Review of Koi Kaze

Bottom Line: This series does an excellent job of humanizing some very difficult subject matter, and is a truly wondeful relationship study. BUT - if confronting and accepting some of societies strictist taboos is hard for you, then be aware: that is the central focus of this story. I will start with the art, sound and character designs. These have been developed by the show runners in harmony to be very calming, almost dream like... giving the atmosphere of the series a strong sense of normalcy and stability. The art being soft with many neutral tones and few stronger primary colors, quitewatercolorish, while them music is mostly piano with string accompaniment gently underlying the soundtrack. The characters (even the MCs) would blend into the background crowds of other series, and this is how these characters would like it. They are simply trying to get through life making as few waves as possible, enjoying what little happinesses as may come along.

It is against these mild, unobtrusive elements that the story rides over, revealing hidden pain, suffering, and turmoil while building towards a conclusion that would have horrified these characters (and actually does). The way the human mind and soul deals with lifes traumas is only recently being studied enough to suggest understanding, and in many cultures the mental health side effects of troubled or difficult childhoods is to often ignored; so it falls to the artists to reveal these issues. This is such an artwork, which takes a very sober, but gentle, kind and perhaps hopeful look at some of these otherwise untouchable topics where most other works take them lightly, played either for comedy or perversion or both.

My only negative reaction is that the show runners took such care to focus on the central plot line, that at the end it feels very dense and tightly packed. Three or four more episodes would have allowed deeper character development and the pacing could have had some rise and fall. But I realize that 16 or 17 episodes doesn't fit the schedules well, and they did what they had to do. They side characters are only involved when needed to suppliment the MC arcs and rarely if ever become a distraction.

Overall, this is a very good if heavy show, that deals with a sensitive and troublesome topic with care and focus.