Special A

Special A is primarily a Shoujo Rom/Com that starts off slow but gets better as you go. Based on the inability of Hikari to understand Kei's true feelings for most of the plot. Normal laws of physics are generally ignored by the seeming superhuman duo of Kei and Hikari, who also are both at the top of their school academically.

The story isn't the most original story ever, relying on the interaction of the seven members of the Special A (SA from now on) class and not involving many other characters. While somewhat predictable, it still manages to be entertaining most of the time if not ... frustrating because of the general lack of development between the main couple's relationship. (The anime does have several minor changes in its adaptation of the manga's story)

The art style is pretty normal for your typical shoujo. The character models are somewhat odd in their unusually elongated limbs, but it's nothing that should ruin the show for you. The scenery and colors are good, if nothing fantastic, and I particularly liked the animation of the romance scenes where they would employ a pastel like color scheme which enhanced the scene.

The sound, much like the art, is, for the most part, good while not great. The background music appropriate and never seemed to get annoying or repetitive. The OPs and EDs have mixed opinions. The first OP and ED didn't really go over well with me and i doubt anyone would mind skipping right over them. The second OP and ED didn't seem to be much better at first either, but surprisingly they grew on me and ended up being pretty catchy. I don't have any complaints about the VAs, they all seemed to fit their characters and Kei and Hikari's VAs particularly were good, bringing out the same character that was seen in the manga.

The Characters were developed well, with the other members of the SA getting their own spotlight at times. While the main focus is on the Kei x Hikari pairing, there are a few other pairings that show up and will get episodes developing them. Obviously, being the two main characters, Kei and Hikari are developed the most and are both likable, though you might want to strangle Hikari a few times for being as stupid/ignorant as she is. Still, she definitely has her own great moments and you should be able to mostly ignore her own shortcomings and cheer her (and Kei) on.

The enjoyment varies as the series goes on, starting off somewhat weak compared to its peak later on in the anime. The comedy of the anime compared to manga is just as good if not better than the original. The romance on the other

Special A is a Shoujo, Romantic, Comedy, Drama about the extravagant lives of some prestigious individuals and the romantic endeavours some of them pursue. It contains some side-splitting comedy but tends to fail when circumstances get too serious.

The story… well it sort of has one and sort of doesn’t. For the most part, the series follows the random antics of an elite group of students known as the S.A (Special A). This usually involves any random theme you can imagine, be it competitions or festivals, whilst exaggerating the wealth of these students. This brings about some truly hilarious slapstick comedy moments, which varies depending on ... the character delivering the joke nevertheless some jokes can become really repetitive. Then there are times it focuses on a specific member of the S.A, providing the viewers with some much needed back-story on one the characters and developing them further. However the transitions between the comedy & drama relies too much on clichés that it becomes tiresome very quickly. Not only that but a lot of the character arcs were completely ruined during the transition from manga to anime. It also doesn’t help that the main romance between Kei & Hikari is constantly prevented from moving forward and in the end you probably would have lost interest.

Speaking of Kei & Hikari, they certainly made an interesting pair; Kei being the typical cold & calculating guy (Jun Fukuyama perfect for the job ^^) and Hikari being a sort of naïve, brutish girl. Strange combination I must say. Then there are the 5 other members of the S.A who have their individual personalities and traits, making them all an integral part of the story. They each have their own funny, intriguing and annoying side, so it just depends on which has the biggest impact on you.

The animation is exactly what you can expect from your typical shoujo anime; lustrous environments that go well with the wealthy theme and slender character designs to appeal to the standard shoujo viewers. The comedy is certainly executed well on the other hand the romance would have been perfect without the annoying effects (especially when things go artsy for a brief moment). The music here is nothing special and can get very repetitive, along with some of the dialogue. It’s only the voice actors that do a good job in bringing out the most from their characters, allowing me to give the sound department a decent score.

Overall I though that Special A began as a really great Rom/Com that could compete with something like Lovely Complex, but the countless amount of clichés and cheesy moments failed to have a positive effect on the romance and drama. The fact that the story is rather inconsistent and the characters don’t have the same feel as in the manga, will certainly disappoint the fans of the manga but those who can ignore the numerous faults will be able to enjoy this great anime for what it is.

