Honey and Clover Seasons 1 and 2

Yuuta Takemoto is an art school student who lives in the same apartment complex with two other schoolmates. He had a passion for building things such as sculptures. He is friends with Shinobu Morita and Takumi Mayama. Morita is five years older than Takemoto and is unable to graduate because he always missed his classes. Takumi Mayama is an architecture student in the same university. Mayama was in love with Rika Harada, an older woman and a well-known architect.

When Takemoto was introduced to Hagumi Hanamoto, he fell in love at first sight. Morita also likes the girl and was more expressive of his feelings than Takemoto. Unfortunately for Takemoto, Morita and Hagumi seem to like each other a lot. Hagumi is considered a genius at painting and was greatly drawn to Morita’s creativity.

They’re also friends with a pottery student Yamada Ayumi who is head-over-heels with Mayama. Unfortunately, Mayama doesn’t share her feelings and constantly rejects her expressions of love. Hagumi sympathizes with her.

The24-episode series revolves on the friendship, love and heart break that these individuals deal with in college. The sequel Honey and Clover II runs for 12 episodes and focuses on Takemoto’s journey as he deals with rejection.

Yuuta Takemoto

Morita and Hagumi

Hagumi Hanamoto

Mayama and Ayumi

What makes the series endearing is its portrayal of ordinary college students. It has none of the excitement of high school love and courtship, so its approach at romance was a breath of fresh air. It also doesn’t follow the mantra “love conquers all” because of its surprising ending. While most romantic stories tell us that love will find a way, Honey and Clover deals with rejection, heart break and moving on. Not everything has to have a happy ending, but even sad endings are nothing compared to the friendships and good memories that will last for a lifetime.

I loved how it included in the story the reality of losing inspiration while in the middle of completing a project. The struggles of understanding what you want to do in the future as you transition into an adult was also shown. It’s not all about hearts and roses all the time. A grownup has to make painful choices, find a job, and accept that rejection is a reality.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10