Comparing To Heart 2 TV and OVA

My overall impression of a few selected episodes of the TV series seems to have been quite positive mainly because I saw the OVA first, then TV Eps 2 as well as 10 to 13 (partly based on moyism's recommendation) with additional background information from bluemist's landmark To Heart 2 Project. Given that I already had a predisposition towards rabid Tama-nee fandom, it's been fortuitous that I started with the OVA first ep which even managed to convey Tama-nee's charm to a previously agnostic suguru.

The OVA art is not only significantly better, there are some major adjustments to the character designs which helps to convey each character's charm points. As seen in the above screencaps, height-wise, OVA Tama-nee is now slightly taller than Takaaki. This helps to emphasize her physical presence, seniority and power. And her White Bone Claw (?????! LOL) grip actually does lift Yuuji off the floor. Konomi is cuter. Takaaki (who now has brown hair) is somehow less non-descript. Even Yuuji's roguish charm is more obvious. I actually felt a flair of intense jealousy when Tama-nee tackled Takaaki to the floor and was almost dry-humping him. I'm not sure if I would have gotten that reaction if I hadn't been seen the OVA first.

It's hard to compare the direction and narrative structure of one OVA episode vs multiple episodes in the TV series; other than the different quantity, there's also the qualitative dimension that OVA episodes then to serve different purposes from TV episodes which are supposed to have a stronger element of continuity.

I agree wholeheartedly with suguru that the OVA conveys each character's charm and IMHO it's not just down the art - even though good art is absolutely essential to an enjoyable bishoujo anime with an otherwise mundane plot (BTW voice acting remains consistent between the two with Tama-nee saying 'Taka-bou~~' in the same deliciously dangerous yet silky way).

The OVA seems to have a tighter script and seems less bound to having to go through the motions of animating scenes from the game, a problem that regularly trips up ero-game conversions. For example, in the scene from Ep 11, screecapped above, Tama-nee more or less tells the rest of Takaaki's harem that he is her property. I was half expecting them to announce their marriage or something. If it were SHUFFLE!, you'd be expecting Kaede psycho boxcutter or chopper time. But then Ep 12-13 did not pick up on this at all and I felt I was watching a Konomi arc from the game that existed in a separate universe from Ep 11.

On a separate note, in our last Hontou ni Skype conference, Stripey felt that the world had turned upside down because I'm pimping a bishoujo anime to him (more like persuading him to pick up from where he had previously left off) rather than the other way around. I think Eps 12-13, on their own, are worth it for Konomi fans.

Pairings wise, both TV and OVA eps hint to me that it is difficult for Tama-nee to get the harem lead - though I'm not particularly bothered as he doesn't seem at all worthy of her. Aside from being too good for him, she's also too much of an authority figure for him to consider her as a potential girlfriend. Based on what I read from bluemist, it seems that the ice is broken somewhat by her Genjimaru encounter and a subsequent illness which reveals her vulnerability but it feels rather weak in comparison to how Asa Shigure came up tops in SHUFFLE! - the two princesses arriving to shatter Kaede's monopoly and declare open season on Rin, that popular guy going after Asa in Ep 7 which opened the way for Rin to tell Asa that he found her attractive, Rin's own stunt with a Kaede-waza for the finale.

Konomi x Takaaki seems to be me to be a more likely pairing; other than Tama-nee, all the other girls don't seem to have a hope - looks like the osananajimi have cornered this particular market. And if Konomi turns out like her mom, that's what one might call a good long term investment.

But I'll also be happy with Konomi x Takaaki because
that means Tama-nee will be mine instead! LOL

Related posts:

1. To Heart 2 OVA 3
2. To Heart 2 ad plus 1
3. To Heart 2 ad 1: The Iron Claw of Tama-nee!