September 19, 2003
I's Episode 1
"Another Summer's Tale - First Part"
I always dreaded that someday they'd turn I's into an anime series. Being a big fan of the manga, with its roller coaster romantic storyline and the gorgeous art, I knew that no anime could ever live up to it in quality (which is really what set I's apart for me).
Well, here it is.
First things first. The animation of this show is absolutely horrible. Things from complex character movements to things like planes flying around look from bad to worse. This is a terribly animated show, especially when you consider it's an OVA series, which usually carry increased production values. Even the lip synching looks bad (and I mean, it really stands out... like watching something parodying the famous Japanese people in dubbed movies effect).
It was impossible that the art could hold up to the manga. That would be an unrealistic standard to hold it to. It's pretty good in itself, but (as I am forced to do) when you compare it to the manga, it is a pale imitation. The characters resemble the originals, but it just isn't the same. Iori, for example (the female lead character), doesn't exude her strong personality, looking more cute and vulnerable than in the comics.
This was a losing battle for the anime anyways, but it should have a leg up on the music right? After all, manga doesn't have music! Unfortunately, the music is simply awful. Dreadful. Horrendous. Terrible. I can't come up with enough words to describe the atrocious cacophony of sound that accompanies the anime. The tunes are terrible, they don't really fit the mood, and... well, it's bad.
How about voice acting then? Another tough one, as I know what I imagined in my head when I read the comics. Teratani is probably the worst voice, as I imagined him having an intense, perverted-geeky voice. In the anime, he has a high-pitched, whiny, nasal drone. Not so good. Iori... like I complained about the way she looks in the anime, her voice fits the wrong personality. Ichitaka doesn't contain the same intenseness that it seems he should speak with from reading the manga.
It's unfair to hold the I's to preconceived notions and expectations from the manga, but I'm going to do it anyways. After all, if not for the manga audience, who the hell is this show for?
The plot is fairly incomprehensible if you don't know the background (what's the deal with Iori and the photo shoots, who is Itsuki, and on and on). Even knowing what I do, I have no idea what this story is about. It's definitely not anything from the manga, and it features some new guy from Itsuki and Ichitaka's past.
I suppose I should do a little introduction to the people who haven't read the manga yet.
There's this guy, Ichitaka. He is pretty much your Standard Anime Guy. He is in love with Iori, who has recently become a fashion model (stepping stone for her acting career). Finally, they get together, but because of Iori's burgeoning career, they are frequently separated. The story of the manga deals with the troubles of their relationship because of this separation (made worse by the fact that Ichitaka is confused by the other females in his life, especially since he does not see Iori often).
If you didn't catch all that, don't worry. You don't need to know it anyways. This show'll be over soon.
Rating: D
Posted by Kei at September 19, 2003 11:12 PM