Customer Reviews for
Ai Yori Aoshi, Volume 2: My Dearest (Episodes 6-10)
Aoi Sakuraba and friends, just like a real family
The second volume of the Ai Yori Aoshi anime corresponds roughly with most of the second manga, but without the story of the photo club having a traditional tea house for the college fest-that's put off until the fourth DVD! And only a few stories from the third manga are incorporated here. Story so far: Kaoru and Tina are tenants in a Western-style mansion, with lovely Aoi Sakuraba as the landlord and strict Miyabi-san as manager. Kaoru and Aoi must keep their engagement and relationship secret to avoid a scandal.
Taeko joins the group proper when after being fired as a live-in housekeeper, finds herself without a job or place to live. Kaoru and Tina want to help, and Aoi wants to hire her. However, her clumsiness sorely tests the patience of Miyabi-san. Aoi though sees that Taeko tries very hard, and because of her clumsiness, she has to give it her all just to give average results. Taeko also has no sense of direction, as seen when the photo club members and Aoi go on a hot springs trip, and tops herself by accidentally booking everyone for reservations for the next year. What to do? Tina, Suzuki, and Sato are clearly the party animals, as they pig out on food to the bewilderment of the more modest Kaoru and Aoi. In one scene, Tina is putting away both sake and beer, so that before long, a wall of bottles appear in front of her. The difference is that in the manga, Taeko is employed AFTER the hot springs trip and not before per here.
"A beautiful atmosphere is needed for inner peace," says Miyabi as she polishes the grandfather clock. However, when Tina brings home a cute and cuddly ferret, Miyabi-san gets anything but inner peace, as the animal is a bit mischievous. When the ferret steals Miyabi's fountain pen, Miyabi loses her temper and chases the animal around. An exterior shot of the mansion is overlaid with sounds of crashing and screaming, including "it's [whizzing] over here!" A devastating scene of destruction is then seen. In the manga, Miyabi's freaking out over the ferret having a bug and the naming of the ferret was in the special episode in Volume 5. They have combined elements of the ferret's introduction in manga vol. 3 and naming in the same story here. But despite her apparent strictness, Miyabi-san does have her soft side.
Aoi and Miyabi then leave for a memorial service, while Taeko plays train conductor for a photo shoot for Suzuki and Sato, leaving Kaoru and Tina alone in the mansion. Here, we see how Tina has a crush on Kaoru, but is unable to express herself. However, she fills us in on how Kaoru was before meeting Aoi and shows a keen admiration for Aoi. From her POV, Kaoru looked rather lonely, not wanting to let anyone inside his heart, and that was why Tina invited him to join the photo club. "The landlord and manager put your heart at ease. They don't look at me funny `cause I'm American, and when I'm in trouble, they actually worry about me. It's just like a real family. Miss Landlady's really nice and can do any household chore. That's you'd call a traditional Japanese beauty. I wanted to be born Japanese just like Miss Landlady. If I had been..."
Aoi is interested in Kaoru's fun stories of his time at college, and impulsively gets the opportunity to visit Meiritsu College, just to share some taiyaki with him, the reason being that the mythically delicious taiyaki is from a shop that shows up in random places. However, her traditional clothing draws stares from the more modern-dressed students, who think she's an actress or model, causing the poor girl bewilderment. There's a cute scene when she flops down on Kaoru's bedding. She grows a pair of cat ears and wagging tail!
With the addition of Taeko and Uzume the ferret, the tableau is missing two more characters, one of whom debuts on the next disc. However, the lineup so far is, just as Tina mentioned, just like a real family.Ai Yori Aoshi, Volume 2: My Dearest (Episodes 6-10)
One of my favorites
I am too familiar with and well aware of the areas in which Ai Yori Aoshi may be criticized. And on an intellectual level I would agree. There is absolutely no purpose to Tina's overtly perverse and rude behavior, which was for all intent a grossly distorted crack at American conduct. Taeko may have been more amiable had the character not been a stereotypical clumsy but well-meaning goof of a beauty who is the most endowed among the cast. And Aoi is so subservient, deferring her own wishes, ambitions and aspirations to a weakling that had abandoned her in the first place that it defies reality and suspends disbelief. And its most significant failing may be said to be its dishonesty. To begin with exposition of a profound romantic premise that after four episodes takes not just a detour, but a full 180-degree turn to become something less and driven by slapstick and fanservice is just deceitful and misleading. As a romantic drama, the title is guilty of all its shortcomings.