^_^

Delightful anime.

From the very start you are drawn in. Hikari is not the usual clumsy, slightly dumb, female protagonist. She's a warrior basically. Learning the art of wrestling from a young age, she defeated everyone. Then she meets Kei and he is the first to defeat her. Her mission in life becomes defeating Kei in every aspect of life.

Fast forward several years.

They are both in High school apart of "Special A" a class of nine students who are the top 9 in the school. Hikari, of course, is number 2 which she hates because the number one spot is held by none other than ... her arch nemesis/rival Kei. What she doesn't know is that Kei is in love with her. And so the story begins.

Story: The plot line is great so far. Kei keeps his feelings hidden but several things slowly reveal to Hikari that Kei might hold deeper feelings for her. She sees him only as her rival and is oblivious to most of these cues. They compete episode after episode with Hikari slowly realizing that there might be more to the situation than she originally believes. Not the most original plot, but with the great characterization, animation, and plot circumstances, the story becomes great!

Art: I love the art in this anime. Not the best in the word but good enough. Hikari is beautiful, Kei extremely handsome. The fight scenes are fluid. Facial expressions and everything else are so hilarious, yet cute and appropriate. I love when they do the soft animation for scenes where Kei realizes or appreciates something new about Hikari. *Update* I really like the art in this anime. Even with the stick figures (which show up every once in a while to emphasize the long length of the characters legs and works to be more comical than anything else) the characters are drawn either cutesy or very attractive. I especially like the way the eyes are drawn in this anime.

Sound: Not much to say here. Fitting with the theme of the show. :) Loves it. The opening theme is cute and appropriate. I tend to like the ending theme's more tan the opening, which is also the case for me in Special A.

Character: Character development is what the show is all about. everyone has a very unique and distinct personality. idiosyncrasies are utilized for comic effect and works very well.

Enjoyment: 10! Hands down! I love this show. I'm a connoisseur of great shoujo anime and this definitely makes my list. You will be sucked into the hilarious cuteness of the show.

Overall: 10. Just watch it. I promise you wont regret it. :)

Special A is a good story about two rivals (boy and girl) who slowly start to develop feelings for each other. There is much more to this story than that but this is the main focus. I really enjoyed watching it even though I think since the main focus is the developing relationship between Kei Takishima(male main character) and Hikari (female main character), that the show should have focused on them mostly.

I got a little discouraged seeing that they really didn't have more kei and Hikari episodes but the ones that did focus on them was great. But basically you have a story about ... 7 main characters attending this elite school called Special A and the bonds that grow and the challenges that they have to face.

Story 7: I give the story a 7 just because I think they didn't really focus on the main characters enough and the ending wasn't what I hoped.

Art 9: I enjoyed the art even though I think most of the characters were a little skinny.

Sound 10: Sound was oustanding

Character 9: I think all the characters in this anime were very likable. Some a little annoying but likable. Kei was the sweet and smart charmer that was great in everything and also the main females' rival. Hikari was caring and valued friendship and energetic. She works hard to accomplish things. As far as the other five Special A members, they all had something special about them but I dont want to go into detail about it or this would be too long of a review.

Enjoyment 9: I enjoyed this anime a lot and even put it as one of my favorites because it was that enjoyable and something I could watch over and over.

Overall I gave Special A a 10 because I love the romance/comedy genre and this anime sure has both and it was enjoyable.

First off, I've only seen the first six episodes of this anime and never read the seemingly well known manga, so take my review with a grain of salt.
This show is yet another romantic, shoujo, school life kind of anime:

Story:
From what I've seen up till now, there is really barely a story. There are a few story arcs, which at most go over 2 episodes. I'd say the story is just stuck onto the relationship between the 2 main characters and kind of obsolete. Other than that, I really don't know what to say about the story, except maybe the relationship between the two:
The show ... is all about how Hikari Hanazono has always been second to Kei Takishima, who is more than perfect in everything. She always calls him her rival, which destroys any romance from really building up in the first few episodes. I guess the idea of each story arc is, thatHikari challenges Kei to something and the story then revolves around the competition, and maybe creates a few romantic moments. I really don't see any proper story, though that may change with future episodes.

