AnimeSuki Forums

~~Pocari_Sweat~~ · 2015-03-01, 00:32

Can't exactly think of a correct title, but to describe it in words, there was a period of time in anime somewhere around the mid to late 2000-2010 where there was a genre of anime I got "attached" to which was romance/drama based anime that was seinen in demography and was of a certain style which I'm having trouble describing.

It's very different from the style of romance/drama that todays anime seems to portray this genre in shows like Nagi no Asu Kara, Toradora, Sakurasou, Ano Natsu De Matteru or Golden Time which unfortunately I despise.

I'm talking about shows like ef tale of memories, True Tears, Kimi ga Nozu Eien, Myself Yourself, Sola, H20 etc. Been digging through my anime collection today, and I just realized these kind of shows have historically not sold well on disc and are rare to be made into TV anime. The only ones I can remember on top of my head that were of this style in recent times are White Album 2 and Kimi no Iru Machi. I have an attachment for these kind of series, even if they are not very good or have problems and been feeling a strong nostalgia for them. It's probably why I was ecstatic as hell when White Album 2 was as good as it was, because an anime of that caliber in this genre and style comes in once in a blue moon - I still stand by comment back then I think it was the best romance/drama TV anime since ef/True Tears.

I don't know if anyone else out there is nostalgic for them as well, but I sure am. I watched those kind of series during a rather "lonely" period of my life, and while I am in no way feeling that these days, I do look at what romance anime of the seinen (or shonen) demography are now, and I look at it back then and I can't help but facedesk myself.

EDIT:

This particular music video for example, in particular which I fondly remember, sparked all sorts of nostalgic feelings even though the series itself wasn't quite as good as the music video portrayed it as, but nonetheless the tone/atmosphere completely hits the spot for me:

Spoiler for Myself Yourself:

I lost the number of times I played this song on Osu/Stepmania back in the day

Akito Kinomoto · 2015-03-01, 20:19

Well, one thing I've noticed from True Tears, Rumbling Hearts, and Sola is how 'quiet' they are. I remember one loud scene from True Tears, Rumbling Hearts had a few moments of anger, and Sola despite being part action never got bombastic either. From what I remember from ef, the music never let up, though I don't recall the characters being overdramatic. Aside from that, the latter titles you listed look like visual novels. Like, Toradora! and Sakurasou aren't shows I'd mistake for content from a visual novel. Maybe the combination you're feeling nostalgic for is a low-key visual novel-esque piece?

Flower · 2015-03-02, 21:27

^^^
She may have something here....

Yes - at first glance the "feel" I am getting is that you tend to drift towards the way certain types of visual novel adaptations were presented in a certain time period. Truth be told I enjoyed several of those series as well (I find I often like visual novel adaptations), but not as intensely as it seems you are conveying you did.

Of the series you mentioned in recent times that seem to be a contrast for you (i.e. Nagi no Asu Kara, Toradora, Sakurasou, Ano Natsu De Matteru or Golden Time) they definitely have ... erm ... "louder" moments, as Akuma Kinomoto put it. Of them all the only one I disliked was Golden Time, and that was because I could not stand the male lead. Yet I thought Nagi no Asu Kara and Ano Natsu to be excellent, and enjoyed Sakurasou. Toradora was only pretty good for me - while I thought it was a decent story I guess I enjoyed the novels a bit more.

It could be that while you like the romance and drama genres you like them to be less "loud" but also more "raw" or "drastic" in terms of the pain or difficulties they deal with mixed together. However, of the series you mentioned (i.e. EF tale of memories, True Tears, Kimi ga Nozu Eien, Myself Yourself, Sola, H20) the only one that stood out in a strong way for me was Sola.

I wonder how much of it could be linked to those series being able to speak to you in a particular way you felt you needed to hear at a particularly sensitive time in your life, too? I do not want to say that it is "merely" something like that - I dislike making sweeping generalizations like that that seem to be unfair to both the individual and the source material in my opinion - but certainly such things could be a contributing factor.

And isn't that fine? There are certain series that I felt I needed to hear at particularly sensitive times in my life and they resonated with a part of me and I came to treasure them to a degree.

aohige · 2015-03-02, 23:07

Keep in mind, seinen manga tends to be adapted into live-action drama series more so than animated.

SuitUp · 2015-03-03, 00:45

OP, have you by any chance ever watched KimiKiss?, I got this slight feeling that it probably fits what you're looking for, it's a VN adaptation that's decently paced with good character development, with just the right amount of drama and from around the time period you're into, so give it a shot if you feel like it.

