(L) Hachimitsu to Kuroba/Honey and Clover

[Vicious108]

If it were all that realistic it'd be have ten times more sexual activity though.

[SeijiSensei]

I don't know if anyone will see this posting, but I thought I'd give it a try.

I decided to give Honey and Clover another try since I consider 3-gatsu no Lion one of the best series of the past five years or perhaps longer. I'm saddened to see the original discussion of Honey and Clover was lost in the Great Server Crash that occurred just before I joined AnimeSuki. As a result, this thread became a retrospective discussion of the series among people who had already watched it, while I was looking for episode-by-episode discussions that were apparently lost.

After episode one I'm having a hard time believing the same Umina Chica wrote both series. Perhaps the blame lies with Madhouse, but I saw little of the subtlety that characterizes 3-gatsu. (And Simbo Akiyuki is not a director I would routinely associate with subtlety.)

Hagu is one problem for me because I hate infantilized adult female characters. But I found the men even worse. They are always shouting at each other and behaving in ridiculously over-the-top ways. I found them tiresome very quickly. Is that what I should expect if I keep watching this show? Yes, I know it's a treasured classic for many people, but maybe it's just not for me. The sadly now long-departed wao thought perhaps she was too young at the time to appreciate this show. Perhaps I'm too old? Somehow I don't think that's the problem since I've enjoyed other college-level shows from Nodame Cantabile to Moyashimon to Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru. I think it's just this particular show that doesn't click for me. Do the characters become more modulated as the series goes forward?