Kimagure Orange☆Road

Roughly twelve years ago, I picked up this anime series. A friend had it on Laser Disc ... LASER DISC. Given that, this should help you understand how old this series actually is. If you can get over the fact that this is a relatively old anime (and the fact that it shows) then this is a very well executed series.

Art:
As stated earlier, this IS an old anime. However, for its time, it was above average and, quite possibly, great. The artistic style really adds to the story (though a couple of the fight scenes were ... awkwardly executed).

Sound:
Again, ... the sound, by today's standards would be sub par. But for its time, it is way above good. The voice acting is way beyond good, which adds to the series story line.

Story/Character:
Without spoiling anything, all I can say is that the story is really good. Really the story is character driven. The three main characters REALLY shine but their personalities are drawn out very well by all of the supporting characters. VERY, VERY well done.

Kimagure Orange Road is a classic and one of my all time favorite anime. While it stands on its own as a love triangle romance/comedy its got some quirky characters and situations thrown in there.

At the very beginning of the anime you find out that the Kasuga family are espers, throw in over the top girl gangs and delinquents and you have a weird concoction with a romance anime.

Watching it today it is a bit dated for visuals, but even so they still work to this day as the animation is good enough that the characters are able to convey the emotions properly. ...

The voice acting is top shelf and the music while corny by todays standards has enough timeless "pop" sound to it that you can still get into it as a guilty pleasure.

While some of the minor characters can be accused of being one dimensional the main three of Kyosuke, Madoka and Hikaru easily stand fully developed. Madoka especially shows the full gamut of emotions in this anime. Yes while it can be argued she is the prototypical tsundere and in some episodes she certainly can be, however those episodes are mainly one and done filler episodes dealing with delinquent characters where as in most of the anime she is showing more girly and kind emotions. Kyosuke is the main character and he is generally likeable albeit the typical indecisive lead character. Hikaru is the other half of the triangle and best friends with madoka, she might be the least complex character as she has a strong crush on Kyosuke and just wants to have fun.

48 eps of tv goodness 2 movies and 8 ovas so the series is not what I would call short, but if you give it a chance it will be over before you know it. This anime is certainly a classic if you like romance anime it really should not be missed.

Kasuga Kyosuke is a typical Japanese 15 year old. He is doing his best to study and meeting the girl of his dreams on his first day on a stroll in his new town. However, the circumstance of his family’s move and the results of this encounter just happen to be the beginning of not the perfect life, but a series of shenanigans mixed with typical teenage hormones. For starters, why did he move to town? The thing is, Kyosuke comes from a family of espers whose powers generally range between telekinesis and teleportation and the occasional self-hypnosis. Because Kyosuke’s sisters have abused their powers ... in public view in the past, they have had to move on a number of occasions and Kyosuke hopes that this will be the last after meeting this beautiful girl.

At his new school, Kyosuke happens to learn he shares the same class with that girl he met. Her name is Ayukawa Madoka and she happens to be one of those most feared delinquents in town and that does nothing to prevent Kyosuke from pursuing her. However, when Kyosuke used his power under the impression he was alone in the gym to shoot a basket from the opposite side of the court while sitting down, he caught the eye of Madoka’s childhood friend, Hiyama Hikaru who is also a delinquent and fell instantly in love with him and is very open about it.

Now Kyosuke has to make sure his sisters don’t abuse their powers and find a way to let Madoka know his true feelings.

If you grew up on teen or coming of age sitcoms along the likes of “Saved by the Bell,” “Boy Meets World,” or “California Dreams,” I say this may be the anime for you but with some twists of special powers. It is a good mix of comedy and romance. There are some repeating gags such as the Kasuga’s neighbors, Umao and Ushiko, a married couple who repeatedly share their love for each other quoting Romeo and Juliet in very ridiculous scenarios. But if you like those kind of American teen dramas, then you are likely to ease into “Kimagure Orange Road” but of course with an appropriate Japanese twist.

The series for the most part is episodic with a few two parters here and there and is easy to get into without any previous exposure from the very start. I say having my teen years without smartphones and high speed internet access, I can understand the struggles the characters go through without that instant connective contact. I understand what it’s like to be 15 without an iPhone and having to run out and find that girl to apologize to her face to face over a misunderstanding. The series also does a good job of presenting why Kyosuke does not want to reject Hikaru’s feelings for him despite truly loving Madoka. He sees that Hikaru is really a nice girl and does not want to hurt her but he understands that he is only delaying the inevitable.

Madoka, despite representing the archetypical 1980s “sukeban,” or school girl delinquent, her character is given the most development. She can be rough and tough, but also comes across as genuinely feminine that would seduce many teenage boys.

I love how it is just teens from back in the day just having a good time. One of my favorite episodes was in the last quarter of the series which spoofs the kaiju genre. In that episode, it pays homage to Godzilla, Gundam, Saint Seiya, and Mothra all at once by using the Godzilla soundtrack, a tribute song to the Mothra song sung by the twins, and I will explain the Saint Seiya reference later.

