Tokyo, 1923. The Roaring Twenties are at its peak, and specially in the twelfth year of the Taisho Era. At this moment in time, the city is a mixture of extremes: past and present, rich and poor, good and bad. This is a city where we see both horsecarts and motorcars, swords and pistols, lords and businessmen...Two of the persons involved in this Crapsaccharine World are Akiko Hashou, a young and beautiful noblewoman, and her equally pretty maidservant Sara Uchida. The girls's lives seem to be going on relatively smoothly until both Akiko and Sara meet Takao Itou alias Taka, a handsome man from a low-class setting, who also has ties to the Yakuza; this sets off a turbulent Love Triangle that totally changes the three's lives. For worse, a fateful date is nearing: September 1, the day of the Kanto Daishinsai aka Great Kanto Earthquake...Kasei Yakyoku is a josei manga written by Makiko Hirata, published in the late 80's. In 1988, director Osamu Dezaki would release it as a 4-episode OAV series, which now is almost impossible to find.
Bittersweet Ending: It has Great Kanto Earthquake, what are you expecting. Surprisingly, it's not as bleak as one would expect: Akiko leaves Tokyo alone but determined to get her own life, Taka and Junichirou manage to escape from the Yakuza chasing them, and after a heart-to-heart Sara gets together with Akiko's ex-boyfriend Saionji.
Break the Cutie: And how. Specially Sara, who almost gets raped in the second OAV, but the worst comes in the fourth, when she narely survives the Kanto Earthquake, loses her and Junichirou's mother, witnesses Saburo's death after barely escaping from more thugs, and learns that Taka and Junichirou have left. Wah!
But Now I Must Go: Akiko, who decides to leave her old life behind and build one of her own after the Earthquake. Taka and Junichirou, who leave on a boat after a talk with Saionji.
Fan Disservice: Seeing the beautiful Sara naked should be a reason to squee, but not when this happens after she's forcibly stripped and pinned down to the floor by rapist Yakuza.
That same OAV gives us Taka and his boss speaking when the second is in a sauna, remembering the day when he caught his beautiful wife trying to seduce a teenaged Taka. Not only teen!Taka is almost completely listless as she strips both of them (complete with Dull Eyes of Unhappiness), but the Yakuza's reaction is to grab his katana and kill her right there.
Glad-to-Be-Alive SexandTheir First Time: Akiko and Saionji do the deed in the fourth OAV, the night after the earthquake. In a subversion, it does not help them fix their relationship issues.
Heroic Sacrifice: Taka's brother Saburou saves Sara from thugs, but gets knifed to death for his troubles. In his Famous Last Words he tells her that Taka has left Tokyo.
The word "yakyoku" translates in a straightforward way as night music, evensong, nocturne, etc. (...) However, the word "kasei" is less easy to render. As spoken, "kasei" could mean "Mars" which would be written as a combination of the usual kanji "fire"+"star". However, the "ka" from the combination "ka-rei" meaning "splendor, magnificence" is used instead of the Mars "fire" kanji, implying that the meaning is not literally "Mars."
Near Rape Experience: Sara, in the second OAV, gets forcibly undressed by some Yakuza. When they're about to gangrape her, she manages to steal the knife that one of them had in his sarashi and keep them at bay.
Nice Hat: Junichirou has an orange busboy cap, while Taka has a white fedora.
Rescue Romance: Akiko and Sara meet Taka when he saves them both from thugs. Predictably, the girls fall for him.
Rich Suitor, Poor Suitor: Genderflipped with Akiko (Rich) and Sara (Poor). Neither wins, though Sara gets closer to Taka than Akiko does. (At least for one night).
Also played straight with Taka (Poor) and Saionji (Rich). Neither wins, again. Then the female Poor Suitor gets together with the Rich Romantic False Lead.
She Cleans Up Nicely: Sara sometimes shows up in really pretty dresses. Somewhat justified as she works for a really rich Ojou, and Akiko treats her pretty decently compared to others.
Smoking Hot Sex: Taka, after one of his one-night stands. Though not after having sex with Sara.
Spirited Young Lady: To a degree, Akiko. I, e., she drives her own car in the middle of Tokyo, which was rather... odd in these days. She also puts on a very Western dress that shows off her nice legs in the first OAV's ball, which upsets her Rich Bitch mother a lot.
Tokyo, 1923. The Roaring Twenties are at its peak, and specially in the twelfth year of the Taisho Era. At this moment in time, the city is a mixture of extremes: past and present, rich and poor, good and bad. This is a city where we see both horsecarts and motorcars, swords and pistols, lords and businessmen...Two of the persons involved in this Crapsaccharine World are Akiko Hashou, a young and beautiful noblewoman, and her equally pretty maidservant Sara Uchida. The girls's lives seem to be going on relatively smoothly until both Akiko and Sara meet Takao Itou alias Taka, a handsome man from a low-class setting, who also has ties to the Yakuza; this sets off a turbulent Love Triangle that totally changes the three's lives. For worse, a fateful date is nearing: September 1, the day of the Kanto Daishinsai aka Great Kanto Earthquake...
Kasei Yakyoku is a josei manga written by Makiko Hirata, published in the late 80's. In 1988, director Osamu Dezaki would release it as a 4-episode OAV series, which now is almost impossible to find. 
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