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SUMMARY

Aoi has never loved another man. For 18 years, she has trained to be the perfect wife for Kaoru Hanabishi. When Kaoru leaves the Hanabishi clan, Aoi is told she must forget him because, as heiress to the 200-year-old Sakuraba fortune, she must marry someone of the same stature. Assuming he left his family to avoid marrying her, Aoi sets off in search of her only love.

They meet in a train station as the innocent Aoi, lost and alone, breaks her hanao (sandal strap) and Kaoru stops to fix it. Kaoru, unaware that this is the Aoi of his youth, begins falling in love with this charmingly sweet girl dressed in traditional clothes. Their love is put to the test when, in order to avoid a scandal within the Sakuraba family, they are forced to live as landlord and tenant.

Life has been very rough for Aoi as of late.  First, she has fallen ill, while everyone at the mansion tries to pitch in and fill her shoes. Later, when Kaoru invites her to meet a special person, Aoi finds herself being introduced to his mother’s grave. Yet, the ties of family can be stronger than love, when Aoi’s father calls for her to return home in an attempt to separate the lovers forever.

DVD VISION TEST

VIDEO: The video is excellent. No defects, artifacts, color bleeds or pixels to destroy the smooth motion and sharp images. The color palette of soft pastels adds to the dreamlike, romantic quality of the show.

AUDIO: Audio tracks include English 2.0 and Japanese 2.0. Both offer quality sound. Other options include English subtitles and a separate option for Screen Text.

EDITS: The only obvious edit is that English credits replaced the Japanese opening and closing credits.

EXTRAS: Bonus Episode “Speaking of Dreams”, Episode 24 English Credits, Previews, and DVD Credits. Reversible cover featuring Aoi and Kaoru in an embrace or Aoi with slipping off kimono, postcard featuring Aoi and Kaoru under the cherry blossoms, and a mini-poster with Aoi losing her kimono that contains the DVD menu and a pitch for the sequel series “Enishi (Fate)”

WIDESCREEN REVIEW

STORY: This series is coming to a close, but do not expect any kind of difinitive ending since the manga by Kou Fumizuki is still being released in Japan. It does provide a satisfying conclusion to this part of the romance between Aoi and Kaoru while giving a glimpse into the hilarity that will continue as Chika moves into the mansion and Mayu becomes a permanent guest. The confrontation between Kaoru and Aoi’s father takes a departure from the original manga, but one that is more effective in creating an emotional scene for the audience.

ACTING: The English voice cast performs admirably, but just can’t capture the sweetness of these characters. The translation is fairly accurate, but there are no equivalents to some of the traditional language used by Aoi and Miyabi. We simply do not have the formalized language when talking to superiors in the same way and the honorifics (-chan, -sama, -senpai, -dono) do not mean Miss or Sir in quite the same way.

Soichiro Hoshi gives Kaoru a quiet respectability while Dave Lelyveld comes across as a goofy, insecure guy. Michelle Ruff tries to capture Aoi’s demure lilt, but makes her sound young, instead of a grown lady. Ayako Kawasumi just does a better job at capturing Aoi’s shy, yet confident, cadence.

The secondary characters are even further off base. Wendee Lee fails to give Tina Foster a convincing Southern twang. Ron Allen and Lex Lang as the photography club duo, Sato and Suzuki, put on a “Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure” pairing that makes these oddballs more silly than necessary. The English cast is especially off-putting when trying to play children. The young Kaoru and Aoi, played by the adult voices, sound like they changed pitch by pinching their noses and Kay Jensen as Chika makes her sound like a caricature, not a real preteen.

The voices of Taeko and Mayu, Sue Beth Arden and Kirsty Pape, are the only ones in the English cast that actually sound like you imagine these characters.

FAN SERVICE: As the story focuses more on the lovebirds and the serious aspect of their relationship, the fan service is again toned down. There are still a few moments of Tina grabbing breasts and a hilarious scene of her riding an out-of-control washing machine.

CONCLUSION:

As this series comes to a conclusion, Kaoru and Aoi almost become Romeo and Juliet, separated by a father who isn’t heartless, just simply unable to realize his daughter’s emotions are as important as her physical and financial well being.

The first episode on the disc is separate from the last three, which form a story arc leading up to the end. Each episode on this disc concentrates on family life and shows that family is more than biological, that family comes from living together, caring about each other, and having fun together.

Episode 21 “Influenza” shows Aoi falling ill. The other members of the household are both concerned about her recovery and lost without her calm influence throughout the house. They decide to pitch in, but would be a complete failure with Kaoru’s guidance. “I just tried to think what Aoi would do,” he says. It gives us another glimpse of Miyabi’s growing acceptance of him as her fiancé when she allows him to spend the night with Aoi while nursing her back to health. After spending a day doing what Aoi does every day, Kaoru realizes just how strong Aoi is despite her fragile build. He also comments on her neediness, something she does not show to anyone other than him.

In the final moments of “Influenza,” we see Miyabi clearly upset by a mysterious telephone call the meaning of which does not become apparent until the end of the next episode, but the sense of tension that something bad is about to happen is clear.

The last three episodes, “Going Home,” “Determination,” and “Aoi,” mirror the first disc in this series as they focus solely on Kaoru and Aoi. These are serious tearjerker episodes as the main characters relive what brought them together and debate what should not keep them apart. The supporting cast members are present and add their reflections, especially about this man, Kaoru, who has affected them all and encouraged them to be better people.

The end of the series does not provide closure for the viewer, but it doesn’t leave us on an unbearable cliffhanger. For the most part, the ending leaves the series in much the way it has been — Kaoru and Aoi must live a secret love affair. The characters, however, have grown throughout the series. Kaoru and Aoi are more resolved to love each other. Taeko, Tina, and even Mayu have matured into stronger young ladies. And, Chika moves in, giving us a sense of what hilarity might ensue in the follow up series, Ai Yori Aoshi: Enishi.

While this series begs comparisons to Love Hina, there are vast differences. For one, Kaoru and Aoi are more mature than Keitaro and Naru. Kaoru may not have been thinking of Aoi every day like she has thought of him, but, unlike Keitaro, he does remember her. Plus, Kaoru is already a college student and has been responsibly living on his own when Aoi catches up with him, unlike Keitaro, who is a third year ronin (he hasn’t passed the entrance exams in three years since high school). Aoi is the traditionally demure Japanese girl who remains unflappable no matter how many compromising positions she finds Kaoru in. Naru, on the other hand, is vicious and sends Keitaro flying with a quick fist.

So, if you like your romantic comedy with lots of violence, check out Love Hina. If, on the other hand, you like your romantic comedy with a tender romance, settle in for Ai Yori Aoshi, and be prepared for as many tears as howls of laughter.

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