Manga artist Chica Umino is primarily known for her recent coming-of-age series March Comes in Like a Lion. However, before this title, Umino made a name for herself with the romance series Honey and Clover.
Honey and Clover centers on a group of friends that attend a performing and visual arts university. They try to navigate love, friendships and careers in an ever-changing society. From 2005 to 2006, Honey and Clover stood as an iconic romance anime alongside Nana and Paradise Kiss, but even though Honey and Clover is a classic among shojo and josei enthusiasts, it has been overlooked in the romance genre in recent years. Even so, the series helped paved the way for further college romance and josei works.
Honey and Clover Tackles the Age-Old Question: What Are Your Plans After Graduation?
In recent years, many characters in romance series are based on cliché tropes. However, Honey and Clover show a realistic portrayal of the lives of college students, highlighting the fun, exciting and challenging moments young adults have while in college. The cast celebrates holidays and birthdays just to spend time together. Yuta Takemoto always reflects on these fun experiences with his friends, reminding viewers that such events will not last forever. Eventually, these get-togethers will be memories to look back on because they will have to enter the 'real world' and become career-working adults.
Aside from joyful campus life, the series exposes some personal struggles that young adults face while in college. One issue the show addresses is the uncertainty of what to do after one graduates from college or university. In Episode 17, "What I don't have is a destination... ... / I don't even know how I feel," Yuta feels lost and in flux regarding his purpose in life. He fails several job interviews and works himself to ill health to complete his art portfolio. At the end of the episode, Yuta’s mother and stepfather remind him that it’s okay to slow down, especially when deciding the next step in one’s future.
These characters live in a bubble as students, but when faced with reality, they experience great uncertainty about their futures since society encourages more practical careers in business, technology and medicine as opposed to the creative arts. The characters also feel pressure to become "successful." Yuta constantly worries about the future -- a thought that many viewers can identify with. Every audience member has experienced some anxiety about the future, and seeing these characters attempt to tackle such struggles gives the show a more realistic tone.
No Happy Endings for the Cast of Honey and Clover
When it comes to romance, Honey and Clover provides a genuine approach to unrequited love. In many anime romances, the main protagonists miraculously formulate a romantic relationship as they can overcome any obstacle. However, in Honey and Clover, that isn’t the case. All the characters happen to have secret crushes on one another or are too afraid to express those feelings. For example, Ayumi has always been in love with Takumi. Nonetheless, Takumi doesn’t feel the same way and tells her to seek affection elsewhere. In Episode 16, "The third answer doesn't even reach my lips... ... / The moon is calling her," when other guys start pursuing Ayumi, she understands how much of a burden her feelings are toward Takumi. Upon realizing this, she learns to let go of these wishful feelings of love and move on with her life.
Romance anime frequently glamorizes the idea of true love and happy endings, but Honey and Clover breaks this disillusioned idea, showcasing that love doesn’t always prevail and work out in everyone's favor. All the characters in Honey and Clover have hopes that their feelings are reciprocated, but due to both personal issues and external circumstances, they come to realize that they are unable to be with the one they want, leaving them lonely and heartbroken. However, it is also in these dark moments that they learn to mature and grow as individuals. Honey and Clover is not a typical romance that guarantees a happy ending. Instead, the series is a melodramatic rollercoaster. The show emphasizes that happiness and love aren’t easy to obtain, providing a more wholesome reality about young adult life.
This realism in terms of college life experience in manga and anime helped set a foundation for other college-themed anime series like Golden Time and Rent-a-Girlfriend. However, what really separates Honey and Clover from these more recent college titles is the series’ willingness to show emotional vulnerability and personal growth as the characters learn to overcome their flaws and issues. Honey and Clover may not be on people’s to-watch lists nowadays, but the series is still well-respected in the romance and college life genres because of the naturalistic and genuine way it tackles some important real-life issues.