His and Her Circumstances (1998–1999) User Reviews

A shining anime

[IkuharaKunihiko · 8/10 · 12 December 2004]

After "His and her circumstances" Hideaki Anno has become one of my 2-3 favorite anime directors, and also one of my favorite directors generally. I am still a little uneasy for claiming his anime "Fushigi no Umi no Nadia" is only good, but "Shin Seiki Evangelin" is still my 2nd favorite anime. Anno just simply knows how to connect the styles of Jean-Luc Godard and Steven Spielberg: he is artistic, deep and innovative, but at the same time amusing and light, captivating also a wide audience. I can't wait to find his live action movie "Cutey Honey" somewhere on DVD!

What is "His and her" about? Well, it's a drama/comedy/romance series centering over 2 teenagers falling in love, Yukino and Arima. Yukino is a brilliant character: at home she is wearing glasses and ugly jogging suit, but at school she is COMPLETELY different. She wears contact lenses and classy school uniform to present herself as a perfect, handsome student. When Arima ( I loved his voice in English ) becomes no.1 on the list of best students and she only no.2 she get's furious! But later on they fall in love.

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The directing style is brilliant. If Golden Globes and Oscars would be giving awards to anime TV series, Anno would have surely won one for this. It's truly art to make something out of nothing, and boy, some scenes here are classic. For example, the pilot episode. When Yukino is asking herself how do other people see her she is shown walking together with some girls who are praising her- and in the background the subtitles are saying: "Public approval". When Arima asks her what her favorite music is she is saying Brahms and Mozart, but her "ghost" from her face is saying the truth to the audience: rock 'n 'roll! The intercourse sequence between them in episode 18 ( which is presented in symbolic pictures like glowing spots uniting in the dark ) is pure poetry! Be sure not to miss it!

Still, as much as I love it, I have to admit that Anno failed me on 2 things. One is a minor point: the animation is a yo-yo, full of caricature design that's a little too goofy sometimes. The other one is a major point: the open ( unfinished ) ending. I am so sad that they didn't end this properly because the story was still continuing in the Manga. And I'm afraid there wont be a sequel to this. "His and her" is in my top 10 anime list. It's currently no.3. If it weren't for the awful end, it may have truly been my no.1. But still, it's story about the first love between Yukino and Arima is more beautiful than my first love ever was.

Grade: 8/10

This reminds me of post man pat

[nadvsart · 8/10 · 21 January 2021]

The way its animated reminds me of post man pat cause its quite old and gives me that vibe.

An excellent shoujo and an outstanding but simple romance, with visuals and sound that craft an extremely cute and cheery style, one that manages to be relatable and organic.

[bunkadelic · 8/10 · 5 March 2019]

Right off the bat, there's one thing you need to know if you're considering watching this. The final 8 or so episodes see a dramatic drop in quality and are largely considered to be not worth watching at all (I didn't watch them). This is most likely because Anno's involvement lessened significantly at that point. The show was already plagued with the same time management problems as EVA, and this shows throughout the series.

HOWEVER. Even considering this, episode 18 still offers a perfectly fine resolution of sorts for the main couple. The rest of the characters aren't so lucky, but they weren't particularly developed very much anyway.

AND. Even with production problems and a good amount of lacking animation, colorless frames, and just plain real life footage, the animation and art style still shines in many moments. Often characters are given great expression and motion. Overall, the good outweigh the bad and the problematic moments probably won't sour your experience.

THE MAIN REASONS TO WATCH THIS ANIME - The development of the main couple, both AS a couple but even more importantly as individuals (and the effects that those developments then have on them as a couple), and the style. It's pure late 90's shoujo romcom bliss and I instantly fell in love with it.

Now, to examine some things a bit closer and address some other elements.

As the story progresses, new characters are introduced. Their greatest contribution is to give conflict and resolution arcs to the main couple and therefore act as plot devices for them. They nearly are able to stand on their own as fleshed out, interesting characters (some more than others), but they don't quite get there.

Yukino's seiyou does an excellent job and brings quite a bit to the character. I thought her design wasn't very appealing before watching the anime but I'm pretty sure her seiyou alone was enough to completely change my perspective on her. She's a terrific protagonist altogether. Every moment with her is great.

The two leads aren't black and white. They have somewhat complicated personalities and histories that lend to great development, growth, and relatability. Read the summary on the anime's page and you'll get a better idea of what I mean (it's basically the pitch of the show).

The OST is worth noting because it's excellent. It has this really upbeat like 1920's(or 1950's?) romance vibe to it? It bleeds charm into every other element of the show and only uplifts the animation and the characters, Yukino especially.

