20 January 2007: Tokimeki Memorial ~Only Love~
Yayoi, Sayuri, and Kasuga.
I find Tokimeki Memorial ~Only Love~ curiously entertaining. Yeah, every season I watch one of those shows. A Da Capo SS or a Gift ~eternal rainbow~ or similar low-brow romantic comedy, typically of the harem variety—often with a ~ or two in the title, it seems. Tokimeki Memorial is one such show, and one I should have watched instead of Gift ~eternal rainbow~.
Like I've said before, Gift ~eternal rainbow~'s most endearing quality was probably that it wasn't Crescent Love. Well, Tokimeki Memorial is better than Gift, perhaps because it has a better pedigree, or maybe because it has better animation and character design, or maybe just because its characters are more likable.
Aoba.
I must qualify that statement by adding that I don't like Aoba, Mr. Male Protagonist, but that's mostly because he's such a doucebag to his de facto girlfriend, Kasuga, the athletic volleyball player who deliberately mistakes excitement for passion. She's the good kind of crazy and really kind of a sweetheart. She makes a better love interest at least than Sayuri Amamiya, the apparent "real" love interest.
Sayuri isn't all that interesting, probably because she's supposed to be so beautiful and so beloved by everyone that she's too perfect. However, I do admit that the show's frequent "Sayuri Legends" segments do crack me up. I guess it's okay that Aoba is going to end up with Sayuri, because he clearly isn't good enough for the volleyball player.
Sayuri.
I know Aoba is going to end up with Sayuri because Tokimeki Memorial is extremely predictable in nearly all aspects. This predictability may be the series' biggest fault, but I don't find it particularly damning for some reason. Perhaps I'm just lowering my standards yet again.
Actually, I think the real reason why I enjoy Tokimeki Memorial is because its ED is infectiously catchy. It makes learning that Tokimeki Memorial is a 26-episode show instead of 13 a pleasant surprise instead of reason for dread. This is not a particularly good show, by any means, but it does have some charm, and it doesn't take itself too seriously, so it's not a bad ride.
