First appearing as a manga way back in 1997 (which still goes on to this day), Step Up Love Story (also known as Futari H) first aired in Japan on July 26, 2002, all the way to January 22, 2004, and the American release in 2007 by Anime Works. The show focuses on Makoto Onada and Yura Onada, a newly married couple who both have a...problem. You see, our main characters are both virgins, and have very little knowledge on sexual matters. It doesn't help the fact that Yura's sister, Rika, is very active sexually, and tries to improve their night life. On top of that, most of the couple's friends and acquaintances are also sexually active to various degrees, and are trying to help them out as well. So, as Makoto and Yura begin to go through life together, they also try to see if they can overcome their sexual problems and become a true loving couple.
Usually, I do the positives first, but this time I'm getting the negatives done first. It's not that the positives are good, cause there's a couple good ones. It's just that the negatives this time around kinda irk me.
First negative...There is no dub. None, nadda, zip, zilch. The only English that is on here is the subs. I don't mind subs, even bad ones. However, with my brain problems, it's a little difficult trying to watch something and read something on the screen at the same time. I can force it the majority of the time, but there are moments where I'll pay attention to one while ignoring the other, and I'll miss something. So, I wished there were dubs included on this.
Second negative of Step Up Love Story is the extras. It's been a while since I last commented on this subject, so you know that this is major. There are only two extras with this: a trailer for the show, and a textless closing. I generally like a bunch (but not massive amount) of extras, so seeing just these two things is a little bit disappointing.
Third and final negative of this show is the availability. I got both DvD volumes in a package at a con back in 2010, where if I remembered correctly was about $20 (not a bad deal). However, on Amazon there is only one of the volumes available. If you want to get both of them together, look on ebay, or find them at a con in the dealer's room.
Now that the negatives are out of the way, let's get into what makes Step Up Love Story good, and the first positive is Makoto and Yura. You can tell right of the bat that they're a very loving couple, as they would do anything for one another. The love between them is very strong, as at certain points they are put into risque situations that put their love and trust of one another to the test. In the end, no matter how much temptation comes their way, they push it out of the way and return to each others arms.
Step Up Love Story's second positive is how they portray sex in this show. Ironically, sex is portrayed very tastefully throughout each episode. If you've ever watched hentai before, you know that it can get a bit brutal at times, sometimes to the point of disturbing. However, this show takes on more of the tender and occasionally akward side of sex. About the only time that it ever gets kinky is when Yura's sister shows up, as she is very promiscuous. Ironically, despite the various displays of intercourse, Step Up Love Story is not labeled as a traditional Hentai series, but it still isn't something that kids should watch. This is definitely an anime that couples (married or not) would enjoy watching together.
Third positive of Step Up Love Story is the animation. Despite being a show from the early part of last decade, everything holds up quite well. The characters, whether major or minor, look very well drawn. If there were any mess-ups, I certainly didn't see them, as I was too busy watching...other things to notice.
Step Up Love Story's fourth positive is the pricing. Despite only finding volume one of the show on Amazon, new copies start out at $5.99, which won't hurt your wallet in the slightest. Consider buying a copy of volume one with a larger purchase.
Step Up Love Story gets a 6 to 7 out of 10. There isn't any dub, the extras are sparse, and finding both volumes on Amazon is practically impossible, but Makoto and Yura are quite charming, sex is portrayed in a tasteful manner, the animation is great, and the pricing of volume one on Amazon is great as well.
Until next time, stay Otaku!
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