Remembering Love: Loving Another Human Being in Honey and Clover

This post is part of the Remembering Love project by Trazor. That two words - "remembering love" makes me remember this one show: Honey and Clover, with fond memories.

When I first saw Honey and Clover, I was 24 years old. An age where people considered you as an adult and expect you to act accordingly. Back then I was a hikki. Though I have steady income from free-lance writing, I didn't do much with my life. I chose to shunt society and spent all of my time cooped up in my room watching anime and what not. That was the time when I started to drift apart from my friends.

Up until then I was living irresponsibly. I didn't give a damn about friends, or other people around me. In simpler words, I was behaving like an adolescence teenager. I thought that the whole world is against me. I blamed everything and everyone else when shit didn't go according to what I wanted. As far as I am concern, I was always right. I was selfish. And love? Pffft, I thought it was overrated which made me pushed everyone who genuinely cares about me away.

Honey and Clover made me mused on the concept of friendship and the meaning of life/love. There is no epic quest to fulfill, no convoluted conspiracy to unlock, no childhood friend to win over—it's just a bunch of college kids figuring out what to do with their lives, and since I was struggling to find my path in life at that time, I found the show more than fascinating. Watching Honey and Clover, in a way, kind of open my eyes of what I have been missing and helped me set my priorities straight.

When I think of Honey and Clover, the thing that comes to mind is this one word: LOVE.

Love another human being. In other words: fall in love.

Noticed that I didn't say "be loved". And that's in my opinion where the beauty of this show lies.

If you pay any attention, modern society nowadays is anti-love, and I was part of that society not too long ago. It far easier to find a reason not to love someone than otherwise because we rather take a microscope to everyone and bring out all their flaws and shortcomings. Honey and Clover makes me reevaluates all these.

The intricate relationship/friendship in Honey and Clover is to be admired. Friendship and love are the two main themes in Honey and Clover that I would probably remember till my memories failed me. The show is a great teacher for me personally when it involves in dealing with human and their feelings. It teaches me that trust needs to be earned, even among friends. It tells me that love comes in all sorts of forms. It is something that is not only inspiring but should be able to liberate yourself as well. We should never use love as an excuse to shackle ourselves down. Love, after all is what you make of it. Happiness, though not truly dependent on other people but yourself, is something that is best shared. That goes for heart aches and all other worldly worries too. These are the things that made us human after all, the ability to feel and think (respond) accordingly.

There is no half-measure when it comes to loving someone. It's either you don't or you do with every cell in your body, completely and utterly, without reservation or apology. It consumes you, and you are reborn, all the better for it. All the characters in this show are committed to their loves, regardless. Ayumi, Takemoto and Mayama are the great examples who showed us that it is no great tragedy if your love is not reciprocated. You are not doing it to be loved back (though it would definitely be great if it is). Rejection, though hurts like hell, is not the end of the world. Take the opportunity to let the value of that love itself to inspire you. After all, in the act of loving someone, we become inspired to better ourselves in every way.

So you see, through love (and to certain extend, through Honey and Clover as well), we celebrate being human...

That ladies and gentlewomen, are the reasons why Honey and Clover will remain as one of my most favorite anime of all time. If you haven't seen it yet, it is best that you take the time to watch it. It is just not another of your average slice-of-life anime. I promised.

TL;DR?

Though this post sounds cheesy as fuck, I am still glad that I write it. Just in the mood I guess...

Other posts for this project:
Remembering Love: Opposite Attractions in Lovely Complex
Remembering Love: Detroit Metal City

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My Top 10: J.C. Staff Anime

Sankaku Complex did it again. They have came up with another troll top 10 list and yet once again I am compelled to properly respond to it so it won't be misleading to the n00bs. I am doing this because I feel responsible as an anime fan to at least do a proper rank. But of course this is MY top 10 list so everything is still biased to my preference.

Having said that, I believe that my choice is more accurate than that produced by that of Sankaku Complex. Their list is as follows:

1. Tantei Opera Milky Holmes
2. Taisho Yakyuu Musumo
3. Toradora!
4. To Aru Kagaku no Railgun
5. Aoi Hana
6. To Aru Majutsu no Index
7. Otome Yousei Zakuro
8. Hidan no Aria
9. Yumekui Merry
10. Shakugan no Shana

You know that they are trolling when you see what anime top the list. It may be enjoyable but I doubt that it's the best anime from J.C. Staff. In fact I dropped that shit after 4 minutes in. I know many people like it and may disagree with me but seriously? Really? You want to argue with me about this?

