Kare Kano
Encyclopedia
, is a manga
series by Masami Tsuda
. It was serialized in LaLa
from 1996 to 2005 and collected in 21 tankōbon
volumes by Hakusensha
. It depicts the romance between "perfect" student Yukino Miyazawa and her academic rival Soichiro Arima, and the relationships of several of their friends.
The series is licensed and was published in English in North America by Tokyopop
. The chapters from the first seven volumes were adapted into a 26-episode anime
television series by Gainax
. Directed by Hideaki Anno
and Kazuya Tsurumaki
, the episodes were broadcast in Japan on TV Tokyo
from October 1998 to March 1999. It is licensed for distribution in North America by Right Stuf International, which released it as His and Her Circumstances. It is also sub-licensed for release by Enoki Films
USA under the title Tales at North Hills High.
freshman who is the envy of classmates for her good grades and immaculate appearance. However, her "perfect" exterior is a façade, a charade she maintains to win praise. In the privacy of her own home, she is spoiled, stubborn, a slob, and studies relentlessly and obsessively to maintain her grades. On entering high school, she is knocked from her position at the top of the class by Soichiro Arima, a handsome young man whose very existence Yukino considers a threat to the praise on which she thrives, and she vows to destroy him. When Soichiro confesses that he has a crush on her, Yukino rejects him then boasts about it at home. Her observant little sister Kano points out that her rivalry with him comes from admiration, causing her to rethink her own feelings.
Before she can figure out if she hates or likes Soichiro, he visits her home and discovers her being herself. He uses the information to blackmail her into doing his student council work. At first Yukino accepts it, coming to realize that he is also not the perfect student he pretends to be. Tired of being used, Yukino revolts and Soichiro apologizes, and admits he still loves her and just wanted to spend time with her. Yukino realizes she loves him as well, and together they resolve to abandon their fake ways and be true to themselves, though she initially has trouble breaking her lifelong habit of pretend-perfection and her competitive ways.
As the series progresses, Yukino is able to open her true self to others and earns her first real friends beyond Soichiro. It is eventually revealed that Soichiro was striving to be perfect in order to avoid turning "bad" like the parents who abandoned him. Falling in love with Yukino, he is able to become more true to himself, but he also finds himself becoming increasingly jealous of Yukino's change bringing new friends and new activities into her life, and of her having parts of her life that don't involve him. When Yukino unknowingly hurts him, he becomes even more jealous and afraid, and begins to wear another facade of the "perfect boyfriend" in an effort to protect her from his "ugly" self.
The return of both of his parents into his life sends Soichiro into a dark area, but helps him finally break free to truly be himself as Yukino and their friends help him learn to lean on and trust others. The end of the series shows Yukino and Soichiro in their 30s, with their three children, and gives updates on the various friends they made along the way.
.
The anime was cut short because of creative differences; the author was upset and refused to allow another season because she believed Gainax was focusing too much on the comedy and not enough on the romance. The difference in style after director Hideaki Anno quit following this decision is particularly noticeable.
In adapting the first seven volumes into an anime television series, director Hideaki Anno kept the same general scenes and dialogue but modified the overall feel and focus of the series, making it into a "personal case study of relationships". He emphasizes the dialog over the animation using a variety of techniques, including iconic scenes, production sketches, real-life location shots, repeated imagery, and even using animation version of manga panels or simply printing the lines of the dialog being spoken over static screens.
, Kare Kano was first serialized in LaLa
between February 1996 and June 2005. The 101 individual chapters, referred to as "Acts", were compiled into 21 tankōbon
volumes by Hakusensha
. The first volume was released on June 5, 1996, with the final volume released on August 5, 2005.
Kare Kano was initially licensed for an English language release by Mixx Entertainment in 2000, but it subsequently lost those rights before publication began. In July 2001, the company's Tokyopop
division announced that it had reacquired the license and that it would be serializing the title in their Smile
magazine starting in 2002. However, Smile was discontinued in 2002 before the Tokyopop released the first collected volume of the series on January 21, 2003; the final volume was released on January 10, 2007. It was one of the first manga series that Tokyopop released in the original Japanese orientation, in which the book is read from right to left, and with the original sound effects left in place. In February 2008, Tokyopop reissued the first three volumes in a single omnibus volume.
