You've heard it before - two days ago to be exact - but a moment doesn't need to be serious to be brilliant.Sometimes it just has to bring that 'awesome factor' to the table, that feeling that you wouldn't be able to experience this anywhere else.It's that moment where it just clicks, where you realize why you've been watching a show all along and that you've been loving it the whole way. It might be a ridiculous moment or a funny one, but it's one that really sums up the feeling of the anime as a whole, condensed into one top-notch scene.Quite often these moments come in the closing periods of a show, when the side characters, the side stories, the plot all comes together for one final hurrah, one last great burst of enthusiasm before drawing the story to a close.And what better show to emphasize the side characters, to give them a fitting send-off, then Tokimeki Memorial in its final episode.12 Moments of Anime 2007#8 Tokimeki Memorial ~only love~ - 25"Bread Girl's Last Stand"In a world in which harem anime is becoming increasingly dramatic, one anime stands between the fandom and... wait, wrong script.But in all seriousness, light harem shows are getting increasingly ditched in favor of tension-filled visual-novel adaptations; perhaps School Days and Myself;Yourself isn't enough to mark a trend, but certainly there are very few anime out there now which step lightly on the drama scale.Or at least, there are very few that don't go off the deep end of fanservice.Tokimeki Memorial is one of those shows in the middle, offering both mild plot and mild fanservice for a easily-digestible watch that some might describe as a touch tepid. Certainly if you're looking for something that's going to excite your senses (one way or the other), the slow-paced, easily-choreographed TokiMemo won't be incredibly attractive.But there's something to be said about a truly light-hearted harem/romance these days, and TokiMemo is a great example of an anime that one can watch for fun and entertainment, above all else.It's a show that never really takes itself seriously. Even some of the most dramatic moments have been aborted by a running joke, or sudden comedy; something that may be a bit jarring to some, but once you get used to the style of the show it's not that horrible.Since, to be honest, you don't watch TokiMemo for the romance.You'd be rather dissapointed, because you could tune in to the show for about 5 minutes, figure out that Sayuri's, the mostly boring school idol, was going to win the heart of Riku, the mostly boring male lead, and cross another show off the 'finished' list.The secondary main characters were mildly more interesting. Tsukasa and Mina were both equally enamored with Riku, but had entertaining twists on their personality archetypes. Tsukasa was the genki girl with a touch of pensiveness. Mina was the shy girl with a touch of courage.They were both very good characters to root for, but eventually one remembers that the two of them have Nayuki Club stamped all over them. There's only so much fun in rooting for the minor victory, the battle won with the war inevitably lost.However, the side characters, to be honest, are what make TokiMemo shine, what make it a truly enjoyable anime. TokiMemo, more than any school anime in recent memory, really feels like a fully-fleshed out school. As opposed to the infamous One Teacher Schools of many anime, there is more than just one classmate, one principal, and so on.There's a full class set of teachers, from the typically pleasant homeroom teacher, to the sickly classical lit teacher, to the mad scientist, and a wide range of faculty.The clubs all have charismatic leaders; the narcissistic track runner, the energetic volleyball captain, and the oh-I-wish-I-weren't-so-endowed swimming star.The classroom is full of personalities, from Sayuri's gently goading friend, to the obligatory Hopeless Friends (plus the macho variant), the soft-hearted delinquent, the meganekko, the unforgettable chick (literally) Piyoko, and all the other assist-characters for the main heroines / hero.A lot of these had one, if not many, sub-plots devoted to them as well. Mi-chan's (Mina's friend) quest to snag the heart of delinquent Inukai, the homeroom teacher's online adventures, something involving that one afro-sporting goddess; some might pass this off as filler, but in the largely aimless domain known as Tokimeki Memorial, it's just more of a broad focus than anything else.It's the full package, a smorgasboard of characters that, even if they didn't have distinct story, showed up often enough and had actual speaking roles often enough to prove that, yes, they existed, and really contributed to making this show.The infamous Bread Lady is one of the characters that symbolizes this attitude of TokiMemo. No one knows her name (perhaps Kohaku?), but everyone by the end knows her reputation as the vengeful person who never drops that almost mischievous smile.Throughout the course of the show she sets fireworks under the stage of a school event, drops an entire room full of jocks, and tricks more than her share of gullible students. It all caps off in the final episode (yeah, there's a moment in her somewhere) where, together with Riku's loyal if not inept friends, she vows to hold off the hordes of Amamiya fanboys...with weapons straight from the military.I'm pretty sure an automatic weapon wielded by two students and a bread lady would be the last thing I'd see in a harem/romance, but in a show with a light-hearted, zany demeanor such as TokiMemo, it just works.It's so ridiculous, so over-the-top, so - fitting - that I consider it completely brilliant. It's one of those moments that really confirms why I watched TokiMemo; for the reality-mocking, no-holds-barred, wild sense of humor it has, with a dash or two of simple-style romance. TokiMemo is what I consider THE year's example of side characters done right.Sanae Furukawa, here's what you have to live up to.-CCY
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9. Tokimeki Memorial Only Love The Tokimeki Memorial franchise has a storied history. The original game and its sequels are often considered the quintessential dating sim. The franchise is also unique for its lack of adult content; porn sells bishoujo games, obviously, but Tokimeki Memorial has always managed to get by without. [...]
