The Hidden Meaning of Kimagure Orange Road

I somehow forgot to mention that Madoka's parents are literally in the US, which seems relevant.
Patreon: / studioersatz
Twitter: / phd_pataphysics
0:00 ABCB
3:21 Shakkei: Borrowed Scenery
6:06 The Modern Girl
12:13 Orihime and Hikoboshi
15:27 "I want to return to that day."

[@StudioErsatz]

I somehow forgot to mention that Madoka's parents are literally in the US, which seems relevant. Patreon: www.patreon.com/StudioErsatz Twitter: twitter.com/PhD_Pataphysics

[@propagafun4368]

I always think Kimagure Orange Road as a time capsule of 80s Japan. They captured the era of dreamy economic bubble society through the lens of teenagers.

[@andrzejwanoski86]

That scene in the movie when they are looking at the bridge over the cars passing by wondering about their future always stuck to me. That is the perfect still of the last days as a teenager feel like, a melancholy of doubts about the future knowing that its times of irresponsibility and naivety never comes back. And it is weird how KOR looks like a anime made to celebrate the decade, like the recent Urusei Yatsura, but never forgets it is product of nostalgia. That's why I think it is the contrast in sequel of watching Maison Ikkoku soon after that is so interesting. Because 80's japan is seen as the glory age of this middle high class youth enjoying fun times while normal people still struggled a lot to solve their problems and it was just another decade for them , as shown in Maison. The high times of money and fun were not for everyone.

[@MAlanThomasII]

I thought of Maison Ikkoku as well, although more about how the difficulty with breaking up with the old girlfriend gets in the way of being with the future girlfriend in both series. (Read what you like into the old-vs-new tension there.) Of course, in Maison Ikkoku, you could also just see that as an evolution of the early love triangle of Urusei Yatsura, not necessarily part of Maison Ikkoku's complicated relationship with time, age, maturity, and gender roles.

[@otakulawas]

Summer is the best time to watching Kimagure Orange Road

[@genesmilas2390]

Many Thanks for this lovely study of a sadly forgotten masterpiece of the late 1980's. I discovered Kimagure some time ago now and I was instantly fascinated by Madoka's character due to her incredible modernity, she's the modern woman. She might be an archetypal ancestor to the Tsundere, as well as the archetype to what we see just now in recent anime : a free and independent individual. Not only a woman, not only a person define by her gender, but a true individual with her own passions and will to live as she desires. Madoka's character is already what show like Tomo-chan wa Onnanoko and Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie want to portray : a world were men and women are no longer confine to gender archetype. In consequences they are free to live and express their life, like the distant but so expressionful Madoka shows. To be a bit philosophical, Kimagure Orange Road proposes to his spectator a very clear dialectical construction : the male protagonist in love with Madoka, and the male spectator (maybe itself in love with Madoka, like I would argue that the artwork pushes in this direction), the two are progressively made to accept, respect and admire this independent individual. Initially Madoka is seen as an attractive but "bad" woman ; she's beautiful, graceful and competent, but her independence frighten the world around her, as well as the protagonist, because she doesn't accept to be confine to any authoritarian gender role. But progressively, as the protagonist and the spectator discover her, she's seen as someone very complex and free, admirable not because of her physical beauty or her "exoticism" compare to other women, but because she's a very deep person, with her own qualities, weakness and doubts. And in a fascinated way : Kyousuke and the spectator are made to admire this person who profit so much from her life, she is doing so many things, she's living so much ! In the beginning of the story Kyousuke is a dull and pretentious young man with no quality, no hobby and no passion. But Madoka, this captivating and free individual pushes him to discover himself and the world around him. Like you said this is a coming of age story, but one where the man is taught to appreciate life to the fullest by a woman, and not the other way around in classical stories. The dialectic goes like that : a young and conservative man falls in love with a young woman, but the freedom and vitality of this individual makes him understand that she's an individual. He learns to respect her as such, he doesn't just liberally tolerate her freedom going beyond gender norms, he's made to fully respect it and embrace it : admitting that Madoka fascinates him exactly because she's this independent woman who pushes him to be better and do better like a good friend would do. He understands that to be in love with a modern woman, is to be in love with a good friend and not just a a caged trophy bird... And he learns to love every side of this freedom. Like the spectator of this masterpiece that is Kimagure Orange Road, forever enthrall by this candid, simple but intelligent and touching story.