Art:
The art really bothered me. The way the characters are drawn is really strange and kind of put me off right from the start. Every person in this anime is extremely tall and thin with very long legs. Some shots through out the show just look really wrong because the proportions don't seem to match.

Sound:
The sound is OK. It's not amazing to the point where I would have to by the CD, but not bad to the point where it would disturb me. It just fits well into the "story" and "plot".

Character:
I find every character, except Kei, annoying and/ or unlikable. I guess the anime could turn out great it they did the character development well, but Hikari is just too annoying for me to handle and I really didn't at all sympathize with her.

Enjoyment:
I flat out did not enjoy watching these episodes. I had to push myself to episode six and had forgotten what had happened in the "plot" till then, if that tells you anything.

Overall:
It is really kind of unfair to bash an anime of which I've only seen six episodes, but I really disliked it. The show does have some potential and I really hope that it will make use of it.

Not many have heard of this anime, living in the shadow of Ouran High School Host Club . Though not a harem, this one can definitely shine on it's own. I LOVE OHSHC but it's not the only one out there.

Summary: You could skip if wanted :)
Hikari was the best fighter, that title was hers for a long time until her dad introduced her to Kei, the one person she can't win against. Always placing second to him in everything from sports to academics, she vows to beat him and follows him from elementary to high school. In high school the Special A (S.A)club ... is formed, in it are seven members, and even there Kei is first. What Hikari doesn't know is that Kei is and has been in love with her since they were small. This anime follows the lives of S.A members as they deal with life, love and high school.

Is the idea original? No. Don't get me wrong it's entertaining. I mean, just the rivalry between Kei and Hikari is enough to get me to watch this again and again. But the whole school special club of kids has been done time and time again, off the top of my head I think about Ouran High School and Shugo Chara (minus magical element). And most of the things are severely exagerrated (for proof see the second part of of the first episode)

The characters are what make this anime.
They are, most of them, original. You will see some of you in one of them.

-From Kei, the quiet yet chivalrous guy in love with his 'rival.' Reminds me of what Lelouch as a normal high schooler would have been like. But then again Lelouch wouldn't be Leouch if not for his ability to make an entrance and his Lelouchness. His facial expression alone will make you smile, swoon and laugh, sometimes at the same time.

-Twins Megumi and Jun who try to never be separate an have horrible social skills. Megumi with her never specking out loud to preserve her singing voice and always using signs. Jun being awkward and not know how to act around people.

Tadashi and Akira who with are their animosity towards each other and all the cooking you know there is something there. Akira is hilarious when she's mad and if they were real, she'd be in anger management classes. Tadashi is fun, he's the guy you'd party with.

Ryuu who loves nature and animals and frankly is sweetly weird.

Last but not least is Hikari , who with her being number one obsession you can't help but do the "ha ha!" *Melvin laugh from Simpsons* when she ranks in second.

Can't say much else without spoilers and I REFUSE to leak this one!

The anime color and style look good. The characters limbs look so long and stick figurish like and that takes some getting used to. Also I'm not sure if someone else noticed but most characters have the same posture and hands in the same place when they stand, I noticed the second time I watched episode 1, towards the end. But it's sweet, bubbly and funny. The way they are drawn makes them stand out a little from other anime but they are regularly drawn. there is no weird hair color or cool purple eyes, It's one of it's charms to be normal looking.
Music flows with the scenes and nothing feels out of place, though the ending song isn't my favorite.

Frankly I love the ending and I specially liked that even though similar to OHSHS the endings were different, though something leading up to it weren't. My rating on this one is based on smile ability. Making watchers smile unconsciously is a rare thing on anime, well not on good ones.

A romantic comedy that is very fun, light, and enjoyable.

Story: While there lacked a clear overall story, development in the relationships between characters linked the series as a whole. The short stories covering blocks of episodes were very entertaining, allowing for the audience to see the dynamics between and the growth of the characters. However, some of these short stories lack originality, but then again, the romantic comedy genre can easily be repetitious.

