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Dec 30, 2010
Note: This review will cover both seasons.
Common sense. It is the set of knowledge and comprehension of the world that society expects you to have. Now imagine a place containing a seemingly jumbled society of unique characters where common sense is naught. The phrase itself hasn’t even entered its lexicon. And yet, strangely, the society is perfectly functional. This is the Arakawa riverbed.
Arakawa Under the Bridge starts off as a rather bizarre romance. Ichinomiya Kou, a self-proclaimed elite, all-around prodigy, falls into the Arakawa River and nearly drowns. He is saved by Nino, an enigmatic young woman who proclaims that she is a Venusian. However,
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Kou was always taught to never be indebted to another person, and now, he owes the biggest debt of all to Nino for saving his life. As a result, Nino has a simple yet imposing request: to fall in love and live with her under the bridge. Thus begins one of the most unique romances in anime history.
Well, it had the potential to be anyway. Alas, the romance is awkwardly paced and its progress is minimal. The series is mainly an absurdist gag comedy fueled by the ridiculous antics of its equally ridiculous (but far from unfunny) characters. Despite its interesting, auspicious premise, there really isn’t much of a plot. It just follows the daily lives of the citizens of the Arakawa riverbed. Sure, the second season features the “trip to Venus” plot, but it was abandoned midway and was rather unfulfilling. That said though, the comedy, on the other hand, is hilarious. Over time, the humor did begin to either stale, feel forced, or just become plain stupid, even by Arakawa’s standards. Certain jokes began to feel predictable. However, at its best, Arakawa had a number of side-splitting moments (in both seasons) where I just burst out laughing uncontrollably. Few anime can do that to me, so I commend Arakawa for that.
The show has an eclectic assortment of interesting and peculiar supporting characters. The Village Chief, a man in a green costume who claims to be a 620-year old kappa, despite the obvious zipper running down his back, and also gives each person living in the Arakawa riverbed their name (Kou becomes “Recruit” or “Ric”). Sister, a bellicose yet ironically calm muscle-man who dresses like a nun. Hoshi, a man wearing a star-shaped mask who vies for Nino’s affection. These are just some of the oddities you’ll find in Arakawa, and most of them, save a few (such as the Amazoness), are endearing characters. A few characters do get tiring after a while though, especially since some of the gags become overused.
The character development is fairly limited. Kou gets the most since he’s the one forced to adapt to new conditions, and we also learn quite a bit about Hoshi, but no one else other than Nino, who ultimately remains an enigma even after the second season, gets much development. Given the nature of the show, that’s fine, but I really would have liked to see more from the Chief and Nino. You see, Arakawa contains some unexpectedly dark implicit themes. They are subtle, but they include failure, rejection, and disillusionment from society and reality. These are people living under a bridge, away from society, after all. They must have some sort of dark past, as evidenced by Hoshi. Understanding the Chief’s reasons for establishing this place and deliberately lying about his true self is key to understanding this society. Maybe that’s too deep for a comedy as outrageous as this, but Arakawa also likes to insert some philosophical crap in the beginning of each episode, so maybe not…? Either way, with its premise, I definitely wanted to learn about Nino’s past and the truth behind her Venusian origins. Unfortunately, the second season never resolves what it starts and the Venus storyline is instead replaced by a shitty fighting tournament.
Anyway, the animation is a bit inconsistent. It can be crisp and beautiful, but it can also be dull and uninspired at times. Also, whenever a character is walking directly towards or away from the camera, they never seem to gain any distance. I know this has been a problem in many anime in the past, but you would think animation studios would have figured out how to correct this by now. Furthermore, there’s an odd tendency for the animators to zoom in on people’s eyes, especially Kou’s. As for the music, it’s average and very forgettable, except for the OP’s and ED’s. I don’t generally care much for OP’s and ED’s, but these ones are notable. The two ED’s by Suneohair are fantastic indie rock songs, and in fact, I have one of the songs, “Sakasama Bridge” from the first season, on my iPod, one of only two songs from anime on it. The OP’s are both decent pop listens as well.