[@francescocorrias9090]

Also Madoka thanks to Kyosuke slowly start to remove her mask of bad girl and became of more friendly person. Madoka at the beginning of story have just Hikaru and Yusaku s friends, the others teenagers were afraid of her and the only boys who want her were horny offenders so their meet were a good thing for each other.

[@zazugee]

Exactly, i had a crush on my oder cousin who was like the personofication of abrave and upfront girl, who seems to be bad by traditional values, but i admired her courage and loved her bc of her outgoing and and couragous personality, lus she loves herself and take care of herself.

[@antoniof.8614]

I think one of the things which astonished me the most about KOR is that, despite the outrageous amounts of 80s in it, it never feels kitsch or dated because of it. It feels so aware of its own 80s-ness one would almost think that it was made decades later with the benefit of hindsight. Your interpretation of the series provides a good explanation for why it felt like this to me.

[@wan9473]

Even though I've only discovered Maison Ikkoku and Kimagure Orange Road last year, it definitely on my list as the best anime I've watched. Both had long episodes and the vibes that can't never be recreated again. I also discover a few of good songs from the 80s through the anime. Also i love both madoka and hikaru voice. Elegant and cheerful.

[@gtawalkthrough336]

Interesting perspective from historical point of view, brings back the feeling when I first read the manga. I am from Hong Kong, I studied history when I was in high school. I am particularly interested in Hong Kong history and Japanese history, as they have lots of things in common, especially in the post-war period. Both HK and Japan are westernize, economically advanced in the 80s but still contain some of their traditional cultures, also HK was influenced by Japan greatly in the 80s. It’s during this time I encounter the manga of KOR and it shocked me as teenager. Put it in this way, history lessons tells me what the macroscopic society is like back in the days, but literature like manga, movies brings me a microscopic picture of the life in the past both my hometown and Japan. So I think KOR did contain some historical perspective. But as a teenager, I like to think in teenager’s perspective. KOR is a perfect piece to show the pureness of how teenage life could be. Madoka is rebellious, but she is good academically, she has a good heart, a good character. Kyouske is a normal teenager, he did bonehead stuff because he is a teen, the things he did is purely driven by his heart, no calculations done in his mind. Which explains why sometimes he is so determined in doing something, like he try to stop madoka from getting married in EP12 and going to America in EP13. He symbolizes the glorious virtues of a teenager in Japan, passion is one of them. For Hikaru, I think she kind of the balance between Kyouske and madoka in terms of personality. That’s why these 3 can get along well. At the end of the day, I think one of the message of KOR is to glorify virtues of teenage life, the simplicity we had. As we have seen in the TV series that sometimes protagonist refuses to give in to the secular world or adult world, they want to hold their ground. As I think it is hard to have simple and true love or friendship in big cities, the author such fantasized stories. A little off topic, Maison Ikkoku is the adult version of KOR but added more realism into the world.

[@albinocify]

Beautifully written comment - thank you for sharing your thoughts 🙏🏼

[@cgjtuber]

Excellent essay on KOR! Very well articulated. Indeed, Kimagure Orange Road is way deeper than most people think. What an amazing piece of japanese art. Thank you again for this video!

[@aninjathtpwndu]

Saw the show years ago and really enjoyed it. Was at a place then where I was motivated to turn every stone in the search for great enjoyment in media, found many of my favorites in that period

[@studiomurdock]

Always found the movie to be in conversation with Edward Yang's A Brighter Summer Day (1994)

[@Kody-xy3jj]

Brilliant analysis ! Thanks. This show is indeed quite deeper than many people would think.