The series is licensed for regional language releases by Editions Tonkam in France by Grupo Editorial Vid
in Mexico, by Glènat España in Spain, by Dynamic Italia in Italy, by Carlsen Comics in Germany, by Panini Comics
in Brazil
, and by Planet Manga in Portugal. It chapters were also serialized in the French magazine Magnolia and the German magazine Daisuki.
television series produced by Gainax
. The majority of the series was directed by Hideaki Anno
. After Anno left, episodes 14, 15, 19, 24 and 25 were directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki
. The 26 episodes were broadcast on TV Tokyo
from October 1998 to March 1999. The opening theme was "Tenshi no Yubikiri" by Fukuda Mai, and the ending themes were "Yume no Naka e" by Atsuko Enomoto & Chihiro Suzuki for episodes 1–24 and 26 and "Kaze Hiita Yoru" by Yuki Watanabe & Maria Yamamoto for episode 25.
and songs written by Fumiya Fujii
and Yōsui Inoue
. It was released in Japan on December 23, 1998; Geneon released the CD in the US on January 20, 2004. , containing an additional 25 tracks, followed in Japan on February 26, 1999 and in the US on November 1, 2005. The third volume, , also contained 25 tracks. It was released in Japan on May 28, 1999. The three CDs were released as a box set in Japan, along with a fourth disc containing an additional 22 tracks, on February 23, 2005.
, Jonathan Clements
and Helen McCarthy
praised the anime adaptation for its innovative techniques and the use of "surreal 'cartoon' effects". They felt the use of on-screen text for comments on events in the series and change the meaning of what characters were saying was a perfect way to capture "the adolescent power struggles and hypocrisies" in the original manga, while still being a "very funny satire about unlikable people" that manages to still make the characters sympathetic.
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
series by Masami Tsuda
Masami Tsuda
is a Japanese manga artist. She specialises in shōjo manga, the most famous being Kare Kano: His and Hers Circumstances, which is set in Kanagawa Prefecture.Her newest manga is Chotto Edo Made. It first appeared in LaLa in May 2008.-Notes:...
. It was serialized in LaLa
Lala
Lala VC was an Indian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth soldiers.-Details:...
from 1996 to 2005 and collected in 21 tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volumes by Hakusensha
Hakusensha
is a Japanese publishing company. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo.The company mainly publishes manga magazines of various genres and is involved in certain series' productions in their games, original video animation, musical and their animated TV series....
. It depicts the romance between "perfect" student Yukino Miyazawa and her academic rival Soichiro Arima, and the relationships of several of their friends.
The series is licensed and was published in English in North America by Tokyopop
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
. The chapters from the first seven volumes were adapted into a 26-episode anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
television series by Gainax
Gainax
is a Japanese anime studio famous for productions such as Gunbuster, The Wings of Honneamise, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, Neon Genesis Evangelion, FLCL and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann which have gone on to critical acclaim and commercial success, as well as for their association with...
. Directed by Hideaki Anno
Hideaki Anno
is a Japanese animation and film director. Anno is best known for his work on the popular anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. His style has come to be defined by the touches of postmodernism that he injects into his work, as well as the thorough portrayal of characters' thoughts and emotions,...
and Kazuya Tsurumaki
Kazuya Tsurumaki
Kazuya Tsurumaki is a Japanese anime director. He was born on February 2, 1966 in the city of Gosen, located in the Niigata Prefecture.He is the protegé of Hideaki Anno, and a longtime animator at Gainax...
, the episodes were broadcast in Japan on TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
from October 1998 to March 1999. It is licensed for distribution in North America by Right Stuf International, which released it as His and Her Circumstances. It is also sub-licensed for release by Enoki Films
Enoki Films
Enoki Films Co., Ltd. is a producer of anime based in Tokyo.Enoki Films also has a North American division, established in 1986, headquartered in the Encino area of Los Angeles, California, United States called Enoki Films USA, Inc.. Enoki Films USA acts as a middle-man between Japanese companies...
USA under the title Tales at North Hills High.
Plot
Yukino Miyazawa is a Japanese high schoolHigh school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
freshman who is the envy of classmates for her good grades and immaculate appearance. However, her "perfect" exterior is a façade, a charade she maintains to win praise. In the privacy of her own home, she is spoiled, stubborn, a slob, and studies relentlessly and obsessively to maintain her grades. On entering high school, she is knocked from her position at the top of the class by Soichiro Arima, a handsome young man whose very existence Yukino considers a threat to the praise on which she thrives, and she vows to destroy him. When Soichiro confesses that he has a crush on her, Yukino rejects him then boasts about it at home. Her observant little sister Kano points out that her rivalry with him comes from admiration, causing her to rethink her own feelings.
Before she can figure out if she hates or likes Soichiro, he visits her home and discovers her being herself. He uses the information to blackmail her into doing his student council work. At first Yukino accepts it, coming to realize that he is also not the perfect student he pretends to be. Tired of being used, Yukino revolts and Soichiro apologizes, and admits he still loves her and just wanted to spend time with her. Yukino realizes she loves him as well, and together they resolve to abandon their fake ways and be true to themselves, though she initially has trouble breaking her lifelong habit of pretend-perfection and her competitive ways.
