Ano Natsu de Matteru - Episode 12 (Completed)

The gang thing they've tracked down the area which might hold the secret of the memories of Ichika and her kind - now the race is on to find it before our heroine is captured and returned home.

With drones aplenty on the look out for Ichika, it's up to the others to do their best to distract them using the surprisingly proficient technology at their disposal, and of course you have to look no further than Remon for the most destructive technology of the lot - her back story is explained in hilarious fashion come the end of this final episode.  Anyhow, all this hard work pays off, allowing Kaito and Ichika to make it to the train which takes them to their destination - lo and behold, it's exactly the place from Ichika's dreams.

The bigger question at this point is, of course, whether they can find proof that aliens have visited the Earth before, and they soon seem to find just this, only to have their hopes dashed at the sole evidence of a previous love affair much like Kaito and Ichika's proves to have been destroyed.  This means that it's time to get the hankies out as our two lovers are torn from each others arms, making for a bittersweet end to a summer that was more eventful than anyone could have anticipated.  Is this really the end of the story though?  Perhaps not, as Kaito's movie takes on a life of its own at his old school, complete with a final scene that suggests there was another, unseen chapter to this rather beautiful love story.

Although I was expecting a 100% conclusive happy ending from the show's finale, this was if anything an even better way to end the series, as a bittersweet tale of love and loss, but more importantly of everything that each character had gained from their summer experiences - sometimes life is hard, but those hardships serve as experiences which underpin the personalities and lives of each and everyone of us.  Of course, this episode couldn't resist finishing with a final little sweetener, but even this isn't something I can complain about, fitting neatly as it did into the narrative without feeling too forced.  Thus, this made for a great little ending to a series that has ended up as my favourite of the winter season - since the disappointment of its first episode it's done nothing but grab me by the collar and force me to love it with its blend of comedy, romance and great characters - I've laughed, I've laughed some more and I've cried a fair bit too, which suggests that it got its tone pretty much spot on after those early mis-steps.  It can't rival Toradora in terms of my favourite anime romantic comedy of all time, but Ano Natsu de Matteru is still well up there and a great, great series to watch that I can only heartily recommend for any fans of the genre.

Ano Natsu de Matteru - Episode 11

It's always nice to have a surprise visit from a family member, especially when they've come all the way from deepest space - however, in the case of Ichika's sister, this welcome reunion soon turns out to be anything but.

While Ichika's tale of how she came to end up on earth, set off an emergency beacon and trash the rescue drone sent to find her is one thing, the fact that she now has a human boyfriend is quite another, and beyond sister Emika's surprise that such a thing could even happen there's one rather large problem here - that galactic law forbids their race from associating with a "Class F civilisation" such as humans.  Ergo, the only option from Emika's point of view is for Ichika to return home, no questions asked - something which Ichika herself is understandably more than a little reticent to do.

As Kaito tries to figure out a suitable solution to the problem and Kanna gives Ichika both barrels for resigning herself to her fate so easily, it's the ever-dependable Remon who comes to the rescue - while the whole group bands together to convince Ichika not to give in, it's Remon who has a plan ready to put into action.  In short, if the gang can find the location that Ichika has been searching for from her vision, herself and Kaito could be reprieved.  But can they really find it before time runs out and the rest of the search party track down Ichika?

I'll be the first to admit that the major plot point of this episode is something we've seen coming since pretty much the first scene of this series - it was inevitable we'd reach the moment where Ichika was forced to return home in some shape or form - but that doesn't detract from another outright fantastic episode.  From a quietly emotional first half that really caught me square in the chest without overtly pushing hard to do so, we were treated to renewed hope mixed in with some great action in the second.  If anyone steals this episode however, it's Remon, who once again controls things throughout while simultaneously increasing the sense of mystery surrounding her and proving to be downright awesome when it comes to driving a van.  We're all set for what is hopefully a beautiful ending to this wonderful series, and I simply can't wait, even if the end of this series is inevitably going to leave a gap in my heart.