This is my top 10 list for J.C. Staff anime. If you frequent my blog often enough, you know that I am not a fan of J.C. Staff production. It's not me saying that they aren't good but I have my own favorite production studio. I have not even done watching some of the shows listed above but after what I have seen, I think it is more than enough to pass my opinion about them. Whatever. Lets not delay the inevitable. Below is the result after my full consideration. Peruse at your own risk.

1. Honey and Clover

(c) chika umino

2. Hatsukoi Limited

(c) cuteg

3. Nodame Cantabile

4. Otome Youkai Zakuro

(c) ume

5. Shakugan no Shana

(c) roke

6. To Aru Majutsu no Index

(c) skylark

7. Toradora!

(c) skull.03

8. To Aru Kagaku no Railgun

(c) subachi

9. Revolutionary Girl Utena

(c) dxlsmax

10. Azumanga Diaou

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My Top 10: Anime You Musn't Miss Out On

I just happened to see the latest post from Sankaku Complex about Top 10 Anime You Musn't Miss Out On and I felt compelled to check it out. I shouldn't bother though because what I saw pissed the hell out of me. Sure, it was written in plain sight that the list is not for Type A anime fan but still... I feel like I was challenged. Here is the list:

1. K-ON
2. Angel Beats!
3. Bakemonogatari
4. To Aru Kagaku no Railgun
5. Gintama
6. Toradora!
7. To Aru Majutsu no Index
8. Haruhi
9. Durarara!!
10. Evangelion

You know there is something wrong with the list when K-ON topped it, unless it's for the most useless anime ever produced. This list is misleading especially for the n00bs who are just venturing into anime and looking for some really good stuff. Though it does includes some of the anime that even I will recommend, most of it are just average anime at best.

But then again we can see the trending in Japan and this kind of answered my question as to why they produced so much garbage lately.

Obviously the list can be subjective, depends on the person who makes it but I think my list would be light years better than this crap they pulled up. I will not rank them by numbers though because it is impossible to rank these 10 anime that I have chosen. They are all oustanding.

Haruhi Suzumiya

http://www.pixiv.net/member.php?id=1082943

Gintama

(c) deco

Death Note

(c) denchi

Detroit Metal City

Honey and Clover

Samurai Champloo

http://www.pixiv.net/member.php?id=470275

Baccano

(c) enami katsumi

Working!!

(c) adachi shingo

Genshiken

(c) kio shimoku

Code Geass

(c) mecco

I would have included Madoka, unfortunately though I haven't seen it yet. I am also tempted to include Ao no Exorcist and Ano Hana but that would be unwise and too biased even for me. All in due time because this list is bound to change as more anime are being produced every season. One of them will eventually blow our socks off.

So there.

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My Top 10: Anime of the Decade

I already did anime of the decade last year but I was lazy and I actually focus more on OVA and movies in that one instead of TV series. Having said that, I am completely right with my choice of anime show and I adamantly stand by it.

This list, just like previously, is not ranked. Instead, this list consists of anime that doesn't necessarily top the chart when it was debuted nor was popular but it has a profound effect on me as an animetard and molded me to become the kind of anime fan that I am now.

Samurai Champloo (Spring 2004)

(c) hibiki

I have always been fascinated with Samurai theme ever since I watched Samurai X. Samurai Champloo was the first anime DVD that I bought. I have no freaking idea what it was about when I bought it. I know it has samurai in it and that's all my knowledge of the show was. I bought it because I thought that the theme was right and the art style was definitely something fresh. This was before I've seen Cowboy Bebop, mind you. So I watched it and was totally fell for Mugen. The way the story was told definitely something that I have never seen before. It set up quite a high par for any other anime that I want to spend my money on.

The best thing is, or rather a misfortune, I bought Samurai Champloo DVD three times. The first DVD I bought was lost during the moving to our new house. So I bought another one. My dad borrowed it and took it with him when he was working off-shore in China. He lost it. So I had to buy the DVD for the third time and this time around it is off limit to anyone. The DVD is definitely one of my prized possession.

