Doukyuusei (Movie)

The first thing to note is the art style - it's obviously very aesthetically pleasing, fits great with the story, and sets the mood. I honestly don't know how anyone could dislike the art style. Same for the music. Both these aspects are very memorable.

As for the characters, they're definitely bland. Perhaps it's because the movie is so short, but there's little to no character development. Although you find yourself rooting for them, they're definitely forgettable.

The story isn't special - very slice of life, obviously - but it's still fun to watch. The pacing can be off at times. There's a scene in the movie ... that, without having read the manga, comes off as really weird because there's little context.

Overall, I thought it was a great movie. Definitely worth watching.

There are really certain points in Boy's Love genre that you could only see in this genre. Like it could only happen because it's BL, you could feel different doki compared when watching Shoujo ones. The story is so heart warming and if you're looking for a good shounen ai you should watch this one. It's cute and not really pure but it's really good in my opinion. It's also funny at the same time and it's worth your time. Just imagine some outstanding student and a laid back guy being together. The romance was so cute and still innocent how they get jelous and ... how they react. You will really melt and it's not that explicit but there are cute kissing scene. You should watch this.

I read a lot of good reviews before watching this, so I expected to enjoy it. I was surprised by how much I actually did.
This is a BL anime, but it doesn't have a lot of the typical BL tropes, characters and situations. In fact, I think the situations in it are quite realistic.
This anime is a beautiful story about first love. It is calm and sweet. There is not a lot of drama. After watching shows like Junjou Romantica or Seikaiichi Hatsukoi, this was a welcome change of pace for me.
The characters are awkward and likeable high school students. The art is a ... bit non-typical, but it is nice and somehow suits the awkwardness of the characters.
The music is beautiful and calming. The pace is just right. I felt very content after the ending.
I definitely recommend watching this if you want to watch something with BL, but are tired of the drama. Or if you just want a bit of romance.

The misconceptions I had for this anime were blown out of the water after watching this subtle, cheerful and pleasant romance between two boys in school. I really liked the delicacy with which the author portrayed issues between the two and the expressive reconciliations were heart warming. Essentially the story was complimented with the warm, colorful and delightful graphics (water paints) which brought out the liveliness in the story. Additionally I really liked the cute, adorable expressions of Kusakabe and the way they have been showcased, personally loved his character too. The story progresses smoothly with the characters discovering their feelings towards the other ... while you get butterflies in your stomach. I really would have loved to have more stories about the two.

Note: This review is written prior to reading the manga
Doukyuusei is a very light and airy movie. It takes on a very every day stance on a typical love story without involving the typical drama clichés. The art style was very whimsical and simple which made me further like the anime. Overall, it was a very relaxing and enjoyable movie in comparison to the usual romance anime filled with so much drama and love triangles. I was thoroughly pleased with the movie, and definitely recommend it to anyone. It is a perfect break from your usual romance, and unquestionably wonderful to watch.

"A boy met a boy. They were in flush of youth.
They were in love that felt like a dream,
like a sparkling soda pop."

Ok, just a short warning, this review may be quite biased as I am a big fan of the manga. This was so good! In terms of how it followed the manga, well, it did follow the story and I found the adaptation to be very well done.

Honestly, I don't know what more to say because the story itself isn't very complex at all, it's a simple and sweet love story with its cute moments. But for me, what gave the story more ... depth and meaning is the innocence, pureness and bittersweet experience the characters had shown. These factors really tugged my heartstrings and made me feel so much for the characters through their mini ups and downs in the story. I am so glad to see the movie successfully pulling this off, as the story did in its manga form. If you're looking for something wholesome, fluffy and still enjoyable, then this one's for you!

I am not one to usually watch these type of romances, the nice and simple story. Particularly because it has been done so many times before. But what these characters have brought to the story makes it just 'click' for the person watching.

I like that this story not only deals with the pressures and confusion that many young people have both with sexuality and life in general, but with the regular struggles that teenagers have while going through the motions of high school and having a relationship. It is a very lovely yet optimistically realistic story.

It is an enjoyable and lovely and nice story with ... interesting characters and artwork that is satisfying to the heart and the mind.

I highly recommend this movie to anyone especially to people who love cute romance stories that are very satisfying and leave you not only rooting for the couple but can also leave you smiling right until the end of the movie.