0utf0xZer0 · 2015-03-03, 03:05

I like Toradora, Sakurasou, Ano Natsu de Matteru, and NagiAsu. I also like the romance in Inu x Boku SS and Hyouka.

With that said, I agree with Pocari about there having been a "golden age" for seinen romance even if I disagree on some specifics. For me personally, that golden age would probably be 05-08 adaptations of "moe and melodrama" VNs and romances LNs. EF (both of them). Sola. Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu. Hanbun no Tsuki. True Tears. Toradora. Lamune. Heck, I even have a soft spot for Myself;Yourself and Kanon 2006. I adore so many anime from that era.

That's not to say the last few years haven't produced some decent shows in the genre - I'd cite Mashiro-iro Symphony, Steins;Gate, Ano Natsu de Matteru and White Album 2 as very strong entries, even if I disagree with Pocari about White Album 2 being that good (personally, I think it's good but no True Tears). But 2013 onward in particular has felt pretty weak to me. Fall 2014's VN based newcomers (Grisaia, Daitoshokan and Ushinawareta) were enjoyable but I didn't feel like any of them stood out in a good way. And comparing 2013's Photo Kano to 2010's Amagami (already a bit hit and miss for me) is just painful.

Causes... well, I think the cream of the LN crop got adopted a while back and the market for VNs - especially lavish production value dramas like EF - isn't what it once was.

I also need to point out to Pocari that regardless of how similar he feels Toradora is to the modern romances he dislikes, it started airing in 2008.

mweloo · 2015-03-03, 03:56

Natsuyuki Rendezvous is an adaptation of a Josei manga, but I think it's the sort of restrained romance drama you'd like. It came out in 2012, but I think it has an old-school feel to it.

frivolity · 2015-03-03, 05:43

The best word I can think of that fits the description is "sentimental", which is the vibe given off by 5 cm per second, with the main focus of the show being on the internal thoughts and feelings of the characters.

The weather seems to play a huge part in influencing the overall feel of the various scenes. Winter is almost always portrayed as dreary and gloomy, while summer is often portrayed as the type of heat that saps your energy, making it too hot to actually play around in the sun. In contrast, the "happier" shows will have winter scenes with the characters taking part in snowball fights, coupled with summer scenes featuring intense sports.

One of the earliest anime of this sort that I watched would be Onegai Teacher / Twins. Recent anime that also have the same slow and gentle feel are Ao Haru Ride and possibly Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou.

~~Pocari_Sweat~~ · 2015-03-03, 06:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flower

I wonder how much of it could be linked to those series being able to speak to you in a particular way you felt you needed to hear at a particularly sensitive time in your life, too? I do not want to say that it is "merely" something like that - I dislike making sweeping generalizations like that that seem to be unfair to both the individual and the source material in my opinion - but certainly such things could be a contributing factor.

And isn't that fine? There are certain series that I felt I needed to hear at particularly sensitive times in my life and they resonated with a part of me and I came to treasure them to a degree.

While I don't deny this may have been a factor, I don't think it was the prime factor, because why would I gotten really ecstatic over White Album 2 last year if I'm no longer in these "stage".

Quote:

Originally Posted by SuitUp

OP, have you by any chance ever watched KimiKiss?, I got this slight feeling that it probably fits what you're looking for, it's a VN adaptation that's decently paced with good character development, with just the right amount of drama and from around the time period you're into, so give it a shot if you feel like it.

Yep, saw it and would add it to the list as well. I don't think it was great per se but it was pretty decent.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 0utf0xZer0

I like Toradora, Sakurasou, Ano Natsu de Matteru, and NagiAsu. I also like the romance in Inu x Boku SS and Hyouka.

Oh you, always being my yang to my ying

.

Quote:

With that said, I agree with Pocari about there having been a "golden age" for seinen romance even if I disagree on some specifics. For me personally, that golden age would probably be 05-08 adaptations of "moe and melodrama" VNs and romances LNs. EF (both of them). Sola. Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu. Hanbun no Tsuki. True Tears. Toradora. Lamune. Heck, I even have a soft spot for Myself;Yourself and Kanon 2006. I adore so many anime from that era.

Absolutely. Out of the ones you mentioned that I haven't Hanbun no Tsuki was stellar. Was a more lighter, bittersweet and less devastating version of the Narcissu VN. We also forgot to mention one major big hitter - Spice and Wolf. Oh how I badly want season 3.

