AnimeSuki Forums

Pepito · 2013-09-03, 21:28

I'm looking for some romance anime/manga, I know some, but what I failed to find is adult romance, it's always school or at least early college.

What I'm looking for is, for example, a story that explore the sexuality of the characters as I've seen that the vast majority of the characters are excessively innocent, like everybody is a virgin as such, I find these kind of stories a little fake or, well, I suppose that the japanese sexuality is a lot different from ours...

I hope somebody gets what I'm saying, thank you!

SeijiSensei · 2013-09-03, 23:20

Anyone older than thirty is pretty much over-the-hill by anime standards. Mostly when anime focuses on mature adults, the topic isn't romance, though it may appear from time to within the overall story line.

Perhaps the most direct answer is Otona Joshi no Anime Time, an anthology of four one-shots about women in the 30-40 range by well-known female authors. Some of the women are admirable; others much less so.

While Hyouge Mono is hardly a romance, there are occasional scenes that depict mature sexual relationships from wedded bliss to less connubial encounters.

From time to time in House of Five Leaves the main male characters spend time in a local brothel that one of them has been hired to protect. A brothel also plays an important role in Saiunkoku Monogatari. Though the main character herself is virginal, she works part time doing the accounts for the most important madam in Saiunkoku. The madam uses her position to gain information and favors from the high-level political officials who visit.

Bartender is a series of vignettes about people who visit a Ginza bar. The conceit is that the bartender, Ryuu, has an uncanny knack for determining the proper libation to help his customers ease the burdens of life. Some of the patrons tell stories of lost loves, while others arrive with potential mates.

Yakushiji Ryoko no Kaiki Jikenbo tells the story of a beautiful woman who is the head of the "Supernatural Division" of the Tokyo Police. She is attracted to her male subordinate, but he is rightly concerned about whether reciprocating would be good for him personally or professionally. The best part of this show is the witty repartee by the two main seiyuu.

Lupin III - The Women Called Mine Fujiko is the most explicit show I have seen in some years. Fujiko was a supporting character in the Lupin III franchise, but here she gets her own story as told by Okada Mari. Fujiko appears partially or completely nude in nearly every episode as she uses her sexuality to manipulate the men around her. I haven't finished this show because I never really connected emotionally with the characters who seemed more like cardboard cutouts than full-blown humans.

The movie Millennium Actress by anime filmmaker Kon Satoshi is another possibility. It recounts the history of a famous Japanese film star over the course of the twentieth century as she pursues a man she met once as a young woman.

The famous novel Tale of Genji about a womanizing prince has received a few anime treatments, most recently a show for noitaminA called Genji Monogatari Sennenki. It's a bit slow-going but beautifully animated by veteran director Dezaki Osamu.

In Hataraki Man the main focus is on the professional life of a late twenties magazine editor. She has a problematic relationship with her equally workaholic lover. Her female colleagues offer different views into the balance between femininity and professional life in patriarchal Japan.

Most of these shows are unlicensed, and some may take a little effort to find.

I, too, find it disappointing that even the adult characters in anime seem so asexual. The contrast between anime and cinema classics like Woman in the Dunes is especially striking. Anime is generally considered a childish medium by most Japanese adults, so sexuality in anime tends to ecchi fantasies largely targeted to young men.

Pepito · 2013-09-03, 23:44

Wow, great response, I'll try some of these. The curiosity for more mature shows lies in I just finished the Ai Yori Aoshi manga and, while I enjoyed it quite a bit, I found myself often thinking things like

Spoiler for maybe spoiler:

It come to my mind that possibly if the characters are older the stories could be more blunt, that's what I'm looking for, like a soap opera if you wish.

I do like the innocence of the japanese characters, I always have found funny the concept of "indirect kiss", or how they trouble themselves on holding hands, maybe that's how they behave in Japan, I don't know... just wanted to explain myself, maybe somebody thinks like me in this aspect and can recommend more shows/mangas to follow.

Thank you again.

Aqua Knight · 2013-09-04, 04:07

White Album
Kimi no Machi Iru

totoum · 2013-09-04, 05:18

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pepito

It come to my mind that possibly if the characters are older the stories could be more blunt, that's what I'm looking for, like a soap opera if you wish.

I'd suggest Paradise Kiss while the heroine is still in highschool other characters are a bit older and I'd say that it's "blunter" than the real innocent shows out there.