The TV series ends out of convenience but I really can’t say how the manga ends because I have not read it. I heard the TV series has some changes from the manga but if anyone familiar can share some info I would appreciate it.

Well, outside a few brawls here and there, this series does not have much intense martial arts action, high paced racing scenes, world ending tennis matches that will kill the dinosaurs, or any space ending mech warfare so the so called “quality” of the animation being “out-dated” and/or “bad” is nothing really to be concerned about. It’s the original Shounen Romance Comedy so high quality HD animation should be the last thing you should worry about in the same way you should last worry about high quality production values in a 1990s teen sitcom. Granted the resolution and contrast is relatively grainy and plain compared to today but I don’t think such trivial qualities should negate this anime.

The character design works the way it needs to by presenting us with a teen romance comedy. Kyosuke appropriately looks like a 15 year old and his facial expressions convey what it needs to convey. Madoka’s design works in the way it is supposed to intend to, to make her a punk teenager with an adult and feminine feel. Manami and Kurumi work as pre-teens. 

I can tell the character’s apart and I can tell who is a boy and who is a girl unlike today’s anime so I don’t know where “the flaws” are. Granted we don’t see much Tokyo scenery but I think the series appropriately portrays Japanese home and school life and what suburban Japan feels like.

The limited action scenes with Madoka fighting off gang members were also archetypical of the sukeban genre of the time by fighting in the long skirt and with a yo-yo and all that. They are fast paced and not drastically over the top.

The series is filled with a who’s who in Japanese voice acting. For starters, Kyosuke is played by Furuya Tooru, who every anime fan should know. Famous as the voice of Amuro Ray from Gundam, Tuxedo Mask from Sailor Moon, Yamucha from Dragon Ball and Seiya from Saint Seiya. I love how he makes his voice a bit quieter and softer to make him a vulnerable teenage boy in comparison to the more confident and cocky Seiya who is 2 years younger than Kyosuke. And complimenting this casting is Tsuru Hiromi as Madoka. She is also famous world wide as the voice of Bulma from Dragon Ball and seeing this casting is this context really makes perfect sense and their chemistry works excellently well in this series. These two alone define what makes this series also awesome. The rest of the cast, are also some relatively big names like Kikuchi Masami, the voice of Yusaku in this series would later on become famous as the voice of Keiichi from Ah! My Goddess and Tenchi in Tenchi Muyo. In this series, his voice is appropriately rough and aggressive since he hates Kyosuke and like Hikaru.

But unfortunately, Honda Chieko, who voiced Kyosuke’s sister Kurumi and also the voice of Puuru and Puuru 2 in Gundam ZZ passed away to cancer back in early 2013 and she did a great job of playing a pre-teen girl without a care in the world.

The music is really excellent and appropriately sets the mood of youth, love, and summer. It has a distinct intensity and very romantic. My favorite song is Orange Mystery, the second opening theme. Prior to being used as the opening theme, it was used as a background song in some really good scenes and I really liked how it was used.

I still think that beyond just the art and animation, I think there are a lot more qualities to this series that will mostly appeal to older viewers and veteran anime fans as opposed to younger and newer viewers. I think older viewers understand what the world was like and even grew up as a teenager before what we had today so it is much easier to relate to. Watching this series made me feel young and made me want to go back to my youth and start over again in certain moments in my life. See my friends, say the right words, have more fun, and so on. Working in Japan, I understand some of the characters frustrations and gave me some insight. I also loved the Kaiju tribute episode which really made me enjoy the series much more.

A true classic. Please do not let the early animation style nor the length of this anime discourage you; it is a fantastic work, and deserves to be enjoyed by anyone who considers themselves a fan of romantic anime.

Something no one else has mentioned is the beautiful, original way the story wraps up. The ending is the best finish of any anime I have watched; it is magical, and makes watching all 48 episodes incredibly satisfying. Do yourself a favour and invest the time in this show; you will be rewarded.

Recommend to me by a couple friends who watched all the new anime series such as : Love Hina, DNA2, H&C, Suzuka, etc and this Anime blows them all away.

Art:
Made in the 80s , so don't expect too much as far as artwork goes. Very low level of fanservice, but considering the animation was made in the 80s, It is quite good. The artwork lack is made up 10 folds by the Storyline.

Sound:
The bgm/ost is beautiful. It felt as if I was in the 80s. The music blended very well with the story unfolding. We have the jazz from the main character, the Jrock/punk playing ... at just the right moments.

Story/Character:
For a 48 episode series, it may seem long, but I wished there was more to it. The story is about 3 friends who meet up and from there a story of friendship unfolds. It's love at first site for Kasuga and for the duration of the story, we get to see the friendship , the pain, the happiness that will soon follow as Kasuga decides on who he truly loves. At no point is this a shallow-like animation we see in Lova Hina or the newer harem animations. Character development is very strong for the main two characters, Kasuga and Ayukawa, with the 3rd girl in the love interest just there for stiring up tension IMHO. So, Sit back and enjoy a quality comedy-romance anime that does justice.

