(L) Aoi Hana (TV)

[Kaoru Chujo]

Originally Posted by Craymel

I just saw episode 5 and I loved it. My favourite part was the little prince segment mostly because that's one of my all time favourite books.

For some reason I had tears in my eyes during part of that segment. The sound was great, going from a couple of quiet moments to that sentimental music. And the animation of parts of it was amazing: the scarf flapping, the angle of the scene walking through stars, the scene in a sort of maze of thorns. And even though the voices sounded artificial, they worked.

[Craymel]

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

For some reason I had tears in my eyes during part of that segment. The sound was great, going from a couple of quiet moments to that sentimental music. And the animation of parts of it was amazing: the scarf flapping, the angle of the scene walking through stars, the scene in a sort of maze of thorns. And even though the voices sounded artificial, they worked.

they had to sound a bit artificial because the kids were acting for a school play

[Kaoru Chujo]

Originally Posted by Craymel

they had to sound a bit artificial because the kids were acting for a school play

Good point. But it still had a strong emotional effect, on me at least.

[MeoTwister5]

Haven't seen episode 5 and my I need my lesbian romance fix posthaste, but I must say that The Little Prince should be required reading for the entire human race.

[Sinestra]

Just finished up episode 5 and once again JC Staff has met my expectation with this touching series.

For me this episode seemed to be about insecurity. Fumi is already insecure but this is a different type insecurity within a relationship. We all know that one of the most important parts in a relationship is communication but its something Fumi does not get at first. Here is where Sugimoto seems to show her maturity instead of wondering what was wrong with Fumi she called her and asked her straight out. This action alone shows the importance of the relationship to Sugimoto. Sugimoto flaw is her popularity which of course was the part of the source of Fumi insecurity. The second part was Ikumi and the awkwardness she would feel. Aoi Hana has a fantastic way of allowing you to feel exactly what the characters are going through.

I am not sure if the matter between Sugimoto and Ikumi has been solved but it seems it has. Ikumi will get over her rejection and move on i cant help but to feel that seeing that Sugimoto honestly and wholeheartedly cares for Fumi and spending time around Fumi and Sugimoto helped her reached this point.

Achan not only was not a shoulder for Ikumi but she still managed to find time to encourage Fumi to say the things she wants to say to Sugimoto. Achan seems to be the glue that sticks everyone together. I cant help but to feel that her helping out her friends and being involved in whats going on is going to shape her romantic feelings once they arise in her. Im hoping we start to get a little more characterization with Achan soon.

The little prince segment was wonderful and bought so many memories flooding back into my mind.

[SuperKnuckles]

That huge man-girl of this series seems bent towards betraying everyone or at least almost everyone at this point. And that's as if Sugimoto wasn't such a strange beast in the lot, being the 'boyish girl' icon at the school. It's like being a celebrity in real life. That usually doesn't end well in the personal-life front. And there was so much tension in her meetings with Fumi, that was borderline uncomfortable to watch.

[Fweakin]

Originally Posted by SuperKnuckles

That huge man-girl of this series seems bent towards betraying everyone or at least almost everyone at this point. And that's as if Sugimoto wasn't such a strange beast in the lot, being the 'boyish girl' icon at the school. It's like being a celebrity in real life. That usually doesn't end well in the personal-life front. And there was so much tension in her meetings with Fumi, that was borderline uncomfortable to watch.

I don't see anything of her betraying anyone at the moment. All I see is a school-star indulging the whims the fangirls. There is nothing sinister or underhanded about it as far as I can tell. She is playing the role of the person that the fangirls want her to be.

I'm really liking this series so far. I wasn't too taken with the first couple of episodes, and I suspect Fumi's character or lack thereof will never really grow on me properly, but it's becoming one of those series that I really look forward to each Thurs/Wed. Ah-chan is growing on me, and I'm really liking the voice work her seiyuu is doing. Yasuko's seiyuu I like as well.

