This is revealed in the very first episode which provides ample time to develop a meaningful romance. Unlike many other series, the focus is never on who the protagonist likes. This detracts a lot from the innocent relationship between Kaoru and Aoi, and what could have been an excellent romance ends up being lost in the sea of ecchi.Īfter the introductory episodes, Ai Yori Aoshi sounds like countless other harem anime, one guy living in a house with a group of attractive women (there is even an interesting pet which has become a staple in this type of anime), but it does stray from this standard formula a bit. Too bad it doesn’t last for very long, and each episode begins to get more ecchi than the last.
The early episodes of Ai Yori Aoshi caught my attention because it looked like it might be a romantic comedy which doesn’t rely solely on fan service. Lows: Needless fan service shallow side characters He begins to wonder why she had so suddenly appeared, and more importantly, why she is calling him her fiancée. Memories flood back into his head as Kaoru recognizes the beautiful girl before him as his old friend, Sakuraba Aoi. Much to his surprise, Kaoru immediately notices the child in the picture is none other than himself as a boy.
She explains she was coming to the city to meet her fiancée and takes out a childhood picture of the man she is looking for. Kaoru invites the young woman back to his apartment to escape from the storm. Unfortunately, the house she was going to had recently been torn down, and it begins to rain just as they arrive. He offers to escort her to her destination because it is near his home. One day on his way back from classes, Hanabishi Kaoru bumps into a lost girl at the subway station.