Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou

OK so I really liked this anime the characters in it were great, I loved the fact that it is set apart from almost every other anime in this genre with the lead characters not being the typical boy meets girl, boy likes girl (or other way around) but both being to timid and shy to do anything about it, in Kare Kano they get on with it and happily admit that they like each other, I also loved that the lead characters were real in the fact that when at home they were completely different from when out with friends or at school.

What I ... really did not like at all about this anime and the reason that i have given it such a low overall rating is the fact that the last final episodes (25 and 26) do not follow the story line that has been set and are really just filling you in on what has happened throughout the series so far and then the final episode finishes without really giving you an ending, so really it is like the producers thought "hey lets make this manga into the anime" and then halfway through it they got bored of it and decided they just didn't care anymore and couldn't be bothered leaving all the fans going "ummmmm huh OK, so where is the rest?"

This really should've been good. It really should have been. But it wasn't. I have a soft spot for romantic comedies, and this is one I'd heard about for years, so I thought I'd give it a shot. But after an incredible start to the show, I was just left disappointed in the end.

I'm not going into the story much, because the synopsis sums it up pretty well and going further into it would be too much spoiler so I'll just tell you to read the synopsis on here. If you've read any of the other reviews or seen the ... anime yourself, you know how incomplete the show is. Not just the lack of an ending either. It felt like the story was kept to a shallow point for a long time, and then when it was supposed to start getting serious, it wafted around like "I dunno, should we be serious or not?" There are some serious overtones thrown in sometimes, but it stops short of revealing much of anything, and just when you feel like it's all about to happen.....the show ends. Pack up, go home, and let's just pretend we did a good job. Honestly, this could've been so much better. I plan to go read the manga at some point to find out what happens.

In the first half of the show, there's a wonderful romantic comedy going on. There are usually some review at the beginning of each episode. I'm not a fan of this in most anime, and that includes this one. But it wasn't too bad. There was plenty of comedy, and it was really cute at times. It wasn't really serious about anything for the first half though.

The second half though was just not good. It started to do more reviews. One episode dedicated to reviews at the midpoint is fine, but it felt like half of the last 13 episodes was dedicated to stating what had already happened, with little to no new animation. It's kind of like "the voice actors are still being paid, the animators are not" or something. The budget had to have been seriously cut or something. The second half of the show was about 3/4 frame by frame manga style with some voiceovers. Even if they knew that the story was going to be cut short, there were better ways to end it. First of all, they could have actually deviated from the main story a bit to ensure that there is actually an ending, or had the oft-used open ending feel that kinda goes "we love each other, we don't know what'll happen from now on, but we'll keep trying." That kind of thing would've been fine IMO. Instead, they go off on tangents. Most of the 2nd half actually has its focus away from the main 2 characters. And then when it starts to drift back toward them, the show just ends.

Well, enough ranting. Some scores and explanations on them:

I'll give the story a 4 for all the stuff I said up above. It seemed to be a good story with some pretty deep points, but it just showed flashes of those deep parts, never fully revealing any of it, and then ended abruptly. I get the feeling that if it was finished, it would have been a very good and deep plot. But it wasn't, so I have to give it a lower score.

The art was nice at times. It seemed to try to hod the manga's style. It isn't my favorite style to begin with, but I thought in the first half it was pretty well done at least. The second half, as I said above, seemed to have major budget cuts and at least half the time was pictures thrown up with voices talking about something. Plus, the abundant reviewing where previous scenes were chopped up and handed to you a second, third, fourth, and so on, time. With the good stuff in the first half, I'll be nice and give it a 5.

The sound is where I felt the show was awesome. Yeah, the opening and endings were nothing special. They were good, and fit the show, but nothing special. But the voice actors were great. Yukino was great. Spectacular. Especially early in the show switching from the graceful girl, to the true girl, the evil girl trying to win everyone over. Eventually, it's kind of a mix between the two, but the voice actress portrays it really well. Also, the two sisters are a riot, and their voice actresses are likewise spectacular. One of my favorite parts was watching these two do the episode previews at the end of the show(another thing that was done much less the 2nd half of the show). Because of these three, and the generally good quality of the rest of the voice actors, I'm giving the sound department a 9.

