The Key/Visual Arts forté, if you will, is writing stories about young men who take advantage of vulnerable girls in the worst way. In Air, the girl is Misuzu Kamio, who has a debilitating disease that makes her weaker and more childish as it progresses. The unscrupulous bastard who takes advantage of her is Yukito Kunisaki, who makes a living as a schoolyard creeper who puts on puppet shows. (Don't worry: it's actually a puppet.)

Of course, if that was all there were too it, well, the show would still be popular among anime fans, but people like me wouldn't bother to write about it. There's an alternate plot going on — a period piece which Misuzu is researching for school. Kannabi no Mikoto is a winged being who lives in forced isolation from the humans. Forced as in: lots of soldiers with weapons make sure she won't escape. She falls for a samurai named Ryuuya — bummer for her, because she's also cursed, to suffer physically if she dares develop romantic ties. Not that that stops either of them, for what is life without suffering and death.

There are obvious parallels with the Yukito/Misuzu scenario, and it doesn't lack poetry, but it does beat you over the head with its book of poetry if it thinks you don't understand. Yukito is Mr. Not Involved, but forces beyond his control (i.e. "hormones") conspire to keep She and Him together. They start a band. They don't make music for very long.