Art: Artwork for the anime is good and pretty consistent throughout. The animation is still considered good even though I believe that the art of this ... anime was not meant to be spectacular.

Sound: The seiyuus were well-matched with each character; they were able to bring the series to another level of humor and enjoyment.

Character: There could have been more character development in this anime. While the story did go briefly into each character's history, more background would have been useful and entertaining. However, considering the genre and the lightness of the overall anime, the creators of the series did well in presenting the past and present character drama and issues. The characters and their personalities were very well-suited for this series; the show contained typical characters: a louder, aggressive female with a calmer, smart-mouthed male counterpart.

Overall, the series was very enjoyable and had all the necessary (and audience-wanted) elements for this genre.

When one sees visuals of “Special A” and reads that the main premise of the series follows the school days of a select group of intelligent, rich students at their prestigious school that has created an exclusive elite class for them called S.A., one can't help but to think of “Ouran High School Host Club”. Add the shared element that the wealth, insane levels of talent and skill that some of the members possess is often plastered all over the screen. The fact the group in “Special A” has one commoner among them, Hikari, quickly makes one think of Haruhi from “Ouran High School Host ... Club” to boot.

However comparisons end roughly there as Hikari and Haruhi are quite different characters. The relationship between the “Special A” leading couple Kei and Hikari and the “Ouran High School Host Club” couple Tamaki and Haruhi also plays out differently, and although both anime series don't have an entirely conclusive ending regarding the main pairing, the relationship between Tamaki and Haruhi does feel just that bit better paced and played out.

Spanning 24 episodes, “Special A” pulls the plot card of Kei and Hikari's love and possible relationship fairly soon in the series and even though enough episodes revolve around it, no real progress is made until the final episodes. Given that a large part of that is due to Hikari being totally oblivious to Kei's and her own feelings, her being an airhead about it may become annoying to some viewers. Especially since Hikari is no idiot but has excellent academic skills and is only dense about love, especially when it involves Kei and her own feelings.
Seeing several romantic pairings between the other characters form in the episodes in-between, perhaps it might have been better if they had only touched upon Kei and Hikari's relationship a bit later on so its pacing would not have been so slow.
Luckily the Kei and Hikari pairing is an unexpectedly good one. Childhood friends due to their fathers being acquainted, the straightforward and honest Hikari is a perfect match for the near emotionless genius Kei since she literally brings a ray of light in his else very cold and businesslike environment. No doubt that is why he has always loved her, she may not be of wealthy descent but she holds everything he lacks in that world.
The added gimmick that Hikari sees Kei as her ultimate rival and is hell bent on beating Kei in whichever task or test they perform adds some uniqueness and is the source of many jokes. Though it gets a bit repetitive towards the end when Hikari seems to desperately grab on to seeing Kei as a rival in order to not have to face up to the fact she's in love with him and always has been.

The other members of the S.A each have their own distinct personalities which offsets their more generic visual appearance, or their unique quirks which in turn leads to scenes filled with laughter but also when brought at the wrong time, can seem a little annoying when it causes the series to switch from a serious tone to a humoristic one too fast.
Throughout the series, some other characters are brought forth as seemingly purely evil influences bent on hurting the SA group, but most are redeemed as the series progresses, though it is especially Yahiro that is initially brought front as a nemesis.
One could say the final episode where Hikari pursues Kei makes it seem the rest of the cast are just dragged into it to show off their most common trait or role, but it also serves to show their group is a tightly knit band of friends that stands together.

Regardless of the romantic pairings and story, what I most appreciated in “Ouran High School Host Club” is the continuous barrage of humor and jokes that could have one laughing through their tears. Next to the romantic elements “Special A” also delivers tons of humor and jokes, however it doesn't seem to really reach up the level of “Ouran High School Host Club”. In that, “Special A” is nice but not really special since it doesn't excel. It is a nice comedy, but not the best one out there.

Animation throughout the series is decent to good, save for several scenes where corners are cut or the animation drops slightly it's always enjoyable to watch and never drops far. Typical for such a romantic school comedy are the bright colors, stylish school uniforms and extravagant settings.
A welcome change is the more realistic hair colors of the main characters, it's always nice to see a series that can have a diverse cast of characters that sport realistic hair colors.

