No Money - A film that strikes a perfect balance between realistic depiction of poor life and humor

"I don't have any money" - A sad but beautiful story of pure love

"Okane ga Nai" was released as an OVA in 2007 and is based on a manga by Shinozaki Kazuya and Kousaka Toru. The story depicts the pure love between Kano Kita, who runs a finance company, and Ayase Yukiya, a beautiful boy who is auctioned off to pay off his cousin's debt. There are four episodes, each 30 minutes long, but the story is packed with deep content.

■ Story

A beautiful boy named Ayase Yukiya was betrayed by his trusted cousin and put up for auction to pay off his debt. The one who bought Ayase and saved him from his predicament was Kano Kita, who runs a finance company in Shinjuku. However, there was a deeper reason why Kano bought Ayase...

■Explanation

The pure love between Kano and Ayase. A very clumsy and warm love story! The very sad and clumsy love story between Kano and Ayase begins. This work depicts the pure love that unfolds between the two and the human relationships that surround it. In particular, the scene where Kano's clumsiness and Ayase's kindness intersect will deeply move the viewer's heart.

■Cast

• Kita Kano/Jurota Kosugi
• Yukiya Ayase/Jun Fukuyama
• Kaoruko Someya/Nobuo Tobita
• Toranosuke Gion/Ryotaro Okiayu
• Homare Kubo/Koji Tsujitani
• Misao Kubo/Wataru Hatano
• Tetsuo Ishii/Tetsuya Kakihara

■ Main staff

• Original author: Kazuya Shinozaki
• Illustrations by Toru Kosaka
• Director: Makoto Noriza
• Character design and animation director: Sawako Yamamoto
• Screenplay by Shinozaki Kazuya
• Storyboard: Tomoya Yamamoto
• Directed by Tomoko Hiramuki
• Art Director: Ami Yuzushima
• Color setting: Manami Aoyama
• Sound Director: Nobuyuki Abe
• Producers: Mariko Kusuhara, Tsuneo Takechi
• Animation Production: Lyrics
• Produced by NOMONEY PROJECT

■ Main Characters

• Kano is the manager of the financial company that won the bid for Kita Ayase. He is charismatic in many ways, but is clumsy when it comes to Ayase.
• A beautiful boy who was auctioned off to pay off his cousin's debt and bought by Kano. He usually has a gentle and calm personality.
• Someya Kaoruko is a childhood friend of Kano and the owner of a gay bar. She has a deep love for beautiful things, but she can be quite foul-mouthed.
• Hisakazu Homare is the older twin brother of Kano who works at a financial company. He was a cool and sensible person, but as he looked after Ayase, he began to like him.
• Hisakazu: The younger twin brother of Misao Kano, who works at a financial company. He looks just like Homare, but his personality is more elusive than cool.

■Subtitle

• Episode 1 (2007/02/09)
• Episode 2 (2007/06/22)
• Episode 3 (2007/09/26)
• Episode 4 (2007/12/21)

■ Theme songs and music

• OP1
  Romance way
  Lyrics by ISSEI
  Composer: ISSEI
  Arrangement: KAKI
  Vocals: ISSEI
• ED1
  My beloved, please convey your warmth to me forever...
  Lyrics by milkboy
  Composer: milkboy
  Arrangement: milkboy
  Vocals: Tetsuya Kakihara & Wataru Hatano

■Detailed story and character analysis

"No Money" is a story about the pure love between Kano Kita, who runs a finance company, and Ayase Yukiya, a beautiful boy who is auctioned off to pay off his cousin's debt. The story begins with Ayase being auctioned off. Betrayed by his trusted cousin, Ayase is on the brink of despair, but it is Kano Kita who saves him. Kano bids on Ayase and saves him from his predicament, but the reason is not simple mercy. Kano has a deep reason for auctioning off Ayase.

Kano Kita is a man who runs a financial company in Shinjuku. He is charismatic in business, but shows a clumsy side towards Ayase. Even after saving Ayase, he struggles to build a relationship with him, and goes through repeated trial and error. The scenes where Kano's clumsiness and his deep love for Ayase intersect will deeply move the viewer's heart.

