By Shanel Kamara

Okay, so as I said in my review of Fune Wo Amu’s pilot episode, the style of animation is definitely not what drew me in at first; I stand by what said, what did it for me was the original and captivating storyline, and the lovely cast of endearing yet relatable characters. The pilot episode was done beautifully; I had developed a deep affinity for certain characters including Kouhei Araki, the veteran dictionary editor, Take, Majime’s landlady who runs Sou-Un-Sou Rooming House, and of course Majime Mitsuya.

To be frank, this is probably the first or second show I have seen that coincides with the drama genre. Perhaps it is an age thing; I am not trying to take credit away from the show, but I think most drama anime titles appeal to older audiences or at least target older audiences. I know that that is a sweeping statement, and I am sure that there are some members of the younger audience that enjoy drama as much as any other 20-something year old… maybe…

Although this show is undoubtedly a drama anime, it could easily fit into the josei category. There are several reasons for why this anime is more suited to the josei category than the seinen category, despite the fact that there is a male protagonist and the fact that the anime features a nearly all-male cast. The first primary reason is that all the male characters are compassionate towards one another. Secondly, the characters are very realistic, and the portrayal of romance is less idealized.

Majime Mitsuya reminds me a lot of Sekine Keiichiro from the manga Sekine-kun no Koi or Sekine’s love (in English). Majime is similar to Sekine in that they are gentlemen and I mean gentlemen. Both are handsome but have yet to have fallen in love, and most importantly both struggle to express themselves, especially to their love interests. In episode two we are reminded of how well suited Majime is to the role of dictionary editor. He has a quiet passion for words but struggles to use them effectively to get his thoughts and feelings across to others. Nevertheless, his sincerity shines through.

The appearance of a beautiful (beauty is in the eye of the beholder) and mysterious woman at the end of the episode had me on the edge of my seat.

Score: 5/5

Fune wo Amu E.02