Review of Koi Kaze

*Might contain very minor spoilers* I just watched this show in a marathon and felt I had to write something about it. Most reviews have said what I feel, but I want to add a couple of things. My large Point is; This story is for adults (or at least kids 15 or older). It takes a mature mind to understand the complexity of the feelings conveyed in this anime (and manga). I think it's perfectly fine for someone younger than that to watch it, but I really don't think they will understand the depth and agony. And agony there is. I was in something close to physicalpain, watching most of the series. A big lump in my throat, throbbing of the heart, tears burning and sometimes spilling over.
Any person with empathy would feel the same, watching Koshiro being tormented by the feelings he doesn't want to have. Because he doesn't. He's not a perverted predator.
He tries as hard as he can to fight the feelings, as long as he can.
There is a very fine line here - to show his emotions in a way that makes it clear that this is someone to be pitied, not prosecuted - and I think the creator of the story pulls it off. Koshiro trult feels like a victim just as much as Nanoka does.

This isn't a story condoning incest or taking lightly on the subject - it's a story about love and how it sometimes can be so hard, so cruel, so bitter.
We don't choose whom we fall in love with. It just happens. And sometimes it's not between the "right" people.
Koshiro is not taking advantage of Nanoka, they are just acting on their mutual feelings of love.

I have two brothers, and I have certainly never felt anything like this for either of them, so I can't say that I know what it's like to have a love so forbidden. But I HAVE loved someone who wasn't "appropriate" - with a very large age difference among other problematic things.
So I can relate to that - nurturing a love which was scolded upon by people close to me and him.
Also, when I was Nanoka's age (she seemed to be around 16,5 yrs at the time of the physical part of the relationship between her and her brother) I was fully capable of deciding my own feelings and had a fleeting relationship with someone about 10 years older. There was no taking advantage of from his side, it was initiated by me.
Age is just a number when it really comes down to it - if it's love from both sides it doesn't matter - an older person taking advantage of a younger one, is wrong. Of course.
(I am definitely not saying that relationships between schoolkids and adults are ok - usually they are very wrong - but I can assure you that a 16 year old is not a child.
In my country the age of consent is 15 years. For an adult (above 18 years of age) to have sex with someone over 15 years of age, is not a crime. And I think that is a perfectly good age limit.
In Japan, where this story takes place - the age of consent is 13 years.
So - Nanoka is by law not considered a child regarding sexual acts.)

Besides my blathering - I do recommend this anime for anyone who is in search of something that can give them a ride of emotions.
Which is what I search for when I look for new anime to watch.
This made me feel - a lot.
Not exactly something I would want to rewatch many times, it hurts too much for that - but something I am glad that I did watch.

I absolutely hated the art at first - it's so... rough.
But when I got used to it, I appreciated it a lot. The crudeness makes it realistic in some way. Also, the fact that no one is Picture Perfect, abnormally slim, chibi or alike, is very refreshing.
Because this is a story about two - very real - people.
And this intertwines with the character part -
Nanoka isn't disgustingly babylike and trying to be cute - and Koshiro definitely isn't the fairytale Prince. They have their pros and cons and are very much like ordinary people.
Nanoka is a bit childish and naïve - but she knows what she is feeling and doing. She is the leading one in the development of their relationship.
Koshiro is never leading her on, in the contrary he is stubbornly fighting the inevitable. He's dense and blunt but his war against his own heart touches me deeply, I feel his anguish and it makes me sad.

The story isn't really all that original - the interesting about this anime is how the story is told. It's engulfing and bittersweet.

The only thing about it I absolutey hated, was the horrible ending song - the sour notes of the singer of that disgustingly cheesy song - made me queasy.

As a conclusion and the end of my rambling - I recommend this anime for anyone looking for an anime that makes one feel something. Even if it's mostly sadness. (But there are some sweet moments as well).