(Part of a Anime Blogging Collective Valentine’s Day post rush; refer to IKnight’s handy article collection for links to all the others.)

Who is she? I don’t know, but she has glasses and a valentine. Instant kill, no saving throw.

With the rise of the Internet, it’s easier than ever for people to destroy their personal privacy and post up their biggest, darkest secrets all over the Web, where nobody – except everybody – can see it.

As such budding paparazzi such as myself consider the blogging scene a veritable goldmine for digging up the dirty, the dorky, and the dunce-headed on the most popular or intriguing idols of today, and this isn’t any exception when it comes to the anime community.

No, I’m not talking about the anime blogging community, as many iconic characters as it has. Rather, there’s a lot you didn’t know your favorite anime character was up to on everyone’s favorite romantic holiday, and I’ve taken it upon myself as a freelance reporter to peruse the masses of entries every day for the most exciting, interesting, and controversial stories of what “everyday” life shapes up to be for the biggest names in harem, magical girl, and straight-up romance anime. I think you’ll be very surprised at what dirt I’ve got on them.

(Disclaimer: As you may have guessed, this is a fictional entry based on fictional characters, and a lot of the preceding was patent nonsense. I’m not part of the paparazzi nor a reporter, and if you see any blogs by anime characters I think you need to pinch yourself a bit harder. This is just a fun little idea for a Valentine’s Day post, based off this similar Christmas idea by Stripey, in imagining the (likely much more exciting) happenings of some popular anime heroes and heroines. Please enjoy.

Oh, and yes, I’m trying to inject a little analysis into this as well; these shows all have ties to romance in some way – although most of them, as predicted from someone like me, are harem – and I’ll be commenting on why this show might be something interesting to watch for someone in the mood for a little lovin’ on a day like today.)

(Yeah, I kinda minorly spoil KimiKiss, ef, and Clannad, in a roundabout way.)

Am I doing this “picture of ronery desktop” right?

From “The Official Blog of ‘Childhood Friend – The Movie’ from the Film Club”
Posted by Misuzawa_M at 9:38 PM
Hey everyone! Mao’s here to check in again with all you loyal fans! Today was Valentine’s Day, but that didn’t stop us from filming as always; Hiiragi’s very strict with things like this, but the film is shaping up well and is on schedule, so it’s not so bad.

Actually, to be honest, those frog girls, Mitsuki, and I were the only one who showed up on set, but at least we got to get some of the less-important scenes in. Apparently, Kazuki was busy with a soccer match, or maybe out to lunch with Futami, or something, maybe both – I’m glad that he finally found someone! – and Kouichi was out treating Yuumi to a date as always. Isn’t it nice, the thought of two young people in love? That’s the goal that we’re aiming for in this movie too.

Why wasn’t I busy, you ask? Well. Kai was busy today, he had a gig to perform at some concert; he wanted me to come see but I decided that this was more important. And after all, who else would I spend my time with? Kouichi? No way, nuh-uh, not going to happen, we’re just friends for sure, nothing more, definitely no hidden crush here, not at all never EVER!

Maybe. Anyway, Mao out. Hope to see you all soon.

KimiKiss is both a throwback to older love triangles of shows and a step forward in terms of “harem” anime, something that’s made it the darling of the season. It’s aroused the sort of really competitive arguments – if you take a look at usagijen’s, Stripey’s, or probably Owen’s blogs, for one – over which girl is the ‘right’ one for a character that I haven’t seen since the times of Shuffle; the playing field is very evenly balanced and the ending could reasonably fall either way still, with Kazuki picking either Asuka or Eriko, and Kouichi picking either Yuumi or Mao.

Yet, it’s not really “harem”. With two story threads the girls are pretty well split among the guys, so there’s not that sense of “throwing girls at people”, and the character development is solid all-around, with the guys coming to terms with their feelings (hopefully) just as much as the ladies. It’s almost slice-of-life in nature, how the show is so normal, yet it’s still a very strong romance that shouldn’t be missed.

