Plot: This 18 minute promotional OVA follows the relationship between a girl named Risa and a boy named Yuugure. …..That’s about it.
Breakdown: First of all, do you like glitter? Cuz, BOOM!! SPARKLES, BITCHES!! I swear this OVA is covered in more CGI sparkles than Twilight on crack. The sparkles are supposed to signify true beauty in romance, but they are EVERYWHERE.
Second of all, I’m not even sure what to do with this. It’s only a promotional OVA. It’s 18 minutes long, and it doesn’t cover much beyond Risa being a not-so-popular girl falling in love and starting a relationship with a very popular almost perfect boy named Yuugure. They fall in love at first sight when he accidentally almost cuts her to ribbons by smashing a window with a soccer ball right near her head. Romantic?
After that….nothing much happens. Their relationship is very cute and it’s adorable and all that, and they’re very devoted to each other, but nothing really happens. Risa gets cornered by some of Yuugure’s friends who I guess were trying to sexually harass her, but Yuugure saves her.
She feels bad throughout most of the OVA that many girls are sad because they liked Yuugure but now they can’t have him…. That’s about it.
I do have to say that this seems really fairy-tale-ish. First of all, Risa is very pretty, yet she’s treated like the underdog for no reason. She’s constantly being called plain and not very pretty etc. which is one of the reasons why the other girls are so upset when she starts dating Yuugure.
Also, I thought that natural red, wavy hair was a rarity in Japan. Aren’t rarities in terms of appearance the exact opposite of ‘plain’? And come on, look at that promo picture. How can we believe the majority of people at her school think she’s not very pretty? Unless it’s a matter of everyone’s jealous of her looks so they belittle them, but I’m pretty sure guys were saying the same thing.
Yuugure’s, like I said, nearly perfect. He’s cute, smart, helpful, popular, brave, a true gentleman, protective, complimentary and more. Their relationship is so perfect that it’s like almost too perfect. Is this supposed to be relatable or fantasy material?
The art is very nice to look at, but the animation, especially the sparkles, is clearly budget restricted.
The music is nothing to write home about but nothing bad.
All in all, if you like cute romances, this is one to see. At 18 minutes, it’s not like there’s anything to lose. The main characters are likable, and Risa’s relatable to a degree, but don’t expect any epic romance or anything.
Additional Information and Notes: Nagareboshi Lens was directed by Shingo Kaneko, director of Fullmetal Alchemist: Conqueror of Shambala and Spiral, written by Natsuko Takahashi, writer of the scripts for 07-Ghost, Chrono Crusade and Hell Girl seasons one and two. It was produced by Kinema Citrus, and is currently not licensed in the US.
Runtime: 18 Minutes
Year: 2012
Recommended Audience: Nothing questionable is said or happens, except the sexual harassment scene, which isn’t that bad. The most that happens is that they corner her and one of them touches her hair. Oh and if you’re allergic to sparkles you’ll probably die watching this. E for Everyone
Here, have some sparkles.
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The Anime Madhouse 