When I first saw Kare Kano (His and Hers Circumstances), the unexpectedness gently blew my mind. Wait a second, how? Kare Kano is a high school romance story with quite a few expected developments, but it was the two main characters and how I could relate to it was that made Kare Kano a favorite for me.
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In a high school setting, top of the ladder characters like Yukino Miyazawa and Soichiro Arima are usually the bad guys, caricatures who inevitably oppress the “real people” of the story. The western entertainment industry is particularly obsessed with portraying over-achievers who excel within the status-quo as inhuman or at least deems them undeserving of sincere attention as a protagonist with which one can sympathize/empathize. I still remember being floored by Kare Kano having a smart rich boy with supportive parents and who wasn’t a dick that belittled everyone around him as a real character of the story. Main characters like these just don’t happen very often in contemporary stuff. I was greeted with that impression again when I re-watched Kare Kano recently. It’s an aside, but it’s one of the things I like about Kare Kano and what made an impression on me the first time through, the breaking the mold a little and exploring territory not usually turned over while walking along a well worn path of high school dramedy. Then again, it’s what makes this a great show, the characters.
For a while I’ve considered the opening arc of Kare Kano as one of the best opening arcs I’ve seen and still feel that way. The pacing and the scene cuts complete with Evangelion traffic lights and faucets get to the essential elements while remembering to breathe. The whole public face and the darkness behind the face, learning to deal with it and how to interface with others and choosing who to reveal yourself to is compelling. And it drives the romance between Yukino and Arima to such a degree that it gives the thread a lot of weight in spite of a lot of the comedy and fun things that go on the screen.
I’m definitely key scene oriented as a viewer. If the key scenes are real, I can be had for good, which is why I admire Kare Kano. I understand why and how it’s such a big deal for Yukino to reach out to Arima during the student council meeting. I can feel the awkward weight of Arima waiting under a bus stand while Yukino is anxious for the rain to subside. There are quite a few of these key moments throughout.
The lack of an ending to Kare Kano didn’t bother me that much. An ending would have been preferable, but I don’t feel that watching this show without an ending was a waste. I guess I find viewing Kare Kano and understanding the characters is kind of like viewing myself and to some degree human nature, which seems to be what the show focuses on, the motive and desire of people to move along and to start building toward something else. So even though I’d like one, I don’t feel too slighted by not reaching a conclusion.
ordinarily I am the one guy who doesn’t mind a lack of ending, but KK just fell apart for me entirely in the early 20 eps and I wouldn’t have minded the lack of ending were the last ep not so incredibly horrible. Otherwise I agree with everything you said.
The difference between Kare Kano and a lot of other similarly framed romantic comedies in anime is that Kare Kano just starts where the others, often struggling through entire seasons to reach, end: the confession and acceptance of feelings. By episode 4(?), Yukino and Arima are an established couple, and the series can spend time exploring other ideas and personalities. Kare Kano becomes so much more than a romance; it’s an honest portrayal of life during those precious high school years.
The study and growth of Tsubaki is a great example of the series fleshing out and humanizing one of its supporting cast. The story of Yukino’s parents is another case of affording the audience a deeper understanding of previously only mildly interesting side characters. These details to the surroundings of the main couple breathes life into what is usually a stale and predictable genre and makes the story feel real.
“Everyone laughed, cried, and wistfully smiled when they were supposed to,” is from a review I remember reading about Kare Kano many, many years ago, and I have no doubt in my mind that it still holds true. Even with its obvious flaws in animation budget and failure in delivering any proper ending, for going beyond the usual and often trite question, “him and she liek each other but how will they gets togetherz???”, and the singularly unique style of execution by Gainax studio puts Kare Kano, in my mind, leagues above anything else in its genre, and a place among my most revered and favorite anime series of all time.
I like this anime and it so pretty good but I hate how it ended in the middle of the school festival, which kind of forced fans of the anime to buy the manga to find the ending.
Ah, good times. I remember the lack of a definitive ending (also the sudden shift of focus to another couple) was disorientating but I thought it was a good way to signal "Well, that’s life. Deal with it." A good compromise IMHO since the manga was still ongoing at the time and IIRC went off in quite a dark direction re: Arima.
I absolutely love this series and reading this made me want to rewatch it so much! Thanks for reminding me of this old favorite
[...] administrative functionality as a suppressor of love, love being the general premise of the show. Others have noted that Kare Kano stands out because it subverts the cliché that all overachieving class [...]
Unfortunately I can’t comment on this anime, because I didn’t watch it… But I can note that the style changed since then very much. Not only the technical side, the character design. And to be honest I’m glad it changed. ^_^
Damnit, even reading your writeup evokes strong emotions about those scenes. It really is an impressive story and after a year or so of watching the series I just had to follow up the manga and I was definately not disappointed. For any lover of these characters it should really be something you consider doing, I mean, im as lazy as can be and I’m compelled to write to the mangaka to say just how much I love it – I just haven’t done it yet haha.
I think im due for another rewatch then reread.
I read the manga just short of the last volume. I have it, but for some reason can’t/don’t want to see it end for some reason.
Heh understandable. I’m yet to watch the final episode of azumanga simply because I never want it to end… I enjoyed the ride so much that reaching a point when I know ill never have that fresh feeling viewing the episodes is such a weird empty feeling.