Anime Review: Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou (Karekano)
Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou (or His and Her Circumstances) was the first shoujo I ever watched, and made me appreciate the genre so much that I veered away from limiting myself to mecha, arena-style fighting and other testosterone-filled anime titles. It was made by the same people who created Neon Genesis Evangelion, Gainax… but this one doesn’t have any robots or technological wonders in it, even though the angst is still there in some parts…
The Karekano series is undoubtedly funny, and the romance is more realistic than the tons of “loser guy gets liked by super beautiful girl(s) for no apparent reason”… More than half of the story takes place in school, which is a nice thing and has made me somewhat aware as to how some of Japan’s educational system works.
Having looked at some of the manga that inspired this work, this anime is almost a direct translation – even some of the iconic scenes are displayed almost verbatim, as well as the onscreen text. The use of SD characters in Karekano also adds to the enjoyment, as it displays comedic and ludicrous emotions across more effectively.
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The animation is obviously dated compared to the latest romance comedies that are now out. But a huge amount of creativity was used in depicting situations (a Gainax trademark, no doubt).
However, the animation at the latter part of the show (or rather, the lack of it), somewhat spoils the dynamic style that made this series very fun to watch. But I guess it’s all a matter of taste.
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Karekano has one of the best soundtracks in any anime I’ve watched. Each bit of music enhanced the scene they were played in. One of the few anime shows where I bought the OST after watching it. The effective use of music is also very nicely done, as funny moments become more funny and dramatic scenes become more enhanced. Very nice and catchy opening song, and a cute ending song. The 60s/70s style background music are bubbly and some of them almost makes you laugh upon hearing it rather than the dialogues themselves.
Also one of the few anime where I thought the English dubbing was excellent and, in my opinion, surpasses the already outstanding Japanese seiyuus in the series. Yukino MIyazawa, particularly, exudes more character and personality with the English dub.
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Although Karekano didn’t have a grand overreaching plot associated with it, except for the brief “boy meets girl” arc between Miyazawa and Arima, the show surprisingly shows a lot of heart in its storytelling. There was a perfect balance between comedy, romance and drama, and you end up involved in the show on a per-episode basis.
Each major character in the series ws fleshed out very well, from Miyazawa Yukino’s quest for ultimate adoration and subsequent acceptance of being normal, to Arima Souichiro’s angst-ridden past and unconscious quest to be perfect. Most of the secondary characters are also characterized very nicely.
The episode where the Miyazawa family was playing UNO together was an excellent example of how great character development was handled in a simple canvas. A stroke of genius.
The sidestories for the secondary characters were very well done, particularly the ones concerning Tsubasa, and especially the episode recounting how Miyazawa’s parents met. the flashback of how Yukino’s parents met, how it depicted Yukino’s parents’ first meeting and how they fell in love was very touching and memorable, and was the best episode I’ve seen for this series…
Along the end, however, the introduction of a new character does not help the show, especially when it had its wings clipped before it could even fly.
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Probably the biggest caveat I have about Karekano (as well as one of its biggest disappointments for many who have seen it) is that the story is largely unfinished by the time you get to the very last episode. It leaves you hanging precariously and doesn’t end up as satisfying as I’d hoped. This is due to the anime catching up to the manga and running out of meaningful stories to tell, as well as some type of management dispute over what direction the show should take…
Also, the constant use of “what has happened so far” before almost each episode can get very tiresome after the third time you view it. I had a funny feeling that those who made the show think that some of their viewers had A.D.D. or something, or perhaps it was a cheap way to stretch each episode to the appropriate length. Add to the fact that there is a full one-and-a-half episodes dedicated to recaps, it reduces the enjoyment of an otherwise very unique, enjoyable show.
Speaking of unfinished, the gradual degradation of show’s technical aspects affected the storytelling as well, especially the “14 days” arc. Running out of episodes to tell was hard, but I felt that the show’s creators could’ve taken a more graceful exit rather than aiming to begin a sidestory and ending the whole show abruptly, with no resolution.
If you want decent enjoyment and none of the annoyance, don’t bother watching the last few episodes that are part of the “14 days”. You’ll just get left hanging, and not in a good way.
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Karekano was a joy to watch over and over again. I still laugh at the same jokes sometimes. Notwithstanding the lackluster episodes at the end, Kareshi Kanojo no Jijou was an excellent addition to my anime collection, and primarily because it removed the blinders I had for the shoujo genre and allowed me to try out similar tales with a lotta heart and a lotta character.
All in all, a very good show. Very highly recommended for those who like romantic comedies that don’t deal with anything in space, with magic or with giant robots…
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Below is the complete first episode of the Karekano, english dubbed. Check it out and see if you like it (until Youtube decides to remove it, that is). You can get the His & Her Circumstances – TV Series Collection (5pc)
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