Kimagure Orange Road is a forgotten gem that emphasises some important aspects of what it is to be in a relashionship (or even what it is to get into one in the first place) and the difference between true love and just passion while sometimes not taking everything so seriously, resulting in really fun episodes where all the characters have their time to shine. When I concluded the first episode I could already tell this series would be a fun rollercoaster and now, 48 episodes later, overall I am really satisfied with the anime.

Story: It includes a pretty simple premise: a love triangle between 3 ... teenagers. However what stands out is that the main protagonist Kasuga Kyosuke (and his whole family) has psychic powers like teleportation, telepathy and so on. This really impacts the creativity behind some episodes and it was pretty exciting to try to predict how those abilities would interfere with the relashionship between the main cast. Despite some very few episodes (43 as the biggest example) where I felt like the anime was dragging a little bit, it all comes together at the end very smoothly (those two last episodes were really unexpected).

Art & Sound: The art is very good considering this anime aired in the 80's, and even nowadays could be considered solid. Regarding the soundtrack I think this is where this anime really outstanded. "Kimagure Orange Road, through its music especially, teaches a virtue that is seldom taught, in particular to men. Sweetness. Sweetness is the most forgotten virtue"- this is from a comment written on a soundtrack video and I couldn't explain it better than this.

Characters: Kasuga, Ayukawa and Hikaru being the main cast naturally had more spotlight than other characters. However, they did not overshadow them (for example, I really enjoyed Yusaku as a character, his introduction and the funny moments created by him). The development was notorious regarding Kasuga and Ayukawa while Hikaru, despite having some moments here and there, remained almost the same (in the first movie this changes tho).

Concluding, the experience of watching Kimagure Orange Road was really unique - I felt happiness, sadness, stress and excitement while watching all the 48 episodes and surely I hope this anime gets more recognition nowadays.

The series shows its heart from the very first introduction - "Kasuga Kyosuke, 15, living the best years of my youth!" Orange Road, at its best parts, is a story of youth and coming of age.

I think a lot is gained in the anime adaption compared to the original manga—Particularly with its music. Wistful tracks such as "Natsu no Mirage", "Jenina", and "Ano sora wo dakishimete" are carried by singer Kanako Wada's strong, moody voice. They help characterize Madoka as a distant and somewhat lonely character; Breaking the "perfect" illusion some fans imagine her to have. (Not to say the more upbeat songs aren't a ... blast too, such as "Night of Summerside")

Another aspect that the anime has going for it are Akemi Takeda's character designs. If you've seen Creamy Mami or even Patlabor, you're familiar with her work. She did promotional art for the show as well, using her trademark dreamy illustrations to make Matsumoto's characters pop off the page; I think her illustrations have a similar mood to the songs mentioned above. Izumi Matsumoto's manga style is serviceable, but Takeda's art is definitely more unique. (She also has a better grip on anatomy)

The extra touch of heart is what sets it apart from your typical romcom, such as Love Hina and Tenchi Muyo. It's more comparable to Maison Ikkoku. As if the visual style didn't already connect the two.

So, presentation aside, the show itself is light-hearted and goofy slice-of-life affair. Like I said, while there are little bits of emotional content sprinkled about, the core of the show is a bubbly 80's romcom. And yes, it's a love triangle story. There isn't too much drama since it's obvious who the winner is going to be, but it sets up some misunderstandings that some viewers might find frustrating. They personally didn't bother me, but I was also unfazed by Maison Ikkoku's various misunderstandings.

Onto what I thought of the characters:

Kasuga Kyosuke:

Pretty much your average romcom lead. (Plus ESP powers) Trust me when I say he's quite better than future archetypes, like the nerdy Keitaro Urashima (from Love Hina) and other boys of that ilk. For starters, 5+ girls aren't magically in love with him; I think his characterization is a lot more grounded than that. He's a growing 15 year-old boy. Given his constant inner monologues and narration, I see him as a kid coming to terms with his powers and the struggles of being a teenager. He stands up for Madoka whenever peers badmouth her, and has moments of courageousness. If only he'd have the courage to end the love triangle sooner, right?

Himaya Hikaru:

She's an energetic young girl who looks up to Madoka. When the series starts, she tries to be tougher than she actually is; She talks big to bullies and even tries to smoke cigarettes. But her character is somewhat flanderized to an overtly-bubbly genki girl as time goes on. There's a right way to write Hikaru, and there's a wrong way to write Hikaru. Given the proper writer, she becomes a lot more fleshed out. Overall I still find her to be funny and I'd often wish the best for her in the story.

Ayukawa Madoka:

Undoubtedly the star of the main cast. Cool as can be, Madoka isn't submissive at all. (Which is a departure from other female leads of the time) She stands independently and does whatever she wants, for the most part. Her mood is fickle, she's unpredictable, but ultimately I feel she wants a stable life--That's why I think someone "normal" like Kyosuke is appealing to her. Her hobbies include playing the saxophone and piano, which she plays whenever she's in a sour mood. I do think it's a bit ridiculous when they make her a master surfer though.