As the series progresses, Yukino is able to open her true self to others and earns her first real friends beyond Soichiro. It is eventually revealed that Soichiro was striving to be perfect in order to avoid turning "bad" like the parents who abandoned him. Falling in love with Yukino, he is able to become more true to himself, but he also finds himself becoming increasingly jealous of Yukino's change bringing new friends and new activities into her life, and of her having parts of her life that don't involve him. When Yukino unknowingly hurts him, he becomes even more jealous and afraid, and begins to wear another facade of the "perfect boyfriend" in an effort to protect her from his "ugly" self.
The return of both of his parents into his life sends Soichiro into a dark area, but helps him finally break free to truly be himself as Yukino and their friends help him learn to lean on and trust others. The end of the series shows Yukino and Soichiro in their 30s, with their three children, and gives updates on the various friends they made along the way.
Differences in anime adaptation
The anime adaptation uses the material from the first seven volumes of the manga, stopping just before the school's annual cultural festivalJapanese Cultural Festival
The is an annual event held by most schools in Japan, from Nursery schools to universities at which their students display their everyday achievements. People who want to enter the school themselves or who are interested in the school may come to see what the schoolwork and atmosphere are like...
.
The anime was cut short because of creative differences; the author was upset and refused to allow another season because she believed Gainax was focusing too much on the comedy and not enough on the romance. The difference in style after director Hideaki Anno quit following this decision is particularly noticeable.
Production
Kare Kano was Masami Tsuda's first lengthy manga series. Still new to professional manga writing in general, shortly after starting the series, Tsuda had to put it on hold while she finished working out the framework of the story and where she ultimately wanted it to go.In adapting the first seven volumes into an anime television series, director Hideaki Anno kept the same general scenes and dialogue but modified the overall feel and focus of the series, making it into a "personal case study of relationships". He emphasizes the dialog over the animation using a variety of techniques, including iconic scenes, production sketches, real-life location shots, repeated imagery, and even using animation version of manga panels or simply printing the lines of the dialog being spoken over static screens.
Manga
Written by Masami TsudaMasami Tsuda
is a Japanese manga artist. She specialises in shōjo manga, the most famous being Kare Kano: His and Hers Circumstances, which is set in Kanagawa Prefecture.Her newest manga is Chotto Edo Made. It first appeared in LaLa in May 2008.-Notes:...
, Kare Kano was first serialized in LaLa
Lala
Lala VC was an Indian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth soldiers.-Details:...
between February 1996 and June 2005. The 101 individual chapters, referred to as "Acts", were compiled into 21 tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volumes by Hakusensha
Hakusensha
is a Japanese publishing company. It is headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo.The company mainly publishes manga magazines of various genres and is involved in certain series' productions in their games, original video animation, musical and their animated TV series....
. The first volume was released on June 5, 1996, with the final volume released on August 5, 2005.
Kare Kano was initially licensed for an English language release by Mixx Entertainment in 2000, but it subsequently lost those rights before publication began. In July 2001, the company's Tokyopop
Tokyopop
Tokyopop, styled TOKYOPOP, and formerly known as Mixx, is a distributor, licensor, and publisher of anime, manga, manhwa, and Western manga-style works. The existing German publishing division produces German translations of licensed Japanese properties and original English-language manga, as well...
division announced that it had reacquired the license and that it would be serializing the title in their Smile
Smile (magazine)
Smile was a magazine aimed at teenage girls. At first it was supposed to be a mainstream teen mag similar to Seventeen, but with added manga; later, it became more focused on manga and removed most of its other features. It was discontinued in 2002. It was published by TOKYOPOP.Sailor Moon, Peach...
magazine starting in 2002. However, Smile was discontinued in 2002 before the Tokyopop released the first collected volume of the series on January 21, 2003; the final volume was released on January 10, 2007. It was one of the first manga series that Tokyopop released in the original Japanese orientation, in which the book is read from right to left, and with the original sound effects left in place. In February 2008, Tokyopop reissued the first three volumes in a single omnibus volume.
The series is licensed for regional language releases by Editions Tonkam in France by Grupo Editorial Vid
Grupo Editorial Vid
Grupo Editorial Vid is a Mexican comic, manga and books publisher. It was founded in the early 1940s as Editorial Argumentos ....
in Mexico, by Glènat España in Spain, by Dynamic Italia in Italy, by Carlsen Comics in Germany, by Panini Comics
Panini Comics
Panini Comics is an Italian comic book publisher. A division of Panini Group, best known for their collectible stickers, it is headquartered in Modena, Italy...
in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, and by Planet Manga in Portugal. It chapters were also serialized in the French magazine Magnolia and the German magazine Daisuki.
