2014-03-27

Golden Time

Golden Time is a 24 episode slice of life romance based on the light novel series of the same name by Yuyuko Takemiya (also of Toradora fame).  The series aired in Japan during the fall of 2013 and the spring of 2014.

    Banri Tada is a first year college student enrolled in the law program at a university in Tokyo.  He arrives not knowing anyone, suffering from amnesia due to a serious accident a year prior.  He decided to move away from his home in Shizuoka to build a new life with new memories.  After orientation he gets lost on his way to the law department.  He runs into fellow freshman, Mitsuo Yanagisawa (Yana-san) and they band together to find their way to the correct building.  As they arrive a well dressed woman approaches them and slaps Yana with a bouquet of roses.  The woman, Koko Kaga, has delusions about being Yana's fiance, given their childhood together.  Koko has followed Yana to college and the law program.  As they settle into college life Koko continues to hover around Yana; who has become friends with Banri and a few other students.  When enough is enough Yana pops Koko's delusional balloon once and for all.  Banri offers his sympathy to Koko and as they spend more time together they develop feelings for each other and begin dating.  Koko's possessive personality consumes much of Banri's free time and they join the same club.  Banri discovers that a senpai in the club, Nana Hayashida, known as Linda, was his best friend in high school.  As he begins to question his past and what Linda means to him he fears that he will lose the love he has created with Koko along with his current memories.

    This was a surprisingly good series.  The story progressed slowly which worked in it's favor.  The characters developed well and I really started to anticipate each new release...it's been a loooong time since that's happened.  It was very refreshing to have a mature romance that had little fan service; I think I have come to expect it at some level in any romantic series.  In the beginning I really hated Koko's character, due in part to her attitude and her resemblance to Asuka from Evangelion.  But I soon started rooting for her and the future she was trying to build with Banri.  The story brought up an interesting idea that I pondered for a bit; what would it be like to suffer such absolute amnesia like Banri and what would happen when that amnesia was 'cured'?  A theme through out much of the show is Banri's fear of losing the self that he knew from after the accident and being replaced by the self prior to the accident that he didn't understand and feared.  On a side note there is a semi cameo by Nana Oosaki from NANA.  I say 'semi' because it's not the same character...just in name, look and personality.

    This is a good mature series, there's some comedy to it but if you like the more serious drama's like Asatte no Houkou and Say 'I Love You' this one would be a good one to watch.

    The series was simulcast on Crunchyroll and licensed by Sentai Filmworks.  No word on what type of disc release the series will see in North America though.  There is no word on English adaptions of either the light novels or manga adaptation.


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