Quote:

That's not to say the last few years haven't produced some decent shows in the genre - I'd cite Mashiro-iro Symphony, Steins;Gate, Ano Natsu de Matteru and White Album 2 as very strong entries, even if I disagree with Pocari about White Album 2 being that good (personally, I think it's good but no True Tears). But 2013 onward in particular has felt pretty weak to me. Fall 2014's VN based newcomers (Grisaia, Daitoshokan and Ushinawareta) were enjoyable but I didn't feel like any of them stood out in a good way. And comparing 2013's Photo Kano to 2010's Amagami (already a bit hit and miss for me) is just painful.

Mashi-iro Symphony was ok but I don't think I can compare it in quality to the 05-08 pack. Same thing with Koichoco that aired a year later. Steins Gate I don't really consider a romance series (it's prime genre is sci-fi) though it did have a romance element so I am a bit confused why you put it there

Quote:

Causes... well, I think the cream of the LN crop got adopted a while back and the market for VNs - especially lavish production value dramas like EF - isn't what it once was.

High production value drama VNs do exist, they just don't get adaptations.

Quote:

Originally Posted by frivolity

The best word I can think of that fits the description is "sentimental", which is the vibe given off by 5 cm per second, with the main focus of the show being on the internal thoughts and feelings of the characters.

Sentimental is definitely a theme in the series above. Bittersweet and Mono-no-aware to varying degrees are also relevant. It's that notion of looking back in the past of rose-tinted glasses and being gently sad at its passing.

Quote:

One of the earliest anime of this sort that I watched would be Onegai Teacher / Twins. Recent anime that also have the same slow and gentle feel are Ao Haru Ride and possibly Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou.

Ao Haru Ride is a shojo romance, and whilst I have my fair share of ones I liked in the past are not really comparable. My favourite shojo romance for example Bokura Ga Ita but for the purpose of this topic I don't really think it fits. Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou on the other hand falls into "modern romance" which I already highlighted. In fact, I totally forgot about this series since I consider it even worse than the ones mentioned before - NagiAsu, Toradora, Sakurasou, Golden Time, Ano Natsu etc.

Anyways thanks for the response people, keep them coming!

0utf0xZer0 · 2015-03-04, 02:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pocari_Sweat

Oh you, always being my yang to my ying

.

For reference, I told my girlfriend about this thread and she said she was embarrassed by my saying there was a "golden age".

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pocari_Sweat

Absolutely. Out of the ones you mentioned that I haven't Hanbun no Tsuki was stellar. Was a more lighter, bittersweet and less devastating version of the Narcissu VN. We also forgot to mention one major big hitter - Spice and Wolf. Oh how I badly want season 3.

I thought about including Spice and Wolf but the list was already pretty long and it wasn't quite as romance focused as most of the others.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pocari_Sweat

Mashi-iro Symphony was ok but I don't think I can compare it in quality to the 05-08 pack. Same thing with Koichoco that aired a year later. Steins Gate I don't really consider a romance series (it's prime genre is sci-fi) though it did have a romance element so I am a bit confused why you put it there

I probably should have said that I thought we were still getting great romances and VN adaptations up until around 2013 - Steins;Gate is certainly an example of the latter even if it's a little light on the romance.

I think I really started to notice the lack of such shows around the end of 2013, with White Album 2 being an exception to the general trend.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pocari_Sweat

High production value drama VNs do exist, they just don't get adaptations.

I recall reading an interview with Minori's CEO where he talked about how the "ceiling" for what you can expect a well regarded VN to sell is much lower than it used to be and it's really only hardcore fans buying now, and I can't help but relate that to the lower number of (male targetting) VN adaptations in recent years (even if fall 2014 bucked the trend somewhat). IIRC he thought one of the major issues is that the incoming generation of fans has different spending habits than earlier ones and while it's easy to sell them a light novel for a few dollars, selling them a $80-90 VN is hard.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pocari_Sweat

Sentimental is definitely a theme in the series above. Bittersweet and Mono-no-aware to varying degrees are also relevant. It's that notion of looking back in the past of rose-tinted glasses and being gently sad at its passing.

I think you're onto something here. Those themes featured prominently in a lot of the 05-08 romances I liked. They were present but less prominent in stuff from a few years ago like Amagami, Mashiro-iro Symphony or KoiChoco. And I just don't see much of them at all in stuff like Daitoshokan or Grisaia.

Actually, I think part of the reason I picked 2008 as the cutoff is that while I think 2009 had a great romance in Bakemonogatari's Araragi/Hitagi subplot, it's completely different stylistically from the stuff I like in 05-08.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pocari_Sweat

Ao Haru Ride is a shojo romance, and whilst I have my fair share of ones I liked in the past are not really comparable.

