Kaoru is a college boy with everything going for him. He lives in a mansion with his beautiful fiancé, Aoi, all his roommates are babes, and they all have the hots for him. There’s just one hitch: due to family complications, Kaoru and his beloved have to keep their engagement a secret. As he gets tangled in countless steamy situations, can Kaoru overcome temptation and stay true to the lovely Aoi?
The best episode of "Ai Yori Aoshi" is "Spiritual Illusion", rated 7/10 from 13 user votes. It was directed by Katsushi Sakurabi and written by Masashi Kubota. "Spiritual Illusion" aired on 5/29/2002 and is rated 0.0 point(s) higher than the second highest rated, "Summer Resort".
Aoi sees a brochure about a hot spring and she imagines taking a trip there with Kaoru. Meanwhile the photo club decides to take a trip to that very same hot spring and they insist that Aoi come along. Miyabi can't make it, but she ensures to impress upon Kaoru how is life will be if something happens to Aoi! Taeko has made reservations for a hotel but gets the group lost trying to find it. When they finally do arrive, she's made reservations not for that day but a year from that day! The hotel is packed and there is no room. However, Aoi whips out a company card and suddenly the hotel scrambles to get them a room at any cost! The photo club initiates new members by forcing them to take a picture of a ghost. Taeko being the new member is happy to oblige much to the shock of everyone else. However, when she doesn't return for a while, Kaoru and Aoi get concerned and set out to find her through the scary woods and to the haunted shrine. They find her well, but since a dense fog has settled, they end up spending the night in the shrine.
Director: Katsushi Sakurabi
Writer: Masashi Kubota
It's summer holiday time for Kaoru - and Tina wants out for a trip, together with the rest of the inhabitants of the western style house. So they all are out on the road this time - what a pity that Mayu can't go with them... You know what to expect when Taeko is driving one of the cars... later, we will see some onsen scenes, a barbecue and finally all the characters playing party games. But then...
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It has been a while since Kaoru showed up in the photo club. What's waiting for him is the new member of the club, Taeko Minazuki, wearing costumes for a photo shoot. With the mistakes that Taeko makes combined with the vice-president of the photo club, Sato's cos-play (costume playing) antics, the photo club had turned into complete chaos. Kaoru thinks about Tina, one of the members of the club who left to travel the world. All of a sudden he gets tackled. "I came straight here from Narita 'cause I wanted to see my darling Kaoru!" It is Tina Foster, an American who grew up in Hakata. She came back after one year abroad. Taeko greets Tina shyly, and Tina responds in her own unique way! "All right then, it's time to celebrate my return and welcome our new member with an old-fashioned party!" While they party, Kaoru loses consciousness when he drinks some weird beverage which Tina brought from her travels. Back at home, poor Aoi worries about Kaoru when he doesn't return even late at night. The next morning, Aoi visits Kaoru's room and she finds him in the futon. Aoi hugs Kaoru, feeling relieved. But the futon that Kaoru is sleeping in suddenly starts moving. And who should appear from under the covers? Tina!
Director: Mitsutaka Noshitani
Writer: Kenichi Kanemaki
Mayu's mother (working in Paris) designed a new summer dress and sent it to her daughter. And what better opportunity would there be to wear that but on a date with Kaoru? So Mayu, being the girl she is, visits the well-known Western Style house and asks her Hanabishi-sama out for a date - right in front of all other inhabitants...
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When Aoi falls ill, everyone at the Sakuraba mansion falls apart trying to fill her shoes with the necessary household chores.
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Kaoru invites Aoi to visit someone special, she finds herself being introduced to Kaoru's mother's grave as someone important in his life.
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Chika-rin 'interrogates' every inhabitant of the mansion about their feelings towards Kaoru-oniisan, causing embarrassing situations throughout the whole episode.
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Chika-chan invites two of her class mates to visit her home at the mansion, where she ""lives together with a guy"".
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Kaoru Hanabishi is a university student and lives by himself. One day, on the way to his apartment, he meets a kimono-clad girl named Aoi Sakuraba, who appears to be lost in the train station. Pushed by the crowd, Aoi's sandal straps break, but Kaoru repairs it for her, surprising Aoi with his skill at such an old-fashioned technique. Afterwards, Kaoru takes her to the correct platform; it is the same way he is going. Aoi tells Kaoru that she came to see her fiancé, to whom she has been engaged for 18 years. Kaoru is impressed by Aoi's devotion to her fiancé. However, when they reach the address on Aoi's note, they find that it's just a vacant lot. Seeing Aoi so depressed, Kaoru asks her if she might have anything else that might lead to the guy. The only thing Aoi has is the old picture. "But it's just a childhood picture... Hm? Isn't this me and Aoi?" The fiancé that Aoi has been looking for is Kaoru, himself!
Director: Daisuke Takashima
Writer: Masaharu Amiya
It's decided that Aoi should stay at Kaoru's for the night, but he can't relax because it is the first time Kaoru had a girl at his place. He tells Aoi that there is only one futon, but she can use it and he will sleep on the floor. Then Aoi says, "I propose a compromise, Kaoru-sama. Instead, we can share it if you are willing. I don't mind at all..." To cool his head down, Kaoru goes outside. "She said she was my fiancée? I only knew her when she was a little child. But she is not a bad girl, and she is really cute..." But to accept Aoi, it means that Kaoru has to go back to the Hanabishi family, which he left behind. The bitter memories come back to Kaoru's mind...
Director: Setsugoro Tobari
Writer: Masashi Kubota
everyone goes to the beach where Kaoru discovers that everyone but Aoi has worn a sexy swimsuit to attract his attention.