This anime subverts some particularly frustrating romcom cliches. Doing so isn't necessarily a mark of good writing on it's own merit, but it's satisfying and a breath of fresh air. I will say though that KareKano's writing is good and the places where those cliches would've appeared in a lesser story, there are good characters and conflicts that only become better and more fleshed out. And the relationships these characters have (and the ones they build through resolving internal and external conflicts) are much more organic and human. And that combined with the silly over the top romcom style is a wonderful combination and reminds me why I even like anime in the first place. The untrained eye could see the over the top style and discount the show for being cheap and shallow, and oftentimes with lesser shows this is the case (not everyone is skilled enough to craft good characters). Anyone familiar with these kinds of shows, the good ones, knows this isn't a rule. You CAN have good characters, human characters, and real conflicts, and also have a ridiculous sense of humor. Kare Kano does this well.

3 cliches in particular caught my eye (these are a tad spoilery):

The beginning of Arima's and Miyazawa's relationship altogether. Romance in anime is usually bogged down with the worst of cliches that seem to do everything they can to avoid giving the audience a satisfying and enjoyable narrative and progression. No garbage here. No irritating irrational misunderstandings. No deus ex machina to interrupt key moments. It just, flows naturally, and the drama is able to come from the foundations the characters are built upon rather than the writer's poor plot/drama construction.

The jealous girl who's in love with Arima tries to sabotage Miyazawa and make her look mean and rude - right when this conflict is introduced, Arima shuts it down and sees right through her. This was honestly so cathartic. And the show was still able to keep the conflict of her being jealous without any problems (although it was rather minor, and resolved quickly and without much consequence).

The jealous girl who turns the class against Miyazawa - after having given Miyazawa the silent treatment for a while, some of the girls are starting to pick up on the fact that their hatred for her is unfounded and unreasonable. Then the most amazing scene happens: they all are gathered in the classroom and they REASON out why it was stupid for them to do, and then they APOLOGIZE to Miyazawa, and THEN they go to the jealous girl and tell her that they've seen through her ploy and even though they can't like her now they still won't be petty and give her the silent treatment in return because they've learned how petty it is. GAH SO REFRESHING.

(Note - the characters in cliche's 2 and 3 are jealous of Miyazawa for different, understandable reasons and they're very different characters.)

Okay, having said all this, as much as I enjoy this anime, the story itself is pretty lowkey. Not particularly gripping in the way that Toradora is. But again, it stands on its own for the reasons I've talked about and I believe it's well worth watching. It's without a doubt one of my favorite romcoms.

Looking for a non-clichéd animé romance? This is it.

[evilkeen · 14 August 2001]

You have to admit that a great deal of the allure towards Japanese Animation is the relief from the clichés of American Film and Television.

However, if you have watched animé for any real period of time, you'll come to the painful realization that it too has it's own set of horribly predictable clichés.

Take the Romance genre for example. Female Heroines seem to all be infected with the dreaded "Who do I like this week?" syndrome. Love Triangles/Cubes/Dodecahedrons are rampant throughout these storylines.

This is why Gainax's "Kareshi Kanojo no Jijyou" is such a breath of fresh air. Gone are the dizzy female characters with the cheesy inner monologues, gone are the overattractive male characters that exist only as temptations. Karekano is the simple story of a boy and a girl who have difficulty being truthful to others, and the difficulty of maintaining an honest public image (a theme dealt in Gainax Studio's "Neon Genesis Evangelion".) The show smoothly switches from serious drama to high comedy with nary a glaring disparity. Which is how it should be. High School--especially High School Romance--can indeed (at least in hindsight) be remembered by many real people as a very humorous period in their life.

Karekano was directed by Hideaki "Man am I ever depressed" Anno (his first animated work since "Evangelion") and he imbues his world with a unique visual presentation. Characters can be animated in an unbelievably over-the-top way when the situation calls for it. Yet in another scene appear as a beautiful monochromatic pencil rendering that is absolutely dead on emotionally. Anno's style for this series is to show situations in an indirect visual way. The time of day is indicated wordlessly by a series of outdoor vignettes that astonishes me with their verisimilitude. Shots of traffic control lights and construction signs can indicate a character's emotional cycle.

To digress. You should definitely try this series out if your tastes run deeper then a "Fight of the week show" and if you are getting disillusioned with the frustrating unoriginality of many modern animé.

This one really affected me

[refresh_daemon · 10/10 · 9 February 2007]

This is a good, dare I say great, example of animation. Yes, it has some flaws and they are similar to the flaws that Neon Genesis Evangelion suffered--primarily, a bit of repetitiveness and an ending to the series that leaves a lot of loose ends untied.

