Ai Yori Aoshi

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Ai Yori Aoshi
藍より青し
Genre Harem anime, Romance
Manga
Author Kou Fumizuki
Publisher Flag of Japan Hakusensha
Demographic Seinen
Serialized in Young Animal
Original run 1998 – 2005
Volumes 17[1]
TV anime
Director Masami Shimoda
Studio J.C.Staff
Licensor Flag of the United States Flag of Canada Geneon
Network Flag of Japan Fuji TV
Original run April 11, 2002 – September 26, 2002
Episodes 24[2]
TV anime: Ai Yori Aoshi: Enishi
Director Masami Shimoda
Studio J.C.Staff
Licensor Flag of the United States Flag of Canada Geneon
Network Flag of Japan Fuji TV
Original run October 13, 2003 – December 29, 2003
Episodes 12[3]
Game
Developer KID
Publisher Flag of Japan KID
Flag of the United States Hirameki International
Genre Visual novel
Rating ESRB: T (Teen)
Platform Flag of Japan PlayStation 2
Flag of the United States Windows 98
Released Flag of Japan 20 March 2003
Flag of the United States 29 September 2005[4]
Game: Ai Yori Aoshi shunka
Publisher J.C.Staff
Genre Visual novel
Platform Windows 98
Released Flag of Japan 20 May 2004
Game: Ai Yori Aoshi shuutou
Publisher J.C.Staff
Genre Visual novel
Platform Windows 98
Released Flag of Japan 24 June 2004
Game: SuperLite 2000 adventure Ai Yori Aoshi
Developer KID
Publisher SUCCESS Corporation
Genre Visual novel
Platform PlayStation 2
Released Flag of Japan 23 June 2005

Ai Yori Aoshi (藍より青し?) is a manga by Kou Fumizuki, originally serialized in 1998 in Hakusensha's Young Animal, a magazine for young men. The original manga series ended its run in 2005.

The title is taken from a quote from the Chinese philosopher Xun Zi: "Blue comes from indigo, yet is bluer than indigo" (青は藍より出でて藍より青し Ao wa ai yori idete ai yori aoshi?, 青出於藍而勝於藍 Qīng chū yú lán ér shèng yú lán in Traditional Chinese)). The phrase is used in both Chinese and Japanese to mean that, although people are molded by their teacher, they surpass that teacher through their own efforts. The name of the main character, Aoi (葵?), is pronounced the same way as a ao(i), a version of ao "blue".

Ai Yori Aoshi was made into an anime in 2002 and video games were released for the PlayStation 2 and Windows 98. The anime series, directed by Masami Shimoda and animated by J.C.Staff, was completed when its second season, under the title Ai Yori Aoshi: Enishi (藍より青し ～縁～?), was completed in 2003. The anime was released in North America by Geneon and in Singapore by Odex. The manga was released in English by Tokyopop. Also, a drama CD series was produced, with slight differences in the voicing cast as compared to the anime.

The series is sometimes referred to as a halfway point between a harem anime and a magical girlfriend story. It is also referred to as "Japanese Love Hina" (和製 ラブ ひな Wasei Rabu Hina?) as the story is similar to Love Hina, but in a more traditional Japanese style.[citation needed]

Contents

[edit] Story

Kaoru Hanabishi appears to be an average university student, but in actuality, he's the eldest son of Yūji Hanabishi, the head of the Hanabishi Zaibatsu, and was set to take over the zaibatsu after his father retired. His mother, Kumi Honjō, and his father never married, making life difficult for both him and his mother. Kaoru's father died when he was five years old. Since then, Yūji's grandfather, Gen'ichiro Hanabishi, took Kaoru under his wing and began educating him for the eventual succession. Yet Kaoru never felt at home in the Hanabishi family and left to live by himself after his mother died. Day by day he felt alone, thinking that he was living life with no reason pushing him on.

There was, however, someone who loved Kaoru so much that she'd do whatever was necessary to be with him.

Her name is Aoi Sakuraba. Aoi is the only daughter of the owner of the Sakuraba Kimono (Dry Goods in the manga) Store (later renamed to Sakuraba Department Store). Kaoru's family and Aoi's family had agreed for Kaoru to wed Aoi, but after Kaoru walked out, the marriage was canceled. Both families had a friendly relationship and Aoi had been in love with Kaoru from the start, which Kaoru was unaware of. The Sakuraba family had already been searching for someone suitable, but Aoi was unwilling to marry someone else and walked out, chasing Kaoru.

Both were freed from their families' affairs, but didn't know how to make their living. Miyabi Kagurazaki, who had been looking out for Aoi, offered the two a way. Aoi and Miyabi would live together in a grand western style summer house owned by the Sakuraba family and Kaoru would live in a house for servants next to it. This would prevent a scandal, much like the one that had made Kaoru's life difficult, as the two would be living separately. But soon, Kaoru's friends, who just happen to be attractive females, took residence in the house, and it quickly became a dormitory. Very soon, Aoi became a landlady of the dormitory.