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"It's said that if on the day of the Graduation Ceremony, if a couple declares their love for each other under that tree, they will always be happy."It's so cheesy; it's so Tokimeki Memorial.The surprisingly long-running "dating sim" Tokimeki Memorial has always had at least in some form a reference to this trademark of the series, a tree which the protagonist's goal is to get a confession under.The anime version is no exception, and probably like the games that predated it, it builds it's show using these basic building blocks. Tokimeki Memorial ~only love~ is a very no-frills, straight-forward, one might say obvious harem/romance school life anime, and if you've seen any of these before, and if you see the first 5 minutes or so of the first episode, you'll know what to expect here.To that sense, Tokimeki Memorial is the bread and butter show of a bread and butter genre. Harem/romance anime are one of the more popular types, appealing to a large and largely male audience. Tokimeki Memorial features many of the popular types of harem characters. The school idol. The energetic girl. The shy girl. And the mostly gutless male lead urged on by his companions who in no order are 1) womanizers, 2) unnecessarily masculine, and 3) soft-hearted delinquents. You see it once, you've seen it all.So, the question is: why why why shouldn't you hate TokiMemo a lot, forever?As predictable as it is, as cookie-cutter as it is, TokiMemo has sort of a charm to it, something that makes it stand out a bit from the crowd.It boasts strong points where many other anime lack - the side characters go above and beyond and go very far towards carrying a show with somewhat predictable main characters. The mood never strays too far into overblown drama, always keeping somewhat of a light side and never shying away from devolving into sanity. The main characters do break their stereotypes at times - some might say in stereotypical ways - but certainly you can't pigeonhole the main three entirely into one block.And, on a less objective sense, it's really a very good looking show.Tokimeki Memorial ~only love~ isn't groundbreaking. If you hate harem shows, school life shows, romance shows in general, you're going to get bored of this faster than Makoto Itou does with whoever the hell he's with now. (If you're from the future where people have finally talked about School Days, substitute "very fast".)Even if you do have a fondness for shows like this, TokiMemo is really day-to-day. You might think it's too predictable in the face of shows like Shuffle!. You might think the lead character is too cowardly in the face of guys like Yuuichi. You might think that this show doesn't maintain enough of a down-to-earth aura like - well, what has accomplished that? Honey & Clover (which I really need to see)?But TokiMemo is one of shows that defies comparison; it's one that may not have a huge draw, fanbase, or, even a large blog presence, but if you like this show, you'll really like this show.Certainly I have it to thank for drawing me back into anime, and so perhaps my view is colored by the 6-month-long journey this show has taken me on. But I really have a lot of praise for a show that, among harem shows, could be surprising good despite all the ground it retreads.(Do I really need to say "Spoilers after the jump"?)First off, yes, Riku Aoba isn't really that great of a harem lead. He's the uber-stereotypical harem lead, with not much to say to stand up for himself. Even in the end, when we came down to the confession, Sayuri monopolized most of the conversation. He seems much more powerful in presence than he does in manner, considering how much he's affected the rest of the school.But the characters around him do a surprising amount to make up for him. The main haremettes aren't incredibly strong but none of them are really dislikable and all of them do have strong points to their character.Sayuri Amamiya, the chosen girl from the first moment she appears on screen, started out as one of the weaker characters. The Unbelievably Perfect School Idol is so incredibly cliche and dull that it was quite easy to be driven to rooting against Sayuri (which, admittedly, is like trying to will time to go backwards), but she did undergo the personality change one would expect from a character like her; the cracking of the perfect exterior to reveal a very human and dynamic personality. Admittedly she pulled it off quite well, and complete with her long confession to Riku at the end Sayuri doesn't seem like an overly horrible character. Not an overly appealing one either, as being the Untouchable Idol she didn't do a lot towards winning Riku, but in a pinch Sayuri's not too bad, y'know?Tsukasa Kasuga (two familiar names, now put together) is the token really energetic girl that attaches herself to Riku surprisingly early - episode 2! Tsukasa is pretty much what you would expect - a very hyper and talkative girl who parades around with her arm around Riku a lot; with her dark side being