Lamune (Visual Novel)



Lamune is a Visual Novel by Neko Neko Soft, adapted into a 12-episode anime in 2005.

The anime features all the various girls from the game, but focuses on the developing relationship between the male protagonist Kenji and his childhood friend Nanami. The other girls each have a spotlight episode (two in the case of Hiromi Sakura, whose story has significant effects on the main relationship), and then serve as supporting cast as the show explores the growing relationship between the main characters.

The series has a summer theme to it, and the setting is crafted to reflect a small beach town in summer, right down to the sound of cicadas being prominently used. The series is named after a type of soft drink popular in Japan, and also has a significant role in the anime.

All in all, it's a slow-paced anime, but is very sweet and filled with heartwarming moments. It's also one of the more obscure titles out there, and Needs More Love.

This series provides examples of:
 * Anguished Declaration of Love: Sakura gives one to Kenji in episode 8.
 * Brother-Sister Incest: In the visual novel, Kenji's younger sister Suzuka does have a romantic path. (This troper has not played the visual novel and does not know if any Not Blood Siblings revelations are invoked.) Road Coned in the anime.
 * Butt Monkey: Hatano, usually on the receiving end of Hikari's attacks. He doesn't mind it for the most part though.
 * Cannot Spit It Out: Kenji. Even his friend and relatives point it out to him, but he refuses or can't bring himself to say it to Nanami.
 * Class Trip: Episode 8.
 * Clingy Jealous Girl: Nanami gets a little mad at Kenji when he jokes about Sakura declaring her love for him. Later she also gets jealous when Sakura gets a little too close to him after he took a ball hit for her in episode 8.
 * She also gets upset at him when she catches him trying to wake Misora from his bed (which he had been forced to give up to her).
 * Convenient Coma: Averted. Kenji takes a year to recover.
 * Cute Little Fangs: Hikari
 * Genki Girl: Hikari
 * Hopeless Suitor: Poor Sakura. Episode 8 seems to indicate that she may have a chance with Kenji,
 * Kissing Cousins: Hikari is one of the visual novel's haremettes. Again, Road Coned in the anime.
 * Lethal Chef: Hikari's cooking isn't bad, but she likes her food really spicy...
 * Motorcycle on the Coast Road: Kenji, and later, city-girl Misora
 * Off-Model
 * She is not my wife: Hatano likes to tease Kenji by calling Nanami his wife. Nanami doesn't seem to mind being called that...
 * Slice of Life
 * Student Council President: Tae
 * Unlucky Childhood Friend:
 * Unwanted Harem: Sort of. Two of the girls don't live with him, but the rest either do, or live right next door. At least in the anime, the only girls who really try to express interest in Kenji are  and
 * Victorious Childhood Friend: The anime is pretty much dedicated to this trope.
 * Victorious Childhood Friend: The anime is pretty much dedicated to this trope.