Since Orange Road is an earlier show of its genre, a lot of these characterizations have gone on to become archetypes. This could play a role on how modern-day viewers see them. Side characters like Kurumi, Manami, Seiji, Hatta, and Jingoro serve as comedic relief an that's all they need to be, really. They're the more innocent part of the show.

So all in all, I think it's a good piece of work. Definitely an 80's classic and a clear product of it's time. Depends if you like that sort of thing or not.

I remember watching this in my college dorm room back in the 1990's. A dozen guys packed into one tiny room watching n-th generation VHS fan-subs on a tiny TV, all shouting at Kyosuke whenever he was being a moron. By the end, I am pretty sure every guy in the room had a secret crush on Madoka.

This is the series that really stands out in my memory, after all these years. Looking back, I think it was the chemistry between Kyosuke, Madoka and Hikaru (i.e. the story writing), but it was also magnified by the stellar performances of the Japanese voice ... talent, Akemi Takada's character designs (yeah, old-school, but still awesome. Check out her art books, amazing stuff.), and the outstanding music, especially the songs by Kanako Wada (yeah, a little sappy but it hits you right here... 8>).

But what really stands out is Madoka. So much of her complexity is non-verbal and subtle. She doesn't usually berate Kyosuke for his foolishness, but you can feel her wounded heart in her voice, expression and what is left unsaid. But to Kyosuke's credit, he usually hears it loud and clear, just too late to avoid the damage he's caused. I think many young male viewers are attracted to Madoka's character because she represents an unrealistic idealized woman. But I recommend paying more attention to how not to break her fragile heart because it a difficult life lesson to master in real life.

Now, many years later, as I watch the series again, I find that it is still surprisingly poignant. After being married for many years to my own "Madoka", I've come to realize we guys are all Kyosuke's at times when we unknowingly hurt her feelings. Watching this again also refills my heart with the wonder and humor of young love. So if you're an old anime fan like me, I invite you to relive the best years of your youth.

Kimagure Orange Road is a classic Romantic anime and one of the best of the genre no doubt.


The story revolves around a love traingle between the 3 main characters. Kyosuke and Madoka are in love but their indecisive and whimsical natures, respectively, and their fear of hurting Hikaru, who's in love with Kyosuke, make things harder.


There are 3 main characters:

Kyosuke Kasuga - The typical indicisive male lead who's not very strong and courageous.
Hikaru Hiyama - A very clingy and not very intelligent girl who's Madoka's best friend.
Madoka Ayukawa: No doubt the best character of the show.The Archetypal Kimagure(whimsical) character. One of the first tsunderes ... in anime and one of the best characters ever created. She's musically talented, intelligent and beautiful.


The secondary characters do a good job on pointing out the main characters flaws and qualities, and some of them are quite entertaining.


The art is your typical 80's anime art, it's obviously outdated nowadays but the characters are very well drawn.


The soundtrack is very good, it fits the show quite well.
The voice actors do a great job, they sound very natural.


The show is very enjoyable, I consider it the 2nd best romance anime/manga of all time(1st is Maison Ikkoku), I Definitely recomend it, if you liked Masion Ikkoku, Ranma 1/2 and Urusei Yatsura you'll like this.

8/10
+Realistic portrayal of teenage relationships
+Sweet, likeable characters
+Gorgeous cel animation and fun, upbeat soundtrack
-Teenage angst can be hard to relate to as adult viewer
-Anticlimactic ending with room for more

Kimagure Orange Road is a classic buddy love story surrounding adolescence. What’s great about the presentation of this story is that it’s very true to life.

Our MC Kyosuke stars in Orange Road, a sweet boy next door type who has a chance encounter with classmates Madoka and Hikaru. Continued misunderstandings keep them very close, if not make their friendship complicated. The episodic format allows for a nice slow burn for their relationships to ... progress organically. That said, as the title translates, it’s equally frustrating to watch these capricious teenagers. Kyosuke’s actions, while believable, can be cringeworthy and hard to relate to as an adult. The “will they won’t they” keeps the viewer on the edge of their seat, however, and the eventual endgame romance is completely worth the ride. The cel animation is beautiful, and the soft, classical music combined with bouncy end titles add to the romantic atmosphere. The only sin is the ending feels incomplete and you will be hungry for more.

Turn your brain off and enjoy the ride.

These are my thoughts immediately after finishing the anime and the first movie.

Kimagure is an anime I'd refer to as a "fluff" anime. The core plot involving the lopsided love triangle between the three main characters is intriguing, but it does not have meaningful progress after the first fifteen-or-so episodes. After this, it's mostly movie references and silly antics. There is little continuity between episodes. The Kasuga family's psychic powers are equally useful for getting Kyousuke into and out of dire situations, but they're never anything more than a plot device.

The series' aesthetic is strong, and the music is great. ... If you're interested, watch the first two openings for the anime.

The characters are a blast and have solid foundations, but they aren't developed well past a few episodes. If you're coming off of KareKano and want more of that juicy character development, then you may find yourself frustrated while watching this series.

That being said, if you just want a chill anime with romantic intrigue, then you can't go wrong with Kimagure Orange Road. It's up on Crunchyroll now and has a great summery feel to it, so now's probably the best time to watch!