Slightly off topic, but one of my favourite romances of 2010 - Otome Youkai Zakuro - is usually classified as a seinen even though the mangaka has a history of doing BL shorts and it has quite a lot of shoujo-esque flourishes to it.

~~Pocari_Sweat~~ · 2015-03-04, 06:54

Quote:

Originally Posted by 0utf0xZer0

For reference, I told my girlfriend about this thread and she said she was embarrassed by my saying there was a "golden age".

I don't get it.

Quote:

I thought about including Spice and Wolf but the list was already pretty long and it wasn't quite as romance focused as most of the others.

I disagree. Spice and Wolf was heavily romance focused. The two main leads had incredibly chemistry and it was a blast watching them have conversations.

Quote:

I probably should have said that I thought we were still getting great romances and VN adaptations up until around 2013 - Steins;Gate is certainly an example of the latter even if it's a little light on the romance.

Quote:

I think I really started to notice the lack of such shows around the end of 2013, with White Album 2 being an exception to the general trend.

Maybe my brain fails me but what were there post 2008?

Quote:

I think you're onto something here. Those themes featured prominently in a lot of the 05-08 romances I liked. They were present but less prominent in stuff from a few years ago like Amagami, Mashiro-iro Symphony or KoiChoco. And I just don't see much of them at all in stuff like Daitoshokan or Grisaia.

Yeh, the latter stuff post 08' don't seem to invoke much of this sentimental, gentle sadness feeling. In fact it seems to have shifted away from romance VNs, to coming of age stories which may or may not have romance in them. Cross Game, Ano Hana, Tari Tari, Hyouka to name a few. This 2nd Ano Hana OP (movie version/TV rerun version) seems to nail the tone I'm looking though the actual series was way too theatrical for my liking:

Spoiler for Anohana 2nd OP:

Hyouka OP was another:

Spoiler for Hyouka OP:

Quote:

Actually, I think part of the reason I picked 2008 as the cutoff is that while I think 2009 had a great romance in Bakemonogatari's Araragi/Hitagi subplot, it's completely different stylistically from the stuff I like in 05-08.

It definitely is of a different style. What I find is that modern romance/dramas tend to either be obssessed with the notion of "innoncence" to the point the romance feels G-rated to the extreme, or have tonal whiplash moments in which the slapstick/nonsensical comedy is distracting to me. There's a reason why I added Toradora despite being a 2008 series to a tone that is very similar to what we have contemporaily because it indulgences in these G-rated progression and very annoying slapstick comedy. Also f*** Kugrie

. I mean hell, the ending would be like the main couple holding hands or kissing. Anyone remember that episode where Nagisa's dad going apeshit because Tomoya was having sex with his daughter after marriage. Ridicolous

.

0utf0xZer0 · 2015-03-05, 03:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pocari_Sweat

I don't get it.

She considers us dweebs for being all SRS BZNS about there having been a golden age for the genre, also because we both like Myself;Yourself.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pocari_Sweat

Maybe my brain fails me but what were there post 2008?

Remember that I like a broader range of anime romances than you do. So for example, in late 2011/early 2012 I had Mashiro-iro Symphony, Ano Natsu de Matteru, Inu x Boku SS and Hyouka to scratch my romance itch. Mid 2013 onward hasn't just be lacking in terms of 05-08 style shows, it's been lacking in romance anime I've thought was great in general.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pocari_Sweat

Yeh, the latter stuff post 08' don't seem to invoke much of this sentimental, gentle sadness feeling. In fact it seems to have shifted away from romance VNs, to coming of age stories which may or may not have romance in them. Cross Game, Ano Hana, Tari Tari, Hyouka to name a few.

Yeah, now it tends to be slice of lifes or coming of age stories rather than explicit romances that do sentimental. I actually like a lot of these shows, but more as a side dish for a given season than a main.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pocari_Sweat

It definitely is of a different style. What I find is that modern romance/dramas tend to either be obssessed with the notion of "innoncence" to the point the romance feels G-rated to the extreme, or have tonal whiplash moments in which the slapstick/nonsensical comedy is distracting to me. There's a reason why I added Toradora despite being a 2008 series to a tone that is very similar to what we have contemporaily because it indulgences in these G-rated progression and very annoying slapstick comedy. Also f*** Kugrie

. I mean hell, the ending would be like the main couple holding hands or kissing. Anyone remember that episode where Nagisa's dad going apeshit because Tomoya was having sex with his daughter after marriage. Ridicolous

.