Oh and I second Otona Joshi no Anime Time , be sure to try out every episode, they're all very different from each other.

Pepito · 2013-09-05, 01:18

I'll kind of answer myself here but I just stumbled upon a series that is exactly was I looking for: Kimi ga Nozomu Eien. The characters felt more real than any other anime I have seen, I saw all 14 episodes just today...

Now I'll dig on the suggestions I've already received.

Fevvers · 2013-09-05, 06:14

For manga, there's always Ohikkoshi by THE Hiroaki Samura and Dance Till Tomorrow.

Kirito · 2013-09-05, 20:07

I don't know if you've seen this or not, but why don't you give Nana a shot if you're interested. I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for with that one, and it's an anime with a mature premise and characters.

Guardian Enzo · 2013-09-06, 19:14

Sorry for the late reply, but I'd try last season's Natsuyuki Rendezvous. One of the leads is 23-ish, the other two are 30. Thoughtful and reflective, and not naive about sex.

TheFluff · 2013-09-18, 00:07

Nodame Cantabile, but I wouldn't bother with anything after the first anime season (the first season is pretty great and you're just going to end up disappointed if you watch any further)

Dop · 2013-09-18, 07:56

Not sure if it would be allowed to post a direct link, but let's just say that if you were to visit a certain popular video site (rhymes with TwoCube) and type "bartender anime" into the search box, you can quite easily find all eleven English subtitled episodes of The Bartender.
I still have a fondness for that show as it's quiet and thoughtful, and really I can't think of anything else like it.

Think the best episode of Otona Joshi no Anime Time was the one about the woman attending her school reunion.

Would second Paradise Kiss and also NANA, both written by Ai Yazawa although due to her ill-health NANA is unfinished.

Nobody's mentioned Honey and Clover which while it is set at art college some of the character are in their 20s and 30s. Possibly the best relationship within the show is that between Rika and Mayama - she's the older widowed woman who Mayama works for while he's still at college, and falls in love with, but she's still in love with her late husband.
There's stuff there which will break your heart.

SeijiSensei · 2013-09-18, 08:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dop

Not sure if it would be allowed to post a direct link

Bartender is unlicensed, so linking to it is within the rules. Here's a link to the Lunar torrent,* the ones uploaded to YouTube.

While Bartender has a number of episodes about "mature romance," these stories are largely told in flashbacks. It's pretty clear that Miwa, who appears in every episode, has a rather large crush on the bartender Ryuu, but nothing ever becomes of it. I suspect Ryuu would have considered it a violation of his bartending code to become involved with a patron.

On the other hand, the live-action version of Bartender pushes the Ryuu x Miwa relationship into the foreground. It's less moody and atmospheric than the anime, but still rather enjoyable. I was pleased that the actors didn't engage in the type of "mugging" often seen in other Japanese live-action shows. I can't link to those torrents because they reside on a tracker that also includes licensed materials. They're not hard to find though.

I agree with TheFluff that the first sequel to Nodame Cantabile is markedly inferior to the original. However the Finale sequel brought back the original directorial team and was worth watching. I didn't mention it originally because the OP wanted shows outside of high school and "early college." I guess Nodame counts since it takes place at the end of college and continues into the early professional lives of the characters. There's a live-action version of this show as well, with two movies that cover the material in the sequels. I grew tired of Ueno Juri's performance as Nodame but thought Tamaki Hiroshi was a pretty good Chiaki. (My daughter objected that he isn't handsome enough to play the role!)

__________
*This link points to Nyaa which so far meets with moderator approval.

Tenzen12 · 2013-09-18, 16:58

ORE GA DOUTEI O SUTETARA SHINU KEN NI TSUITE - Pretty much story about what if Makoto-like (School Days) guy after being murdered by his best friend got chance live again and make different choices, prevent his demise and maybe even fall in love for real for first time in his life.

D-ASH- Don't remember well, but I liked it and it was mature enough.

Seiryuu · 2013-09-22, 06:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pepito

I'm looking for some romance anime/manga, I know some, but what I failed to find is adult romance, it's always school or at least early college.

What I'm looking for is, for example, a story that explore the sexuality of the characters as I've seen that the vast majority of the characters are excessively innocent, like everybody is a virgin as such, I find these kind of stories a little fake or, well, I suppose that the japanese sexuality is a lot different from ours...

I hope somebody gets what I'm saying, thank you!

