Mahoraba: Heartful Days
まほらば ~Heartful days~
Shiratori Ryuushi is a young artist-in-training, about to start studying at a vocational school. Arriving at his new lodgings, Narutakisou, he finds himself the focus of attention for the collection of weirdos that inhabit the place. He also meets and falls for the landlady, Aoba Kozue, who seems to be both lovely and charming. However, Kozue is not what she seems to be... in fact, she's more. (Source: ANN)
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Shiratori Ryuushi is a young artist-in-training, about to start studying at a vocational school. Arriving at his new lodgings, Narutakisou, he finds himself the focus of attention for the collection of weirdos that inhabit the place. He also meets and falls for the landlady, Aoba Kozue, who seems to be both lovely and charming. However, Kozue is not what she seems to be... in fact, she's more. (Source: ANN)
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Archaeon
January 7, 2008
When I was younger, people often treated mental illnesses as if they were a joke or an excuse. People suffering from depression were often called lazy, schizophreniacs were shunned, more serious cases of mental illnesses were put away - out of sight, out of mind. Because of these beliefs, and because of some atrocious acts which were sensationalised through national media, all mental illnesses became tarred with the same brush. It's only in the last few years that society has become more accepting and understanding of the suffering caused by mental illnesses on the part of those suffering from them, and those who care for,and about, the sufferers. You may think this is a bit of a serious note to begin a review of a comedy anime, but it has a point to it. See most forms of visual entertainment still protray certain forms of mental illnesses to be something dark or evil. Granted they may be caused by some traumatic event(s), but that doesn't mean being crazy is necessarily a bad thing (take it from one who knows). With this in mind, I'll begin the review. Mahoraba is a rare anime, and an absolute gem. The story is about Shiratori Ryushi, an aspiring children's book author, and his encounters with the people who live in Narutakisou, the apartment block where he has moved to while he attends art school. Most especially the story is about the relationship between him and his cousin, Aoba Kozue, and this is the key part of the story (I'll explain why in a second). At first glance the story looks to be the same as shows like Love Hina, but looks can be deceiving. This show is so much more than that, and the dimensions that are added to the story are rooted in the fact that Aoba Kozue suffers from a serious mental illness - she has Multiple Personality Disorder, brought on by a traunatic event in her childhood. Aoba Kozue is, in effect, five main characters at once. What I liked most about the story was the fact that it approached the subject of mental illness in a far more sensitive manner than most other shows - anime or otherwise. The story allows the characters to develop their relationships with each other, and shows how they cope with the fact that someone they care about suffers from such a serious disorder. The art style is very clean and colourful, but what I especially liked was the way they inserted 4 koma manga into an anime (you'll find one in almost every episode and they're highly amusing). I also liked the way the childrens story (which becomes a main theme of the show at the end), is depicted. The sound is of a very good standard. The music is very complementary to the show,and the sound effects are used very well. The characters voices don't grate on the ears (unlike a certain Oribe Aoi from Myself;Yourself). The main reason why this show is so likeable, other than the story, is the characters themselves. Once you're familiar with the characters you'll realise that this is no Love Hina by any measure - this is better. The two (or six) main characters are likable enough. Ryushi isn't as much of a loser as Keitaro, and Kozue is way nicer than Narusegawa. The other characters in the show are just as likeable, and have their own personalities, likes, dislikes, etc. Not one of the characters is boring in this show ( I have to admit that my two favourite characters are Konno Natsume - one of Kozue's personalities who sprouts flowers out of the top of her head when she's happy, and Erika Vermillion - the masochistic head of the Occult club of which both Kozue and Tamami are members). This anime won't appeal to everyone. I found this to be a funny, sweet, and above all sensitive comedy about caring for a person with a mental illness, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It may not be realistic in certain ways, but I don't think it was ever meant to be. I found many of the scenes to be extremely funny, and the scripting is very well done for a show like this. The dialogue between the characters is often highly amusing, and this, coupled with some of the "insane" antics the residents of Narutakisou get up to meant this show was never boring. It's nice to finally see a show where mental illness is treated with sensitivity and humour instead of the typical "he/she is crazy and trying to take over/destroy the world", or "must kill Makoto and/or Sekai", etc.
