Honey and Clover

MyOwnAlarum Jan 15, 2012

4

Story     4/10 The entirety of Honey and Clover can be summed up as this:  Guy A loves Girl B who loves Guy C who loves Girl D who loves Guy E who loves Girl F and so on.  We know love triangles.  Some of us love them.  But when the triangle becomes a dodecahedron it become unfeasible.  Honey and Clover follows a small group of artists as they go through college and a little beyond.  In many ways it is a coming-of-age / slice-of-life with a more melancholy note.  All of the characters love someone and are loved by someone, but no two people seem to love each other.  It’s a developed study on unrequited love, and it romanticizes the notion as an ideal. One of the true problems with this is that the show spans many years in the character’s lives, and during that time there is little to no change or development in their feelings.  Personally, I would rather accept a rejection and look for someone else to love.  But these characters all devote years of their young adult lives to their one-sided feelings.  I find this to be entirely unrealistic, as eventually 18 -24 year olds in an art school would find someone to date, and the ones who didn’t would be the exception and not the norm.  The story has other side plots and twists, and it tries to lighten the mood with standard anime shenanigans and silliness.  But at its core this anime is about unrequited love, and all the different ways it can make us miserable. I do have to give it a nod in one sense, the dialogue is written quite well.  Even though the plot is weak, repetitive and unbelievable, the presentation is eloquent.  I even found my sappy-self tear up once or twice when scenes were particularly poignant.  It’s an odd contradiction, but it happens.  Many a great plot has been destroyed by cheesy dialogue, and many a great script has been ruined for lack of plot.  Honey and Clover is the latter.  Animation           7/10 On a basic, general level, the animation can be seen as quite pretty.  Certain effects, especially when we’re focusing on the student’s art, are downright shiny.  But when it comes to emotional expressions, I feel like the show steps significantly backwards.  Characters blush, A LOT, and when they do it’s shown as a red scribble line across their cheeks.  We also get a lot of your standard flowery backdrop scenes with characters drawn in extreme emotions of some sort, and for some reason when that happens they lose a lot of their face.  Seriously, whenever they are angry, sad or euphoric, the characters no longer have a nose or shading, and their mouth becomes a simple shape reminiscent of cartoons from 40 years back.  I know a lot of anime go for a style similar to this, but in Honey and Clover it is over-done and lazy. Sound   3/10 Have you ever seen Excel Saga?  Do you remember the scenes when Excel would run down the street singing some inane optimistic gibberish in a grating and obnoxious voice?  I found the opening theme for this show to be a lot like that.   Needless to say, I fast forwarded through every opening.  The ending theme is much more tolerable, but it’s nothing above and beyond the standard sentimental music you come to expect from such things.   I’m pretty sure the soundtrack used as background was the same, but I honestly can’t remember anything distinctive about it. Characters          4/10 The characters are the plot.  So really, everything I said in the story section applies here. I will add this though; there were characters I really really wanted to like, but couldn’t.  When a character keeps shamelessly throwing themselves at one person in all the humiliating fashions these characters do, it’s hard to feel empathetic.  In some cases, I felt like the character should have been above that, but was being demeaned for the sake of the plot.  Whatever.  My dead horse is now glue. Overall  4/10 Really, I just didn’t like it.  It wasn’t the worst anime ever.  It wasn’t the worst anything.  I just didn’t find it to be as compelling or romantic as other people have.  I wrote this review mainly to provide another perspective, since I know that this is a popular series and it does appeal to certain people.  But if you, like me, feel that unproductive and blind devotion is NOT a romantic ideal, then hopefully I have succeeded in warning you. 

