A slightly more risque shonen-ai series than the norm, where
it's made quite clear early on that the central couple is sexually active. Pink-haired
genki teen pop-singer Shuuichi meets the older, caustic romance-writer Yuki, and
the complicated courtship ensues. All the staples of the shonen-ai and J-pop genres
are present: evil rival bands, family members of questionable morality, childhood
traumas, and the big concert in the last episode. There's a decent balance between
these two sources and the plot works because it moves very fast. The inclusion
of some absolutely insane comedy to go with the angst sometimes works to great
effect. Other times, it can stops the plot dead in its tracks, kill all traces
of atmosphere, and make us question the sanity of the writers. In any case, it's
a nice change from the insistent moroseness of other shounen-ai.
Animation
is decent, and the obligatory J-pop isn't bad at all. Designs are slightly odd,
with no regard to portraying relative ages correctly. Writing and plotting are
consistently good, if a little eyebrow-raising at times due to the subject matter.
The mood seems to swing from pure comedy to pure angst, but not all the transitions
are smooth. The show depends on the characters, namely Shuuichi and Yuki. Both
are very strong personalities and the relationship that develops between them
is a great watch. The secondaries are also fun, especially the enigmatic Touma.
One particularly nice bit about this anime is the collection of seiyuu that were
assembled for it. Nearly every cast member is famous for another show and it's
guaranteed that more than one voice will sound awfully familiar.