From “A Place Where Sound Vanished”
Posted by miyamiya at 5:30 PM
Got a date with Hirono tonight – lucky~! Wonder what we should do for Valentine’s Day. I can’t wait to surprise him with what I got!

Posted by miyamiya at 5:55 PM
Still waiting for Hirono~ It’s sure chilly outside tonight. I hope he brought a jacket.

Posted by miyamiya at 6:15 PM
Hirono’s late! We were supposed meet at six. I’m getting hungry now. I wonder if he knows a good restaurant?

Posted by miyamiya at 6:40 PM
Hey, anyone reading this, can you contact Hirono? I’m not sure if he remembered. Tell him I’m waiting at the school.

Posted by miyamiya at 6:58 PM
So angry!! He wouldn’t stand someone like me up, would he?

Posted by miyamiya at 7:18 PM
Hirono…I mean more to you than this…right? You wouldn’t leave someone like me alone, right? Silly me…I know you’re not reading this anyway…

Posted by miyamiya at 7:22 PM
HIRONO. YOU HAVE TEN MINUTES TO GET HERE, OR ELSE WE’RE THROUGH.

Posted by miyamiya at 7:24 PM
I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. So, please, show up already, OK? I’ve got a -big- surprise for you!

Posted by miyamiya at 7:28 PM
Why aren’t you here yet? Why do you do this to me?! Why!? Why!? Why!? I don’t know what I did wrong, whatever it is, I’m sorry!! I’ll do whatever you want, I’ll follow you anywhere, just, please, show up!!!

Posted by miyamiya at 11:43 PM
…

An obvious reprise of the infamous 99 Missed Calls, something that should be familiar to anyone who’s seen ef – a tale of memories and probably a few people who haven’t. This might be a bad example of how ef can be a bit on the angsty side at times but I still think that as a whole it’s still a exceedingly deserving watch; if not because elements such as this make it a thrilling story, if not because it also has two separate stories which keep interest high, because of the romantic truths it slips in between all the drama and artistic flair.

One of the characters ends up destroying the notion of a harem, learning that they can’t keep leading on girls forever, even if it’s in good intentions. Another learns the importance of seizing opportunity while the chance is available, losing out on love after sitting too long, complacent, on top of the ‘childhood friend’ stool and watching the door get shut on her. There’s the existentialist side to things, the difference between wanting to remember and wanting to be remembered, and topping it all off a sweet love story that wins with the old-school ‘power of love’ coming through in the end. ef is a soul-rocker.

From “Seven-Colored Blog”
Posted by stellar_spinner_sumomo at 8:13 PM

Kya~ I’m on cloud nine~ Got to see Haru again today, and he smiled at me! Ahhhhhhhhhhh it makes me want to melt, I just couldn’t stop smiling and blushing when thinking of him, even when Yuki-chan told me I had to go collect another stardrop again!

About that, I’ve got two stardrops now, after today’s adventure. That other scary magical girl showed up and tried to beat me again – I don’t know who she is or what she has against me, but I’m sorry! She kind of looks like Yuuki, come to think of it, but I’m just seeing things. After all, they don’t look exactly the same, even though they sound it – one has glasses and one doesn’t! I’d be silly to think I’m part of some overarching competition involving collecting more little drops with a giant spoon that some girl from another dimension. No, I’d rather live a normal life. With Haru~

We have swimming lessons tommorow. I can’t swim very well, but maybe Haru can teach me~ I heard he swims really well, and that he looks really good in a – ahhhhhh! I can’t even think of it without getting all hanyaa~n (don’t ask me what this means; I was told that this phrase compliments my character).

Oh, I crushed Yuki-chan again. Sorry! I have to stop holding you in my arms and rolling around on the floor imagining that you’re Haru, because you’re definitely not.

Nanatsuiro Drops, I still maintain despite its eroge roots, is Cardcaptor Sakura 2.0, right down to the feel-good magical girl elements, the positive and positively radiating heroine, and the just meltingly adorable relationship between the two main characters.