The characters is hard to rate because it's inherently tied to the story. Yukino was just a great character. Her dual personality is hilarious, and is a lot of fun to watch. With Arima, he gets a bit boring, but I got the feeling that part of that was because they were reluctant to start the deeper, more dramatic parts of the show that ought to reveal more of his personality. And indeed, the show ended before much of it was revealed. Shibahime was annoying to me, and they eventually turned her into a caricature of what she was to begin with. The story arc that she got in the middle of the anime seemed to be the last part that was fully budgeted, and it felt out of place with the rest of the story, and because I couldn't stand Shibahime, I almost stopped watching because of it. The rest of the group that Yukino hangs out with has their moments, but most of them seems like it's "yet to come," and once again, the show ends before anything can happen. Yukino's family is hilarious, and it felt like they were setting up to be the comic relief once the show turned more serious. The sisters, as I said above, were spectacular. I'm giving the characters a 7, because I really liked Yukino as well as most of the characters, but felt like they were all a bit incomplete, as was the whole show.

Overall, this show could have been something spectacular. But because the show is so incomplete, and parts of it seem to be terribly produced, I have to rate this overall as a 6. I really wish I could give it more, because Yukino's character is something that really shines among heroines in romantic comedies, but the show was just hopelessly lacking in most ways, especially in the second half after the budget seemed to have been cut. It's really a shame, because I feel like the story was going to be really good. Also, as a side note, I can't help but wonder why this show has gotten so many high ratings. Yes, it shows tons of potential, and the characters are very interesting, and the voice acting is well done, but how can any show that wasn't even completed earn more than a 6 or a 7?

If I wanted to write a review touting the few things that this series had going for it, I could have. But since this series insulted me with its "Oh crap we ended it too early!" storyline, I will cover the good and the bad parts.

I was greatly interested in the story and the characters in the first disc (episodes 1-5). That interest turned to disdain by the third disc, and towards the end it seemed to be getting worse. The series ends on a good note which is all i can say for the last portion.

The main failing of the series is the fact ... that the plot derived from the first few episodes ends shortly before the series hits its midpoint. As is the norm for series that "end before they're over" a flurry of cliches (culture festivals) makes up the last half of the series.

Originally the characters can be identified with and they are very likable. Thats what makes it so sad when the series makes its remarkable dive. It's very likely that one can build a nice place to hide from this anime with all the tools you'll find making up the cast.

I left this series with a feeling of betrayal, the characters had gone from awesome and real, to douches that wouldn't be out of place in the supporting cast of an Inuyasha movie.

Most of what we see is held back by a limiter enforced by common standards and the fear born from them. In Kare Kano, the two main characters have spent their whole lives suppressing themselves in an attempt to satisfy the expectations of others. The story really begins when they work together to disregard traditional standards, instead choosing to find their own personalities that had barely been given the chance to grow.

Not everything is so dramatic; in fact, comedy makes up a slight majority of the show. The downside is that none of the jokes are funny, because they rely exclusively on a zany feeling ... derived from each character's single gimmick. It feels like a series of halfhearted gags that, in normal shows, would have a tenth as great a presence. But then again, Kare Kano's greatest strength is that it defiantly rejects normality.

Even the animation is far removed. The creators had absolutely no problems using uncolored sketches and text boxes, to the extent that those things are actually as prevalent as regular animation. Some of it, like a live-action episode featuring cardboard cutouts of the characters, is experimentation. Given how persistent some of the qualities are, however, it's more akin to a new style – one that is being fleshed out alongside the characters. It works especially well since Yukino and Arima are such good characters.

Arima is particularly interesting. We're shown enough glimpses of his past to know how he came to be, and enough episodes from his perspective to know how he is, but his intentions are still hard to guess. Despite being a nice guy, there is a profound sense of malice for himself and others that creeps up surprisingly often. It can't be described as evil, but it goes beyond simple insecurity. Yukino has multiple layers as well, but they aren't as serious and in some cases are created deliberately to match Arima's complexity.

Unfortunately, none of the character's efforts amount to anything because the story mires in secondary plot threads and recaps. More than that, the series itself ends abruptly at the beginning of a new arc. Maybe it wouldn't have been so distasteful if the supporting characters, who frequently had their own episodes, weren't hyper-boring cliches. They were though, and it shows.

I won't be forgetting the good scenes from this anime, but when something spends so much time disappointing it's hard to say I enjoyed it.