Thanks to Samurai Champloo I got interested with other anime from Shinichiro Watanabe and that was how I ended up loving Cowboy Bebop, Mitchiko e Hatchin and Ergo Proxy. I love the dark story with lots of dorama I guess.

Bleach (Fall 2004)

http://www.pixiv.net/member.php?id=90533

I am no longer watching the anime. Just a loyal fan to it's manga but I plan on catching up to the anime some time soon. You see, I watch anime far in between before Bleach made it's debut. I bought anime DVD occasionally and most of the anime I watched was the one on national television which pretty much were just the 90's anime most of the time. It was like they had the Dragon Ball series on repeat.

It was only after I discovered Bleach that I know what an avid fan really is because I obviously become one in no time at all. Lets admit that the Soul Society arc led us to believe that Kubo Tite is a genius. I just couldn't get enough of Bleach.

It was this series that sparked my interest with manga. Before that I never bother. Through Bleach, I got to know some of the most amazing people I have ever met through facebook. Bleach unites us. It is because of Bleach too that I started taking real interest with other anime. That was how my obsession with anime started. I started downloading anime in chunk one after the other. It just so happened during that time I have just started working from home which mean I had plenty of time to spend on my new found hobby. I marathon any anime that had my interest. Some were great, some were not so much. This is how I learned about what genre I love and dislike and it has thought me a lot. Through Bleach I also started my figures collection and becomes not only obsessed with the whole show but of my shipping as well. I started writing fanfics and despite how many years it has been I still only write Bleach fanfics. I can't immerse myself with other series or characters like I can with Bleach. I've tried once but it turned out to be so superficial I abandoned it.

So you see, there was a lot of first with Bleach. Despite of the shit that Kubo trolled us with after the Soul Society arc, I am still a fan of this series to this very day otherwise it won't have it's own category in this blog. It would be a very sad day for me when Bleach eventually comes to an end. Thank goodness it is not for at least another 2 years :)

Genshiken (Fall 2004)

(c) kio shimaku

If Bleach made me an anime fan, Genshiken thought me what being an otaku is all about. It made me fall in love with the culture I guess. It opened my eyes of what it means being an otaku in Japan and how it was seen from a foreign point of view. It also introduced me to Akihabara, cosplaying and doujinshi. It made me aware of the conventions that I never thought exist. A place for all tards to gather around? It makes me want to go to at least one convention and after all these years, I finally managed to go to one this year. Above all else I learned that you do not mess with an otaku for any reason at all.

When I saw this, I was at the point in my life where I don't really know what I want to do with my life and pretty much content with the fact that I am a borderline hikikomori. I was totally unsociable. I only go out when I needed to and at one time had not had a conversation with real life person for almost a month. I locked myself in a room doing nothing but watch anime, reading manga, writing fanfics and occasionally tend to my workload. This continues for almost 4 years. It was awesome as fuck.

I kicked myself sometimes when I thought of the decision I made to actually get my life together for a change. Curses!

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny (Fall 2004)

(c) Robographer

I am truly aware of how Gundam fans perceived this show, especially that of SEED fans. They thought it was a phailed attempt. Shit it may be for others but this is the show that truly made me interested in mecha. My like or dislike for a show is strongly stemmed on whether or not I enjoy the story and the characters. Even though I think highly of SEED but Kira and Cagalli pissed me off so much I found myself raging at it most of the time.

I might fell for this show for all the wrong reason but it doesn't changed the fact that I thought the characters were far more awesome when they get into their Gundam. I have already fangirling about this show before so I'm not going to do it again here.

I am still not a big fan of mecha. I still can't name all the gundam even if you pointed a gun to my head but thanks to Destiny, I have learn to appreciate it a little bit more.

Gintama (Winter 2004)

(c) kaninn

Do noted that I saw Gintama after I watched Bleach. I was expecting a shounen anime but was presented with something that was totally whacked I couldn't help but fall in love with it. This is the anime that set the par for comedy for me. The randomness just totally blew me away. I have said over and over again that this show is THE GREATEST GAR SHOW ever. Gin has fought with aliens, the authority, your grandmother, you named it he has done it. Not to mention that thanks to Gintama, I fall hard for Tomokazu Sugita. I never paid attention to seiyuu before but because of this show, I am slowly turning into a seiyuu fag.

