This is revision of an old post of mine. I think the amine deserves a lot more love than it has gotten.

“Rec” is short for record. As in a recording studio. And the “Rec” button on a tape deck.

Is it possible for an anime to be more endearing than “Rec”?

I’m not sure. It is a fun bit of josei. There are nine episodes of 12 minutes, plus a special. Each episode is named after an Audrey Hepburn movie, including Sabrina, Roman Holiday, My Fair Lady, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, etc. (Hepburn is adored by the female lead and often quoted.)

Begin digression!

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By Paramount-photo by Bud Fraker – eBayfrontback, Public Domain

The late Audrey Hepburn is one of my very favorite actresses. The American Film Institute rates her as the 3rd greatest actress of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Her famous slender figure was not due to diet or surgery. As a child she was trapped in Amsterdam during World War II. Amsterdam was subjected to extreme sanctions during the war due to the refusal of Dutch railroad personnel to run trains of any kind for the Germans. This resulted in a great famine in the city referred to as The Hunger Winter (Hongerwinter) of 1944-45. Tens of thousands died.

In her autobiography she recounts stealing and eating the tulip bulbs from the gardens of  German officers to survive The starvation damaged her young metabolism and she was never able to gain weight since.

But back to the anime! (Only slightly spoilish.)

Rec is a sweet love story of a young woman & wanna-be voice actor (Aka Onda) on the

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Aka

down and out who moves in with an almost as down and out advertising writer (Fumihiko Matsumaru). Matsamaru is far from perfect and not above a little agressiveness.

It is based on a manga by the same name. They meet at a theater when the guy has been stood up on a date. He is about to throw his tickets away when she sees him and asks him not to waste them. The movie happens to be Roman Holiday.

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Fumihiko

Her apartment has been destroyed and she has nowhere to stay.  He offers to let her stay at his place. They have sex one time and then she pulls back and the two live together, sharing the apartment but not the bed.

Her career blossoms while his stays dormant and this causes problems. Couldn’t help feeling for the guy and couldn’t help falling in love with her character. Not deep philosophy or great art but it just made me feel good. I don’t think anything else much matters.

The voice actress for Aka, Kanako Sakai, also sings the OP theme “Cheer!

Watch for a reference in ep. 6 about a little known Audrey Hepburn movie called “The Children’s Hour“.  It is a dark and tragic movie, the darkest one AH ever made.

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