Review of Koi Kaze

Koi Kaze's attempt at tackling such a rabbit hole is admirable especially as it heads right into it without holding back. It takes a much more serious approach than what you see in anime covering incest and age difference themes. This makes it more realistic but at the same time a lot more disturbing. Its ability to present itself as an ordinary romance story whilst having an ever-present unsettling undertone is what sets it apart from a lot of other anime that try to tackle darker topics. It does not have it just as a fetish nor does it act as a moral guide. Thisis because it does not force any opinions on you and instead spends that time fleshing out the characters, which in turn makes their struggles seem more human. Due to the characters feeling more real and as we are given insight into their thoughts, it leaves the judgment up to you. The story is presented in a way that is meant to be relatable, showing the mundane parts of the MC's life as well as presenting him as not being too happy with his life. This is mirrored by the dull colour palette and mediocre art (though that was probably for a different reason). However, it can feel just as alien at times and it is this dichotomy that toys with your mind whilst watching it.

Something noticeable is that most of the attention and screen time is on the two main characters, leaving most of the other characters feeling quite flat but this crucially provides enough time for the two main characters to develop in its short 13 episodes run time. Even though the parents are just in the background they blend in well enough to convey the characters' sense of guilt when needed so they are by no means a hindrance to the show. However, I would have still liked to see a more interesting side cast, even if they weren’t going to do much as their dialogue seemed like a waste of time. This may have been like this as they didn’t want the story's attention to stray too far from the brother and sister, but the side characters were sometimes dull enough to be a distraction.

In conclusion, Koi Kaze is a nice spin on the romance genre. It provides us with reasons to question their relationship with each other thus making us more engaged with the story. It never sought to revolutionise as all it wants to do is present a simple, more realistic story. In doing so it gives you an insight into a whole other world (at least to most people). So If you don’t mind seeing the ugly sides of people then this is an anime for you.

p.s. I have not read the manga so I can’t compare them