Ai Yori Aoshi

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Ai Yori Aoshi
藍より青し (Ai Yori Aoshi)
Genre	Harem anime, Romance, Seinen
Manga: Ai Yori Aoshi
Authored by	Kou Fumizuki
Publisher	Hakusensha TOKYOPOP Grupo Editorial VID
Other publishers: Pika Édition EMA Jonesky Grupo Editorial Vid Daiwon CI Norma Editorial Ever Glory
Serialized in	Young Animal
Original run	1998 – 2005
No. of volumes	17[1]
TV anime : Ai Yori Aoshi
Directed by	Masami Shimoda
Studio	J.C.STAFF
Network	Fuji TV
Other networks: Anione
Original run	April 11, 2002 – September 26, 2002
No. of episodes	24[2]
TV anime : Ai Yori Aoshi: Enishi
Directed by	Masami Shimoda
Studio	J.C.STAFF
Network	Fuji TV
Original run	October 13, 2003 – December 29, 2003
No. of episodes	12[3]
Game: Ai Yori Aoshi
Developer	KID
Publisher	KID Hirameki International
Genre	Visual novel
Rating	ESRB: T (Teen)
Platform	PlayStation 2 Windows 98
Released	20 March 2003 29 September 2005[4]
Game: Ai Yori Aoshi shunka
Developer	{{{developer}}}
Publisher	J.C.STAFF
Genre	Visual novel
Platform	Windows 98
Released	20 May 2004
Game: Ai Yori Aoshi shuutou
Developer	{{{developer}}}
Publisher	J.C.STAFF
Genre	Visual novel
Platform	Windows 98
Released	24 June 2004
Game: SuperLite 2000 adventure Ai Yori Aoshi
Developer	KID
Publisher	SUCCESS Corporation
Genre	Visual novel
Platform	PlayStation 2
Released	23 June 2005

Ai Yori Aoshi (藍より青し, Ai Yori Aoshi^?) is a manga by Kou Fumizuki, originally serialized in 1998 in Hakusensha's Young Animal, a magazine for young men. The original manga series ended its run in 2005.

The title is taken from a quote from the Chinese philosopher Xun Zi: Blue comes from indigo, yet is bluer than indigo (青は藍より出でて藍より青し Ao wa ai yori idete ai yori aoshi) (青出於藍而勝於藍 in Traditional Chinese). The phrase is used in Japanese to mean that, although a person is molded by their teacher, they surpass that teacher through their own efforts. The name of the main character, Aoi (葵, Aoi^?), may be a reference to this phrase.

Ai Yori Aoshi was made into an anime in 2002 and video games were released for the PlayStation 2 and Windows 98. The anime series was completed when its second season, under the title Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi (藍より青し ～縁～, Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi^?), was completed in 2003. The anime was released in North America by Geneon and in Singapore by Odex. The manga was released in English by TOKYOPOP. Also, a drama CD series was produced, with slight differences in the voicing cast as compared to the anime.

The series is sometimes referred to as a halfway point between a harem anime and a magical girlfriend story. It is also referred to as "Wasei Rabu Hina" (和製ラブひな, Japanese Love Hina^?) as the story is similar to Love Hina, but in a more traditional Japanese style.

Contents 1 Story 1.1 Episode Listing 2 Characters and seiyū 3 Enishi 3.1 Episode Listing 4 Manga 5 Video games 6 Theme Songs 6.1 Ai Yori Aoshi 6.2 Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi 7 References 8 External links

[edit] Story

Kaoru Hanabishi appears to be an average university student; in actuality he is the eldest son of Yuji Hanabishi, the head of Hanabishi Zaibatsu, and was set to take over the zaibatsu after his father retired. His mother, Kumi Honjo, and his father never married, and this had made life difficult for both him and his mother. Kaoru's father died when he was five years old. Since then, Yuji's father, grandfather to Kaoru, took Kaoru under his wing and began educating him for the eventual succession. Yet Kaoru never was at home in the Hanabishi family and left to live by himself after his mother died. Day by day he felt alone, with him thinking that he is living a life with no reason pushing him on.

There is, however, someone who loved Kaoru so much that she would do whatever was necessary to be with him.