Ultimately, Arakawa is a hilarious comedy with an enjoyable, intriguing cast of characters. The humor of the second season does drop in quality and become more hit-or-miss, but there are still a few laugh-out-loud moments that are sure to please. As a comedy, this is one of the funniest anime I’ve seen. But if you’re expecting the mystery behind Nino to be answered, you’re in for a disappointment. While the possibility for a third season is viable, since the manga is still ongoing, I don’t think the humor can take another hit.
Story: 6
Art: 8
Sound: 7
Character: 8
Enjoyment: 8
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 19, 2010
Suzumiya Haruhi no Shoushitsu is an impressive addition to the Haruhi series, a welcome alleviation to the disastrous fiasco that was the Endless Eight Arc. It marks the return to a more plot-driven series, and the events of the “Bamboo Leaf Rhapsody” episode become a central part to the movie’s story.
The movie starts off on December 16, eight days before Christmas Eve. The first twenty minutes of the movie are pretty much like a typical Haruhi slice-of-life episode, centering on whatever spews out of her mouth. However, come December 18, everything and everyone around Kyon change for better or worse. Haruhi and Koizumi attend a
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different school. Nagato and Asahina are normal people and unaware of their former lives as supernatural monitors of Haruhi’s godlike powers. And of course, the homicidal maniac, Asakura Ryouko, is back, although it seems like she’s just a normal person as well. Kyon quickly becomes paranoid and resolves to solve this major dilemma.
It’s hard to say much about the plot without spoiling it, but it’s captivating, with plot twists that are sure to keep you engrossed, despite its daunting time length and somewhat slow pacing. However, the movie creates an even bigger mess with the timeline, making it even more inextricably complex and creating paradoxes that we’re expected to ignore or forgive. Then again, this isn’t anything new anyways.
What stands out most though in this movie is the character development, namely with Kyon, Nagato, and, to a lesser extent, Haruhi. While still a central character in the movie, it’s somewhat ironic (albeit surprisingly suiting because of the movie title) that Haruhi isn’t the most explored character. Certain ideas are insinuated about her relationship with Kyon and we gain a little more understanding as to what happened that fateful day three years ago. Instead, Kyon and Nagato are the primary focuses of this title. In the TV series, we see Kyon as a sarcastic guy who prefers to eschew Haruhi’s various antics, despite ultimately getting dragged into them. However, in the movie, it becomes clear that Kyon has been deceiving himself all along, and this ultimate realization leads to a fantastic and emotional scene. Also in the TV show, I believe Kyon mentioned that Nagato actually has emotions hidden under her poker face and might even be tired from keeping up with Haruhi’s unremitting tomfoolery. We see what exactly he meant here. Furthermore, Nagato’s “normal” counterpart provides possible insight on who Nagato really is. All the other characters remain the same personality-wise except her. While she is still a reticent bibliophile, she can actually express emotions, blushing, showing fear, etc. And of course, the movie delves further into Kyon and Nagato’s relationship with each other.
Unfortunately, Koizumi has an almost irrelevant part in the plot, although I don’t remember him doing a whole lot in the TV series anyway. Asahina has a crucial role, but we don’t see a whole lot of character development going on with her.
While the movie does a good job answering most of the questions the viewer might have over the course of movie, some things are left unexplained and confusing. Without spoiling the plot, I felt certain things happened without reason or explanation. Nonetheless, these didn’t ruin the experience at all.
The animation is fairly good, but it’s just a slight improvement over what you’re used to seeing with the TV series. To be honest, the music isn’t all that noticeable, though I suppose it helped give the scenes more feeling, and there’s probably only one piece I actually liked. Voice acting is fantastic like always, especially with Nagato, whose seiyuu expresses the emotions in her voice perfectly.