So imagined how sad and in rage I was when I found out that Gintama has come to an end. I mean seriously, I have never been so worried about my sanity like I was then. I thought it was another scam of theirs but the anime fandom was buzzing about the truth in it, I was left flabbergasted. Around the same time, they announced the movie date so that helped ease my trouble mind a little. I kept rewatching the old episodes to keep me a tad sane. Then earlier this month Glo came bearing the good news. The world is okay again and I am no longer tempted to do homicide.

I know that this does not sound significant to you but think of it this way. If someone asked you what is your favorite anime of all time, and this or that anime popped up instantly in your head, you know that it got to mean something to you. I have always trust my guts and there is no way I'm gonna turn my back on it now.

Gintama has helped me with all sorts of life problems. It has become my source of power to put my depression away and move on with life. I think I have become a stronger person because I can laugh my problems away watching this show. It doesn't necessarily solved my problems but it made me realized that these problems are not worth crying over for, that life is actually worth living :)

Sensitive Pornograph (Winter 2004)

If you have paid any attention, you know that yaoi is like my guilty drug. It all started when I came across this particular show. This show started my obsession with BL/yaoi. Before I knew what happened, it has taken over my life. LOL sounds so dramatic but it is the truth. I become bolder. Exploring about sex in general (only in theory of course) and accepting few things that surprised even myself. Words won't do justice but I'm gonna leave this one at that. I doubt GAR men can handle what's on my mind most of the time >=3

Honey and Clover (Spring 2005 & Summer 2006)

(c) chika umino

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not good with romance or relationship but the irony is I am a sucker for romace if it is done right. That's why my fanfics always turned up with romance theme in it. Not shoujo though (because I dislike shoujo) but romance. There's a difference.

Before Honey and Clover, I don't usually picked up anime with such theme. I thought that if I want drama, then I just watched all the Japanese drama that I have in my possession. But I am glad that when I decided to start watching romance theme, I started with this particular show. It just left me in awe with it's mind blowing craft. From the story telling, to the comedies and the dorama. It tells real story with real characters. That was the most appealing side of this show in my opinion.

This show has become the gateway anime for shows with similar theme like Lovely Complex and White Album.

Honey and Clover made me realized that my friends were not at fault when we drifted apart. It just part of having a life is all about. We don't always get what we wanted but it's either we cherished the moment we had that counts. It allowed me to remember all the good times me and my friends had instead of why we didn't regularly get in touch with each other anymore.

The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya (Spring 2006)

(c) sugimasa

I never thought that I would see the exact copy of myself (minus the Godly power) in anime. When I first saw Haruhi, the realization just smacked me right in the face and made me into an overnight fan of her and this show. I am just as obsessed with Kyon like Haruhi is obsessed with him. Sometimes it is scary and thrilling to realized how similar our taste and personality are.

Back in high school, people (mostly girls) generally don't want to be friends with me. I'm cool with that. I have my own set of friends (just like Haruhi has her SOS Brigade members) to keep me happy an entertained during my school years. The same happened when I got into college. After that I just don't give a fuck anymore and became a borderline hikikomori.

I am constantly want to try out something new. Always planning the next big things in my life or just do something that I have never done before. I graduated with an IT degree. Work for about 8 months before I got bored with the shit. Then I started writing and it opened up to an endless world of adventures for me from motorsports to anime and everything in between. After that I started learning how to make dresses out of boredom and end up with a business under my belt. Now I'm in an advertising business slashed event management where I got to mingle and hang out with local artists and such. The passion last for about a year and a half and I am already bored with it. I have mega project in my mind for next year and if it comes to fruition, then I'm saying goodbye to this glamorous life. See what I mean? I need someone who can keep up just like Kyon is with Haruhi.

I guess this show have the most profound effect on me more than any other anime because of the similarities, for better or for worse.

Btw, the movie was freaking amazing. I'm just saying.

Kara no Kyoukai and Mnemosyne (Winter 2007)

(c) hara takehito

I know that both of these shows are not TV series. One is a 7 parts movie and the other is an OVA but I have to include them in this list because of the simplest reason. Both of the female protagonists are very strong women who knows what they want and are not afraid to achieve their set goals despite of all the obstacle, especially when it comes to romance and relationship. Thanks to this, I realized that an ordinary love story just won't work for me which is why I won't settle down until I found my Shiki/Mikiya or Rin/Apos kind of romance. Crazy is me.