Ano Natsu de Matteru - Episode 10

Last week put one of the relationships in the tangled web that is Ano Natsu de Matteru almost literally to bed, but what of the fallout from this amongst the rest of the gang?

First and foremost, it's hardly surprising to find Kanna bawling her eyes out at every opportunity after confronting Ichika, but it's the otherwise cheerful Tetsurou who is arguably the one feeling the pain the most from seeing the girl he loves heart-broken yet knowing that her setback offers little room for him in her life in Kaito's stead.  Besides which, what of Mio, who in turn has to watch Tetsurou's heartache from a distance?

Surprisingly, it's Mio who perhaps proves to be the strongest individual of the group - confronting Tetsurou with her feelings once again and imploring him to do likewise with Kanna.  It's something that he duly does despite the bad timing of it all, and who else is there to pick up the pieces in the aftermath?  Mio, of course.  If nothing else, this chain of confessions is at least pushed onwards by Tetsurou's bravery, in turn prompting Kanna to race to tell Kaito her feelings despite knowing it's all in vain.  With everything now in the open, it's business as usual for our group of friends (and one couple), although it seems like that new couple is about to receive an unexpected visitor.

To be honest, I simply don't know what to say about this week's instalment of Ano Natsu de Matteru - it's an episode that I felt rather than watched as it yanked my heart-strings, prodded my memories and made me take in every line of dialogue, movement and expression with my gut.  For all of its melancholy and heartfelt suffering, there was really something beautiful underneath it all - the strength of mind that comes from unrequited love, and the confidence to accept your feelings and share them even in the face of guaranteed rejection.  Despite those rejections... perhaps even because of them... the actions of all of the characters here are something to be aspired to - not for this series the usual menu of unspoken words, misunderstandings and bundled confessions of your typical anime show. This is the real deal; tears, raised voices, defeat, pride - the whole shooting match.  Just like real love, there were tears and smiles to be had from this episode - an enjoyable experience in retrospect despite some feelings of overwhelming sadness at the time.  As my favourite episode of my favourite show of the winter season, this was a thing of absolute beauty.

Ano Natsu de Matteru - Episode 9

No matter how occasionally clumsy any previous attempts to keep her true identity hidden from her new-found friends, there's no hiding the truth about Ichika now thanks to the rather major incident with the rescue pod despatched to save her which put in its appearance at the end of last week's episode.

Thus, there's no choice for Ichika but to explain the whole thing to the assembled group - her alien origins, her spacecraft, and of course that rescue pod.  All things considered, her friends take the whole thing in their stride for the most part, and agree to keep her secret just that from any prying eyes that may come their way.

Although this resolves any immediate issues, there's still a whole bundle of other concerns for Ichika, as she frets about exposing her friends to further danger or inconvenience... then of course there's Kaito, with her feelings for him making life incredibly difficult and leading to her more or less avoiding him entirely.  Kaito, too, has misgivings about his place in proceedings going forward, meaning that it's up to Remon to stir him into life and give him a much-needed nudge in the right direction.  Of all people, it's Kanna who does likewise for Ichika, confronting her with both her own feelings and her realisation of what Kaito and Ichika have come to mean for one another.  With one relationship thus cemented (for the time being at least), just where is this series going to take us next?

Despite the revelations to the gang at the end of the previous instalment, the first half of this week's Ano Natsu de Matteru was actually a little slow, and perhaps rightly so as it let things sink in as well as granting us a quick glimpse back into Kanna's first meeting with Kaito.  This slow pace did little to prepare me for what was to come next, with Kanna in particular putting herself agonisingly in the proverbial firing line for the sake of the boy she loves - a painfully beautiful scene followed by the sweetest of confessions between the show's new couple.  It's the bitter-sweet journey of love summed up in few simple minutes, and it's why there's nothing but utter love in my heart for this series now come the end of another largely marvellous episode.

