 Another last-of-series disc - no more nekkid Aoi-chan in the OP
sequence. Snif. Anyway, here's hoping for a return to Volume 1's form
ahead of the upcoming sequel series, Ai Yori Aoshi ~Enishi~.
21 - Influenza
Aoi's tenants discover just how much she does around the house when she
catches a dose of the 'flu. Try as they might to fill her shoes, they
just can't handle running the house without her, until they put their
heads together & figure out who's best at what...
22 - Going Home
Kaoru takes Aoi to meet his mother - or to see her grave, at least.
Later, Aoi gets summoned back home by her father - she insists it's
only for the day, but Miyabi seems worried by the summons. When Aoi
doesn't return when she promised to, Kaoru begins to have strong
feelings that he's lost her. When Miyabi finally returns - without Aoi
- she asks him to come with her, without saying where to. On the way,
she explains how she initially hated him over the way Aoi seemed to
care only for him, but now feels she must protect their relationship.
23 - Determination
Kaoru's roadtrip continues - he's being taken to see Aoi. The two of
them reminisce about the past & enjoy their time together, before
Aoi finally explains that her father has arranged a new marriage
partner for her. If she obeys her father's instructions, this may be
the last time she sees Kaoru. Meanwhile, back at the house, the rest of
the residents are wondering where Kaoru, Aoi & Miyabi have
disappeared to...
24 - Aoi
Rather than run away, Kaoru & Aoi decide to face down her father,
and ask Miyabi to take them to the Sakuraba house. Once there, it's up
to Kaoru to present himself & his argument for staying with Aoi.
It's not easy for him, though - his value to the Sakuraba family lay in
his connections with the Hanabishi's. Now that he's severed his ties
with them, he's in many ways no better than a commoner in the eyes of
Aoi's father. Can he hold on to the person most dear to him, over the
objections of her family?
Bonus Episode - Speaking of Dreams
A 5-minute short - I think it was a TV special - in which the gang talk about their dreams for the future while out viewing the cherry-blossoms.
Now this is more like it - even the 'fluff' episode of the disc, Influenza,
is deeper than most of the recent episodes have been. While it focusses
on the housemates more than Aoi & Kaoru, it's done in a much more
sober & less fanservice-laden way than is usual. Then, for the
final 3 episodes, we're back to the heavy focus on Aoi and Kaoru, which
I know will make many fans very happy. It certainly worked for me.
While there is a sequel series on the way (Geneon have the rights & it's due out later in the year), AYA
does have a satisfactory ending in its own right, in that Aoi &
Kaoru have stood up to the Sakuraba family & ensured that their
relationship has a future that's within their control, and as a fan
that's about the best that could have been hoped for.
Moving on to Speaking of Dreams, it's just a short insight
into the minds of the characters. Nothing deep or meaningful, just a
treat for the fans, who generally like this sort of thing. While I'm
glad it's on the disc, I wouldn't have thrown a tantrum if it hadn't
appeared (although I may be in a minority on that..!).
Overall, it's a tough one. Fans of shounen romance could almost get
away with watching discs 1 & 5 only & skipping the rest of the
series - those 2 discs almost tell a self-contained story - but
that would be doing a dis-service to the rest of the show. Many people
hate it for its reliance on fanservice and slapstick comedy, but it
does what it sets out to do really well, and I enjoyed it for that.
Recommended, with a caveat for people who don't like schizophrenic
shows - AYA doesn't quite know if it's a comedy or a romance.
It does a damn good job of being both, but if you find either aspect to
be a turn-off, I understand it can get quite infuriating. You have been
warned. |
