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Plot Synopsis

It all starts as you're thrown into the life of Yukino Miyazawa, the perfect student. She's got the looks, she's got the grades, she's got everything any girl could ask for out of a school life. She is envied by all the girls and loved by all the boys, and is #1 in her class. The worst part could be the fact that she knows this, and couldn't love being more conceited about it.

Her mask was her life, and she lived fine within it.

Enter Soichiro Arima, now the perfect guy. Miyazawa can't help but notice that Arima has been stealing her thunder. Born under a rich name, looks to kill, and the grades that equal Miyazawa's, she can't help but be infuriated by his perfect ways. Day in and day out among her diligent studying, she plots to take down Arima, to break him.

Then, Miyazawa gets a curveball.
The midterm results come in, and Arima bests Miyazawa by half a point.
Meaning he becomes the #1 student in their class.
Miyazawa, even more angry than ever, as she's just leaving, Arima touches her and merely whispers...

"I love you."

Miyazawa gets yet another curveball, thus starts a comical romantic war between the two as they continue to try to get under eachother's skin. But they only seem to get closer and close until...

Arima then stumbles upon Miyazawa's dark secret, and after that, the seeds of romance start to sink in...

Screenshots

I love you I hate myself Let's change Tsurumaki vs. Yukino

Story & Characters

The lead characters are rather excentric but that does not detract from their authenticity. Indeed, when you look beyond their exterior curtains, complex and difficult personalities are revealed. But not only the main characters are interesting. There is enough focus put on minor characters so that the viewer can understand their reasons for action, too.
The story has a very fast pacing although it is a romance show. The hillarious thing about this anime is the constant change in mood from happiness to sadness and the other way around. Kare Kano really gives you something to laugh and to think about.
On the other hand we still have a believable romance plot that goes through various stages of teenage love and the two lovers have to fight the odd circumstances other characters put them in (jealousy for example).
Although the story turns out to be more ordinary than expected after the first three episodes (the first episodes are rather unusual for that kind of show) it keeps a high quality in narration in most of the remaining episodes. This high quality narration gets lost a bit in the last few episodes though, where the focus is taken away from the main characters because their story seems to be finished in episode 18. What remains is a rather chaotic plot at the end.
Despite the weak ending episodes this show has an exceptionally well written romance comedy plot that entertains you with comedy and also gives you some very good romance sequences.

Rating

8 (good)

Art

With the animation being of average quality in the first few episodes it gets worse in the following ones and the second half. The character designs are quite simple and lack shadow and light effects most of the time. Many still images and too many chibi characters are used. Manga images and a few live action sequences make the impression even worse in the second half when the studio runs out of money.
I suppose they had not had enough money for the animation because they could only rely on funds from the broadcast and sale of copies instead of real merchandise. Plus, they even remind you in the story that Japans economical situation was bad at those times.

Rating

3 (poor)

Sound

The sound is maybe one of the most striking aspects of this series. The music by composer Shirou Sagisu - the man who composed the Evangelion music - strongly sets the atmosphere with wonderful classical tracks. The theme songs, OP and ED, are very nice as well and the ending song is performed by the voice actors of the protagonists.
The Japanese voice actors themselves are splendid too. It is mostly their performance (and the directors work, of course) that conceils the low budget animation work.

Rating

10 (excellent)

Presentation

The director Hideaki Anno is famous for excellently depicting the characters feelings and emotions. Thats why Kare Kano is touching and hillariously funny at the same time.
Annos unique directing style can especially be seen in the first three episodes and especially in episode 18 of Kare Kano. It becomes more ordinary in the other episodes though until he quits the Kare Kano project after episode 18 and leaves the work to Kazuya Tsurumaki.
Kazuya Tsurumaki had the hard part to do; as the animation budget having been already used up in the episodes up to 19 he is forced to take some creative but not expensive measures. The cels in episode 19 are quite sketchy and real backgrounds are used to make it fit the sketchy character look. As crazy and funny as he is he inserts himself into the episode and interacts with Yukino. Sadly he is only so creative about funny scences. I did not appreciate his style with the serious scences but that could be because of the plot at the end.
Well, all in all I think the narration is splendid despite the poor animation.

Rating

10 (excellent)

Final Verdict

8.17 (good)

Reviewed by harakiri, 2y 19wk ago