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After being taken back home by Miyabi, Aoi comes back to Kaoru wishing to be together with him even if it means losing everything. "Please accept me, vows and all, and make me your wife, Kaoru-sama!" Suddenly Kaoru falls forward. Kaoru got soaked when he went to pick Aoi up in the pouring rain, and has come down with a fever. While taking care of Kaoru, Aoi rolls his shirt up to wipe the sweat, and is stunned by the numerous scars on his back. The scars bring back the horrible memory of life in the Hanabishi clan and the beatings his grandfather delivered with a stick while trying to force Kaoru to give up an omamori (charm). His grandfather hated the charm for the same reason Kaoru treasured it—it was a reminder of Kaoru's mother who had left the Hanabishi family. "S-Sorry, I know it's not a pretty sight to look at," says Kaoru, and tries to pull his shirt down. Aoi touches his scars tenderly and says, "I will take extra care in healing these wounds of yours over time." Aoi's tears drop onto Kaoru's back. They hold each other...
Director: Masahito Otani
Writer: Yasunori Yamada
Kaoru works incredibly hard all week in order to be able to afford the perfect gift for Aoi's birthday.
Director: Kunitoshi Okajima
Writer: Masaharu Amiya, Tsuyoshi Tamai
When Aoi was a child her grandmother wore a kimono that Aoi loved and told her that she would have someday. Aoi would walk through the cherry blossoms hand in hand with her grandmother. Aoi's grandmother also tells her that her husband loved the kimono and one day her husband would love it to if his love was true.Kaoru asked Aoi to go shopping with him. Aoi decided to wear the inherited kimono since she knows they will be alone together. Kaoru tells her that he loves the kimono which brings tears to her eyes and her love for him grows.
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Aoi has some hidden talents, some that she saves just for Kaoru and others that she uses to save the college festival!
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Tina hears strange noises from an unoccupied area above her room. Could this be a ghost? The inhabitants of the western style house are going to find out today, led by their expert for supernatural phenomena - who happens to be Taeko-chan...
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"Excuse me... I would like to scrub your back so would you mind if I came in?" Kaoru is flustered by Aoi's sudden idea. He tries to push her away when she enters (wearing her clothes), but Kaoru steps on the soap, and both of them fall on the floor. Something soft touches Kaoru's hand and cheek. Kaoru is on top of Aoi, hands, unwittingly, on her breasts. When Aoi's scream shakes the whole apartment, the door opens and Aoi's caretaker, Miyabi Kagurazaki jumps in, looking furious. When she sees him naked and on top of Aoi on the floor, she throws Kaoru against the wall. "Lady Aoi, are you aware of the position that you've put yourself in?" Actually, Aoi came to Kaoru without telling anyone about it. Miyabi says that Kaoru, who left the Hanabishi, is no longer Aoi's fiancée, and tries to take Aoi back home. Aoi frees herself from Miyabi's grasp, and says to Kaoru, "I cannot imagine being with anyone other than Kaoru-sama...Won't you please reconsider returning to the Hanabishi? So that we can be together..." With Aoi's words, Kaoru is...
Director: Mitsutaka Noshitani
Writer: Tsuyoshi Tamai
Mayu, who comes from a wealthy family, convinces Kaoru to come to her house for dinner. Kaoru informs Aoi of this though he neglects to tell Aoi that his friend is a female. Then Mayu convinces Kaoru to spend the night at her house since she's there alone. Again, Kaoru calls but doesn't let Aoi know that his friend is female. However, when Taeko lets it slip that she was surprised Kaoru's friend would kiss him like that and that the friend was female, Aoi is suddenly worried.
Director: Akira Tsuchiya
Writer: Kenichi Kanemaki
Mayu tries to learn cooking from Aoi in a attempt to win the love of Kaoru.
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a trip to the zoo becomes a day with Tina followed by a drunken night in a love hotel! Will Aoi really believe they simply fell asleep? part 2
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Miyabi and Kaoru drive back to the Sakuraba to meet with Aoi again so that they can take her back. But Kaoru will have to go through Aoi's father first.
Director: Daisuke Takashima, Masami Shimoda
Writer: Kenichi Kanemaki
Chika tries to learn playing tennis for some forthcoming sports event; Miyabi has been a good tennis player some time ago and volunteers to teach her.
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Most of the inhabitants expect Tina to return soon from her trip home to America - only Kaoru and Aoi have seen the paper that Tina left at her door, and Aoi seems to miss Tina the most. But finally, when they were about to give up on their friend, the Enishi of the Western Style house shows its power...
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Tina and Kaoru show the group pictures they had taken a year prior before Tina's trip. Aoi sees a picture of Kaoru standing next to the statue of his college's founder. Since the only picture she has of him is from their childhood, she asks if she can have that photo. The next day when Aoi is out buying food, she finds herself thinking of Kaoru and his life at school. Meanwhile at school, it is lunchtime and Tina, Taeko, and Kaoru are eating the lunch Aoi made for them and remarking how good it is. Aoi returns home and sees something on the TV about a certain food item that Tina had been raving on. Since the vendor will be shutting down in an hour, Aoi decides to go over, buy some of this, and take it to the university for Kaoru. She wanders around the campus lost and gets seen by Tina. Tina is unable to get Aoi's attention nor get to her, so she heads off to find Kaoru. He has Tina and Taeko go to class while he continues to search for Aoi. Eventually he runs into her at the statue where he had his picture taken and together, they eat the meal she purchased. Kaoru tells Aoi that he now has the afternoon free and they can do anything she wants. She wants to tour the campus with him which he gladly does. Then Tina and Taeko find them and the group goes out to eat.
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Chika, tricks Kaoru into taking a bath with Taeko!
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