There are anime out there that have taboo themes and go into the gray area. Koi Kaze is one of these anime as it focuses on the romantic relationship between two siblings with a 12 year age difference. Despite this, I find Koi Kaze to be one of the best examples of romance in anime.
Show Info:
-Studio: A.C.G.T (Known for Kino's Journey, Project Blue Earth SOS, and Monochrome Factor.)
-Director: Takahiro Omori (Known for Durarara!!, Baccano!, Samurai Flamenco, and Natsume's Book of Friends.)
-Composer: Makoto Yoshimori (Known for Baccano!, Durarara!!, Natsume's Book of Friends, and Hamatora.)
-Original Material: Koi Kaze (Manga) by Motoi Yoshida.
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The Story
This show gets a lot of flak though for having taboo themes of incest and having pedophilia. Some people will argue that if it had sex like Yosuga no Sora did, it would have had more fans. But I am very, very glad it left out any type of sex between Koshiro and Nanoka because it just made the show a lot better and less weird.
I also find the story to be a great example of romance done right. I have found that some (if not lots of) anime have their characters fall in love for "reasons". It has one of the greatest romance plots I have seen since Clannad After Story and The Wind Rises. It shows the bonds of Nanoka and Koshiro and how the two try to suppress their feelings, knowing it is wrong in society to love a sibling or blood relative, but ultimately realize that they love each other
Story: 9/10
The Characters
Our main cast consists of Koshiro Saeki and Nanoka Kohinata, two siblings who have lived separately due to their parents' divorce.
Koshiro Saeki is a twenty-seven year old man who works for an arranged marriage agency. He is a large man with a 5 o'clock shadow, and is often scowling. He comes off as a cross, gruff man but you soon see he is very emotional and generally caring, but he does not know how to express them. He is often annoyed by Nanoka because of his own problems and her very lively personality. Koshiro is protective over Nanoka because he feels he has responsibilities as her older brother. He soon starts to realize his true feelings for Nanoka after he reconnects with his ex-girlfriend, but suppresses his feelings. This character is labeled as a pervert by some viewers because of his relationship with his sister, and I can see why they say it, but he himself has a great amount of something called SELF-CONTROL. He is well aware that his and Nanoka's feelings are forbidden. Koshiro does his best to control this by burring these feelings down and repeatedly telling Nanoka not to say "it".
Nanoka Kohinata is Koshiro's younger sister who is a fifteen year old high schooler. After she moves in to the Saeki household she takes over the family. She is very lively and active. After reconnecting with Koshiro she becomes very attached to him, wanting to hang out with him and visit him at work. Because she talks about Koshiro with her friends at school, they tease her about her "brother complex", though she refuses to admit her feelings for her brother.
Other characters include Kaname Chidori, Koshiro's coworker who is very outgoing and joking. Futaba and Ouka are Nanoka's friends who tease her about her "brother complex", but all three are very good friends and hang out a lot. Another character is Zenzo Saeki, Koshiro and Nanoka's father who is very affectionate to his children (mainly Nanoka) and worries about her when she stays over at a friends house or comes home late from school.
I fell the character's are fairly realistic, all things considered. They react the way most would to situations in the show. You can also become attached to them and even root for the two main characters when things get tough.
Characters: 8/10
The Animation
Now the animation is not the high point of this show. Most anime from 2004 look better. Because of the poorer animation quality, most are turned off by this show. But I would argue it adds to the show more than it takes away. While it is dull looking, during the romantic moments the show has, it gives the scenes a more quiet, fluffy feeling to them that I really liked. One of my favorite scene is in the first episode when Koshiro and Nanoka are sitting in the Ferris Wheel with a sunset in the background. The animation helps make the scene cute and fluffy.
Animation: 7/10
The Sound
-Sub vs. Dub: I watched the show in Japanese and I have seen scenes from the English dub and both are very good performances by both sets of actors. It's up for you to decide which version you would like to watch.
-Series Composition: The music for Koi Kaze is very gentle and light. It resonates with the show very well though no tracks stand out to me other than the ending theme. The opening theme is "Koi Kaze" by éf and I would recommend watching it once if you want, but I usually skipped it. It was a nice song but nothing fantastical. The ending theme is "Futari Dakara" by Masumi Itō and I absolutely LOVE the vocals to this song. It beautifully sung and it has a very calming sound, like a lullaby.
Sound: 8/10
Deduction
Koi Kaze is a very gentle series that delivers a great story of true romance. It is a shame some people list it as a messed up anime with stuff like Boku no Pico or Kodomo no Jikan. Yet, Koi Kaze is a very fresh take on romance. It is a brave attempt at portraying a taboo subject, but it does it in such a gentle and beautiful way.
Enjoyment: 9/10
Final Calculations:
-Story: 9/10
-Characters: 8/10
-Animation: 7/10
-Sound: 8/10
-Enjoyment: 9/10
Total Score: 8.2/10 with a Recommendation to watch it.
Recommened Anime: Hourou Musuko an anime that also deals with difficult topics in a mature way, though this focuses on gender identity. I also recommend Clannad/ After Story because like Koi Kaze it has a true romance with a gentle feel.
Thanks for reading and until next time!
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Feb 21, 2015
There are anime out there that have taboo themes and go into the gray area. Koi Kaze is one of these anime as it focuses on the romantic relationship between two siblings with a 12 year age difference. Despite this, I find Koi Kaze to be one of the best examples of romance in anime.
Show Info: -Studio: A.C.G.T (Known for Kino's Journey, Project Blue Earth SOS, and Monochrome Factor.) -Director: Takahiro Omori (Known for Durarara!!, Baccano!, Samurai Flamenco, and Natsume's Book of Friends.) -Composer: Makoto Yoshimori (Known for Baccano!, Durarara!!, Natsume's Book of Friends, and Hamatora.) -Original Material: Koi Kaze (Manga) by Motoi Yoshida. ... |
