Adapted from Miyuki Abe's yoai or "boys' love" manga, the gay plotline of this anime is mainly restricted to hugs and kisses—as well as bright floral explosions during moments of passionate embrace—but the connection between the two principal characters is somewhat unsettling. Haru is a Tokyo teen who is shocked when he visits his biological mother in Canada and discovers that she has not only adopted a quasi-feral little orphan named Ren, but also gives Haru the task of civilizing the tyke. Five years later, the boy comes to Japan to live with Haru, who has been traumatized by an auto accident that took the lives of his father and stepmother and has also forgotten the promises he had made regarding his "little brother." The two gradually grow close, however, and after platonically sharing a bed they develop an increasingly physical relationship. Haru and Ren are not literally brothers, of course, but they consider themselves such, and even though Haru is depicted as naïve and even childlike, the suggestion of an older man "grooming" a boy as a partner is inescapable. Aside from this, Super Lovers is an interesting tale overall, with the central story complicated by other characters, including Haru's friends, his two half-brothers, and Ren's classmates, as well as a late intervention by Haru's mother that threatens to separate the pair (setting up the next season). Presenting all 10 episodes from the 2016 first season in a Blu-ray/DVD Combo edition, in Japanese with English subtitles, rated TV-MA, extras include a bonus OVA. A strong optional purchase. [Note: Super Lovers: Season Two + OVA is slated for release on Apr. 10.] (F. Swietek)
Super Lovers: Season One + OVA
(2016) 4 discs. 275 min. In Japanese w/English subtitles. Blu-ray/DVD Combo: $64.98. Funimation (avail. from most distributors). Volume 33, Issue 2
Super Lovers: Season One + OVA
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