Search - Gakuen Heaven Collection (4pc) (Sub) on DVD

One of the best Animes since Sailor Moon

Amisbro | Bridgeport, NJ | 08/27/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First off the general disclaimer: This is a "Shonen-ai" Anime, which means "boys love" and its generally viewed by girls whom like to look at guys that are beyond gorgeous...thing is I'm a guy and I personally enjoyed it!

When you first pop in disc one and get to the title screen you get to hear the opening theme "School Boys" by YAMOTO(Great OP song) and you see Hideaki Nakajima and Tetsuya Niwa like on the first disc cover. Obviously from there you get to do your standard stuff like scene selection and subtitle options and then start the show.

The way I like to explain this show to people is mentally you have to break it up into 3 different "Arcs": First is the introduction of the main characters in the show on disc one, discs two and three deal with the MVP Battle and four is the end of the show. Once you mentally establish that you're good to go for the rest of the way and can watch everything unfold.

First four episodes might not be "your speed", but you do get to see how this show goes borderline 13 to 16 and beyond. Each of the first four episodes has some form of "sexual reference" at the beginning, but you quickly realize the punchline after the scene is fully shown and then I guarantee you'll go "Oh.....OH!" and just laugh your butt off. My personal favorite had to do with Kaoru and Omi at the beginning of episode four and the look on Kaoru's face was simply priceless.

The cast of characters will make anyone find a particular character to pick out and just enjoy watching their development. From the introverted artist Takuto Iwai to the often clingy Naruse Yukihiko you learn how diverse a cast this show has.

At first blush someone whom watches this and then watches "Love Hina" might think its a clone...problem is that in Love Hina very few people, if anyone got along with the guy running the apartments and in this series its the exact opposite! The main character, whose name is Ito Keita, becomes very popular with the student body with the exception of like two students until the very last episode of the series/season. I will also personally guarantee you that you'll make this mistake the first time you even LOOK at the treasurer Saionji Kaoru: You'll take one look at him and when you reference him to someone you'll say "She'll get.." and then realize what you said. I made that mistake and even Keita does in one episode...odd thing is as you'll learn quickly they form a very unique friendship that had me holding out hope for a truly happy ending with those two as a couple.

Kaoru's Parallel is Endo Kazuki and I'll explain why to ya: Endo is the Chairman of the school that admits Keita, but for most of the series(about 11 episodes) he refused to tell his friend about whom the Chairman was even though he knew it was himself all along. Kaoru was very open to Keita in an episode when Keita was doubting whether or not to send the e-mail to the Chairman(Kazuki) and Kaoru tells Keita about how he met his best friend in Omi. You'll note that he NEVER refers to Omi as his boyfriend/lover, but just his best friend. This leaves you to think that maybe...just maybe Keita and Kaoru would become a couple at the end of all this, or at the least when Kaoru offers Keita a spot to work in the Treasury/Budget Council(That's the Manga's term) he'd take him up on it and well...you'll have to see how that turns out!

I rated this a 5 star Anime because honestly I wanted to see a good "Shonen-Ai" and I hadn't seen one since "Kizuna: Much Ado about nothing" and the different plots that developed in the different discs. Two of my favorite characters were Kaoru and Iwai and my least Favorite was simply Kazuki. My only complaint was this: Why was I the viewer treated like an idiot when Kazuki played dumb about where he was when he wasn't around? That if anything would have been reason enough to look at Kazuki as a villain in the series.

Hopefully you'll find this review useful and even if ya didn't go buy the Anime anyways. You've nothing to be ashamed of if you're a male otaku and you watch the series because I guarantee you there'll be that one thing that happens in the series that makes you forget it was a "alternative lifestyle" Anime and just look at it as an Anime."

Definitely Recommend

Ookami no Unmei | WV USA | 07/23/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"First, if you've seen or read Ouran High School Host Club and love it, this is definitely something to check out! It's got the same kind of talented, genius kids at a rich school layout. But, for the yaoi lovers, there's no girls! What a plus! It's got talented voice actors, such as Ken Narita (Inuyasha's Sesshoumaru) and many more! It's sweet and romantic, with lots of fun suggestiveness and many cute pairings for you to go all dreamy~eyed over. It's a must buy for any shounen~ai lover! Though it's definitely not hard core yaoi, it's still brilliant, beautifully drawn, amazing music, and just plain fun."

To find love, sometimes it takes luck

Kousagi | Arizona | 12/12/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Keita Ito is a lucky guy. He just got a special invitation to Bell Liberty Academy (BL Academy, very punny). As soon as he gets there, he's greeted by Tetsuya "The King" Niwa, the student body prez to be escorted through the campus. However, an accident on the president's motorcyle land them in the nurse's office, not seriously injured, but jeez!! It's a motorcycle accident. Of course, this garners the attention of the other students, and the special worry of Kazuki Endo, his next dorm neighbor with an unknown past with Keita.

Gakuen Heaven, a 13 episode anime based of a popular game, is funny and definitely sweet. The story doesn't contain anything racy per se, though the first few episodes has some racy dialogue sure to get you blushing and saying "Whaaaaaat??". Once you get the punchline (what they're really talking about) you won't help but fall out of your seat laughing. The conversation between Omi and Kaoru definitely made the heat rise to my face (though there's something to be said about having the King as the uke in another episode). There are also bits of fanservice in the eye catches, so look forward to those as well.

The show is one of the few 13 episode series that I was left completely satisfied. The characters all are endearing, from those I've already mentioned, to Kaoru "The Queen" Saionji, the effeminate looking head of the Treasury department; Yukihiko Naurse, the tennis team captain who falls immediately in love with Keita(who he calls "Honey"); and even the somewhat sadistic Vice President Hideaki Nakajima. The mystery of Keita's special invitation, the struggle to keep Keita in BL academy, and the secret past of Keita and Kazuki make this series one not be missed by shounen-ai fans."