Finally, my first review on this goddamn website! so why not spend it talking about the great movie that is Doukyuusei! lets begin!

Story (8/10)

Doukyuusei is something pretty simple in all honesty, you've probably seen something like this quite a few times before. What makes it so special is how well written it is. It tells such a sweet story in a way that kind of makes your heart melt, the dialogue isn't corny and quite endearing at times and doesn't make me cringe . But dialogue isn't the most present thing in this story as it has that "show don't tell" ... vibe to it thats presented well and makes for something quite interesting to watch. my main gripe with the story however is the pacing at times. Sometimes these events feel like they're going so fast and then boom! the movie's over. It wasn't as bothersome but still a pretty noticeable flaw. I really thought they could've paced things better, but hey, not all material can be adapted can it.

Characters (8/10)

I think i can agree with the general consensus that Sajou and Kusakabe's relationship was great in this movie. It was portrayed in a realistic manner with all the fights and spats and questioning of your regular relationship while still maintaining that feeling that they both truly like each other. It was some phenomenal development and it just really made me smile seeing both of them together and their feelings for each other. Its that great breath of fresh air when you see something with some great gay representation, its what I live for!

The characters themselves are also pretty damn great. Both Sajou and Kusakabe's struggles as teens were relatable and their personalities great. While they wouldn't be called the most original characters ever that doesn't mean that they're bad. They question the future for themselves and their relationship and you relate to them with that struggle. Its great to just watch these to grow in their feelings for each other, ugh. Its too cute okay.

With the characters I had a few problems with them. The two most prevalent being the amount of depth we get into the side characters, I mean sure the story is mostly about Our two leads romance but Maybe we could have a bit more side character time? plus the one we did get the most time with was kinda, er, creepy to say the least i guess. the second major flaw I have with them is some of the development is pretty wonky. While I still love Kusakabe and Sajou's relationship I'll admit that the development for their characters and relationships could've definitely been done better, to help us understand their characters ad relationships more. sigh, if only.

Art and sound (8/10)

The art in this movie feels so vibrant and interesting to look at. It has this fluid style that I just loved throughout the entirety of the film, It shows the emotions of these characters in such a great way and its just so fun to look at. The animation itself has that feel of something you'd watch made by a college student. its bouncy and has this off model look to it. For some people its a turn off and for me it mildly was. But my god was it still just great and mixed in well. It was just a blast.

The sound itself isn't much. pretty standard in my opinion. It has a nice and calming atmosphere to it that matches well with the movie and the scenes plus the tone in general. The voice acting is pretty great as well in wonderfully portraying the characters and their emotions! overall pretty damn solid!

Final Verdict: Doukyuusei is a great movie okay, Its such a blast to watch and it just makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. While I still do have my flaws with it the great stuff undoubtedly overshadows that. While if I was more critical I would've given this a 8/10 but since It was still so damn enjoyable I'll gladly give it a score of 9:

I'd highly recommend this for anyone who just wants something sweet and oh so gay to watch. So please. WATCH DOUKYUUSEI

This is my first review and it may be bias (and really long)
I am a huge fan of this manga and the mangaka (Nakamura Asumiko) so when I heard this was gonna be an anime movie, me and my friend started screaming at like 3am in the morning coz we never thought the day was gonna come! Okay heres the review:

Story: 8
Basically, the story is as simple as romance can get but that is a part of it that I enjoyed. There was never anything complex happening or no extremely out of the blue plot twists. It was just the two meet and we see ... them fall in love and see the romance blossom at a slow and (what I think, I haven't had my first love yet) realistic pace. However the movie cut out an important chapter from the manga which further develops the characters of Hara-sen and Sajou so i think it's a real shame that we didn't get to see that. Also this isn't a yaoi, its a shounen-ai, so if your here for the intense stuff you won't find it here.

Art: 10
One of the reasons why I read Nakamura Atsumiko's works is because of the unique art style. The movie was able to make this art style work with the animation and the colouring was also really amazing, using mostly soft yet bright colours that looked like watercolours (I dont really like the cell shading colouring style, it makes hair look oily and overly glossy haha). The animation was also amazing and didn't look awkward. I didn't think they would be able to pull it off with Asumiko's style but they did it perfectly.

