Honey & Clover is an anime series which debuted in 2006. It follows the lives and relationships of and between five students in an art college as they realize and try to resolve their own agendas with themselves and each other. Now, while this is meant to be in the slice-of-life category, you will find abundant amounts humor and those little "awww..." moments which will dissolve the slab of stone you call a heart. To my pleasant surprise, this anime is produced by the same studio which brought you Toradora!, and it was apparently very well-received in its time.
For a moment, I almost couldn't tell the difference between this and the Toradora! series, but one of the key differences is that Honey & Clover serves up equal amounts of comedy and emotions in an episode. The transitions between the two phases can be so sudden, but that only serves to make it more unpredictable and enjoyable. Toradora!, one the other hand, gives you small doses of emotion along with a platter of laughter, but gradually unleashes copious amounts of it at key points in the story. Both fit well in my book, but it might be up to you which one you enjoy the most.
The series is not on TV anymore (2 years, what would you expect?), but you can find the full 24 episodes on youtube for the first season, and go on to the second after you're done. If you're feeling bored and devoid of love, have a serving of Honey & Clover, it will make your day!
Oh, and have a Happy New Year!
I always see people reviewing Toradora mention Honey and Clover but I don't see the connection between them.
ReplyDeleteI mean, Toradora's a nice series and all that, but it's very much an anime, rooted in anime archetypes, anime style and the predictable nature that goes with it. Whereas Honey and Clover feels much more realistic, lifelike. The people of Toradora feel like anime characters while the people in H&C remind me of myself (especially Takemoto).
Personally Honey and Clover has been my favourite anime since I first watched it and it's never been shaken from that position.
My favourite part of it, though, isn't the romance, but moreso the themes of friendship, loyalty, talent vs. ambition, and things like that.
Anyways, enjoy the series.
Yes, for many, it might be one of the best series in its genre.
ReplyDeleteRegardless of the connection, its a meaningful and enjoyable series. Definitely a classic.