are a very large bonus!
Characters: It's definitely not unique - sheltered girl awkwardly puttering around (more) experienced girl - but characterization is solid for the most part. There definitely was not that much needed to get this story going, but the differences between Haru and Sensei give more than enough material to play interactions off with.
Enjoyment: It's fluffy, it's sweet, and it's shoujo-ai. If you're into light-hearted girls' love, you'll like this a lot!
Ending remarks: You know what you're looking for when you got into this page, and it's exactly what you'll get - fluff, sweet fluff. Expect no more and you'll have a great time!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Nov 24, 2015
TL;DR: Pleasant, lighthearted fare with hints of romantic friendship. Great for slice-of-life, comedy, and shoujo-ai readers!
I love Fujieda Miyabi's works. They are very easygoing works that are great entry-level reads for the slice-of-life and shoujo-ai genres. "Alice Quartet Obbligato" does not stray from this, although it has a much heavier focus on slice-of-life and character. That said, it still has hints and traces of romance for the girls' love reader to enjoy.
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Story: Consistent with Fujieda's works, this manga has a very simple premise that acts more like a backdrop than an actual story. Four girls work to design and make clothes in the clothier shop
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Alice Quartet, and they talk and interact with each other as they work. There is a lot of comedy in this manga, and there is a very lighthearted and easygoing tone throughout the work. The romance comes in the latter chapters, and it does feel a little rushed - thankfully, that is far from the main focus of this work.
Art: Pretty, graceful, fancy. These girls not only make fashion, but have great fashion sense - great character and costume designs all around, critical for a manga about clothes. Clear lines in the drawing further emphasize the elegance Fujieda bestowed on his characters. Most of the panels have simple or no background, focusing instead on the characters and dialogue.
Character: Nothing unique, and all of them more or less fall into some sort of archetype. Fumi is quiet and hardworking; Suika is vibrant and enthusiastic. That said, the interactions work very well and they play off with each other smoothly in every chapter.
Enjoyment: Very pleasant, very lighthearted fare. Think of it as a snack - it's a short manga that can be read in one or two sittings, and works effectively as a breather between more serious or longer works. It's very accessible for people new to slice-of-life, comedy, or shoujo-ai, and I recommend it as one of your first reads!
Overall: I really enjoyed this manga, although it isn't particularly unforgettable or striking. If you're looking for something to tide you over or for a short change of pace, I highly recommend giving this an hour or two of your time.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Oct 21, 2015
This review is spoiler-free.
TL;DR: Stuffed the essence and all the good things of the Tamayura franchise in around an hour: heartwarming from the first minute to the last, substantial and realistic character development, great pacing, and the same relaxing atmosphere we all have loved. I look forward to watching the next two movies!
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Story: The first movie did not really give viewers much of a clue as to how the four movies will end the story of Potte and friends - and all the better for how great they started things off with this movie. The conflict - centered around the characters' plans for the future
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- was introduced slowly and gently, and the characters dealt with it with an aggressive decisiveness that we've seen in the past TV seasons. It's almost like a whole new season wrapped up in an hour! Even then, the pacing definitely was not rushed and the movie instilled the franchise's trademark gentle healing feeling.
Art and Sound: In one word - "gentle". Art features soft colors - not pastels like in "Hourou Musuko", but not bright vibrant colors like in "Sore ga Seiyuu". The visuals are very pleasing and easy to look at and are of very high quality. Sound is very atmospheric and relaxing, fitting the movie.
Characters: The characters shone incredibly brightly in this movie. Amazing development from Norie and Kaoru - the two highlighted characters for this movie - and their distinctness is highlighted in how differently they reacted and dealt with the problem presented to them in the movie. This was one of the things I've liked about Tamayura - its characters are vibrant and very distinct, shown not only by their visual design or speech but by how they interact with one another and how they deal with problems or events.
Conclusion and remarks: Heartwarming from beginning to end, with character development and insight that rivals that of an entire season, with a great pacing that does not seem too rushed. This currently is the pinnacle of the Tamayura experience and I have nothing but good words to say about it, save for minor inconsequential complaints. This has only served to raise the bar for the third and fourth movies, and judging from how great it has been, it's going to be an amazing ride to the end.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Oct 20, 2015
TL;DR: Trademark relaxing "healing" as expected of the franchise, small hints of the end of the story between the four girls. Works well as a recap or refresh episode after "More Aggressive".
If new to this series, I recommend watching the OVA and two TV seasons before starting this - however, this movie works as an introductory piece as well.
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Story: It actually feels much like an extended normal episode of Tamayura, and the longer airtime led to substantially more and higher-quality scenes and interactions between the cast. The relationships between the four main characters and the supporting cast remain the same as ever. It definitely has
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not lost the trademark healing feeling.
Art: What an amazing jump in quality! I was particularly surprised and impressed by the difference in the character designs, but every visual aspect has shown some improvement as well. That said, the gentle backgrounds and colors seen in the past "Tamayura" works has remained, which only serve to immerse the viewer in a gentle mood.
Sound: Spot-on sound as expected of the franchise. Satou has a great knack at sound direction in both Aria and Tamayura, and it shows. The voice actors remain vibrant and gentle, and their familiarity with the characters shows in their delivery.
Character: Although far from unique, the four main characters interact with each other brilliantly as always. None of the characters seem out of place or lack airtime. The supporting cast holds the main characters up as well, and they do not seem discarded or forgotten. It has been like this since the very beginning, and it's great that this has not been lost even with the amount of character development every main and some regular supporting characters have undergone.