So let me begin this by saying that YOU people should go read the manga either after you see the anime or instead of watching the anime. Why? I shall explain:

First up, the art was quite nice and had some very detailed scenes, some of which I would expect to be used in movies. Now, that was the first half of the anime. Towards the end, I am guessing due to lack of money, they started making some crazy alterations. One episode was composed purely of paper puppets which ruined the major plot points depicted in that episode. Sheesh, first they get you excited but ... then they deceive you!

Sound was very fitting in this anime, probably the best aspect. They chose appropriate music for the most fitting situations. Even the end song sort of depicted that cute love the main characters share!

Which brings me to the characters. Now I'm not going to lie, but a few of these figures are definitely one of those over used personalities. BUT the great thing about this anime was that they altered the personalities and created something new. I tell ya, I was definitely surprised by some of the actions the protagonist did. Also, for once the girl isn't a complete moron. She reminds me a bit of that girl in 'Special A' which is a huge breather seeing as one can only get enough of such characters. Still, this protagonist has a bit of flavor too and an interesting family to the boot. Although her lover is just that nice fellow you see in EVERY anime. The thing that made me love the manga more was because in the manga the male character is shown in a different light with a more colorful background! He isn't as 'hidden' as he is in the anime.

Ok ok now the story. Hmmmm oh the story. It was an interesting plot but the anime rushed it and actually ruined some of the most crucial points in the story. This is why I went to the manga because it satiates a viewer's thirst to understand the plot. Ya, I would suggest watching another anime, but if you have the time, give this one a shot, and go to the manga when you're done.

Overall, it was enjoyable the first few episodes and it could have become something spectacular, but alas the lack of money ruined it.

If you see this anime, I must tell you, I am forever scarred by the cut in nerd head they added in a few episodes. Creep.

As a fan of the manga I found this anime highly disapointing.

Animation-

They hardly moved at all, not only did they not move the animators did not even bother to color them. The only time they did move was when they were in chibi mode or when they didnt need to move as much. The last episode was especially bad. It was just images from the manga itself.

Sound-

The sound wasn't anything special, the same songs used over and over again. Voice actors were good.

Really I had no idea how they were gonna end the anime when the manga was 23 volumes long. ... In the end you never get to see the play and it just ends with Tonami realizing he was in love with Sakura. what a terrible ending. Maybe they didnt have enough money I dont know but you shoud defenetly not watch this anime and just read the manga. You'll regret watching this.

Back in the days I watched several shoujo/josei shows to better understand what this genre is about.

The biggest problem in this one is that male protagonist is completely unreletable to me. Surely it is shoujo/josei genre so that is to be expected, but still I would like to add my male view to it.

On the other hand, I think a female heroine is ok for the most part and even somewhat likable, she reminds me of someone I know but may be that is just nostalgia.

That said I watched this long ago so I do not remember too much.

It mostly about conversations and dialogues, ... which is not a bad thing per se. However in the show like this relatability of characters is or paramount importance. So many dialogues make little sense to me.

This show has overall melancholic feel to it, so it would suit people with melancholic temper.

All it all it is probably a better example of shoujo/josei genre. In Kaichou wa Maid Sama for example female protagonist is completely unlikable but here she is not. That one thing is very redeeming of it.

Overall
So... that's it? Where is the drama, the love triangles, the emotions? I might pick up the manga to see if there are more to it than this, but this anime was simply not very good, despite great characters. Too bad, I had high hopes that this would be the Evangelion of school anime.

Animation
The animation is a big mish-mash of different styles of artwork with a lot of the dialogue being written instead of spoken, which is a shame if you, like me, don't read japanese.

When I think about it, this hardly should be called "anime" at all; there is simply not very much animation ... going on, just still frames panning and tilting.

Much of the art is beautiful, but it becomes too much and I really prefer the "ordinary" anime style.

There are a lot of gorgeous facial expressions, though, mostly from Yukino and Tsubasa.

All in all, nice and progressive but too avant garde for my liking.

Sound
Another let-down. Most voice acting was below average, some were even horrible (what's up with Rika, sounding like a 30 year old man's falsetto?) Most of the boys sound ok, and although Yukino's voice is a bit unskilled, you learn to like it after a while somehow.

The opening theme is ok, nothing special but quite happy-happy and fits the theme. The ending theme I actually liked a lot for some reason, despite it sounding really amateurish. Maybe it's because of that it felt authentic someway. My guess is that it is sung by the voice actors.

Story
There really isn't much of a story going on. A bit similar to Azumanga Daioh, we get to follow some high school students through their everyday lives. There's no big plot, climax or anything.