somewhat predictable, but again, executed very well with her beginning to develop doubt that just maybe - maybe as in maybe the sky is blue - Riku has eyes for someone else. In the end her hard struggle to put on a happy exterior for her man 110% of the time, and her development of real feelings for him may not have paid off for her in the end, but it certainly was rewarding for us to watch.Mina Yayoi is the arguable fan favorite from what I've seen, representing the underdog, underclassman shy girl faction. As is probably well known these people never win but they're always the most adorable ones when they blush so hard that their face resembles a Ferrari. Mina breaks the mold a bit as well as it was proven time and time again that yes, she does have guts and she's not afraid to confront Riku directly with her feelings - something that Riku needs to take a lesson from himself. Mina is definitely a strong character, and sports quite good development, broadening out from a simply moe character to an admirably strong one.But where TokiMemo really wins is the side characters. Not just the side characters, like Riku's friends, but the side characters. The ones you'd expect to only see in still or establishing shots.Not to say that the real side characters aren't bad. Riku's friends are typical guy friends, being the ones that lament the most about getting a girlfriend (and notice the most skimpy outfits), but they are real friends, which is proven a few times in their loyalty to sacrifice themselves for him. They have their amusingly insane moments as well, whether it be the raw girl analysis of...uh...Eriol-look-alike (blue hair), Doujima's over-the-top manliness, or, well, Hiyoko. A talking chick (like baby chicken) that provides most of the insight and a lot of the manpower on the show.Not that we could understand him, but still, Riku got to know a lot of interesting people.The dynamic between Mina's friend Mo-chan and soft-hearted delinquent Inukai was sweet to watch as well; I'm always one for side relationships and watching Mo-chan (whose real name escapes me) get shot down over and over really was one of the more touching moments of the anime.And, best of all, the rest of the classroom really gets a strong emphasis in TokiMemo, as opposed to other school life shows where everyone not important enough to be a Friend or Haremette simply gets ignored. You can get to know the minor characters in this show as well, both student and faculty.While they may not have whole episodes to themselves or anything, speaking roles and short half-minute bits are common, and over the course of the show you'll find yourself recgonizing many more faces than you think, whether it be one of Sayuri's friends, a random meganekko, that girl with the funny deep blue hair, or one of the rather well-defined teachers that line the school.Speaking of teachers, they are another good example of putting insanity to work for you. TokiMemo doesn't claim to be an overly serious series and so it doesn't put on any such airs; rather, it's almost like it should be an Azumanga at times with the randomness of the Evil Scientist teacher (complete with awesome organ music), the Deathly Ill (every day) teacher, the secretary/vice principal combo, the Nanako/Yukari act-alike, the gender-bending (almost) drama teacher, and even just the sweet homeroom teacher. All of them are good for a few random laughs and scenes, and generally do a lot towards expanding the depth of the series, character-wise.The Bread Lady deserves a paragraph to herself, with a sweet smile and a scheming heart that Kohaku herself would be jealous of. Certainly when she shows up you know something good's going to happen.Even the sports club leaders make regular appearances and are extremely energetic and entertaining. Perhaps they are somewhat cliche characters as well, but with the wide character roster the show can rotate gags enough so that they remain quite fresh. It's really one of the strongest parts of TokiMemo.Perhaps to elaborate on some more negatives after ranting on about the characters for forever, the ending of the show really left sort of a bad taste, and while it's not a show-breaker, it definitely could have been done better. There was a lot of good buildup of drama and characters in the last 6 or so episodes, with Mina and Tsukasa's breakdown, their final ultimatums, and Riku's sudden moving away, and the last episode just didn't conclude enough of it.Maybe in the efforts of time, Riku's closure scenes with Mina and Tsukasa were completely cut (I hope at least he will keep their contacts as well), and even his last scene with Sayuri felt a bit tacky. There was no true confession from him, ever, as he just let Sayuri run over him with her feelings. In the end, there was no "payoff", as they call it in the harem business. Maybe that's not the kind of show TokiMemo is.And, on a more minor note, we never did get conclusion between Mo-chan and Inukai. If there was one girl that should've gotten her man, it'd be her, more than Mina. Maybe straight