Ao Haru Ride OVA

This is a great little add on to the Ao Haru show, it literally "wraps" the main story with episode 1 being a prequel of sorts and episode 2 being an add on after the occurrences in the main title. It definitely feels just like the parent show- simple and sweet. I recommend watching this after the main show, even though chronologically the first episode of the OVA comes first, because it messes up some of the foreshadowing and character exposition in the main show. Animation: Not too much to add in this section, feels just like the main show. I'd forgotten that Futaba's hair has somuch volume! Expressions and emotions are great in this show overall, middle school Futaba's innocence is really well represented. Sound: There aren't any OP/EDs in this OVA, there are end credits but it's just played over BGM. The background music is identical to the parent show, some of the tunes are instantly recognizable; it was utilized to outstanding effect to end the prequel episode. The VAs are identical to the main show, expect a strong performance throughout. Maaya Uchida sure can go through her hiragana tables quickly... Story: Unlike a lot of run of the mill OVAs, this is not a filler between seasons; it actually adds substance to the show as a whole. The first episode recounts how Futaba slowly and innocently falls in love with Kou. The second episode adds on to the ending of the parent show. Remember how Yuuri said she was going to get serious in the summer? Well, this episode takes place in summer. In addition, there are some really nice atmosphere scenes in this episode, some of which are ironically funny for the viewer. If you're looking for more of the pure, innocent hatsukoi story that is Ao Haru Ride, you've found it. Character: We know a lot about our characters by this point, yet this still manages to add on quite a bit more. Even though I knew exactly what was coming in the first episode, the last scene with Futaba still caught me off guard, a brilliant way to round out the episode. The second episode was equally impressive as the dynamic character relations continue to evolve. Expect some rather bold advances and surprisingly a lot of screen time for Touma (the guy that Futaba "molested"). Value: This is an absolute must watch for those who enjoyed the main show. It adds valuable content and further cements this show as one of the outstanding examples in the genre.