Her name is Aoi Sakuraba. Aoi is the only daughter of the owner of Sakuraba Kimono Store (later renamed to Sakuraba Department Store). Kaoru's family and Sakuraba's family had agreed for Kaoru to wed Aoi but after Kaoru walked out, the marriage was canceled. Both families had a friendly relationship and Aoi had been in love with Kaoru from the start, which Kaoru was unaware of. The Sakuraba family had already been searching for someone suitable but Aoi was unwilling to marry someone else and walked out, chasing Kaoru.

Both were freed from their families' affairs but did not know how to make their living. Miyabi Kagurazaki, who had been looking out for Aoi, offered the two a way. Aoi and Miyabi would live together in a grand western style summer house of Sakuraba family and Kaoru would live in a house for servants next to it. This would prevent a scandal, much like the one that had made Kaoru's life difficult, as the two would be living separately. But soon, Kaoru's friends, who just happen to be attractive females, took residence in the house, and it quickly became a dormitory. Very soon, Aoi became a landlady of the dormitory.

The first season ends when Aoi`s father decided to arrange her marriage with another man; she refused, and is locked up. She managed to escape with the help of Miyabi and Aoi spent a day together with Kaoru. Rather than doing what Miyabi expects and eloping they confront her father the next day and managed to get her father to agree to their relationship. Kaoru's best point in his argument with Aoi's father is the fact that after having lost his family and enduring the pain of that loss he does not wish to see the same thing happen to Aoi. Her father grudingly accepts Aoi's choice in order to maintain his relationship with Aoi.

Alternate view of story: Aoi Sakuraba sees that her father is arranging a marriage for her and leaves home in a desperate attempt to revive a failed engagement to Kaoru Hanabishi to whom she had been matched as children. Through some strange twist of fate they meet in a busy train station and without recognizing each other, Kaoru helps her to find her way to the address she thinks Kaoru lives. The address is a mistake and she is heart broken to find it is only an empty lot. Kaoru allows her to come to his apartment for tea and to help gather herself together. She shows him an old photo of the two of them and they realize that he is the one whom she is looking for. The way they found each other and the kind way Kaoru behaved toward her shows her that she is destined to marry Kaoru and that he is her true love, if there was ever a doubt. Aoi is quite apologetic about her behavior at the start of the story because what she has done was done in an attempt to enlist others in a plan that would allow her to have her own way. While appearing passive and helpless, she is the one who causes everything to happen.

A best effort to map the story elements of the anime to the manga shows that the anime covers between one and two years in the lives of the characters.

[edit] Episode Listing

• 1. Fate (縁 Enishi)
• 2. Evening Supper (夕餉 Yūge)
• 3. Separation (別離 Wakare)
• 4. Living Together (同棲 Dōsei)
• 5. Friend (朋友 Hōyū)
• 6. The Way of the House (家道 Kadō)
• 7. Illusionary Ghost (幻妖 Genyō)
• 8. Fondness (愛玩 Aigan)
• 9. One Night (一夜 Hitoyo)
• 10. School (学舎 Manabiya)
• 11. Children (子女 Shijo)
• 12. Kiss (接吻 Seppun)
• 13. Star Festival (星祭 Hoshimatsuri)
• 14. The Chef (賄 Makanai)
• 15. Feelings (胸懐 Kyōkai)
• 16. The Beach (渚 Nagisa)
• 17. Ripples (漣 Sazanami)
• 18. Sharing a Bed (同衾 Dōkin)
• 19. Sleeping on Another's Lap (膝枕 Hizamakura)
• 20. Healing (癒 Iyashi)
• 21. Familiar Scent (風気 Fūki)
• 22. Returning Home (帰省 Kisei)
• 23. Decision (決意 Ketsui)
• 24. Aoi (葵 Aoi)

[edit] Characters and seiyū

Main article: List of Ai Yori Aoshi characters

[edit] Enishi

Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi (藍より青し ～縁～, Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi^?) is the second season of an animated television series based on the manga Ai Yori Aoshi. The anime is distributed in DVD format by Geneon in North America. It was originally aired in Japan in 2003. Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi takes place two years after episode one of Ai Yori Aoshi. Kaoru is now a graduate student, and Chika is now a high school student. The other characters are two years further along in the same positions that they were in in Ai Yori Aoshi. Unlike Ai Yori Aoshi, few episodes are centered around developing the relationship of the two leads, Kaoru and Aoi. Instead, the majority of episodes are devoted to slice-of-life episodes for the other characters. However, there are major changes that take place within the series. Many of the later episodes are used to develop Tina Foster's character. The end of the final episode includes brief glimpses at the near-term futures of the show's characters following the series' end. There is a total of twelve episodes in this season which do not completely surround Kaoru and Aoi.