fanboyism, but hey, root for the underdog. And the side characters. And the soft-hearted bad guy.Hello, OVA material.Quality wise, the show felt very good as well; graphically I felt that it went above and beyond with a lot of lighting effects and artwork. Musically it wasn't brilliant - the OP/EDs didn't capture me - but the songs were recgonizable and so when you hear that chase music for just one more time in the last episode, yeah, you've got a big smile on your face. It works well.That's the main points of the series; there aren't too many more gripes - sure, sometimes the insanity totally kills the mood at times; and sometimes the mood kills the insanity - but TokiMemo has a bit of everything to that regard, and so both fans of light and heavy harems can enjoy this show without going all Reese's on each other ("You got your plot in my comedy..."). It's not going to be a show that even comes close to going down in history one way or another. It's not a groundbreaker.But, it does have very strong merits to it as a show that manages to fit a lot of varied and different content into a standard genre, and comes off as an excellent example of the lighter side of harem shows without devolving into fanservice. It has depth and extremely likeable characters to it. It's not going to change your mind about the genre, but if you can stand the taste of harem, Tokimeki Memorial ~only love~ will be a quite filling show.-CCY
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Rating: 7.5/10 Impressions: Hmm, a Sayuri in love is actually pretty cute—she doesn’t have that annoying ‘perfect, caring school idol’ aura around her when this happens. Her aggressiveness has been conveniently upped for the final episodes, while it seems that Mina and Tsukasa have been wipe from the competition completely. Their appearances, in my opinion, are now [...]
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The best girl [SPOILERS].
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Rating: 7.5/10 Impressions: It seems that Tomimeki Memorial has finally decided to begin the major plot, to which the rest of the show has been unnecessarily building up to until now. All the other episodes are really just wastes—Tokimeki Memorial would have been good enough as a 12-13 episode series. Anyway though, hopefully the Riku x Sayuri [...]
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What!!! Aoba gets a new girl!? More screenshot:
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Rating: 7.8/10 Impressions: The sad thing is, these last three episodes have made my liking of Kasuga and Mina increase quite a bit, where the Aoba’s obviously not going to end up with either of them. The quality’s been really high as well, especially for the facial drawings, which have been excellent lately. Mina’s personality has finally [...]
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Rating: 7.8/10 Impressions: Wow, another nice, serious episode. I guess Tokimeki Memorial really is better when it actually presents some serious relationship problems, as opposed to the ridiculousness of random events that don’t advance the story, or develop characters. Seeing as how the last episode kind of left off with the ‘you have lost’ feel for Kasuga, [...]
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Rating: 8/10 Impressions: This turned out to be quite a sad episode regarding Kasuga, as she’s finally realised there’s no chance of her being with Aoba together for much longer (though she does try to deny this in the beginning). What’s worse, she tries to endure her fever, even though Aoba obviously doesn’t appreciate anything she does, [...]
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Rating: 7.5/10 Impressions: I have to admit, this episode makes a huge jump in eventfulness from the last episode. Sayuri actually goes looking for Aoba through the entire day, and if that’s not a confession of love, nothing is ever going to happen. Seriously. I was disappointed to see that they didn’t confess or anything, but knowing [...]
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Rating: 6/10 Impressions: Tokimeki Memorial is getting a little heavy on the supernatural side, though it being a harem/comedy show, things like afro goddesses and ghosts aren’t much of a problem. By this point, with nothing actually happening, I’m getting pretty tired of the show. The stories presented in each episode aren’t strong enough for standalones, yet [...]
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Rating: 7/10 Impressions: Now this is the kind of not-so-normal episode I’ve been waiting for! I have to say though, the teacher (dammit forgot her name) must’ve been pretty stressed if she actually found her heart throbbing over someone over an internet game, someone who mightn’t have been a guy at all. I do understand that she [...]
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Sayuri displaying zettai ryouiki and Schwarzschild Radii. In episode 21 we discover that Sayuri is one of those girls whose thighs don't quite touch.
