Title: Air TV

Story: Key/ Visual Arts

Animation: Kyoto Animation

License: ADV films

Episodes: 13 and 2 specials

Rating: 13 and up. Some violence (During the Summer Arc), and nudity (Nothing is shown though.)

About: Yukito Kunisaki is a traveler, searching for a "girl in the sky" his mother was searching for. After arriving in a quiet seaside town, and failing to get any money through his magic puppet show, he meets Misuzu Kamio, who invites him to stay with her and her mother. After persuading Misuzu's mother to let Yukito stay, he meets two other girls with strange

pasts: Kano Kirishima and Minagi Tohno. Mysteries arise and unfold surrounding the legend of the fabled "girl in the sky" Yukito is looking for. 1,000 years before Yukito meets Misuzu, Ryuuya is assigned to guard a strange girl named Kannabi no Mikoto, a winged being. He and a friend of Kanna's, Uraha, persuade Kanna to try to find her mother, and soon find themselves pursued by people who seek the destruction of Kanna.

Short Review: Funny, heartwarming, and very emotional.

Long Review: First off, I only have experience with a fan sub, and at this point in time the dub hasn't been released. This is based off the Japanese version. The harem genre of anime tends to be questionable. Most of the time it is known for fan service, as is the case with Love Hina or Ai Yori Aoshi, where the male lead is forced to juggle between several girls that automatically have affections for the lead. Air is not a normal harem show. Actually, a better term is drama. I only compare it to harem for it has that style of one guy and several girls he interacts with. Unlike harem, they don't fall in love with him, rather he guides them to the end of their problems. Air is a very emotional piece of work that will first make you laugh with the somewhat cynical Yukito trying to adjust to the people around him, and at the same time solve the mysteries surrounding the girls he interacts with, all the way to making you want to cry as the problems they face are solved, usually either with a good ending or a sad ending. The emphasis is not placed on Yukito, but on the three females he meets. When you do watch Air, I advise you be prepared for a very good cry (The fan sub I watched even put in "Grab tissues" for one of their translation notes). At times it can be painful to watch, as I know from having to force myself to keep my eyes on the screen, and several times I felt I'd burst out crying. It will play with the emotions on epic levels.

Story: First, the bad news. The story feels a bit rushed. Being limited to having 13 episodes, most of the stories are resolved in 2 episodes. It just feels like the characters weren't built enough before being placed to the side for the next person. Otherwise, I felt the stories were interesting enough. It starts off with a bit of comedy, mostly Yukito having to get used to the strange people around him. He is then thrust into the mysteries surrounding the three girls and the "girl in the sky," usually through some kind of "what the hell" moment that will make you wonder what's going on. Kano is mostly a fantasy type of story, while Minagi more has to do with her family. Most of it is about Misuzu, though, and that's when the drama really starts, which ends... sadly... There is indeed a lot of drama used in the story, if that is a turn off to some. Overall, I felt compelled strongly to continue watching, especially in the last legs of the show. It sucked me in, wanting to know how it all ends. It mixes fantasy, legend, and the idea of a loving family very well, and for the more emotional people, may make you cry, or at least emotional as well.

Animation: It's freaking Kyoto Animation. They're known for being damn good at animation, and Air is no exception. The intro itself is evidence enough. One thing I feel anime tends to not use often enough is the use of gestures. Most of the time, it feels like when characters are talking, they're just sitting there moving their mouths. Air does not follow this belief. A wide range of gestures are used, and most of the time, there is movement in the characters, making them feel more alive and energetic if needed. Realistic mouth movements are also used when needed, like Misuzu's "GAO," or when Ryuuya wakes Kanna up rudely in the summer arc (In fact, this has to be the best example of lip-syncing I've seen in an anime.) Water is also well animated, and movement over characters is realistic enough. There may have been some 3D used as well, mostly for the random feathers seen in the show and the opening. The intro is awesome to watch as well, although the ending might be a bit boring to some, being only a clip of the ocean. The random placement of the winged girl, though, was very well done. Seemed like she was flying and swimming at the same time. Overall, the animation was "OH MY GOD HELLA FREAKING TOP NOTCH!" Or at least, that's what I think. I just felt the animation was superb, as we have come to expect of KyoAni.

Art: The artwork is mostly the bishoujo style, with big eyes and small mouths. Does it detract from the show? Maybe, to some, but I felt that if it was done any different, the emotional impact wouldn't have been as big. I felt that the style was used in a way that emphasized the characters' emotions, and it was very well done. And oh my god the backgrounds and scenery. The skies are very pretty to look at. The characters were also done in a way that they wouldn't blend in, but still, the scenery was detailed and very, VERY well done. You will find yourself amazed at them. Overall, the only problem some might have, although I tend to love, is the bishoujo style. Otherwise the artwork is top notch along with the animation. Backgrounds might be the best thing this anime has.

Sound: I must confess. I almost feel compelled to buy the soundtrack. The music is used from the original game, and Key is known for having some very good music. The best thing this anime has is the opening music. Energetic, to fit with the summer theme, and slow enough to be an easy listen. I feel the need to sing along most of the time I hear it. It ranks as one of my favorite Japanese songs to constantly listen to. The ending music is an odd one. It's pretty to listen to, but I don't really feel the need to listen to it as much as the intro. Maybe because it means the episode is over when I don't want it to be over, although I tend to skip most endings anyway. The wind blows, and the water crashes against the shore. That said, sound was used well in this one. Acting is also very good by the seiyuus. Yukito sounds like a cynical person, and shows a good range of emotions when needed. Misuzu and Kano sound cute, as they should. Minagi is weird. She talks slower than normal, which fits, but may make someone raise an eyebrow at it. Overall, music fits the mood, and is nice to listen to. The opening and ending music are very pretty, with the opening being a good song to add to your music list, while the ending is good occasionally. Sound is well done, and the actors did their roles well.

Buy or try? BUY!! For the love of God, BUY!! It is an extremely worthy addition to anyone's anime collection. If you can stand the bishoujo style, and are someone who likes drama and slice of life type stuff, as well as in need of a good cry, then this anime is perfect for you. This isn't the typical anime fan's show to watch, but it is a nice one if you feel the need to expand your horizons. The rating below is mostly due to it being rushed, and it's not for everyone. It is, though, very good and worth buying when it is released.

R.R. Rating:

Review done by Sirth you can find Sirth at http://sirth.sheezyart.com/