The appeal and reviews of Aki Sora: A moving story and beautiful visual expression

Akisora: A story of forbidden love and extremes

Overview

"Aki Sora: In a Dream" was released as an OVA in 2010 and is based on the manga "Aki Sora" by Masahiro Itosugi. The two-part work is known as a sensational love story about the forbidden love between a brother and sister. It was released by Pony Canyon and animated by Hoods Entertainment. It was directed by Takeo Takahashi and the character designs were by Kazuya Kuroda.

■ Story

This is the story of Aki, an older sister with excellent grades, all-around athletic ability, and both intelligence and beauty, and her shy and frail younger brother, Sora. At first, Sora adores Aki as her older sister, but before she knows it, she begins to have feelings for him that go beyond that. One day, by chance, Aki and Sora end up taking a bath together, and the two cross the line. Sora is confused about her physical relationship with Aki, but as she gives in to Aki's invitations, she no longer knows what is "wrong." Meanwhile, Sora's twin sister, Nami, has a tomboyish personality and develops feelings for her best friend, Kana, that go beyond friendship. However, Kana is interested in Sora... What will become of this forbidden love that is accelerating?!

■Explanation

"Aki Sora: Dreams" is a sensational love story that challenges the limits of general books. It has attracted attention as an original animation DVD that is both radical and delicate, produced by a first-class production team. The original is a popular comic serialized in Akita Shoten's "Champion RED Ichigo", and the first three volumes of the comic have sold over 400,000 copies in total. Every time the latest issue is released, the radical content of the comic has caused a stir online. It has been made into a full-scale OVA by the staff who worked on the anime "Spice and Wolf", with Takahashi Takeo as director and Kuroda Kazuya as character designer. A "SEXY inner jacket" is included as a limited edition for the first production run, and the first production run features a water-repellent double-sided inner jacket drawn by Kuroda Kazuya.

■Cast

• Sora Aoi: Saka Kinoshita
• Aki Aoi: Shiho Kawaraki
• Aoi Nami: Kana Ueda
• Kana Sumiya: Tae Okashima
• Female member: Manami Maeda

■ Main staff

• Original author: Masahiro Itosugi
• Series: Champion RED Ichigo
• Screenplay: Touki Hanada
• Character design and chief animation director: Kazuya Kuroda
• Directed by: Shunichi Yoshizawa
• Animation director: Koji Haneda
• Assistant animation director: Toshimitsu Kobayashi
• Original illustrations: Koji Haneda, Kuushou Shimizu, Masaya Nozaki, Michinori Shiga, Yoko Kuboyama, Jun Hanzawa, Yosuke Kobashi, Natsuko Takeuchi, Kayoko Suzuki, Shigeki Sato, Megumi Yamazaki, Toshihiro Kawakami, WHITE LINE
• Secondary illustrations: Naoko Shokinji, Shimon Kondo, Kanade Kirishima, and Hariki Maekawa
• Video inspection: Kamiya Tsugu
• Video: Hoods Entertainment, Kazuki Kiyohara, Sakiri Oosato, Jun You Min, Chie Yamazaki, Yuta Ito, WHITE LINE, Mook Animation, FAI International, Koji Haneda
• Color design: Hitomi Sano
• Color designation: Asako Ohashi (Hiwa)
• Finishing inspection: Asako Ohashi (Hiwa), Tomomi Murakami (Hiwa)
• Finishing: Artemis, Chiharu Shirasaki, Masaki Watanabe, Masayuki Kusaka, WHITE LINE, MOOK ANIMATION, FAI INTERNATIONAL
• Special effects: Yuichi Furuichi
• Art board: Kunihiro Shinoda
• Art setting: Kunihiro Shinoda
• Background: Studio Daiyo
• Director of photography: Kojiro Hayashi (Graphinica)
• Photography: Graphinica, Kojiro Hayashi, Shinya Kato
• Format Editor: Kiyoshi Hirose (Graphinica)
• Sound Director: Hajime Takakuwa
• Adjustment: Tatsuhiro Amano
• Sound effects: Yusuke Inada
• Music: Akira Asano
• Sound Production: Atsushi Nagashima
• Production manager: Yuichi Tashiro
• Production Assistant: Masayuki Naoe
• Producers: Osamu Nagai, Masanobu Arakawa
• Executive Producer: Jun Ito
• Animation Production: Hoods Entertainment
• Director, Storyboard: Takeo Takahashi
• Produced by: Akisora ​​Production Committee

■Subtitle

• #1/Volume 1 (July 30, 2010)
• #2/Volume 2 (November 17, 2010)

■ Related works

• Akisora ​​~Comic bundle edition~

■ Theme songs and music

• ED1: Thx! -Thanks!-
• Lyricist: Amane Miyu
• Composer: K2 (C-CLAYS)
• Arrangement: Atoguru
• Sung by: Mai Kotoge

■Detailed evaluation

"Aki Sora: In a Dream" has attracted many viewers as a work depicting forbidden love. In particular, the depiction of the taboo relationship between siblings has left a strong impression on viewers. Below, we will provide a detailed review of this work from various perspectives, including the story, characters, production, and music.

story

The story of "Aki Sora: In a Dream" revolves around the forbidden love between siblings. The changing feelings Sora has towards Aki and the scene where Aki seduces Sora leave a strong impact on the viewer. The relationship between Sora's twin sister Nami and her best friend Kana also adds depth to the story. In particular, Nami's tomboyish personality and feelings towards Kana that go beyond friendship add to the complexity of the story. Overall, the depiction of forbidden love and its outcome makes the work thought-provoking.

character

The portrayal of the characters is also one of the charms of this work. Aki is intelligent and beautiful, and while she has a strong love for Sora, she shocks the viewer by moving forward with a forbidden relationship. Sora is shy and weak, but he is shown to grow through his relationship with Aki. The relationship between Nami and Kana is also an important element that adds depth to the story. In particular, Nami's tomboyish personality and feelings for Kana that go beyond friendship resonate with the viewer. The acting of the cast is also excellent, with Kinoshita Sayaka as Sora and Kawaraki Shiho as Aki expressing the emotions of their characters realistically.

Production

In terms of production, the quality of the work is enhanced by director Takahashi Tsuyoshi and character design by Kuroda Kazuya. In particular, Kuroda Kazuya's character design expresses the characters' emotions in detail, leaving a strong impression on the viewer. Hoods Entertainment's animation production is also of high quality, with even the most extreme scenes being depicted realistically. Studio Daiyo's backgrounds and art also add to the atmosphere of the story. Overall, the technical capabilities of the production team enhance the appeal of the work.

music

Music is also an important element of this work. In particular, Akira Asano's music plays a role in enhancing the atmosphere of the story. In addition, the ending theme "Thx! -Thanks!-" leaves a strong impression on viewers with the singing voice of Mai Kotoge, lyrics by Miyu Amane, music by K2 (C-CLAYS), and arrangement by AtoGuru. Music is an important element in enhancing the emotions of the story.

■Recommendation

"Aki Sora: In a Dream" is a sensational love story about forbidden love that can be recommended to many viewers. In particular, the depiction of a forbidden relationship leaves a strong impact on the viewer, making it perfect for viewers looking for deep emotions. It also makes the viewer think by depicting the growth of the characters and the changes in their relationships. The production is of high quality, and the music is also an important element that adds excitement to the story. Overall, it is a work that leaves a strong impression on the viewer by depicting a forbidden love and its fate. Please give it a watch.