Ano Natsu de Matteru - Episode 8

Thank heavens for alcohol... at least, if you're Kaito that is, as he doesn't have to worry about Kanna remembering bearing witness to his almost-but-not-quite-kiss with Ichika.

Of course, Kaito himself has no chance of forgetting such a thing, and Ichika is struggling to keep her mind from it too having returned from Okinawa.  While there have been no seismic shifts in anyone's relationship status as a result of that break, both Kaito and Mio have clearly changed on account of their encounters and experiences during that period - if they haven't noticed it themselves, then those close to them most certainly have, with Testsurou and Kanna both realising that something has changed with their friends.

Still, such worries are put aside as it's festival night in town, giving everyone within the group a chance to let their hair down and have fun together - that is, until Remon shows up.  Of course, her appearance can only mean one thing - another session of arch manipulation of the emotions of those around her, and this time that comes by challenging the group to a good old-fashioned test of courage.  The entire event proves to be an elaborate, theatrical play, as she carefully matches up her "actors" and then ensures that the scenario develops to show everyone's true feelings.  Surely even Remon hasn't accounted for what eventually transpires however, as Rinon's recent panic proves ultimately to be well-founded as Ichika's secret and recent happiness looks set to come crashing down around her.

Yet again there's an easy, simple joy that comes from watching Ano Natsu de Matteru as it focuses week on week upon bouncing its major characters off one another in their tangled web of love and friendship.  This makes for some beautiful moments and times and heart-rending scenes at others - I think my heart actually broke when Kaito runs off to leave Kanna in the darkness to see to Ichika, while his determination to save Ichika from her fate no matter what was rather beautiful in its own way.  Such is the simple formula of this series - if you love its characters, then you'll be emotionally invested in everything that happens to them, and with that in mind Ano Natsu de Matteru is well and truly doing a number on me each and every week.  From the scheming Remon through to poor, poor Kanna, I adore each and everyone in this series and as a result, just like them, I don't want their summer to end.

Ano Natsu de Matteru - Episode 7

One of the staple parts of the winter anime season so far has been Ano Natsu de Matteru's weekly "wait, you can't leave us hanging there!" moments, and last week's instalment served us up another doozy - Mio interrupting Arisawa's fervent pursuit of Tetsurou in shameful fashion while Ichika stumbles across Kaori's confession to Kaito without really getting the full gist of the situation.

By the time the gang reassemble to recommence filming, none of these issues have been directly resolved (unless you count Mio putting some pants on), meaning that once again Remon gets to oversee a recording session that is electric with tension far beyond mere acting at her contrived movie script.  It's clear that something has to give, and it seems as though most of the parties involved in proceedings are determined to push things forward no matter what.

Thus, the show's various romantic permutations continue to be juggled for all except poor Kanna, who is left behind in their chalet with nothing but Remon, cosplay and lots of beer to keep her company.  Meanwhile, Tetsurou goes on the run from Arisawa again before finding himself helped by Mio - a development which turns into an almost literal tug of love scenario before mention of Mio's perversions leads to the poor girl pouring out her life story... and a confession to Tetsurou.  Who knows where that relationship is headed next.  Meanwhile, Kaori's message to meet Kaito in town is pre-empted by Ichika meeting her first, getting the full low-down on the situation she ran into during last week's cliff-hanger and finding her path to Kaito clear if she so wishes.  Even Kaito himself seems emboldened by recent events into making his feelings clear, even if his big moment is interrupted once again.  He might want to hurry, as there's an impression that all involved may be living on borrowed time right now.

Sure, it's packed to the rafters with youthful, romantic melodrama to an almost insane degree, but Ano Natsu de Matteru continues to work wonders with its characters and content - almost every sentence is rich with meaning and possibility, and it's genuinely hard not to be swept up in the moment over and over again this episode from Mio's breathless confession through to Arisawa's tears, and from Kaito and Ichika's growing closeness to poor Kanna's distance from the rest.  It really is utterly, utterly compelling, mostly on account of its likeable characters - you want to cheer them all on, and I can see there being plenty more smiles and tears to come if the series carries on in this wonderful vein.  Between you and me, I think this might just be my favourite show of the season now - a far cry from its uninspired and disappointing first episode.

