There's a reason why I end up watching the same five animes over and over again, and it goes a little something like this:
Me: I wish I could find a series as good as [blank]
Me: *tries watching something similar to [blank]*
Me: ...
Me: Fuck it im just gonna watch [blank]
After binging on Rurouni Kenshin and Ghost in the Shell for the last few weeks, I wanted to shift gears and watch something cute and romantic in the vein of Kareshi Kanojo no Jijō (His and Her Circumstances in North America), or Kare Kano, for short. I started an episode of the highly recommended Clannad, but ultimately decided that it had been far too long since I had revisited Kare Kano and settled with devouring the first 12 episodes last night.
What I love so much about Kare Kano is it's essentially a master class in romantic tension. The story doesn't suddenly stop becoming interesting when the two main characters get together; the tension builds at each new milestone of their relationship, from the moment they hold hands for the first time, to their first kiss, to their first heavy kiss, to the first time Arima Sōichirō touches Miyazawa Yukino's breasts (done extremely tastefully, I might add), to when he finally confesses that he wants to make love to her.
That's all pretty explicit subject matter for a show aimed at teenage girls, but it's exactly what made it so real to me. I loved Sailor Moon as much as the next 90's tween, but I couldn't identify with shojo magic the same way I could with Kare Kano. It was the series that made me realize that anime absolutely was a valid storytelling platform, as much as any Hollywood movie I saw.
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| Freckles is arguably the most upbeat anime opening, but Tenshi no Yubikiri sure gives it a run for it's money. |
What I love so much about Kare Kano is it's essentially a master class in romantic tension. The story doesn't suddenly stop becoming interesting when the two main characters get together; the tension builds at each new milestone of their relationship, from the moment they hold hands for the first time, to their first kiss, to their first heavy kiss, to the first time Arima Sōichirō touches Miyazawa Yukino's breasts (done extremely tastefully, I might add), to when he finally confesses that he wants to make love to her.
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| My 18-year old self seriously needed a cigarette after watching Kare Kano. |
That's all pretty explicit subject matter for a show aimed at teenage girls, but it's exactly what made it so real to me. I loved Sailor Moon as much as the next 90's tween, but I couldn't identify with shojo magic the same way I could with Kare Kano. It was the series that made me realize that anime absolutely was a valid storytelling platform, as much as any Hollywood movie I saw.
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| Who knew hand-holding would be such a turn on? |
I have bittersweet memories attached to Kare Kano. When I first discovered it in 2003, I was a year into what would turn into a seven-year romance with a former boyfriend, and so much of Kare Kano was relatable in my own relationship. Yukino and Sōichirō got their happy ending in the manga, and I... well, I got my own happy ending, albeit in a different way than I had imagined. Still, I have photos to remember the good, and whenever I hear the instrumental tune of Yume no Naka E, I'm transported to a moment in time that my aching, cynical heart longs for.
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| As Yukino's father wisely said, "A day in high school is more precious than a moment in adulthood." |
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