While Menma kicked off a bit of a revival of the innocent, childish heroine, aside from Tamako Love Story I'd actually be hard pressed to name many recent romances I felt were particularly G-rated. Though we have fallen a bit from the 2010-2011 glory days of Amagami SS, Mashiro-iro Symphony and Yosuga no Sora in that regard.

~~Pocari_Sweat~~ · 2015-03-05, 05:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by 0utf0xZer0

She considers us dweebs for being all SRS BZNS about there having been a golden age for the genre, also because we both like Myself;Yourself.

Tell your missus she's a big phat hypocrite. Anyone who is into chinese cartoons is automatically a dweeb

.

Quote:

Remember that I like a broader range of anime romances than you do. So for example, in late 2011/early 2012 I had Mashiro-iro Symphony, Ano Natsu de Matteru, Inu x Boku SS and Hyouka to scratch my romance itch. Mid 2013 onward hasn't just be lacking in terms of 05-08 style shows, it's been lacking in romance anime I've thought was great in general.

It was post 2008 for me.

Quote:

Yeah, now it tends to be slice of lifes or coming of age stories rather than explicit romances that do sentimental. I actually like a lot of these shows, but more as a side dish for a given season than a main.

But in years like 2012, these "side dishes" ended up being my favourites of the year such as Hyouka and Tari Tari.

Quote:

While Menma kicked off a bit of a revival of the innocent, childish heroine, aside from Tamako Love Story I'd actually be hard pressed to name many recent romances I felt were particularly G-rated. Though we have fallen a bit from the 2010-2011 glory days of Amagami SS, Mashiro-iro Symphony and Yosuga no Sora in that regard.

Hmm, I forgot about YnS. I guess that wasn't G-rated. And I totally forgot Mashi-iro Symphony had a sex scene until you reminded me.

Akito Kinomoto · 2015-03-05, 06:02

Sex scene? Are you talking about Mashifoni's VN or some uncensored version of the anime?

~~Pocari_Sweat~~ · 2015-03-05, 08:17

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akuma Kinomoto

Sex scene? Are you talking about Mashifoni's VN or some uncensored version of the anime?

Implied and off screen.

Akito Kinomoto · 2015-03-05, 10:53

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pocari_Sweat

Implied and off screen.

Episode number? No, seriously.

0utf0xZer0 · 2015-03-05, 11:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pocari_Sweat

But in years like 2012, these "side dishes" ended up being my favourites of the year such as Hyouka and Tari Tari.

Stuff like Hyouka can easily cut it as a main dish, it's stuff like Inari Konkon Koi Iroha that I wish aired alongside something a bit meatier.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Akuma Kinomoto

Episode number? No, seriously.

Twenty seconds of deep kissing with her swaying her hips and his hand on her butt, followed by a shot of two cat plushies? It's the last scene in episode 11.

Akito Kinomoto · 2015-03-05, 12:41

Quote:

Originally Posted by 0utf0xZer0

Twenty seconds of deep kissing with her swaying her hips and his hand on her butt, followed by a shot of two cat plushies? It's the last scene in episode 11.

Well, now I feel incredibly dense. You forget to mention it looks like her skirt is on the desk they cut away to. Yup.

Arya · 2015-03-05, 16:26

About Mashifoni I have completely missed it, or it was so subtle that I dismissed as , well too subtle. In any case I forgot about it.

I have to say that I have been feeling the same of Pocari_Sweat ever since, despite never being able to sort out why or what those shows had that now new ones miss. Surely speaking for myself, the comedy parts usually ruin the enjoyment. Then I found frivolity's post quite spot on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by frivolity

The best word I can think of that fits the description is "sentimental", which is the vibe given off by 5 cm per second, with the main focus of the show being on the internal thoughts and feelings of the characters.

The weather seems to play a huge part in influencing the overall feel of the various scenes. Winter is almost always portrayed as dreary and gloomy, while summer is often portrayed as the type of heat that saps your energy, making it too hot to actually play around in the sun. In contrast, the "happier" shows will have winter scenes with the characters taking part in snowball fights, coupled with summer scenes featuring intense sports.

One of the earliest anime of this sort that I watched would be Onegai Teacher / Twins. Recent anime that also have the same slow and gentle feel are Ao Haru Ride and possibly Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou.

Sentimental, and also a bit of melancholy. That's should be a factor, since suddenly Yosuga no Sora came up in my mind despite not being one of my favorites, but I clearly remember as I felt watching the first episode. The mood was perfect for my tastes. The post also reminded me of the snow scenes in True Tears.
I can't be sure, but it's like those shows had an extra care in details to fit the themes, probably also the music had to be quite fitting even if I never consciously paid attention to it. Surely I can't say much of Kiminozo since I have to admit I was able to watch it only once, despite I liked it a lot.

