SeattleOtaku: Review - Kimagure Orange Road

Kimagure Orange Road

The ultimate love-triangle anime, or very nearly so, Kimagure Orange Road ("Kimagure" is typically translated to either "Capricious" or "Whimsical"), is the story of a boy and the two girls he loves. But this is anime, where it's never that simple!

Story Intro

Kasuga Kyousuke is an average high-shool boy with a problem; his inherited psychic powers keep getting him in trouble, and he'll do nearly anything to keep those powers a secret, lest he and his family get run out of town. Then he meets a beautiful girl on the top of a long set of stairs when he catches her hat in a strong gust of wind. Could this girl really be the same one that has such a nasty reputation at his new school?

Hiyama Hikaru is a sweet-but-tough high-school girl who witnesses something amazing -- Kyousuke shooting a basket from across the court, seated, nothing but net. Then there's the time that they're both in the halls, turn a corner, and collide -- on the lips. She loves this guy, and will let everyone know it at the slightest provocation. She often confides in her sempai (senior classmate) and childhood friend, Madoka, who promises to help her in her quest of love. But is she too blinded by that love to see what's happening between her two best friends?

Ayukawa Madoka, the beautiful high-school senior and musician, is also the toughest person at the school. Her mood swings at the drop of a hat, though, making it tough for Kyousuke to figure out how she really feels about him. It obviously hurts her to see Kyousuke and Hikaru together, but will she break Hikaru's heart by following her own? Or can she follow her heart and hide her actions from Hikaru?

This sets the stage for a love triangle where it's guaranteed that someone will be seriously hurt in the end. But who do you root for when both choices seem "right"?

More Notes

Due to licensing differences, the classic TV and OVA series and the first movie are released domestically by AnimEigo (DVD and VHS, some LDs are out of print), while the "Shin" (New) movie is released domestically by ADV Films (DVD and VHS).

Kimagure Orange Road (48-episode TV)

Kimagure Orange Road (8-episode OVA)

Kimagure Orange Road: I Want to Return to That Day (Movie)

Shin (New) Kimagure Orange Road: Summer's Beginning (Movie)

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