StoryA fourteen-episode TV anime based on the game and animated and produced by Studio Fantasia first aired across Japan from October 5, 2003 to January 4, 2004 with the erotic elements from the game greatly toned down and cut to two sex scenes with Takayuki and Haruka (the second mostly showing just a large scar on Haruka's chest running between her breasts post coma that isn't present in the game), three scenes with Mitsuki and Takayuki, a scene with Akane and Mitsuki (not in the game) where Mitsuki is depicted nude on Takayuki's futon, and a scene with Mitsuki and Shinji (the latter two not being in the game).
The anime provides a realistic depiction of PTSD and presents a believable, although painful, depiction of the effects the disorder have on personal relationships of those who suffer through this disorder. The series consists of three timelines:
The first one takes place before the accident, which is mostly contained in the first two episodes and covers the development of the relationship among Haruka, Mitsuki, Shinji, and Takayuki in their third year of high school (In Japan high school runs grades 10–12 with students entering high school at age 15 or 16). Akane is also introduced. Later episodes however do flash back prior to the beginning of this timeline and also flash back to this timeline itself and depict photographs of events that happen in this timeline but are not shown; for example the photograph of Mitsuki, Akane, Haruka, and Takayuki at the pool. This timeline ends with all the friends at the hospital with a shot of Takayuki collapsed on the floor and Mitsuki wearing the ring that Takayuki bought on her left ring finger, much like an engagement ring. Unlike the US, the left ring finger is not reserved for engagement, wedding, chastity rings, or less common promise rings in Japan.
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The second timeline takes place one year after the accident. As a prelude to this, Takayuki arrives as the ambulance takes Haruka away from the scene and he witnesses the still fresh pool of blood next to Haruka's bloodied hair ribbons lying among the shattered glass of a phone booth as the officer in charge of the scene identifies Haruka from her student ID. This traumatic experience causes Takayuki's PTSD, which is portrayed in episode 5 of the series; this has affected him more than Mitsuki and Akane. Takayuki and Mitsuki both experience flashbacks, emotional detachment or numbing of feelings (emotional self-mortification or dissociation), insomnia, avoidance of reminders and extreme distress when exposed to the reminders ("triggers"), loss of appetite (Takayuki), feelings of misplaced guilt, memory loss (may appear as difficulty paying attention- Mitsuki), excessive startle responses (Animated as visual changes in the pupils of the eyes), clinical depression, and anxiety three years after Haruka's accident. Akane suffers from hyper-vigilance, misplaced guilt, and irritability. Haruka herself is left in a coma. At the end of this timeline Haruka's parents ban Takayuki from seeing Haruka after he tries to remove her while comatose from the hospital and Mitsuki offers herself sexually to Takayuki while he is at his emotional low point following the incident. Akane discovers Mitsuki in an unclothed state on Takayuki's futon the next day.
The third timeline takes place three years after the accident. Takayuki is now working part-time at a restaurant called "Sky temple", along with the comic relief characters Ayu and Mayu. Mitsuki and Takayuki have agreed to live together but have difficulty finding a new apartment. Eventually, Haruka reawakens from her coma, oblivious to the goings-on of the previous three years. In addition, she is diagnosed with anterograde amnesia. After having been awake for a month Haruka's memory is not improving. She can't remember anything that happens for more than a few moments and is stuck thinking it is three years ago as if time has stood still for her. Akane contacts Takayuki to inform him that Haruka has awakened. The doctor warns Takayuki and Mitsuki that her condition is very fragile and informs them of the condition of her memory before they enter the room. She tells them not to let her know that three years have passed because she feels the shock would damage her fragile psyche, possibly destroying her will to recover, and trigger a relapse. (which does when Akane tells Haruka that three years have passed, Takayuki has been dating Mitsuki, and that everyone has been working to deceive Haruka, she then falls into another coma, although she wakes in a few days, but not the same way she was after the earlier coma.)
Haruka improves after seeing Takayuki, the only thing she can remember since the accident is Takayuki's visit. He sees her a second time and her parents tell him that although they have no right to ask him to continue to see their daughter, in fact they were surprised he even came to see her again, he is what she needs and asks that he visit as frequently as he can. Takayuki is conflicted with his feelings of guilt and responsibility and must choose between Mitsuki and Haruka. The bulk of the rest of the story focuses on the suffering of the characters because of this predicament. Takayuki chooses Mitsuki after saying farewell to Haruka.
The plot consists of a blend of multiple game storylines, mostly the Mitsuki storyline with a bit of Haruka's storyline mixed with elements from the Akane storyline. The general fate of Amakawa is also disclosed through one scene between Fumio and Takayuki and a line by Fumio at the end of the final episode indicating she died. Manami is limited to one line at the very end and several dialogless cameos. Materials not included in the game due to its perspective being in first person, such as depictions of Mitsuki having sex with Shinji (in certain routes) and Haruka telling Mitsuki that she has a crush on Takayuki while walking home, are also included.
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This story has the part which was created by referencing Wikipedia, so the licence of GFDL is applied to this story. |
