Product Details

• Actors: Tony Pope, Karen Strassman, Soichiro Hoshi, Ayako Kawasumi, Akiko Hiramatsu
• Directors: Masami Shimoda
• Writers: Katsuhiko Takayama, Kenichi Kanemaki, Kou Fumizuki, Masashi Kubota
• Format: Animated, Color, DVD, NTSC
• Language: English, Japanese
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rating: Unrated
• Studio: Geneon [Pioneer]
• DVD Release Date: June 24, 2003
• Run Time: 120 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00008Z47C
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #55,484 in Movies & TV (See Bestsellers in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Just as Kaoru begins to adjust to hiding his love for Aoi while living with three other girls, a new girl arrives! Mayu Mizuki has been living abroad with her parents, but has returned to enroll in college and pursue her childhood crush on Kaoru- but will Aoi give her the lessons she needs to reach Kaoru’s heart? Meanwhile, Kaoru secretly starts multiple part-time jobs to buy a special gift for Aoi, but Aoi suspects Kaoru is avoiding her. Will their love be able to withstand the pressure of doubt and new distractions?

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary, April 3, 2005

By	L. Mintah "Author of the Heart" (USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Ai Yori Aoshi - Vol. 3: Hugs & Kisses is the third DVD in the "Ai Yori Aoshi, Faithfully Yours" series. "Faithfully Yours" is not to be confused with the sequel series, "Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi." Hugs & Kisses contains five episodes, 11 - 15.

Episode 11 - "Debutante" - The debutante is annoying, spoiled, but lonely Mayu Miyuki. Having met Kaoru when she was a child at a family picnic, she is very attached to him and wants him to spend all his time with her. She railroads in and makes an instant enemy out of Tina.

Episode 12 - "Kiss" - Mayu plants one on Kaoru. Aoi hears about it from Tina and Tae, and is devastated, but keeps it to herself. Meanwhile, Kaoru is spending the night with Mayu! How will Aoi handle this news? And how will Kaoru handle himself?

Episode 13 - "Star Festival" - This episode takes place during the Japanese holiday where, once a year according to legend, the Celestial Maiden and her lover are allowed to meet. It is a joyous time to make wishes. All of the gang have wishes. Will they come true? Plus, it is Aoi's birthday. What will Kaoru get her?

Episode 14 - "Servant" - Guess who's wearing a maid uniform and helping out (as badly as Tae) at the Sakuraba mansion? Mayu wants to learn to be domestic to impress Kaoru and land him as a husband. Unaware of the real nature of Aoi's and Kaoru's relationship, Mayu is loud and stomps all over Aoi's feelings, calling Aoi "the caterer."

Episode 14 - "Feelings of the Heart" - Wow!!!!! The best of the bunch. An extraordinary episode, a tearjerker. Since Kaoru and Aoi are from prestigious kimono-making families, and love and appreciate kimonos, the viewer will get to share in those feelings in a big way. I love this episode, and I appreciate this series for it's intimate look into Japanese culture and tradition.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More than just "cute"., July 10, 2003

By	Bryan Weber (San Angelo, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Alot of people are dismissing Ai Yori Aoshi as just another Oh My Goddess or Love Hina. They couldn't be more wrong. While both are well known romantic comedies, they lack something at their core that fills this series...a sense that their is something real to it.
There is a genuine warmth to Kaoru, and to Aoi as well. This disc provides them with yet another obstacle to overcome; a stuck up rich girl named Mayu. Mayu knows Kaoru from some time before, and is carrying a crush on him. And while she is outwardly obnoxious, it is to hide a deep fear of abandonment.
Meanwhile, Kaoru must continue to hide his relationship with Aoi to prevent a scandal within her family.
Add to that the financial woes of trying to earn enough money to find a birthday present for Aoi, leading to yet more miscommunication, and you have more than just a romantic comedy. There is real drama here, and through it all, there is real hope for the two lovers to come together.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Some jiggling, some laughter, some tears..., July 2, 2003

By	Jason (Chesapeake, VA United States) - See all my reviews

If you've made it this far into the series, I needn't go on about the technical aspects of the disc...I'll talk more about story line. While the second disc didn't have very much in the way of relationship development, disc 3 (Hugs and Kisses) has some very significant developments. Unlike the Ranma 1/2 series, Ai Yori Aoshi does not keep you waiting for something to happen.

While a couple of the episodes struck me as little more than fillers and side stories, they too have a part in the main story line.
Though liberally splashed with crude jokes and jiggle humor, the stories on this disc play an important role in character developments. Granted that Kaoru and Aoi are the MAIN characters, the series would not be as much fun as it is, were the others not there.

Yes, it does appeal to the fanboy masses...but really...who wants to see a TOTALLY serious love Anime. The humor makes the smiles just that much sweeter...

Personally, I enjoyed this disc, and can hardly wait for the remaining two disc to release!