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Art college: cradle of romance, home of bittersweet moments. Takemoto is struggling to find his direction in life, while his roommates Morita and Mayama are moving confidently - or recklessly - towards their goals. Enter Hagu-chan, the childlike and beautiful prodigy whom everyone admires; and thus the love triangles begin. Together, the trio explore the pain of first love, the trials of romantic conflict, and our loyalty to those annoying people who happen to be our closest friends.
28-year-old Hiroko Matsukata is the definition of a workaholic. On top of smoking too much, rarely having sex and having lousy luck nurturing her romantic life, she works excessively to get the job done. Alongside many co-workers at the weekly news magazine Jidai, Hiroko tirelessly works on countless stories – thus negating any chance of a social life. Can Hiroko balance her home and work life, or is she doomed to be a 'working man' forever?
Honey and Clover and Hataraki Man are very disparate in relation to their stories and artistic styles. However they both take a very straightforward way of looking at the internal struggles of some intrinsically realistic characters. Especially similar is the way in which the catharsis of supporting characters is expressed as an important part of the growth of the central character. To put it into a nutshell, if you liked the well developed character growth in one series, the other should please as well.
Both Hataraki Man and HnC question the meaning of life and work (whether it is studying or a job) and the priorities and purpose that the main character gives him/herself in life, sweetened with a background romance.
If life teaches us anything, it is that love sometimes happens in the most unlikely of places, with the most unlikely of people. Koshiro is a run-of-the-mill salaryman who has recently been dumped by his partner. With his heart broken and hope lost, he soon comes to realize that he can love again, once he sets eyes on a beautiful young schoolgirl riding the train. However, there is one catch -- this girl named Nanoka is his sister, who he has not seen in years. Knowing that their forbidden love will always be scrutinized by society; will Koushirou and Nanoka be able to resist the temptation?
Firstly, I want to point out that these two animes are completely different in plot and even characters. They're not similar in storylines or ideas...
But the reason I would recommend Koi Kaze is because I feel that they have the same animation designs. The two anime are both slow-paced and take a few episodes to resolve a question or problem (or maybe they're not solved at all?). The story-telling method is very similar with the monologues and questions of life.
Even though their topic matters vary, if you're looking for something with the same mellow tone and continuity as H&C, Koi Kaze satisfies that request.
Lovely Complex is a story of a boy and a girl. The girl, Koizumi Risa, is much taller than the average Japanese girl; and the boy, Atsushi Otani, is much shorter than the average Japanese boy. Due to their immense difference in size and constant bickering with each other, the duo is unwillingly the school’s comic relief. As Risa and Otani continue to provide endless laughter for the masses, their friendship develops; and with that, so does Risa’s feelings for Otani...
Honey and Clover and Lovely Complex skillfully deal with the transition from life inside of to out of school. They efficiently mix warm and hilarious comedy with heart-wrenching drama to create pathos that further draws the view into the lives and relationships of the characters. The art style also rounds up the similarites between the three; the only major differences arising from the color palette.
So what happens when someone falls in love and the other person never realises? It is this theme that is common to both Honey and Clover and Lovely Complex. Because of the use of comedy and dramatic scenes, you feel that the relationships experienced in the anime are part of your very life. Through in similiar artistic styles and some great interesting script and a combination that covers pretty much every part of relationship forming.
Yusaku Godai is a ronin – a person who failed his entrance exams. Though eager for a second chance to succeed, Yusaku’s attempts to study for future exams are constantly thwarted by his fellow residents at Maison Ikkoku, who insist on using his apartment for their debauchery and drinking games. Though tempted to call it quits at the house, things change when Maison Ikkoku’s beautiful new building manager, Kyoko, arrives. With plenty of competition from the sidelines and interference from his drunken and provocative neighbors, Yusaku must now focus his energy on winning the girl of his dreams, Kyoko!
The Maison Ikkoku anime, adapted from Rumiko Takahashi's seinen manga of the same name, premiered on March 26, 1986 on Fuji Television. Almost twenty years later, the very same network launched the noitaminA lineup, a programming block aimed at older female audiences, with Honey and Clover. In spite of the generational gap, Maison Ikkoku and Hachikuro are equal in the fact that both succeed where other "romantic comedies" fail: they are funny, but not childish, and portray their characters' feelings and emotions without being overly sappy or melodramatic.
If you liked one, there's no reason you shouldn't watch the other.
Honey and Clover and Maison Ikkoku are very similar in feeling, though Maison Ikkoku is more comedic. They both deal with college life, growing up, and love, even falling in love with an older widow in both series. If you're looking for a good laugh with sweet and poignant moments, then either one is for you.
Natsume is lonely; he has an ability that separates him from others: he can see and interact with spirits. Soon, however, Natsume discovers that he’s not alone: his grandmother Reiko also had the gift. But things get hectic and possibly dangerous for Natsume when he finds out that he also inherited the 'Book of Friends', a book that contains the names of all the spirits Reiko defeated and subjugated. He finds himself hounded by his grandmother's underlings and, with the help of a 'cat' charm spirit, decides to free them from the Book's shackles, as well as protect the book from those who seek to misuse its power...
I admit this may be a weird recommendation, but I do think these shows may share a similar audience. They are both josei with a sort of thoughtful and relaxing atmosphere. They also have heart-warming stories with great characters and a little humor thrown in. If you enjoyed the pace and style of one of these shows, give the other a try.
While Honey and Clover features a heavier focus on romance and everyday life than Natsume Yuujinchou's supernatural aspects, both series possess a gentle, melancholic feeling and emotional plots.