Sound: 9
When I was watching the PV for the first time, my three main thoughts were:
"KAMIYA HIROSHIIIII"
"Whoa this guitar is really nice! Where can I download this?"
"Is that Oozaki Yuuki singing? *proceeds to google*
So to sum up my feelings I'll tell you guys this; I've bought the full official soundtrack and the drama CD's without any regrets and the main theme is downloaded onto my iPhone and i listen to it 24/7. The music worked perfectly with the scene where it was playing and all the music was calm and most songs had the acoustic guitar playing slowly and beautifully in the background. There were times where the movie had no music and only the characters voices which was no problem for me coz the voice acting was perfect and captured the charactors perfectly (Sajou's voice was real cute *bows down to Nojima Kenji*).

Characters: 10
There two main charactors are just (somewhat) normal high school students. Theirs the smart one in class who is a bit of an introvert and the popular guy who has a bunch of friends and is popular with the girls (not that there are any girls in their school). The dialogue helped show this, as the character's emotions where clearly shown by their lines, voice and facial expression. Their designs are also well adapted from the original, keeping the style of the manga but changing minor details to keep them looking more "up to date" with modern anime. It's really easy to get attached to them!

Enjoyment: 10
I will admit that I enjoyed this a bit TOO much. I first watched his with my mum and the next day i rewatched it. The day after that there was a carnival at school so I brought my laptop and rewatched it TWICE!! I'm trying very hard to not rewatch it again until at least a month but we'll see! (maybe I just have no life...)

Overall: 10
Wow this was long... longer than anything I've ever submitted to school TBH... But yea I think you should watch the entire movie, even if you don't like BL. It's a pretty short movie so it's not like it's a waste of time or anything. If anything, it was too short. I want to see more of these characters with animation and voices. I mean, the manga is good but I prefer to watch anime a bit more haha Also i bought the Japanese limited edition blu-ray and i regret nothing. Sorry for this long review hehe// sweats
PS: I wanna glomp Sajou

To all the BL fans out there, this is a must watch movie (purely my own opinion of course).

To be honest with you, I was reluctant to watch this movie because I wasn't all that into the art style. Not that it was bad or anything, just that I watch a lot of shoujo stuff so the style is very different from what I am used too. The trailer though was what drew me in plus the high recommendations of it.

Story wise, it is a very simple love story. Not very intricate or laced up with drama, if you get ... what I mean. And this phrase from the movie really sums up the story, it's a love between a "complex fool and a simple fool". Basically, an overanalyzing guy verus a straightforward dude. Oh and a good point to add is this movie is a conservative one, no etchyness. This may be a moot point for some but to those that have specific tastes, it's pretty important. I really love this innocent conservative type stuff.

Art wise, like I said before, I wasn't too into it but it wasn't bad.

Sound wise, nothing to complain or compliment there. The whole soundtrack is very soothing type slow music that compliments the simple story line.

Character wise, they are cute, personality and all. After watching this movie, it is really compelling me to read the manga to find out more about the couple themselves.

Enjoyment wise, it was a great movie. It was kinda slow and uninteresting in the beginning but it really hit it off after that. I grew more and more interested in the couple as the movie went on.

Overall, it is a great movie and definitely one of those that I probably would revisit from time to time. I would recommend it 100%!!!

i really enjoyed this. it is by far the best gay anime i've seen, (trust me i have seen many) so i probably was a little generous on the scoring. can you blame me?.

the story i would rate a 5, which isnt bad, its just that it's a highschool love story, (spoiler) hot for teacher of course. there is not much more to the plot other than that, but this movie really doesnt need more than that.
but really. that teacher was hot. add him to my heaven.

the art i'd rate an 8. it was all watercolour and pretty. it really ... matched the story, and i think it is a very notable part of what makes this anime pleasing to watch. like i wanna live in this world. let me in. take my soul. im a visual person. this would be my heaven.

the sound i'd give a 7. i mean its sound and i dont know why this is a catagory, the voices werent annoying, the music wasnt eithrr so i cant say much about the sound. the music was nice. the choir singing that the characters did was a little cringy. like average guys who cant sing.