There is also an absence of drama; the characters never have any large difficulties getting by, and the intermezzos that actually happen, get solved far too easily.

And what about the ending? That's it? Not a single one of the characters get to fulfill their personal "plots". Very disappointing.

And why oh WHY are there tons, tons and tons of recaps? There even were two whole episodes containing nothing but recaps! If there was some advanced story or web of character relations, it would be understandable, but the way it is, the recaps were a total waste of screen time. Yes, I think I can remember those two are A-students and then they fell in love, thank you very much.


Character
Now this is where KareKano actually shines. The characters (most of them at least) are likeable and nice to get to know. Since there are 26 episodes (actually less, counting all the darn recaps), most of the characters get their backgrounds nicely presented, and you get a good view of the agendas of each and every one.

The wierd thing about KareKano is this: Much time and work is spent on explaining how Yukino and Arima both are fake, but that they put down their masks and change their values when they start dating. I for one don't notice much change, they are both still best in school and show no signs of working or studying less. I might have missed something vital, but I think if KareKano was meant to bring up issues like facades and fake personalities, it failed big time.

That doesn't stop me from liking the characters, though. I do, really, they're great! It's just a shame they were put in such a bad story.
Oh yeah, wich reminds me... Even though they all have good backgrounds, no one gets to finish their story.

Value
I probably will watch this again, just to try to understand stuff I didn't get the first time. Or if I find the manga, I'll probably read that instead.

All things considered, this was a big disappointment as I was expecting this to be the best high school anime out there. It was still somewhat enjoyable because of the nice characters.

I'm going to get straight to the point. For the most part, this isn't a bad show. Some parts are nice and leave you with a nice feeling. Unfortunately, that's only some parts, while the rest of it is just recaps. Seriously, why are there so many fucking recaps?

I know it sounds like an exaggeration, but I swear half of the show was just recaps. A recap at the beginning of each episode is understandable, but entire recap episodes when nothing much even happened? Bullshit. Then there's at least two or more recap episodes where the story is told from the very beginning. You've already ... watched the damn show, why do you need to hear the story five times over before you even finish it? It's not like there's any epic complex plot, it's just a rom-com.

Truly sickening..

I'll try to be very brief with this short review without spoiling much.

You can't really dislike the main characters Yukino and Arima. We are given decent development between the main characters leading to their relationship. We delve into the darkest secrets of the main characters and are shown how they overcome it. You don't feel left hanging with the side characters as well which I feel is definitely worth mentioning. They kept revisiting the theme of someone filling in that person's empty heart which was a crucial theme of this series.

However, something that bothered me very much and likely did for others who've ... watched this was the last few episodes (caused me to lower my overall rating for this show). I feel like this is worth mentioning simply because as watchers, you should know ahead of time about the major fallback of the series. I'll say though that for the most part I did enjoy this series and it was one fun ride despite what I've mentioned. The animation is old but that should not stop anyone from turning away from it. I would still recommend this anime for anyone who's looking for a good school romance anime with decent drama.

Overview of feelings:
I was instantly hooked on this story from the beginning. I loved the comedy it included and simply how wonderful the two main characters were. Unfortunately, for the anime, it really started to fall apart. The art and animation take a dramatic turn downwards and the story and character development went in a different direction.
What started out as a very promising anime, turned out to be one that fell flat.

Story: 8
Story got the highest score of all the categories and that is ... because it hooked me instantly from when I started watching it. This anime came out in 1998 and I was surprised I liked it so much. It reminded me of may shojo anime's that have recently come out. I loved how Yukino had a private side and tries to be perfect and the same with Arima. I think the story just really spoke to me about trying to be perfect when you're not. I could really relate to that aspect, because that's how I felt when I was in high school. Plus, I was also very different outside of school. While I never studied as much as Yukino did or work out, I kept my private life very private. Only my sister knew of my love of anime for the longest time.
Anyways, I must say, I really loved the fact that Arima and Yukino didn't take the whole 26 episodes to announce to each other they were in love. Some shojo's these days take the whole season for the boy and girl to say they like each other and it is getting quite annoying.
Unfortunately, the anime started to move away from our two main characters and there were a couple of episodes focusing on supporting characters and it just really turned me off. While they were focusing on these other characters our main characters were lost and their story kinda thrown to the side. I much rather have seen them spend time developing Yukino and Arima and really give them a great story. I haven't read the manga, so I'm not sure about their whole story, but hopefully it was better then how it was portrayed in the anime. Also, the story kind of drifts off and so there doesn't really seem like a climax at all, at least to me.

