With this third volume the story of star-crossed lovers Koshiro and Nanoka come to an end. Koi Kaze has been a sea of emotions thrown in the utterly believable yet horribly taboo relationship. Koshiro decides to be the adult of the situation and moves out suddenly in the hopes that the feelings he and Nanoka have for each other will subside. In his new apartment he lives on takeout and instant meals while his coworker, Chidori makes regular visits and spends most nights there.

By all outward appearances he has moved on and has started a relationship with Chidori. The truth is another matter. Inside Koshiro is torn and wishing that he could see Nanoka again although he actively avoids her if he sees her. This unfortunately doesn't last forever when Nanoka starts coming by his apartment regularly. Though he's given several chances to break the relationship and let things return to a somewhat normal state Koshiro instead gives in to his urges and the two move further beyond the point of no return.

I have been reviewing DVDs on this little blog of mine since September of 2003. Yet in the five and a half years since I started the site I have never had a harder time reviewing a dvd as I have with Koi Kaze. Oh sure there are times when watching garbage like Omoo Omoo the Shark God I just want to pull my hair out over having to remember how awful it was. Koi Kaze is something completely different as it is a fascinating story and yet incredibly disturbing and tragic.

When I first decided to sit down and watch Koi Kaze, I was fearful that it would try to portray incest as a normal, everyday occurrence and that this would be treated as a sort of propoganda for acceptance of a sexual kink or something like that. While Koi Kaze is not exactly promoting the lifestyle of Koshiro and Nanoka, it doesn't do all that much to discourage it. The judgement is left up to the viewer and we must judge whether what has transpired is good or evil.

Watching Koi Kaze is in many ways like watching a Greek Tragedy. You know the ending before it begins and you know that things aren't going to turn out well. I won't pretend to claim that Koi Kaze is in the league of Sophocles but the tradgedy and human emotion is very real and I did find myself feeling quite depressed over the state of Koshiro and Nanoka's life. As an observer I, like Chidori, wish that I could just slap some sense into the poor misguided fools and allow them to take a different path. Yet, like Oedipus the King, their fate seems pre-ordained.

This show is not for everyone. It deals with deeply disturbing topics in ways that many of us might not be comfortable with outside of the latest joke about renecks. Still, it's an interesting and well made anime that deserves a chance. If you can watch with an objective mind there's plenty to enjoy here. At the very least it got me to think.

Labels: Animation, Anime, Japanese