*swoon*!
Summary:
Kimi ni Todoke is this season’s new Production I.G. anime, and my most awaited show of the season. Based upon the eponymous manga, it won the 2008 Best Shojo Manga award from the 32nd Annual Kodansha Manga Awards. The story centers upon fifteen year-old Sawako Kuronuma (Mamiko Noto) a high school first year known by her classmates as ‘Sadako’ (the girl who walks out of the television in the horror movie Ringu). With her scary demeanor, awkwardness, and evil looking stares, the whole school believes that looking into Sawako’s eyes for just three seconds will curse you for a week, and that she can talk to the dead. Of course appearances can be deceiving and although she looks scary, in reality Sawako is nothing like anyone has imagined, but instead is a very sweet, naive and very shy girl who only wants to please those around her.
She's actually pretty cute and has a semi-hime haircut to boot!
The first episode begins with a scene at school in the girl’s bathroom where the other girls are making fun of Sawako. After the girls run away at her sudden and very scary appearance, we cut to the next day as everyone is walking to school. Being as naive as she is, Sawako is unable to figure out why everyone is so scared of her. As she walks to school, innocently scaring people on the way, she encounters Shota Kazehaya (Daisuke Namikawa) a popular and universally liked boy in her class who greets Sawako by her real name and is the only one at school who does so. At school Kazehaya talks about the upcoming test of courage that the class is having soon. Later that day, with summer vacation fast approaching, the teacher explains that he needs someone to stick around during the summer to help him with some chores. While everyone averts their gaze, Sawako volunteers herself, believing that if she is a help to everyone, then she will be accepted.
Feeling bad that Sawako is the only one who always volunteers for the crappy jobs, Kazehaya volunteers himself. Touched by his move, Sawako quickly rebuffs him and keeps the job but is secretly happy that someone actually cared about her and realized that she is always volunteering. Later that day as she waters the plants outside, an old middle school friend named Shino runs into Sawako and asks her how things have been. She tells him about the wonderful Kazehaya and about how he is ‘100% pleasant’ which is overheard by Kazehaya from inside. Embarrassed, Sawako explains that it was a complement and with that Kazehaya comes outside to chat with her.
A shojo manga hero without blonde hair or curls? What the heck?
That afternoon, two of the girls in the class are discussing amongst themselves about the upcoming ‘test of courage’ and they figure that Sawako would be a great person to play the ‘ghost’ to scare everyone. Although meant in a mean-spirited way, Sawako overhears their conversation and begs to be allowed to be the ‘ghost’ as she figures that she can please everyone if she does it. She exclaims though that unfortunately she really can’t talk to the dead. The girls laugh and take pity on poor Sawako and agree to have her as the ‘ghost’.
I love how in shojo manga other girls are always so ugly LOL
That night Sawako does a spectacular job as the ‘ghost’ as she scares classmate after classmate in the test of courage. When Kazehaya comes up though, he’s by himself and he recognizes her immediately. It seems that during the talk before, he had asked her to come to the test of courage and he was dismayed that he did not see her when everyone gathered and as such was left alone without a partner. Explaining that she was trying to keep it a secret, the two end up having an enchanting evening chatting amongst the fireflies and the stars.
It's not quite the bellflower scene in Suzuka, but it was nice
The next day at school, lots of rumours abound about Sawako and Kazehaya’s evening together and as the ‘loser’ of the test of courage (because he and Sawako were chatting) the class makes Kazehaya’s punishment a week of going out with ‘the scary Sadako’. He exclaims that the punishment is going too far in disrespecting Sawako as she is a real person with real feelings. Before he could go any further Sawako interrupts and explains that their night together wasn’t anything special but was just a chat and she quickly leaves the room.
With summer now starting, Sawako walks to school by herself the next morning for the chores she had volunteered for. Suddenly realizing that she’d won’t see Kazehaya during the summer and that she pushed away the only guy who’d ever paid attention to her and was kind to her, she begins to cry as she fights to accept the fact that she will never be happy in her life. As she is crying she runs into the waiting Kazehaya, who gives her an apology present from the class, and explains that he’s personally been fond of her ever since they first met and wants to see more of her during the summer.
