(L) Aoi Hana (TV)

[Kaoru Chujo]

Originally Posted by Sinestra

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

Unfortunately, I haven't found any TV ratings numbers for the anime, but on 2channel, it is doing surprisingly well for a shoujo-style show. Maybe the popularity of Saki (which is extremely popular on 2channel) had made yuri more in with Japanese otaku than it has been. It is in the upper middle of the summer shows, in terms of number of posts, with around 11,000. That puts it just behind Princess Lover and Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, and just ahead of Sora no Manima ni and Kanamemo.

I've done a blog post on the popularity of the summer shows (AnimeSuki vs. 2channel vs. TV), and one on the spring shows, too.

As for the manga, all I know is that it isn't in the top 23 for 2008 (topped by One Piece, NANA, and Nodame Cantabile), or in the top 30 for last week (topped by Pandora Hearts, Moyashimon, and Saki).

[Bath-Teth]

Exams are over (yeah!) and I could finally watch episodes 4 and 5 of Aoi Hana.
I have to say Sugimoto is growing on me.

So far she handles the relationship with Fumi pretty well (not too pushy). She seems to have more experience with dating etc. than Fumi, who probably has none, as I doubt she and her cousin went out on any dates, at all. She knows that she has to guide Fumi a bit, to get her comfortable and secure with their relationship.

I like that Sugimoto doesn't act like someone stuck in a typical Manga/Anime love triangle, who can't decide what he/she wants. I hope that won't change.
Good to see her being quite mature about handling Kyokou and her love for her. She doesn't give signals to Kyokou which might've given her false hope.
She makes it clear from the start that she wants Fumi and Kyokou doesn't have a chance with her. Thus, It'll be easier for Kyokou to get over her in the long run. Even though it must be hard to be rejected that easily.

As for A-chan (everyone calls her that anyway ), she's just plain awesome right now. I love her.
It sucks being in her shoes with 2 good friends being in love with the same girl.
It's never easy not to take a side and still being able to support one (or both). I think she handles this situation really, really well. Even as "only" a friend she's a keeper.
She might be better for Fumi being a best-friend than being a lover. I just wish someone would realize soon how lovable she really is. (Hello Kyokou!)
Though A-chan's still very immature about the whole love/relationship thing. Someone has to teach her!

The question now is, who's Fumi's first love? Somehow I doubt it's her cousin.

Spoiler for Speculation about Fumi's fist love:

It might even be A-chan since they were really close as kids and Fumi did rely on her very much and seemed pretty clingy to A-chan, who was like a "shining prince" for her. Something like hero-whorshipping/crushing maybe could be called a first love. + There has to be a deeper conection between those two than just being "normal" childhood friends, at least for one of them (Fumi) to make that intro possible.

[adamatari]

I think I'm falling for Sugimoto~~

Spoiler for Episode 6 spoilers:

This really was a Sugimoto episode... I loved the scene in the dressing room when Sugimoto asks A-chan to muss her hair, and when Sugimoto turns on the charm a bit A-chan thinks to herself that Sugimoto is "dangerous". Dangerous indeed. Sugimoto shows her nice side, when she goes and talks to the prince from the elementary school play. Then we see her weak side, partly in what she says about Catherine (though to be honest I think the two main characters in Wuthering Heights are probably two of the more twisted characters in the history of fiction, both with pretty rotten personalities, so I agree with her), and more obviously in breaking down when the teacher guy is nice to her (which all the girls misinterpret). I can sympathize with that, it's rotten because there's no right thing there. It's terrible to be treated well by someone that rejected you.

Fumi realizes what's up, that Sugimoto still has some lingering regrets, and finally brings it up. I think Sugimoto is trying a bit too hard, she says "it's in the past" and so on but it's not really. This scene kinda makes me wish Fumi was a bit more, I don't know, more of a hero type maybe? She's the victim in a sense, and she's sure being pretty tough about dealing, but I feel like Sugimoto needs someone that can drag her away from her regrets or something. I guess I kinda feel that Fumi doesn't perhaps have what Sugimoto needs, which will probably suck for them.