Enjoyment: Trademark "healing" anime feeling, an incredibly refreshing watch after a long day. The extended time only adds space for the producers to fill in the atmosphere and further immerse the viewer in a relaxing, warm, gentle feeling that has been this series' strong point for its entire run.
Overall/Remarks: Fans of "Aria" and "Tamayura" cannot be disappointed with this great addition to "healing" anime, and it can only get better from here!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Aug 31, 2015
TL;DR: A very short and fun story with Fujieda Miyabi's trademark fluff and vibrance. You can't go wrong with reading this in one sitting!
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Story: Very quick and decisive pacing, perfect for the premise shown in the synopsis. Each chapter did its part to develop the characters' relationship and advance the story with very little filler. Don't get me wrong here - it's still fluffy, but it definitely does not waste time!
Art: Simple backgrounds and pleasing character aesthetics are Fujieda's trademarks, reflecting his focus on the characters in his works. Very easy to look at!
Characters: Nothing extraordinary or outstanding - there is a clear power differential
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between Letty and Tsumugi, in this case mostly established through each character's backgrounds. The writing, however, is superb as always, with a very vibrant and exciting tone that does not fail in keeping the reader in a light mood.
Enjoyment: Short, sweet, fluffy. You can even read it in one sitting if you have the time! The story is just paced so well that you won't get burnt out, and it's short enough to not take more than an hour or two.
Ending remarks: A very fabulous, short tale full of excitement. Not the best manga, but certainly a very entertaining one!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Aug 24, 2015
TL;DR: "Virgin Night" stands alone as an explicit film that focused not on titillation but on the awkwardness and tension surrounding two teenagers as they have sex for the first time. Watches more like a drama film than a sex tape. If you want something to fap to, look elsewhere - if you're up for some drama and character interaction with some sex in it, this is right for you.
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Foreword: "Virgin Night" is adapted from the manga by ecchi/hentai mangaka Tanaka Yutaka, most popularly known for "Ai-Ren" or "My Lovely Ghost Kana". Most of his works include vanilla sex to depict the characters' loving and
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passionate relationship. The manga "Virgin Night" features the stories of nine women and their first times; the animated adaptation features the first story, that of Azumi.
Story: Very simple, just as the synopsis put it. There was no seduction or over-the-top plot going on - this is a simple look into the two characters' relationship and their struggling to instill some intimacy with each other. It works well as a backdrop for the characters and their interactions, which takes center stage.
Characters: It is very easy to relate and sympathize with both Azumi and Yuzuru. For a one-off hentai OVA, the characters had a surprising depth and "real" feel to them - that they were more than bodies rubbing against each other in titillating ways. Their interactions paint a very realistic and compelling vision of two inexperienced teenagers going at it for the first time, which is further enhanced by good voice acting lines and points of awkward silence that were on point in emphasizing their situation.
Art: Very mundane and ordinary, exactly what this OVA needed. The animation quality is passable considering it was produced in 2001. Not much to say here.
Sound: There's a distinct lack of background music appropriate for the context of the OVA. Voice acting was great as the actors nailed the characters' awkwardness and interactions.
Enjoyment: This is not a hentai OVA. You can try to fap to this, but honestly this is one of the worst OVAs to titillate yourself with. As a drama, however, this is superb. This will bring a whole lot of nostalgia for people remembering their first times while watching this OVA.
Summary: This is the epitome of "plot with porn" - watch for the characters, not the sex, and you will have a great time. Highly recommended, even if just to take a unique, refreshing look at the explicit animation genre. If you enjoyed this, I urge you to look at the manga and other works by Tanaka.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Aug 14, 2015
TL;DR: A fantastically fluffy and sweet shoujo-ai slice of life series, guaranteed to be a treat for the shoujo-ai fan. Remains enjoyable for other readers thanks to vibrant interactions and quality slice of life content. Read slowly!
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Story: Focuses on the friendship and blossoming romance between Seriho, the owner of the Amber Teahouse, and Sarasa, a high-schooler who works in the tea shop on a part-time basis. The story is mostly sequential - there is a sense of progression as the chapters go on - but there is an episodic feel to it in that each chapter involves different, disconnected events in the lives of the
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two main characters. There's also a good amount of non-story "fluff" in each chapter, but the character development and interaction does not stop at all.
Art: Simple and pleasant backgrounds with a muted color palette that reminds me of Hourou Musuko. The characters are drawn with big, expressive eyes and thin, dainty mouths, and they are sometimes drawn in a super-deformed fashion (think Aria) in more silly or humorous panels. Easy to look at, easy to like - but nothing spectacular.
Characters: Although not unique or groundbreaking, the characters interact in a very vibrant manner to produce a bright and cheerful atmosphere. They can also be very easily distinguished - from the ever-responsible Sarasa to the sheepish Seriho - and the dynamics between them are very clearly seen. This is supported by a high-quality dialogue that performs well and suits the personalities intended by the author.
Enjoyment: I love shoujo-ai, and this is an incredibly enjoyable read that can be difficult to stop. It is equal parts hilarious and sweet, with many lines that tease hints to the relationship between Sarasa and Seriho. Slice-of-life fans can also enjoy the interactions between the characters, girls' love nonwithstanding.
Some final thoughts: "Ameiro Kouchakan Kandan" is very bright and sweet, reminiscent of Aria. It will not fail to enamor shoujo-ai fans and bring smiles to slice-of-life readers, and for everyone else it is a very pleasant read you can take in at a very slow pace. Highly recommended!
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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