Akane Maniax

Spoilers for Kimi ga Nozomu Eien, beware.

I found this to be an interesting and likable OVA to one of my favorite anime drama series. There is a huge shift in the tone of the series, which explains the polarizing views of this mini-series. While the original Kimi ga Nozomu Eien was a very tragic affair, Akane Maniax turns into a parody of old big robot series from the past few decades, complete with a slapstick new character serving as the primary focus.

I can't say much for this OVA in terms of its technical aspects. It was fairly hard for me to track down a ... decent quality version of it, and one with dvd quality was nigh impossible. If I were to compare, the animation about as good as the original KGNE series but not as good as the ~Next Season~ ova. There are some differences, but this is more attributable to the change in art style to reflect the comedic nature of the mini-series rather than worse animation.

For sound, all of the voice actors did a good job. As this is a three episode epilogue rather than a full blown story arc, there isn't as wide a range of material to work with, but the voice actors put in the necessary emotions. The opening song was cute and similar to a lot of high school comedy animes, as was the ending. The background music was not at the same level as KGNE or ~Next Season~, but they also had much more dramatic material to score.

Coming into this series, I had read a lot of reviews calling it stupid, strange or pointless and wasn't really sure what to expect. For a time, I wasn't even sure if I was going to watch it. Ultimately, I decided to have a go for completionist's sake. I'm glad I watched.

I'm not new to tragedy in fiction. I've seen a fair share of depressing films and series, and read numerous works of literature with stories far darker than the relationship drama presented in Kimi ga Nozomu Eien. Yet, for some reason this series affected me very deeply, particularly the last episode where Takuyumi and Haruka decide to never see each other again. In the last few minutes of the show, we see that Takuyumi and Mitsuki are living together while Akane and Haruka have moved on to pursue their dreams. It was nice, but I questioned if any of these four people were truly happy.

It bothered me for a long time. The people in this epilogue had experienced a great tragedy that led to them parting ways forever, and it upset me. The ~Next Season~ ova did not provide me the closure I wanted. While it was nice, it ultimately felt like a sweet dream that was never meant to be. Just thinking about KGNE was enough to make to upset.

That is when I finally saw Akane Maniax. While it is a slapstick comedy, this ova was exactly what I was looking for. This is the tale of Akane dealing with the aftermath of Takayuki leaving her family forever. This is the story of Akane told from Gouda's perspective. Every scene with Akane, you are shown how she is understanding but ultimately hurt by what happened in KGNE. You can't help but think Haruka feels similarly despite her absence for most of the show.

While you can dismiss a lot of the mecha battles in the series as childish and over-the-top, there was actually a lot of meaning to them. What Gouda sees in those battles is what is happening in Akane's heart. The enemy pilots are quite familiar... and while Gouda doesn't know who these people are, he can appreciate the scars that they've left Akane and, in the process of trying to court her, he decides to heal those scars.

There really isn't a whole lot of plot in this series to spoil, so I'll leave it at that. What I've meant to say during this review is: KGNE left Haruka and Akane completely broken, and then showed a future where they had moved on in life, but not necessarily in spirit. At the end of this OVA, I finally felt that Akane had really overcome her sadness and doubts. With that, Haruka could as well. I see now that at the end of KGNE, rather than doing the best they can in the wake of their unfortunate lives, they truly are happy. So, I thank this ova, which in the strangest and most unusual way, put my heart at ease.

A short unsatisfying anime to be blunt about a really stupid chick , and incredibly stupid guy people really need to stop making anime characters so dense id rather watch hamtaro

This OVA is about Akane and how she deals with her memories of Takayuki after the end of the KGNE story. Obviously this won't make sense unless you've watched Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien. Akane is apparently still distressed and does not trust boys. Enter Goda, a completely stubborn and egocentric transfer student who immediately falls in love with Akane. This story tells their developing so called relationship.

There is a lot of parody between Goda and Takayuki from KGNE. The anime also seems to randomly throw in mechs, with Goda (and Takayuki) as pilots. Goda's clothing and the fact that he pilots a mech parodies G ... Gundam's Domon Kasshu.

Overall this is a fun watch, but I probably won't watch it again. However, do not expect the same drama as that in KGNE.

Animation:
The animation quality is high and similar to KGNE. Characters are crisp and the overall coloring is very nicely done. If you ever wondered how a more mature Akane would looked, this is where you'll find it. However, there are really random mechs in this, which, despite being what I assume is a G Gundam parody, really feel out of place.

Sound:
The voice acting for Goda is quite good considering how overly outgoing his character is. The actual background music and effects are nothing special. Likewise the OP/ED are average.

Story:
The plot sequence is pretty straightforwards. Akane, still recovering from Takayuki's incident in KGNE, is now in Haruka's high school. One day, a boy named Goda transfers in. A romantic comedy ensues. Note that a large portion of the actual series takes place in Goda's imagination (including mechs...), this confused me a bit at first.

Character:
Akane seems to be very reserved in this series, significantly different from her younger self in KGNE. Goda is HILARIOUS! His ego and confidence in himself is far beyond normal. The personality of Goda is completely opposite of Takayuki in KGNE and the show makes it very clear.

Value:
If one is to compare this to KGNE, one would find him/herself completely unfulfilled. Think of this OVA as a parody instead. The romance/drama aspect of this is absolutely zero compared to KGNE but you will find yourself laughing at Goda's incompetence and hilarity. Despite the humor, I don't think this is worth a second watch. Just not enough content to keep me wanting more.