The appeal and reviews of "From I"s: Another Summer Story": A thorough analysis of this touching youth love story

From I"s ~Another Summer Story~: A new and moving original story

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

December 9, 2002

■Release and sales

hmp・Digicube

■Frequencies

half an hour

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 2

■Original Story

・Original work: Masakazu Katsura

■ Director

・Director: Morino Yousei

■ Production

Pierrot

■Works

©Masakazu Katsura, Shueisha/HMP

■ Story

Yoshizuki Iori rejects the idol route and begins her career as an actress. Akiba Itsuki, a childhood friend, returns to the US with the goal of becoming a sculptor. Seto Ichitaka, torn between the two, sets off on a bicycle tour alone, aimlessly. Another story of "I"s that unfolds over the course of one summer as the three pursue their own goals.

■Explanation

"I"s" is a bible-like work of romance comics that has been serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump since 1997 by Masakazu Katsura, depicting a poignant love triangle between three men and women, Kazuki, Iori, and Itsuki, and has garnered overwhelming support with over 10 million copies sold (15 volumes in total). This new work, "From Eyes," will deliver a new and moving story with a new original story while keeping the worldview of the original intact.

■Cast

・Iori Ashizuki/Hime Sakuma, Kasumi Nakane・Kazuki Seto/Takahiro Sakurai, Miho Yoshioka・Itsuki Akiba/Tamaki Nakanishi, Sayaka Isoyama・Yasumasa Teratani/Atsushi Kisaichi・Jun Koshinae/Akira Ishida・Nami/Sanae Kobayashi・Yuka Morisaki/Shiho Kawaraki・Yosuke Ichimura/Kazuya Ichijo

■ Main staff

・Original story: Masakazu Katsura "I"s" (Shueisha Jump Comics)
・Director, Storyboard: Morino Yousei・Screenplay, Script: Kageyama Masato・Direction: Uchida Yuji・Character Design: Rinshin・Animation Director: Takagi Shinichiro・Art Director: Ito Sei・Color Design: Nakata Ryodai・Director of Photography: Shirai Hisao・Editor: Seyama Takeshi・Sound Director: Honda Yasunori・Music: Torsten Rasch
Producers: Ryunosuke Tsuno, Osamu Etchu Production cooperation: ARMS Animation production: Pierrot Production: hmp, DigiCube

■Subtitle

Part 1 (2002/12/09)
Part 2 (2003/03/19)

■ Related works

・From I”s ~Another Summer Story, Part 2~

■Detailed evaluation and recommendation

"From I"s: Another Summer Story" is an OVA that depicts a new story while continuing the worldview of Masakazu Katsura's masterpiece "I"s. For fans of the original work, it is a work that combines nostalgia and freshness, and even for those who are experiencing "I"s for the first time, it is a work that allows them to feel the sadness and beauty of youth.

The appeal of the story

The story of this work continues the love triangle from the original work, but also adds new developments, such as Iori starting her career as an actress and Itsuki returning to the United States. The scene in which Kazuki goes on a bicycle tour depicts the freedom and loneliness of youth, while retaining the atmosphere of the original work. In particular, Kazuki's inner conflict between Iori and Itsuki evokes deep sympathy from viewers.

In addition, new episodes not depicted in the original work have been added, providing fans with plenty of new discoveries. For example, the scene in which Iori, despite her struggles as an actress, harbors feelings for Kazuki in her heart, deeply depicts her growth and humanity. Meanwhile, Itsuki's life after moving to the United States and her challenges to achieve her dreams are also important elements that expand the worldview of the original work.

Character Appeal

The characters in this work retain the charm of the original work while adding more depth. In particular, the voice actors Sakuma Beni and Nakane Kasumi, who play Iori, realistically express her delicate emotions, strongly drawing the hearts of viewers. Sakurai Takahiro and Yoshioka Miho, who play Kazuki, also skillfully express the anguish and hope of his youth. Nakanishi Tamaki and Isoyama Sayaka, who play Itsuki, also exquisitely portray her strength and vulnerability.

Other supporting characters such as Yasumasa Teratani, Jun Koshinae, Nami, Yuka Morisaki, and Yosuke Ichimura also play an important role in supporting the worldview of the original work. Their presence makes the love triangle between Kazuki, Iori, and Itsuki more realistic and dramatic.

Production quality

The production of this work is handled by Pierrot, and it faithfully reproduces the beautiful visuals of the original work. In particular, the work of character designer Rinshin has provided a more refined design while retaining the charm of the original work. In addition, under the supervision of animation director Takagi Shinichiro, the drawings have been done with great attention to detail, making for a visually stunning work.

Art director Kiyoshi Ito and color designer Ryodai Nakata's work also plays an important role in enhancing the worldview of the original work. In particular, the beauty of the backgrounds, such as the summer landscapes and the night view of the city, draws the viewer's attention. Cinematographer Hisao Shirai's camerawork also skillfully expresses the emotions of the story and creates a visual impact.

The background music, composed by Torsten Rasch under the direction of sound director Yasunori Honda, is also an important element in bringing out the emotions of the story. In particular, the background music in the scenes depicting Kazuki's bicycle touring and Iori's struggles as an actress deeply touches the hearts of viewers.

Recommended points

"From I"s ~Another Summer Story~" is a must-see for fans of the original work, and even for those who are experiencing "I"s for the first time, it is a work that will allow you to feel the sadness and beauty of youth. In particular, the following points are reasons why we recommend it.

• A new story that continues the worldview of the original : While retaining the love triangle from the original, new episodes have been added, providing fans with plenty of new discoveries.
• Character Depth : Iori, Kazuki, and Itsuki have all been given more depth in their characters, which really draws viewers in.
• Production Quality : Pierrot's production faithfully recreates the beautiful visuals of the original, making for a visually stunning production.
• Emotionally compelling music : Torsten Rasch's music is a key element in driving home the deep emotions of the story.

As mentioned above, "From I"s ~Another Summer Story~" is a work that combines nostalgia and freshness for fans of the original work, and even for those who are experiencing "I"s for the first time, it is a work that allows you to feel the sadness and beauty of youth. Please watch this OVA and experience the worldview of the original work even more deeply.