The background music is generic for series of its genre, it does not really stand out but accompanies the scenes well. The OP songs are another matter, I must confess out of my own personal taste I found them both to be rather atrocious and soon skipped through them when watching an episode.

I have not read the “Special A” manga so I can not say how the anime compares to it or how faithful an adaptation it is.
Regardless, “Special A” will be an enjoyable romantic school comedy for everyone that they will surely enjoy and have a lot of laughs each episode!

It was fun watching "Special A". Even if it isn't very original (it reminded me "Host Club" and "Fruits Basket"), some episodes are really nice. The relation between Hikari and Kei doesn't advance fast, so it can be frustrating sometimes. I especially liked the other couples in the series. So in summary, I can say it isn't the best anime I've ever seen, but it's nice to pass time.

special a is just one of your typical anime shows but with a special twist.its nice cause the selection of characters are great.the characters have different personalities.each episode tells a different story about their lives in special a .unlike other animes,they focus oeverything not forgeting to mention this and that.

For anybody who have read manga "Last Game" by Amano Shinobu, after find out how amazing that manga was, and when they try to search other manga that have the same story & style, they will find this one, "Special A" by Maki Minami. For your information, this is not the first manga that have the same theme, unrequited love between a long time childhood friend. There is another manga named "His and Her Circumstances" by Masami Tsuda in 1996 that slightly have the same theme. I expect nothing from this anime, but it turns out to be too funny and a lot of unpredictable ... situation happen, even its also make me cry a lot with its drama. All character in this anime is sweet and adorable, each of them have their own past and back story that's so interesting. I could say that this anime's genre is fiction love. Anybody who want laugh and cry in the same time, this gem is highly recommended! I also write the same review in IMDB.

the greatest friendship-anime i've ever seen!

both story and characters are very excellent. they mixed chibi arts and orginal arts very well. the story is rather common but they serve it in different way, so it wouldn't be boring...

the seiyuu (Fukuyama, etc) are very expressive.

the only thing i dislike is there are a bit much for side-characters and they usually don't have any use for the main story.

if you love romance-comedy anime and "dense girl", i bet you will love it..

"Miss second place", these are common words in this anime, but is the series capable of even reaching second place? I think so.

STORY
The story revolves around a group of friends all in the "Special" class, some because of academics and skill, and some because of money, and some because of necessity. This story is one of romance which is something I don't really enjoy, but this series has a sweet childlike love to it that not many shows can match, it even got me supporting the main protagonist at the end; rest assured with the character arcs present here you'll get to appreciate each character ... in this show.
9/10

ART
The art style is rather pretty, with lots of greens, whites, and well... natural, organic colors that's pleasing to the eye. It fall short some on the textures as they do look a bit low on the resolution scale, and some lines do need some more anti-aliasing; luckily it can be easily overlooked by the lovely art and vibrancy present.
8/10

SOUND
The music complements the story and scenes well, nothing seems really out of place. Both the original voices and the dub are very nice, some however may be a bit harsh on Kikari as her voice some seem to be higher pitched than everyone else but I think it suits her characters personality.
Now lastly let me just touch on the opening and closing tracks for the show. The opening track I found rather underwhelming compared to the show, I think the actual video supporting it was much better, with the music acting like a crutch to the art present; the closing track however was spot-on, it was playful, fun, romantic, and really symbolised the show well, it made me want to watch the next one (although the endings of the show made we want to too of course).
8/10

CHARACTERS
The cast of characters are not really well thought off, they're all basic archertypes; you've got your Mr perfect, the dumb competitive child, the shy singer, ect. For me however I forgot about how stereotypical they are as the scenarios they're put it give the characters some (a very small amount) of depth to them which more than makes up for it.
7/10

ENJOYMENT
In case you cannot tell I enjoyed the show, it's one of my favorite romance stories out their; looking back on it the overall feel it reminds me of F.R.I.E.N.D.S (A very popular show back in the 90s). 100% recommend watching it.
10/10

OVERALL
9/10

Special A is a really brilliant and fun story, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Everything was great, right down to the last sketch and I felt it compulsory to write a review.

