Koi Kaze: V.2 Budding Attraction (ep.5-9)

This DVD opens with an episode showing the male lead (Koshiro) paying the price of his actions by his own selfish internalization of the entire situation. What starts as deep guilt becomes denial and quickly segues into misdirected rage and jealousy. His little sister (Nanoka) is still quite aloof and for the most part is simply trying to get along with the big-brother that she had missed so much over the years. Though, upon repeated viewings, I start to wonder where is the actual moment when she falls into her own complex.

Eventually some of the past returns in flashbacks of their parents divorce. Rumor has it that one Japanese television broadcaster wouldn't even air the "Frosted Dew" episode because the depiction of the divorce was seemingly more taboo than the overall theme of the show. To me, the situation is depicted hauntingly too real in ways that I'm not ready to discuss in public forum. Aside from that, the characterizations of the younger siblings makes for the most endearing moments of the series as a whole. The sequence involving the cup of mud (sand?) makes the present-tense story that much more hurtful to continue watching.

Again the psychology of the characters is delivered in full force. The majority of the internal monologues belong to Koshiro. It often indicates that he's more than a shallow perv that simply lusts after his nubile sister. Though as I continue to watch, I get the feeling that this guy's karma is so intensely bad that he is just radiating angst. So much so, that his coworker/friend (Chidori) is having a hard time trying to figure him out. When Nanoka shows up to deliver an envelope and stays to visit her brother at work, the discomfort is cranked up a notch when Chidori notices an almost swooning look in her eyes. It's almost as though she nearly has a grasp of what's occurring yet she suspends the situation in her mind in disbelief.

Honestly, Chidori is my favorite character in the story. Though she is merely an acquaintance to Koshiro, she is more successful at being Koshiro's sister-figure than Nanoka ever tries to be. While her character carries some of the free-spirit-fem cliches (*chug*chug"PAAaahh" anyone?) she is well rounded and offers great emotional support to her befriended coworker. I'd even go as far to say that she's the type of person I'd like to have as a friend.

This series does not apologize for what it is saying. No rationalization is offered. In fact, it's the weak, irrational, and extremely human mind that's being depicted here. There are situations where we can only punish ourselves, and often that punishment is often the most harsh. I'm personally left wondering about how many times I've tried to superficially justify my own failures in life.

I can't help but recommend this story as an amazing character driven psychological drama. I haven't even gotten into the stream of symbolism scattered throughout each episode and the Op-Ed credits. Nothing compares...

The second DVD in the short (13-episode) series "Koi Kaze" continues the story of love and attraction between two siblings with the very high quality of art, animation and voice-acting. Though the story is about a highly taboo subject, it also deals unflinchingly with the little details of real romantic love. Koshiro's heart, shut tight all his life, is finally opening little by little, but it's to his little sister! The Koi Kaze series is marked by an OVA-like quality of animation, but it's biggest strength was the realistic and out-of-the-box choices for voice-actors. This is animation for thinking adults.

Well, I was little bored with the first volume but this volume more than makes up for it. First, there is the bonus of one more episode than in the first volume (whoo-hoo!). Also, I'm beginning to like Koshiro (whodathunkit?!). I can't tell you how happy I was when he shaved that razzle-frazzle off his face. He looks 10 times better; an unbelievable improvement. Plus (I gather that this is just a weird quirk of the animation) when he is in casual clothes, he doesn't look so much like a sumo wrestler. His body looks more proportional.

When Nanoka walked in on him in the laundry room, you could have knocked me over with a feather when it was revealed what he was doing crouching down beside the washing machine. Call me naive but I didn't see that coming. And his little "self-love" bedroom scene, though a logical next step, was a complete surprise too. I'm beginning to feel sorry for Koshiro. As his feelings for Nanoka become stronger, and his self control becomes weaker, his whole life is slowly unraveling. It's like he is overcompensating for having been so "emotionally unavailable" (isn't that the quaint term for guys like him?)up till now. As severe as his emotional detachment was before (to his ex-girlfriend and life in general I think) that's how severe his attraction is for Nanoka. And, although I still don't get what he sees in her most of the time (misplaced brotherly love??), this whole process of his slow, torturous meltdown is completely realistic.

Geez, I know it's his sister, but I'm almost hoping that he gets the girl in the end. I am definitely feeling the pain right along with him and I am SOO glad I came along for the ride!