Other than the comedy I also can't stand much super vocal romances, in fact Nagi no asukara has been a true torture for me, especially until episode 8 or 9. Damn, I'm glad I endured it since I had faith on Okada and PAW, and in fact I have to say that a particular couple in that show, clearly not the vocal one, worked perfectly for me, because it had the gravity I look for in these shows, that was almost grounded on real issues and not supernatural ones (other aspect that can work against my enjoyment). So, in the end I'd maybe add it also as an exception, together with WA2. Those two were able to cross the line for me, even if I also agree on WA2 not being True Tears.

In the end for me is the gravity that is missing lately. A good example of what I mean is Shinichi entering in the bath finding Hiromi inside. The tension would usually goes away thanks to the usual gag scene that doesn't add up nothing and ruins the mood, instead there it didn't happen, because it went in a different way saying also a lot. (something similar happened also in NnA, ah-a).
In fact I liked a whole lot Ao Haru Ride despite not being my subgenre, even because it handled all the high moments perfectly.

I liked Mashifoni, but more in the same fashion of Shuffle not because it was particularly good (even if it was good), but for different reasons, one of the ones is the outcome. KoiChoco was very good until the writers decided to self destroy the story

and don't talk me of Golden Time. Instead I loved Otome Youkai Zakuro.
Instead show like Tari Tari or Hyouka don't have the romance tag for my standards.
I'd add Hanbun no Tsuki ga Noboru Sora to the list of those years.

Dawnstorm · 2015-03-06, 19:37

Hm, I may not be the best person to reply to this thread. I haven't been following ongoing anime before 2009, so I have no sense of timing. And I'm sort of a detached observer when it comes to human pair-bonding behaviour, so often, when it comes to romances I like, what I like about the show isn't the actual romance. And finally I'm awful at guessing the target audience. Shounen, seinen, shoujo, josei? I don't care.

I also don't really find a cluster in my preferences.

I loved True Tears and think White Album 2 is just as good. I agree with Pocari Sweat that far. I enjoyed Myself;Yourself; although it was pushing the melodrama at times, it was effective when it counted. I barely remember Sola, but I do remember that the ending completely blindsided me (which is rare). H2O was decent, but nothing special (I remember hating the ending, but I don't completely remember what it was).

I do love Toradora, and I thought Sakurasou was fun when it wasn't inducing groans (I still liked it better than, say, H20). NagiAsu is one of the more uneven shows I've seen; it had moments of brilliance, as well as sraight-down awful melodrama (which is, I suspect, the result of Okada with too little discipline and too much indulgence; I tend to love her character moments but hate her excesses - which is why - on the whole - I prefer her adaptions to her originals). Ano Natsu was fun while it lasted, but I have no special feelings for it either way. And Golden Time was a train wreck; certainly memorable.

2012 had Nazo no Kanojo X, which I thoroughly enjoyed for its visuals and soundtrack and oddity. And 2013 had Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge, which managed to give me a touching romance that consists of a parade of squickiness, and full-on indulgence in various fetishes, and Tonari no Kaibutsu Kun which lived by playing its quirky cast so straight that they assassinated the tropes. In 2014, my favourite was probably Mikakunin de Shinkoukei, a show that has more to offer than people frightened off by blatant moe will ever know, but probably not enough to make checking the show out worthwhile if you fall into that category.

Another of my favourite romances is Kimi ni Todoke, which stands out for being so unashamedly puppies-and-rainbows that you can't help but adore it, unless you're categorically opposed to that or you fall asleep on account of the slow pacing (which I loved).

Mahsiro Iro Symphony falls into the Ano Natsu category, for me; okay while watching, but not particularly memorable.

I do think Natsuyuki Rendesvouz is worth another mention, here. A love triangle with the ghost of the girl's former husband (whom the guy can see, but his wife can't) isn't something you see a lot. For a while, it felt like I was watching a cynic's romance, but then the ending came along and made me wonder whether I was watching it wrong.

I'm not fond a certain brand of shoujo romance: Bokura ga Ita, Sukitte ii na yo, Ao Haru Ride... I think it's the gender roles these shows take for granted that don't sit well with me. I had similar problems with Lovely Complex, but they were not nearly as pronounced, perhaps because the show was conceived as a comedy?

This post is probably neither here nor there, but then that's my taste.