Story:

Well, you have probably already read the basis on it. It is a funny, and clever twist on school life, and shows you how determination can get you anywhere.
The plot was good, and it was set out episode by episode in a fantastic sequence.
/The story itself was heart warming and never failed to make me laugh. Even in a serious episode, it still made me chuckle, which I think is a ... good sign.

9/10

Art:

I like this kind of anime style, its realistic, but still a cartoon-ish drawing. The eyes are cute on girls, while boys have more of a serious vibe coming off them.
There are scenes where the characters look either really weird, or just so life-like (for a cartoon) that I've said to myself "Wow, how is anyone THAT thin?" or "OMW she looks SO real!" But usually, it just looks great, and normal.

9/10

Sound:

I think the sound on this anime is absoleutly incredible, the voices match the character perfectly and every beat, line and pitch is delievered exactly how it should be. The voice actors have done an amazing job with this anime, and I'm pleased to say, its perfect.

10/10

Character:

All of the characters (excluding some CERTAIN characters!) are very lovable, funny and well, unique.
Their each individual personalities fit in so well with the others, yet they are so different at the same time.
Each character holds their own special talent and unique ability that is so precious and super, really.

9/10

(I only gave it a 9, because of a certain character >

At 1st, when this anime was aired in the Philippines (I think it was aired in TV5), I heard a lot of my schoolmates murmuring, “Uy, napanood mo yung Special A kagabi? Nakakilig si Kei nu? Ang sweet nya ke Hikari!” —> Translation: “Hey, did you watch Special A last night? Kei’s so sweet with Hikari right?”. I was really curious, so I tried watching an episode. I liked it too, but I didn’t have the time to continue watching it because of my hectic schedule (this was way back in High School).

Here comes my Summer Vacation from College! My boyfriend downloaded this anime for ... me because I was planning to write fanfiction this summer and it would be better if I know the original story from the Anime. I didn’t expect that I was going to be so hooked with it.

Story? The story was nice. It is an anime full of genres, and every episode is unexpected, it will really surprise you. The characters are usually growing and developing on every episode.

Graphics? I don’t comment much on the graphics, (since I’m not really a very good art critic) but I think it’s alright although the characters are thin or they all have the same body built. I also noticed the same usage of clothing on different episodes, and I find it quite simple though.

Likes? The story, the variety of each characters from one another and the insertion of comedic relief on every situation. It doesn’t bore me.

Dislikes? There is a rare development on every love story or the relationship between each love team. And the ending left me hanging. So I really expect a Season 2 or an OVA from this Anime. Swear, all those who have watched this anime want more right?

Special A is an anime where you’ll be learning, laughing, cherishing and crying. You’ll definitely enjoy it. No, it’s not corny because of the love tandems around. It’s really worth watching.

Then again, Special A.. All I can say is, more please? I regret reading the manga 1st before watching the Anime because now I am expecting more! I’ll give you an overall rating of 8! One of the best Anime I had watched, and one of my favorites. Suggesting this to all Anime fans! Be in love. :)

Special A, was one of my favorite animes I've watched.

It always kept me on my feet, and wanting to cry, laugh, rant, scream, or hit somebody for the emotions it made me feel.

The storyline was like nothing else, completely original, never dull, and it ranged from a deal of characters, never leaving any questions at the end.

The characters personalities were wonderful choices, nothing to alike, but nothing too different in the group, and for outside the main seven, well, No one was the same thing.

The art, beautiful. All I can say to describe it, epic.

Overall, this anime was beautiful, amazing , and in ... my opinion, one of the best out there.

I heard about this anime the day before it came out subbed on a podcast! I thought it sounded funny so the next day I looked it up! I absoutly LOVE it!!! Each character has an unique personality which is a very important element in anime! I love the soundtrack as well as the character opening and endings to the series! I do perfer the anime over the manga, so if you wanna know about the manga don't ask me ^^;;

Nostalgic. I remember when my three older sisters watched this anime on our local TV, in their teenage years. I was 6 or 7 years old back then and we enjoyed it. For them, that anime was so romantic. Even though I'm an adult now, I still found these romantic feelings for this show still lingering inside my heart. High school was probably the best year that happened to me.

