Suzuka

Suzuka is a 26 episode slice of school life, sports romance based on the manga by the same name that aired on TV in Japan in 2006.

    The story follows first year high school student Yamato Akitsuki as he embarks on his new life in Tokyo. In order to try and change his dismal life he convinces his parents to allow him to move to Tokyo to live in his aunts’ boarding house and attend school there. They agree and he successfully gets into a prestigious school known for its athletics programs. When first arriving in Tokyo he passes by his new school. He spots a girl practicing high jumps and instantly falls in love with her. He arrives at his aunt’s boarding house, which is only reserved for female students, to find out that the girl he saw at the school is his next door neighbor. Suzuka Asahina is also a first year student who has moved from home to go to school in Tokyo. She was accepted at the same high school because of her abilities in the high jump. Unfortunately for Yamato his aunt has made him the slave of the apartment complex. On his first night of cleaning out the girls’ bath he is assaulted by one of the college aged residents. Suzuka walks into the bath to see what looks like Yamato taking advantage of the naked woman. She misunderstands the situation and immediately pegs him for a pervert. Yamato attempts to clear up the misunderstanding and eventually succeeds and develops a friendship with her.

 

     He cannot get Suzuka out of his head and yearns for a deeper relationship with her though. After being rejected by her he chooses to accept the advances by a classmate and dates her instead. When she realizes that Yamato’s heart can never fully be hers the relationship is called off, but not before more misunderstanding between all three of them and Yamato’s friendship with Suzuka being on the rocks. Now, with no girlfriend and the woman of his dreams apparently hating his existence, Yamato must chose to give up or continue on, bull headed, to the goal he dreams about. At the same time he joins the track team, as a way to be close to Suzuka, and attempts to make a name for himself as a sprinter.

    While many American critics have slagged this series repeatedly it is one of my favorite romances. The art is nothing special, in fact the design of some of the characters clothing is actually quite annoying, most particularly their school uniforms. The characters, with all their faults and hang ups are pretty well developed through out the series. I found myself very attached to them by the end. Yet, as the critics repeat again and again, it is mind numbingly self abusive to watch the entire series for one specific reason; Suzuka and Yamato are painfully pig headed and retarded about themselves. They never do anything logical and their hang ups are so painfully stupid you want to strangle the both of them and get it over with. The side characters don’t help with this problem at all. Between the drunken college students who befriend Yamato and his long time friends’ help, his actions when trying to court or even repair any damage done with Suzuka goes even worse. Suzuka is stuck up, can’t let go of the past and is afraid of getting hurt. Yet she also doesn’t give Yamato, who is arguably unreliable, the chance to explain his actions. Yamato also has an incredibly annoying tendency to read way too much into a situation, then brood on that, making it even worse.

    Maybe I see a younger me in Yamato and can relate to that kind of stupidity, maybe that’s why I’m not bothered by that as much as most people are. Maybe that’s why I like this series, because in some way it reminds me of myself at that age. Regardless of the reasons I have watched this series 3 times and have read the manga as well. I wish there was more, I keep hoping for a second season. I was incredibly sad at the end of the anime and again at the end of the manga to say goodbye to the characters. Don’t be put off by the sports aspect of the series, it is minimal, at least in the manga. If you are a fan of romances pick this up. Its one season and the characters will stick with you, if you don’t end up hating them. The entire series is available in America and the manga has been coming out for a while. Watch the anime first and then read the manga. The anime only covers the first half of the manga and the second half is even better.