yasmin09 Dec 20, 2010

9

Story: A slice of life kind of anime without a set plot where we follow the lives of three roommates who are in college and trying to find purpose in their lives. That's the basic gist of the anime and yet the story manages to add so much depth, humor, and reality into it at such a well pace that I was hooked from beginning to end without getting bored. The odd, random, and absolutely wonderful humor balanced out the rather heavy drama stemming from the plethora of intertwining love triangles and trying to find a job and goal in life. The anime is so realistic and well-paced that I can't help but feel for all the characters except maybe Shinobu but he remains an enigma, switching from being deep to ridiculous continuously. Despite the realism, just when I thought I knew what would happen, the characters would surprise me with their unexpected but understandable decisions. They're just trying to get through college and adult life as well as they can while dealing with the pains of uncertainty and love. The anime takes the simple slice-of-life genre and creates a well-paced, deep, heartwarming, unpredictable, and unforgettable story that truly stands out and left me satisfied with a bittersweet, open ending that wasn't a perfect ending for everyone but a happy/sweet ending nonetheless that answers some questions while still leaving itself open to a 2nd season. Animation: Absolutely beautiful. Just what to expect from J.C. Staff. The art is subdued, not particulary vibrant, but rich in color and slightly toned down. The rich, pastel colors add to the rather down-to-earth feel the anime has and makes the anime seem more realistic. The animation of the people is done wonderfully. Everyone looks distince and the art style is rather unique. I haven't quite seen character designs like these, well at least for the females. The expressions are done so well with pain or happiness being conveyed merely through facial expressions or through the eyes. There is also such attention to detail such as turning on a blinker when a character makes a turn, the lingering of the camera on a four-leaf clover, the way the wind blows in the characters hair and clothes, or even the way it repeats the images of a bike wheel/ferris wheel to make a point of how the characters feel. It really makes the viewer connect to the characters and relate to their internal battles. Sound: Again, absolutely beautiful. It is so soft and rich sounding with nothing to dramatic and really "loud" which suites the anime perfectly. Suga Shikao's songs perfectly add to the mood and add another layer to the scene while the scores are all memorable, adding dpeth to the scene and heightening the emotion that are spilling forth from the characters. I just had to go listen to the entire soundtrack and realized I adored every piece which means I need to go and buy it. The music is just so unique and each selection stands out to me. So not only did they all manage to add to the scene, it made me want to know what each was called so I get the song. The opening and both endings really convey the message of the anime nicely though the 2nd ending was not nearly as catchy and sweet as the 1st. The VAs really added depth to the characters, expressing their emotions with such depth that I truly felt for each character and each and every one of them stood out. Characters: A unique and wonderful cast that is filled with depth, humor, and quirks. Each character is suffering yet smile through their pain and uncertainty in life and continue with lives on a day-to-day basis. Yuta is trying to find a job while realizing that he is in love. He fears rejection and tries to sort through the uncertainties of his future the best he can in a realistic manner though comes to an unforeseen action towards the end of the anime. He cares about his roommates and tries his best to help them though it is definitely not easy. Shinobu's life is a mysterty to all and I still don't know what his job is or what goes through his mind but he adds plenty of comedy to the group. Ayumi struggles through her one-sided love and I can't help but hope for a happy ending for her as she tries to strive forward. Hagu is just so cute and acts like such an adorable child yet she is so mature in her way of thinking and understanding situation sometimes. Each character seems like a cliche at first glance but all of them develop so wonderfully throughout the anime and solidify their unique personalities with their reasonable flaws that make them so easy to relate to during the beginning of the anime so we care about their problems and want to see them find happiness. One of my top casts in an anime. Overall: A refreshingly unique take on a slice-of-life where all the characters grow and mature in a realistic pace while keeping true to themselves. The question "How far can I travel without looking back?" is continually referred to and showcases how each of them strives forward yet still cling to the past letting it hold them back or allowing them to go forth. The anime was amazing from start to finish. I highly recommend this to everyone who is at least a young teenager regardless of gender. It is one where most people can find something to relate to and one that is truly unforgettable.