2015-03-01, 00:32	Link #1
~~Pocari_Sweat~~ <em style="color:#808080;">Disabled By Request</em> Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Australia	Mid-Late 2000-2010 Seinen "Romance/Drama" Anime Can't exactly think of a correct title, but to describe it in words, there was a period of time in anime somewhere around the mid to late 2000-2010 where there was a genre of anime I got "attached" to which was romance/drama based anime that was seinen in demography and was of a certain style which I'm having trouble describing. It's very different from the style of romance/drama that todays anime seems to portray this genre in shows like Nagi no Asu Kara, Toradora, Sakurasou, Ano Natsu De Matteru or Golden Time which unfortunately I despise. I'm talking about shows like ef tale of memories, True Tears, Kimi ga Nozu Eien, Myself Yourself, Sola, H20 etc. Been digging through my anime collection today, and I just realized these kind of shows have historically not sold well on disc and are rare to be made into TV anime. The only ones I can remember on top of my head that were of this style in recent times are White Album 2 and Kimi no Iru Machi. I have an attachment for these kind of series, even if they are not very good or have problems and been feeling a strong nostalgia for them. It's probably why I was ecstatic as hell when White Album 2 was as good as it was, because an anime of that caliber in this genre and style comes in once in a blue moon - I still stand by comment back then I think it was the best romance/drama TV anime since ef/True Tears. I don't know if anyone else out there is nostalgic for them as well, but I sure am. I watched those kind of series during a rather "lonely" period of my life, and while I am in no way feeling that these days, I do look at what romance anime of the seinen (or shonen) demography are now, and I look at it back then and I can't help but facedesk myself. EDIT: This particular music video for example, in particular which I fondly remember, sparked all sorts of nostalgic feelings even though the series itself wasn't quite as good as the music video portrayed it as, but nonetheless the tone/atmosphere completely hits the spot for me: Spoiler for Myself Yourself: YouTube https://youtu.be/TYwT2wtvbMI Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload? I lost the number of times I played this song on Osu/Stepmania back in the day Last edited by Pocari_Sweat; 2015-03-01 at 00:48.

2015-03-02, 21:27	Link #3
Flower Blooming on the mountain Join Date: May 2010 Location: Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light....	^^^ She may have something here.... Yes - at first glance the "feel" I am getting is that you tend to drift towards the way certain types of visual novel adaptations were presented in a certain time period. Truth be told I enjoyed several of those series as well (I find I often like visual novel adaptations), but not as intensely as it seems you are conveying you did. Of the series you mentioned in recent times that seem to be a contrast for you (i.e. Nagi no Asu Kara, Toradora, Sakurasou, Ano Natsu De Matteru or Golden Time) they definitely have ... erm ... "louder" moments, as Akuma Kinomoto put it. Of them all the only one I disliked was Golden Time, and that was because I could not stand the male lead. Yet I thought Nagi no Asu Kara and Ano Natsu to be excellent, and enjoyed Sakurasou. Toradora was only pretty good for me - while I thought it was a decent story I guess I enjoyed the novels a bit more. It could be that while you like the romance and drama genres you like them to be less "loud" but also more "raw" or "drastic" in terms of the pain or difficulties they deal with mixed together. However, of the series you mentioned (i.e. EF tale of memories, True Tears, Kimi ga Nozu Eien, Myself Yourself, Sola, H20) the only one that stood out in a strong way for me was Sola. I wonder how much of it could be linked to those series being able to speak to you in a particular way you felt you needed to hear at a particularly sensitive time in your life, too? I do not want to say that it is "merely" something like that - I dislike making sweeping generalizations like that that seem to be unfair to both the individual and the source material in my opinion - but certainly such things could be a contributing factor. And isn't that fine? There are certain series that I felt I needed to hear at particularly sensitive times in my life and they resonated with a part of me and I came to treasure them to a degree. __________________

2015-03-02, 23:07	Link #4
aohige ( ಠ_ಠ) Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Somewhere, between the sacred silence and sleep	Keep in mind, seinen manga tends to be adapted into live-action drama series more so than animated. __________________

2015-03-03, 00:45	Link #5
SuitUp ¡Gracias Totales! Join Date: Jun 2013 Location: Entre caníbales... Age: 31	OP, have you by any chance ever watched KimiKiss?, I got this slight feeling that it probably fits what you're looking for, it's a VN adaptation that's decently paced with good character development, with just the right amount of drama and from around the time period you're into, so give it a shot if you feel like it. __________________ Tómate el tiempo en desmenuzarme...

