I have to agree with your pre-idea. I've seen the name honey and clover and wondered what it was about and have been very tempted to start downloading it. After reading this review i think that i might go home and get it down. Cheers for a great review and also inpiring me to get it. By the way do you know if it's just the one season of 24 episodes?
Honey and Clover tv Review
Story & Characters
Whilst my friend was browsing IRC on my computer in our UC Berkeley dorm room, the name "Honey and Clover" caught my eye. I asked him, "What's this anime about?" He replied after a minute of consideration. "I have yet to figure it out."
My curiosity piqued, I downloaded one episode and became instantly hooked. That's how I became hooked on this brilliant piece of work, an emphatic reminder to why I watch anime; because once in a rare while, a magnum opus likes this drops into my lap.
The show is about that stage of life I suspect many of us are in: College. From idealistic freshman, to newly graduated seniors, to weathered alumni now teaching at the same unversity, it is the characters of this story that makes the plot: There is no quest, no enemy to defeat, no world to be saved, but the daily travails that come with the golden age of youth, and H&C's portrait of a world and people that we could more and less relate makes it so much more endearing. There were many incidents when I found myself relating on a personal level with what the characters were going thorugh in the story.
The show alternates between painfully hilarious to deep morose from the harder circumstances of life. The theme and message of the show is people, how they hurt and help one another, cry and laugh and love, which along with the daily dramas of normal young lives, makes for a beautiful and realistic setting which draws in the viewer.
Plot: A (Sublime)
Rating:
Art
The art work in Hachikuro (the slang-pronunciation for the show in its original language) is very good, with a variety of visual styles; from frantic to somber, each scene is beautifully rendered according to the mood. In general, the show's artwook takes on the semblance of watercolors, which are warm and diffuse rather than sharply contrasted and defined, as is seen most often on "high budget" productions, such as those from Gonzo or Gainax. Hachikuro certainly is not a "high budget" production which utilizes tons of expensive CG and SFX, but it brings out the sketchy style of the original manga and manages to create some the liveliest scenes I've ever seen.
Art: B+ (Very good, unique style)
Animation: A- (Excellent)
Rating:
Sound
Music is another strong point of the show, complimenting the cast perfectly, remniscient of the Pillows' contribution to FLCL. The show features two excellent artists throughout in the form of various insert songs; Suga Shikao and Spitz. The OP, ED (both first and second) are amongst the most listened too on my playlist, and tie in beautifully to the characters and themes of the show. The BGM for the show is likewise excellent, with a blend of piano, jazz, and electric numbers that complement the show without overwhelming the central feature that is the character themselves and the emotions they are experiencing.
The voice acting in Hachikuro is extremely strong, with particular strong showings from one of the main characters named Morita Shinobu, whose seiyuu has put on an Oscar-deserving performance (or the anime equivalent thereof) through the entire series with his dynamism, energy, and poise. All of the seiyuus do an excellent, job, the most famous of whom (Maes Hughes in Full Metal Alchemist, amongst other roles) voices Hanamoto Shuuji.
Music: A+ (As Good As It Gets)
Voice Acting: A+
Rating:
Presentation
A quick glance at this forums quickly reveals one common factor: Practically all posts regarding the show are remarkably well-thought out, which speaks much for the show's thought-provoking effect on its more mature intended audience. Much of the story is advanced by subtle body language and expressions, and the absence of dialogue only makes the viewer more acutely attentive towards each character's action and words, scrutizing for deeper meanings; the indirect characterization was simply sublime.
The story is told from a variety of perspectives, with overall narration done by the main character Takemoto. This introspective view allows the viewer to connect intimately with the characters and their experinces with one another.
Rating:
Final Verdict
9.6667 (excellent)
Reviewed by cal-reflector, Feb 15, 2006
Comments
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littlejonny100 Retired Moderator Feb 16, 2006
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cal-reflector Feb 16, 2006
One season of 24 episodes, with a few unaired episodes on dvd only, plus at least one, and possibly another speical episode, the first of which was called Episode "L."
In all honesty, I have yet to see someone who says they dislike this show, and I doubt you'll be the exception.
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LiquidNight Feb 16, 2006
I'm in the process of working through this anime, and I'm loving it.
Its very similar to Azumanga Daioh, although not as random, from what I've seen (I'm ~5 episodes into it) -
cal-reflector Feb 16, 2006
LiquidNight: You will find that Hachikuro is quite different from Azumanga Daioh; apart from excellent comedy (the best is yet to come), it also has alot of excellent drama; Hachikuro is oft described as a Dorama (Japanese soap opera), in fact. Prepared to be wowed in upcoming episodes.
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elvisha Feb 16, 2006
honey and clover is a damn good anime... i hafta agree with the rating :D i recommend it to every1
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cyd84 Feb 17, 2006
Great review...really hits all the key points
Good observation about the forum posts too...H&C is definitely a show that brings out your thoughtful side (despite its wacky first few episodes)...so keep watching! -
Shirayuki Feb 21, 2006
I watched the whole thing and loved it. It's based on a shoujou manga for the older girls. I wish it actually went longer hence I thought the ending was kind of left out for the viewers' imagination (it could be the author's intentions, who knows). But I kind of wanted to know what happened to Mayama and Yamada at the end...
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azuki88 Feb 22, 2006
Honey and Clover is the best ever! The drama of young adults and the way that you can relate to the characters easily. Plus the music spices it up reale well.
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Kimberlyuko Feb 24, 2006
The notion of "luck" is something I don't beleive in so the title is kind of silly. This drama is painful to watch because it reminds me of how we are forced to grow through circumstances. The human experince of change is mirrored elegantly and very haunting.
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Nechi Mar 15, 2006
That's true!Honey and clover's music sound good too!But I think the title "Honey and Clover" sounds really sweet to me,unlike Fullmetal alchemist,thinking it was a metal band or something.
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Junereth Mar 17, 2006
what shirayuki (look up, fourth from nechi) said about it being a shoujo manga was a bit surprising...coz when i watched it, i thought "whoa, if only my family could appreciate this work of art"
hachikuro is held in very high esteem in my opinion, as it's very complete from its comedy, to it's characters who depict the perfect models of our daily selves, to it's drama, as well to it's sound and art. a must have for anyone who calls himself an otaku, so what are you waiting for? XD -
heykay15 Apr 06, 2006
i was looking for some artwork from honey and clover on this site. i've always had problems navigating this site.. and i cannot manage to find a category for it. im just stupid.
im currently rewatching . sometimes it's slow moving... but nearly episode of hachimitsu to kurooba has a part of some kind with alcohol included.
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FruitBasket May 14, 2006
Everything in H&C is quiet, beautiful and realistic. It is as to tell ourselves's story.Sometimes I laugh and sometimes my eyes filled with tears.
All the songs is different from others,so I love it very much. -
Ephemeral-Garden Sep 22, 2006
I'm currently watching H&C. Though the sad thing is that I started right on episode 12. But I'll try to watch right from episode 1. I must say H&C is definitely not our typical Japanese anime plot; no world saving, no miracles, no lucks, no adventures, no too-outstanding cute girls and boys, just a piece of our daily life.
And not to mention the first ED is awesome. It makes the whole atmosphere soft and somehow matches everything together.
I definitely love this. Even my lil bro kinda like this one.
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vangjlee Oct 17, 2009
great review...
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Nessbad94 Jun 26, 2011
I have to see it)) I'm a bit bored from dark blood series, so it might be nice to start watching)) tnx for review- it perfect!
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back07 Jun 27, 2012
nice review, maybe next time i should watched it
:D
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