the characters id give an 8. okay so i notice in gay animes that one guy is usually shorter and more feminine with big eyes, and im not into that. so i was happy that both the guys looked like average guys. you wouldnt be able to tell who the uke and seme is by looking at thrm basically. so i like that alot. the characters also had notable personalities, so thats good, even the side characters did. to me, if the characters arent the stereotypical characters you find in every anime, its a win. they were realistic and though slightly stereotypical, they arent overly common personalities.

enjoyment i give a 9, because them gay scenes were killer. thproughly enjoyed. shoot me with an arrow, cure me with this movie.

overall an 8. cause its the best damn gay anime i have seen.

thank you very much. i would watch it multiple times. and im gonna. bye

It's different from the usual style of the genre, and it's this very simplicity that made me love the full package.

Sure, the first few seconds in, you might think what's going on with the art style, but bear with it as it compliments the story and characters so well.
It almost feels as if the whole plot comes alive just seconds after the artist drew it on a canvas; which gives it both, a sense of liveliness and innocence.
I've not seen many anime productions using a water colour style before, so this was something fresh and beautiful at the same time.

As for the sound: ... as expected with such a soft art style, you won't find some fulminant score to accompany the pictures but that's just fine. You could close your eyes while listening to the music and get carried away like a leaf on a river.

Speaking of which: even the story feels a little like this. You just...ease in and go with the flow.

Divided in different parts, it almost feels like you're looking at an animated picture book and it kind of marks the different stages the two protagonists are going through.
If I should name flaws, I'd say, they lie in the pacing. Sometimes things progress really fast, just to be followed by scenes that come across as brake blocks; but looking at the movie in its entirety, you get why there are some slower parts.

If only the ending wouldn't leave you with that bittersweet feeling of craving for more while being satisfied with the cuteness and simplicity of the movie.
No, seriously, you DO want to know what happens after the movie ends.

Nonetheless, I left Doukyuusei with a big smile on my face, all warm and fuzzy inside.

Although I usually refrain from writing reviews I Just had so many reasons to write a review about this one hour movie that to me is an evergreen masterpiece.

When I first watched this movie I had absolutely no expectations whatsoever! As a Fujoshi I have been disappointed by Yaoi and Shounen Ai ANIMES over and over. The same cliché stories, the unrealistic setting and mostly "romance" that IN REALITY isn't romantic but rather signs of an abusive relationship or plain sexual harassment. I feel like for so many years I was waiting for a shounen Ai were the "Ai" was actually there. and this ... short movie gave me every thing I wanted and more.

First of all, the story is nothing over the top and is actually relatable. Nothing grand happens but every subtle thing that does happen hits you in the feels. How the characters feel about each other and how they deal with their own lives and how they work on their own relationship and take everything slowly. No sudden "lets get in the bed and do it even though we just met yesterday" type of thing. It is more of an innocent love story and honestly for the first time I did not feel like I am watching a shounen Ai in particular but more like it was just a normal high school romance story, which it is.

Moreover the characters are absolutely loveable. the main characters feel like they could be your boy next door. However a character I feel like was also a big part of why I loved this movie, was Kusakabes best friend. He was a character who went from being sort of against Kusakabe and Sajou hanging out so much to accepting his friend and being glad that he opened his heart to someone. Amazing how you could learn so much about a character in such a short time.

To conclude, the main point I wrote this review is to inform people who do not usually watch shounen Ai anime to give this movie a chance! From watching it when I was a teen to watching it now as an adult, every single time I have enjoyed this in a different way. Definitely one of those movies you can watch a hundred times and still enjoy!

One of the best movies of my life.

The art style is so unique, its very easy to fall in love with the animation. The colours arent blindingly contrasted as so many 2015/2016 animes seem to be (man I get sick of that). The characters arent crazy stylish or reconizable, but they are enough to remember them. The movie wasnt super dependent on flashy effects or characters or fast action and to me thats a lot of what made it so special. Slice of life/romance isnt really my thing, but this really got to me.

