Ao Haru Ride is exactly what a seinin-classified viewer who is tired of slice of life harems is looking for in a shoujo series. The show focuses on the cute, albeit slowly developing, relationship between two high school students, who once harbored crushes on each other. It has some nice, romantic development similar to what you'd find in Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun or Sukitte Ii na yo with a bit of group-based development more recently found in P.A. Works shows like Glasslip or Nagi no Asukara. It's nice to hear a story told from a girl's point of view for once, especially in a setting that doesn't involve swarms of overly-bishounen dudes, pink colors, and sparkles all over the place. If you're sore after watching Glasslip and want an idea of what it could have been, definitely get on this ride.
Animation:
While Production I.G did a pretty good job with the animation overall, it still doesn't match up to P.A. Works in this department. Many episodes (especially the first) start out with a flashback. This utilizes a noticeably blurry, painted/drawn style with very little color saturation. Note that this is an artistic touch and the majority of the show isn't in this style (for better or worse- the former in my opinion). The non-flashback scenes use a more-saturated color palette and crisper lines. While the backgrounds are a bit less detailed than some other shows, they still serve their purpose. Character animation is fairly good overall with distinguishable characters and a good focus on facial animations; expect a good quantity of crying and other cute/awkward/embarrassing moments. Eyes are a bit on the large side but not really a distraction once you get used to it. It might just be the hairstyle but Yuuri reminds me a lot of Sayaka from Bokura wa Minna Kawaisou. Oh, yes there are manly tears as well.
This is definitely not an action show and equally not an ecchi show. There is probably one accident involving Futaba but it's sort of a reverse-ecchi moment, it will make sense when you see it. In any case, emotions and facial reads are definitely more in girls' domain, and it definitely shows here.
Sound:
The show starts with a light pop song that fits with the relatively light, somewhat mellow pacing of the show. The OP tune is fair in general but the main theme does get a bit catchy after awhile. I don't normally like slow guy songs, but the ED is among the better ones. I also liked how they timed the animation of the stars with the initial piano notes. I will give this show a huge prop for using a nice insert song and tying it as a series theme into the BGM. This central theme alone elevates the BGM above average shows for me.
Veteran Maaya Uchida leads a veteran cast including the likes of Ai Kayano, Marina Inoue, and even Aya Hisakawa. Daisuke Hirakawa, on the mens side, gets the thumbs up for the optimistic dual onii-chan and sensei role. A lot of the show is dialogue driven and the VAs do a great job of bringing out their respective personalities.
Story:
Our protagonist Futaba once had a crush for a soft-spoken, short guy named Kou Tanaka. Unfortunately for her, he mysteriously vanished from her life. Fast forward to high school and Futaba finally meets up with him again. How will she take advantage of this rare, gem opportunity? Unfortunately, she's going to have to work for it as people apparently change as they grow.
This show really bridges a lot of categories in a nice way. It effectively balances elements of slice of life, romance, comedy, and drama and all the while manages to fend off girly vibes. It is a pretty slow show in terms of the overarching plot, but perhaps that is for the better as a more realistic portrayal of relationships (cue the instant girlfriend). As a bonus, there are subplots and themes tied into the main story that are well developed and explored. Not only does Futaba have to figure out Kou, she also has to deal with her self-image and the fickle topic of friendship. In summary, you're definitely going to get your share of development in this show.
As for the structure of the story, it pretty much follows a single, linear plot with a slight focus on Futaba for the first half and a slight focus on Kou in the second half. A lot of the events are a bit on the predictable side but there are definitely some surprises hidden in the show. The story grows to a small bump of a climax near the end and spends an entire episode on the conclusion, a bit unusual but actually quite nice as it gives plenty of resolution.
Character:
Continuing on my rant, I feel as if many shoujo shows carry a more realistic portrayal of people than their shounen (and even seinin) counterparts. Girls worry more about just the dude they're chasing and guys actually are complicated creatures too, not just nice guys who lack bark and bite or overly egotistic, single-minded shouting creatures set on conquering the world. This show does a great job of illustrating these points through character development and interactions in even guy-digestible package. Don't expect any of the finger-waving, highly metaphorical development of Glasslip. In addition to the complexity of the protagonists and their romantic development, I also liked the balance between their development and that of the supporting cast.
Value:
If you haven't yet noticed, I think there's a lot to like about this show. It's not quite as heart-grabbing or dramatic as Golden Time but yet manages to still capture one's attention in a way that makes time fly. It also is one of those shows that leave you with a positive message and overall feeling. Ao Haru Ride is a very entertaining and worthwhile watch for anyone looking for a bit of romance, and a bit of patience for actually getting there.
