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I’ve rewatched Ao Haru Ride anime & finished it’s manga online multiple times. It just feels nostalgic to those simple days of youth but I liked how the characters esp ML had multiple layers/dimensions & shows us the harsh realities of growing up that people change whether we want to or not. It actually has more depth than the usual predictable slice of life romance anime/manga. Although, I wish they animate the rest of it but the LA is nice addition/watch. FL is actually pretty & fits Futaba & ML is better than the movie who looked too old to play the role. This series is a better LA version. They cut down on some scenes w/c is normal & good for the pacing & focused more on the love triangle. And actually to those who haven’t read the manga, Kou actually becomes better when they started dating, he becomes nicer & more honest to himself & Futaba. People forget he is just a growing teen trying to navigate the constant changes in his life from his parents divorce & moving schools to mourning over the death of his mom & then moving back. He knew he wasn’t ready to date but tried to push people away. He didn’t have a therapist nor somebody to lean on when his mom was dying. Futaba can’t be blamed also for trying to move on, because like him, she’s just a teen & not a martyr. Like in any romance manga/anime, most of the conflicts were caused by miscommunications but that’s how really people are, we’re too afraid to be honest to one another or to ourselves.Was this review helpful to you?