Ultimately, Suzumiya Haruhi no Shoushitsu is pretty damn good. The plot is slow-paced, but highly engaging. The character development is top-notch. It even has some great, emotionally-driven scenes that have the potential to make an impact on you. This movie is a reminder of how good the Haruhi series can be, and for fans who began to doubt the animated franchise after the Endless Eight Arc, this should help to restore a little faith.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Dec 4, 2010
Toradora! tells the story of Takasu Ryuuji and Aisaka Taiga, who happen to have crushes on each others’ best friends. They agree to set each other up, but over time, their relationship with each other begins to flourish as well. Many commonplace settings and situations typical of your average romantic comedy are used in the plots of the episodes, such as pool days, beach houses, culture festivals, etc., so many of the situations here aren’t exactly unique. Instead, Toradora! focuses heavily on character development. The show can be divided into three parts: the light-hearted initial episodes, the middle mini-arcs, and the ending. The first couple
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episodes are much more focused on comedy, which is okay but not great, than on romance or drama. The middle episodes have a ton of character development, though there’s also quite a bit of melodramatic dialogue that made it hard to watch. Finally, there’s the ending, which amalgamates all that development we saw into a superb finish. This was easily the most emotional part of the show, and I was quite surprised at the number of tearjerking scenes there were considering its initial tone.
The characters are some of the deepest and most complex I’ve seen in any romantic comedy anime. Their personas cannot be described in just a few words. In this show, you can’t judge a book by its cover. Viewers and others characters in the show may attribute certain personality traits to each of the main characters, but they aren’t always what they seem.
Ryuuji, the male protagonist, always looks like a pissed-off delinquent because of the eyes he inherited from his late father. In fact, he is a gentle, caring guy who does most of the house work around his household, including the cooking. However, most people are quick to misunderstand him because they’re usually too intimidated to even talk to him. His self-esteem is usually low as a result, and though he is smart, he doesn’t seem to understand himself very well. Despite their polar personalities, it seems suitable that one of the few people to even associate with him is the domineering and irascible tsundere Taiga. Their relationship is certainly unique. While they strive to help each other fulfill their hearts’ desires, they have almost a master-servant relationship, with Taiga often derogatively referring to Ryuuji as a dog or mongrel. Nonetheless, Taiga, who lives alone and can barely take care of herself, develops a reliance on Ryuuji to take care of her and comfort her when she is troubled. Likewise, Ryuuji becomes almost like a father, as one character puts it, to Taiga, worrying about her when she is away.
Then there’re the three other main characters. Kushieda Minori is Taiga’s best friend and the one Ryuuji is chasing after. In my opinion, she’s the most fascinating and complex character of the show. Seemingly an eccentric ditz, she has an ostensible cheerfulness. But when she removes this probable façade, she is shown to have remarkable acumen on this love pentagon. Even she can get riled or depressed under times of distress and it is implied that she puts on her optimistic smile in order to forget and move on. She’s also very caring for others, especially Taiga, and will not hesitate to admirably sacrifice her own desires to support Taiga’s. Taiga’s love interest, Kitamura Yuusaku, is probably the weakest character. He’s friends with everyone in the group but doesn’t exactly have incredibly strong relationships with them, and it seems like his main purpose is to act as a foil to Taiga’s character and balance out the gender ratio of the group. Not that he is unnecessary, but his character development didn’t need to be as comprehensive as it was. And finally, there’s Kawashima Ami. She’s a conceited person acting under the pretense of being considerate and benevolent. However, becoming interested in Ryuuji herself, she possesses the strongest insight of the relationships between the characters, and her profound words to the other characters act as driving forces for their developments and the overall plot. Another major character is Ryuuji’s mother, who becomes significant towards the end. She is childish but is the sole financial supporter for the family. Ultimately, she becomes one of the reasons why I liked the ending so much.
One problem I found with the characters though is their tendency to exaggerate the gravity of their issues (both romantic and general) and overreact to them. Perhaps it’s because of cultural differences, but it seemed kind of strange that their reactions were sometimes so extreme, even for teenagers. For example, Taiga’s near-hatred for her father seemed unwarranted. I mean he’s not a great father, but Taiga abandoned her home on her own will, so the fact that he’s providing her money and wants to see her means that he cares about her somewhat.