Giving it a 10 might be a lot. But well, I really liked the whole anime so...

First, I knew about this anime thanks to those "city pop playlist" type of youtube video with anime footage and all, and damn it looked good for an 87 anime, I mean the colors were vibrant and the designs were appealing !

I really like romcom mangas/animes, so when I learned it was one of the first and even said to be the beginning of this genre, I sure wanted to watch it.
So here am I, watching the first episode of what would be one of my favorites. I can't ... really describe what I feel when I think about all its episodes. At the time of writing this I'm 18 and still, I feel intense nostalgia about the 80's, it's quite famous, almost feeling melancholia for an era you never knew. Well if nostalgia is the definition then KOR is the exemple.

You feel at ease but still adventurous while watching this anime, adventurous as if you just spent your vacations in the 80's japan and also adventurous as if you roam inside the feelings a human can feel.
To be honest, the story isn't particularly complex, not at all in fact. The episodes can even be watched separatly for most of them, your typical 80's and 90's series.
You still feel an evolution on all points, the story is really simple but really well built.

You get attached to the characters, to the locations, to the musics, to the jokes.

If you got a thing for older animes and romcoms, I'm begging you, give it a try and tell me what you think about it (don't forget the OVA and movies !!!)

I really like writting these I should do it more.

The characters are well-defined and original; it's really nice to see a series that contrasts a sophistocated, prideful character (Ayukawa) with a childish, straightforward one (Hikaru) instead of the usual tsundere/yandere/loli mashups.

Even though there are a lot of unrealistic/escapist moments, it's kind of surprising to see that there's a lot of maturity in a shonen series like this. Kasuga learns not to make excuses in love, that he doesn't have to learn about Ayukawa's past to get along with her, and Ayukawa and Hikaru are reasonably forgiving.

But it has its weaknesses. The anime doesn't do a convincing job of explaining why Kasuga can't just ... tell Hikaru to beat it, and they never really connect the way Kasuga and Ayukawa do. There are also a lot of filler episodes.

One day, whilst browsing an anime group, I chanced upon one of the most beautiful female characters — Ayukawa Madoka from 'Kimagure Orange Road.'

I grew up as a 90s kid with Ranma ½ but, unlike in Europe where it is well known, it's unknown in my country, so I decided to check it out. It turns out to be one of the beloved 80s series.

But in 2024 going forward, is it still worth watching this anime? It depends.

It's a story of a 15-year-old teenager, named Kasuga Kyousuke. He has supernatural powers, and for many years, his family has been moving from place to place ... once their powers are revealed.

Once he moves to a certain town, he meets a beautiful but mysterious girl named Ayukawa Madoka. Eventually, her friend Hiyama Hikaru came to like him. As a result, Kyousuke got entangled in a love triangle. Hikaru is sweet but not the girl he fancies. Madoka might have some form of attraction to Kyousuke, but she gives way to Hikaru

How will this mess end?
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Let's go over the negatives first:

***Ayukawa is criticised as Mary Sue.***

She can play the trumpet and guitar very well as well as sing so well. She can speak English. She can compete in skateboarding. She can fight multiple thugs bigger than her and lots more.

I don't disagree, but I don't think you should dismiss this anime just because she is presented as perfect.

This anime is a teenage boy's fantasy. Madoka's beauty and perfection might not exist in the real world, but every boy who has admired a lady perceives his lady as perfect and beautiful as Madoka.

***The characters are one-dimensional.***

Except for some changes in Madoka, the characters have been the same. Kyousuke is an idiot all throughout. Hikaru has the emotional age of a 5-year-old, and Madoka always has to give way. Hatta and Komatsu are funny at the beginning because they're horny. But depending on your tolerance, they become more and more insufferable. Yuusaku, who likes Hikaru, are just there to threaten Kyousuke or sometimes beat him up, but there's nothing really interesting going on for that character.

I think this is done for comedy's sake and putting them into funny situations. The comedy is mostly slapstick and therefore dated, but it has its charm. There are horny sex jokes that are no different to what is available today.

***This anime is consistent in its inconsistency.***

There are a few occasions when Madoka sees Kyousuke using his powers but she does not question him so she shrugs it off, and the next episode goes as if it didn't happen. It's worst in the few episodes leading to the finale.

There's also the time travel element. Sometimes, it assumes that a certain event in the past can be changed. But sometimes, it assumes that events in the past are fixed and that any time travel you do has already been taken into account.

KOR was created during a much simpler era when the idea of binging a series was unheard of. The 48 episodes of KOR are in many tapes: VHS or Betamax.

Unlike today where KOR can easily be seen on an online streaming platform, you could only rent one or two tapes at a time, provided they are available. Or buy these tapes, which can cost quite a considerable sum.

Therefore, it's not something meant to be binged. Otherwise, you will be annoyed by the inconsistency of writing.