The storyline is so very simple, but the pacing and seiyuu bring ... it to life....just....you can feel the emotions of Kusakabe and Saijou. Its so relatable and feels so real, the emotional effects really draw out little fragments of your own memories.
There isnt any drama overkill (which is a rare gem in this genre) in the slightest, and if anything, the fits the characters had off screen were better left out, as it would have botched the progression and balance of the plot. Excellent work!! Each incident the characters overcome is very clear cut and to the point, giving you more reason to become attatched to the first time couple.
The romance is very light, with the only touchy scene being very PG, but once again, wonderfully directed and ultimately being unforgettably nostalgic.

And OFC. The seiyuu. I saw the description and reveiws and was planning on watching it, then I saw Kamiya Hiroshi-sama and dropped everything I was doing to go download it. One of his most well played roles, IMO. Levi Ackerman is fitted perfectly, but is not left much room for emotional shifts, as with Trafalgar Law, who is strictly the 'cool/sexy' sounding type.
Kamiya-san takes on more of a Yato/Itoshiki Nozomu role here and splendidly displays vivid fluctuations or mood and tone.
And as someone who played Pell (One Piece), Nojima Kenji-san really nailed it here and I am oficially a fan. I did not expect such improvement!

And the overall theme: love through music.
That really hits the spot, and is perhaps the reason I clicked on it to begin with.
The ending song was absoloutely lovely. The OSTs werent that noticable, but with everything else fitting in so well, I dont think much background ambiance was required.

13/10. All my love!

I love vignettes and I love watercolors. Jesus, this was so incredibly good. It's one of those movies you can watch over and over again, you know? Like a breath of fresh air. It's the sort of high school romance we all had once, the kind we can actually see happening.

Story: 10/10
It's simple. It doesn't need anything more or anything less. A lot of people think you need a ton of backstory to really care for the characters, but I don't think that's true at all. You get to know their personalities and who they are and what they value, and in the end, ... that's enough to really make this story shine. It is a classic story with different details, but the details are what make the anime so great. Plus, it's told in vignettes, and vignettes oftentimes make the best stories of all.

Art: 10/10
Literally if I could give this a higher score, I would. It looks like watercolour, guys. It is done so goddamn masterfully. It feels like you're watching a memory. The movements are fluid, and the stylization of the characters is just so. Damn. Good. The character art makes a focus on emotions, reactions--the visceral rather than the physical. And, of course, the backdrop is stunning.

Sound: 10/10
Holy damn this soundtrack. It's mostly guitar and piano--simple, just like the story itself. It's never intrusive, but it is always there, highlighting the art or romantic scenes. And just. Overall. It's such a good soundtrack. It's beautiful and touching; I must have listened to it a million times.

Characters: 10/10
These kids are literally the people you knew in high school. You know, the wannabe rocker. The entirely-too-smart kid with an anxiety problem. But the thing is, they still become their own characters throughout the film. You see them grow into each other, develop into maturity. They start making up for each others' flaws. They grow more comfortable with each other. They both have fears and problems, and sometimes they don't deal with it correctly--but guys, they're so real.

Enjoyment: 10/10
The movie is timeless. I loved it from minute one, when the shot of the fan told me it was a hot summer day and the students were getting restless. It never let me down. And it's a movie you can watch over and over again, because it's so simple and refreshing.

Overall: 10/10
I think I've literally only given this movie a 10/10. It just feels flawless.

Just. Damn, go watch it. It's amazing. I loved it. Masterpiece indeed.

The story was cute yet simple. It didn't need any dramatic scenes for it to be interesting and that's what made the movie so perfect.

The animation was so pleasing to the eyes and it's one of the reasons why I fell in love with the anime.

Kusakabe and Sajou's lovestory was so heartwarming and adorable I was legit squealing every time they kissed.

Not only that but the music was a great touch to the movie and it fit into the scenes so well.

Overall, I recommend to anyone who just wants a feel-good movie in which the characters and deeply in love with each other.

I've had this show on my list for quite some time. The art-style is captivating and I had seen good reviews about it floating here and there on YouTube and on MAL.
I really enjoyed the art style. I have seen some condemn it as being lazy, but I think everything is presented intentionally. Detail is presented only where the director wants our focus. Further, the style lends itself to lively and emotional animation that is emotive not in the way a lot of anime is, but in a distinct and very human way. Strict, on model animation would not have served the story as ... well.
Speaking of story, what is Doukyusei even about? Well, it is an hour long high-school romance. It is fairly archetypical in that one of the pair is gloomy, bookish, and a bit plain while the other one is boisterous, lively, and a smidge ditsy. I suppose I should mention that the relationship explored is expressly between 2 male characters. Though the general stigma of such a relationship (much stronger in Japan than in the US) is touched upon here and there, it isn't the focal point.
The film is broken roughly equally into 4 parts: Summer, Autumn, A Complex Fool and a Simplex Fool, and Second Summer.