Art: 3
Art got the lowest score because I started to get really pissed off about how the animation was given such poor quality. In the middle and towards the end, the animation was just line drawing and cut-outs and sometimes even on sticks. Like, come on. I know it was animated like 20 years ago, but it mostly seemed like a lack of time. From a message board on MyAnimeList I found out that:
His and Her Circumstances is a romantic drama manga series by Masami Tsuda. Anno was tasked with directing the series but Tsuda grew displeased with the more comedy-focused adaptation. A lot of Anno's directorial marks were on the adaptation as well, which utilized traffic signals and railroad crossings as symbols. As Tsuda's displeasure grew, the show began resorting to less and less actual animation, at one point replacing characters with literal popsicle stick cut-outs. Anno left his directorial duties and the remaining seven episodes were overseen by Kazuya Tsurumaki.
This sounds like a bad situation in general and it really makes me want to read the manga so I can get the real story and art. The sad thing is that the moderate amount of comedy in the beginning really dragged me in as well, but it must have gotten out of hand. It was sad to really see the anime decline.

Sound: 6
I really didn't mind the sound. I watched the English dubbed version, simply because I was busy and listening to it in English and multitasking were just easier for me. I usually don't like dubbed versions, but I thought the actors who played Yukino and Arima were quite good. There were a few creepy parts in there with Arima. I'm not sure if that was the script or the actor just didn't know how to portray that certain scene.
All in all, I thought the music fit well and went nicely with the serious scenes and the opening song was catchy. So, I honestly, didn't mind the sound at all.

Character: 6
The only reason this is so high is because of the beginning and how much I loved the characters of Yukino and Arima. They were both so similar and different at the same time. Their relationship is probably the most realistic one I've every seen in an anime and I could relate to it.
Yukino: She is popular, smart, athletic, but she has a complete opposite side when she's at home. Honestly, she's just popular, smart, and athletic all and all. She's really not that different when she's not at school, as far as the anime showed, except for like the first 5 episodes. So, her back story is sort of pointless, but I do get that feeling of being lost from her. Her whole character development was to figure out who she is and to be herself. I don't think there was that big of a breakthrough, but I still very much enjoyed her personality and her realness and kindness towards Arima.
Arima: Smart, popular, and athletic just like Yukino. I think this is why this couple seems so real to me. In high school you always saw like minded people together. This time it's not about the jock and head cheerleader, it's about two hard working regular teenagers. While Yukino works hard to keep her appearances, Arima works hard to impress his ever disapproving family, besides his foster parents. His back story is kinda, "Ehh, really?" at some points, but I understand they were trying to go for a kid that has been abused to give him something different. I really liked him, he was kind and caring, but could be firm when he wanted to be. I especially appreciated that firmness during their relationship.
Their relationship was so realistic and covered what a real relationship would be like. I think high school kids are a little more horny then these kids, but hey I get it. Yukino and Arima were shy at the beginning and the best part was you could see how they were opening up to each other, sharing everything together. I think this really reflects relationships these days.
But, main characters are only so much of this anime and since they focused so much on supporting characters, I need to account for that. That is why the Character category only got a 6, because the side characters were forgettable and not as interesting.

Enjoyment: 5
Again, this got a 5, because I really did enjoy it at the beginning and in some episodes here and there. I definitely think this is an okay anime to watch if you can be patient with the animation at points.

Overall: 5
This really is an average anime. It started out great and sort of took a downfall, which was unfortunate. I still think this is something to at least watch, because it really does have a good story in there. Maybe it would be better to read the manga though.

A lot of reviewers seem to be under the delusion that this anime suffers from a small budget. I would like to know what anime they’ve been watching, because I can only assume these must be made in Hollywood for millions of dollars per episode and are directed by James Cameron. No, you innocent, silly goose, no no no. In fact, Kareshi Kanojo, produced by Gainax, boasts one of the higher production values of the season. Just to compare, I mean, this aired alongside the first series of Pokémon. Also the full airing of Cowboy Bebop, but that’s pretty much incomparable. Crap, now I’m reminded ... of Saint Luminous Jogakuin. Horrible. Personally, I would say Kareshi Kanojo is about on par with Cardcaptor Sakura. The director does however use a high amount of still frames and stylized shots, but not to be cheap. Too much attention went into every image to say it was done to save time or money.