[MeoTwister5]

Why do I always end up eating a whole freaking bar of chocolate whenever I watch this?

It seems that everyone's going gay for Sugimoto. That's obviously an exaggeration but I can see how she can easily attract people to her. She's good natured, nice, very accomodating and if the cellphone conversation is any indication, really sharp and probably wise beyond her years. You don't exactly see it in her silent demeanor but she is.

I'm actually loving the love triangle between Kyouko, Fumi and Sugi. If this were any lesser show, or at least one dominated by men, we'd be seeing a nice boat floating on the horizon, but no. It's handled very well without the excess angst and brooding you'd normally see. They have their own fair share of problems but they don't bitch around about it.

Clearly though Sugimoto wears the pants in the relationship. It's not that she's dominating Fumi completely but because Fumi's so insecure and indecisive about this romance that Sugimoto has to take the lead, and what a lead she's taking.

I haven't been this impressed with a side character in months.

The little segment of the Little Prince talking to his Rose was a thing of beauty. There's a deep parallelism there between the scene of how the Rose uses her thorns to both protect yet isolate herself and the current condition of the characters so far.

Nearing the end I sort of laughed a bit when Kyouko was crying because Sugimoto would only treat her like a litter sister. Yes I'm horrible, horrible person.

This might be the sleeper hit of the year. Beside Spice and Wolf of course.

[Sinestra]

Originally Posted by MeoTwister5

Why do I always end up eating a whole freaking bar of chocolate whenever I watch this?

Dont under estimate the power of chocolate. This show brings out some sides of me i didnt know i had.

[MeoTwister5]

It also makes me gay for Sugimoto, except I'm a man so it doesn't make me gay, unless I think that Sugimoto is really a man so I really did go gay for her, then again she's a girl so it's a shallow and straight attraction, but she's a fictional characters so it's all useless, but Fumi apparently doesn't share this sentiment, and now I need to stop with all the coma splicing.

I need another beer.

And chocolate.

[Sinestra]

Originally Posted by MeoTwister5

It also makes me gay for Sugimoto, except I'm a man so it doesn't make me gay, unless I think that Sugimoto is really a man so I really did go gay for her, then again she's a girl so it's a shallow and straight attraction, but she's a fictional characters so it's all useless, but Fumi apparently doesn't share this sentiment, and now I need to stop with all the coma splicing.

I need another beer.

And chocolate.

I think your ok just look at it as pure sexual attraction that way gender doesnt come into play lol. Um have anymore beer?

[Sorrow-K]

Originally Posted by BBOvenGuy

The lesbian-interest website AfterEllen.com is streaming the episodes, too. And they're free.

That's nice. I'm surprised that a lesbian website would have any interest in anime. And it seems to be well received there as well.

[darkchibi07]

Originally Posted by Sorrow-K

That's nice. I'm surprised that a lesbian website would have any interest in anime. And it seems to be well received there as well.

Well, Erica Freedman has been promoting some yuri works on that website for some time now. Having a direct stream of Aoi Hana is a pretty damn good step.

[Kaoru Chujo]

For an actual yuri point of view on yuri manga and anime: Erica Friedman's okazu. Erica's first take on Aoi Hana.

I have seen two opinions from the yuri side: one, that this is a great show, a real yuri anime with good characters and frank lesbianism; two, that it is yet another show with unrealistic yuri girls' schools and a weak female protagonist.

[Sinestra]

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

For an actual yuri point of view on yuri manga and anime: Erica Friedman's okazu. Erica's first take on Aoi Hana.

I have seen two opinions from the yuri side: one, that this is a great show, a real yuri anime with good characters and frank lesbianism; two, that it is yet another show with unrealistic yuri girls' schools and a weak female protagonist.

Have you heard anything generally of how the manga and the anime are being received?