As for sound and visuals, they’re standard fare for the most part. Animation is decent, but it looks like a typical modern anime. The background music is great for the emotional scenes, but I’m not a fan of the type of music played for the OP’s and ED’s, so I can’t judge them fairly.
Toradora! is one of the better romantic comedy anime out there. It falls into many traps common with romantic comedies (melodrama, clichéd dialogue, etc.), but makes up for them with strong characterization. While starting out comedic in nature, the show gradually becomes more dramatic as the characters’ relationships are explored. The final few episodes are fantastic (the reason why I bumped this to an 8), retaining the emotion of the middle episodes while brushing away the corny melodrama. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to indulge in a romantic comedy anime. To those ambivalent to the genre, it’s a nice show to try. It’s definitely inspired hope in me for a relatively weak genre full of insipidity.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Nov 7, 2010
Have you ever gotten that feeling of overwhelming sadness once you finish an anime/manga because you know there will never be another one like it in its genre? That was the feeling I got when I finished Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood.
After the controversy of the first Fullmetal Alchemist anime deviating greatly from the manga, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood was created as a completely faithful adaptation of the manga. Despite being a shounen series, Brotherhood adopts a unique, more mature approach to action shounen anime while still retaining the basic qualities of the genre.
The series takes place in a small, but powerful country called Amestris that mirrors Nazi
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Germany. Amestris is a militaristic totalitarian country in which its most powerful figure (well, sorta) is the head of the military, addressed as Führer. There are many other historical references, including imperialistic desires, trench warfare, and an event similar to the Holocaust, and they help us to understand the situation Amestris is in at the start of the series.
The story follows the journey of teenage alchemists Edward and Alphonse Elric, brothers determined to get back their original bodies after a deadly accident following a failed Human Transmutation. As they try to find the legendary Philosopher’s Stone, an all-powerful item that can purportedly return them to their bodies, it becomes apparent that this mysterious object is tied in to every single conflict Amestris has been in. Unlike other shounens’ plots, which are tailored to maximize fighting, FMA’s plot is intriguing and full of genuine suspense. At its core though, the series is an endearing story about the resilient bond between two brothers who’ll never give up until they achieve their goal, despite seemingly impossible odds and obstructing obstacles.
In the series, alchemy is a blend of supernaturalism and chemistry that essentially takes an object and changes or transmutes it into a different object. A highly practical ability, alchemy can be used for medical purposes, fighting, building, etc. As an aspiring science major, this is one part of the series that really impressed me. For instance, there is a scene where Ed is forced to fight a character that can shield his body with diamond, one of the hardest substances on earth. After realizing the makeup of the shield, Ed transmutes the diamond into graphite (both are allotropes of carbon), a much more brittle substance. All the carbon atoms were still present, but now they were rearranged to weaken the shield. The incorporation of chemistry gives the fights so many possibilities. The Law of Conservation of Mass is somewhat applied to alchemy in the concept called Equivalent Exchange. Whatever the amount you use is the amount you receive. Of course, one of the powers of the Philosopher’s Stone is the ability to defy this rule of Equivalent Exchange, a reason why it is so coveted.
Much of the fighting in this series is relegated to close combat (until the final battle). Usually, the combatants are armed with some type of weapon, or if they’re alchemists, they can also transmute projectiles. But sometimes, the fights are as simple as hand to hand combat. Few people have truly unique abilities, especially since most fighting alchemists have similar abilities and the normal people can’t use any supernatural abilities anyway, so you won’t see crazy destructive powers like those of Naruto or Bleach. However, don’t misconstrue the fights to be any less exciting. The action is just as exhilarating, and with the inclusion of alchemy, we often see incredible environmental manipulation. Strategy is important, so the alchemic principle of understanding is sometimes crucial in fights. However, as a shounen that is more plot-driven than most, some of the fights are rather one-sided. After all, fights are supposed to be decided quickly, not take up several episodes and waste our times. Many of the fights serve to advance the plot, so more than anything, we see character development and learn more about the events preceding the series during these fights.