The writers did not bother with keeping things consistent because it's just a weekly affair where you turn your brain off.
___________________________________

The positives:

***Madoka is quite the waifu.*** Her character design is top-notch. She is awesome despite being unrealistic.

Ironically, the negative point of being a Mary Sue becomes a positive point if you happen to like her. I could say the same for Yamamoto Yohko in 'Starship Girl Yamamoto Yohko' but not for Rey, whom I dislike, in the sequel trilogy of Star Wars.

Incidentally, she is often referred to as one of the first tsundere. I couldn't believe my eyes when I first read it. I have long thought that the tsundere archetype comes from Asuka Langley Soryu. Too many of the tsundere I know are abusive to the male character, either physically or verbally. Not so with Madoka. She satisfies the definition of initially hiding one's feelings, at least in the second meeting. She does not abuse Kyousuke as a gag. The only time she does this is when Kyousuke does something really dumb.

That's why I dislike Taiga from Toradora. I'm not that keen on physically abusing the main character for gags. Madoka on the other hand feels refreshing.

***Stunning animation and 80s music***

The animation is stunning, especially the colours. Its level of detail is impressive.

Though I am not a fan of 80s music, the music in the opening, the endings, and the background music are impressive. They give a feel of nostalgia while simultaneously seducing you to give other 80s music a listen.

***What is it like to be young again?***

I haven't watched this back in the day, and some of the things in this anime are not realistic. Yet, this anime can make you connect to your younger you. It gives you some space to imagine what is it like to be young again.

You laugh and cringe at Kyousuke's foibles and recognising a part of you in him, that you were once a fool.

Hatta and Komatsu are cringy from an adult's perspective, yet perfectly normal (though perhaps an exaggeration) for a teenager with raging hormones. Again, it makes you remember that part of your life in bygone days.

**Added Benefit: you might want to explore other 80s anime***

Kimagure Road is a gem, though not without flaws. If you like it, it may prompt you to explore other 80s anime. I'm thinking of other works by Rumiko Takahashi not named Ranma ½ (though a rewatch someday is in order). Or perhaps works by Mitsuru Adachi.
___________________________________

Conclusion:

Whilst I love Kimagure Orange Range and think you should give it a chance. Let's get real. I don't think 4 cours' worth of anime, especially an episodic one, would fly today.

But if you decide to watch it, I don't recommend that you binge it. It's best watched and savoured slowly.

One of the few comedy anime I've seen that brought out moments of feeling true joy within me. Indeed, though by todays standards the animation is somewhat lacking (in terms of the fact that the show occasionally indulges in re-using bits of animation and character animations/movements are limited (though there are a few episodes here where I was genuinely surprised by sudden jumps in animation quality for short sequences)). However, the character designs are simple yet striking (hell, these designs probably formed the archetypes of every romance anime since this) and the environments attain a tactile quality that, across the entire series, builds a wholly ... believable world, even with how outlandish the series becomes near its end.

Of course, narratively and character-wise this could be stronger. Madoka is likely one of the greatest female characters in all of anime; her development and gradual breaking of her shell through the series is incredibly well done, which is helped by Hiromi Tsuru's wonderful performance. Kyosuke's development across the series is well-done as well (though he runs into the problem of being a love-triangle anime protagonist: he doesn't know when to man the hell up and just outright say that he loves Madoka, which is merely a character trait used to elongate the tension unnecessarily). Hikaru is the least complex and goes through the least amount of development. HOWEVER, what is notable is that in an episode (I can't remember which one) she talks about having been lonely as a child, not having had a sibling. Thus, her great attachment to Kyosuke is reframed as not merely out of childish infatuation but out of an alleviation of a kind of inner loneliness. And she is thus thankfully never treated as an object of ridicule.

However, what makes a lot of the series, and the finale, kind-of lacking (and what I hope the film conclusion will address) is that the series doesn't present a difficult choice in terms of which girl he prefers more. Instead, Hikaru is framed as merely an obstacle in the way of Kyosuke getting together with Madoka. It's clear to the audience that they both have feelings for each other, and it's thus only a matter of time before they get together. This is obviously a staple of romance-anime, but it would've been far more interesting if Kyosuke had to really struggle with choosing Madoka or Hikaru. Granted, this was made in 1987 so I perhaps couldn't expect something hugely complex, but the level of creativity the writers obviously had in terms of episodic narrative structure (I'm thinking particularly about the first time-travel episode) could've been applied to the central romance.

To say that I didn't have fun watching this would be a lie, however. There's a lot of genuinely clever material here in a series that feels a bit over-long towards the end, and when the animators are allowed to strut their stuff, they demonstrate immense creativity in terms of composition and staging. And the music (moreso the opening and closing tracks than any individual track in a normal episode) is often really, really great. It's also a series where I was genuinely invested in seeing the outcome of the romance, which doesn't happen often! It's a classic for a reason!

Kimagure Orange Road is an episodic anime based on an esper family moving into a new small town, where the main protagonist, Kasuga Kyosuke, along with his two little sisters start a new life at a new environment and school. They have been moving from town to town many times due to because of his family using their psychic abilities in public.

