Honey & Clover (ハチミツとクローバー)

(tags anime, DVD, region2, 声優, spoiler)

I finally finished watching the last DVD of Honey & Clover (「ハチミツとクローバー」). It's funny how this DVD is labeled "Volume 09". What is with that 0 in the tens digit? Yes yes, I know about Honey & Clover 2, so probably they're going to start with "Volume 10".

Ah what a great series. 5 out of 5. In each disc there's at least one scene that brings a tear to my eye. I think the most memorable scene for me was when Takemoto told his parents he wanted to continue school for one more year. I just love that scene. I think it was best that Takemoto was the main character and the main narrator. Morita is just too off the wall to understand and Mayama already completed some struggles of youth.

Of course, the artistic pastel backgrounds really added to the presentation. There was never a scene where the background was out of place or "cartoony". Plus there was plenty of beautiful Japan to see, from the big ferris wheel in Tokyo, the renovated temples, and also Hokkaido. But the characters themselves are beautiful. Even when the comedy starts and the faces "drop" to their seriousness, they are all too human.

The music transforms this anime into art. The song inserts by Spitz and Sugashi Kao just hit the spot. The scenes where the Spitz songs play alone are worth the viewing time. The ending theme by Suneo Hair called "Waltz" is the best song. I look at my iTunes and it says I've played that song 84 times! (since 2005/08/31, here's to the 85th time). I really like how they transition the music between scenes. On the other hand, I didn't like Yuki's "Dramatic" or the second ending theme song "Mistake" by The Band Has No Name. Take that garbage out, ugh. If you can believe it, I haven't yet ripped the soundtrack to the computer yet, even though I've had the CD for a long time.

As far as the voice actors are concerned, Tomokazu Sugita (杉田 智和) does a superb job as Mayama. Even though he's a guy his voice just melts me, ha ha. I'm catching more of him on the currently airing Haruhi Suzumiya's Melancholy (凉宮ハルヒの憂鬱) and he's grand as usual. Hiroshi Kamiya (神谷 浩史) as Takemoto also captures the young guy struggle. Usually I'm a voice actress fanatic, but the two leading ladies just didn't have much impact on me. It's funny that Yamada's voice actress, Mikako Takahashi (高橋 美佳子) was Haneru in the Kashimashi Girl Meet Girl PS2 game I completed recently.

This is one of those animes that I would (and do) introduce to non-anime watching friends. Heh, and maybe I won't have to mention that it's an anime at all, since the live-action movie will be coming out soon.