Ano Natsu de Matteru - Episode 6

Kanna might not have the guts to confess to Kaito, but it seems that Tetsurou has no such qualms about letting his friend in on the secret - whether it's for his own gain or out of a sense of loyalty for Kaito is, however, another question entirely.

Still, any such worries are soon put on the back burner as our group of friends run into a bit of good fortune in the form of a bunch of tickets for a holiday in Okinawa, much to the excitement of Ichika in particular.  Yes, that effectively means that it's beach episode time for Ano Natsu de Matteru, but there's much more to it than simply bikinis and beachballs.

Things really get shaken up when Kaito runs into a childhood friend of his named Kaori - a childhood friend who he'd also promised to marry in that impetuous way that kids do.  It's a revelation that sets a cat amongst the pigeons as far as Kanna and Ichika are concerned, while Kaori's friend Arisawa does a similar number on poor Mio thanks to her instant interest in Tetsurou.  As if an afternoon of this wasn't hardship enough for both guys and girls, of course Remon can't resist playing the latest in her series of devilish games by inviting the two girls to join them for filming - if it's part of a plan to get everyone concerned to confess their actual feelings, then it certainly seems well-poised to work come the end of this week's episode.

All I can really say about this latest instalment of Ano Natsu de Matteru is that it's a whole lot of fun - now that we're well and truly in on all of the inter-relationships between characters it's enjoyable just watching their reactions to developments, and although its melodrama is clichéd that doesn't stop it being great entertainment.  On top of all that, the great thing is that all of the major characters are so likeable - as I mentioned last week, they're flawed and very human right down to the alien interloper, but they're all equally lovable in their own ways to leave you just as torn about who deserves a happy ending to this tale as those directly involved.  No matter how things pan out, and even with its moments of fan service, I'm certainly deriving a vast amount of enjoyment from watching it happen at the moment as we reach the show's half-way point.

Ano Natsu de Matteru - Episode 5

The summer break is here at last, and that means time for the gang to begin filming for their epic movie project.

With Remon directing proceedings, things were always likely to get interesting, but I doubt anyone present quite envisaged her plan for the movie - ignoring the fact that she's writing the script on a day by day basis and letting the "actors" improvise all of their lines, her core concept sees Ichika take on a role as an alien who has visited Earth for a destined meeting with a boy.  I believe the word "meta" springs to mind - for the viewer at least, perhaps "blind panic" would be more appropriate for Ichika.  As filming goes on, Remon's plotting seems to be even more devious, as she throws Tetsurou into the ring as the lead male seemingly in the knowledge that he's going to do something sufficiently stupid within the film's framework to allow Kaito to take his place.

Come the next day, rain stops any progress being made with filming, which instead leads to Kanna paying Kaito's house a visit and staying for lunch - an impulsive visit which she ultimately regrets, wracking herself with guilt over asking Ichika how long she expects to stay in the area.  On her way home, a meeting with Tetsurou in the rain leads to her staunchly refusing to even consider the notion of confessing her feelings to Kaito - then again, it appears that she won't have to as this decision is taken out of her hands completely.

After its awful start, Ano Natsu de Matteru seems to be getting better and better not just by the episode, but by the scene.  This week's instalment was an absolutely wonderful study of its characters and the complex relationships between them - every line, whether delivered under the pretence of "acting" or in normal conversation, was leapt upon by another in a search for hidden (and usually) absent meaning, while every characters motives are always clear even if they aren't necessarily sensible.  Ultimately, this leaves us with a set of people who feel incredibly human (and yes, I am including the alien in the group) - this is how you'd expect the dynamic of a young mixed gender group to be, and it's depicted beautifully, while also ensuring that we're always left with a tantalising cliff hanger every single week.  I didn't think I'd ever be saying this after its showing in episode one, but I'm seriously falling in love with this series.

