Entre elle et lui

This is a good, dare I say great, example of animation. Yes, it has some flaws and they are similar to the flaws that Neon Genesis Evangelion suffered--primarily, a bit of repetitiveness and an ending to the series that leaves a lot of loose ends untied.

Surprisingly, I didn't really mind that the end didn't wrap up the story lines, but I can see how it might annoy most viewers. It introduces a cyclical overtheme to the series (and I guess it makes you want to read the comic books to get the rest of the story).

I didn't like the repetitiveness. The series is bogged down with three episodes that are (for the most part) recaps of the series up until that point. That's three out of twenty-six. Furthermore, most shows open up with a recap eliminating the need for the larger recaps, as the opening recap sums up the series pretty well (and much more quickly than the show-long recaps). Also, there are multiple (three, I think) times where a monologue about the state of Japan in the 1990's appears, followed by a recap. It was fine the first time, but the following two times--at full length--was a little too much.

Other than that, the show is excellent. The characters are well drawn out and complex and the plot lines are believable. The art is fantastic and often changes genres and modes but still maintains a consistency. When the show is funny, it's hilarious and when it's serious, it's often moving. The introspective nature of the characters are a plus too. Although normally it's not that good to listen to the inner monologues of the characters, sometimes, such as in The Wonder Years and also in this show and Evangelion, it really adds to the depth of the characters.

This is a series that really affected me and in a good way. It almost always left a smile on my face (the exceptions being those aforementioned recap episodes). This show and Cowboy Bebop are now my favorite anime series. Highly recommended. 10/10.

Kareshi Kanojo no Jiyou, or Kare Kano for short, is a great series. It tells the story of a pair of high school students, Yukino and Arima, two over-achievers who finally loosen up when they meet each other. The series details the ups and downs that they have in their new relationship as it blossoms into romance.

The show alternates between comedy and drama, with the art style alternating to fit the situation. The balance of extreme comedy and drama is wonderful. It shows how life can be deadly serious one moment and undeniably absurd the next. This is a show that no one should miss.

P.S.: To fans of the film My Neighbor Totoro, be sure to watch episode 11. It's got a hilarious gag you don't want to miss!

If you like the funny complications of teenagers, mixed with some serious situations, then this is the anime for you. Watching Yukino, I could see bits of myself in her, and while that was scary to admit, it was endearing at the same time. All teenagers want to fit in on some level, and Yukino is the most obvious example of that!

Now mixed that in with Arima: the boy who in every sense is perfect, yet still hides a dark past! There is drama with the comedy, and that just makes this anime believable to watch! Arima is green when another man looks at Yukino and is overbearing of her. Yet even her love doesn't exactly help him.

Through in the other characters such as Kano, Asaba and Maho and this is a winning combination, meaning that you could watch this anime for hours!

That's right, you read it, this is the best love story since Romeo and Juliet. Actually, in terms of content it's better than R&J, because that's love at first sight and it's Shakespeare so it's just very well written. This isn't just the story of two people falling in love, but the story of that love. They fall in love and start dating by the fifth episode and it's no secret to anyone that they are. It goes into so much detail about not only their relationship, but the reasons they love each other, who they are and whay their relationship is. It really is beutiful, but what do you expect from the man who made Neon Genesis Evangelion, he did the screenplay and he directed (up to episode 16 i believe).

The characters in this show is what really gets me interested. Yukino is this shallow attention hungry person who has some serious inferiority complex problems she fixes with good grades and being the best, Souichiro is similar in that he must proove to his family (himself, let's be honest) that he's a person worthy of life and that he is a good human being, as opposed to his parents, who he subconciously takes after but conciously denies. They fill in each others emotional gaps so well, Yukino's energy can support Arima and Arima stoic persona creates a air of confidence for Yukino, they are absolutly perfect for each other in every way. Plus the way the show is presented they look perfect for each other. The other characters deserve mention to, Tsukino and Kano are probably my two favorite characters, there eccentric and cool to watch, Yukino's friend are lively as is Tsubasa.

That aside, the style of this show overall is mind bogglingly good, the constant change in shape, size and color of the world is constantly changing in connection to the characters psychological and emotional state, when they kiss in episode eight, the simple outline style excentuates the emotions exponentially. The way the environment is always an allagory for state of mind and in same ways connectivity and in some ways seperation of the characters is simply amazing, I was thoroughly impressed the first time I watched the series and intellectually involved the next ten times (I've lost count how many times I've seen this series). And one last kudos, the music as always is this laughable combonation of Japanese pop-rock and Bach, just what I would expect from Hideaki Anno. I love this series and it is absolutly my second favorite anime behind Neon Genesis Evangelion.

You have to admit that a great deal of the allure towards Japanese Animation is the relief from the clichés of American Film and Television.

However, if you have watched animé for any real period of time, you'll come to the painful realization that it too has it's own set of horribly predictable clichés.

Take the Romance genre for example. Female Heroines seem to all be infected with the dreaded "Who do I like this week?" syndrome. Love Triangles/Cubes/Dodecahedrons are rampant throughout these storylines.

This is why Gainax's "Kareshi Kanojo no Jijyou" is such a breath of fresh air. Gone are the dizzy female characters with the cheesy inner monologues, gone are the overattractive male characters that exist only as temptations. Karekano is the simple story of a boy and a girl who have difficulty being truthful to others, and the difficulty of maintaining an honest public image (a theme dealt in Gainax Studio's "Neon Genesis Evangelion".) The show smoothly switches from serious drama to high comedy with nary a glaring disparity. Which is how it should be. High School--especially High School Romance--can indeed (at least in hindsight) be remembered by many real people as a very humorous period in their life.

Karekano was directed by Hideaki "Man am I ever depressed" Anno (his first animated work since "Evangelion") and he imbues his world with a unique visual presentation. Characters can be animated in an unbelievably over-the-top way when the situation calls for it. Yet in another scene appear as a beautiful monochromatic pencil rendering that is absolutely dead on emotionally. Anno's style for this series is to show situations in an indirect visual way. The time of day is indicated wordlessly by a series of outdoor vignettes that astonishes me with their verisimilitude. Shots of traffic control lights and construction signs can indicate a character's emotional cycle.

To digress. You should definitely try this series out if your tastes run deeper then a "Fight of the week show" and if you are getting disillusioned with the frustrating unoriginality of many modern animé.