The characters are easily the best part of the series. There are many of them, and they all serve specific roles in the series. The most important ones are given fleshed-out backstories, and through these, we learn about their unique personalities, values, and internal conflicts, as well as get a sense of what exactly happened to lead up to the actual events of the series. Each character has some sort of goal that they hope to achieve, be it a return to a previous life, revenge, becoming the next Führer, or achieving immortality. The main antagonists of the series are the Homunculus, an immortal group of near-invincible creatures with human exteriors. There are seven of them, each one representing one of the Seven Deadly Sins, and much of their personalities and goals are based upon their respective sins. Their mysterious “Father” is the one who created them. These characters are far from one-dimensional. Their psychological conflicts and emotional backgrounds really help you empathize with them. In fact, Fullmetal Alchemist has spawned a number of my favorite characters.
Now, despite all the praise I’ve given to Brotherhood, it does have a few setbacks, although whether these can be called setbacks depends on the viewer. The show often likes to resort to light-hearted slapstick comedy typical of a shounen series. Accompanying this is the occasional use of the chibi style of art. Some people may find this aggravating, although I personally have no problem with it. Also, the pacing of the series is somewhat inconsistent. Initially, the series moves rather quickly, resolving conflicts in only one or two episodes. At times, this gave the series an episodic feel. However, the pacing becomes much more streamlined towards the middle. Towards the latter part of the series, the pacing slows down considerably, and the final arc pretty much occurs within the span of a few hours. Again though, I found no problem with this personally, and the way the show was paced at different parts worked well with the occurrences in the plot.
The music is very suitable for the atmosphere of the show, giving an eerie, serious, ethereal, heartwarming, tragic, or lively feel depending on the scene. It’s not exactly memorable though, but it works. All the OPs and EDs are fairly good as well. On the other hand, the voice acting is perfect for the characters, especially Ed’s voice. Emotions are flawlessly conveyed through the voice actors. The animation is also fantastic. The fight scenes are exciting and flow well. No choppy movements. Occasionally, the faces do look somewhat disfigured and disproportionate (often times Mustang’s), but other than that, the artwork is detailed and generally solid.
Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood was an amazing experience. Its world is so intricate, but gradually, everything is explained in full detail, and it truly is beautifully crafted. This isn’t just another shounen anime. Its incorporation of political, religious, psychological, and philosophical elements and its focus on plot over fighting definitely make it a much more mature series than your typical shounen. At the same time, its slapstick comedy and grand fights are the reason for its shounen tag, but that’s not a bad thing. Also, this is the only action series that has invoked any serious emotion in me, showing that I actually cared about these characters. It is unfortunate to see it end, but all good things must eventually come to an end. This is a shounen that’s done right.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Oct 17, 2010
Note: This review will encompass the main series and the OVAs since they all flow together. There might be some minor spoilers, depending on what you consider a spoiler.
Most shounen fighting anime are generic and clichéd. They follow the same format in nearly every aspect, using trite ideas that have worked before to gain a large, marketable fan base. As a result, you get a shit load of characters with massive, destructive powers and crazy designs. It’s no surprise really, as these shows are geared towards young teens after all, most of whom don’t necessarily care about unique storylines or concepts as long as
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there is a lot of action to satiate their naturally aggressive demeanors.
At first glance, Hunter x Hunter seems to be just another one of those. It uses ideas we’ve all seen before: strong-willed protagonists, last survivors of a race/clan, “ki” energy (called Nen), training to become stronger, tournament arcs, etc. Make no mistake though. For every tired concept it applies, the show has a way of twisting them.
