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SUKISHO! CAN'T STOP LOVING YOU (VOL. 1) |
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Friday, 30 March 2007 |
 | | ▪ | RELEASED BY: | | MEDIA BLASTERS | | | ▪ | ASPECT RATIO: | | 1.33: 1 FULL FRAME | | | ▪ | AUDIO: | | JAPANESE DD 2.0 W/ ENGLISH SUBTILES | | | ▪ | RUNNING TIME: | | 125 MIN | | | ▪ | RATING: | | 7UP | | | ▪ | RELEASE DATE: | | 10/11/2005 | | | ▪ | REVIEW DATE: | | 03/31/2007 | | | ▪ | REVIEWED BY: | | HOLLY ELLINGWOOD |
Suksiho is a three volume anime series that holds an incredible blend of mystery, darker undertones, and a bright splash of comedy, to propel a romance between two young men into a compelling story.
This shonen ai (yaoi) series sees energetic Sora arrive back on campus after an extended leave of absence due to an accident where he fell from a window on the top floor of the academy. Part of the problem is that he also suffers from fragmented amnesia. He doesn’t remember most, if any, of his young childhood or the more recent accident whatsoever. His other problem? His new roommate, the striking yet generally quiet Sunao. Their first night together, Sora is woken up from his slumber by the sensual attentions of Sunao, except Sunao says his name is Ran. His eyes are a different color and even his voice is different! Just what is gong on? Confused, Sora sure would like to know. And Sora better figure out the mystery soon because his life might depend on it!
Don’t be surprised if you feel as confused as Sora at the start of this anime, it does a wonderful job of setting up a dramatic mystery without showing the viewer all its cards right away. We soon learn that there seems to be an alternate personality in both Sunao and Sora. The questions as to why and exactly what these alternate personalities are, isn’t yet known. It does seem to be all wound up into the missing memories Sora can’t seem to remember, the accident, and a nefarious member of the faculty. The two alternate personalities of Yoru and Ran are lovers and as much as Sora and Sunao clash, their growing attraction to each other is obvious.
This dramatic mystery hints at a lot of anguish and danger. Sora’s older brother Shunichiro and his lover, the male school nurse Nanami, are both keeping a very close eye on Sora…and on Sunao. They seem to know what is going on, but they’re purposefully keeping Sora in the dark. The only reason can be to protect him. At least, that’s the impression they give so far. But protect him from what? Or whom? And why are they so concerned about Sunao’s involvement with Sora? Just what are they afraid of? Did Sora actually accidentally fall out that window, was he trying to kill himself, or was he pushed?
This immensely involving mystery and dangerous romance are exciting. The show however throws us a curve ball with a lighter, even cute romp of comedy frequently throughout the show to make sure things don’t get too angst ridden overall, at least not yet. This humorous side is energetically portrayed through Sora and Sunao’s friend Matsuri who is always scheming of fun things to do which usually means laughable trouble for the aggrieved Sunao and Sora. They are quickly roped into forming the Jack of Trades club which helps anyone and everyone at the academy with any sort of request, no matter how crazy. These range from a feudal cosplay with Sunao as the princess and Sora as the Kenshin, making a boxed lunch to help an older step-brother repair his relationship with his younger new brother, dealing with a mini-Sora imposter, a ghost who wants a date with Sora (much to Sunao’s aggravation despite his pained declarations that he is not jealous), and dealing with a costumed caped thief. These are all a bit off the wall and create some lively entertainment, some of which contribute to the growing attraction between the two main characters, others lead to hints about the alternate personalities as they appear at certain times during these crazy adventures. These comedic trappings have the added charm of often showing a very sweet side to the characters.
The dichotomy of the show between the serious storyline with the compelling mystery and danger and the other side with the lively school life is mirrored in the highly attractive animation. The lighter parts show a colorful energy and style. The more dramatic moments usher in somber tones and when the alternate personalities of Ran and Yoru appear, there is a threatening atmospheric change in both the look of the animation and the musical score. The music works well and has a very attractive opening theme song called “Just a Survivor” sung by Tatsuhisa Suzuki and features some fantastic art work, especially during the opening of the song.
Considering this is a shonen ai anime, it will certainly appeal to yaoi fans. It has style and substance and offers a much more serious storyline regarding all the secrets everyone is hiding. It will appeal to fans of not only Gravitation, which is another shonen ai that successfully blended a more dramatic story with energetic comedy, but also fans of shows like Gakuen Heaven for its lighter comedic romance parts, and fans of Loveless due to Sukisho’s much more serious underpinnings that slowly reveal themselves in the anime series.
EXTRAS:
Bonus features include trailers, character song video clips for Sora and Sunao, clean opening animation, and “Sukisho! Broadcast”, this is an original Japanese feature that has a video table discussion with the Japanese voice actors Hikaru Midorikawa (Sorai) and Kouki Miyata (Sei).
IN SUMMARY:
Romance, danger and secrets abound in this first engaging volume of Sukisho. The anime also has an unexpected and quite lively comedic side that is often cute and sweet. Fans of Gravitation will not want to miss this title. |
