Citrus
Genre: Yuri, Romance, Slice-of-life
Studio: Passione
Hello my friends.
Welcome to another of my yuri reviews.
Yeah. After waiting for so many months, I got time to start watching one of the staple yuri series of the momento. And I have to admit I am starting to enjoying it a lot. Again, the title says it all, but I want to express what I have to say, from the bottom of my heart.
Now, I introduce you…
And now, before I continue, I want to ask again the typical questions:
Are you guys ok? Feeling healthy?
If the answer is yes, then I am very happy, especially in these times of isolation and COVID-19. They are starting to affect me, I really miss going out with friends and family, but I am finding some good time speaking with my family, and of course, watching anime and writing these reviews.
So, with that said, let’s proceed with Citrus.
PREMISE
Based on the manga written and illustrated by Saburouta, Citrus tells the story of Yuzu Aihara, who is the perfect example of a «gyaru» to say the least; fashionable, blunt, spontaneous, cheerful and independent, who is immediately transferred to a new school due to the remarriage of her mother. She gets excited about her «best years» just getting started. However, when she arrives to the Aihara Girls Academy, she is disappointed that school environment is the complete opposite of what she expected.
But the one that bashes her the most is Mei Aihara, the student council president, refined, calm, cool and very law-abiding. Yet Yuzu refuses to change her behaviour. Finally, things get harder when Yuzu finds out that her new step-sister is Mei herself. From this moment, we got twelve episodes of school life full of comedy, fun, and of course… sisterly love. If you know what I mean.
Also, the manga of Citrus was published by Ichijinsha, through the Comic Yuri Hime imprint, from 2012 to 2018, completing a total of ten volumes. Recently Saburouta published a sequel, called Citrus Plus, but I need to get there, for I was starting reading the original manga as well.
Anyway, since this anime was released, I got very curious about what kind of history will it be, and I will be honest, due to the expectations of the people and the comments I read on the Internet, I thought it will be controversial; in fact, I mentioned that on my review of Sweet Blue Flowers. And that is why I wanted to see everything by myself. And now that I had, I gotta say that Citrus is definitely more enjoyable that I thought.
But first, let me talk about the…
STORY
You know. This is going to surprise many of you. But for many years, I was asking myself how to write a story of two girls falling in love, without being pornographic, I mean… with the necessary sensibility and tact (Valga la redundancia). Because I did not want to repeat something like Blue is the Warmest Colour (despite being a fantastic movie), but then, I discover that, after confessing their feelings, protagonist A and protagonist B could start a journey of how they wanted to continue their relationship without thinking in marriage or children. Why? Because that will force them to skip some of the steps.
But thenm with the help of great stories like Bloom Into You, Sweet Blue Flowers, and NTR: Netsuzou Trap, I started to understand more about the importance of what the characters feel, before and after become an official couple.
Forgive me, I don’t even know why am I saying this. I think that is the strength of Citrus in terms of story. For the very first episode, it becomes a story of how Mei and Yuzu deal with what they feel; what it is exactly the name of that feeling, what is the face of love for you, how to deal with the pressure of someone this close to you being your crush, even if it is a step-sibling.
And I think that is why many people got so hyped about. It is love between «sisters».
The rest is basically a love story of two girls. Nothing more than a normal yuri tale. I must confess that I thought Citrus will be a bit explicit, but is not. The development that we see from both Yuzu and Mei is really beautiful. It can be a bit distracting due to the pacing, and perhaps, yes, the fact that Yuzu and Mei are step-sisters can cause you stay away from this anime. But, please don’t. You can enjoy Yuzu and Mei grow in terms of relationship and individuals.
Furthermore, I give their respective design is pretty neat. From the first moment, it established their respective personalities.
They definitely complement each other
Also, when it is about some of the most «controversial» moments, it can help you ask:
«How a person that has feelings toward you will express herself? Or himself?»
Basically that is what motivates many of our cast to do the things they do. Like I said, Yuzu and Mei do not know how to properly express what they feel, and that is why they «make out» from nowhere, especially Mei, and she is not the only one. Now, I am not justifying them, but I am saying that some «controversial» moments, especially between episodes 1 and 4 are not forced.
If it was a hentai, it might be perceived in a different way… Ok. I will stop there.
With that said, I think the animation is beautiful. it perfectly catches the beauty and effort put by Saburouta on the art. From my viewpoint, Studio Passione has proven the talent that they got with the Island of Giant Insects, and now with Citrus, they are definitely going a step forward in terms of animation, as well as cinematography.
But again, just take your time, be open-minded and enjoy a pretty enjoyable story of girls love.
CHARACTERS
Despite not having the most complex and original characters, Citrus manages to have pretty good ones. Aside from Yuzu and Mei, we have Harumi Taniguchi, or Harumin, Yuzu’s best friend, Himeko Momokino, vice-president of the Student Council, Matsuri Mizusawa, a mysterious girl who turns to be an acquaintance of Yuzu, the Tachibana twins, and many others. Like I said, they are not the most compelling characters of yuri genre, or of anime, but they bring us really wonderful moments. For instance, every time I see Yuzu and Harumi together, I know I am gonna enjoy them together.
Perhaps the only downside is that some of these characters do not appear very often, but when they do, you can always like them.
But definitely the ones that are always moving the story forward are Mei and Yuzu, because that is what Citrus is about… girls falling in love and trying to understand what they truly feel, while dealing of the uncertainty.
Perhaps that is why it is called Citrus.
And personally, I felt myself identified with Yuzu, all the time, because I went through many of the struggles she had after beginning to reflex the true meaning of love, and I still am dealing with those feelings.
CONCLUSION
For all intents and purposes, Citrus is a story about love, but a love found in the most unexpected circumstances. Because let’s face, one of the biggest risks of falling in love is that it might come when you are less prepared. And this inner fight to discover what your heart is trying to tell you is what makes Citrus an interesting yuri story.
Sure, animes like Bloom into You and Sweet Blue Flowers deal with feelings, but Citrus would never copy them. Personally I am happy, because with such a variety of stories and characters, we will always love yuri genre.
Mei… Yuzu… I hope you fin happiness.
Jainituos Presents 