One thing about this request: a large portion of the series I've seen or read have the same failing as American teen romance TV: while many may be virgins at the start, no one stays one long past becoming boyfriend-girlfriend. There are still people who want to wait until marriage or at least engagement, but that side seems even more nonexistent in fiction than stories that start out with non-virginal characters these days. It's been a while so I don't exactly recall, but I'm pretty sure in the past I'd sought a serious romance where the issue of sex was brought up and the pair decided to wait, not out of nervousness or anything, but for more serious reasons.

As for stories that explore sexuality, there are plenty of manga if you go into the adult/borderline sections. Take Futari Ecchi for example, though that one is mainly about the sex between the newly-married couple. Another example that treads and sometimes crosses the border is Momoiro Sango by Hanamizawa Q-Taro, in which the sexual side of things gradually becomes bigger and bigger, the ultimate female lead is set up from the start as an apparently experienced girl, albeit simultaneously completely innocent and shy in terms of actual love, and once the main character starts, he quickly gains vast knowledge in all sorts of areas of sex. Similarly, Hanamizawa Q-Taro's REC manga may work: I'm pretty sure the male lead wasn't a virgin from the start, though the female lead does later admit that she had been on that night of drunk passion. The sexual side of their relationship is frequently a major issue, though the pair have such bad luck that I'm not sure they ever had a second time.
Lastly, from licensed manga, there's one I started but didn't go long with called Gatcha-Gacha. While it's set in high school, at the very least, it's strongly applied that the main girl is not a virgin, considering the massive number of total scumbag boyfriends she has had.

2013-09-03, 21:28	Link #1
Pepito Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Phoenix, Arizona Age: 39	More mature romance I'm looking for some romance anime/manga, I know some, but what I failed to find is adult romance, it's always school or at least early college. What I'm looking for is, for example, a story that explore the sexuality of the characters as I've seen that the vast majority of the characters are excessively innocent, like everybody is a virgin as such, I find these kind of stories a little fake or, well, I suppose that the japanese sexuality is a lot different from ours... I hope somebody gets what I'm saying, thank you!

2013-09-03, 23:20	Link #2
SeijiSensei AS Oji-kun Join Date: Nov 2006 Age: 74	Anyone older than thirty is pretty much over-the-hill by anime standards. Mostly when anime focuses on mature adults, the topic isn't romance, though it may appear from time to within the overall story line. Perhaps the most direct answer is Otona Joshi no Anime Time, an anthology of four one-shots about women in the 30-40 range by well-known female authors. Some of the women are admirable; others much less so. While Hyouge Mono is hardly a romance, there are occasional scenes that depict mature sexual relationships from wedded bliss to less connubial encounters. From time to time in House of Five Leaves the main male characters spend time in a local brothel that one of them has been hired to protect. A brothel also plays an important role in Saiunkoku Monogatari. Though the main character herself is virginal, she works part time doing the accounts for the most important madam in Saiunkoku. The madam uses her position to gain information and favors from the high-level political officials who visit. Bartender is a series of vignettes about people who visit a Ginza bar. The conceit is that the bartender, Ryuu, has an uncanny knack for determining the proper libation to help his customers ease the burdens of life. Some of the patrons tell stories of lost loves, while others arrive with potential mates. Yakushiji Ryoko no Kaiki Jikenbo tells the story of a beautiful woman who is the head of the "Supernatural Division" of the Tokyo Police. She is attracted to her male subordinate, but he is rightly concerned about whether reciprocating would be good for him personally or professionally. The best part of this show is the witty repartee by the two main seiyuu. Lupin III - The Women Called Mine Fujiko is the most explicit show I have seen in some years. Fujiko was a supporting character in the Lupin III franchise, but here she gets her own story as told by Okada Mari. Fujiko appears partially or completely nude in nearly every episode as she uses her sexuality to manipulate the men around her. I haven't finished this show because I never really connected emotionally with the characters who seemed more like cardboard cutouts than full-blown humans. The movie Millennium Actress by anime filmmaker Kon Satoshi is another possibility. It recounts the history of a famous Japanese film star over the course of the twentieth century as she pursues a man she met once as a young woman. The famous novel Tale of Genji about a womanizing prince has received a few anime treatments, most recently a show for noitaminA called Genji Monogatari Sennenki. It's a bit slow-going but beautifully animated by veteran director Dezaki Osamu. In Hataraki Man the main focus is on the professional life of a late twenties magazine editor. She has a problematic relationship with her equally workaholic lover. Her female colleagues offer different views into the balance between femininity and professional life in patriarchal Japan. Most of these shows are unlicensed, and some may take a little effort to find. I, too, find it disappointing that even the adult characters in anime seem so asexual. The contrast between anime and cinema classics like Woman in the Dunes is especially striking. Anime is generally considered a childish medium by most Japanese adults, so sexuality in anime tends to ecchi fantasies largely targeted to young men. __________________ Taking Anime Seriously - Politics by the Numbers - Sports by the Numbers - MAL List - Avatars - Images Last edited by SeijiSensei; 2013-09-03 at 23:32.