Which brings up a point - in some relationships, each partner takes the lead at certain times... Everyone has weak moments, when they need someone else's support, but if you have a simple lead/follow (seme/uke) thing going, what happens when the lead can't?

The bouquet was pretty symbolic - Fumi's bouquet was simple and pure, like her feelings, and she ended up not giving it Sugimoto... And the teacher's bouquet was too much.

[4Tran]

Fumi's "I don't want to know. But's it's eating me up inside." line is indicative of just how good Aoi Hana is turning out to be. I always find it very refreshing when a show can have characters act in a completely believable and honest manner, and yet show herself to be both perceptive and vulnerable. The main cast for this show has been excellently presented so far.

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.

That shouldn't be that surprising since anime was one of the earliest places where positive lesbian relationships could be found. The first of them known to the West was probably Sailor Moon, and the fact that it was a well-received children's show only helps to strengthen that interest.

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

Unfortunately, I haven't found any TV ratings numbers for the anime, but on 2channel, it is doing surprisingly well for a shoujo-style show. Maybe the popularity of Saki (which is extremely popular on 2channel) had made yuri more in with Japanese otaku than it has been. It is in the upper middle of the summer shows, in terms of number of posts, with around 11,000. That puts it just behind Princess Lover and Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, and just ahead of Sora no Manima ni and Kanamemo.

It is odd given that Aoi Hana is far from being an otaku show, but something similar happened with Maria-sama ga Miteru as well - originally, it was thought to only appeal to shoujo fans, but the anime attracted a lot more attention outside of that segment.

[Kazu-kun]

Originally Posted by 4Tran

It is odd given that Aoi Hana is far from being an otaku show, but something similar happened with Maria-sama ga Miteru as well - originally, it was thought to only appeal to shoujo fans, but the anime attracted a lot more attention outside of that segment.

TM8 is even less of an Otaku show than Aoi Hana yet is doing as well as the latter with the Otaku there in 2chan. Maybe, more than a particular appeal that any of these shows could have on them, they just want to support Fuji TV (Noitamina/Noise) a bit? Well, I don't know.

In any case, it would be great to know the ratings Aoi Hana is getting.

[Sinestra]

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

Unfortunately, I haven't found any TV ratings numbers for the anime, but on 2channel, it is doing surprisingly well for a shoujo-style show. Maybe the popularity of Saki (which is extremely popular on 2channel) had made yuri more in with Japanese otaku than it has been. It is in the upper middle of the summer shows, in terms of number of posts, with around 11,000. That puts it just behind Princess Lover and Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, and just ahead of Sora no Manima ni and Kanamemo.

I've done a blog post on the popularity of the summer shows (AnimeSuki vs. 2channel vs. TV), and one on the spring shows, too.

As for the manga, all I know is that it isn't in the top 23 for 2008 (topped by One Piece, NANA, and Nodame Cantabile), or in the top 30 for last week (topped by Pandora Hearts, Moyashimon, and Saki).

thanks Kaoru Chujo hopefully Aoi Hana will make Yuri slightly more popular with Japanese audiences. I happen to think the anime and manga have strong writing and succeeds and pulling the audience into the world emotionally. To me those are strong signs of a good series regardless of the genre.

[4Tran]

Originally Posted by Kazu-kun

TM8 is even less of an Otaku show than Aoi Hana yet is doing as well as the latter with the Otaku there in 2chan. Maybe, more than a particular appeal that any of these shows could have on them, they just want to support Fuji TV (Noitamina/Noise) a bit? Well, I don't know.

Noitamina shows are sort of special to begin with, but TM8 has very broad; enough so that I can imagine lots of otaku watching and commenting on it for non-otaku reasons. The depiction of Tokyo alone is likely to spur a lot of discussion, especially in an environment where many of the viewers are familiar with the geography.

