Anime: Kimi no Iru Machi

There has been a dearth of decent romance-based dramas in the anime world of late. It feels as if producers feel that light-hearted slice of lifes or mechs are the only things that will sell. Well, of all people, Gonzo is here to change that. Kimi no Iru Machi is the continuation of Tatsunoko Production's Kimi no Iru Machi: Tasogare Kousaten, which is an alternate take on the Suzuka storyline where Yuzuki Eba becomes the heroine (and our hero gets a new name). Both Suzuka and Kimi no Iru Machi are relationship-based, NON-harem shows where a boy has to choose between relationships and all sorts of misunderstandings seem to inhibit whichever path he chooses.

If you've been missing the relationship angst only present in true dramas (think Suzuka or even Kimi Ga Nozomu Eien), then this is your salvation. It isn't the prettiest of works with Gonzo in the helm and it also isn't pretty with regards to messy, realistic relationships. And characters sometimes act with such stupidity that you want to grab into the screen and shake them. Nonetheless, my goodness, it is finally a romantic drama; and if this is up your alley, you know you don't have a lot of choices. If you are tired of light, thin relationships and want a series with a protagonist that can make choices and live with the consequences, give the OVA a try and then jump into this if you like what you see.

Animation:
Gonzo isn't really lauded for breathtaking animation, and that is, unfortunately, true here as well. The animation lacks the crispness of even average shows by today's standards (even if it's on purpose it doesn't appeal to me) and Gonzo has given it a rich color palette truly fitting for a shonen show. While this is also true for Suzuka, I felt that this show's atmosphere would have benefited from a darker overall look, especially since the characters are older than in Suzuka. You really feel that the studio was cutting costs on this one as Tokyo and Hiroshima are rendered in pixel perfect blurriness; what could have been a relaxing countryside and bustling city landscape instead appear as quickly drawn pastels. Gonzo might have been trying to copy Shaft's style of jumping to random images, but the technique is used here specifically for tense moments, almost as if the director felt the pressure was otherwise too much for the viewer to handle. The show also suffers from occasionally odd character expressions that don't seem to fit the current event; our protagonist also seems to be locked in an eternal frown. Criticisms aside, at least the character designs are fair and I liked how the characters actually aged.

This is a rather serious drama so you can expect virtually no action and a few risque scenes. Some scenes can count as ecchi I guess but don't expect the girl to comically slap the guy across the room.

Sound:
The show starts with a playful, light OP that fits with Yuzuki's personality during the Hiroshima years. It ends on a very different, sad melody with just a hint of hopeful undertones. I tend to not like guy singers, but this tonality fits much more with the atmosphere of the show than the OP. The orchestral BGM is minimalist, often even dropping out completely to emphasize tense situations. There are a few recognizable tunes that are reused often in the show.

If you watched the OVA, most of the VAs are recast here. Unlike the animation work, the VA work is superb. Both Megumi Nakajima and Ayane Sakura give an outstanding presentation as their respective heroines and Yoshimasa Hosoya delivers a very convincing Hiroshima accent (makes sense given that's where he's from). I still don't like Nanami Kanzaki's character but luckily she plays a much more minor role than in the OVA.

Story:
Kimi no Iru Machi tells the tale of a long distance relationship between a seemingly average boy named Haruto and a cheerful, bubbly beauty named Yuzuki. The two had been a very close couple in Hiroshima but now Yuzuki has returned to Tokyo. To Haruto's dismay, he suddenly is no longer able to communicate with her. Despite knowing what the most likely cause is, he determines to set his entire life aside and confront the situation by moving to Tokyo (thus the title name). This story details Haruto's excruciating challenges after his move.

The show starts off extremely slowly; the first few episodes are dedicated almost exclusively to explaining the events prior to Haruto's arrival in Tokyo. In many cases, these events overlap somewhat with what is told in the OVA. And in certain particular details, events are presented in contradiction with the OVA's interpretation; thus the viewer should not skip out on these episodes despite having OVA knowledge. The plot then quickly picks up the pace and goes into drama overdrive.

