Air in Summer - Reviews

This summer special further explores the flashback backstory from the main series. The events are set during the middle of episode 8, so if one wants to watch thhis alongside, I'd suggest watching this after episode 8. This follows the day to day life and comedic escapades of Kanna and her guardians Uruha and Ryuya during their journey to find Kanna's mother. And of course this is set during summer. Watch this if you enjoyed/are enjoying the main Air anime series.

For both sound and animation please see my original review. This anime special is pointless without having watched the original series.

Animation/Sound

Characters

Kannabi no Mikoto (shortened to Kanna) is a winged girl (probably teenager) who ran away from her duties as an important cultural figure. Especially since she didn't have any freedom and had to do as was demanded of her. She is learning to juggle and is clueless about a lot of things as she's always had people do things for her in the past. She can be a tad clueless about many day to day things like food and dealing with people. She is often hot-headed and occasionally argues with her guardians about things.

Ryuya, the man of the group, is a samurai swordsman, who has devoted himself to keeping Kanna safe by being her guardian. A generally knowledgable, calm and collected individual who is not afraid to play jokes with his companions. He can occasionally be a bit rough with her, in a nice way, like trying to pinch her awake or suddenly pouring water on her during the summer heat. Overall, he means well and wouldn't harm a fly, though he does often question Kanna's demands. This anime special also explores his backstory.

Uraha is the second adult of the group, a woman who had been tending to Kanna before she ran away. She has certain talents (not shown in this special, see main story) and generally means well. Though she does do silly things like explain things wrong to Kanna and even gets upset at her since Kanna doesn't want to memorise poems. The closest figure to a mother Kana has had yet (despite their journey to find Kana's actual mother), while Ryuya is like the fatherly figure.

Story

I'll be honest story is lacking, especially since this is a special, but there's still stuff revealed about the characters and there's a tad bit of character progression. This is for people who don't mind getting to know abit more about the trio's journey together. I'll be honest, they pull a few sexually themed jokes here and there, but nothing tasteless or offensive thankfully. There's still quite a bit of comedy and there's even a rabbit, who's magnetism to Kanna's head cracked me up.

Overall

A light-hearted watch for those who loved the main series and wanted something more. I'd say it's worth watching for that reason alone, though there won't be any new story here. Just something pleasant to spend an hour on I guess. It's not a must-watch amazing, but due to the original anime it gets a fairly great score here.

Family-friendliness Rating: 3/5 A few jokes and something would have gone down, but it's all done in a safe manner (lower is better)

Overall Rating: 9/10 (higher is better)

Two additional eps which add to the flasback-arc that plays out 1000 years in the past. Only worth watching if you've watched the main show.

Production values are equally high as in the main show. The soundtrack is the same. There's some minimal character-developement, if you want to call it that way. It's mainly comedic relief, eye-candy and some cute stuff you'll most likely enjoy if you liked the main show. 

No downsides story- or character-wise, as we already watched the main show.

Conclusion:

Overall 8 The rating's a bit higher than for the main show, because my critique concerning story and character-depth doesn't apply here. It's just 2 bonus-eps that are beautifully done, mostly funny and really enjoyable.

Air summer specials are the ending OVA's in the seris provided in the dvd boxset and fortells the story the story of Kannabi no Mikoto and her friend  Uraha and there guard Ryuya and there journey to help Kannabi meet her mother.

Story:

The story of the Ova episodes follows Kannabi and her friends as they journey on being persued by the guards to let Kannabi reunite with her mother unaware if she's even still alive. The story is well done, it sort of fills in the gaps which arnt shown in the anime seris when we are shown there story, i found the story very interesting, its got some good action going on and the chase is always interesting but its also quite a good laugh with how Lady Kannabi is.

The story is deffinetly presented and told well and if you have seen the seris (espically if you liked Kannabi) your only going to feel left out if you miss this addition to the story.

 

Animation + Sound:

Theres nothing much differant to the show in animation and sound (hense i put them together). The OVA uses the same soundtrack and voice actors as the show did and the scenery and animation is still as beatiful as the show was.

 

Characters:

The characters are again same as the show, with a good laugh but a serious overlook you see them as they was on the show, really theres no real differance between the show and here besides you following these as your main characters so if you loved them in the anime you will be very happy here

 

Really there isnt to much to say about the OVA's as par to describing them without a spoiler but i felt they was a great addition to the show and are worth watching through, they help you feel a little more knowledgeable about the show aswell as understand the whole curse scenario alot more, really they are presented well and your loosing out if you dont see them so i would recomend not missing out here.

 

Air in Summer is a set of two special episodes which play in nicely with the middle story of Air, the story behind the 'girl in the sky.'  In that arc, Kanna ‘the girl in the sky’ of 994 AD, is on the run from the people who see her and her fellow 'winged-women' as problems to be eliminated, but for reasons never made clear.

NEVER MADE CLEAR is a major player in the Air series.  I am still holding out for Air the Movie to answer a few questions and gain me that bit of clarity I need to really appreciate a piece of anime which has been nagging me for some sense of comprehension.

The best thing about Air in Summer is the touch of humor that was lacking in episodes eight and nine.  Being hunted down tends to suck the joy out of life.  But Kanna's efforts to juggle, Uraha and Ryuya's subtle pranks, and Kanna's nervous seduction of Ryaya leads one to forget the tragic endings that crop up in Air.

The animation and sound qualities are the same for the 13-episode series, and it is of some sense to the nebulous plot to fill out and expand its characters.  But these episodes seem to be an after-thought, a try to make something cheerier than what it's supposed to be.  For it's hard to nail down a proper understanding of Air.  A chasing after a wild dream?  Proposing that there is some fantastic surrealism which trumps our doomed reality?

It's the uncertainty of Air which makes it fall flat.  Air the Movie, it's the last chance.  Let's hope the pieces fall into place.