Ano Natsu de Matteru - Episode 4

There are a fair number of things you wouldn't want a girl you liked to do to you, whether it's suddenly starting to ignore you seemingly at random one day or walking off to catch the nearest train after you've made a half-baked confession of sorts to her one evening.

It's the latter problem which confronts both Kaito and Ichika as this fourth episode of Ano Natsu de Matteru begins, and neither of them knows how to handle the situation, leading to a decidedly awkward morning greeting between them.  While Kaito knows how he feels about Ichika, our leading lady seems a little less certain - she likes Kaito well enough, but the problem of what is likely to be a fleeting stay in the area weights heavily on her mind.

As both parties come to a decision in their respective heads about how to handle things, so a spanner is thrown into the works courtesy of Tetsurou's older sister Manami - her decision to "kidnap" Kaito for a binge of shopping and leisure is totally misunderstood by Ichika as she sees the couple drive by, and her stalking of them does nothing to dissuade her mistake to the point where she sets about trying to forcibly drag Kaito out of the house before finally learning the error of her ways.  Although her behaviour proves a point about her feelings for Kaito, the situation between them is ultimately put to the back of their minds as they focus on other things - studying, primarily, as the group build up and then break up for the summer holiday which, it seems, is where the real fun is going to begin.

Following a pretty decent past couple of episodes, this week's Ano Natsu de Matteru felt a little weak - for the second instalment in a row we had a main story based on a misunderstanding, only this time around there was no real novelty to it, instead taking on the clichéd old idea of "girl sees guy with another female, girl stalks couple, girl gets wrong idea until misunderstanding is resolved".  It was all a little bit dull really, and spiced up only marginally by Ichika's extra-terrestrial powers and Remon's... well, similarly impressive powers.  At least with the summer break upon its characters, it seems that we're about to reach the meat of this particular series - it has everything in place to deliver, so I can only hope it has something more innovative in mind than the fare delivered here.

Ano Natsu de Matteru - Episode 3

The effects of the alcohol consumed by all and sundry last episode might have worn off, but the foggy memories of the previous day haven't quite worn off by the next morning.

While Kanna soon finds herself faced by some minor embarrassment from that afternoon courtesy of Remon, this is as of nothing compared to the worries of Kaito and Ichika, with the former imagining a horribly bungled confession which will see him become the laughing stock of his friends while the latter becomes increasingly convinced that her secret alien origins have been outed to Kirishima.  In Kaito's case, his worries are bad enough for him to skip school and avoid Ichika, which ultimately only leads to the others worrying about exactly what's up with him.

Kaito is still feeling sore about his imagined rejection even once school has finished, and his continued desire to avoid his new housemate leads to him going out into town with Kanna when she stops by to see how he's doing.  As the two wander and chat, little do they know that they're being followed... at least, they don't until Remon gets a little too over-exuberant in her attempts to film the wonders of their youth.  Ultimately all's well that ends well, as Kaito and Ichika quite literally bump into one another and eventually clear up their relative misunderstandings, although it seems that in doing so they've set about a whole other chain of awkward events.

Having noted a definite improvement in episode two of this series following a disappointing opener, I have to similarly note that this third episode is improved yet again - now we're a little more familiar with the characters and set-up everything feels tighter and more relevant, while the rampant fan service of episode one is virtually nowhere to be seen here.  Admittedly, this instalment does go down the tired old "misunderstanding" route so beloved of anime romantic comedy, but its resolution and what followed was sweet enough, and curiously my attention has actually been grabbed the most forcibly by the show's secondary characters - beside Remon acting excellently as a cipher for comedic trouble-making, the dynamic between Tetsurou and Mio was both fascinating and slightly beautiful in the way it was portrayed.  Hopefully this isn't something that's forgotten as the series moves forward - some of the best romantic comedy series of recent times (Kimi ni Todoke and Toradora) have made great use of secondary relationships, and I'd really like to see Ano Natsu de Matteru do likewise.  I'm not going to start declaring my love for this series just yet, but it's beginning to impinge upon my heart a little, so only time will tell if finds the relevant strings to pluck and win me over entirely.

