Spike 558
09-01-04, 12:58 AM
Here's a review of AYA that I posted on the site of my local anime society:
When someone takes a formula and makes it work, it is therefore natural that other people will try and replicate the success by using the same formula. Sure the whole loser-finds-romance-whilst-living-in-a-big-house-with-lots-of-hot-chicks formula have been many times before but it is only recently that the formula has managed to become a success and find a much wider audience - A good example of this being Love Hina.
However, the opportunity to do something different with the formula remains open and, in this case, the makers of Ai Yori Aoshi have decided to take this approach and add more emphasis on the romance.
Such a move has certainly paid off. The characters of Aoi and Karou are well developed and likeable. Aoi is sweet and devoted whilst Kaoru is kind and noble. Their relationship is one worth caring about and it's interesting to see how they both grow on each other and how they over come the various obstacles along the way. And, in another move which goes against the grain of formula, the writers have taken worthy consideration into giving Kaoru a background.
However, it is the romance element that really works in this anime. It is the little moments between Aoi and Kaoru that really enlightens the heart of the viewer. It is really touching when they share various moments in the moonlight within the company of each other (the closing scene of ep.16 is a particular favourite). As the series progresses, the relationship grows so strong that nothing will tear them apart and both Kaoru and Aoi become quite prepared to go whatever lengths as long as they stay together
However, it is the insistence of sticking to a formula that ruin this anime. It is a few episodes into series that things take a change and Kaoru & Aoi find themselves living in a mansion with a bunch of other girls. The problem is, none of them are really interesting. With the possible exceptions of Miyabi and Taeko, the rest aren't really worth paying any attention to. Tina, in particular, got on my nerves with her brash behaviour and her......erm.... unusual method of greeting.
Which brings me to the other problem this anime has: Fan-service. There is quite a fair amount of it here. And by doing this, the makers are sticking to the elements of a tried and tested formula. Why oh why, did fan service have to creep in? Did the makers think that any shonen romance couldn't survive without it? Don't they realise the whole thing is distracting from the romance element?
Thankfully, the shows strength is in it's romance and it alone makes the series worth watching. Not even fan service can detract the audiences attention away from Aoi and Kaoru. Therefore, I definitely recommend this series as perhaps one of the best examples of romance in anime. The opening song is superb too.
Ultimatly, it makes me wonder why the makers of the series decided to go with such a formulaic approach to this series - They really didn't need to.
As you can see, I've noted the one complaint that most people have for this series: The supporting cast aren't really that interesting and don't really make a critical contribution to the series.
What do the rest of you think?
When someone takes a formula and makes it work, it is therefore natural that other people will try and replicate the success by using the same formula. Sure the whole loser-finds-romance-whilst-living-in-a-big-house-with-lots-of-hot-chicks formula have been many times before but it is only recently that the formula has managed to become a success and find a much wider audience - A good example of this being Love Hina.
However, the opportunity to do something different with the formula remains open and, in this case, the makers of Ai Yori Aoshi have decided to take this approach and add more emphasis on the romance.
Such a move has certainly paid off. The characters of Aoi and Karou are well developed and likeable. Aoi is sweet and devoted whilst Kaoru is kind and noble. Their relationship is one worth caring about and it's interesting to see how they both grow on each other and how they over come the various obstacles along the way. And, in another move which goes against the grain of formula, the writers have taken worthy consideration into giving Kaoru a background.
However, it is the romance element that really works in this anime. It is the little moments between Aoi and Kaoru that really enlightens the heart of the viewer. It is really touching when they share various moments in the moonlight within the company of each other (the closing scene of ep.16 is a particular favourite). As the series progresses, the relationship grows so strong that nothing will tear them apart and both Kaoru and Aoi become quite prepared to go whatever lengths as long as they stay together
However, it is the insistence of sticking to a formula that ruin this anime. It is a few episodes into series that things take a change and Kaoru & Aoi find themselves living in a mansion with a bunch of other girls. The problem is, none of them are really interesting. With the possible exceptions of Miyabi and Taeko, the rest aren't really worth paying any attention to. Tina, in particular, got on my nerves with her brash behaviour and her......erm.... unusual method of greeting.
Which brings me to the other problem this anime has: Fan-service. There is quite a fair amount of it here. And by doing this, the makers are sticking to the elements of a tried and tested formula. Why oh why, did fan service have to creep in? Did the makers think that any shonen romance couldn't survive without it? Don't they realise the whole thing is distracting from the romance element?
Thankfully, the shows strength is in it's romance and it alone makes the series worth watching. Not even fan service can detract the audiences attention away from Aoi and Kaoru. Therefore, I definitely recommend this series as perhaps one of the best examples of romance in anime. The opening song is superb too.
Ultimatly, it makes me wonder why the makers of the series decided to go with such a formulaic approach to this series - They really didn't need to.
As you can see, I've noted the one complaint that most people have for this series: The supporting cast aren't really that interesting and don't really make a critical contribution to the series.
What do the rest of you think?