Surprisingly, I didn't really mind that the end didn't wrap up the story lines, but I can see how it might annoy most viewers. It introduces a cyclical overtheme to the series (and I guess it makes you want to read the comic books to get the rest of the story).

I didn't like the repetitiveness. The series is bogged down with three episodes that are (for the most part) recaps of the series up until that point. That's three out of twenty-six. Furthermore, most shows open up with a recap eliminating the need for the larger recaps, as the opening recap sums up the series pretty well (and much more quickly than the show-long recaps). Also, there are multiple (three, I think) times where a monologue about the state of Japan in the 1990's appears, followed by a recap. It was fine the first time, but the following two times--at full length--was a little too much.

Other than that, the show is excellent. The characters are well drawn out and complex and the plot lines are believable. The art is fantastic and often changes genres and modes but still maintains a consistency. When the show is funny, it's hilarious and when it's serious, it's often moving. The introspective nature of the characters are a plus too. Although normally it's not that good to listen to the inner monologues of the characters, sometimes, such as in The Wonder Years and also in this show and Evangelion, it really adds to the depth of the characters.

This is a series that really affected me and in a good way. It almost always left a smile on my face (the exceptions being those aforementioned recap episodes). This show and Cowboy Bebop are now my favorite anime series. Highly recommended. 10/10.

Gainax does it again!

[KamakahiTotoro808 · 9/10 · 17 November 2003]

*Warning: Spoilers Within*

When I first read about, "His and Her Circumstances" in an issue of the Honolulu Star Bulletin, I was intrigued that this product came from Gainax, the creators of another of my favorite anime series, "Neon Genesis Evangelion". In addition, I had heard that it was also directed by none other than Hideaki Anno, whose work on "Evangelion" I had also respected.

At the same time, I began to wonder: What would happen when Gainax/Anno teamed up to stage a romantic comedy? Having already created a massive following of both supporters and detractors from "Evangelion", what fiendish mayhem would this duo come up with?

Thankfully, upon viewing 21 episodes of this series on DVD (I am still waiting to purchase the last DVD), I can say with a great deal of confidence that Gainax did not disappoint. While some say that they only stayed true to the core elements of Romantic Comedy, the great strength of this series in in the character development. After the first six episodes, I began to care for the lead couple, and hoped that in the end (which I still haven't seen), their relationship will prevail. Also, I noticed that in retrospect, the story contains rarely any filler episodes (despite an episode summarizing the events of the series up to that point). The small switches in focus (the Tsubasa storyline, for example) are justified, and only add to the overall enjoyment of the series.

My only pet peeve is the extreme amount of on screen text, with does seem distracting if you're not used to it. But you should be relieved to note that the text either explains certain aspects of the characters or accentuates what it seen on screen. In essence, it's like reading a moving comic book (which is what Anime is, to some extent.)

I encourage everyone with a love for Anime to go out and try out this series. You won't be disappointed!

Cute and kind

[beatrice_gangi · 8/10 · 2 October 2022]

I am currently halfway through the anime and it is a shame as it does not seem to cover the whole manga! The anime is really sweet and cute, and you can see Hideaki Anno's stylistic flair in directing it (and in handling what feels like an Evangelion-esque production management). The romance involved is really sweet, and I'm as happy to follow the story of the main characters as I am of the sidekicks. Despite some of the concepts being much repeated, it is a viewing experience that leaves one satisfied and with a light and fulfilled soul. The two main characters, especially Yukino, are likeable and it is easy to empathise with them. Very recommended!

One of the best romcom animes!

[kimbondadmico · 10/10 · 6 January 2024]

This anime is one of my childhood favorites. I really enjoyed the different characters. This anime will make you laugh hard and fall in love at the same time. The storyline is relatable specially if you are studying moreover if you are a high school student.

I love how they add on interesting characters like Asaba and others, which are also unique like the main characters.

The story is very good and character developments are very relatable. Really gives you the chills and nostalgic feeling of falling in love. Too bad the writers didn't finish it and the last episodes became boring and are just moving pictures. How I wish they would finish it even though seems impossible, would really love to watch it till the ending.

It was an alright anime

[Irishchatter · 7/10 · 3 June 2018]

Its basically about two students in love with each other and the fact the ending was dissapointing, I'm giving this anime a 7/10 rating..

First anime I've ever watched

[kimsakardashian · 9/10 · 16 September 2021]

It's one my favorite animes of all time, and it holds a special place in my heart. It can be quite repetitive at times, but the lovely story and multifaceted characters make up for it. A great coming of age story!

