Aoi Hana
Number of episodes: 11
Production Studio: J.C. Staff
Fansub Release Viewed: Shinji
Likelihood of US Release:
Streaming on crunchyroll.com
Fumi and Akira, best friends ten years ago, reconnect while in high school and help each other deal with their respective romantic problems.
Episode Summary
This series is being streamed for free at crunchyroll.com
Fumi Manjome and Akira Okudaira are beginning their first days at high school. Fumi is entering a public school, while Akira is beginning her tenure at an all-girls private academy. The two meet by chance on the train, where Fumi is being molested by a pervert. Akira steps on the man’s foot, and marvels at how Fumi, a tall and imposing girl, could do nothing but cry while she was being victimized. At school, some girls ask Fumi to join the drama club, and while she tells them no, she also agrees to go out for tea after class. She seems uncomfortable over the fact that she has so much trouble telling people “no”. Akira makes a new friend at her school named Kyouko, a refined, “princess-like” girl who has been attending the academy since first grade.
Later that evening, Akira and her family have visitors; her mother’s friend and her daughter, who happens to be none other than Fumi, arrive for a visit. The two girls were actually best friends in elementary school until Fumi’s family moved out of town and the two girls failed to keep in contact. Now Akira can only marvel at how Fumi, the once short crybaby, has grown to be taller than her. After returning home, Fumi spends some time with her cousin Chizu. The two appear to have a past together, because when Fumi finds out that Chizu is engaged to be married, she appears emotionally affected by the realization.
Thoughts
Continuing in the vein of Ristorante Paradiso, Fuji TV’s “Noise” time slot offers another slow-moving character-based tale, a formula which, though not very accessible to the average anime viewer, is immensely appealing to me. The other element to this show, which is not glaringly obvious at first but which will probably come more to the forefront of the series in subsequent episodes and make some people uncomfortable, is the element of same-sex relationships. I don’t mean your average offensively-comedic same-sex relationships either; from all indications this series seems like it will skip the melodrama, titillation and off-color comedy and offer a look at these relationships in a serious manner. Unfortunately this is something that will probably make a lot of people turn and run the other way.
However, for the audience that is willing to give this series a try, I feel like they’re in for a pleasant surprise. One of the most evident strengths of the series so far are its main characters, two girls who have opposite, complimentary personalities. Fumi, though she seems to be the tall and imposing type by her classmates, is really a shy, quiet girl prone to tears who also seems to be juggling a few insecurities. Akira is the smaller, perkier one; she’s the character who in lesser series might be prone to Genki Girl syndrome, but avoids this by being distinctly less caffeinated and quite a bit more realistically-portrayed than your average Haruhi or Tomo clone. My suspicion is that, though these two characters are central to the series, they’re not the ones that comprise the main romantic couple; Akira has already met another girl in her class who appears to be a potential love interest, and Fumi seems to have some prior romantic issues to muddle through before she’ll be able to move on with her life. I’ll be curious to see how the relationship, romantic or not, between the two leads develops as they both deal with their own separate situations.
Of course, the elephant in the room here is really Fumi’s relationship with her cousin. While it’t not entirely apparent what the full extent of their relationship could have been, it’s suggested through some of the subtle interactions between the two that they had perhaps something of a romance going on. I think that this is subject matter that could either be handled maturely and delicately, or could become a real train wreck of mishandled incestuous taboo melodrama. There’s nothing to suggest to me so far that the series would approach this subject with anything but the most dignified touch, but chalk this up as one other reason why viewers with anything but an open mind and a mature attitude should walk the other way. Either way, I consider myself curious as to how large a role this situation will play in the story, and suspect that, whatever actually happened between the two, it played a large role in forming the person Fumi is.
The visual style is unusually airy, with character designs that are filled with fine detail and background artwork that has a delicate watercolor look to it. The few flashbacks that appear in the episode are pleasantly sepia-toned, but in a less overbearing way that one might expect; the scenes feel as though they’re being acted out on old, browned pieces of paper rather than being run through a color filter. Also, for those of you who are familiar with Revolutionary Girl Utena, Kunihiko Ikuhara, who directed that series, also storyboarded this series’ opening sequence. Those who are familiar with his style will see the resemblance right away.
As with some other series that I enjoy, the audience for Aoi Hana is limited to those with more mature outlooks who are willing to face some potentially uncomfortable content in order to be told a low-key character-driven story. It’s not a tale with the potential for action or a lot of comedy; many people will find themselves bored. But for those on the lookout for this season’s hidden treasure, they need look no further than this little gem. Whereas Fuji TV’s Noitamina programming block has become known for series that are accessible and entertaining to people who aren’t fans of more otaku-focused animation, the Noise programming block is steadily becoming more known for series that are character-focused, subtly-dramatic and poignant while still retaining elements of realism. I can’t say that I have any reason to complain about that.
Pros
- The story is quietly dramatic, not melodramatic
- The characters are likable and avoid the more obnoxious character tropes
- The visuals are airy and beautiful
Cons
- Many viewers might be bored by the lack of force-fed antics
- The subject matter might drive some viewers away