Here’s what you should be complaining about:

1) If you are the original mangaka of Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou…
You should despise this. In his egotistical quest to reinvent another genre of anime, Hideaki Anno has hi-jacked your charming, romantic slice of life story and has taken a territorial piss all over it. Instead of remaining faithful to the source material, which was more than good enough and one of the only shoujo’s of the 90’s that managed to keep me around for a few volumes, he tried to turn it into some hilarious, wacky high school comedy and used it as a vehicle to revolutionize shoujo. He wanted to do what Mamoru Oshii did to Urusei Yatsura (ironically one of my all-time favorite anime), interpret it and use it to advertize his own overly stylized directing. While Neon Genesis Evangelion was Anno’s own story, and he could do with it whatever he wanted (and so he did, to great success), this is not his. It’s like someone laboured to make a really tasty, healthy meal and Anno suddenly has a vision, empties a bottle of hot chili sauce and a pack of sugar on top of it, arranges everything to resemble a gothic church and proclaims it the spaghetti bolognese of the new century. This is arrogant directing and a disrespectful adaptation.

2) If you are a huge fun of the original manga…
See no. 1

3) If you are an Evangelion fanboy/girl…
Proceed with caution to no. 4.

4) Everyone else
This is a refreshing and funny romance, featuring at least two realistic, more or less relatable characters with actual depth. The romantic stuff is heart-warming and the gags might tickle one or several of your funny bones. The production values are high, but there’s incredibly frequent usage of stylized still frames. Much like Osamu Dezaki did in the 70’s and 80’s, only for a more modern audience this time. Very Gainax. One can feel a bit overwhelmed by all the style and the nifty little tricks Hideaki Anno tries to pull for the sake of innovation. I found myself getting nauseous from the slightly overpaced switching between frames. Lingering still frames can offer some kind of piece of mind in a slice of life type story, but the quick succession made me feel restless and a bit annoyed at times. Every image seemed so profound and meaningful but you never really get a chance to take everything in. The human mind has a natural attention span, and Anno just ignores our inner clock and randomly crams a bunch of pictures into a random timespan. It just feels unnatural.

Final judgement: touching story, maybe slightly too naïve for adults. Funny scenes and at first impressive and innovative style, which bothered me as I kept watching and distracted me from the actual story. Which is not what good directing should do. Mixed feelings.

Kare kano is about a smart, and popular girl, who's popularity is very important to her. But there is a guy in school who is threatening her popularity, and slowly beating all her accomplishment. Upon meeting him she grows to hate him. Later on into the show he discovers a secret that she hides away to only her family members, and they begin to bond over it.

This anime started off very good actually. I loved the style of the humor, and the subtle hints or romance in the story line. As you delve deeper into the story line the humor gives away to only ... romance. At first it was subtle, the jokes grew less in number and the romance held a bigger part of the plot. That's is where it lost me.

I watched the show for the great humor that was presented, and the romance that was shown from time to time. Ripping out the humor and only giving romance ruined the chances of me enjoying the rest of the story line.

There may be a chance of me picking it up again, and trying to get through it. But for now no.

In the last few months, I've been looking at some older anime romance series that have gotten some decent ratings. His and Her Circumstances did come up in that search. Someone I used to talk to about anime sent me a message a while ago and I mostly forgot about it until a few months before this review. I decided to follow up on that message, finally!

Story: Yukino and Souichirou are two top students in their class - they get very favourable grades, they're athletic and are very well liked by their classmates. The beginning specifically focuses on Yukino, who does ... just about everything to make sure her top spot is kept. At home, however, Yukino is very laid back and doesn't act anything like she does at school. Souichirou finds this out and, while at first he blackmails her, Yukino slowly realizes that they could be compatible after all. They start dating and, honestly, there are many instances where they make quite a pretty cute couple. This series does play out a lot like you might expect of some high schoolers, and when you can relate it, it pulls in the audience even more. There's some pretty strong content written into the story too, which is impressive considering the year in which it was released. The interactions between our main couple are really well played out.

One thing I don't love about many of the episodes is the extensive use of monologuing. It just happens way too often and while many fans won't mind this, I found it took some of the experience away from me. Every so often isn't a bad thing because you get to hear what a character thinks in the moment, but when it occurs as often as this series uses them, you almost feel like you're listening to an anime, rather than watching it.