[scr]

Spoiler for eps6:

Well, at least this time the play isn't suddenly interrupted by space lesbians...

Sorry guys, can't miss this.

[Kaoru Chujo]

Originally Posted by scr

Spoiler for eps6:

Well, at least this time the play isn't suddenly interrupted by space lesbians...

....

Blue Drop was a good show. Worth watching for anyone who hasn't seen it, especially if they like both yuri romance and science fiction. Great performances by Yajima Akiko (Crayon Shin-chan) and Sawashiro Miyuki. And good ones from Watanabe Akeno, Gotou Yuuko, and Yukino Satsuki.

The OVA ICE is another good yuri science fiction show. Deeply weird, but worth watching.

[Sinestra]

Originally Posted by scr

Spoiler for eps6:

Well, at least this time the play isn't suddenly interrupted by space lesbians...

Sorry guys, can't miss this.

true enough my friend.

episode 6 was very good there was slightly changes from the manga but they were so insignificant im surprised i even noticed them. Fumi finally says whats on her mind. I wonder if people realize how much courage it took for Fumi to even express whats she feeling. Also. this is the start of many more events to come for Fumi and Achan.

Its so easy to why Sugimoto is so popular she portrays a bishoujo character perfectly and later we will even get a little more indepth about her personality. Seeing Sugimoto cry at the end was done perfectly the amount of emotion that was in that scene was very heavy.

Fumi is my favorite (i tend to like quiet girls with glasses who like books. She truly and honestly cares for Sugimoto and and it was clear in the bouquet she bought it was simple not extravagant and had a lot of feeling in it as compared to the blatant "look at me look at me" the other girls sent. I consider Fumi one of the most powerful and emotional characters in Aoi Hana. She is a very deep person but also a very innocent one.

Even though Fum is my favorite Kyokou is right up there with her. She is another emotional character who for some reason i just happen to like right away. There is more but they are manga spoilers and i dont want to talk about them in here.

[Kaoru Chujo]

Impressed as I am with the work of Takabe Ai as Fumi-chan, I have done a longish blog post about her: from beauty queen to photo idol to TV actress and personality and now seiyuu. She seems to have a very nice personality and some talent, as well as good looks.

I've included photos from all stages of her career, including swimsuit idol. And there are videos of her acting and being interviewed on TV.



She says in interviews that she has never been in a relationship like Fumi's, but that she did receive lots of Valentine's Day chocolates from younger girls at the girls' high school she went to.

[Shiroth]

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

She says in interviews that she has never been in a relationship like Fumi's, but that she did receive lots of Valentine's Day chocolates from younger girls at the girls' high school she went to.

The complete opposite then.

[BBOvenGuy]

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

Impressed as I am with the work of Takabe Ai as Fumi-chan, I have done a longish blog post about her: from beauty queen to photo idol to TV actress and personality and now seiyuu.

I left you some more links at your blog post.

I'm always surprised by how easily Japanese actresses go from modeling to singing to acting to voice-acting. It all seems so fluid. Are the Japanese entertainment and talent management industries simply geared that way? And does it work that way only for the women, or for men as well?

In the US, you've got to have the clout of someplace like Disney to get live-action actors to do animation voice work. Ten years ago, when they did an animated Jackie Chan Adventures, they didn't even have Jackie Chan do the voice of Jackie Chan.

[Shiroth]

Spoiler for Episode 07:

As expected, the beginning of this episode kept in the material that wasn't featured at the end of last weeks episode, and used as a flashback. Nicely done when there you keep in mind the fact that there's not a lot of time in each episode.

I'm glad this episode ended the way it did. Sugimoto's last line is perfect cliffhanger material, and it would have been a huge shame if used otherwise. I'm actually quite interested in how they'll handle what comes next compared to what happens in the manga. So far the anime has done it's own thing with quite a few scenes, so it'll probably happen again.

