Not Exactly Honest
I have been saying that I wasn’t going to watch a new show this summer and just finish shows I’ve already started. Or get back to watching shows that I stopped watching though they’re still running. Yes, I’m looking at you, Sket Dance. So I was scrolling through Crunchyroll when my eyes glanced upon a show called Natsuyuki Rendezvous. I vaguely remembered reading a clip about the show and the only thing I remembered was that it was aimed at adult women. But what caught my eye was that the characters were adult on the screenshot Crunchyroll provided. They weren’t middle school girls prancing about with ridiculous short skirts on; it was a woman and two guys surrounding her. I thought, “Hmm…this will most likely be a romance and there are flowers so it must be cute.” Then I started watching and the first episode was much more than that. It was cute but hilarious! You’ve got a florist who’s haunted by her dead husband except she can’t see him but the man who has fallen in love with her can! Problem is the dead husband isn’t too happy about the possibility of his widow having a possible suitor. The possible suitor; Ryosuke, isn’t happy about seeing dead people, either. Hence, we have The Sixth Sense; anime romantic comedy style.
As many anime shows before it; Natsuyuki Rendezvous comes from a manga written by Kawachi Haruka; a woman! I don’t read manga often; just manga from shows that I have really enjoyed. If this show turns out to be any good; I may end up checking out the manga. The first episode was pretty cool for a premiere and I really had no idea what to expect. Maybe I was feeling a little sentimental because I just got engaged the day I watched it. Who knows but I found it cute and endearing. I bet the anime will have great art with the main character being a florist; I expect to see tons of pretty flowers (girlish squeals!). It was also cool to see a main female character with short hair. I really was taken in by her haircut as it brought attention to her blue eyes. The male main character has sleepy eyes, they look more like he’s not interested in anything but I found myself drawn to them. I’m hoping its a change a pace from the inundation of moe (which I have nothing against) and the overload of fanservice direction shows seem to have been going lately. It is refreshing to see an anime directed at adult women; something we don’t seem to get often. Now Natsuyuki Rendezvous is not the only first episode I’m going to watch. After reading this blog post by @fkeroge over at AOIA; I’m going to watch the first episode of Humanity has Declined. From his (or her) post, the show looks like it might be quirky and if you have learned anything from reading my blog; I like wacky things. Are you watching the summer season? If so, what are you watching?
- Posted in: Anime ♦ Art ♦ Manga
- Tagged: Anime, Natsuyuki Rendezvous, Sket Dance
THE LADY AND ANIME 
Natsuyuki Rendezvous sounds interesting! Totally agree with you on how nice it is to see anime for adult women. They are too far and few between.
And Congrats on your engagement!!
I was trying to avoid writing spoilers about Natsuyuki Rendezvous. I started watching it without having any idea what it was about and I ended up liking it. And the color palette is gorgeous. I’m looking forward to continue watching it.
Thank you for the congratulations!
It actually sounds pretty interesting too~ I’ll add it to my to watch and read list. Thanks for the heads up! I really appreciate hearing what others like because it helps me watch interesting stuff that I may not have gotten to. :3
You’re welcome! Glad it got your interest. From what I have read about the manga, its pretty good. I haven’t read the manga but it is now on my too read list because I’m pretty sure the artwork is just as delightful as it is in the first episode.
I’m suffering from very slow internet at the moment, which has put most of my anime watching on hold (as well as my own blog posts), but I’ve managed to see most of what came out before Friday. I’ve picked up seven series and dropped seven series – Natsuyuki Rendezvous I’ll definitely be keeping on, but I’m undecided on Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita… It’s certainly original, but if every episode was like the first, I’m not sure I’d be able to watch a full 12(?) episodes and emerge with my sanity intact. 😛
My viewing this season seems likely to be dominated by comedy series, which is unusual. I was always going to pick up Moyashimon Returns and Yuru Yuri S2, but I’d say Binbougami ga! was my favorite of this season’s first episodes so far… and out of the series that have yet to air/be subbed, Joshiraku appeals to me the most.
I’m going to watch Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita a little longer to see what direction it will go. The first episode was extremely quirky and I found myself laughing out loud quite a bit. Those fairies were interesting with the talking with smiles that don’t move. That was a bit disconcerting but I think I could get used to it.