The first season ends when Aoi's father decides to arrange her marriage with another man, but she refuses, and is locked up. She manages to escape with the help of Miyabi and Aoi spends a day together with Kaoru. Rather than doing what Miyabi expects and eloping, they confront her father the next day and manage to get her father to agree to their relationship. Kaoru's best point in his argument with Aoi's father is the fact that, after having lost his family and enduring the pain of that loss, he doesn't wish to see the same thing happen to Aoi. Her father grudgingly accepts Aoi's choice in order to maintain his relationship with his daughter.

A best effort to map the story elements of the anime to the manga shows that the anime covers between one and two years in the lives of the characters.

[edit] Enishi

Ai Yori Aoshi: Enishi (藍より青し ～縁～?) is the second season of an animated television series based on the manga Ai Yori Aoshi. The anime is distributed in DVD format by Geneon in North America. It was originally aired in Japan in 2003. Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi takes place two years after episode one of Ai Yori Aoshi. Enishi, as stated by Aoi, are the bonds that tie people to one another. Kaoru is now a graduate student, and Chika is now a high school student. The other characters are a year further along in the same positions that they were in in Ai Yori Aoshi; it has been two years since the first episode of Ai Yori Aoshi. The series is somewhat devoted to slice-of-life episodes for all the characters, whilst the relationship of the two leads, Kaoru and Aoi, is still further developed. Many of the later episodes are used to develop Tina Foster's character. The end of the final episode includes brief glimpses at the near-term futures of the show's characters following the series' end. There is a total of twelve episodes in this season.

[edit] Characters

Main article: List of Ai Yori Aoshi characters

[edit] Media

[edit] Episodes

[edit] Ai Yori Aoshi

  1. "Fate" (縁 Enishi?)
  2. "Supper" (夕餉 Yūge?)
  3. "Separation" (別離 Wakare?)
  4. "Living Together" (同棲 Dōsei?)
  5. "Old Friend" (朋友 Hōyū?)
  6. "Family Tradition" (家道 Kadō?)
  7. "Spiritual Illusion" (幻妖 Gen'yō?)
  8. "Cherished Treasure" (愛玩 Aigan?)
  9. "One Night" (一夜 Hitoyo?)
  10. "Place of Learning" (学舎 Manabiya?)
  11. "Debutante" (子女 Shijo?)
  12. "Kiss" (接吻 Seppun?)
  13. "Star Festival" (星祭 Hoshimatsuri?)
  14. "Servant" (賄 Makanai?)
  15. "Feelings of the Heart" (胸懐 Kyōkai?)
  16. "Shores" (渚 Nagisa?)
  17. "Waves" (漣 Sazanami?)
  18. "Bedsharing" (同衾 Dōkin?)
  19. "Lap Pillow" (膝枕 Hizamakura?)
  20. "Cure" (癒 Iyashi?)
  21. "Influenza" (風気 Fūki?)
  22. "Going Home" (帰省 Kisei?)
  23. "Determination" (決意 Ketsui?)
  24. "Aoi" (葵?)

[edit] Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi

  1. "Beautiful Snow"
This episode was a preview for the series.
  1. "Spring Blossom" (桜春 Ōshun?)
  2. "Friends" (友垣 Tomogaki?)
  3. "Tennis" (庭球 Teikyū?)
  4. "Phantom" (怪 Mononoke?)
  5. "Piano" (洋琴 Yōkin?)
  6. "Journey" (道程 Dōtei?)
  7. "Summer Resort" (避暑 Hisho?)
  8. "Fish and Water" (水魚 Suigyo?)
  9. "White" (白妙 Shirotae?)
  10. "Bathrobe" (湯帷子 Yukatabira?)
  11. "Moonlight" (月光 Gekkō?)
  12. "Bonds" (絆 Kizuna?)


[edit] Manga

Besides sharing many similarities in the storyline with the two anime series, the manga also expands on parts not covered in the anime, such as Kaoru's younger brother, and Miyabi's past.

[edit] Video games

KID Corp. published a Playstation 2 video game based on the series in 2003, and was released in English for Windows PCs by Hirameki International. That game was re-released in 2005 by SUCCESS Corporation with bonus footage and mini-games.

J.C.Staff published 2 games on Windows 98, which were separated into 2 titles based on seasons. Each title comes with voice and screen saver collection.

[edit] Theme songs

Ai Yori Aoshi

Opening theme:

  • "Eternal Flower" (永遠の花 Towa no Hana?) by Yoko Ishida

Ending theme:

Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi

Opening theme:

Ending themes:

[edit] References

  1. ^ Ai Yori Aoshi (manga) at Anime News Network's EncyclopediaAccessed 2006-11-30.
  2. ^ Ai Yori Aoshi (anime) at Anime News Network's EncyclopediaAccessed 2006-11-30.
  3. ^ Ai Yori Aoshi: Enishi (anime) at Anime News Network's EncyclopediaAccessed 2006-11-30.
  4. ^ Ai Yori Aoshi entry on GameFAQs. Accessed 2006-11-30.

[edit] External links