Story 7:
The story is episodic, which each episode focusing on Kyosuke and his love triangle with Hikaru and Ayukawa. From episode one, Kyosuke found love at first sight when picking up Ayukawa's hat that blew away. Hikaru happens to witness Kyosuke shooting an ... amazing basketball shot (because of his powers) and fell for him instantly. Each episode focuses on new adventures or daily school troubles such as exams, school events, and even after school activities.

Art 7:
The art is pretty good considering the time this anime aired. The artwork resembles other animes such as Touch. Each character is drawn uniquely even though its an old style but you can tell apart everyone throughout the show.

Sound 7:
Not much to say here but the sound is overall good not bad. I don't know many of the voice actors from this time so I had to give this a 7.

Characters 6:
Kyosuke:
Throughout this series, it disappoints me that Kyosuke is the protagonist with the characteristics he displays. He is your average junior high school boy who hasn't witnessed love, but when he meets Ayukawa he falls for her immensely and would do anything for her attention. She first ignores him and there are times (about half the times) where he would go against his code and use his powers in public for the benefit of his image. He's often indecisive although he knows who he yearns for he won't make up his mind or completely shut down Hikaru. There are often times where you believe he's keeping Hikaru on the side just in case things don't work out with Ayukawa. He's the very definition of a discrete two-timer like when he would use his teleport ability to go on a swimming date with Hikaru simultaneously while studying with Ayukawa. His personality and the actions he takes are very irritable to watch.

Ayukawa:
She's a very beautiful girl but seen as a problematic delinquent throughout the show. She is very proud in the fact that she doesn't care for her self image, she doesn't mind what others think of her. People often misjudge her due to the fact that she skips class, goes to night raves, drinks and smokes. Deep down, she is very kind and takes care of the ones close to her. She shows a lot of changes throughout the show, for example she gave up smoking and frequented night raves less often. She is very talented in many fields including sports, fighting, academics and music.

Hikaru:
Hikaru is a 7th grader who fell in love with Kyosuke because of a magical basketball shot he made. She is very charismatic, perky and often clingy when it comes to Kyosuke. She calls him darling throughout the show and cares deeply for both him and Ayukawa. She is the very definition of a girl in love. She is willing to change for Kyosuke; for example changing her self image to look more mature just to get his attention. She too stopped smoking as soon as she met Kyosuke.

Enjoyment 7:
Although this anime is old, I do enjoy how I can watch any episode and still get a good kick out of it.

Overall: 7

So another story with highschool as the setting and when high schools are involved, there's usually your cliche of a transfer student and special powers. Based on Izumi Matsumoto's 1984 Manga, fifteen year old Kyousuke Kasuga isn't your average junior high student - his whole family has special powers such as teleporting and telekinesis and, because of that they'd had to move schools many times to keep it a secret. As Kyousuke moves town yet again to start afresh at a different high school, he meets the multi-talented Madoka Ayukawa while out and about counting steps outside his new home. As they laugh about their ... trivial little argument over who got the correct count, he instantly falls for her seemingly nice personality and pretty appearance and, gets to keep her red straw hat to remember her by.

However, when Kyousuke attends his new high school, he discovers a completely different side of Madoka. She was nicknamed "The Pick" because of how she uses them as weapons in fights. Madoka was infamous for her badass deliquent behaviour too hanging out with trouble on a whim, under-aged clubbing, drinking, smoking - everything that could be bad for junior high student. She is shunned by her classmates but Kyousuke refuses to believe she is as bad as rumours say. As he continues to approach her indiscriminately with kindness, she slowly starts to change.

Meanwhile, Kyousuke also ends up catching the eyes of Madoka's energetic, cheery best friend Hikaru when she is charmed by a moment of witnessing his powers, mistaking it for actual skill. Now Hikaru's determined to get close whenever she has a chance. When Madoka realises this and her own growing feelings for Kyousuke, she tries her best to hold her feelings back so she doesn't hurt her best friend.

Once again, I watched this because of the hype and was curious about why people recommended it when Maison Ikkoku was mentioned. You might actually know Studio Pierrot from their "magical girl" shows such as Creamy Mami and Pastel Yumi The Magic Idol. The character designs kind of resemble characters from those shows and the backgrounds with rough brush strokes very much look like their style. The first OP is lively but too flashy (literally) with all the brief flashes of credits and scenery... Not sure why they thought that was a good idea. The selection of JPOP theme songs are actually not bad and there's quite a few vocal tracks used as the OST. As for voice acting, you might better know Hiromi Tsuru's voice who plays Madoka in this show as Bulma from Dragon Ball. She also voiced Ukyo from Ranma 1/2, Meryln Stryfe from Trigun and Reiko from Ghost Sweeper Mikami.

I guess "kimagure (capricious/whimsical)" in the show's name came from Hikaru and Madoka's whimsical nature. Hikaru reminds me of Lum from Urusei Yatsura because she's so clingy and likes to call Kyosuke "darling". The TV series doesn't take itself seriously most of the time with a lot of overly cute expressions, comical and supernatural moments. You've got Jingoro the regular cat trying to get escape the abnormal family and Kyousuke's sisters being lured away easily with food always brings about some comic relief. Oh, and that poetic adult couple Ushiko and Umao. It has a fair bit of fan service with all the focus on the female cast's bodies, usual groping accidents, awkward camera shots etc but I guess it's aimed at the teenage boys demographic. There's even a fast food joint where girls serve dressed in tight leotards and has a window that lets its customers oogle ladies doing aerobics in an opposite building.

