With this, I get it. Kimagure Orange Road is annoying. It got on my nerves beyond belief. But in the end: it really is worth it. I mean, there is so much that modern teenaged love interests can learn from Madoka that it’s almost scary. This OVA at first sight seems much of the same as the TV-series, but there are a number of notable advantages that it has.
The formula is the same: get a bunch of episodes together in which the lead character (often with the use of his psychic powers) accidentally ends up in a really awkward romantic situation. The fact that this is eight episodes however, means that the cast has a lot less time to get on your nerves compared to the incredibly long TV-series. To me, this really worked in focusing on the good stuff of the OVAs: the serious and romantic scenes. And they really get their chance to shine in this OVA.
The graphics also got a major update here. You can really see that the artists especially put in effort to bring the cast to life now that they’re not bothered by a TV-series budget any more. It’s got this great classic look from the late eighties, and it doesn’t look as immature as the series did.
I can’t say that this OVA wasn’t annoying, because it definitely did have its moment. But really: if you finished the daunting task of watching the entire TV series of Kimagure Orange Road, then you might just as well continue with this OVA. At this point they’ve got 50 episodes worth of development behind them, so they sure as heck aren’t going to be shallow here. And besides: it’s great to see a show that isn’t incredibly scared to show teenagers drinking alcohol. Seriously: why does every modern anime try to pretend that teenagers never drink or smoke?
| Storytelling: | 9/10 – Annoying, but really knows exactly what it does in getting the best out of the characters. |
| Characters: | 9/10 – I’ve said this before, but Madoka is one of the best characters of her kind. The others… they’re nice, but pale in comparison. |
| Production-Values: | 8/10 – Smooth and detailed animation when it matters, with a few bugs here and there though. |
| Setting: | 8/10 – Save for a horrible portrayal of a bunch of Americans, it’s solid and does its job. |
Suggestions:
– Tenchi Muyo! Ryo-ouki
– Maison Ikkoku
– Mahou Tsukai Tai OVA
I just noticed something: This is the first time you’ve ever put EIGHT screenshots in an entry like this. You should do that more often.
…Oh wait. Never mind. Forget what I just said.
Sorry, that was my mistake. I realized that I hit the submit button a little too early. ^^;
I usually don’t try to go beyond six screenshots because that would make scrolling through them a bit too annoying.
Now watch the movies! Be prepared, they are nothing like the TV series!
Watch.
The.
Movie.
You will be blown away. I guarantee it. By the first one, anyway.