2013-09-03, 23:44	Link #3
Pepito Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Phoenix, Arizona Age: 39	Wow, great response, I'll try some of these. The curiosity for more mature shows lies in I just finished the Ai Yori Aoshi manga and, while I enjoyed it quite a bit, I found myself often thinking things like Spoiler for maybe spoiler: dude, the girl has been your fiancee for 2 years now, and you still have trouble kissing her, nonetheless having intercourse with her... It come to my mind that possibly if the characters are older the stories could be more blunt, that's what I'm looking for, like a soap opera if you wish. I do like the innocence of the japanese characters, I always have found funny the concept of "indirect kiss", or how they trouble themselves on holding hands, maybe that's how they behave in Japan, I don't know... just wanted to explain myself, maybe somebody thinks like me in this aspect and can recommend more shows/mangas to follow. Thank you again. Last edited by Pepito; 2013-09-04 at 02:06. Reason: spoiler went wrong

2013-09-04, 04:07	Link #4
Aqua Knight Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Age: 31	White Album Kimi no Machi Iru __________________ I can’t sleep tonight…fish girl, sing me a song!

2013-09-05, 20:07	Link #8
Kirito Enjoying Snack Time! Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Where It's Legal to Marry Clara and Alice Age: 35	I don't know if you've seen this or not, but why don't you give Nana a shot if you're interested. I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for with that one, and it's an anime with a mature premise and characters. __________________

2013-09-05, 01:18	Link #6
Pepito Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2013 Location: Phoenix, Arizona Age: 39	I'll kind of answer myself here but I just stumbled upon a series that is exactly was I looking for: Kimi ga Nozomu Eien. The characters felt more real than any other anime I have seen, I saw all 14 episodes just today... Now I'll dig on the suggestions I've already received.

2013-09-05, 06:14	Link #7
Fevvers a regular van veen Join Date: Feb 2007	For manga, there's always Ohikkoshi by THE Hiroaki Samura and Dance Till Tomorrow.

2013-09-18, 00:07	Link #10
TheFluff Excessively jovial fellow Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: ISDB-T Age: 37	Nodame Cantabile, but I wouldn't bother with anything after the first anime season (the first season is pretty great and you're just going to end up disappointed if you watch any further) __________________ \| ffmpegsource 17:43:13 <~deculture> Also, TheFluff, you are so fucking slowpoke.jpg that people think we dropped the DVD's. 17:43:16 <~deculture> nice job, fag! 01:04:41 < Plorkyeran> it was annoying to typeset so it should be annoying to read

2013-09-18, 07:56	Link #11
Dop Mmmm.... Join Date: Sep 2006	Not sure if it would be allowed to post a direct link, but let's just say that if you were to visit a certain popular video site (rhymes with TwoCube) and type "bartender anime" into the search box, you can quite easily find all eleven English subtitled episodes of The Bartender. I still have a fondness for that show as it's quiet and thoughtful, and really I can't think of anything else like it. Think the best episode of Otona Joshi no Anime Time was the one about the woman attending her school reunion. Would second Paradise Kiss and also NANA, both written by Ai Yazawa although due to her ill-health NANA is unfinished. Nobody's mentioned Honey and Clover which while it is set at art college some of the character are in their 20s and 30s. Possibly the best relationship within the show is that between Rika and Mayama - she's the older widowed woman who Mayama works for while he's still at college, and falls in love with, but she's still in love with her late husband. There's stuff there which will break your heart.

2013-09-18, 16:58	Link #13
Tenzen12 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2012	ORE GA DOUTEI O SUTETARA SHINU KEN NI TSUITE - Pretty much story about what if Makoto-like (School Days) guy after being murdered by his best friend got chance live again and make different choices, prevent his demise and maybe even fall in love for real for first time in his life. D-ASH- Don't remember well, but I liked it and it was mature enough.