Special A

It just sucks when a currently ongoing manga is adapted into an anime. It sucks not because it’s bad but because you know that they’re not going to adapt the whole manga because the story is not finished yet. If you’re following the manga, you’re going to be left hanging at the end since you know there’s so much more to come. I’ve felt this way in Ouran High School Host Club, La Corda d’Oro, Nodame Cantabile to name a few. I was so sad when the anime ended and was totally hoping for a second season. There’s no buzz about it for Ouran and La Corda but thank God, Nodame Cantabile season 2 is already on the works. J

Special A is the same case. Unlike the three mentioned above – which I started following the manga after seeing the anime – this one I was already following the manga even before I learned that it was being adapted into an anime.

The anime adaptation was very good. It was a lot of fun watching the characters I’ve grown to love move around the scene and talk. It’s also nice to see them in colors. The plot is the same, even some of the lines are the same.

There are some problems I have though. Even though I totally dig Kei, I wasn’t that much enamored with his voice here. Whoever his seiyuu was, I’m sure he was good. Maybe the voice was just not the voice that I imagined for Kei because it was so big and husky. I had a different voice in mind. Hikari was okay although sometimes, her voice is a bit off too.

The advantage of the anime in showing Hikari and Kei’s relationship is obviously how they can move. The way Kei would steal a glance at Hikari or how his eyes will narrow with jealousy or how they will soften and warm up just adds a lot of feeling and emotion to the anime. What it lacked though is Kei’s inner dialogues. Well, he has some but not as much as he had in the manga. His inner dialogues depict his feelings for Hikari and how frustrated he is that she is such a blockhead and so dense that she cannot identify his feelings. But the “kilig” is still there plus a whole lot more.

The other characters were very cute. I love Akira and Tadashi. I enjoyed watching them fight over and over again and at the same time falling for each other. Ryuu is very lovable especially when he is with his animals. Megumi is way cuter here in the anime than in the manga. And omg, I love Jun. Whenever he changes his persona, he reminds me of Eigetsu of Saiunkoku Monogatari.

Ushikubo Sakura is pink-haired. I didn’t see that one coming. Hehe. But it was a nice add-on. Now, Saiga Yahiro. He’s a bad guy/good guy. He loves Akira and he would rather play the bad guy rather than hurt her with the truth. Just like what I felt when reading the manga, at first, I was irritated with him. And then, I would start rooting for him for Akira even though I know that Akira is with Tadashi. But after that, I would become a YahiroxMegumi shipper. Their story is a good love triangle because I really wanted Yahiro for Akira but I wanted him for Megumi too. But in S.A., you cannot make a mistake. Each one of them is paired with someone.

Well, they are supposed to be however since the manga isn’t done yet, the anime didn’t include the RyuuxFinn chapter so at the end, Ryuu is just with his animals.

But the anime did have a good wrap up. HikarixKei’s scene near the end was just so endearing. But it was still so “bitin.” Good thing there’s still the manga to look forward to.