Strange Love (1997) User Reviews

Lost its way early on and never found its way back

[Alan-40 · 3/10 · 24 July 2006]

Probably the most interesting thing about this hard-to-recommend DVD is speculating about how it came about. I think the project started out more ambitious, albeit on a formula, but the creative impetus just wasn't there, or someone changed their mind halfway through.

There are two episodes, both featuring the same central character Chizuru Yoshida but other than that having nothing to do with each other. In the first story, she is a cold, hard manipulator of a teacher who unwisely lusts after her. In the second, she is inexplicably altered, diffident in outlook and somehow becoming totally confused by her own passing attraction to a new female classmate. The climax to the story (not the other climaxes which she has) is when she strives to rescue her newfound love interest from her jealous boyfriend bent on seduction.

So there's not much there there; it never develops and the character never convincingly develops. The artwork is so-so and the style caters to the type of male audience that equates boobs that are 1/3 the body mass of the owner with sexiness. (Bouncy bouncy.) I didn't bother to watch it in the Japanese version so I can't say if any of it was better there. Watch something else.

simply awful

[movieman_kev · 1/10 · 5 July 2005]

Two episodes of the 'vanilla' anime series "Hen", apparently the only 2 episodes made. But judging by the poor animation, the crappy stories and a 'heroine', who's an evil manipulative prick-tease, I'm surprised more than one episode was made. So 2 is WAY more than enough. Yoshida Chizuru is the aforementioned prick tease, she's a stuck up bitch who everyone apparently loves because of her huge tits (well that and she's on a TV commercial. The first episode has her teasing a teacher and spending the night at his place, but not letting anything happen, aside from shaking her tits on his face. It made me wish someone slammed a brick in her head. Then used the brick on me for actually sitting through the whole show. It's crap. The second episode wasn't that much better (because face it, it couldn't be worse), and has to do with this big titted selfish bitch having a lesbian crush with predictable results. The show doesn't have nearly enough nudity to make it even remotely watchable and what it does have is beyond tame. One of the worst anime shows I have ever had the misfortune of watching BAR NONE.

My Grade: F

DVD Extras: Meet the Characters; Sub-titled Behind the scenes; and Trailers for "Sprite", "Garaga", "Detonator Orgun", "Maze", and "the Ping Pong Club"

DVD-Rom: Stills Gallery; Script, Cast bios, and web links

Not great, but not the worst

[Miwa Satoshi · 3/10 · 6 December 2001]

I just about completely gave up on this anime after the first segment, which was a near carbon-copy of Tanin no Kankei, done badly. Chizuru, as the archetypal big-breasted anime Lolita, was heavily overdone, and the teacher was absolutely unrealistic (and hardly sympathetic). The "trick" ending came as no surprise, either.

The second half of the show, though, almost makes this show viable, with some hilarious scenes as Chizuru tries to come to terms with her own "Strange Love". However, Hen is hardly a groundbreaking title, and may only really be a good rental if you're bored and have nothing better to do.

Love it or hate it

[reelmartin · 7/10 · 14 August 2000]

If you are not the kind of person who likes Japanese animation sex comedies, don't bother to see this. If you do like them, though, then I recommend this video. It's funny and sexy and kind of sweet, too. The heroine, Chizuru, is as big-breasted as they come, so if you hate sexist objectification of women, you won't like this. I, however, live for it, so I loved this video.

its absolutely cool manga a lesbian romance and worth for live action!

[cloudsenti · 10/10 · 4 November 2013]

hen is written by Hiroya Oku, its about a girl Chizuru Yoshida a popular model and excel student trying to find herself if does love exist because a man of his life is just for play, until she found out that girl next door will change her its the first time she think of only one person but a girl and doubt that she is lesbian, until she founds out that she really fall in love to Azumi Yamada the girl blooms her heart and learn she will give up herself if it just azumi. hen has 94 chapter in manga and every chapter is interesting the story flows with comedy,drama and romance hen is also name "strange love" and it has been taken into live action in 1996 and its little bit frustrating, i hope if its move into another live action it will be like hana yori dango that put exact detail of the story.