Search - His & Her Circumstances - TV Series Collection (5pc) on DVD

Not your typical anime

DynomiteWins | Costa Mesa | 06/02/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This is nothing like your typical anime - so really clear off any preconceived notions because you're not going to get what you expect.

At first the series is very similar to your standard Shoujo anime. The main character is a cannonball of humor and humanity - not the typical wussy female heroine you often find in this genre. She's someone a real female can relate to.

Visually, as the anime progresses, it delves deeper into an avant-garde style of presentation. It becomes less of an animated series and more an experiment in visual storytelling. I actually appreciated this aspect of the series and looked forward to seeing how the story would be told in each episode. From the popsicle stick figures, cityscapes, flashing images, sketch book drawings, etc. everything was very different and very interesting to watch.

The story itself is great - it branches off gracefully from the stories of our two main characters as they progress in high school and develop into adulthood.

The reason I can't give this set a full 5 stars however is that the behind the scenes problems led to a number of useless recap fillers and a hanging final episode. I presume there was the intention of continuing beyond 26 episodes because the final episode does nothing to wrap up any loose ends (although it seems that most shoujo I've watched ends up with a mediocre or unsatisfying ending anyway.) The bright side is that the manga continues well beyond this final episode and any individual who desperately wants to know how all these fantastic and complex characters will end up is able to read on to a very satisfactory and complete ending.

Understanding that this is incomplete, experimental, and yet totally emotionally captivating this set easily earns 4 stars."

His and Her Circumstances - Circumstantially flawed

lain4ever | Los Angeles, CA | 08/10/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Although this series is considered a timeless classic, I can't recommend it too much. Sadly, because of conflicts between Director Hideaki Anno and the author of the Kare Kano manga, Anno left the production to another director and the production suffered from it. Because the series was eventually discontinued, there is no ending to this series.

In spite of this, Anno's direction turns this series into a great romantic comedy. The two main characters, Yukino and Arima, are both the top students in their high school. Yukino wanted to prove she is the best student in the high school, but she has no friends. Her plans changed after Arima found out that she was really a nerd who acted like a princess. However, Arima still loved her. The two love each other, and help each other out through tough times. They argue against their school counselor to keep their relationship, and they even struggle through sexual tension.

The sexual tension part eventually turned me off. The anime doesn't cover all the difficulties of this teenage love at the end, but even main characters make mistakes. I still think anime characters should rely on their intellect rather than their passion, but the sexual intensity reflects the turmoil of their teenage hormones.

The art direction also took a 180 degree turn on episode 19, when the flat anime characters were replaced with drawings pasted on cardboard cuttings. At this time, Director Hideaki Anno left Gainax, and future FLCL director Kazuya Tsurumaki took his place. The series grew more cartoonish, and fans eventually stopped watching the series. However, the story never faltered, even at the very end.

I don't think this is the best series. It is incomplete, and I didn't think the characters were realistic or likable enough. However, I enjoyed Anno's look at the psyche of the characters in their adventures with romance. I can only give this series a three star rating, because I've seen far better shoujo anime. But Anno's direction job makes for a great, though claustrophobic, look at shoujo romance."

Great series but..

Lisa Dobard | Louisiana | 02/14/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Personally,I LOOOOOVE "His and Hers.." but I noticed,that around the 3rd DVD,the show itself went a little downhill. The plot was a bit slow from time to time and for some reason,the animation was a little...bizarre. Its as if the creators were on a low budget. O_O But the 1st two DVDs are the BEST! Its both funny and adorable.

Still, I say, buy this product. This is a good series. Just be warned of the weird animation later on..."

Just a little bit disappointed

Merlin J. Hold | Portland, OR | 04/14/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The whole series is awesome, I feel that the series could have used another season to tell the story. I did hear that initially that the director and the writer of the story parted ways. I have no idea who left the production.

The story does leave you hanging at the end of the series. I think that they should have left out the recap of the proceeding episodes that happened in episodes 14 and part of 15 and episodes part of 24 and part of 25.

I would say that the whole story is great. All in all I would say this is a great addition to any DVD collection. The DVD set was so good, I am now concentrating on purchasing the manga version of the story."