I daresay that NanaDrops has the advantage in the romantic element – for the main characters, anyway – in that the confession is not saved for all the way at the end of the show, allowing for viewers to see the so-rarely-shown (especially out of harem context) other side of love, the awkward yet romantic experience of a first date and a first relationship. It’s also a lot shorter as well, so if you’re looking for more of a streamlined experience, NanaDrops is a great way to experience the magical girl genre, and the simply feel-good stories that it can tell. I dare you to watch it and not have an ear-to-ear grin by the end of it.

From “The Blogging Clannad Daikazoku (BCD)”
Posted by tomoya at 10:03 AM

Anyone got 20 yen?

Kyou is making it really hard for me to remember the fact that I’m entirely in love with Nagisa and any attempts to pair me up with anyone else is futile. Do I need to look more forlorn when she’s gone, or something? Seriously.

Man, now I’ve got an image of Nagisa in thigh-highs and a gym outfit now. I’m going to regret typing that, aren’t I? I better make sure Sunohara doesn’t have his tissue box on him.

Great, now my nose is bleeding, and not because I got kicked by Tomoyo either. Actually, she’s been pretty nice to me, which is a surprise for someone who’s clocked about a thousand hits on everyone else. I wonder why she’s like that. She doesn’t seem like Ryou, the adorably submissive type which I like to ignore in favor of everyone else because her name doesn’t appear on the “main credits”, whatever those are, in that she’s very much friends first. I kind of like that. Almost enough to devote my time to her in some alternate universe.

But not here. Hell no. Nagisa all the way. Not even a childhood friend will stop me. Actually, I’m surprised that Kotomi still hangs around after I shut her down. Didn’t I tell her I’m not into the crying, socially-awkward, paper-burning, in-room-locking, violin-playing, sound-and-space-wearing type? She can’t even open a case well like those ladies on Who Wants To Trade A Million-Dollar Case For a Paltry Offer?. C’mon.

Well, I’m out of here. I’ve got an unnatural craving for starfish and it’s almost time for the Be Emo About Family half-hour. Got some homework about some mysterious alternate dimension as well, which I’m sure I’ll never have to care about in my life. Later.

Clannad, a show infamous for both sad girls in snow and Kyou’s thigh-highs, is, for the two of you out there (plus IKnight) probably worth watching if you’re into either comedy or visual-novel/romance/harem mashups. It’s definitely not exactly the same as other typical Key fare, in that it’s lighter and has a lot more humor than the more slice-of-life feeling of Kanon (that is, the jokes extend beyond monosyllabic coos). So far, the dramatic elements have been a bit by-the-numbers, something that those not attuned to the genre may not like, but going into the final third of the show it’s definitely mixed it up a bit, bucking the trend of a canon character arc, and, hopefully, pulling some new and innovative things off with characters.

The many romantic relationships in this show range from heartwarming (feel-good) to heartmelting (moe~) to just plain hot, and watching the characters develop and interact doesn’t get old even if you know five of them are going to lose. Watching Nagisa and Tomoya affect each other is a balanced portrayal not seen all the time, and the other heroines run the gamut of other appeals, both emotional, physical, and with any luck, logical.

And some shorter posts from the forums…

Posted by nozomu_ito________shiki at 6:24 PM: I’M IN DESPAIR! This society where holidays are commercialized and single people are bitter has left me in despair! … I’M IN DESPAIR! Being in despair has left me in despair…

Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, aside from being a cuttingly sharp (yet not overly so) and dark comedy of the British vein – not to mention having a unique art style and endless references and freeze-frame moments – is a great reason to not want a bunch of ladies all over you, considering the wildly messed up anti-harem of a OCD perfectionist, an internet troll, a stalker, and a dementedly optomistic girl, among other things. Although, I’ll take the anime fujoshi and the hikkikomori.

Posted by makoto_the_man at 6:40 PM: He shoots, he scores! Koto was all over me today, and all it took was the cheap batch of flowers I gave to Sekai yesterday! I haven’t had a lay this good since I slept with Setsuna yesterday. Although, I wonder why Otome keeps calling me “Mako-cakes” now.

