Abcb Café

In today's extra-long episode , Jason describes the role of music in Kimagure Orange Road. What functions does music serve? How does the music shape our experience of Orange Road? Jason discusses these topics and more - including a countdown of the Top Ten songs in Kimagure Orange Road! Please consider supporting Team Alme on Patreon! We offer a TON of bonus content, including live Orange Road com...

Join us for a deep analysis of the character of Hikaru-chan. What is her character arc and narrative purpose? Why do people dislike her? Is she low-key the MVP of Orange Road? Please consider becoming a patron of Team Alme Studios - we will send you some free swag (all tiers), and you’ll enjoy early releases of episodes like this, as well as exclusive bonus content only available to patrons! Conne...

Today Jason discusses the character who puts the Kimagure in Kimagure Orange Road: Ayukawa Madoka. Join us for a deep analysis of the Ayukawa character.  Is she just good at everything? What are the forces that pull her in opposing directions? What does she see in that goofball Kasuga? Does she remember meeting him in 1983? Please consider becoming a patron of Team Alme Studios - we will send...

Today Jason talks all about our goofball protagonist, Kasuga Kyosuke.  Join us for an appraisal of the Kasuga character.  How is Kasuga mischaracterized?  What is is story arc and how does his character progress?  And how the heck did Kasuga get Ayukawa to fall in love with him? Please consider supporting Team Alme podcasts - we send free swag, post early access to episodes, an...

In today’s episode, Jason is analyzing movie 2 - “Shin Kimagure Orange Road: Summer’s Beginning” Is this sequel an unnecessary cash grab? Or is it a meaningful continuation of the Orange Road story? How does this film compare to the body of work preceding it? These topics and more in this double-length episode! Please consider supporting Team Alme on Patreon for free swag, early releases, and bonu...

In today's double-length episode, Jason analyzes the first Kimagure Orange Road film: "I Want to Return to That Day." It's an excellent piece of filmmaking that is tonally and narratively inconsistent with the rest of the Orange Road media franchise - ESP and hijinks are exchanged for heartbreak and tears. It's not easy to sit through, but it offers up a lot for analysis. Please consider supportin...

Today Jason analyzes Kimagure Orange Road tv episode 48 - the final tv episode - "I Found Love - and, Repeat From the Beginning" The Orange Road television series caps things off with an episode chock-full of all the things we've come to love: Cute Ayukawa, Delinquent Ayukawa, precocious pre-adolescent Ayukawa, time slipping, alternate dimensions, biker gangs, and flagrant use of the supposedly-se...

Today Jason is analyzing Kimagure Orange Road tv episode 47 - "A Presentiment of Farewells - Locate Madoka's First Love" Kasuga gets slapped SO HARD he lands six years in the past! He didn't know his ojiisan had THOSE kinda hands... Today we discuss the use of expressionist visual techniques and time travel! Please support Team Alme Studios on Patreon - we will send free swag and you’ll get access...

Today Jason is analyzing Kimagure Orange Road OVA episode 8 - "Message in Rouge" In this important episode, Ayukawa confronts some of her long-held biases and the male sex is redeemed by an unlikely savior: Kasuga Kyosuke! Please consider becoming a patron of Team Alme Studios - we will send you free swag and you’ll get access to a library of bonus exclusive and early release content! Also check o...

Today Jason is analyzing Kimagure Orange Road OVA episode 7 - "An Unexpected Situation" For once it's not Kasuga behaving oafish and stammering out excuses and seeming like a weirdo! Instead, his cousin Akane lets her mouth write a check that her butt can't cash in an effort to conform to heteronormative standards - all to impress a vapid pair of hypocritical twits she doesn't even really seem to...

Today Jason is (finally) analyzing Kimagure Orange Road OVA 6 - "Stage of Love = Heart on Fire! A Star is Born" Kasuga is actually kinda cool in this episode! He saves the day in the nick of time, plus Yukari & Shuu get to end their appearances in the series on a hopeful note. Plus, Jason talks about the meaning of all the reflection imagery seen in the "Stage of Love" OVA. Please consider bec...

Today Jason is analyzing Kimagure Orange Road OVA episode 5 - "Stage of Love = Heart on Fire! Spring is for Idols" Kasuga is a dope, but it seems that even still he's preferable to a shallow womanizing pop idol, even if the latter is tremendously famous and handsome and wealthy... Kasuga & Hayakawa live out their Freaky Friday Fantasy today! Please consider becoming a patron of Team Alme Studi...

Today Jason analyzes Kimagure Orange Road tv episode 46 - "One Snow-White Night! Two Alone in a Gondola" Kazuya meddles (what's new), Kasuga falls for it, like a bonehead (what's new), and we get a nice example of how editing in film provides the audience with information, builds suspense, and subverts audience expectation for the purpose of comedy. Please consider becoming a patron of Team Alme S...

