To be honest, the most interesting part of Hazna-kimi is probably the story behind it. The manga was a genuine smash, selling 17 million copies over 23 volumes (that makes it one of the bigger shoujo of its era). It ended way back in 2004 and is only now getting an anime, though it already got a successful live-action drama. Mangaka Nakajo Hisaya passed away in 2023 at just 50 years old, and I have no idea whether this adaptation had already been decided at that time.

Given all that it’s one of those series I really want to like. But, as a rule, I don’t tend to like shoujo romances very much. It’s a very trope-driven genre, and while Hana-kimi isn’t totally subsumed by them, it definitely has its share of head-desk moments. The story follows a girl named Ashiya Mizuki who’s obsessed with a high-jumper named Sano Izumi. So much so that she follows him from America (I’m not clear on why she was living there) and enrolls at his all-boys high school. Which is, you know, stalker behavior if we’re totally honest.

I don’t necessarily dislike the characters or visuals in this double episode, and there were a couple of moments that made me chuckle. But the whole thing just strikes me as really kind of dumb. I mean, Mizuki doesn’t even try to make a convincing boy – a few people have guessed but how has everyone not? And her behavior around Sano is just over the top. And as is the wont for this sort of show, all the guys fit neatly into their stereotypical boxes. I may watch a couple more episodes, but the connection isn’t really being made here so covering it is a long shot.