At first, it was looking very silly how strong and invincible the show made the capricious Madoka look despite all the risky things she does flirting with trouble and then getting away unscratched but fortunately, the story makes her a little more human as the show progresses. She's a bit like Akane from Ranma 1/2 sometimes sending Kyousuke flying away with her strength. Then again, if the protagonist has super powers, why shouldn't his love interest be a femme fatale who can kick on a whole gang of thugs and come out unscratched? You could say Madoka's the poster girl for this show with all the fan service scenes she ends up in.

I think the most distinct feature about this show is how it frequently crops out characters whenever they're narrating or thinking about something which takes some getting used to. You'll probably also remember this show for the early episodes where Madoka plays the saxophone but ratings dropped during these scenes so they no longer appear later in the series. After this show you'll probably know what having a "C" experience meant too back in the day. I also think this is the only Anime I've watched that features KFC instead of McDonalds in it too.

The child-like looking character designs might be somewhat off-putting but, I can kind of see why people rank it as one of the top shows along with Maison Ikoku when romantic comedies were trending during the 1980s. The premise is kind of similar in both shows except Kimagure isn't so bitter. Maybe because Kyousuke lacks a rival. Most episodes are also self-contained so you're not left with a bitter feeling between episodes when you emphasise with the characters.

Sure there's some super powers involved too but, both shows' direction focus on how the characters' indecisiveness and misunderstandings lead to complex relations and drama. Both feature a kind idiot protagonist that isn't that talented but makes a great effort to stay true to the one they really love. In contrast, both also feature a pretty, kind faithful talented girl as the main love interest but they're also not perfect. Where Kyoko is more reserved, has trouble saying no to others and getting over her late husband, Madoka is more open and flirty and doesn't mind breaking the rules to stay true to herself which often leads to trouble. Funnily enough, this show also has a character named "Yusaku" who always get the short end of the stick.

The TV series has quite a wrap-up which covers up to roughly chapter 134 of the Manga. Originally Matsumoto had considered it a good point to end the Manga too but thanks to the success of the TV series, she decided to continue the Manga afterwards.

If I had to choose between this and Maison Ikkoku, I would have to choose Maison. Kimagure has its cute and fuzzy moments and maybe one or two really good episodes too (like 39) but again, having long passed graduation I feel Maison is a lot more relatable watching the hardships Godai had to endure. Maison also touches quite well on a wider range of experiences such as the loss of someone precious. Kimagure's movies later cover their lives in adulthood but just don't have that same effect - especially with supernatural powers involved. That said, both shows are based on Manga that targets two different age groups so it might not be that fair a comparison.

So if you're after a light-hearted romance comedy show that's mostly fun (it even has a star in its title!) with your cliche high school setup, time travel, super powers and don't mind your usual fan service thrown in, you might like this. For most people I think the highlight is going to be Madoka. Otherwise, if you prefer a more mature romance story and don't mind the slow progress or slice-of-life bitterness, you'd probably want to go for Maison Ikkoku.

first of all, i ENJOYED the series as a whole, BUT heres my biggest HATE at the show

The three characters named
Komatsu, Seiji Hatta, Kazuya and Kasuga (the fucking weirdos and genuine pervert friends of MC) and, Kazuya (young cousin of MC who is so brainless)

Initially their tropes are acceptable, but in the span of 48 episodes they are just there to be a fucking plot and to add salt to the wound their actions are f*ck*ng stupid as HELL

the main character Kasuga, Kyousuke is a very good character especially as the Main protagonists, you can see his actions and how he solves them as ... a genuine move of a good young man. He may somehow look at things with the eyes of a kid going on puberty but thats how a 15 yo boy acts.

Madoka is also a very good character. the way she handles the steady burn in the love triangle (which is pretty obvious that shes the winner) makes her really Mature as the show interprets. Mature, Cool headed, Brave, and charming. thats what she is.

Hikaru the one claiming the Main character as her lover in the whole show also is a good character. She is somehow understanding but very dense on how she sees Kasuga. Her voice is really niche and fits her character. i dunno what to say but to make a summary shes a good rock blocking the way to the conclusion.

OVERALL its FUN!
this show introduces what 15 year old peeps thinks is MATURE. ballrooms, flirt, delinquents and reputation. which is actually relatable. we wanna have something cool to brag once we were in highschool and that really shows initially within the series

Midway it turned repetetive but not unbearable (unless that three minor character slapstick shit acts and goes frikking crazy)

What i feel for this show is that it is a good watch especially the last two episodes. i enjoyed the main characters even if the three characters i hated tried to ruin it.

8/10 for the overall enjoyment. it could be a 10! but the side characters (THE THREE STOOGES put a bad crack for me)