John Blade
Member
Just finish the entire show (not really long as it's just 6 episodes total) and trying to let it sink a bit in me here. Before I go to my impression of the OVA, I think it's best if we go into the original roots of where this show adapted from which is basically the manga. So, let's start this history bus of the manga which most of you don't remember or don't care as it's old (which is fine really).
(Side note: is been over 10 years since I read this manga, so, I will be a bit rough of my impression of the manga)
I''s is a Japanese Shounen manga series which is written and illustrated by Masakazu Katsura. If you don't know who this Japanese manga artist, he make some of the popular manga from mid 80s to early 2000s. I guess, the most popular manga he written are Video Girl Ai, DNA2, Zetman, and Shadow Lady. If you're wondering, he is still published manga even today (based on My Anime List, 13 manga as of now). I guess what catch my attention of his work is how he draw his character (mostly female) as it look a bit on the realistic side. You can notice from the picture below.
You can say, this is what start me to look into his work and the 1st work I read (with my friend request when I was in high school) is I''s.
So, back story of I''s. You follow the main character of the manga, Seto , who have a crush with a girl in his class name Iori. Unfortunately, he got reject by her when he was a young kid (the typical crush thing you say when you're a small kid but got reject by the opposite sex and get make fun off from your friend). Iori is becoming popular in the school she attend to because of her drama work and also her publish model book which show her in a swimsuit dress (think Jap idol magazine). For Seto, he is very shy to tell her his feeling after the incident and trying to make a plan where he can express his love to her. Unfortunately, something gets in the way for Seto to do this and I mean literally a lot along the 15 volumes from the manga (whether his long lost friend in the US, to misunderstanding incident which almost cost the relationship in few situation). Even with all this issue, both Seto and Iori start to become friend (which is crazy by Seto shy issue) and this friendship start to blossom into love along the manga, which will be challenge by different situation along the way to the point of the major climax at the end. Basically, that is a rough idea of the plotline from what I remember reading the manga over 10 years ago. Along the way, you meet new characters which help expand the storyline a bit here and there.
For character development, most of the development is coming from the main characters of the manga and the secondary characters (mostly Seto and Iori friends). All of them are develop well enough from what I remember to the point you like almost of them. They're some which feel like they're there to patted the manga a bit but even those are still fine on they own. The only issue I have is maybe direct to Seto and his way too indecisive when a situation come up. Literally, all the misunderstanding issue which Seto get himself into can really be clear up if both Seto and Iori can talk about the problems. Unfortunately, they don't and Seto friend have to clear it up when it come up.
Now, you have a rough idea of the manga, let's go into the OVA show. This OVA manage to tell the manga storyline of 15 volumes into the 6 episodes quite well by using flashback. How they do it setting up the current time frame of when Seto was going to express his love to Iroi on a Christmas eve party which happened later in the manga and using his time waiting for Iroi of going back of the past of what happened in the few years before than with her and him. To me, this might be the best way to adapted the main story in the shortest amount of time. Literally, all the major point of the story are going through the flash back which work well as it give the audience what have happened during Seto and Iroi time when they're in high school. Unfortunately, this cause another issue which is something you can't really solve with a limited of episodes. Quite a bit of stuff have to be cut just so the pacing of the story is smooth. Because of this issue, they is a limited of development with other character in the manga or remove them completely. This mean some of the support character who have some good character development in the manga are now become two dimensional character in the anime with limited emotional attachment. one good example is Izumi, the girl Seto meet up at the beach in the anime. In both anime and manga, she become a thorn for Seto as she isn't shy expressing her feeling toward him which cause quite a bit of issue as both her and Iori was staying in the same hotel and after an incident, almost destroy any chance with Seto with Iroi. At the end, Izumi realize the situation and help Seto to fix the friendship/relationship of Iroi while at the same time Seto help her to amend her boyfriend issue. What people who watch the anime didn't know, she did have a bigger and important part in the manga which isn't shown because of time constraint which is interesting to read and follow. This is one example but they're quite few more where character in the manga have been removed in the anime to smooth the pacing of the show which is something you have to accept. If they did this OVA as a TV show, then quite a bit of missing part from the manga can be explored. Still, I do think they did a good job to bring out the major part of the story to the audience which is better than nothing.
For the music side in this OVA, it is okay but nothing really pop out when I listen to it. It did fine to set up the mood or tone of the scene even though they're few I do think can be improve with better music instrumental to make the scene even more powerful. Most of the time, it's barely noticeable to make any difference. Nothing crazy but workable when needed. A minor note, they is one song in the OVA which they use for the those emotional scene but alter a bit so it have 3 version of the same song (all been use in the OVA). That might be the best song in the whole soundtrack (even better than the opening theme song). For the people who want to hear it, here is the link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE44sXxDr_M). It isn't amazing and for people who watch tons of romance anime, you might feel like the song sound generic romance music, but it's still a nice song to hear (even more for the other version as it sound better with the piano).
For animation, the quality of it is fine for what I see. Most of the detail is put on the environments on the background and the character movement which is good. Also, because this is ecchi romance, most of the detail on the character is put on the female side which you notice quite well. As for the male, not much really. Still, it look fine and didn't really have any complaint about it.
Overall, I think this OVA of I''s is okay. I know you can't really put all the stuff in the manga in this 6 episodes but from I see, they manage to bring out the major important part of the manga in here which is good. For me, if anyone who never read the manga but want to know what is the story about I''s, this OVA will give you a good idea of the story but I would recommend to read the manga 1st as a lot of stuff like major developments and some of the important characters were left out in the anime and the best way to experience the story is to read the manga.
Here are some picture from the show to see.