This show shares many similarities to Suzuka. Not only are the characters renamed versions of their counterparts but the plot shares similar twists and cliff hangers. There are many points in the show where despite feeling that the story eventually will go in one direction, the story tries to convince otherwise. Thus, the story often feels like a crazy, meandering ride where every turn is accompanied by immense angst and occasionally a sense of artificial coincidence (where the possibility of a series of presented events actually happening is realistically improbable).

Regardless of the artificial feel of certain events, as well as my continued disbelief at some of Yuzuki's actions, this came across as a convincing drama. It successfully presents a complex relationship situation much more in line with reality than in your typical harem. It successfully presents women as creatures with their own opinions, anxieties, and perhaps hidden desires rather than puppets that chase after a protagonist with an associated "tsundere" or "loli" label. Most importantly it successfully conveys for guys that, even though the process might be messy and painful, at the end of the day it was all still worth it.

Character:
The primary characters all have decent depth, although some aspects are purposely hidden from the viewer until later in the show. Haruto comes across as a love it or hate it character. He starts out as a very immature boy in the flashbacks, constantly getting angry at Yuzuki's presence at his house. But really, he's just confused internally as he already had an existing crush on another girl. Though a bit more seasoned in the present story, he still comes across as odd. He seems to be able to make decent decisions but his ability to read and respond to certain people, especially Rin Eba, is pitifully bad. Yuzuki, although a cheerful character at first, is presented as a mystery for the majority of the show, which makes sense given the story's perspective from Haruto. She is likewise a love it or hate it character, as you can tell from the character votes. Without giving anything more away, I'll just say that all the primary characters are dynamic and respond to various events in the show. People change with time and events, and it is made very clear here. Other than some occasional behavioral oddities, the characters in this show are very well presented and very well acted by the voice cast.

Value:
This is a moving show that, like any decent drama, will get the viewer involved emotionally. I wasn't anywhere near the brink of tears with this show but I definitely was pissed at some of the character actions and decisions. However, this show does end with a very satisfying sense of conclusion and finality that many shows are afraid of offering these days. It's a refreshing end to a pretty messy, and thus pretty realistic, story. If anything, I wish that the story was given a better animation treatment.

This is not for those who get bored by drama or those who need action and fan service. But for those who are fans of the romance/drama genre, the value of this work is undeniable. While the ride was pretty rough, I have to admit that at the end of the day I enjoyed the show.

There are just so many shows this season, I’m definitely not able to watch all.

For a change of pace, this season, I will be covering this show, Kimi no Iru Machi; A Town Where You Live.

While looking through the pre season show forecast, this show caught my eye. It does not belong to the ‘blockbusters’ this season, so I would not be surprised if people did not know this was screening this season, (the episode 1 started later than the rest as well, so some viewers might be confused on anime streaming sites). To add on to the confusion, based on my personal experience, I realised that there were already 2 OVA episodes available, so audience, be careful when clicking on ‘episode 1′ links of Kimi no Iru Machi.

After reading the synopses of various sites, I don’t think it really helps with viewers like you and me in understanding what this show is about. Moreover, after checking out comments on forums, many comments stated that ‘newbies’ to this show would definitely not know what is going on in this episode 1. Apparently, the show does not start from the beginning of the story. Instead, from a certain middle not-so-interesting arc, and skipped all the character development in the earlier arc. Well, again, for new viewers like me, I have no idea what is happening. I have not caught the OVAs (and manga) yet, as well.

Thus, from a totally new viewer perspective, as a reviewer, I shall introduce this show from scratch, and as a viewer, I really hope that this show picks up well!

Episode 1 started with this scene, and it was reiterated at the back of the episode. Although we see that blue long haired girl here, we hardly get to see her at all this episode. But as much as this goes, she is most likely the heroine in this series, (if she gets such an opening scene, I don’t see how anyone else can be the main female character….)

