I’ve got two anime series in this week’s Netflix queue: Ai Yori Aoshi and His and Her Circumstances.
I’ve seen parts of His and Her Circumstances before, so finally being able to see the whole thing in order is great. The series, which revolves around two japanese high school students and their friends, makes for a nice change from other series in which two characters are attracted to each other.
The difference here is that the male lead confesses his feelings near the beginning, with the girl quickly returning the feelings. While the relationship doesn’t immediately begin, at least both characters don’t avoid even a simple confession of how they feel until the very end of the series.
Ai Yori Aoshi is similar in that the two main characters get settled into the idea of having feelings for each other very early on, though they’re forced to hide this fact from the other characters in the series due to the standing they have in their respective families. This series is still something of a “harem comedy” in that the core situation involves one guy surrounded by several attractive women.
Unlike many other popular, similar series, the male lead is smart, likable and even strong willed. Still, the series still has the trappings of other harem comedies, with the usual amounts of fanservice from the other girls involved in the story. On the other hand, the supporting cast’s backgrounds are fleshed out enough that, combined with a male lead that one could actually see the girls being interested in, makes for an enjoyable show.