Ayase Yukiya is a beautiful boy who is auctioned off to pay off his cousin's debt. He is usually a gentle and kind-hearted boy, and is loved by those around him. Even after being auctioned off to Kano, his kindness and purity remain unchanged. Ayase's presence has a great impact not only on Kano, but also on those around him.

Someya Kaoruko is a childhood friend of Kano and the owner of a gay bar. She loves beautiful things, but she is quite foul-mouthed. Her presence adds humor and warmth to the story. Someya is an important character who warmly watches over the relationship between Kano and Ayase, and sometimes gives them harsh advice.

Hisayoshi Homare and Hisayoshi Misao are twin brothers who work at Kano's financial company. Homare is a cool, sensible person, and as he takes care of Ayase, he begins to like him. On the other hand, Misao looks just like Homare, but is more elusive than cool. The presence of the brothers provides a new perspective on the relationship between Kano and Ayase, further deepening the story.

■Production background and staff's commitment

The original work for "Okane ga Nai" is a manga by Kazuya Shinozaki and Toru Kousaka. In order to bring out the best in the original work, the entire staff, including director Makoto Norikura, worked together to create the film. In particular, the attention to detail of character designer and animation director Sawako Yamamoto was an important factor in raising the overall quality of the film.

The screenplay was written by the original author, Kazuya Shinozaki, and faithfully reproduced the worldview of the original work while incorporating expressions unique to anime. Tomoya Yamamoto, who was in charge of storyboards, and Tomoko Hiramuki, who was in charge of direction, carefully depicted the development of the story and the emotions of the characters, deeply moving the audience.

Art director Ami Yuzushima and colorist Manami Aoyama provided beautiful backgrounds and colors that enhanced the atmosphere of the work. Sound director Nobuyuki Abe enhanced the work's perfection by using sound effects and music to realistically convey the emotions of the characters. Producers Mariko Kusuhara and Tsuneo Takechi brought the production team together and contributed greatly to the success of the work.

■The appeal of the music and theme songs

The opening theme of "No Money", "Romance Way", was written and composed by ISSEI, arranged by KAKI, and sung by ISSEI. This song features a beautiful melody and lyrics that symbolize the pure love between Kano and Ayase. The ending theme, "My Beloved Forever, Convey Your Warmth..." was written, composed, and arranged by milkboy, and sung by Tetsuya Kakihara and Wataru Hatano. This song is a moving ballad that expresses the depth and sadness of the couple's love.

Music is an important element in enhancing the development of the story and the emotions of the characters. In particular, music stirs the emotions of the viewers in scenes where the relationship between Kano and Ayase deepens and when their love is put to the test. The appeal of the music and theme song is an important element in enhancing the emotional impact of the entire work.

■ Viewer reactions and ratings

"No Money" has been highly praised by viewers. In particular, the story of the pure love between Kano and Ayase and the deep emotional portrayal of the characters were highly praised. Viewers empathized with and were moved by the awkward love between the two. In addition, the supporting characters such as Someya Kaoruko and the Hisayoshi brothers are also appealing, adding depth to the story.

The production background of the work and the attention to detail of the staff also attracted attention from viewers. In particular, the quality of the character design, art, and sound was highly praised and became an important element in raising the overall quality of the work. The appeal of the music and theme song also captured the hearts of viewers, further deepening the impact of the work.

■ Recommendations and related works

"I Don't Have Money" is recommended for those who like works that depict pure love or deep human relationships. In particular, you will be able to empathize with and be moved by the awkward love between Kano and Ayase. In addition, the supporting characters such as Kaoruko Someya and the Kubo brothers are also attractive, adding depth to the story.

Related works include "Sekaiichi" and "LOVE STAGE!!," which also depict pure love. These works are also characterized by deep human relationships and portrayals of the characters' emotions, and fans of "No Money" will enjoy them. Also, for those who like BL (Boys' Love) works, we recommend "Tennen x Koujichu" and "The End of the World and the Day of the Pacific Saury." These works also have deep love and heartbreaking stories.

"No Money" may be short, but it is packed with deep content. The story of the pure love between Kano and Ayase and the portrayal of the characters' deep emotions are appealing and move viewers. The production background, the attention to detail of the staff, and the appeal of the music and theme song are also important elements that enhance the overall completeness of the work. Please watch this work, empathize with Kano and Ayase's awkward love, and be moved.