Parts 1 and 2 do their job, naturally, as I am very invested in the characters by parts 3 and 4. However, I found them to be comparatively much weaker--especially part 2.

Part 1 is a bit dramatic, but it is dramatic in a way that I quite like and really focuses on budding feelings and intertwined and dual-fold motivations for the characters spending time together. It serves as a great introduction to the personalities of the characters and sets up the rest of the movie well.
Part 2 is steeped in melodrama, which sometimes serves the story and its characters well but, in my opinion, largely doesn't. It especially relies a bit on some of the trappings and tropes that make Shonen-ai a bit...assault-y and weird. But it only dips its toes into the ocean of the problematic facets encountered in others of its ilk, so, while I do think it is the weakest portion, it isn't really offensive and if nothing else allows us to track the evolution of the couples' romantic progression.

Parts 3 and 4 I liked quite a bit more, with part 3 being my favorite.
Without spoiling too much of the specifics, part 3 captured and expressed myriad facets of young and early love in a way I adore.
Particularly, I enjoyed and laud the show's expression of the experience of seeing someone you admire and love in their zone, engulfed in their element, and how captivating and entrancing that experience is.
Similarly, I also think it captures the at-odds, contradictory feeling of wanting to put distance between yourself and anything that makes you feel strongly, out of a sort of primal self-preservation--the solution to which, somewhat ironically, is surrendering to the primal bits of you drawn towards it instead.
Furthermore, the third part also captures the doubt admiration of another can instill in oneself, especially in the context of a romantic relationship. It isn't healthy to maintain a SO on a pedestal, but it does and should happen in moments. In those moments, it can shake your confidence in a 'why would someone so good want someone like me?' sort of way.
Lastly, one of my favorite bits of part 3 was how they depicted the 'brain-fry' or sensation overload of the character in their skinmanship that is, ultimately, comparatively inert. That is, it doesn't take extreme passionate acts to bring the characters to the precipice both emotionally and physically in a way that captures the early stages of such affection really well.

Part 4, while not as good as part 3, does raise the main conflict of the story and resolves it. I suppose part 3 also had such a conflict and resolution, but it is raised and resolved so quickly that it really feels like part 4 was meant to be the main act, especially given it is a bit longer.
It does a pretty good job, if a bit overboard and exaggerated, about the conflict that arises when the future is uncertain and when the goals of you and someone you've become romantically involved with split or vaguely differ, which is a common end-of-youth occurrence as folk go off to college or work.
More than that, though, I think the biggest strength of part 4 is that it depicts the moment where internal, emotional turmoil manifests physically quite well. It isn't over-dramatic, but it captures the sensation from someone experiencing it quite believably and artfully.
It also goes a bit into how people understand and contextualize their relationships and the struggles therein in very different ways (ranging from abstract, to strictly sentimental, to concrete), but it is left a bit too underdeveloped to be considered a main aspect of the movie or part.
Lastly, I think it hints at the idea that relationships are, at times, asymmetric and rely on the bit of push and pull over time to balance if feelings are to prevail. Again, a bit underexplored to be called a main theme, but it got me thinking about it at least.

This review has been pretty vague, and that is because the story is already a bit predictable and by-the-books. I don't wish to spoil the experience of anyone going into it. And it is this relative shallowness of themes and story that prevent me from rating the movie higher, despite my in-moment enjoyment of its characters, art, and the ways it invokes and captures the emotions it aims to.

Overall, I give it an 8.25/10.

I could have had the opportunity to watch this movie at the movie theater but the only screening date was on mother's day which I thought was clever. A smack in the face since many LGBTQ kids are mistreated by their parents. But because of this holiday I wasn't able to watch it and instead ran into the sub version online.

Doukyuusei is a simple lighthearted romance between boys that are worlds apart but through chorus practices, they become close and as the years go, even closer. And that's it. A simple story about two boys and their high school days.

