My list won't be enough if there's no short series to watch. In FALL 2014, I picked ONA, Bonjour♪Koiaji Pâtisserie [Bonjour♪恋味パティスリー / Bonjour♪Sweet Love Pâtisserie] , by Silver Link, Connect. This Original Net Animation has soft colouring and nice commercial video. We will be relaxed by its 5 mins show per eps more or less.
【D̶o̶w̶n̶l̶o̶a̶d̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶m̶e̶ ̶s̶o̶n̶g̶s̶ ̶h̶e̶r̶e̶ ♪♩♫♬】
The story is about an unwealthy yet talented girl who wants to study hard to achieve knowledge and practice about cooking in a reputable cooking school. Her school life is not going smooth despite her talent and modest personality. There are few persons who dislike her existence in this bourgeois school such as the sharp-eyed and harsh-mouthed old lady as a chairman, and cocky ojou-sama type girls who loves to bully her. Thankfully, (as expected from shoujo anime), Sayuri Haruno is blessed with a loyal friend, a charming guy in her age, and nice teachers. What would her life be in this gorgeous Fleurir Confectionary Academy? Will she survive to catch her dream in culinary?
To be honest, I'm quite selective to pick shoujo series into my watching list immediately. Shoujo series is just not-so-me before I found this short series. Unexpectedly, instead of being only a simple short series as an amusement, Bonjour♪Koiaji Pâtisserie could give me more by its alluring characters and modest plot. Not a superb one however. This series also has its own mascot which always found humming "maro..." "maroro", fuwafuwa maro (soft round) shape.
This reversed harem series has a few dokidoki feelings and funny scenes. Each character has their own personality, even though it was not expanded deeply. Their own charm is marked all the way they do actions. When we watch the show, we can almost expect what kind of environment they will make, but not the surprising upcoming statements sometimes.
[somewhat spoiler] However, I felt a bit upset for the ending, maybe because I gave my hope too much and plugged my expectation to the show about the pairing. I wish or expect the main heroine, Haruno Sayuri, will get clear status with the most fit man there, Kouzuki Ryou. The ending is so damn hanging, about the feeling the main heroine has. I almost scream, "Pick just one, please! And please pick Ryou!". (wew am I a bit too emotional here?)
The visualization here is good, especially the food. They cook, the ingredients are being mixed, and voila! the snacks or meal there created elegantly. It is a pity, as a cooking anime series, the cooking things aren't the center of the story. We will find few scenes of the pretty food, but only in the beginning and not much. What makes it keep going like cooking series is the tournament. Fleurir Confectionary Academy joins the tournament, sends Sayuri, Ryou, and their ikemen teachers as participant to win it, a cooking tournament.
The theme songs are like a group vocal of boys sing in unison, not notable enough. There is melancholy theme and more thumping one. The OP is sung by Les*Fleurirs (the characters in the series) "Bonjour♪Magic". The first ED theme "Yasashisa wo Tsutsumikonde (優しさを包み込んで)" is sung by Ryou Kouzuki and Mitsuki Aoi and "Dochira ni Suru no? (どちらにするの?)" by Gilbert Hanafusa and Yoshinosuke Suzumi.
The plot is predictable made it a plain one, sometimes boring but sometimes fun too. I really need appropriate explanation about the cooking practice because as a cooking series it lacks of cooking practice -sobs- Well, 6.5 for rate.
【増原 紀花】