An applause to Umino Chika and the Hachikuro production team for the two wonderful seasons of Honey & Clover.
The ending of Honey & Clover II was so sad because everyone had to move on with their lives, taking different paths, which will lead them further away from their days together. It was also sweet, especially the scene where Takemoto discovered every layer of the bread Hagu gave him was carefully layered with honey and clover. It is suffice to say that Takemoto's monologue at the end was... bittersweet.
Honey & Clover is definitely one of the most brilliant anime I've ever watched. Although it is shelved as a shoujo drama, it was very well done because it takes the viewer along in the show, provoking their thoughts and allowing them to reflect and relate the characters' lives with their very own lives. I liked the way Honey & Clover threaded the issue of love and life. Love takes a different shape and meaning for each of the different characters.
For Yamada, it was an unrequited love of a very precious friend.
For Takemoto, it was a love at first sight that failed to take flight.
For Morita, it was a love that was distanced by talent.
For Hagu, it was a romantic love that rivalled her love for drawing - her purpose in life.
For Mayama, it was a love waiting to be reciprocated.
For Nomiya, it was a painful love being a cushion for a failed love (he said that!)
For Shuuji, it was a love that returned him his purpose in life.
...So what is love?
Yamada's persistent pinning for Mayama makes me wonder what love is.
...How is it important to your life?
Hagu felt drawing gave her a purpose in life, but was it more important than the liking she felt for Morita?
...And how does it affects the people around you?
Mayama's unwavering wait for Rika possibly gave her some faith in her life after Harada. Nomiya's patience with Yamada possibly will slowly erase her pain and pinning for Mayama over time.
I think that Honey & Clover delivered these ruminations well, with an excellent dash of humor and fantastic soundtrack from Suga Shikao & Spitz (I love these guys!!).
On the story
To me, this is possibly the pillar of Honey & Clover's wonderful success as a shoujo manga/anime. The theme is simple: romance. However, what makes it unique is the way the story was told. Mangaka Umino Chika is in my opinion, very talented at telling the story without really shoving the absolute drama to your plate. The plot was unfolded such that you can relate, and participate. Often, after every chapter or episode, I find myself thinking, "What would I do if I were Yamada/Takemoto/Hagu?" etc. It sets you in deep thought, and gives you a light of reality. She also delivered a very strong notion: that there is no right and wrong in love; love may not be reciprocated, but a failed love may not be a regretful thing. One obvious scenario that illustrated that point was when Yamada had to make the difficult decision to reject all 4 proposals, all whom were by her dearest friends. And when she came into that position, she finally realized how Mayama had felt about her. From there, she learnt to mature and to come to terms.
Another plot that I really liked was on the Hagu x Morita relation. Hagu's decision to ask Shuuji to stay with her through her rehab period showed us that for some people, the purpose of their life can be more important than what romance is to them. Although I believe Hagu truly likes Morita, but she felt drawing was her lifeline, and it was something she couldn't sacrifice for anything in the world. And to other people, love can be a powerful motivator. It was because Hagu believed in him, Morita, who was at the brink of throwing everything away, became motivated to pull through his lowest moments.
So love and liking is not straightforward but very complex, and has a very different and unique meaning to every different individual. And that, is reality.
On the characters
Honey & Clover is driven by a group of very well-developed characters. Their personalities are very real and in the anime, the seiyuus (voice actors) are perfect fittings for the respective characters. My personal favourites are Hagu's seiyuu - Kudou Haruka; and also Morita's seiyuu - Ueda Yuji. Hagu's character is cute yet calm and composed at times. I personally think that Kudou-san did a great job at the scene where Hagu released her 'tantrum' at Shuuji. Her voice acting was top notch - fear and anguish were perfectly reflected in her voice. Morita, the eccentric, shady guy yet gentle and composed at the right times, is played by the talented Ueda-san. Every bit of Morita's weirdness is reflected in his voice. Perfect acting.
My only complain is that it is such a waste that in the final episode, the seiyuu for Takemoto was a different person. Although the circumstances can't be helped (original seiyuu Kamiya Hiroshi was seriously injuired in a traffic accident before recording of the last episode), the replacement seiyuu didn't have the same Takemoto-effect. Other than that, the seiyuus are top class.
On the soundtrack
Only one word - FANTASTIC.
Honey & Clover would be dull without the inputs of Suga Shikao, Spitz, Suneohair, YUKI and Yuzo Hayashi. I won't even start writing about it cause I won't be able to stop. Just go get the OST and insert songs.
On the animation
One of the best I have experienced. The animation is quite fluid, the drawings are most of the time flawless (the chibi's and all cartoony inserts), the colors are excellent. I like the pastel-like theme as they give a very serene feel. There aren't many still frames (unlike some animes, there are so many still shots that it feels like looking at an image instead of an animation) and the transitions and timing of insert songs are perfect. And they sooo popularize the kanlansha (ferris wheel).
All I can say, to the best anime of all times - kanpai!!
screenschots from Fansub.tv & Random Curiosity
～みはる～