KIMI NI TODOKE
OVERVIEW -Set in contemporary times, in a normal Japanese high school, the story follows a girl called Sawako Kuronuma. please note - this is not an action, supernatural or anything like that type of anime. simply a "coming of age" type of which there are surprisingly many of.
REVIEW - This show is extremely well recieved, and its easy to see why, the main character is so endearing, so well written (and expertly voiced by Mamiko Noto) that you cant help but feel sympathy for her situation, and want to urge her on to succeed in her goals of becoming friends with everyone and to be able to express her feelings.
Sawako is called "Sadako" at school, because of her resemblance to the character from "The Ring", and people believe she can curse others, summon ghosts and bring misfortune. People normally scream and run from her the moment she tries to interact with them. This however contrasts with who she really is, an optimistic, bright, cheerful girl who works hard at everything she does, and goes out of her way to be as helpful to others as she can be. Due to the rumours about her imagined supernatural abilites however she is very withdrawn, very shy and socially awkward, to the point of struggling to interact, yet she still tries.
A chance meeting at the start of her first year in high school with a boy she gave directions to leads to an admiration of him, as he appears to be everything she isnt, outgoing, the centre of attention and loved by everyone, and while talking to the one person in her school from her previous one who knew her, he overhears her expressing her admiration. This leads to the start of a friendship between the two, and from that grows both the story and Sawako's personal journey.
The thing about this show is its so well done. the casting of Mamiko Noto as Sawako's voice was pure genius, as her soft, gentle tones and ability to convey emotion really fit with Sawako's character, and after her turn as "Hell Girl" there's also enough scary menace in the voice to really add to the mythos that surrounds Sawako at the start of the show. The animation uses a lot of "Chibi" style, the whole "over-sized head, simplified drawing style" thing, but doesnt over-do it like some shows (teen titans i'm looking at you here...) and also makes use of very well drawn stills, often monochrome and/or coupled with the "bubble/sparkle" effects some shows over-use (sailor moon, i'm talking 'bout you here...) to great effect, really emphisizing points. It'll drop out the normal background to do the same as well, but all of it is done in such a way that it enhances the show, never detracting from it. The same can be said for the score, while the same "themes" often play, the "dramatic" music, the "panic" music (most often accompanied by Sawako's internal monologues), the "silly" or "Action" musics too, while they appear a lot, they do genuinely increase the emotional point, really driving home the story as it happens on-screen.
There is a lot of humour too, mostly provided by either their teacher, Pin, or the class idiot, Joe. slapstick, bad puns and terrible situations surround these two and add lightness and fun to the show. Also a lot of Sawako's reactions to things can be quite humourous too, really highlighting just how awkward she can be in situations which again, will endear her to most.
The first season builds up the cast, with Sawako's best friends being made and solidified, introducing Sawako's skills with homely things such as cooking and knitting as well as her academic abilities. (her "Cursed notes" raising her entire class average early in the season) and shows the mutual attraction between Sawako and Shouta, the boy she admires so. Its also hinted that Shouta is allowing Sawako to come out of her shell more before he lets her know how he feels. It also introduces the main cause of trouble regarding Sawako's "love life" in Ume, a girl who's
The second season shows Sawako's increasing acceptance by her class, but a breakdown in the relationship with Shouta, with miss-understandings and interferance widening the gap between the two, Sawako becomes not only the star of her class, becoming the focus of the class's school festival project, but a legend in the school itself. The two eventually manage to overcome all the obstacles in their path and begin dating.
For me, I think a large part of what I enjoy about this show isnt just the fantastic production, beautiful scenary and emotional impact, but because I identify with Sawako a fair bit, being socially awkward, shy and generally shunned for how I look. I think in many ways thats why the show has been so popular, because its very easy to feel empathy for Sawako, she ends up in a great deal of situations that i think most people have experienced yet never gives up, and fights her way past her own fears and worries to her goals.
In short, an extremely well written, produced and visually beautiful anime, with a heart-wrenching, touching story driving it. Never sexual, though possibly the talk of "hidden desires" that permates through the second season might be an allusion to it, its simply a love story about a shy girl overcoming her own limitations to achieve what she desires.
SUMMARY -
Story - Top notch story, with every episode bringing something new. It avoids a great deal of the "high school drama" tropes that are so persistant in most high school animes, like the beach episode, the field trip, the school nurse. Yet those it does use, it uses in an original manner. Emotion drips from every line of dialogue, and the whole acting cast do an amazing job of getting that across too. It never feels forced, nor clichéd and runs at an amazing pace, just right to convey both the story and the passage of time. The subject matter is a question of taste I guess, not everyone will enjoy a romance story, but of the many i've seen, this would have to be the best. 10/10
Production -Exceptionally well done, with characters never "distorting" while moving, and consistant in how they're displayed, even with the shifting styles. The show uses three different styles constantly, the "normal" style is very realistic, using stunningly beautiful backgrounds, all well realised. The "Chibi" style, normally used to show silly events, shock, embarresment or awkward reactions is very well done too, never overpowering the events or story. Finally the "serious" style, normally a monochromatic still that is panned across, is a powerful technique that can really drive home a point, such as why Shouta fell for Sawako (her smile). The use of all three of these isnt something I've seen too often, and never with this much effect. As noted before, the voice casting was top-notch too, as not a single character fails to provide weight and emotion in every scene. 9/10
Music - The opening theme to the first season is a personal favourite, really sets the scene for the show, while the ending theme in season 1, while fitting and a great performance I cant listen to too much, as there's something about the singer's voice i find annoying! the opener for the second season I didnt find that appealing, especially given the ending music for the season, a powerful, moving piece thats even more emotive when the lyrics are translated. The score used during the show is a little over-used, but effective. you'll definately spot themes happening with them too, like "Pin" always has the same music. 9/10
Accessability - Sadly letting down a near perfect score, as being set in a Japanese high school almost dictates certain cultural themes as being needed. while avoiding many of the typical school anime themes, there's still enough of them in there to make it tricky to understand unless you're already familiar with them. Its also a fairly large plot point early in the first season how Sawako talks "formally" to everyone, which adds to her social awkwardness. I would not reccomend this, nor any high school based anime, to someone just starting to explore and understand Japanese culture and anime. 4/10
Overall Impression -Kimi Ni Todoke is one of the few anime i watch over and over. its enjoyable every time, because its so easy to relate to the characters, so well produced that there's little that pulls you out of "the moment" as you watch and you really do end up wanting to know what happens next. Laugh-out-loud funny at times, tear-jerkingly touching in others, its little wonder the manga and anime itself have won many awards and has even been made into a live-action film (I do NOT reccomend you watch the film however, its no-where near as good). If you're looking for a good romance story, one thats gentle and moving then you're really not going to find much out there better than this one. 10/10
Final Score - 42/50
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