The genre of Kimi no Iru Machi, based on what I see in the first episode, would be Drama, Romance, (a little ecchi?).

While watching this episode, I keep getting the sense of ”kimi ga nozomu no eien’. Of course, I only watched a few episodes of the show before dropping it due to the ‘tragedy’ genre it belongs to (not a fan), but I get a similar feeling when watching this.

I felt that the voice actors were pretty good so far, and the artwork is pretty soothing to my eyes.

And I shall introduce the characters with this picture. The guy lying on the floor is Kirishima Haruto, from Hiroshima, voiced by Yoshimasa Hosoya. The girl pinning him down is, Asuka Mishima, voiced by Ayane Sakura.

The playful character of this series, Kazama Kyousuke, voiced by Daisuke Ono (seems like a really fitting role HAHA).

And a quick reference to the ‘go-home-club’ anime this season, which I have yet to catch as well.

She is probably the girl at the start of this episode, but she is only seen in such angles for now. Based on what Rin said at the end of episode to Haruto, this blue haired girl might be avoiding Haruto, for reasons that have yet to be revealed. So for now, she is the mysterious heroine.

There were a few oddly coloured scenes throughout this show, but this scene, and the purplish scene before it somehow made me feel very tense, or should I say nervousness for the characters in the show. Normally we viewers develop this sense of apprehension as we approach the climax, or really low parts of shows, but i’m getting it right at episode 1, so something feels a little odd (experienced kimi no iru machi-ers would say that this is actually not the starting of the story anyway, so it wouldnt be odd to have such a feeling).

Very conveniently, as Haruto’s sister casually drops him a message about not coming back home for dinner, Mishima joins in to feast on Haruto’s fine dinings.
And before I forget, there are way too many food scenes this episode I’m thinking whether this is a show focused on Haruto’s chef skills. I have just had my wisdom teeth extracted, and my mouth is pretty much numb from the anesthesia, but looking at all the dishes throughout the episode makes me really crave for it (i’m actually feeling a little sick, but my appetite’s increased after seeing all them dishes…..). My mouth is actually still numb by the way.

This is probably the most ecchi part of this episode, well other than the OP sequence.

And there we have it, a blush right at episode 1, of course, nothing compared to the likes of Sukitte Ii Na Yo, if ya’ll get what I mean :P , or rather -3-. heh. Mishima’s short hair is really nice, if i may add, she’s pretty cute when she happens to re-use her accent as well (Haruto’s spot-on on this).

And another girl appears. She’s Rin-chan as I mentioned earlier in this review. Her name’s Eba Rin, voiced by Aoi Yuuki. She seems to know alot about Haruto, and the blue haired girl, who seems to be her sister…

Of course, I do not really catch any plot this episode, so I will have to tune in to find out more.
Generally, episode 1 gave me a pleasant feel, and when the OP sequence came on, I felt really refreshed. Then at the end of the episode, the ED sequence made me go woah, this is another nice song.

The OP and Ed are:

Sentimental Love (センチメンタルラブ)” by MimimemeMIMI (AstroVoice).
Kimi no Iru Machi (君のいる町)” by Haruto Kirishima (CV: Yoshimasa Hosoya)

If there’s one thing that caught my attention this episode, as well as make me wanna continue watching this, would be the OP and ED songs.

Overall, episode 1 did not explain much to me, so I wouldn’t be sure of what’s happening at all. But the artwork is good, the voice acting is good, and the songs are top-notch. For those of yall who have just started watching this, and are deciding on whether to continue or to drop. My recommendation would be to give it 2-3 more episodes grace, and see how it develops. It definitely is not the run-of the mill anime, and personally, I have not watched many shows of such a genre that I can boast about. I seldom cover such ‘serious’ shows as well, so being my first time doing this, I would be happy to take up this weekly happy challenge, and I hope that Kimi no Iru Machi viewers will give my reviews a try, as I embark on this dramatic series.

do check out this preview on my main blog! http://www.ringoame.notcliche.com/kimi-no-iru-machi-01/