Special A is another romantic comedy shoujo anime in my collection. This anime seems old because it was released in 2008. But this is one of those underrated romantic gems that everyone can enjoy. I didn't ... understand why my older sisters loved this but now I knew why. It may be a typical shoujo romance anime, but this is ridiculously romantic and fun.

The premise is about the two childhood friends and Hikari, the main protagonist/heroine wants to beat Takishima Kei because he's the first one who beat her. Even after many years, she attends a prestigious high school and joined the Special A-Class, to beat Takishima. But, she always loses to him in academics and athletics. She always carried the name of "Miss Second Place", the name labeled by Takishima. Thus, their everyday lives begin with their co-members of the SA class.

The story is light-hearted and funny, as expected from a shoujo demographic. It's not that different from other romantic shows, but this is unique in its ways. Some parts were episodic but it's connected to the central story and development of the characters. The slapstick humor among the members of the SA class is great, especially the shenanigans of the characters. It never fails me to smile many times when I watched it and I never got tired of it. It showed the side stories about the characters and it was pretty good. The chemistry between Kei and Hikari was cute and funny. It's like a love story between a tsundere and a numbskull, and the formula mixture of the romance and its type of comedy made the show more enjoyable. Many parts were cliched but I couldn't help but smile because of it. It's not perfect but it's so unique and special.

The characters were hilariously cute. I liked the chemistry between Kei and Hikari, and Akira and Tadashi. The other characters were likable and funny. Aside from that, the development of the characters was good. Kei found his happiness around him, especially in his harboring feelings for Hikari. He was a cold prince but throughout the series, he learned how to become sweet and protective of others. Hikari was a numbskull but she learned her new true feelings for Kei and her friends. Akira overcame her trauma by finding new friends, and her relationship with Tadashi. Even the other characters, found their true happiness and formed strong bonds within the SA class.

The animation was good, as expected from the collaboration of AIC and Gonzo. It's not that kind of superb like the modern ones because it was released back then. It's perfectly good for the series and I liked it. Especially when the romantic or heartwarming scenes come, the animation turned into like a painting or whatever. Overall, the designs were good and the animation was good also.

The sound was so heartwarming. It's sad when I couldn't get the soundtrack but it fits every scene. It reminds me of every retro romance anime and it couldn't get out of my mind. The music in every scene resonated inside me and made my heart fluffy. The OPs and EDs were good also, as well as the voice actings. Jun Fukuyama did a great job on how to portray a cold yet sweet prince.

Overall, it was great and fun to watch. I enjoyed this anime, despite it being just 24 episodes. I wished the anime was longer but the manga was worth it. Some parts were boring but I'll let that one slide. If you want a great romance and hilarious anime, this is for you. The anime was so romantic and it will capture your heart, by the time you watch this.

WARNING: First review. You're warned, don't lie about it.

Special A. You could think that this is an ordinary Shoujo anime - which isn't really a mistake - but It actually has some really interesting used elements what makes this beloved anime for girls really more enjoyable for us.

You might wondering why I would recommend this anime? If you're a guy, I would say that you're just on the wrong place, provided that you like typical shoujo romance anime, Gomen'nasai. Look, if you are just bored and don't know what to watch, this anime would be fitting your situation. It is really simple minded and not ... a really deep story.

The main element which is high ranked in this anime is character development. Besides the whole storyline this is the most important thing in the anime. Beside that it is all about our typical rival/love standard en some side characters.. Lets take a look at the story.

So it is about a girl named Hikari. She wants to beat her rival, named Kei. He is better in almost everything she is good in. (Only thing he can't beat her is in cooking the worse, for sure) The only reason that she comes to their school is to beat Kei.
In school they have different "levels" that are based on scores. So you have F to A and the "best of the bests" are in class Special A. They count seven pupils. Each one has his or her own rank place. The best is first, the less best in S.A (Special A) is of course seven. And well.. Guess what? First place we have Kei Takishima, and second place "Miss Rank Two" is Hikari Hanazono. So her biggest "dream" is to beat him and become first place.. But it is easy to say, hard to exercise.

