Man cannot live by new anime alone.

I like to rewatch old shows. New shows take precedent in my viewing schedule, no doubt, but when there’s nothing new to watch, it’s nice to have an old standby available to fill time. Choosing what to watch can be difficult; it’s very dependent on mood. Sometimes, it’s an easy decision. Other times, I sit and stare at my DVD collection so long I go cross-eyed.

Recently, I chose Patlabor - one of my all-time favorites. Patlabor is pretty involved, consisting of two OAV series, a lengthy TV series, and three films. It fills time nicely, and Patlabor fanboy that I am, I’ll never be bored with the series. On the other hand, because it’s so involved, it’s never fun to finish. I always want more to watch, but, alas, there’s no more to be found. So, I go looking for something like Patlabor to fill the hole. Unfortunately, there’s not much to choose from. Patlabor’s very one of a kind.

So, back to staring at the DVD collection I go. No joy. How about the ol’ fansub binder? Generally, I don’t hold on to fansubs, but I keep a few favorites lest they go unlicensed for an eternity. Honey & Clover? Oh yeah… I meant to rewatch that before the second season began airing, but never found the time…

Honey & Clover it is! Or was, rather, seeing as I just wrapped things up last night. When Honey & Clover first aired, I ran off to Tokyo and got to be so busy with work that I couldn’t keep up with the show. I’d catch an episode on TV every now and then - I remember stumbling upon the show in a hotel room in Atami in the middle of a typhoon, for example - but I still managed to fall way, way behind. Still, Honey & Clover was always on my mind. I was jamming to Spitz and YUKI on the train every day. I stared at ferris wheels. I visited the Hachikuro Cafe in Odaiba and drank overpriced jasmine tea.

I managed to catch up with the show shortly before returning home - I watched the final few episodes somewhere over the Pacific Ocean - but I always felt like I had missed something in the process. The second act of the show was like a blur. What happened?

So, I’ve gotten a lot out of rewatching the show over the past week. I might as well have been watching it again for the first time. And, having recently finished the second season and thus completed the story, I see a lot of details from the first season in a different light. I better understand Hagu and Hanamoto-sensei. And Mayama. And Morita. Everyone, really. And I realize how much I identify with Takemoto - a thought that is, at the same time, both frightening and comforting.

Usually, rewatching an old show is all about going through the motions. It’s fun, yeah, and your opinion of the show might change the second (or third) time around, but, for the most part, it never has the same sort of impact as the first viewing.

Honey & Clover is the exception to the rule, I suppose.