The Sugimoto sisters truly are something though. Even in the manga, it amazed me at how different each sister is, and yet they have the strong feeling of family in the way they all interact with one another, especially with the Mother.

As for Sugimoto, still i believe she has chosen the best option in breaking up with Fumi. She herself said that she hasn't sorted out her own feelings regarding her last love, as shown in the last scene of episode six, and it also breaks up a lot of courage to be able to say such things. It's obvious that she truly cares for Fumi, and she must be hurting a lot to break up with her.

Four episodes to go, and i have a pretty strong feeling that i know where the anime will end in the manga. Still, fingers crossed that this isn't the end of the adaptation, because there's plenty more material to animate.

Do look forward to hearing what none manga readers have to say about the events in this episode.

[Kaoru Chujo]

Oh, man, is ep7 great. So beautifully, beautifully directed. And the relationships so subtly drawn.

Spoiler for ep7:

The complete silence at the opening, after the OP: at least three seconds of Fumi lying in bed and no sound at all. When Fumi is knocking on the door and we see her hesitate, then see the actual knock from inside the door. And many other nice inspirations.

And of course the story: how Fumi skips school to spend the day with Ah-chan. And the amazing sisters, who make Sugimoto-senpai seem so tame, all of a sudden. The open bandying about of words like "Lesbian" and "bisexual." And senpai's final shocking declaration.

Loved Ah-chan in the little old-fashioned Chinese hat when they were in Yokohama. Also love Fumi's striped pajama pants, lol -- straight from the manga.

There was a phrase spoken by Horie Yui as Kyouko, in the car, that really seemed excellent to me: "Nandemo nai" -- especially the little wobble on the "nai."

The episode was storyboarded and directed by Aoi Sayo 青井小夜. She has been a key animator at least since 2004, but only recently has been doing storyboards (Zero no Tsukaima Rondo) and episode directing and storyboards (Toradora, Umi Monogatari). As a key animator, she was involved in shows such as Aria, Darker than Black, and Hakaba Kitarou. But of course, the style is Kasai Kenichi's.

I'm definitely seeing three shows this summer that I consider candidates for "masterpiece" status: this, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, and Bakemonogatari. All three are maintaining their high quality so far.

[Shiroth]

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

Spoiler for ep7:

Also love Fumi's striped pajama pants, lol -- straight from the manga.

Spoiler for Episode 07:

There would have been hell to pay if they didn't include the adorable striped pajamas.

[Sinestra]

Originally Posted by Shiroth

Spoiler for Episode 07:

As expected, the beginning of this episode kept in the material that wasn't featured at the end of last weeks episode, and used as a flashback. Nicely done when there you keep in mind the fact that there's not a lot of time in each episode.

Spoiler for Episode 7 and reply to Shiroth:

I'm glad this episode ended the way it did. Sugimoto's last line is perfect cliffhanger material, and it would have been a huge shame if used otherwise. I'm actually quite interested in how they'll handle what comes next compared to what happens in the manga. So far the anime has done it's own thing with quite a few scenes, so it'll probably happen again.

The Sugimoto sisters truly are something though. Even in the manga, it amazed me at how different each sister is, and yet they have the strong feeling of family in the way they all interact with one another, especially with the Mother.

As for Sugimoto, still i believe she has chosen the best option in breaking up with Fumi. She herself said that she hasn't sorted out her own feelings regarding her last love, as shown in the last scene of episode six, and it also breaks up a lot of courage to be able to say such things. It's obvious that she truly cares for Fumi, and she must be hurting a lot to break up with her.

Four episodes to go, and i have a pretty strong feeling that i know where the anime will end in the manga. Still, fingers crossed that this isn't the end of the adaptation, because there's plenty more material to animate.

Do look forward to hearing what none manga readers have to say about the events in this episode.

