Honey and Clover

Title: Honey and Clover

Year: 2005

Director: Kenichi Kasai

Cast: Kudou Haruka (Hanamoto Hagumi), Sugita Tomokazu (Mayama Takumi), Ueda Yuji (Morita Shinobu), Honda Takako (Takemoto Yuuta)

Genre: Animation, Drama

Number of seasons: 1

Number of episodes: 26

Special notes: A slice of life series with extraordinarily complex characters

            The infinite is stripped of its meaning and then it’s redefined in a realistic way with the help of five art students.

The stop-motion opening scene resembles the ludic work of Svankmajer and the surrealism theme follows the series’ picture. The animation is vivid and respects the anime pattern in which a powerful emotion is portrayed in an intensive manner. Circular objects such as Ferris-wheels, bicycle-wheels and rooster wind compasses stand as symbols for the irreversible passing of the time, the certain continuity and for the importance of the self.  

The characters tend to their feelings in an introversive manner and this idealism is presented in a dream-like sequence which usually hints at surrealism. Their emotions transcend into the animation and they are captured in an expressionist manner with different ingenuities. The director seems to be fond of using cigars as a symbol of remorse and certain end; there is a beautiful scene in which Mayama reflects upon his inner feelings while smoking and the smoke rises into the air and becomes part of a storm cloud.

            The viewer experience is unique as he finds out about the world in which the action occurs, a world that does not bear a time mark, from a 3^rd person’s perspective and sometimes the spectator is challenged to live the feelings of his heroes to fully understand them. This is amplified by a complete and emotion-centered soundtrack.

            Even if the main current is realism, there is a subtle dose of satire of the American dream. The Mocademy Awards and George Lucas and the Twister game are presented superfluously and are reasons for discomfort.     

Ayumi Yamadan is the classic example of someone who is beautiful and talented and she simply can’t obtain what she wants. A talented art student, her specialty is pottery and she is acknowledged as an above the average artist. Her good looks get her wanted and unwanted attention and she is especially fond of Hagu, their friendship is as natural as it gets. She is in love with Mayama but he doesn’t reciprocate and this leads to most of her crisis.  

Yuuta Takemoto is an art student who studies architecture. He is a quasi-tormented soul and he seeks both answers to questions and questions to answers he doesn’t understand. His father is dead and he feels he should take his place in the family, this leading to an eternal struggle to improve himself. Even if he is presented as an outsider in the first episodes of the series, he is a crucial component for the group’s chemistry. He is truly romantic and this is especially obvious while he is near Hagu.

Takumi Mayama is the grown up of the group, the only one with a job and whose struggle is rationalized. He has feelings for a disabled woman, Rika and this leads him to seek council from Shuuji. He is a fulfilled person and has an extraordinary self determination.

  

Shinobu Morita is the eccentric artist, very gifted and mysterious. He is a 6^th year student but he doesn’t seem to preoccupy himself with school. The odd job he has is hidden from all and the viewer could only guess what he is doing. The complexity of his character is aided by his disappearances throughout the series and by the manner of empathizing with other.

Hagumi Hanamoto is the genius, the supreme artist, the misunderstood and admired personae. The only one who seems to understand her artwork is Morita and Hagu looks up to him and his work. Her talent is all over the place as she tries different art forms. She Is Shuuji’s cousin and is under his strict surveillance.

Shuuji Hanamoto is a professor at the art university and the group’s sensei. He lacks talent but overcompensates with his intelligence and experience. The group gains much from him advice-wise and their respect rewards him.  

            The group has a good chemistry and they get along just well until the so called end. Being a realistic tale, the end doesn’t mean much, it just happens. I recommend this to those who like their movies atonal and based on feelings, not on action. It is a master piece on its own.

"As I looked across the table at everyone's faces, I dreamily remembered the blue sky that I saw at the riverbank.
The day will surely come when everything ends and turns into a memory.
But... 
I'm sure that I'll reminisce about it again and again.
You were there.
Everyone was there.
The day we searched for that one thing under the blue sky.
And the scent of the wind permeating through the area.”

We were expecting you…