Video Girl Ai

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Video Girl Ai ranks 5,311 out of the 18,229 shows on TV.com.

The 17 users who count themselves as Video Girl Ai fans have written a total of 1 reviews.

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Premiered

Ended

Genre

Theme

Out of the TV steps his dream girl, dedicated to making him happy whether he likes it or not! Wandering the streets after having his heart thoroughly broken, Yota Moteuchi stubmles across a video shop he'd never noticed before: Gokuraku, as in "paradise." Nervous he'll be spotted checking out the "adult"... more »

Out of the TV steps his dream girl, dedicated to making him happy whether he likes it or not! Wandering the streets after having his heart thoroughly broken, Yota Moteuchi stubmles across a video shop he'd never noticed before: Gokuraku, as in "paradise." Nervous he'll be spotted checking out the "adult" section, Yota quickly pulls a video off the shelf--one that looks promising but not too promising...Video Girl Ai. Yota "Dateless" Moteuchi is one of those "nice guys" who never get the girl. And when he finds out that the biggest crush of his life, Moemi Hayakawa, is in love with his best friend, his heart breaks. At this point, a special video tape introduces him to Ai Amano, video girl. Ai's job is to help Yota and Moemi get together. But can she accomplish her task without falling in love with Yota herself?
OP: "Happy Tears" by Ureshi Namida
ED: "To That Day" by Maki Kimura
*NOTE 1* This guide is based upon the Japanese with English subtitles version of the North American release (Region 1) DVD by Viz.less «

• Official Discussion

  So...Does anyone other than me like this show?

  So...Does anyone other than me like this show? less «

  KnowledgeGuru Last online Feb 16, 2009
  6 comments, last one Nov 27, 2007 + Add Comment

•  

  10 Perfect

  An endearing anime that gets the concept of the romantic comedy down better than many live action films. hide « show »

  When this begins, many are inclined to believe that this will be one of the sexploitation cartoons that much of anime is known for. And then when it begins with a girl coming out of a video, many think this will be cheesy with an oversimplified plot. By the end of the 1st episode, this romantic comedy shows the viewer they are in for something more. The first episode ends with Ai Amano, the video girl of the title, telling her "client", the broken-hearted Yota Moteuchi, that despite his recent heartbreak from a girl he likes, that she would be right there for him. It is a tear-jerking ending.
  
  Like many anime titles, the series has beautiful animation, full of little things (like flickering lamp posts and passing subway cars in the background) that do not need to be added, but enhance the cartoon, showing the viewer that the creators care about the work.
  
  As the story continues, Yota begins to fall out of love with the girl he likes at the beginning of the cartoon (Moemi is her name) and he begins to fall in love with the video girl Ai Amano. And do you know what? The viewer falls in love with her too. She is a feminine tomboy with such a sweet heart and an optimistic attitude that is infectious. In the episode where Yota and Ai have their first date, it exemplifies that subtle sweetness that many romantic comedies can learn from. It is quite apparent after this episode that that two are in love, but it does not outwardly say it.
  
  The characters never come out to look one-dimensional. The girl Yota likes, Moemi, likes Yota's best friend, Takashi. But even though Takashi is the hunk of the school, he is not displayed as the typical jerk that most movies would play this person in this role to be. He has a heart and defends his friend Yota the whole time. All the characters are shown realitically, and with the exception to the antagonist, there is not an unlikeable character in the series.
  
  There is a warm feeling when Ai finally admits her love to Yota, and he confesses that he shares her sentiments. The only real flaw is that the ending does not end like many would like. The author of the manga, Masakazu Katsura, had a very different ending for the book series that is more to the liking of fans of "Video Girl Ai" because Ai becomes human (like Pinnochio) and she and Yota end up as a couple together. The manga is a lot longer than the series so it is a lot more complex and the characters have a lot more depth, but the anime still does a fine job. The ending of this series may be too existential and symbollic for most people, and it does leave some unsatisfied, but it does not hinder the overall series from being something very special.

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  Proteus710 Added Feb 27, 2006 All my reviews