Honey & Clover Review
By Rosegirl18
Honey & Clover Review
Review Statistics
- Times Read
- 936
- Comments
- 6
- Reviews
- Tv
Plot Synopsis
No plot synopsis or other information available for Honey & Clover
Story & Characters
Though it's been some time since I finished both series of Honey & Clover, this anime happens to be both memorable and enjoyable.
The plot itself doesn't seem spectacular; a bunch of students are in their last years of an artsy university, and along with their newly-gained friend, the tiny and cute art genius Hagumi, they enjoy the remaining days of youth together.
There is no fantasy or action involved in any of the episodes - as ordinary as the plot may seem, the characters are just as normal. But having been used to the extreme standards of modern anime, a pastel-colored, gentle breeze such as Honey & Clover may seem to be the perfect anime to settle down with.
Perhaps because of the simplicity of the plot, it gives room to allow the human
interactions between the characters to blossom and storytell. Ayu has always
been in love with Mayama, but he's smitten by his boss, a widow unable to open
herself up. Rika, the widow, tries to keep her selfishness from holding on to
Mayama, who is the only one who keeps following her. Her friend from university,
Shuuji, is a professor at the art university and is close to both Ayu and
Mayama, who attend the school. Along with them are Morita and Takemoto, the
latter being the constant voice to narrate the series.
Shuuji is related to Hagumi and has brought her from the countryside to Tokyo,
where she begins to attend the university where he teaches and meets the group,
becoming close friends with Ayu and the rest. Morita and Takemoto immediately
fall in love with her, but alas, who shall she choose? And how will she deal
with the talent that seems to be a curse, as well as a blessing?
Throughout the two seasons, the series covers in an interesting and engrossing fashion on the lives of these people, creating a surprisingly addictive storyline as well as a strong cast of characters.
- Rating
- 8 (good)
Art
The art is perfectly suited for the plot, although I doubt if everyone will appreciate the light colors that unceasingly adorn the screen. Not everyone wants to see pastel pinks and greens paired with a similarily soft story. But the collaboration is calming, and it completely fits the genre.
I also loved the character designs, which were unique in their own style. This
type of art appeals to a certain portion of anime watchers, although I'm quite
sure that once you get watching, you'll come to appreciate all of what it
offers.
I'd like to mention, however, the inconsistencies within Ayu's hairstyle. In
season 2, her face and hair became increasingly different from the original
style and did not fit well with the rest of the characters. I found this very
annoying.
Another section I would like to applaud would be the openings and endings. They were very unique and interesting, and reflected upon the artistic surroundings and the characters lived in.
- Rating
- 8 (good)
Sound
I would not rate highly the opening song to Honey and Clover, although the insert songs are fitting and enjoyable to the plot. The insert songs provide to be the perfect background of the emotions that adolescent love bring us, such as uncertainty, jealousy, and the occasional bursts of melancholies.
The voice actors are well-suited to their respective characters, as many would expect. The acting does not take away from the series, but it does little to add, as nothing stands out very much in terms of the character voices.
The OST was just as fitting as the art - gentle, soft, and slightly heart-wrenching with its own sense of beauty.
- Rating
- 7 (above average)
Presentation
The true genius within Honey & Clover would be the way it is presented. I found myself to be very impressed with the direction, as no episode is boring, despite the simple plot.
A series such as Honey & Clover could have very easily turned into a boring drone of an anime, but the subtle bursts of humor as well as the realistic evolution of the characters make Honey & Clover a very enjoyable watch.
I recommend this series for its drama and purity. Its dialogue will pierce your heart by the way it delves into the very core of growing up and the emotions that surround it.
- Rating
- 9 (very good)
Final Verdict
8.17 (good)
Reviewed by Rosegirl18, 35wk 5d ago
Only members can post replies, please register.
Ah I love Honey and Clover. Some slice-of-life anime turn out to be boring, but I dunno why, this series captured my heart for some unexplainable reason; maybe one of the biggest reasons is how it can make me laugh one moment and cry the next (esp ep 8 with the twister game LMAO!), yet the transition is so subtle you hardly notice it.
I think your review is a bit too brief, esp in the story element, because it seems to be more of a summary than why it's enjoyable and good.
I personally love the insert song of H&C. Wasn't too fond of the openings, but they're growing on me
I agree with MapleRose that you could have fleshed out your review a bit more, adding a bit more support to why Honey and Clover achieved what it achieved so effectively.
Also, I personally found some weird sentence structures, such as
"The art is perfectly suited for the plot, although I doubt if everyone will appreciate the light colors that unceasingly adorn the screen. "
"Perhaps because of the simplicity of the plot, it gives room to allow the human interactions between the characters to blossom and storytell."
^ I kinda got the impression you were trying to flower what you wanted to say. While it's nice to have variety in what your write, it's generally better if you succinctly state what you mean.
For example, the above two sentences I would have written:
" The art is perfectly suited for the plot, though I doubt everyone will appreciate the light colors used throughout the anime."
"It's the simplicity of the plot that allows the human interactions to effectively blossom between the characters."
But of course - that's just me
and
I'm no English teacher 
That being said, I think I've found another anime to watch to my increasingly large is of anime to watch (really, I should stop finding anime and actually start watching some
).
Ah - a true pure gust of wind, Hachimitsu...
One of the best anime of this decade...
I'd echo the sentiments that have been stated above. Just a bit more detail would have been nice. But judging the body of work as it is, I'd have to say damn fine job. A review should sound similiar in nature to the property being reviewed. Based on what you have written, the show is light, simple and just fun to watch. Your review was able to portray that feeling very well and helped the overall impact of it. I will say after reading this review, this show has shot up the "to watch" list. Your presentation portion made gave me visions of Marimite in that there isn't a lot of plot, but instead we get character development and true attachment to characters. That type of thing draws me like a moth to a flame.
If the King of Reviews descends here, like a moth to a flame, that must mean something, no?
go3........