The story is simple. Gon Freecss, a young boy who had always believed his father was dead, finds out that his dad is in fact one of the greatest Hunters in the world. (Hunters are a strong group of people that perform various tasks, be it finding coveted pieces of work, eliminating dangerous criminals, etc.) He sets out to find his father, but first, he must enter the Hunter exam to become a hunter. Along the way, he befriends many people and is caught up with various other situations. The pacing is rather slow in the beginning, admittedly, but patience is rewarded, and you will be quickly addicted once the real action begins.
Many of the characters may seem to follow typical shounen conventions, but don’t mistaken them for your average shounen archetype. For example, while Gon is a determined protagonist with incredible potential, he is often outmatched by clearly superior opponents. In fact, he is portrayed as one of the weaker characters for much of the series. His best friend, Killua Zoldyck, is a cold-blooded assassin who initially seems invincible, but in spite of this, he really is just a fun-loving kid trying to abandon his ruthless methods. Also, as the series progresses, we realize he is far from invincible, and he mentally breaks down when facing stronger enemies. There are many other interesting characters as well, such as Kurapika, an outwardly rational person who really is seeking revenge against the mysterious Genei Ryodan organization after they wiped out his clan, as well as Hisoka, Leorio, etc.
Perhaps the aspect that Hunter x Hunter excels best is in its depiction of the relationships between characters. The pairing of ostensibly polar personalities in Gon and Killua is fun to watch, and we see both of them flourish under the encouragement of one another. Then there’s Hisoka, the creepy, possibly pedophilic clown guy who’s also one of the strongest characters in the anime. He’s a sadist whose only goal is to fight and kill powerful opponents, so he essentially protects his budding seeds (Gon and Killua) until they are ripe for consumption. Anyone who interferes with their developments will likely be killed. The relationships between the various members of the Genei Ryodan are unconventional for your average evil organization. Unlike in other series, in which other members usually mock their fellow colleagues when they’re defeated, some of these guys legitimately care about other members and their well-beings. This is ironic given the nature of the group, a fact later pointed out by Gon.
The fighting and ki abilities, called Nen, in this series definitely diverge from the norm. First of all, major battles aren’t as plentiful as in other shounens. Sure, there is some fighting in each episode, but you’re not gonna see a hundred different fights here. Although the plot isn’t mind-bogglingly complex, this shounen is much more plot-driven rather than just being based all around fighting. As for Nen, this is easily one of the most intricate systems of energy I’ve seen. Basically, all Nen users fall into six different categories: transformation, reinforcement, manipulation, materialization, emission, and specialization. Their hatsu, or unique technique, is centered on one of these groups, and while people can use abilities from other groups, they aren’t nearly as strong as their abilities from their own group. I do have a gripe with the specialization group though, given its “break all rules of Nen” possibilities. Furthermore, there are many basic techniques that Nen users must master, such as hiding their aura, seeing others’ auras, and controlling the distribution of Nen throughout the body in order to defend from attacks and deal stronger blows. While overall power certainly is a major factor to the outcome of fights, this system provides for a much more strategic way of fighting. You don’t necessarily have to be the stronger person to win a fight. Also, you definitely won’t see any random ass pull power ups at critical points of fights.
The artwork is somewhat dated, but it’s understandable since it was made a decade ago. In fact, it’s arguably more preferable, as it gives the show a darker feel to it. By the second OVA though, the animation quality improves dramatically, and designs are slicker, brighter, and more colorful. The music is decent, nothing groundbreaking. It helps enhance the drama of many scenes like it’s supposed to. I especially like the second OP of the main series, which gives an apt atmosphere to that portion of the show.
Ultimately, the anime ends before the manga does at somewhat of a cliffhanger. I would argue that this is probably more preferable than a continuation of the manga because the story diverts from the main plot into its longest arc yet, one that is not very good. Nonetheless, it leaves many unresolved questions unfortunately, but it’s still a great ending. The mangaka also created Yu Yu Hakusho, and you can definitely see similarities, especially in some of the characters’ personalities, but in my opinion, Hunter x Hunter is superior in every facet, including characterization. Shounens aren’t meant to be taken too seriously, but this is one of the few that has substance rather than just the appeal of violence. The genre is stale for the most part, but Hunter x Hunter is one of its few gems. Definitely one of the best.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Oct 11, 2010
Note: This review pertains to both Honey and Clover and Honey and Clover II, since II is a direct continuation of the first series.