2015-03-03, 03:05	Link #6
0utf0xZer0 Pretentious moe scholar Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Vancouver, Canada Age: 37	I like Toradora, Sakurasou, Ano Natsu de Matteru, and NagiAsu. I also like the romance in Inu x Boku SS and Hyouka. With that said, I agree with Pocari about there having been a "golden age" for seinen romance even if I disagree on some specifics. For me personally, that golden age would probably be 05-08 adaptations of "moe and melodrama" VNs and romances LNs. EF (both of them). Sola. Iriya no Sora, UFO no Natsu. Hanbun no Tsuki. True Tears. Toradora. Lamune. Heck, I even have a soft spot for Myself;Yourself and Kanon 2006. I adore so many anime from that era. That's not to say the last few years haven't produced some decent shows in the genre - I'd cite Mashiro-iro Symphony, Steins;Gate, Ano Natsu de Matteru and White Album 2 as very strong entries, even if I disagree with Pocari about White Album 2 being that good (personally, I think it's good but no True Tears). But 2013 onward in particular has felt pretty weak to me. Fall 2014's VN based newcomers (Grisaia, Daitoshokan and Ushinawareta) were enjoyable but I didn't feel like any of them stood out in a good way. And comparing 2013's Photo Kano to 2010's Amagami (already a bit hit and miss for me) is just painful. Causes... well, I think the cream of the LN crop got adopted a while back and the market for VNs - especially lavish production value dramas like EF - isn't what it once was. I also need to point out to Pocari that regardless of how similar he feels Toradora is to the modern romances he dislikes, it started airing in 2008. __________________ Signature courtesy of Ganbaru.

2015-03-03, 03:56	Link #7
mweloo Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2014	Natsuyuki Rendezvous is an adaptation of a Josei manga, but I think it's the sort of restrained romance drama you'd like. It came out in 2012, but I think it has an old-school feel to it. Last edited by mweloo; 2015-03-03 at 04:21.

2015-03-06, 19:37	Link #20
Dawnstorm Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Austria	Hm, I may not be the best person to reply to this thread. I haven't been following ongoing anime before 2009, so I have no sense of timing. And I'm sort of a detached observer when it comes to human pair-bonding behaviour, so often, when it comes to romances I like, what I like about the show isn't the actual romance. And finally I'm awful at guessing the target audience. Shounen, seinen, shoujo, josei? I don't care. I also don't really find a cluster in my preferences. I loved True Tears and think White Album 2 is just as good. I agree with Pocari Sweat that far. I enjoyed Myself;Yourself; although it was pushing the melodrama at times, it was effective when it counted. I barely remember Sola, but I do remember that the ending completely blindsided me (which is rare). H2O was decent, but nothing special (I remember hating the ending, but I don't completely remember what it was). I do love Toradora, and I thought Sakurasou was fun when it wasn't inducing groans (I still liked it better than, say, H20). NagiAsu is one of the more uneven shows I've seen; it had moments of brilliance, as well as sraight-down awful melodrama (which is, I suspect, the result of Okada with too little discipline and too much indulgence; I tend to love her character moments but hate her excesses - which is why - on the whole - I prefer her adaptions to her originals). Ano Natsu was fun while it lasted, but I have no special feelings for it either way. And Golden Time was a train wreck; certainly memorable. 2012 had Nazo no Kanojo X, which I thoroughly enjoyed for its visuals and soundtrack and oddity. And 2013 had Dansai Bunri no Crime Edge, which managed to give me a touching romance that consists of a parade of squickiness, and full-on indulgence in various fetishes, and Tonari no Kaibutsu Kun which lived by playing its quirky cast so straight that they assassinated the tropes. In 2014, my favourite was probably Mikakunin de Shinkoukei, a show that has more to offer than people frightened off by blatant moe will ever know, but probably not enough to make checking the show out worthwhile if you fall into that category. Another of my favourite romances is Kimi ni Todoke, which stands out for being so unashamedly puppies-and-rainbows that you can't help but adore it, unless you're categorically opposed to that or you fall asleep on account of the slow pacing (which I loved). Mahsiro Iro Symphony falls into the Ano Natsu category, for me; okay while watching, but not particularly memorable. I do think Natsuyuki Rendesvouz is worth another mention, here. A love triangle with the ghost of the girl's former husband (whom the guy can see, but his wife can't) isn't something you see a lot. For a while, it felt like I was watching a cynic's romance, but then the ending came along and made me wonder whether I was watching it wrong. I'm not fond a certain brand of shoujo romance: Bokura ga Ita, Sukitte ii na yo, Ao Haru Ride... I think it's the gender roles these shows take for granted that don't sit well with me. I had similar problems with Lovely Complex, but they were not nearly as pronounced, perhaps because the show was conceived as a comedy? This post is probably neither here nor there, but then that's my taste.