The story is really easy, but easy isn't always something negative. The romance is probably a good thing about this anime. It is really based on it and the main genre, I think. It is good executed and I loved each pairing in this anime. Our main pairing, Hikari and Kei was really cute and how their relation developed was cute and interesting in many ways. But I have to confess something, their were two couples in this anime I liked more than our main couple. But that is personal taste in developing, so let's give it not that much spotlight.
I also laughed alot of times. I love slapstick in animes and this anime has a lot of this kind of comedy. Well.. What else can I say? I cannot complain about anything.
ONLY thing I have in mind is that some characters do have a lot of development (Kei, Hikari, Yahiro, Akira) and some of them have a little bit of it or really weak development (Mainly talking about our twin, actually) and I wanted more interactions with them instead of too much screentime for our main two. I mean.. In MAL they are labeled as main too.

The art isn't make me mad in a good or bad way. It is just an ordinary kinda Shoujo rom/com. The character designs do fit their personality and are just good. The colouring is great and I loved some of their special effects besides the original art. Only problem - I know many of us have the same problem - is that they look ways too skinny and have really strange legs. But hey, like I'm better in drawing and animating? No.. Just no. So I don't have to complain because it is something I cannot reach, even not in thousand years with my zero percent talent in drawing.

The sound was mostly really fitting the situation. You has some really funny and energetic mentions and funny but quiet beautiful piano pieces, but nothing special. I loved both openings and endings, mainly because it is sang by the characters itself. I was later mentioned it, so not only that was making it funny. Just the songs are really catchy and cool, I just loved them. But as I said again, it was not blowing me away or something. Just great.

Probably my favorite part, the characters. I can say I have good feelings about this one. The characters in this anime are really likable and I can't really name a girl or boy that really do pissed me off. But YES, I have an opinion about some of the characters. Because I didn't like everyone with the same passion.
Let's start with Hikari. She is the main girl character. She is this really kind, energetic girl and is really competitive. She always cares for others and her dream is to finally beat Kei. I liked her, but not with a big passion. Her relation with Kei was really adorable too, as I mentioned before. Sometimes her situation was just kinda overdramatic and I just couldn't put myself in her shoes. And her voice was annoying sometimes too.. But besides that, nothing wrong with er.
Our second one is Kei. Okay, to be honest sometimes I am just not a girl. Of course I watch shoujo romcoms, but not for "the hot guys" and.. I have a strange opinion about what kind of guys I like. Kei was that type of guy that is not really interesting, just made labeled "hot".. wel.. In my opinion. Of course everything was cute and stuff, but I wasn't really attracted to him or did really like him. But of course I did not hate him.
The twins was a point of cuteness. I loved them both and Megumi is so adorable. I also loved her relationship with Yahiro in the end. Although it was kinda out of nowhere, I did enjoy it. Yahiro was another hot view to excite the female readers and watchers, but he was not a really cool character actually. Meh, I did not hate him but I didn't feel bad for him either, I just didn't care about him that much. Tadashi was our comic relieve, in my opinion. Just there in the show to make me smile. I also really loved him and his relation with Akira, but I saw it coming so I was shipping it since the first episode. Then we have Ryuu, our animal lover. He was really cute, although he had not that much development and was the less interesting and important character in the anime. DON'T ATTACK ME FANGIRLS. And at last we have Akira, she is this typical tsundere character, and really loves (almost in a romantic way sometimes) and I can't help loving her. But that is personal taste, because I totally understand why you would hate her. Because she is really fast pissed off and always sulks at Kei and Tadashi. But I really liked her.

Well.. As you noticed, I really enjoyed watching this anime. It was just simple and my favorite genre is romance. Because I am really passionate in it, this was giving me an enjoyable area and I have only watched this anime with a bright smile on my face.

If you love shoujo romcoms with likeable characters and development, this anime is our perfect match! So.. I definitely would recommend this anime.

To me, it was just the greatest anime i have watched so far. Its romantic & kind of prince like. I loved this anime, it was so interesting how the story was abnormal, but at the same time it was normal too. It just makes you want to keep watching and watching until your already done! [that happened to me obviously=P]