Ai Yori Aoshi: Enishi

Oh em gee. I didn't think it was possible! A sequel that is BETTER than the original series! Well I guess there's a first for everything. Story: The story picks up 2 years after the ending of Ai Yori Aoshi. Kaoru, Aoi, Tina, Taeko, Miyabi, and Chika still live together and Mayu is still the daily guest. Everybody's a little older but pretty much the same. There really is no time in this sequel for the story to drag as the series itself is so short, so the story moves along at a nice pace. Every character gets a "love-episode" with Kaoru, and each episode was veryenjoyable to watch. Art: Beautiful! Beautiful colors, beautiful animation. Just outstanding. There isn't as much ecchi in this season, but there still is some, but not as over-done and badly portraid as in the original. The eyecatches (the things that split the episode at where the commercial goes) run long though. Sound: The opening theme, "Takaramono" is just lovely. If you liked "Towa no Hana" then you will like this. "Towa no Hana" is played once during the course of the series though ;) The ending theme, "I Do!" isn't as enjoyable. The special ending theme, "Presence", is also decent but not my favorite. The original soundtrack is pretty much used with a few new tracks. Character: Every character is developed further, particularly the character of Tina Foster. There's really no new characters except for Chika's friends. Enjoyment: Completely enjoyed. Enjoyed it a heck of a lot more than I enjoyed the first season. Overall: If you have seen the first season, then don't hesitate for a moment to watch this. It is better than the original, and the story is moving. Just know that you might wanna buy a tissue box =]]

Well, this is a show that pretty much takes place pretty much right after the first one. I was really surprised that they felt they needed to make a second season with just how odd the fist one turned out. It just didn’t feel needed in my mind. It’s the same stuff that was going on in the first happening in the second. A little romance, Comedy, Drama… and Kaoru and Ai never seem to get a break. Sadly, they sometimes make Kaoru seem a bit even more like a pervert then he should. I know its normal for a guy to have those thoughts butsometimes they make it out as though he has even more of a perverted mind at times. The sweet and innocence in the story messes up when they do that. The animation is pretty nice, pretty similar to the first one. Not much to talk about in that regard. It looks like every other romantic comedy out there. Large eyes, bright colors, nice looking girls all around one normal looking guy. Each character looks exactly like the role they are supposed to match. The dubbing is… well the same as the first again. I like that they kept it consistent but then again, they matched it way to close to the Japanese translation. Sometimes even some of the words don’t seem like they are used right. Just because it really has not changed at all, I have to give it the same rating as I did for the first. It’s slightly bland but a good watch if you liked the first.

This is the follow-on series for the 24 episode Ai Yori Aoshi series. If you enjoyed the first series as I did, you will be richly rewarded with this series. As is often the case with anime, there are many episodes so the plot moves slowly at times. But the character development is very carefully done, and you are soon drawn into the story and nearly forget its make believe. There is much humor and a fair amount of indirect fan service -- but also there is quite a bit of emotional drama towards the end, as some of the characters near the end oftheir college life. Because this is a 36 episode journey, if you make it to the end, you will love each of the characters and you will shed tears when they eventually must face their reality and the hard choices about their destinies after college is over.

A show I thought would never end. After watching about 26 episodes of this, I really had trouble getting through this second season. The formula is exactly the same as the first season so I often felt bored and wanted to watch something else. The romance is very light-hearted throughout most of the show, but occasionally there are some very good moments. The harem fighting is nearly constant and you'll be able to see a different aspect of a couple of the supporting characters (Chika & Mayu). ~Character 7/10~ Although you do not meet new characters, the creators did deepen some of the supporting cast (Mayu and Chika) showing howmuch they really do love Karou. Aoi is still the perfect wife, but it still feels like she is a stranger. Her and Karou's characters do not reach the depth needed to pull off a good romance. Overall, the character aspect was not focused on very much. ~Story 5/10~ This just continues the nearly random events of the first season. The focus for this show seems to be more about comedy rather than romance. Although I didn't find myself laughing much, I found myself getting bored and frustrated with the lack of direction this show takes. Besides putting a few good moments together, the rest of the show seems like useless filler. ~Sound 8/10~ The English dub is actually okay for this show. After watching it with both languages, the Japanese dub hits it out of the ball park. There are some great musical spots, but they are rare and far between. ~Art 7/10~ The art-style remained the same as the first season. However, I couldn't help but notice the higher amounts of ecchi moments. ~Enjoyment 7/10~ Although I do like harem fighting and arguing, I do not like dragging a simple love story over 38 episodes. With the second season I found myself getting bored and frustrated rather than actually enjoying the show. Moments became very typical as if they were following a strict formula. Overall I'll give this a 7/10. Although I didn't particularlly enjoy the show, I do appreciate the effort and challenge of making such a show. I had set off to watch a romance series and found myself getting frustrated by the lack of romance.