Where Disk 1 of Sweet Blue Flowers was full of nostalgia and longing, Disk 2 is a brutally beautiful look at all the different kinds of pain people can inflict upon one another without ever meaning to – or wanting to – do so.
With the backdrop of the school play (and Sugimoto being simply too cool as Heathcliff,) Fumi finds herself unsure of her sempai’s feelings. As the days pass, she is more and more sure that Sugimoto likes someone else. When she discovers the truth and confronts Sugimoto, she finds an uncomfortable truth waiting for her, as well.
If the entire series was just this one disk, it would still be one of my favorites. The life lessons in it are deep and abiding. It’s a love song to young love and to Kamakura and to the springtime of youth. Above all, it is a love song to young girls who find themselves in love with other girls. You are not alone, you are not wrong, you can love and lose and love again. That’s a hell of a chorus and I am glad this series is out there, singing those important words.
I’ll say this once again, because it cannot be said too many times – despite her own words to the contrary, Fumi is an incredibly strong character. As I watched this series over again, I felt honored to be allowed to share in Fumi’s story.
The world could use more Fumis.
Ratings:
Art – 8 (with some lapses toward the last two episodes)
Story – 10
Characters – 10
Yuri – 8
Service – 8 Sugimoto as Heathcliff is pure service. ^_^
Overall – 9
I’m so on pins and needles about the end of the manga. I know what I want it to be, but what will it be? /worry worry/
Just finished Aoi Hana, and I have to say it was one of the best pieces of (Yuri) anime I’ve seen. It’s so composed, so deliberate, yet (or maybe exactly because of the mentioned qualities) so touching. There are no exaggerated reactions, everything is filled with a realism we so seldom see in anime.
Most importantly, it’s such bittersweet story about unrequited love. And the best part is that the show is so unobtrusive – not much is thrown against your face, rather the beauty lies in the subtle undercurrents and what we gather between the lines. It really rolled back the years for me and aroused my deepest sympathy for the characters.
Right now, I am tempted to rate Aoi Hana even above MSGM, exactly because Fumi and the others are SO Heisei, as opposed to MSGM:s old-fashioned stumbling over the Yuri issue.
So: I loved it, and I’ll have to consider the manga, even though I’m a more anime person in general.
Agreed on all counts.
I love the Senshi of Sailor Moon, and the ladies of Lillian, but Fumi make me want to hug her and have her over for scones, while I explain just how awesome she is and how amazing she’ll be.