Many of the episodes take some time to get us to know the backstory of several characters as well - including, but not limited to, Souichirou and side characters Tsubasa, Hideaki, Tsubaki and Takefumi. All of their backstories are fascinating and very different from each other. With 26 episodes to play with, I'm glad they took the time to get us to know the side characters better.

All that being said, the ending leaves a lot more to be desired. It feels like the last few episodes don't really belong here because they focus on a student event, but they never execute it. Much of the planning happens, but we don't get to see anything else about it after the initial episode. It seems like a really strange way to end a series and the last episode doesn't even feel like a conclusion. (7/10)

Characters: Yukino and Souichirou, as alluded to above, are strong characters with some fascinating backstories to them. Yukino tries to hide who she is at home from her classmates, even though she's seemingly perfect on the outside. Souichirou has a past that he isn't particularly proud of, but gets exceptional grades, despite his past, which clearly haunts him. While they more or less try and get through common problems together, you do sort of wish major points of contention were brought up more often. Specifically, the last bunch of episodes don't really show them together all that much.

As for your side characters, they all have strong points for what they are. Hideaki is a bit of a weirdo, but he fits perfectly into the series. It adds some comic relief and his interactions with Souichirou are fantastic. Tsubasa is introduced a little later on and she has some pretty rough problems of her own. What makes her stand out is how the group she's around attempt to help her through those problems and the result is really satisfying. Takefumi doesn't have a great past either and works hard to try and better himself so that he's happy with his life. For the most part, he's a fine character, but I feel like they didn't expand enough on his character.

Characters are generally pretty strong, being propped up by a episodes that are dedicated to them. Not everyone's likable - Tsubaki and Maho I feel were written in to be unlikable - but you don't hate any of them. Even Yukino's dad got some spotlight later on. So while you don't like the whole cast, you can certainly pick out some side characters and say they added well to the series. (7/10)

Art: When you're watching some older anime, the question that comes up is "How well does it hold up today?". Sadly, this series does not hold up well - at least in my eyes. The animation always feels lackluster and the series' reliance on still-photos does beg a few questions. They started doing them less in the late part of the series, but when you're watching our main couple in multiple still shots, it gets old. There's also an episode in the middle where they use real-life backgrounds with cartoon-looking pictures as the character portraits and it really doesn't look good for me. (2/10)

Sound: If we're asking how the art holds up, we can also ask how the sound holds up, right? Because, while the OST and tracks aren't super impressive, the VOs are. Pre-2000, dubbing companies were very clearly still figuring out how to bring a strong audio presentation to the stage and this was executed really well. Kathleen McInerney (Yukino) was fantastic. Perfect, almost. She's obviously known for her work in the Pokémon anime as Ash and his mother, but this would have been one of her early works too and she kills it. Other veterans who grade out well here are Liam O'Brien (Hideaki) and Megan Hollingshead (Kano).

One minor thing I wanted to mention is that I love what they did with the episode previews. You end up seeing two females talking into a mic, very expressively, about the next episode, in the recording studio. In English, the VOs for that are Yukino's sisters (Megan Hollingshead and Jessica Calverro). Obviously the audio isn't synced with what you see on screen, but the energy these two brought to an episode preview was impressive - and very different from what you see today. (8/10)

Overall Enjoyment: His and Her Circumstance is probably the most difficult I've had grading out an anime series, ever. The story they have in place is there, but the way it was executed leaves a lot more to be desired. Normally, art styles don't bother me but I can't help but feel it took so much away from the experience. If this was produced today, I feel like it would see widespread acceptance. It's still good, but this may just be a case of a good anime with poor execution that didn't age all that well. (6/10)

Enjoyment
I love this show in the beginning, but everything went down hill when I had ended the show. Actually my only gripe about the show is how it ended, it ends on a giant cliff hanger and it left my thinking that I really just wasted my time watching this anime.

Art & sound
The show has beautiful artwork, I honestly love hand drawn cel animation that was really why I gravitate to this show was cels. I've only listen to the dub and It was on par to most average 90s anime dubs, but a fun fact the voice of the Female lead is Ash Ketchum/Satoshi.

Story(no ... spoilers)
This is just a generic romcom with some good dramatic senses that could of be better if the story was fleshed out more, but at the end of the day the anime was cut short.

Conclusion
If you just want background noise or some nice wallpaper this a good show, but if you want to an enjoying show to actually end please just watch something else.