Didn't even know until now that the director is Hideaki Anno, who also directed Neon Genesis Evangelion which is also one of my favorite animes!!

Update:

So after rewatching it, I started reading the manga. If the ending doesn't satisfy you, please consider reading the manga! There's so much happening still!

CW for the manga: Trivialisation of grooming and rape, but since it was written over 20 years ago, and Japan still is pretty conservative + we still live in a patriarchy, it's not that surprising...

Starts strong but falls apart

[Brian Kendig · 4/10 · 10 June 2006]

"His and Her Circumstances" starts out with an interesting premise: competitive-streak overachiever girl meets calm overachiever boy, and his academic prowess sparks her to want to ruin him; but gradually they learn to see each other - and themselves - for who they truly are, and they fall in love.

At its best, this series tells a tender lovestory. Early on, it focuses on the girl Yukino, showing the image she works to present to other people while giving insight as to *why* she behaves as she does - it's a mature character drama, giving surprisingly real motivations behind her actions. Arima, the boy, gets somewhat less attention from the script, but his levels of depth are also explored. When the two of them are together, there's lots of innocent blushing going on, and it's sweet to see.

And it's obvious the animators had fun with this series. Characters are drawn in all styles from realistic to chibi to fit the mood, and the animation is exaggerated and sometimes wild when called for. Visual humor abounds.

The problem, however, is that beyond the first few episodes, the series begins to fall apart. Far too much time in the beginning of most episodes is given to recapping the entire series up to that point; a whole episode and a half in the middle of the series is devoted to recapping again, and the second half of episode 24 (out of 26) is nothing but replays of recaps from earlier in the series as well as another run of the opening credits. The main characters become less important in the series, and later episodes focus on secondary characters and other people brought in to support the secondaries. The relationship between Yukino and Arima is never resolved; Arima himself doesn't appear very often towards the end. The final episode is a strange low-budget abstract thing which ends the series abruptly without tying up any loose ends.

It feels like, near the end, the production staff stopped making an effort; and that's just a shame.

great anime...too bad about the ending

[sundae_245 · 4 May 2005]

His and Her Circumstances was one of the finest pieces of anime I have ever seen, its definitely among my favourites with Fruits Basket and Inital D.

The story centers on over-achiever Yukinon, loved by all for her looks, intelligence and all around niceness...well thats not the Yukinon we the viewers we see, it is all an act to be loved, thats all she cares about is being loved by people (oh and raking in the dough), she doesn't care how hard she has to work to hide her somewhat crazy side haha. That is until she meets Arima...equal to her in looks and intelligence...but something dark lurks within Arima.

The love story is developed beautifully, and the sidekicks are hilarious as well, including Yukinon's family and Arima's best friend (can't remember his name) and Tsubasa is so evil and cute haha.

The only thing that lets this anime down is the ending or lack thereof...it never concludes and all viewers are left hanging for more. Apparently there was an argument between the writers of the anime and the creator of the manga or something.

9/10

Most Touching Love Story since Romeo and Juliet

[Spokaliman · 2 February 2004]

That's right, you read it, this is the best love story since Romeo and Juliet. Actually, in terms of content it's better than R&J, because that's love at first sight and it's Shakespeare so it's just very well written. This isn't just the story of two people falling in love, but the story of that love. They fall in love and start dating by the fifth episode and it's no secret to anyone that they are. It goes into so much detail about not only their relationship, but the reasons they love each other, who they are and whay their relationship is. It really is beutiful, but what do you expect from the man who made Neon Genesis Evangelion, he did the screenplay and he directed (up to episode 16 i believe).

The characters in this show is what really gets me interested. Yukino is this shallow attention hungry person who has some serious inferiority complex problems she fixes with good grades and being the best, Souichiro is similar in that he must proove to his family (himself, let's be honest) that he's a person worthy of life and that he is a good human being, as opposed to his parents, who he subconciously takes after but conciously denies. They fill in each others emotional gaps so well, Yukino's energy can support Arima and Arima stoic persona creates a air of confidence for Yukino, they are absolutly perfect for each other in every way. Plus the way the show is presented they look perfect for each other. The other characters deserve mention to, Tsukino and Kano are probably my two favorite characters, there eccentric and cool to watch, Yukino's friend are lively as is Tsubasa.

