Product Details

• Actors: Megumi Seki, Ryo Kase, Sho Sakurai, Yusuke Iseya, Yuu Aoi
• Directors: Masahiro Takada
• Format: Anamorphic, Color, Dolby, NTSC
• Language: Japanese
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: Unrated
• Studio: VIZ Pictures, Inc.
• DVD Release Date: May 13, 2008
• Run Time: 116 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B0014Z4ONY
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #132,364 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• For more information about "Honey & Clover" visit the Internet Movie Database (IMDb)

Editorial Reviews

HONEY AND CLOVER - DVD Movie

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Prosaic, threadbare fun, May 8, 2008

By 

Daitokuji31 (Black Glass) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Honey & Clover (DVD)

Honey & Clover opens at the home of Hanamoto Shuji, a scruffy, rumpled art professor who allows his students and students from other departments to crash at his home and have drinking parties. At this particular party, three female students are busy criticizing the appearance of a fellow student named Takemoto whose healthy appearance, cheerfulness, and ability to wear shorts differs him from is melancholy, alcoholic, and chain-smoking classmates, although he too does enjoy his alcohol and cigarettes. Others of note include Mayama, a serious young man who is in love with his boss: Harada Rika, and Yamada, a long-haired, large-eyed young woman whose love for Mayama goes unreciprocated. Needing more beer, Mayama and Takemoto rush upstairs to discover a young woman sporting disheveled hair and vivid clothing busily painting an abstract work. Later, they learn that the girl is Hanamoto Hagumi, nicknamed Hagu, Dr. Hanamoto's niece, whom the professor asks Takemoto to look after because the girl, although a brilliant artist, is quite naïve and unable to get by on her lonesome.

Takemoto, according to Mayama, instantly falls in love with the girl, and does everything in his power to be with her. Although shy, Hagu is quite receptive to Takemoto, but does not see her upperclassman's new found love for her. Things begin to become more troublesome when an older student, Morita, returns from his trip abroad. A gifted wood sculptor, Morita instantly recognizes Hagu's artistic ability, and although she is a bi put off by Morita's brusqueness at first, Hagu also recognizes Morita's ability and a close friendship forms. What is the poor boy Takemoto to do?

Based on a long running manga that stretched from 2000-06, Honey & Clover suffers from what quite a few series suffers from when based on a long running manga: crushing too many characters and storylines within a limited time space. However, being that there are also an anime version and a live action drama of the series, a number of these problems can be overlooked. Yet, the film, although quite comedic, is pretty prosaic and sticks primarily to the themes of love triangles and unrequited love. On the other hand, the film is lovely and the acting is well done with a number of well know stars. Aoi Yu as Hagu is adorable, but her childlike innocence makes her involvement, albeit unbeknownst to her, a little uncomfortable at times.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Cute Adaption of a Beloved Series, November 4, 2010

By 

RavenRing (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Honey & Clover (DVD)

Takemoto is a struggling student at an art college, with no goals or ambitions. One day he sees a girl painting and it is love at first sight (on his part). Unluckily for him, his friend Morita also falls in love with her, and unluckily for both of them, Hagumi is totally oblivious to both of their affections. A story of the crazy antics of art and love, and the purity of art and love.

I got this film because I enjoyed the Honey & Clover manga, so I already knew the characters and story. I've watched several live action adaptions of various anime/manga series, and this one was one of the better adaptions I've seen. As with all live action adaptions, this one tries to cram to much into too little, but even someone who is unfamiliar with Honey & Clover could catch on quickly. Yes, they will miss those tiny details and obscure references, but it won't take away from their overall viewing experience. I watched this with several friends and my sisters. The friends hadn't seen/read Honey & Clover, the sisters had. Everyone enjoyed it and thought it was a cute film, but one friend (a guy no less! and not an anime fan), really liked it. No one thought it was confusing, or incomplete. It actually wraps up the story pretty well while leaving room for a sequel (not that they will do one).

The actors fit their roles quite well. It is always hard to take an anime/manga character, with their weird hair, huge eyes, and extreme hight differences (Hagumi is really short), and have them come to life in real people. I still vastly prefer the anime versions of the characters, but I came to accept their live action counterparts during the course of the movie. Other than the characters, there are no other elements in Honey & Clover that have trouble translating to live action. It was nice to see the college and dorms made real.

Overall, this is a good movie for fans of Honey & Clover, and people who had never heard of it, good for anime fans, and people who don't care about anime. It costs a little more than I would like to pay for a movie, but it isn't wildly exorbitant. I think it is a good rental movie, fun with friends or family. Enjoy!

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Japanese Movie Adaptation, August 8, 2008

By 

Elizabeth Plavdjian "Ryter" - See all my reviews

This review is from: Honey & Clover (DVD)

I'm a big fan of Japanese actor, Sho Sakurai -- who plays the main character, Takemoto -- as well as being a fan of the manga, Honey & Clover. This adaptation, while not 100% accurately portraying the manga, does a fair job.

It is revolves around 5 art-school college students. Takemoto falls in love with Hagu at first sight -- the niece of his art professor. Hagu is a prodigy artist who specializes in abstract paintings. The other art-prodigy is Morita (who has been in the art school for 8 years and has yet to graduate), a wood-sculpture major, and he and Hagu seem to have a special bond over their talent and passion for art - thereby setting up a love triangle. The other 2 characters are Morita and Yamada, both victims of unrequited love. Morita loves his boss, Rika, and Yamada loves Morita. It is an eternal stalemate where neither wants to give up loving their respective interests. The story sets up as Morita returning for a prolonged absence, whereupon he's going to have an art show he's not to thrilled about. In the end, he ends up getting some bad reviews as well as good ones, and an artwork of his his bought. Hagu is encouraged to enter an art competition, but in order to win, she must not enter her abstract works, and instead do a real-life painting.

Themes in this movie that run strong are the nostalgic memories of friendship and youth, as well as the pain and joy of first love. The movie as an artistic, nostalgic feel about it, which I believe was the director's goal. There are a lot of silent moments, accompanied by piano-playing music in the background, and slight bits of humor. The orginal manga is truly heart-warming and interesting. For me, although there are many fans of this movie, I believe it falls short, in some ways. It's still a good movie, but not exactly lively. However, I believe artist fans, and fans of the manga might enjoy it!