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Rating: 6.5/10 Impressions: I had hopes for Yukari, due to her playfulness and energy (since Tsukasa sort of fails…), though it turns out she’s not here to stay. I guess I’m more interested in seeing some interesting developments at the moment, since both Sayuri, Mina and Riku are hideously boring. Riku’s boringness is especially bad since he’s [...]
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It was bound to happen, as Riku's harem falls into pieces as we come flying down the homestretch of Tokimeki Memorial ~only love~. That's what you get for putting that thing together so shoddily, Riku. Put some more work into it.If you've missed out so far, TokiMemo is a relatively standard harem-genre romance show that deals with your typical transfer student, Riku, and three girls who of course have fallen completely over-the-top for him.Target 1: Tsukasa Kasuga. The genki girl who early on proclaimed Riku to be her destined man. She has decent odds for being Already With The Main Character...but it doesn't feel like it'll last. It's a relationship built on less than nothing.Target 2: Mina Yayoi. The undergirl, in both age and status. Typically shy as the underclassman is but exhibits more guts than the usual blush-and-stammer character, although she can show that talent off as well (pardon me for thinking it's cute). Defintely determined, if not a bit doubting of herself. A fan favorite, by my gauging.Target 3: Sayuri Amamiya. The idol. Everybody and a half adores her at the school, which naturally sets her up for the typical twist, in that she believes everybody adores her except for the one guy she has her eye on - yeah, Riku. In fact the situation is quite different, as all signs point to Riku wanting Sayuri since the first episode and so it will be an epic struggle if Mina and Tsukasa want anything other than closure. Sayuri used to be the typically fake and always happy idol-type but naturally as she gets more desperate for attention from Riku her true, human, personality.TokiMemo is relatively normal as there aren't any girls who can redefine the universe, create demons, or use magic. But the last thing TokiMemo does is take itself seriously, as the many insane personalities - from the obsessed science teacher (complete with choral music) to the wicked evil (yet always smiling) shop lady to the quite-out-of-place badass guy who's actually very emotional - really make it stand out from the crowd. Sort of.It's really a shame that two of the three main harem girls seem to only be there for garnish as Sayuri has the field pretty much locked up, but Mina and Tsukasa definitely get their time in the spotlight as we head towards the inevitable conclusion of Tokimeki Memorial. Details on those episodes (18-21) after the jump.In episodes 18 and 19 the 2nd year class takes their annual trip to Hokkaido. As such Mina gets left out of the loop, which doesn't seem to deter her spirits too much as she has a direct link to Riku through cell phones.Of course, the problem with phones is that they are never charged when you want them to be, and so hundreds of text messages and two days later Mina is left completely wrecked, as Riku failed to respond to a single one.Naturally the circumstances are innocent enough but to a somewhat paranoid, desparate high school girl like Mina the situation seems like she is being quite unfairly ignored.Which is almost the truth, as Tsukasa has taken charge to lock up Riku once again, dragging him around Hokkaido at mach speed. She seems happy enough as always but the truth is she has come down with an epically debiliating illness which eventually causes her to pass out in Riku's lap.When she comes to an episode or later she begins to be a bit more serious than usual, as people in the hospital usually are. She begins to talk about how 'she was sort of a burden to Riku', and seems to realize that just maybe Riku has eyes for someone else...?Right, Tsukasa, and the sky is blue. Although, she probably is a bit happier that Riku was playing the guy in the hospital scene with the 'hold her hand until she wakes up' move. What was with that?Meanwhile, Riku moves on to his main target, Sayuri, on day two. Predictably a pile of epic misunderstandings drag the two of them apart as class president Sakurai spends the day with Sayuri (for school matters, although I wouldn't doubt Sakurai having something for Sayuri as well), which lets Riku look depressed and have no face, saying things like "So Sayuri's going out with Sakurai."And of course seeing Riku sad and avoiding her makes Sayuri sad as well. *Konata thumbs up* Good job, Riku!But we ignore Sayuri (rightfully) for Episode 19, as we move away from Hokkaido (which the 2nd years are still at) and back to the empty school, home of sad Mina in swimming pool. She's fallen into a pretty deep depression, which, not even her pink-haired friend, the swimming club, or dolphins (which Mina seems to really like) can save her from.She begins to question the sanity of being so obsessed with Riku, since he's an upperclassman, and as such will graduate a year earlier. She struggles with her emotions for a bit before