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<\/a>We seem to be developing a bit of a similar syndrome here to something like Hourou Musuko<\/em>. That is, an adaptation where new viewers think it\u2019s great but manga readers insist they don\u2019t, actually. When a series is trying to adapt 11 volumes (and counting) in 13 episodes that sort of thing is going to happen. It calls to mind something like another NoitaminA series, Sakamichi no Apollon<\/em>, where Watanabe Shinichirou managed to make something magical for about half a cour before the manic pacing finally caught up and the whole structure pretty much collapsed.<\/p>\n<\/a>Is that a fait accompli to happen with Kowloon Generic Romance<\/em>? Certainly not. Trying to do what this show is trying to do is a big challenge, no doubt. But choices matter. Watanabe made some bad ones, and his adaptation ultimately suffered for it. Aoki and Okada made a very good one with Hourou Musuko<\/em> \u2013 given the harsh reality of their schedule, they adapted only the middle (and most essential \u2013 and best) of the manga\u2019s main arcs. And as a result their adaptation ultimately succeeded, whatever the haters said.<\/p>\n<\/a>As a new viewer I don\u2019t personally have a sensation of manic pacing in these first three eps, though some apparently do. Things are<\/em> confusing, but they\u2019re supposed to be. This is a mystery, with sci-fi elements attached. The whole thing has a bit of a Kon Satoshi feel to it and yes, that is a compliment. Both the human story and the MacGuffin are totally working for me, and the world-building is off the charts. I\u2019ve never been to Kowloon (there are parts of old Tokyo and Osaka that conjure up a sense of it, to some degree) but it feels like I\u2019m there. A sense of nostalgia for a place I\u2019ve never been, indeed.<\/p>\n<\/a>Iwasaki Yoshiaki is not a revered auteur director, but he is supremely experienced and he\u2019s nailing it here. Between his choices and Sataka Ryouhei\u2019s soundtrack the adaptation itself is delivering a great sense of style. But what really is going on here? It\u2019s clear at this point that Reiko is not Kujirai-B, but is somehow living her life. She feels some of the same things, but her personality is markedly different. We know there\u2019s some sort of supercomputer\/A.I. influencing Hong Kong, and we have a crazy doctor (who\u2019s possibly also a Shinto deity or youkai) and medical mega-corporation involved.<\/p>\n<\/a>Given all that, all possibilities are still on the table (and most of them have been hinted at). Reiko could be an android of some sort. Or she could be a clone \u2013 either one would fit with Hebinuma-sensei\u2019s comments these last two weeks. But another possibility is that this entire setting could be artificial (or virtual at least). The real estate boss made mention of this being a \u201csecond Kowloon\u201d in the premiere, and we \u2013 pointedly \u2013 don\u2019t know what year (only month and day) this present is. The real Kowloon was torn down in the late 80\u2019s \u2013 could this be a simulation? Or an an actual physical place, built sometime in the future to recapture the nature of the original (but if so, why)?<\/p>\n<\/a>Set against this backdrop, the heavy lifting in Kowloon Generic Romance<\/em> is the slice of life, peppered with oddities. Kujirai-B has tap water in the fridge. Hajime goes to look for it in Reiko\u2019s but finds watermelon instead. Xiaohei comes looking for an apartment, and at Reiko\u2019s suggestion that she live downtown Xiaohei says she doesn\u2019t want to leave Kowloon \u2013 and \u201cthat\u2019s how I felt back then, too\u201d<\/a> (see above theory). Reiko fails, but Hajime succeeds with a quirky choice<\/a> which only she would appreciate. Reiko gives him a sunflower as thanks for carrying home her new fish tank (for \u201cSuccess<\/a>\u201d the goldfish), which Xiaohei confirms is the flower expressing \u201cI only have eyes for you\u201d, and Hajime promptly lets wither<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/a>What about Gwen<\/a> (Ban Taito<\/em><\/a>), the vanished bartender from Goldfish Tea House? Gwen shows up in masked form here, investigating Reiko. Then in Hebinuma\u2019s office, apparently in the aftermath of a sexual encounter. And then on a rooftop with Reiko, where he confirms that she is indeed living someone else\u2019s life. This seems to be a different Gwen too, as he acknowledges in his conversation with Hebinuma. Reiko goes so far as to openly express her love for Hajime, at the same time confirming that she\u2019s aware that she\u2019s not the original Kujirai Reiko. Perhaps something she was never intended to do<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/a>One way or another, the symbolism in that final scene on the rooftop<\/a> irrefutably suggests that the original Kujirai Reiko is dead. As is often the case with this sort of series, I find myself less interested in the truth behind the mystery (though certainly still interested) and more so in the emotional interplay between the characters and the details of the setting. Kowloon Generic Romance<\/em> is full of subtlety and depth, and this adaptation is expertly painting a picture of these characters and the place they call home. The details are important, but I\u2019m in no hurry to break the mysterious spell their absence is weaving.<\/p>\n