Spoiler for Episode 07:

I do think the non manga readers will be quite surprised by the turn events. it only gets more emotional later and i do hope the adaptation is not short lived four episodes does not cover enough. I have not minded the slight changes they have made to the anime they actually fit well. With so much more material to draw on i can not see why they would not continue.

Sugimoto has some great lines in the manga and in the anime and as much as Fumi suffered i still think even in the anime it was best for her to break up with Fumi. Its not right to date someone when you have not sorted out your feelings for another. Sugimoto sister are something else indeed they are a unique bunch ranging from super nice to sweet to dare i say evil lol. However they do not make her situation any better I remember in the manga when they reveled something quite important about 2 characters and i had never even thought that could have been a possibility. But from these scenes we see why Sugimoto acts the way she does sometimes.

There is one line from the manga that i will wait forever to hear because i just know how powerful it will be because its Fumi who says it. It impacted my interpretation of the whole story afterwards.

Spoiler for slight manga spoiler dont read if you dont want to know.:

When Fumi rolls over and says "A chan was my first love" proceeded by Fumi's jealously involving certain events and people that come up.

[Sinestra]

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

I'm definitely seeing three shows this summer that I consider candidates for "masterpiece" status: this, Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, and Bakemonogatari. All three are maintaining their high quality so far.

sorry but i forgot to mention that i agree with you 100% Kaoru Chujo about all 2 shows. My biggest compliant about anime for the past 2 to 3 years has been the quality of writing. Tokyo Magnitude 8.0, Bakemonogatari and Aoi Hana are my 3 favorites as for how powerful the writing is i get drawn instantly into all 3 worlds when im watching. At the core of a series in the story itself and how its portrayed to the audience. Too much emotion it feels forced too little you feel disconnected from the characters all 3 previously mentioned managed to nail the right amount dead on making them successful imo.

[Shiroth]

Originally Posted by Sinestra

Spoiler for Episode 07:

There is one line from the manga that i will wait forever to hear because i just know how powerful it will be because its Fumi who says it. It impacted my interpretation of the whole story afterwards.

Spoiler for slight manga spoiler dont read if you dont want to know.:

When Fumi rolls over and says "A chan was my first love" proceeded by Fumi's jealously involving certain events and people that come up.

Spoiler for Episode 07:

Indeed. That's the line/scene i've been waiting to see ever since the anime adaptation was announced.

Spoiler for slight manga spoiler dont read if you dont want to know.:

I have high hopes they'll keep this line in, especially seeing as how the question "do you remember your first love?" was kept as a cliffhanger back in episode five, and i believe they did that to add more of an emotional impact when Fumi tells A-chan the truth. It happens much later in the manga, and with only four episodes left, we shouldn't see in in the timeline, though i have faith that they'll bring that scene forward.

[Bath-Teth]

Just watched EP 6 and loved it, best EP so far, imo.

I liked the play and the subtle reference of its characters to the ones playing them.

I said it before, but with each episode I like Sugimoto more and more, though the hints about her past are somewhat unsettling.
At least, Sugimoto is trying to be honest with Fumi when she asked if Sugimoto does love someone else. But it seems to me like Sugimoto wants to forget her first hopeless love interest so much that she is kind of deluding herself. Seeing her cry all of the sudden at the end because her old teacher (and crush) praised her, just shows how much he still means to her.

I don't doubt (anymore ) that Sugtimoto loves Fumi, but Fumi does need someone who loves her fully and unconditional (with her insecurity and bad experience she needs to have trust in her love) and I don't think Sugimoto with her unresolved? past can give her that, yet.

Still, I admit I was wrong when I first thought Sugimoto was the player type. She's definitely not the type who would date more than one person at the time, which is a big step up for Fumi from her cousin.

Ah-chan is pure win as ever and I still want to console poor Kyouko.

P.S:
MUST resist opening the EP 7 spoilers!!! Seems like an important episode.