Kimagure Orange Road OAVs 5/10

How do you follow up a successful TV series? (review here) With a batch of somewhat repetitive OAVs with no fanservice to speak of. No wait! That's not right...is it?

The 8 KOR OAVs released from 1989 to 1991 are a bit of a mixed bag. The first 2 (White Lovers & Hawaiian Suspense) look like episodes from the TV series. While Hawaiian Suspense has a bit better visuals neither is any different from a standard episode from the 3rd season. Same OP, same ED with a different font on the credits and no real new content to speak of. While I like the style as a TV series I can't help but feel sorry for Japanese fans that got fleeced. I'm almost tempted to think that these episodes were simply not aired for whatever reason.

The remaining episodes are MUCH better visually with slightly different character designs and alot more detail overall. The new OP and 2 new EDs are pretty good and fit with the rest of the main themes used throughout the TV series. These episodes also have quite a few new songs within them that are also OK but too many insert songs kinda make them loose their impact.

As far as the stories in the 8 episodes go they're difficult to really give great scores for since they don't have any fanservice, don't advance the story, and are difficult to place in the chronology of the series.

The first two seem to take place sometime in the 3rd season but before the last 2 episodes.

In "White Lovers" the gang goes to a ski resort where Kyosuke and Madoka get trapped by a ghost who hates couples because of a past betrayal. This episode comes too soon after the TV series episode where they get stuck in a gondola at a ski resort. I've also seen this episode done a million times.

In "Hawaiian Suspense" Kyosuke, Madoka, and Hikaru go to Hawaii for a little vacation and Hikaru gets kidnapped in a case of mistaken identity. Of course instead of calling the police, Kyosuke and Madoka rescue her on their own. I thought at least Madoka was smarter than that.

The remaining 6 episodes are a mix of good and awful. Of the good side we now no longer see Yuusaku in the KOR world. I like to think he committed suicide after one too many dumpings by Hikaru. Yay! These episodes also seem to take place in the Kyosuke's final summer vacation in high school, 2-1/2 years after the end of the TV series but Madoka seems to be unaware of Kyosuke's powers. This could be because the manga timeline differs from the anime, I don't know but it explains the scooter Kyosuke rides and all the drinking that goes on.

"I Was a Cat, I Was a Fish" is about how Kyosuke switches souls with a goldfish, then Jingoro the cat with a magic rope his Granpa brings over. He ends up at Madoka's house and saves her from a gas leak.

In "Hurricane! Akane the Shapechanging Girl" we meet Kyosuke's cousin Akane. She's his age and has the ability to make people see and hear her as someone else. She also quickly develops a thing for Madoka and hilarity ensues. This is one of the only 2 good episodes in the lot.

"Stage of Love = Heart on Fire! Spring is for Idols" is the first of a two parter where Kyosuke switches souls with a famous idol singer and meets his old girlfriend while the idol puts the moves on Madoka. While it has a nice ending the show is more insert song than plot which bugged me a bit.

"Stage of Love = Heart on Fire! Birth of a Star" is the second half where Madoka performs in the Battle of the Bands and Kyosuke worries about his powers being revealed by the idol singer. Again, more insert song than plot here.

"An Unexpected Situation" is the best of the bunch. Akane gets Kyosuke to pretend to be her boyfriend to impress a couple of her girlfriends who think she's a dyke. Done to death before but still funny in this incarnation.

Lastly in "Message In Rouge", Madoka thinks her dad is having an affair, runs away from home and ends up chez Kyosuke. This episode was OK, it was interesting seeing Madoka over at Kyosuke's house for once.

As I said earlier, these episodes are a mixed bag and not great overall. Only recommended if you've seen the TV series.