[Shiroth]

Spoiler for Episode 06:

Oh wow, that was so nicely done. The music placement was perfectly placed for when Sugimoto started to cry at the end. This was the one scene i was waiting for in this episode, and wow did it deliver. Such a hard hitting impact from many directions.

Quite liked how the play was directed. Just like the manga, you feel like you're apart of the crowd during it, though with this adaptation we have music, which was a nice fit for the play.

The scene with A-chan doing Sugimoto's hair was anime original, though i really liked it, and didn't feel forced at all. It really shown the fun playful side of Sugimoto, and the one that doesn't hide behind a shell. Quite glad they were able to capture that in an anime original scene. Along with that, i'm glad they kept in Sugimoto's talk with Kyouko during the play. Yet more impact.

There were a few more differences yet again to the manga in this episode. In the manga, When Fumi is running to congratulated Sugimoto after the play, she remembers that she forgets the flowers, though in the anime she's carrying them. Both displays have the same meaning really, in the manga she's in such a rush that she forgets because all she can think about is Sugimoto, and in the anime all she's thinking about is Sugimoto, so she didn't forget the flowers. Quite strange how they both work on the same level.

They changed the last scene a little bit, though it's understandable because it's the end of the episode. They'll probably continue it next episode.

[ThoHell]

I really like Achan, here character is realistic. She's not some mushy fickle brainless heroine who just falls for people left and right and causes drama. Yup yup yup, I like her! She has a good head on her shoulder.

[MeoTwister5]

For the record I had a pack of M&M's while watching this.

I really like how this episode tends to focus more now on Achan, who really hasn't been getting a lot of screentime as of late. In contrast her brother irritates me, mostly because I am of the opinion that people who can't appreciate The Little Prince are uncultured boors.

And Jebus I've figured out why Sugimoto's character design bugs me: she resembles Fan from Escaflowne minus the pointy nose, except that she's a girl and loves other girls too. I'm wondering if Sugimoto's just that damn charming even when she doesn't intend to be.

I mean come on, pulling off her cape and draping on herself before going on stage? Fangirls everywhere just came.

Having read Wuthering Heights but once and never finished it, I have this sneaking suspicion that using Emily Bronte's only novel as a play is not just for the sake of the plot but, perhaps, as a symbolic prophecy of the future of the story. I'm expecting a Byronic Character along Heathcliff's lines to pop up in one of the main or side characters that would become central to the story. If this is the case, I'm expecting an epic tale of self-destructive romance that hopefully moves the plot along rather than wreck it.

This is my speculation obviously. Can anyone Manga reader send me a PM whether this is the case or not? Thanks.

My only complaint was that they decided to cut it off at Catherine's death. I mean that's sorta only 2/3 of the tale... Heathcliff's still supposed to go batshit insane and go on his rousing rondo of hateful vengeance. But hey, if there is a prallelism here at least it would mean we won't be seeing that boat floating at the end if you know what I mean.

But the biggest point however is that, while Sugimoto says she dislikes girls like Catherine, by crying at the end when their advisor complemented her she pretty much confirmed that she IS Catherine. The very person she claims to dislike.

9/10

[Fweakin]

But the biggest point however is that, while Sugimoto says she dislikes girls like Catherine, by crying at the end when their advisor complemented her she pretty much confirmed that she IS Catherine. The very person she claims to dislike.

Its often the case, right? The things that people hate the most are the traits in other people that they hate in themselves.

Thought it was a great episode. I just wonder where exactly things are going from here or what they hope to achieve and cover before the episodes come to an end. Being a non-manga reader, the only complaint I have is it appears a tad directionless. Although it may be a series that is more character study than plot point focused.

Guess time will tell.

[FireChick]

Why do I always end up eating a whole freaking bar of chocolate whenever I watch this?

If you can do that, then you should eat a whole flipping bar of chocolate filled with little pieces of bacon in them! I eat those.

I need another beer.

And chocolate.

And bacon chocolate!...and oreo cakesters! LOL!