The Essentials

Name: Koi Kaze
Genre:: Drama, Romance
Episodes: 13
Released: April 1, 2004 – June 17, 2004
Based On: Koikaze manga by Motoi Yoshida
Director: Takahiro Omori
Produced By: Rondo Robe, TV Asahi
US Distribution By: Geneon

Major Japanese Cast

Koushirou Saeki: Kenta Miyake
Nanoka Kohinata: Yuuki Nakamura
Zensou Saeki: Ryouichi Tanaka
Kaname Chidori: Akemi Okamura
Kei Odagiri: Kousuke Okano
Ouko Tamaki: Risa Shimizu
Futaba Anzai: Satomi Akesaka

Major English Cast

Koushirou Saeki: Patrick Seitz
Nanoka Kohinata: Stephanie Sheh (as Tiffany Hsieh)
Zensou Saeki: Doug Stone
Kaname Chidori: Michelle Ruff
Kei Odagiri: Liam O’Brien
Ouko Tamaki: Heather Klinke
Futaba Anzai: Tara Hudson

Scores

Animation: 8/10 (x 4 = 32 pts)
Story: 9/10 (x 4 = 36 pts)
Music: 10/10 (x 4 = 40 pts)
Coherency/Story Arc: 10/10 (x 2 = 20 pts)
English Dubs: 8/10 (x 1 = 8 pts)
Gut Score: 9/10 (x 5 = 45 pts)

Total: 181/200 (90.5%)

Review

Koushirou seems to have hit the bottom in life. He still lives with his father at the age of 26, he was just dumped by his girlfriend who wonders ifKoushirou has ever “truly loved someone,” and he hates his job as a marriage counselor. Then one day, on his way to work Koushirou notices that a high school girl on the train he’s riding drops her train pass as she’s getting off the train, Koushirou runs after the girl to give her back her train pass. The next day, Koushirou runs into the girl again outside of a client’s office and gives the girl two tickets to a nearby amusement park that the client gave him. The girl wants Koushirou to go with her as thanks for helping her the morning before.

While riding the ferris wheel, the girls says that she’s been down after being turned down after asking a boy out, and even though the boy gave her a button off his school uniform at their middle school graduation, she wants to throw it out of the Ferris Wheel window if she could. This prompts Koushirou to ask how her love is so pure, and gets him to confess that he had just been dumped too, but that he wasn’t even sure he loved his girlfriend at all, so the girl should keep the button so she can remember her pure feelings. This exchange seems to seal Koushirou’s and the girl’s feelings for each other.

When leaving the amusement park, the two are about to go separate ways when Koushirou’s father runs up, and both Koushirou and the girl have the same response: “hello father.” Koushirou realizes that the girl is actually his younger sister, Nanoka, who is coming to live with he and their father so that she can be closer to her high school. The rest of the series is spent, mostly from Koushirou’s point of view, but also quite a bit from Nanoka’s point of view, as they both struggle with their feelings for each other even though they’re siblings.

This is one of the few anime series that is largely geared for an older audience. While there are a few comical moments, the series is a drama and has a serious atmosphere. The series tries to tackle the question of whether there is any type of love which is wrong. The series allows the viewer to make up their own decision, spending it’s time showing Koushirou and Nanoka’s relationship dispassionately without passing judgement on it.

The animation is mixed, with fantastic character designs but with background art that goes for a more washed out than detailed look, though I think it does fit the overall atmosphere of the show. The music, while rather subdued, is fantastic, and the music is also used very well – both when it is played and when it isn’t played. The dub is also pretty good.

Obviously the subject matter that is being dealt with may drive away some viewers, if one can get past that or don’t mind it, then I think this is a series that can stick to you.

First Watched: September 2005
Do I Own: Yes
Do I Recommend: Yes