School Days. Someone’s got to watch this on Valentine’s Day just out of sheer masochism/sadism. It’s almost like watching a Fox reality show, in that you do it to 1) be horrified, 2) laugh, and 3) thank various deities that you’re not those people. Alternatively, it’s a good perspective to show that no matter how incredibly horrible your high school life is and how much the world hates you, it’s not as dramatic as what it could be.

Posted by boxcutter_orange at 6:58 PM: GREEN HAIR MUST DIE.
Posted by genki_green_hair at 7:02 PM: Wha, wha, wha?! What did I do? I thought we were friends?
Posted by red_goddess at 7:05 PM: Lighten up a bit! I think we can all share him. It’s legal where I come from.
Posted by blue_demon at 7:09 PM: Shouldn’t it be determined by who truly feels the strongest for him?
Posted by artificialNo3_purple at 7:20 PM: They’re fighting. It’s a chance.
Posted by dfc_cameragirl at 7:28 PM: I feel left out ;_;

On the flip side of things, if you’re going to get yourself involved with multiple girls, make sure that you’re prepared for it, and pray that polygamy is legal in your country. Shuffle!, aside from the harem aspects which just come in under School Days on the yandere (insane girl) scale, has some good love stories in it as well, that might be sympathetic to those who have lost. More than one character has to give up their affection in the name of doing the right thing and respecting the true feelings of the other party as well; something that not a lot of characters consider… Also, more drama central. And fanservice.

Posted by kyon at 7:39 PM: Well, I didn’t get retconned out of existence today. I consider that plus Mikuru’s giri-choco a wild success.

And, remember, sometimes, a relationship is sometimes more liability than you would expect from the outside. Sure, you can be like The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya’s Kyon and hook up with a literal goddess, but at what price. Not being able to tell your true feelings to the smokin’ time traveler that’s all over you? Leaving the quiet android to the rabid fanbase and the shippers? Having the entire world destroyed so much as if you put one foot wrong? Better be careful what you’re getting into.

Posted by U1 at 7:52 PM: I really do wonder how much jail time I’m going to get when the cops bust me. Grand theft taiyaki, breaking and entering school grounds, possession of illegal animal-humans, breaking the Childhood Friend Rule, and feeding ice cream to a sick girl in the snow. Otherwise, a good day.

Kanon, aside from being awesome on the grounds of being Kanon (and thus, adorable to death, with the tried-and-true Key formula of dramatic stories and moe girls), exhibits the rarer side of romance in implying a lot of the development, instead of showing it through explicit blushing and stammering. Rather, the main couple in the end acts a lot more as really good friends for the most of it, laughing, smiling, and having a good time together; it goes to show that there’s more to love than the ability to turn your face beet-red. The side stories are touching as well. I can’t do it words at the moment.

Posted by dolphin_lover at 8:00 PM: Anyone seen Riku today? I really want to give him my gift, but I can’t find him. It’s really sad, and I think I’m losing…but I’ll fight!
Posted by volley_girl 8:11 PM: No luck here either, sigh. But stay away from Riku – I claimed him first!
Posted by idol_master 8:19 PM: I’m here to make this post funny, because my story is really a joke, for the most part.

Tokimeki Memorial ~only love~ is from the sweeter side of things, and although it’s a bit generic and the ending is a bit (very) obvious, watching the two non-Sayuri girls (and, eventually, Sayuri) develop makes this show enjoyable and touching. (Not to mention the hilarious side characters.) Both Tsukasa and Mina break the straight-up mold of the genki girl and the shy girl, clinging to those stereotypes at the start but eventually showing a second side to them that makes them characters you’ll want to do good in the end. In terms of lessons, Tsukasa shows that it’s not as easy as just claiming the guy (girl) you want, and Mina shows the true inner power of shy people, or something, in stepping up to the plate and trying her hardest. So go out there and give it your best, forlorned lovers! There’s hope for you, don’t let a day like this get you down! Celebrate Valentine’s Day, even if it’s by yourself, even if it’s just a small event with friends or a little step forward with lovers!

-CCY
(a.k.a. Kafuka Fuura incarnate.)

This picture just melts me every time.