But what if the original intent had not been to create a romantic drama, but to sell a product that is highly popular among male demographics? And what if success in this business venture was to be found in illustrated literature that falls under a genre in which a harem was not only common, but fundamental? Moreover, what if author and artist Fumizuki Kou was a skilled and gifted writer able to conceive strong situations that test his characters and thus move his readers? And, that despite his need to eat and pay rent or the mortgage, his respect for his own artistry forbids him from producing entirely unsubstantial material, that he devises a plan to bring about warmth, richness, and dimension to the product. And that he does so by setting its foundation on the love of two childhood friends bethrothed to one another but separated by bitter familial politics. But he would decisively and canonically establish an exciting destiny for these two no matter who was thrown in the mix. And to highten and strengthen the dramatic impact, he would develop the two in the most engrossing fashion by sparsely placing throughout the series the tender, touching, inspiring, and captivating moments of intimacy shared between them. And as the two of them engage one another, we are exposed to their thoughts and emotions, raw in the pursuit of the other's well being but founded on a compelling desire to be the source of nourishment to the other. Finally, their interaction would be pure, honest, mutually exclusive, and courageously untainted by any form of wanton and gratuitous sexual provacation (Tina's antics notwithstanding) as is common in today's smut being passed off as romance. What if the powerful romantic elements of Ai Yori Aoshi was merely a component used to enrich the product belonging to a genre from which there certainly was no shortage?
This is how I view Ai Yori Aoshi. It is an enjoyable harem anime based on a fine manga. As a harem anime, it would then be expected for one male to end up in situations where he is living with many women. Yet, the title sets itself apart in execution, as it profoundly explores and develops that romantic component that was sorely neglected in Love Hina and diverted away from in Tenchi. It is also ludicrous to judge the character of Aoi Sakuraba in light of western upbringing and not consider the cultural context from which she was conceived. Whatever it is that one may say about her only demonstrates one's position about the culture, and not fallacies about her conception. The Aoi and Kaoru moments were few indeed, but they were moving and utterly delightful, and their rareness made them all the more special when they did occur. I have nothing but the deepest affection and fondness for Ai Yori Aoshi. I've not seen anything as breadthly emotional in a romance, not the books I've read by jaded authors nor any film or video to which their efforts I ascribe superficial. This title is one that I continue to watch over and over again. If the elitist viewer can get over him or herself, there is much to enjoy in this fine production.Ai Yori Aoshi, Volume 2: My Dearest (Episodes 6-10)
Enter Taeko!
Volume 2 covers episodes 6-10 of "Ai Yori Aoshi". First, Taeko-san, Kaoru's fellow photo club member, has been fired from her live-in housekeeper job and comes to the mansion in search of aid. Can the group convice Miyabi-san to hire her? Then Aoi-chan joins Kaoru's photo club for an outing to an onsen and an evening of fun. Next, Tina buys a ferret but can she convince Miyabi-san to let her keep it? Then when Aoi-chan and Miyabi-san have to leave for a day, Kaoru, Tina, and Taeko-chan are left at the mansion. However, when Taeko-chan ends up taking off for a photo shoot, will Tina and Kaoru survive the night alone? Finally, Aoi-chan wants to learn more about Kaoru, so she takes some taiyaki to his college for them to share.
The stories are fun, but still full of fanservice. Tina loves to grab women's breast and the animators show this frequently. The romance between Aoi and Kaoru isn't as much of a focus in this volume, but two of the episodes allow Aoi to get to know Kaoru better.
