Customer Reviews

His & Her Circumstances - TV Series Collection (5pc)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is nothing like your typical anime - so really clear off any preconceived notions because you're not going to get what you expect.

At first the series is very similar to your standard Shoujo anime. The main character is a cannonball of humor and humanity - not the typical wussy female heroine you often find in this genre. She's someone a real female can relate to.

Visually, as the anime progresses, it delves deeper into an avant-garde style of presentation. It becomes less of an animated series and more an experiment in visual storytelling. I actually appreciated this aspect of the series and looked forward to seeing how the story would be told in each episode. From the popsicle stick figures, cityscapes, flashing images, sketch book drawings, etc. everything was very different and very interesting to watch.

The story itself is great - it branches off gracefully from the stories of our two main characters as they progress in high school and develop into adulthood.

The reason I can't give this set a full 5 stars however is that the behind the scenes problems led to a number of useless recap fillers and a hanging final episode. I presume there was the intention of continuing beyond 26 episodes because the final episode does nothing to wrap up any loose ends (although it seems that most shoujo I've watched ends up with a mediocre or unsatisfying ending anyway.) The bright side is that the manga continues well beyond this final episode and any individual who desperately wants to know how all these fantastic and complex characters will end up is able to read on to a very satisfactory and complete ending.

Understanding that this is incomplete, experimental, and yet totally emotionally captivating this set easily earns 4 stars.

Personally,I LOOOOOVE "His and Hers.." but I noticed,that around the 3rd DVD,the show itself went a little downhill. The plot was a bit slow from time to time and for some reason,the animation was a little...bizarre. Its as if the creators were on a low budget. O_O But the 1st two DVDs are the BEST! Its both funny and adorable.

Still, I say, buy this product. This is a good series. Just be warned of the weird animation later on...

The whole series is awesome, I feel that the series could have used another season to tell the story. I did hear that initially that the director and the writer of the story parted ways. I have no idea who left the production.

The story does leave you hanging at the end of the series. I think that they should have left out the recap of the proceeding episodes that happened in episodes 14 and part of 15 and episodes part of 24 and part of 25.

I would say that the whole story is great. All in all I would say this is a great addition to any DVD collection. The DVD set was so good, I am now concentrating on purchasing the manga version of the story.

I absolutely love this anime. It's a classroom/high-school drama mainly about a boy and girl falling in/out of love with each other and the obstacles in their path (emotional problems or another girl to compete with, for instance) which prevent them from being together indefinitely. It's actually quite comedic at times. H&HC really has a "manga" style going for it... think Azumanga Daioh, but not as over the top in the comedy.

One of the things I really like about this series is the musical score. It has some great tracks ranging from many styles of music and they fit the mood well.

The box set is also a great value as opposed to buying each of the DVDs individually. I highly recommended this.

Although this series is considered a timeless classic, I can't recommend it too much. Sadly, because of conflicts between Director Hideaki Anno and the author of the Kare Kano manga, Anno left the production to another director and the production suffered from it. Because the series was eventually discontinued, there is no ending to this series.

In spite of this, Anno's direction turns this series into a great romantic comedy. The two main characters, Yukino and Arima, are both the top students in their high school. Yukino wanted to prove she is the best student in the high school, but she has no friends. Her plans changed after Arima found out that she was really a nerd who acted like a princess. However, Arima still loved her. The two love each other, and help each other out through tough times. They argue against their school counselor to keep their relationship, and they even struggle through sexual tension.

The sexual tension part eventually turned me off. The anime doesn't cover all the difficulties of this teenage love at the end, but even main characters make mistakes. I still think anime characters should rely on their intellect rather than their passion, but the sexual intensity reflects the turmoil of their teenage hormones.

The art direction also took a 180 degree turn on episode 19, when the flat anime characters were replaced with drawings pasted on cardboard cuttings. At this time, Director Hideaki Anno left Gainax, and future FLCL director Kazuya Tsurumaki took his place. The series grew more cartoonish, and fans eventually stopped watching the series. However, the story never faltered, even at the very end.

I don't think this is the best series. It is incomplete, and I didn't think the characters were realistic or likable enough. However, I enjoyed Anno's look at the psyche of the characters in their adventures with romance. I can only give this series a three star rating, because I've seen far better shoujo anime. But Anno's direction job makes for a great, though claustrophobic, look at shoujo romance.

This really works for someone who wants to relive their first love!

This anime is so satisfying it is hard to put into words. It is warm, loving, full of hope, filled with innocents, and just a fine piece of work.

The animation is a little dated by todays standards. It has a "classic" anime style to it which is more reminiscent of the days before it became cheaper to farm animation out to Korea.

The story is very enjoyable and it will occupy a the greater portion of a week if you don't watch them all in one sitting. (It is good enough that you may want to watch them all at once... but long enough to make that unreasonable...)

Buy this... you'll be happy did. I bought it based on someone elses review that said, "Buy it you'll be happy" so I agree with them...

This is NOT anime for fan service, sexy girls, or anything that a young man might want to pick up. No big robots, no triple "D" cup sized sex crazed space pirate women.

This is something that someone in love, has been in love, or would like to be in love could relate to. There is a sense of innocents to this work that is fabulous. Its really about being young and falling in love... it is so sweet you might need a dentist when you're done!

Also, if you liked Azumanga Daioh (which was GREAT also) you will enjoy this too.

Seriously... it is good you won't be unhappy if you pick it up.

I love Gainax, I really do, and His and Her Circumstances only improved my appreciation for this unrivaled studio. His and Her Circumstances follows the story of two high schoolers, Yukino Miyazawa and Soichiro Arima, as they struggle with love, school, and keeping the fact that they're not "perfect" from their peers, though that last bit is probably more for Yukino than Arima. A brilliant anime that is unrivaled by all others in the genre, this series deals with teenage angst in a realistic manner while at the same time remaining laugh out loud hilarious. I should mention that this is a low budget anime, but thanks to Hideaki Anno's brilliance this works to the series advantage. However, the series never comes to a complete conclusion, due to creative differences, and due to Anno leaving around the middle you'll definitely notice a shift in quality, but despite this the series remains strong and impressive throughout. I personally enjoyed each and every episode. I only wish that they had been allowed to actually finish the series...

Overall, if you're into romantic comedies with little touches of dark psychological issues (its Gainax, what did you expect?) then try out His&Her Circumstances and I have no doubt that you'll be labeling it as one of your latest favorite anime.

when two highschool students can prove to a school that they can keep their grades up and still find time for romance i just think its wonderful to prove to the world we cannot be stopped to develop an education and explore loves togetherness in a wonderful way too! thanks Pam :)

Interesting story of couple, popularity-hungry Miyazawa Yukino and moody Arima Souichiro based on a popular girls' comic in Japan with the same title. The TV series reflects what some teenagers are dealing with in real life - passing an exam; establishing an image; yearning for attention; surpassing a rival in class; getting along with a stepbrother/stepsister; smoking; and premarital sex.

Animation is simple and creatively executed. Soundtrack is very good. Japanese and English voice acting is done well. DVD extras, commentaries on Japanese culture and voice actors' interviews, are enjoyable. The problem with the series is the unncessary recaps. Besides the two episodes that solely contain recaps/summaries there are approximately five minute recap in almost every episode.

They should only charge 50% for this series, because only the first half is worth watching. By the time it got to end (if you can call it an end) my husband and I were scratching our heads in disbelief. It's like they just completely lost interest, but were forced to fill out the last disc anyway. The manga are wonderful, so I really expected better than this...