Number 7: Kare Kano

Looking at the picture above, you'll probably assume that Kare Kano is nothing but a simple, high school romance. I can tell you honestly that...you're not entirely wrong. However, never before have I seen a high school rom-com with as much passion and originality as Kare Kano.

On the outside, Yukino Miyazawa appears to be a perfect girl. She was the top student at her middle school, is an amazing athlete, and is kind, modest, and elegant. Or so she's lead everyone to beleive. In reality, Yukino is a nerdy and strange girl who has been putting on a show in order to gain the praise she cannot live without. Then, he showed up. Souichiro Arima. A gorgeous, popular, intellegent boy who ruined Yukino's "high school debut" by beating her on the entrance exam. Throughout the school year, Yukino finds that the mask she has been wearing may need to come off.

Although the story does have one or two slow episodes, it is usually moving straight forward, and almost always keeping you entertained. The comedy hits, the dialogue is wonderful, and many people are able to relate to some of the situations the characters get into.

The characters are probably more well developed than any show I've ever seen. Yukino and Arima have such a beautiful chemistry, despite their very different personalities. Even the supporting cast is well developed. In fact, there is one episode which tells the story of how Yukino's parents met, which I don't beleive I've ever seen in a high school comedy before. There are pretty much no background characters in Kare Kano.

The problem I do have with Kare Kano is that, as I stated earlier, the series has some very slow episodes. In fact, there were two episodes in which all they did was repeat scenes from previous episodes. I completely skipped over these, as they had absolutely no significance. There were many points in the series where I was not the least bit entertained.

Overall, Kare Kano is a well delivered, well developed, and basicly just a well done series. It is an original, fun, compelling high school love story if I have ever seen one.