[@keuswat1]

My favorite anime of all time

[@orange_noodle]

Interesting take on KOR. I should mention that the subtle cultural references are added for anime only. The episode 13 of Hikaru Transformation was adapted from manga. But I recall Hikaru didn't borrow cloths from Madoka and Kyosuke and Hikaru didn't ended up attending the concert. So the entire concert scene didn't exist at all in manga. Come to think of it. I think the Wrestling episode was mostly new for anime. I think it is based on some story from manga but it must have changed a lot. I could be wrong. I don't recall Madoka into wrestling in manga. Neither was Kyosuke doing Karate. The folk tale back story may also was just added for the anime.

[@francescocorrias9090]

@ Orange Noodle back the anime directors and the screenwriter have a different vision of KOR than Matsumoto. Some times the anime seem to be for more adult than the Manga: that girl called Oda Kumiko in anime version want even make it with Kyosuke instead of just take some flowers, the kidnapping in Hawaii's story in the OVA version was a real kidnapping unlike in the Manga and mostly important Hikaru in the anime version were aware of Kyosuke's feeling for Madoka.

[@Zejoant]

I love this anime, good to see others cover it on yourtube!

[@nite_sky1960]

So glad I grew up in the 80s and 90s anime with orange road, maison ikkoku, ranma, oh my goddess, pat labour etc.

[@themightybunghole1088]

What a great video, thanks for sharing!

[@ginzomelo]

Came from the Nadesico video. I am listening a lot of Kimagure Orange Road music from KZbin playlists. Gonna give the anime a chance ❤

[@waterwombwurld]

I will always love kimagure orange road like everything about it even Urusei Yatsura. for some reason it reminds me of my parents' times when they were teenagers and shit and what they experienced before me and makes me think that my parents were the characters since I visualized them as that. It just shows how like the 60s, 70s, 80s, or 90s was like even in the western countries for Gen X, I love the music as well. Poor author though Rest in Peace, he died from spinal stenosis from what I searched. And I agree with the comments here as well.

[@nicolasarevalos19]

great video. l love this show but l never thought it could hold a deeper meaning beneath its surface. its very interesting and made me see it in a different light.

[@Labyrinth6000]

Gotta love 80s anime aesthetic and themes, thinking they'll overtake the US on an economic scale with hopes and aspirations of the 90s, until their dreams burst to shreds with their economic bubble.

[@TheHistoryofBiology]

Wanted to watch this anime for a while, so maybe I will after I finish this video

[@francescocorrias9090]

It is really nice and also the story of the Manga is different letting to the fans to see two different version of Kimagure Orange Road.

[@zazugee]

That anime was my favorite of that time, and i had no idea why. when a friend asked me to recommend her another 90's gem like Ranma i suggested it to her but i coudn't come up with a good reason to watch it, besides that Madoka's character is interesting.

[@stevens1041]

"Coffee was even banned during world war II", well its no wonder they lost. I can't function without the stuff for even one day, much less an entire war.

[@flpndrox]

They substituted with Meth.

[@demgreens]

​@@flpndroxExactly what I was thinking LOL

[@jackminnelli]

Wow just wow

[@AkumaCoffee]

I was wondering how you got clips for this anime, appreciate if you got back to me and thank you.

[@FionaGirl7]

9:04

[@bryanc7094]

So glad I found your channel

[@sazmeros]

I wish this show was dubbed, to complete the western link

[@iwebweeb4585]

The bgm pleez

[@flpndrox]

From the show

[@iamabird1939]

engagement

[@DSan-kl2yc]

Like you said, you talk about the artifacts of the culture. But nothing about the series. To me this was a waste of time. It gives some context about the time the series came out(and some assumptions). But nothing that the author would put in intentionally with that context in mind. Hikaru isn't some japanese style girl either or anything. And she's a rough girl too.