Kare Kano
| Kare Kano | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Original Manga | Masami Tsuda |
| Director/Artist | Hideaki Anno, Kazuya Tsurumaki |
| Format | Anime |
| Made By | Gainax |
| Episode Length | 1998-1999 |
| # of Eps/Volumes | 26 Episodes |
Contents
Genre
Sum it up in a Sentence:
Yukino Miyazawa and Soichiro Arima are both at the top of their highschool class, however by chance they discover each other's true, darker nature and together resolve to change themselves for the better.
Main Description
Kare Kano follows the life of Yukino Miyazawa, a highschool freshman whose only desire is to win praise from others. Her highschool debut is ruined, however by Soichiro Arima, whose perfect grades, cultured upbringing and good looks steal the spotlight she coveted. It isn't until later that they realize their feelings for each other and decide to change themselves for the better. Expanding from there, the story delves into Arima's past as well as the lives of a number of Miyazawa's classmates.
If You Liked This, You Might Like...
Neon Genesis Evangelion - Hideaki Anno slips in a number of homages to his past work. The psychological aspects are also very similar, as well as the cheap production values towards the end of the show (thanks Gainax!).
Honey & Clover - More of a laid back, slice of life type show. The "discovering yourself" theme parallels Kare Kano strongly.
Personal Opinions
Slowpoke
Exceptionally well-written show with a few glaring faults. The production quality varies greatly from show-to-show, mainly in the frame-rates. There are a number of shows that are almost completely unanimated, due in large part to the show exceeding its budget. These episodes get by with still-frame pans and voiceovers and this will probably bother quite a few people. The recap episodes also feel like they were added to "stretch" the series to 26 episodes, and the pacing towards the end of the series feels like there is a lot left out. Having read the manga it is hard to understand why they ended it where they did. Given a little more money and two more episodes it could have finished on an incredibly high note. This could also be due to Hideaki Anno leaving as director halfway through the production of the series. Despite that, the show's highs easily outweigh its lows, making it perhaps the best highschool drama series out there.