Ano Natsu de Matteru - Episode 2

After a far too predictable opener, Ano Natsu de Matteru's second episode kicks off with an explanation of how Ichika Takatsuki fell out of the sky from her own point of view, thanks to a seemingly frivolous journey to try and find an image she has stuck in her head gone horribly wrong.  Not that anything went particularly right for Kai during the incident either, mind you...

With that out of the way and our new guest's credentials as an alien confirmed (as if it were necessary), Kai and, more specifically, Ichika have some explaining to do about the embrace they were found in with the latter almost naked at the end of last week's instalment.  Although Ichika's attempts to cover up her true origins are clumsy at best, she does enough to pass off any major suspicion - indeed, Kai's sister Nanami seems more than happy to let her stay in the family home to look after her brother while she's away on business, although of course love rival Kanna is a little less happy at the prospect.

Given that unhappiness, it's also no shock that Kanna has quickly blabbed about Kai and Ichika's new living arrangement to the rest of their mutual group of friends - thus, when they both return from seeing off Kai's sister (and some comprehensive shopping for new clothes for Ichika, even female aliens love to shop it seems), it turns out that their meeting regarding Kai's summer film project has been moved slap bang into the middle of his house.  After some discussions about where they should film and what the movie should be about, a mixture of the drink being served and general malaise turns things in a more frivolous and frank direction, leading through to yet another pang of pain and illness from our protagonist that Ichika has to "kiss better".

Compared to my massive disappointment with episode one, things did feel a little sharper this time around for Ano Natsu de Matteru - it's a little less reliant upon fan service, and a little more settled in what it's trying to do now the cat called Ichika is out of the bag, for the viewer at least.  Despite that however, you simply can't shake the feeling that there's nothing special here to lift the show beyond mediocrity right now - its characters are dull and two-dimensional in terms of personality, and their situations do nothing to grab you or make you care about them in the slightest.  There's still time for these things to build, but the early signs still aren't exactly great from a series I expected far, far more from.

Ano Natsu de Matteru - Episode 1

Kaito Kirishima (or "Kai" to his friends) is a budding film-maker with a love of the humble film camera - a hobby which very much relates to his opening monologue querying what happens when someone dies and the importance of leaving an indelible mark on the world as a result.  Ironically, his pondering about death is well-timed, as some late night star gazing leads to a mysterious incident that looks set to end his life.

Waking up the next morning, these events and the mysterious hand which saved him from his fate seem like nothing more than a dream, so it's off to school for Kai as he discusses his summer project of making a movie with his friends.  Enter mysterious transfer student Ichika Takatsuki, a girl who is red of hair and uncertain of the everday pleasantries of life, marking her out as rather an odd one.  Given her looks, and perhaps something a little deeper, Kai is immediately drawn towards Ichika as the potential star of his as yet unplanned movie, to the fascination of some of his friends and the irritation of others.

The plot only thickens further when it turns out that Takatsuki has nowhere to stay and some decidedly heavy luggage - although Kai can only dream of inviting her to stay at his place, such dreams end up turning into reality... not a moment too soon either, as the true impact of Kai's earlier accident eventually manage to catch up with him, leading to a dangerous situation for our protagonist and a decidedly awkward one for his new guest.

Given its staff and possibilities, I had high hopes for Ano Natsu de Matteru, and although I won't say they've been dashed just one episode in I have to confess they look more than a little dented at this moment in time.  There's still plenty of room for it to improve and head in some interesting directions, but this opener was almost generic throughout and felt far from fresh and original, with early elements that feel a little like Birdy the Mighty: Decode meets AnoHana, but with a vein running through it of the utterly predictable from strange transfer students through to the male protagonist ending up with strange transfer student living in his house.  It's all been done to death before, so I only hope that Ano Natsu de Matteru can manage to do it differently somehow - I haven't completely lost faith in it yet.