As for the DVD, "Ai Yori Aoshi" may be the best-done title in the Pioneer/Geneon stable. As before, the Japanese honorifics are left in the subtitles and some are even in the dub. The only odd thing was that Tina's use of "chii" or "chin" after a name (ie: Tae-chii) was dropped from the subtitles. The two other male members of the photo club usually refer to Taeko as "Minazuki-kun", but this was dropped everytime save one. Still, these are minor complaints though.
Bottom line: If you enjoyed volume 1 and can get passed the fanservice, you'll enjoy volume 2.Ai Yori Aoshi, Volume 2: My Dearest (Episodes 6-10)
The vote is still out...
I keep flipping back and forth on this anime. It came highly recommended for anyone who enjoys a good romantic comedy anime, and can stomach a fair amount of fan service. I know that the amazon.com review says "for Love Hina fans" but it's not quite in the same ballpark. Love Hina (IMHO) was much more lighthearted, with a fair amount of slapstick humor. Ai Yori Aoshi seems to take itself a little more seriously. (Although the 2nd disc is WAY more lighthearted than the 1st) There seems to be a message out there, although I haven't quite figured out what that is.
In the interest of time saving, and in an attempt to not repeat (too much) what other reviewers have said, here is a brief diatribe on the pros and cons of Ai Yori Aoshi thus far:
1. The fact that it is more serious at heart is appealing at first, but I find it hard to reconcile this sweet love story with Tina's chest grabbing, and panty shots galore.
2. While it is interesting to see a "traditional Japanese beauty" in Aoi, and to get a look in the more traditional Japanese culture (most animes portray Japan in such a way that you could almost imagine it taking place in the US), in this day and age, it may seem a little outdated. In one of the episodes on disc 2, Aoi goes to the university and doesn't know how to act, or speak, in the slightest. Personally, while I wasn't able to empathize with her character much because of the culture gap, it was her voice that I found most annoying. (I think it is acually the VA who did Chi in Chobits)
3. Also in the cast of characters is an American, and a Japanese girl from England. While it is cool to hear Mayu actually speaking English in the sub version for a minute, and to have a broad background in the characters to get a bigger perspective, I feel this show falls victim to promoting sterotypes.
4. The music is pretty, but doesn't draw you in the way that Steel Angel Kurumi or Love Hina do during the theme songs.
5. The show, thanks to Pioneer is released on 5 discs, which at 26 episodes, is 5-6 episodes a disc! However, there isn't really much in the way of extras, though the inserts have some small amount of information in the way of japanese culture, architecture, etc.
All in all, I would say this is worth a watch. There are some funny moments, though I don't think I've done more than chuckle or snicker. There are some touching moments as well (I'm in love with that ferret! That was the most moved I've been the entire show!). I would recommend it over Please Teacher and His And Her Circumstances (which is a great series for the 1st 2 of 5 discs...then it falls apart and there is absolutely no satisfaction in watching it). But if you can only but a couple of series, buy Love Hina and Steel Angel Kurumi before you give this a shot.Ai Yori Aoshi, Volume 2: My Dearest (Episodes 6-10)
A growing cast adds panty-shots and not much more
This portion of the series offers enough character development and endearing scenes between the main couple to remain enjoyable. The comedy offers nothing new. Yes, it's funny, but we all know what panties look like by now. Taeko is one of the most enjoyable character aside from her clumsiness. Her drive to be "good enough" is such a strong aspect of her character, it seems that everybody could learn from her will alone. And, typically the only reason to bury a girl's face in those huge glasses is to make her a beauty in disguise. Once those frames come off, she may become irresistable to the male characters... If her.. ahem.. "assets" aren't impressive enough. Tina's character also grows as certain events give clue to a possible inferiority complex. One could only hope here character is given more depth as the series continues. All-in-all this is still an enjoyable series which has greatly lightened up after the first disk. The story still shines best when Kaoru and Aoi spend time together or express their desire to do so. Episode 10 makes for the nicest misty-eyed experience.Ai Yori Aoshi, Volume 2: My Dearest (Episodes 6-10)
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