[edit] Episode Listing

• 1. Spring Blossom (桜春 Ōshun)
• 2. Friends (友垣 Tomogaki)
• 3. Tennis (庭球 Teikyū)
• 4. Phantom (怪 Mononoke)
• 5. Piano (洋琴 Yōkin)
• 6. Journey (道程 Dōtei)
• 7. Summering (避暑 Hisho)
• 8. Fish (水魚 Suigyo)
• 9. Pure White (白妙 Shirotae)
• 10. Hot Springs (湯帷子 Yukatabira)
• 11. Moonlight (月光 Gekkō)
• 12. Ties (絆 Kizuna)

[edit] Manga

Besides sharing many similarities in the storyline with the two anime series, the manga also expands on parts not covered in the anime, such as Kaoru's younger brother, and Miyabi's past.

• Volume 1 (Japanese Edition: ISBN 4-592-13371-4; English Edition: ISBN 1-59182-645-4) From about February of Kaoru's 2nd year in college to three months later.
• Volume 2 (Japanese Edition: ISBN 4-592-13372-2; English Edition: ISBN 1-59182-646-2) From the end of Volume 1 to fall.
• Volume 3 (Japanese Edition: ISBN 4-592-13373-0; English Edition: ISBN 1-59182-647-0) From early Christmas season to Cherry blossom time in the second year.
• Volume 4 (Japanese Edition: ISBN 4-592-13374-9; English Edition: ISBN 1-59182-648-9) From April to early May.
• Volume 5 (Japanese Edition: ISBN 4-592-13375-7; English Edition: ISBN 1-59182-649-7)
• Volume 6 (Japanese Edition: ISBN 4-592-13376-5; English Edition: ISBN 1-59182-650-0)
• Volume 7 (Japanese Edition: ISBN 4-592-13377-3; English Edition: ISBN 1-59532-370-8) Mostly during summer break in the second year.
• Volume 8 (Japanese Edition: ISBN 4-592-13378-1; English Edition: ISBN 1-59532-371-6) From late in the second year to celebrating Kaoru's admission to graduate school early in the third year.
• Volume 9 (Japanese Edition: ISBN 4-592-13379-X; English Edition: ISBN 1-59532-372-4)
• Volume 10 (Japanese Edition: ISBN 4-592-13440-0; English Edition: ISBN 1-59532-373-2)
• Volume 11 (Japanese Edition: ISBN 4-592-13441-9; English Edition: ISBN 1-59532-374-0)
• Volume 12 (Japanese Edition: ISBN 4-592-13442-7; English Edition: ISBN 1-59532-375-9)
• Volume 13 (Japanese Edition: ISBN 4-592-13443-5; English Edition: ISBN 1-59532-376-7)
• Volume 14 (Japanese Edition: ISBN 4-592-13444-3; English Edition: ISBN 1-59816-201-2)
• Volume 15 (Japanese Edition: ISBN 4-592-13445-1; English Edition: ISBN 1-59816-202-0)
• Volume 16 (Japanese Edition: ISBN 4-592-13446-X; English Edition: ISBN 1-59816-838-X)
• Volume 17 (Japanese Edition: ISBN 4-592-13447-8)

[edit] Video games

KID Corp. published a Playstation 2 video game based on the series in 2003, and was released in English for Windows PCs by Hirameki International. That game was rereleased in 2005 by SUCCESS Corporation with bonus footage and mini-games.

J.C.STAFF published 2 games on Windows 98, which were separted into 2 titles based on seasons. Each title comes with voice and screen saver collection.

[edit] Theme Songs

[edit] Ai Yori Aoshi

Opening theme:

• Eternal Flower (永遠の花, Towa no Hana^?) by Yoko Ishida

Ending theme:

• Namo Shirenu Hana (名も知れぬ花) by The Indigo

[edit] Ai Yori Aoshi Enishi

Opening theme:

• Treasure (たからもの, Takaramono^?) by Yoko Ishida

Ending themes:

• I Do! by The Indigo
• Presence by The Indigo

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Japan Ai Yori Aoshi page
• Geneon's Ai Yori Aoshi page
• Animenfo reviews
• English version PC game website - includes downloadable trial version
• J.C.Staff PC game site
• Success Corp game