Kannagi and Hyakko (Fall 2008)

http://www.pixiv.net/member.php?id=438240

http://www.pixiv.net/member.php?id=65947

Needless to say that these shows featured moe characters. I always thought I hate moe shits but shows like these proved that I'm pretty shallow when it comes to moe. I like moe when it is funny and the story presented was intelligent. What I hate is the kind of moe who took us for a fool and thought that a bunch of girls sit around having tea after school is great. I mean Hyakko is about a bunch of girls having fun at school too but they managed to make the show entertaining and engaging through their characters' depth.

I also found out what my favorite studio production is through Kannagi. A1-Pictures have brought me a number of enjoyable anime. They are coming up with Fractale for Winter and it got a noitaminA time slot. That I think speak for itself. I am turning into a studio fag as well because I will watch whatever this studio will throw at me.

And that is the end of my list. But before I conclude this list, allow me to make a special mention to one more OVA anime that has tickle my funny bones and allowed me to enjoy profanities like I have never enjoyed it before.

Detroit Metal City (Summer 2008)

because it made this kind of fanart possible and no one can feel offended :P

Phew what a decade it has been. Hopefully my passion for anime will continue for another ten years so that I can do the same shit when it comes to the end of 2020.

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Honey and Clover II

I was first introduced with this anime when it was shown on Astro channel 25 but unfortunately I was not able to follow the series.

I bought the DVD last week (both season 1 and 2) and once I started I could not stop. Nevermind if I have to be awake at 4am in the morning as long as I finish it. It was addicted and with every chapter I fall in love more and more with the characters. This is the first anime that I do not have any antipathy towards at least one of the character. Imagine that!

I can assure you that even viewers outside the target demographic attest to its greatness, pointing out its heartfelt storytelling and unique visual style. It was supposed to be just good enough for sophisticated female viewers—and it ended up being good enough for everyone. Funnier than most comedies and more touching than most dramas (even the live-action ones), Honey and Clover has emerged as one of the best anime I had ever watched, and I've watched plenty.

The story begins right in the middle of things—Takemoto in his second year of college, Mayama nearing graduation, and Morita stuck in seventh-year hell. Then Hagu-chan came into the picture. She simply joins the cast, and the drama-go-round begins. There is no epic quest to fulfill, no convoluted conspiracy to unlock, no childhood friend to win over—it's just a bunch of college kids figuring out what to do with their lives, and it is fascinating. Every character gets a moment in the spotlight, with story arcs transiting flawlessly between each other. Even Takemoto, who spends most of the series as a neutral observer, closes things out with an inspiring personal triumph. The mood of the show switches effortlessly from madcap comedy to utter heartbreak and everything in between, yet nothing feels out of place. Within a single episode, a game of Art School Twister takes humor to new heights, and yet minutes later, Takemoto muses upon the meaning of friendship.

Honey and Clover succeeds because of its characters' complex personalities. Morita emerges as a quick fan favorite with his bizarre antics and affinity for money, but to focus on him is to miss out on the intricate relationships between everyone else. I can see myself dating him in real life. My heart reach out for Takemoto as well in his struggle to wins Hagu-chan love. In particular, Ayumi's unrequited attachment to Mayama is sure to arouse plenty of indignation about the portrayal of women in Japanese entertainment. But maybe that anger is because Ayumi openly reveals everything we hate about themselves: weakness, insecurity, and the tendency to do really stupid things in the name of love. She is the most human character in a cast of incredibly human characters.

If Honey and Clover has any faults, it's that you want it to keep going after it's over. It ends just like it begins—right in the middle of things, with so much more yet to be experienced. Without realizing it, you've become part of that circle of friends: you've shared their heartbreaks and triumphs, walked alongside them as they poured out their feelings, and watched each one of them learn a little bit more about themselves. Whether in school or not, who hasn't asked themselves at some point: "What do I want to do? Who do I want to be?" Honey and Clover may not have the answers, but it's all about trying to find them.

The other thing I realize when I had finished this anime is this: people do drifted apart as we get older...

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