Probably the main reason why I ... personally enjoyed this was the art style that closely stuck to the original art (bless the producers). The movements matched closely to the manga and certain scenes were stills or chopped up into panels. The scenery were beautifully drawn with it's "water colour" style and vibrant colours that gave a lighthearted atmosphere.

The hardest part about a manga adaptation is getting voices that would match and I have no idea how much work producers go through to come up with the ideal voice but I thought the voices of Kamiya (I could tell it was him from a mile away) and Nojima really brought the characters to life. They reflected the personalities of the

For once, an adaptation of a BL manga was not a disappointment. There aren't that many BL shows of any kind and the little that we have is god awful. They did cut out some parts in the manga but I think it worked out pretty well in the end and left me satisfied. I hope in the future more quality BL will come out.

Damn, this hit me right in the feels. What a beautiful movie about the simple love between two very different teenagers.
There are a lot of yaoi/shounen ai manga that are a bit more on the serious and realistic side, but not enough anime. The few yaoi anime I've seen have badly drawn art and are too... obnoxious to me. Meanwhile this movie is not a yaoi targeted towards yaoi fans in general but is a movie anyone could watch. It's just a movie with a sweet, same-sex relationship.
The art is freaking gorgeous, it looks like watercolor illustrations and it's very smooth. Haven't seen an ... anime this pretty in a while!
(If only I had someone telling me the same things Kusakabe was telling Sajou, I could die happily)

I can't suggest it enough. ❤

(WARNING!: There may or may not be slight spoilers.)

It's really amazing how you can just fall in love with someone else after interacting with them for a certain amount of time, even if you've known who they are due to the two of you being classmates. It's also amazing how sometimes, that "someone else" may even be the same gender as you. Let that last part sink in for a second, okay? Okay, this anime movie was the one yaoi anime for me to be truly interested in watching, mainly because of Hiroshi Kamiya, one of my favorite seiyuus, having a role in it; under ... normal circumstances, I don't really watch yaoi or shounen-ai anime (although I did try to make an exception once), but with a certain milestone approaching, I decided to make a true exception in order to make hitting that milestone extra special. All I'm going to say is that if Doukyuusei ends up turning me into a fujoshi, I really wouldn't mind becoming one.

Doukyuusei, or Classmates in English, begins when Hikaru Kasukabe, a student at an all-boys school, takes notice of a classmate, Rihito Sajou, as their school's choir festival approaches. When he catches him singing by himself in a classroom one day, he offers to help him prepare for the choir festival, with Kusakabe being in a band and all. As the festival looms closer and closer, Kusakabe and Sajou end up developing feelings for each other; eventually, the two of them begin a relationship. From there, the film covers some of the things the two boys go through as a couple, especially when the time comes to be seriously thinking about their futures....

The story is divided into four parts, and not every single part is perfect. However, the overall story is admittedly better than some of the straight or yuri romance anime I have watched; it's got some funny moments and some heartwarming moments. I also really enjoyed the relationship between Kusakabe and Sajou; they say that opposites attract, and with this relationship, that saying really holds a meaning! As individual characters, they're pretty enjoyable, too; Sajou got some interesting character development, and Kusakabe was overall fun to watch. Although there was barely any focus on the few side characters, that's okay; Kusakabe and Sajou did a good job carrying the story along.

The voice acting was pretty stellar, especially Hiroshi Kamiya as Kusakabe. Maybe it's just me being biased, since I'm a fan of him; however, his voice suited his character, and I could feel the emotion he put into his acting. The same goes for Kenji Nojima as Sajou; he did a pretty great job with him, as well. The ending theme, "Doukyuusei" (same title as the anime), was a beautiful song, and if I could just find it somewhere, I'd love to listen to it again. As for the animation, I absolutely loved it; the art style was very unique, and A-1 Pictures was able to impress me once again with the movement of each scene.

Overall, Doukyuusei was a really enjoyable film, and I'm glad to say that it was the first yaoi anime for me to complete. If you don't mind watching anime where the main characters are homosexual dudes, I'd definitely recommend it. If you're a hardcore fujoshi who likes watching those homosexual dudes do the nasty, they won't go all of the way.... although this was a subject touched upon.