HOW AWESOME WAS EPISODE 4!!!! XD *throws confetti*
The Aoi Hana anime has been great from the beginning, but such consistently excellent execution of a series I love this much is making me giddy...
All that I can say about episode 4 (if you haven't watched it yet) is...
WATCH
IT
AS SOON AS... *faints*
*revives* This is the best series airing this season. Seriously, I want to send Takako Shimura, Kenichi Kasai, and the lovely people at J.C. Staff chocolate and my effusive thanks for combining their talents to create one of my new favorite shows (so far). :)
Fumi's misunderstanding with Akira and Yasuko was really cute, and ever so faintly nostalgic. ^^ It reminded me of how life-and-death every little thing feels in high school. (Especially the early years. ^^;)
The core of this episode was Fumi's "coming out" to Akira. I personally love this scene, since it reminds me of how I came out to my best friend. And Akira's conversation/advice session with Kyouko on what happened was deliciously laden with dramatic irony.
This episode also introduces the "Mistress of the Library" arc (although Crunchyroll translates it as "Master of the Library", which is a valid translation, but I'll continue to use the translation I'm used to). It's cute to see Yasuko experiencing her own first love in middle school.
Even though Kagami-sensei's kind of a dorky guy, imo, ^^; but at least he did the right thing. Some people who have seen this episode have ridiculously commented that Yasuko was being "unfaithful" to Fumi simply by harboring unwanted traces of her old crush on Kagami-sensei and greeting him when she goes to Fujigaya, which I find baffling. Since he's her sister's fiancée, she has to see him anyway, and ignoring him when she's frequently visiting Fujigaya would simply be rude.
By the end, as Fujigaya's performance of "Wuthering Heights" draws closer, Fumi has put some of the puzzle pieces together and figured out that Yasuko was referring to herself in her "Mistress of the Library" story.
I'm massively looking forward to the next episode, even though I already know what's going to happen. If that isn't a sign of a good show, I don't know what is! ^^
Aoi Hana had darn well better get a second season. As of now, I think this season will end with the material covered by volume 2 of the manga.
I've started to watch this series after hearing of the high praise it has recieved.
ReplyDeleteI tend to enjoy action/comedy and have only started to get into more quiet shows ,like Maria Sama, so Aoi Hana is something I found tricky to enjoy ar first (I almost tried to make a drinking game every time that Fumi cried).
But episode 3! The dates, along with the interaction, was some of the most beatiful moments I have seen in a series in terms of realism adn warmth.
Looking foreward to ep 4.
@ Anonymous- Glad you enjoyed it! I loved episode 3 also. XD
ReplyDeletei had been looking forward to the show since reading the manga and i am extremely happy with how it turned out. i actually have you to thank for telling me it would be streamed on crunchyroll. so thanks a lot!
ReplyDelete@ Taylor- You're welcome! ^^
ReplyDeleteYeah given the pace the anime is going, even another season might not be enough to fully resolve the story (since even the manga hasn't gotten there yet has it?). But I'm definitely loving this series (and rumor has it Shimura's Hourou Musuko might be getting a series soon too).
ReplyDelete@ MattKrous- That could very well be true (about a second season not resolving the story), especially given that Aoi Hana runs in a bi-monthly magazine. (Maybe the anime gods- or corporate sponsors- will favor Aoi Hana, and give us enough seasons to finish the manga? ^^;) But even if the anime doesn't follow the maga ending (whenever it may be), as long as it has a solid ending I'll be satisfied. For now, I'm just enjoying the ride. :) But with Aoi Hana getting adapted, I'm sure Hourou Musuko stands a better chance now. ^^ (Especially if Aoi Hana does well in DVD sales.)
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