Whew! Seven shows this season? I don’t think I will be able to do that especially since I already broke my rule of watching new summer shows. I’m just going to stick to the two I’m watching now…yeah.
Haha… I’ve now doubled my watching list to 14 new series, one of which is Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita. I decided in the end that I’d rather be driven insane by a very original and quite pretty series than by watching yet another generic harem show. 😛
Congratulations on your engagement!
Of the new shows, I’d say there are a few particularly bright spots in a fairly good selection. (unless you count the random fan-service/harem stuff that is the same every time.) I’ve seen just about most of em and I can say without doubt the ones that I like best so far are,
Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita: I agree with Angry Jellyfish that it is very strange and wacky for a lack of a better description. I still appreciate how creative and willing to explore something different it is. I am also reminded of Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica greatly, and the color palette is bright like Tsuritama which adds up to a crazy combination of dark/bubbly. Binbougami ga!: I loved the manga, and the anime did not disappoint. It is wild, hilarious and yet it also has a sensitive, sweet side. (Haha, I made it sound like a person.) Like you, I am also a big fan of Natsuyuki Rendezvous so far. I am enjoying the ghost/romance story and the humor. When Atsushi is floating around the flower shop getting in the way of the main character, I can’t stop giggling. I am a fellow girl, as you know and I can’t help but be attracted to handsome men and flowers so much so that it is unreasonable. So it is a match made in heaven.
Thank you for the congratulations!
Haha. Yeah, Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita is strange to say the least. I enjoyed it and I agree with you about the colors matching Tsuritama. But there is an uncomfortable feeling that I get from the show. Its a desperate society where food is hard to come by and the canned/boxed food is made out of very strange things.
You’re right about the humor in Natsuyuki Rendezvous. It was extremely funny that he kept talking to the ghost while his sister was there and it made him look extremely crazy. A love triangle between a ghost, a florist, and a droopy eyed live man!
You are quite welcome, that is excellent news and I wish you the best.
Humanity has Declined is by no means light or easy viewing, it has too twisted an outlook, and it is does not shy away from a misanthropic sense of humor or downplay the darker elements of the story. Especially regarding the fate of humans to decline and even starve, issue.The title is correct. It will be fascinating and creative, and make me think so that makes me happy, even if it also disturbs me in the process.
Thankfully, we can get some nicer comic relief and our romantic fix with Natsuyuki Rendezvous. I love the messed up love triangle, the ghost and the droopy eyed man make a good pair. Man, do you think the living man or the ghost will get the girl? Poor ghost, somehow I don’t think he can win.
I enjoy dark humor more so than your over the top humor. It was amusing to see their looks of horror when the loaf of bread committed suicide as he was telling them why he should be eaten. Then their tour guide wasn’t disturbed in the least.
Ha, I think the living man will get the girl but she will probably end up seeing the ghost. I just can’t see the whole show going by without him making an appearance to her. But I bet there will be some hijinks.
Hmm. As seems usual for me this last year or so, I’m following a pile of currently airing shows. Not counting shorts, I’ve got 14 currently airing shows on my list (http://myanimelist.net/animelist/Cratex&status=1&order=0).
Natsuyuki Rendezvous is one of them – I really like this so far. Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita is not, and I’m not sure why as I usually at least check out quirky shows. I may watch it later this fall.
I would say watch Jinrui wa Suitai Shimashita later. Its getting kookier and kookier. I really don’t have any better terms for it.
I picked Shimashita up this evening, and quickly inhaled all three available episodes.
It’s not so much that it made me laugh, but that it caused my mind to get stuck while shifting between 2nd and 3rd gear. It’s a sensation I can’t resist, and I find “Watashi”…fascinating.
I just finished writing a post about the last show. No spoilers (well, minimal spoilers). Yes, Watashi is fascinating.
Natsuyuki Rendezvous is interesting and I would certainly give it a try.
I have the same mindset as you, lol. I promised myself to finish most of the Spring anime first before actually starting the summer anime, well actually I just recently finished my spring anime and now I’m just waiting for even more episodes while I’m doing other things in the meanwhile like games. I’m the marathoning type if you havne’t notice.
I tend to marathon if I get too far behind but sometimes its kind of difficult to do that when I have so much to do in a day. Some days I sneak in an episode here and there like if I have some downtime. Other days, I get distracted.