What do you want to do with your life? Where do you want to go? How will you get there? What brought you here in the first place? Honey and Clover, a slice of life josei anime, addresses these types of questions. It tells the story of five friends in an art college and their lives and relationships throughout college (and some of them beyond that) as they face various obstacles. The show does a masterful job at exploring the lives and
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personalities of these five students and the people around them.
Although I used to prefer shows with super captivating plots where there are distinguishable heroes and villains, Honey and Clover changed my views on that. There isn’t a grand overlaying plot to this series, and yet somehow, I was just as enamored with it as those other shows, if not more. The characters are just regular college students trying to make the most out of those precious years while searching for direction in their lives. They don’t have incredibly bleak pasts, though they’re not without their troubles. Each character has various predicaments that most people would face in that stage of their lives. Takemoto, the protagonist and narrator, is surrounded by highly capable, successful peers, while he seems to be the most “average” of his friends. He is the most directionless of the group, unsure of how to proceed after college. He quickly falls in love with Hagumi, an extremely talented painter who has body of a child. Despite her abilities, she is shy and suffers from childlike social anxiety. Then there’s Morita, the most eccentric one. Though he appears to be manipulative, greedy, lazy, and just plain odd, he is surprisingly one of the wiser ones of the friends. His life outside of school is mysterious, and he often has long periods of absences where he inexplicably wanders off and comes back with only a large wad of money and extreme fatigue. We also have Mayama, the first to graduate and get a job, who harbors feelings for a disabled woman who’s had a dark past in regards to relationships. Finally, there’s Yamada, who is in love with Mayama. Even though he constantly rejects her, for some reason, she continues to try.
Like in real life, these aren’t static characters. They’re dynamic. They learn through experience and their mindsets slowly change, for better or for worse. It’s interesting to see them develop this way, as we learn about their pasts and their predicaments.
As you can tell, although the plot may seem simple enough, this isn’t a straightforward anime. Through its storytelling, it poses several questions and concepts for the viewers to mull over. It teaches us to reflect on our lives and see what brought us to where we currently are. We must cherish the memories with our friends, but eventually, we will have to move on to the next phases of our lives, in which, often times, we will have to depart from our comfortable lifestyles. This is depicted by the constant image of a wheel turning, symbolizing that we must continue forward and adapt. Time is continuous, and thus so is life, and while we should definitely reminisce, we have to live in the ever-changing present instead of in the past.
Even if you’re not into shows that really examine human emotions and relationships, don’t be turned off by Honey and Clover. The show does an excellent job of mixing comedy and drama. On a mere superficial level, this show is hilarious, filled with memorable scenes, most of them brought upon by Morita. You don’t have to indulge in the deeper scenes to enjoy the show. Even if you don’t like the drama, the comedy is more than satisfying enough to be a reason to watch it.
As for the art and animation, it has a softer feel to it than most other animes due to its watercolor palette. It’s very soothing and natural, and definitely an enjoyable departure from modern conventional animation styles. The music fits the moments well, and while I don’t usually pay attention to OP’s and ED’s, I’ll admit there were a few ED’s I liked that really added to the ending scenes of various episodes.
This anime is a realistic depiction of life. It tells a story of unrequited love, overcoming obstacles, acceptance, and ultimately moving forward. We’re able to connect emotionally with the characters, empathizing with them, because most of us have been in situations similar to theirs. It’s not quite tear jerking, but there are definitely many touching scenes that will make your heart feel heavy. Honey and Clover truly is one of the most beautiful and introspective series I’ve seen. It is a simple, yet profound, story about life.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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