That aside, the style of this show overall is mind bogglingly good, the constant change in shape, size and color of the world is constantly changing in connection to the characters psychological and emotional state, when they kiss in episode eight, the simple outline style excentuates the emotions exponentially. The way the environment is always an allagory for state of mind and in same ways connectivity and in some ways seperation of the characters is simply amazing, I was thoroughly impressed the first time I watched the series and intellectually involved the next ten times (I've lost count how many times I've seen this series). And one last kudos, the music as always is this laughable combonation of Japanese pop-rock and Bach, just what I would expect from Hideaki Anno. I love this series and it is absolutly my second favorite anime behind Neon Genesis Evangelion.

a completely insane show that works so well on all levels!

[AmyroNightfire · 22 February 2004]

If you like the funny complications of teenagers, mixed with some serious situations, then this is the anime for you. Watching Yukino, I could see bits of myself in her, and while that was scary to admit, it was endearing at the same time. All teenagers want to fit in on some level, and Yukino is the most obvious example of that!

Now mixed that in with Arima: the boy who in every sense is perfect, yet still hides a dark past! There is drama with the comedy, and that just makes this anime believable to watch! Arima is green when another man looks at Yukino and is overbearing of her. Yet even her love doesn't exactly help him.

Through in the other characters such as Kano, Asaba and Maho and this is a winning combination, meaning that you could watch this anime for hours!

One of the best anime ever made.

[tsundae · 9 June 2003]

I first heard of Kareshi Kanojo no Jijoo when I was looking at Gainax's website after watching the Neon Genesis Evangelion series. It was their next big project after Neon Genesis and after being blown away with that series, I had to see about this next one.

I instantly fell in love with the series, watching it completely through until its sad first and last season run. I felt a bit empty after watching the series and ending with too many open ends. The manga cheered me up, though, buying every tankoubon of the series for only 3 bucks a piece.

There are summaries about the series already, so let me just make my statement on why I fell in love with the series.

It didn't base itself off of the never-obtaining-love plots that saturate American TV shows, such as Gilmore Girls, Friends, Good Morning, Miami, etc. The show gives wonderful depth as to first loves and how relationships build, rather than collapse, like most shows.

My fiance and I enjoyed sitting down and watching this series together because of its honesty and cuteness. Watching the warmth of a first kiss, the first time one holds hands... its very endearing.

I would recommend this to those Shoujo lovers out there, but I would say stay away to fanboys.

One of the best series I've ever seen.

[JG2001 · 12 June 2000]

Kareshi Kanojo no Jiyou, or Kare Kano for short, is a great series. It tells the story of a pair of high school students, Yukino and Arima, two over-achievers who finally loosen up when they meet each other. The series details the ups and downs that they have in their new relationship as it blossoms into romance.

The show alternates between comedy and drama, with the art style alternating to fit the situation. The balance of extreme comedy and drama is wonderful. It shows how life can be deadly serious one moment and undeniably absurd the next. This is a show that no one should miss.

P.S.: To fans of the film My Neighbor Totoro, be sure to watch episode 11. It's got a hilarious gag you don't want to miss!

Chockful of Gainax goodness!

[InzyWimzy · 14 October 2003]

Man, Kare Kano really surprised me. I finally finished the final volume and I want MORE!

GAINAX first got its hooks into me with FLCL. After a little research, I heard they also made Kare Kano which I decided to try. With Hideaki Anno at the helm, these characters are well-defined and development is solid throughout. The whole concept of masks and true self are key to finding out about the two main characters Yukino and Arima. Add a cast of classmates, family, and others and you have a group that really begin to grow on you as the series progresses.

I definitely think the characters help make this one so enjoyable: from the determined Yukino, all-around good guy Arima, ultra smooth Asaba (BAAAAA!), the young but wise Kano, the manic munching ultra-kawaii gal Tsubasa (voiced by Mayumi Shintani who also was Haruko in "FLCL" - an anime MUST see), PERO PERO, Yukino's dad who's great for laughs, and many more. Kare Kano has a great (and effective) musical score and I dare you to try and get the opening theme out of your head!

This one has a little bit of everything and you might even learn a thing or two!

Minor Points

[frankgaipa · 1 November 2002]

Just a couple of points. About 17 minutes into episode four there's a shot of black print text racing all over a white background to show Miyazawa's confusion. Where have we seen this before? In "Ringu," though it's single characters, not whole words, part way through the killer video tape, right before the men with hiragana-like legs crawling out of some mire. The link means nothing, of course, but there it is. The other point is the kanji and hiragana always flashing on the screen. They can be very distracting. If you don't realize, you'll think you're missing something. I can't vouch for every instance, as I'm drawing on language lessons a really long time ago and I made the effort to test it for only several minutes of a couple of episodes, but usually the screen writing just repeats what the characters are saying. I've seen only six episodes.