Tabidachi: Ami Shuushou

" A wonderful premonition that something will happen "

Considering to be the finale of the Ami storyline from the OVA series Cream Lemon (1984-1993) the film follows the same melodramatic mood and theme of the romantic angst between sibling love and the shame that follows in adulthood while being uncertain of one's future.

While Ami in the original series was a tragic but complicated character this time she is trying to move on and forget about everything that has transpired which a welcoming change, since this feels like a movie more so than an extended episode which has a lot more at stake. I ... mentioned the mood and it's pretty steadfast on being open ended with how it handles the theme of incest and it's consequences.

Storywise it's pretty good with it's tension that slowly escalates towards a finale that might seem bittersweet but this is a Cream Lemon story, so bittersweet fits perfectly. There's some J-pop featured throughout that builds on Ami's inner turmoil and it serves it purpose since we're dealing with the heightened emotions of a teenager in a forbidden love affair.
The animation is also a step up from the earliest episodes and it's colors are distant and somewhat cold to further enhance the emotional reality of the protagonist who is distant from everyone and even herself.

Without knowing much about the series and it's storyline I can't really recommend this to anyone expecting to just "get it" since it builds on an already established story but removes the pornographic content. But for those who enjoyed it this comes recommended.

Project A-Ko was intended to be a sequel to Cream Lemon, one of the first hentai anime made. However, it was retooled into a parodic anime at the last minute and released as a double feature with Tabidachi: Ami Shuushou, the forgotten non-pornographic adaptation of Cream Lemon.

Tabidachi: Ami Shuushou truly is not that bad, but not that good either. The 80s animation, as usual, is a visual treat, and the cool J-pop soundtrack is nice, if a bit generic, but the positives end there. The plot is unimpressive and borderline offensive, which one would expect from an adaptation of a porno. This movie includes ... incest, an obvious sign of its pornographic origins, and other garden-variety pervertedness, which makes it an uncomfortable watch. Seriously, the plot portrays the continuing of the incestuous relationship as positive and happy. If that doesn't build up the yikes factor, I don't know what does.

I watched this because I was interested in its relation to Project A-Ko, and as someone who enjoyed Project A-Ko, I can say that Tabidachi: Ami Shuushou adds nothing to the experience and was largely forgotten for a good reason.