In today's episode, Jason is analyzing Kimagure Orange Road tv episode 45 - "Hikaru Passes Away - And Then There Were None" Is this just one great big meaningless fake-out dream episode? Or is his dream an allegory with some meaning relevant to the themes of Orange Road as we draw near the end? Please consider becoming a patron of Team Alme Studios - we’ll send you free swag and you’ll get a ton o...

Today Jason is analyzing Kimagure Orange Road tv episode 44 - "The Taste of Love? Kyosuke's Hellish Valentine" It's a silly confection of an episode, but still a little heartfelt - perfect for Valentine's Day! Please consider becoming a patron of Team Alme Studio - we will send you free swag and you’ll have access to an ever-growing library of bonus content! Also check out Creatures of the Night p...

Today Jason analyzes Kimagure Orange Road tv episode 43 - "Heartbroken Hikaru! Follow Her to Winter Beach" If you wanted to know what Orange Road would be like if it were directed by a French New Wave auteur, this episode is the best answer you're gonna get... Please consider becoming a patron of Team Alme Studios - we will send you free swag and you’ll get access to a ton of bonus content! Check...

Today Jason is discussing Kimagure Orange Road tv episode 42 - "Such a Popular Madoka! Kyosuke Finally Confesses His Feelings" It's an interesting episode today as Orange Road gets as close as it ever will to exploring themes of gender identity and sexual orientation. And poor Yusaku doesn't even appear - it would have been the perfect episode for him to reflect on his own deep love and desires fo...

Today Jason is analyzing Kimagure Orange Road tv episode 41 - "Immobilized Madoka! Kyosuke's Mysterious Watch" Kasuga “serves” up (tennis episode = tennis pun) some epic blunders in today's episode, which contains themes of the passage of time and clinging to the current moment despite the transient nature of the present... Please consider supporting Team Alme Studios on Patreon! We will send you...

Today Jason is analyzing Kimagure Orange Road tv episode 40 - "First Dream of the New Year! Kaiju Jingoro Strikes Back" In what ways is this narrative a reflection of the way things in the Orange Road narrative are, and a reflection of the way the characters might wish for things to be? This episode presents an experimental narrative that reflects the Orange Road narrative thus far while exploring...

Today Jason is analyzing Kimagure Orange Road tv episode 39 - "Hypnotizing Madoka! Kyosuke's Risky New Year" Kasuga manages to subdue his rapacious impulses and Ayukawa is acting SUPER couple-ish with Kasuga, even before pretending that he successfully hypnotized her! Please consider becoming a patron of Team Alme Studios for free merch, bonus content, and your own good karma! Also check out Creat...

In today's bonus episode Jason is analyzing Kimagure Orange Road OVA 1 - "White Lovers" In what ways is this episode relatively more adult than the tv episodes? Is that why it was released as an OVA? And how quickly would you move past an attempt on your life by a vengeful spirit and get back to your vacation after experiencing paranormal phenomena? Please consider joining our Patreon to support T...

Today Jason analyzes Kimagure Orange Road tv episode 38 - "Kyosuke Timetrips! The Third Christmas" This episode beats Groundhog Day to the punch with themes of fate and repeating cycles until you get things right in what amounts to a very solid Christmas entry in the pantheon of 80s television! Please consider becoming a patron of Team Alme Studio! It’s the gift that keeps on giving the whole year...

Today Jason is analyzing Kimagure Orange Road tv episode 37 - "Heroic Orange Legend! Madoka's Duel in a Blizzard" Gender inversions, skateboard duels, and sharpened metal guitar picks in Ayukawa's garter make this one of the most 80s television episodes of all time! Please consider becoming a patron of Team Alme Studio - we send free merch to all subscribers, and you’ll get access to our ever-grow...

This week Jason is analyzing Kimagure Orange Road tv episode 36 - "Adios Kyosuke! Paranormal Powers Caught on Video" This episode contains a very nice moment between Kasuga and Ayukawa, and Kasuga isn't a complete moron in this episode either! Plus a live performance by Wada Kanako , so press play! Please consider becoming a patron of Team Alme Studios - you will receive a welcome package with mer...

In today's episode, Jason is analyzing Kimagure Orange Road tv episode 35 - "Perverted with a Camera! Robot Kyo-chan" Increasingly we are asking ourselves: how is Kasuga getting away with this sh*t?! Flagrant power use in full view of nearly every character, panty thievery, and even borderline assault on his hands this week, and he's gonna try to skate by on goofy charm... Please consider becoming...