Dionkeykong Jan 24, 2018

3

Readers beware:Excessive use of mature language.If you are allergic to different opinions to yours then sod off or i'm bringing out the hammer. With that outta the way let's see what's what.If you have eyes,which i pressume you have since you're here,the synopsis is somewhere here on AP so i won't bother with that at all.I've wasted enough of my time watching the damn anime,i refuse to waste some more. And we begin,rather confusingly,with the opening song.That's the first thing that hits your screen after all so let's go with that.It's rubbish.Plain and simple rubbish.This is the opening of an anime and what they show you is some food either dancing or humping or whateva..I've seen many shit in my life but this trumps it all easily.As for the song being used?That's like listening to the mumblings of a child who got hold of a bottle of scotch and drank it all in one sitting and then telling you all about it's kindergarden adventures and how nobody loves him/her and is all alone and life is terrible and my ice cream melted and SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY..Dear mf lord! And when you go past the first boss that is the opening song you are presented with one of the most ridiculous and horrific animations ever.If we were talking about DMC or even Ebichu it would be ok.That's supposed to be a somewhat serious down to earth anime and it looks like a fucking joke.It's not DMC bad but for a 2005 anime this looks like a washed out corpse.And don't think that as eps go by the animation gets any better cause it doesn't.In fact there are times where the animation is falling down a cliff.But hey this is heartwarming so the animation doesn't nee............Wait...What?What did you say?The animation what?Again if it's something like DMC made for fun then yes.If you're going for an anime that is all about a deep story then the animation HAS to be top notch.Did you ever go to a fancy restaurant and they served you a dish that looks like someone's ear infection?I guess not unless you count food from a canteen top of the pops.I can understand low budget issues but the only time it looked good was when you were shown stills but the motion itself is rigid and limited. And onto the story.It’s about a group of college students,mostly in arts,and how they deal with romance,friendship and misfortune.On paper this sounds interesting..But it so isn't! First off the way you present the story or stories in this case is the A and the Ω.Cause on paper things sound ok but on screen not so much.It tries to tell many stories at once and fails miserably,much like Greece's economy.The end result is that this feels like 2 animes botched together in a hurry by someone who doesn't like anime or botching that much.The stories or these 2 animes don't fit,they don't match and they certainly don't have any effect whatsoever to each other.Let me give you a perfect example of what i'm on about. Yuuta lives the simple life of an art student,struggling to make ends meet all the while dealing with his weird as fuck roommate,Shinobu..But then out of the blue comes a surprise in his life when his art teacher brings his cousin’s daughter and talented young woman named Hagumi to class.....What?Sorry i got that wrong..It's not that,it's the story of Ayumi a pottery student who has the hots for a man who stalks a widow......What the fuck is wrong with me today..This is about Shinobu and his brother getting back their father’s company..Basically what happened here was that many people gathered with ideas and because they were bored and wanted to be done with it they threw the whole lot in the pot and made a green potato mush garnished with sausages and crepes...And if my description doesn't sound much,you should watch it and see for yerselves what a big mess they made of the storytelling.I cannot put it into words just how bad it is.But i'll give it a go nevertheless. Let's go for them characters now and dive deep into the sea of misery that is this cast. Let’s start with Hagu,an 8-year-old girl who is actually 18 as we're told.Now i should stress that not only she looks like a child,but the thing is that she also acts like a child with plus the social issues of a grown up and the social insecurity.It would have been so much better and would make so much more sense if they had just said she was a child,except for the minor detail that one of the protagonists,Takemoto,is in love with her and that would spoil the story they already had. Speaking of Takemoto,he has to be the most boring character in the anime.Apart from the said romance with the 8yr old he has nothing going for him.He feels like an extra in his own freaking story.Let me run this past you.Someone who goes to school and graduates IS NOT a story.It's betime story at best.Someone who fails because of his unwillingness but somehow gets his shit together and then graduates to become something is a story..And an interesting one at that.There's no character growth to be found here.Yuuta’s story is your basic trip to graduation promised land.And even his supposed feelings for the midget don't make it better,cause Hagu is by no means an interesting character.And as for their "relationship"?That makes no blind bit of difference cause....Spoilers so i won't get into that.Let's say it ends up with some huge hints of pedophilia..Some like this sort of stuff you know.That's why some people thought it was cute and life changing and down to earth...Pedophilia..Makes for some interesting anime.This should be the slogan for most of the reviews actually. Then we have Ayumi and her love conquests which include half the men in Japan.That is to hide here love for the man who is friendzoned by a widow.But her story is the most interesting one in the whole anime weirdly but it falls flat because they make such a heavy use of melodrama it ends up being reduced to a ridiculous story of i can't get past my crush i shall ruin my life and commit suicide. These characters are poorly developed.This is just a story of emotionally immature people made for emotionally immature people who can't handle life and always cry and moan about how life is unfair and cruel cause their love interest doesn't give a single fuck...Οh boohoo..Romantic comedy my hairy ass.Yes it does have some hilarity spread here and there,but it only serves as a shortcut to depression and suicidal avenue crossing the lovesickjunkies street.I've never seen such an example of people going out of their way to stay depressed.Unless we're talking about kids,but even kids grow out of it and go on.This lot doesn't do moving on. And it's not just the characters.It's the way we're told about the story of these characters.It's also the use of music.Music if used right can convey and enhance the emotion in a scene or a dialogue.It's not something you use in massive doses otherwise you end up on the wrong side of the track.And that's the case here.Almost every dialogue or monologue is accompanied by sentimental music.This makes the scenes overdramatic when they don't need to be. And then we have the way the story is fed to us the viewers.Here we stumble upon the biggest issue of all.If you happen to read any review you'll find that everyone says the same thing like a broken cassete player.That the greatest qualities are found in the form of inner monologues that tell us everything about what a character is thinking and feeling.Yeah...If used correctly again yes..But notice now the key to this sentence...TELLING. These characters are telling us how they feel,not showing us.Now picture this in your head.If you take the sound down all the way to 0 in the monologues,would the characters convey the same feelings?Would it show in their expressions how they feel that given moment?The answer to that is no. Now that is called lazy writing.It completely renders any scene devoid of meaning.In other words it's how powerful visually and intense a scene can be even if there is no dialogue at all.Anyone can draw a scene by telling us about the scene.But showing us?That's the shit right there. Now i won't reccomend it to anyone.But if you want to watch it and draw your own conclusions that's fine by me.