Anime
Kare Kano was adapted as an animeAnime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
television series produced by Gainax
Gainax
is a Japanese anime studio famous for productions such as Gunbuster, The Wings of Honneamise, Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, Neon Genesis Evangelion, FLCL and Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann which have gone on to critical acclaim and commercial success, as well as for their association with...
. The majority of the series was directed by Hideaki Anno
Hideaki Anno
is a Japanese animation and film director. Anno is best known for his work on the popular anime series Neon Genesis Evangelion. His style has come to be defined by the touches of postmodernism that he injects into his work, as well as the thorough portrayal of characters' thoughts and emotions,...
. After Anno left, episodes 14, 15, 19, 24 and 25 were directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki
Kazuya Tsurumaki
Kazuya Tsurumaki is a Japanese anime director. He was born on February 2, 1966 in the city of Gosen, located in the Niigata Prefecture.He is the protegé of Hideaki Anno, and a longtime animator at Gainax...
. The 26 episodes were broadcast on TV Tokyo
TV Tokyo
is a television station headquartered in Toranomon, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Also known as , a blend of "terebi" and "Tokyo", it is the key station of TX Network. It is one of the major Tokyo television stations, particularly specializing in anime...
from October 1998 to March 1999. The opening theme was "Tenshi no Yubikiri" by Fukuda Mai, and the ending themes were "Yume no Naka e" by Atsuko Enomoto & Chihiro Suzuki for episodes 1–24 and 26 and "Kaze Hiita Yoru" by Yuki Watanabe & Maria Yamamoto for episode 25.
| # | Title | Original airdate |
|---|
Soundtracks
Four CD soundtracks have been released in Japan for the anime series by the StarChild label of Japan's King Records. The first, contained 24 tracks, including musical scores by Shirō SagisuShiro Sagisu
is a well-known Japanese music producer and composer. With a career spanning over 25 years , he is best known for his work as a record producer for acts including Misia, Satoshi Tomiie, and Ken Hirai...
and songs written by Fumiya Fujii
Fumiya Fujii
is a male Japanese popular music artist. He is a part of Sony Music Japan.After leaving his job in Japanese National Railways, he started his music career in the 1980s as the vocalist of the immensely popular group The Checkers and started on his solo project after they split up.Naoyuki Fujii, his...
and Yōsui Inoue
Yosui Inoue
is a Japanese singer, lyricist, composer, guitarist and record producer, who is an important figure in Japanese music. He is renowned for his unique tone, eccentric lyrics, and dark sunglasses which he always wears....
. It was released in Japan on December 23, 1998; Geneon released the CD in the US on January 20, 2004. , containing an additional 25 tracks, followed in Japan on February 26, 1999 and in the US on November 1, 2005. The third volume, , also contained 25 tracks. It was released in Japan on May 28, 1999. The three CDs were released as a box set in Japan, along with a fourth disc containing an additional 22 tracks, on February 23, 2005.
Reception
The tenth volume of the series was listed as the top selling graphic novel in Japan on October 31, 2000. In The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917
The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917 is a 2001 encyclopedia written by Jonathan Clements and Helen McCarthy. It was published in 2001 by Stone Bridge Press in the United States, and a "revised and expanded" edition was released in 2007. In the United Kingdom, it was...
, Jonathan Clements
Jonathan Clements
Jonathan Clements is a British author and scriptwriter. His non-fiction works include biographies of Confucius, Koxinga and Qin Shihuangdi , as well as monthly opinion columns for Neo magazine...
and Helen McCarthy
Helen McCarthy
Helen McCarthy is the British author of such anime reference books as 500 Manga Heroes and Villains, Anime!, The Anime Movie Guide and Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation. She is the co-author of The Erotic Anime Movie Guide and the exhaustive The Anime Encyclopedia with Jonathan Clements...
praised the anime adaptation for its innovative techniques and the use of "surreal 'cartoon' effects". They felt the use of on-screen text for comments on events in the series and change the meaning of what characters were saying was a perfect way to capture "the adolescent power struggles and hypocrisies" in the original manga, while still being a "very funny satire about unlikable people" that manages to still make the characters sympathetic.
External links
- Official Gainax Kareshi Kanojo no Jijō anime site
- Official Bandai Channel Kareshi Kanojo no Jijō anime site
- Official Enoki Films USA Tales at North Hills High site
- http://www.ex.org/4.3/10-anime_karekano.html
- http://www.rightstuf.com/news/journal-kknj.shtml
- "Please Listen To Me, Mr. Anno!"
- Animerica review