realize just how dependant she is on Riku, which causes her to break out in crying (hello, heartstring tugging). In her confused, tearful state she ends up calling Riku (instead of just messaging him) and leaving a very, very desperate message on his phone, saying how she just wants to see him.This, of all things, FINALLY gets Riku to sit up and pay attention, as he recharges his phone on the way out of Hokkaido and turns it on to the tune of a million new messages.As cute as it may be, that combined with the pressure of two other girls finally gets to Riku in episode 20 as he takes his turn being emo and depressed. He wonders what he should do, and stumbles his way through a few face to faces with Mina, Tsukasa, and Sayuri, who are all left wondering why he looks so sad.The side characters, if they can be called that, finally come to the rescue as Inukai the Badass essentially knocks some sense into Riku, telling him to get a hold of himself, and that nothing will come from sitting there being depressed so on so forth.Now I'd sing my praises for Inukai for being a cool guy but he rejects Mina's friend hard in episode 21, which really hurts. Come on, there's a thing as being too cool.Anyway, Riku wises up after his talk with Inukai, and Magically Resolves everything. He messages Tsukasa telling him that he will tell her "what he truly feels about her"...later. Presumably Mina gets the same message. And he walks home with Sayuri as well! Score.The final episode of the group, 21, sets the Sayuri gears in motion, but as you would expect, not by Sayuri nor Riku, who are both a bit too incompetent at this point to approach each other.Rather, it is by Ayame, Sayuri's friend, who asks Riku to the Christmas event (which naturally Sakurai set up for couples only). This is a proverbial atomic bomb being dropped on our REAL harem contenders, who wonder 1) who Ayame is, 2) where did she come from, and 3) why the hell does Riku like Ayame and not her.Naturally the third statement is completely false but Sayuri, Mina, and Tsukasa get to spend a lot of time working themselves into their own patent forms of depression.But not all is lost! Riku's friends, the standard hopeless perv/romantics, are in luck, as Mina and Tsukasa ask them out to the Christmas event in order to get closer to Riku. It's good to see some success for Blue Haired Guy Who Is Not Eriol...and, uh, Riku's other friend. Unfortunately, Tough Guy Doujima is forced to go with Piyoko the chick (literally. and in a wedding dress too). XDMeanwhile, Sakurai continues his conspiracy by asking Sayuri to go with him. Y'know, for school matters. They end up hosting the event together, but Sayuri spends most of the time staring in Riku's direction, especially when he makes a lot of funny noises as Ayame starts to try to seduce Riku ("Sayuri who?"). I think she's enjoying this job far too much.On the plus side, since the event is held fully costumed this allows for 1) Mina to look even more adorable than usual and 2) for Sayuri to hug-tackle Riku and yet let Riku not know that it's Sayuri (because he's pathetically dense). Incidentally, the latter is a result of another incident involving Very Awesome Shop Lady.In the end Riku ends up receiving Sayuri's present in the gift swap, which makes Sayuri very happy when she walks home with Riku. Sayuri's just a complete blush-fest throughout this segment, especially when Riku hints he bought his gift with Sayuri in mind. Riku sounds like he'll be alone for New Year's in next episode, which is a blatant cue for Sayuri to house-crash him for some intimate time, but it remains to be seen whether Tsukasa, Mina, and perhaps even the rest of the crew will drop by as well. I wouldn't doubt it, as with an ending this obvious there's really no reason to wrap up the Sayuri x Riku storyline early.Plus, y'know, the confession has to be under that freaking huge tree, not in Riku's house.I found these 4 episodes of Tokimeki Memorial to be entertaining as always. Even parts were sort of predictable at times they were executed quite well - the side characters really helped in making the episode a bit different than what I expected. Maybe it's just that I like how the characters are changing a bit - you get to see the dark side of Mina, the quiet side of Tsukasa, and the not-completely-fake side of Sayuri.Mina's episode especially hit pretty hard - even though the crying wasn't especially well-done or well-animated her situation felt quite realistic, and although some might complain she was acting a bit strange, those are probably the people that never had a ridiculous crush in high school. It happens to the best of us.TokiMemo's brand of insanity is always good as well as it sometimes becomes hard to tell where they're being serious or not - any instance involving Riku talking to Piyoko the Chick comes to mind, or the ridiculousness of many of both the events and the characters (the sports clubs come to mind as well). It's a good light series to watch for both the laughs and the characters - even if you don't like Riku or Sayuri. My hope is only for Mina to get some closure in this series.-CCY
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