Reaction:
What a great first episode! There were quite a lot of things that I liked about the first episode, so many things in fact that it’s hard to get it all down but I’ll try.
As a big fan of shojo anime (yeah I know… LOL… I also love giant robo anime too, go figure!) I’m super relieved to find out that for once the main male love interest isn’t the stereotypical ‘perfect’ guy with the deep voice that every girl has a crush on, but really just a really nice and popular guy but not necessarily the ‘best at everything’ guy that is often the hero in these things. I’m also relieved to find out that the main girl isn’t kind of annoying and self centered as many of these shojo characters inevitably are, but actually quite likable herself.
The fact that Sawako is known as ‘Sadako’ makes for a lot of fun jokes, and I hope that this aspect of the show doesn’t go away soon. I think it keeps things from being TOO mushy which can be overwhelming sometimes (I kinda stopped watching NANA near episode 38 because it was just too much) by keeping things a bit lighthearted.
I’m also a big fan of the character design and the animation. It’s awesome to have male characters who don’t all look like the typical blonde hair blue eyed shojo characters that you think of. As well, Production I.G. is doing a great job with keeping the character animation extremely smooth and pleasant to watch.
As for the acting, Mamiko Noto does a spectacular job as Sawako. From the scary Sadako to the sweet and innocent Sawako, Noto-sama has made her come alive in a great way.
Finally there’s the story. It’s a huge surprise to start off with a test of courage (usually that’s a middle of the season type thing in anime) and to also include a very touching firefly scene in the first episode. While it of course didn’t have the same emotional impact as the Suzuka bellflower scene, it was nonetheless very well done and captured the moment perfectly. As well, there’s a lot of opportunity for character growth. We can probably expect Sawako to start coming out of her shell and start to make friends with her class that had shunned her. I’m hoping also for some good class trips where she scares other random people, love adversaries for Hazekaya’s affection, and of course the secondary male who likes her and vies for HER attention too.
Overall I’m very happy with the first episode as it’s set us up for what I hope to be a great season to come.
P.S. I’ve never read the manga as I’m not a big manga reader, so no spoilers please!
Related posts:
8 Comments
*FAPFAPFAPFAPFPPAFPAPFAPFAPFA*
*FAPFAPAFPAPFAPFPAFPAPFAPAPFPAFPAPPPAFPAFPA*
Next to White Ablum 2, this is probably the top of my list! I’m also very wish-washy when it comes to shoujo
, and WTH, you never finished NANA??!?! For shame! =O
While I absolutely loved the first episode (and replayed the OP about 50 times), I did have some quirks with it. I did like those fat-chibi-head segments, but I hope they don’t rely on them too much. I also didn’t like how Sawako sounds “obviously” scary. It’s like they are forcing her to sound like, “ooOOooOOooo!!! I’m da BOOGIE MAAaAAaAaAaANN!!!” I like her normal voice, but I don’t like that forceful-scary voice because it seems like they are trying too hard to make her “scary” (when she’s not). Yea, it’s for comedy purposes, but I think it falls flat.
Other than that, since I liked it, I will definitely put a RINGU on it! *starts dancing* =D *cricket cricket*…
Show ▼
That’s not an upper lip, it’s a thin mustache + soul patch. Mwahaha, now you can’t unsee it.
PREACH!
WAI U DO DIS?!?! You know how hard it was to forget about those Koi Kaze staches? =(… either way, I’m still gonna sniff them, whether u like it or not!
Show ▼
Hahah yah I never finished NANA… the subs died for like 1/2 a year and then it was so crazy what with everyone getting pregnant and sleeping with eachother and all.
Oh man, those were the days! I think that group Inuyasha4ever had to pick it up, but then later on ureshii did finish it. You should watch it again. It’ll eat your heart out
Show ▼
The last shot of the episode, with Sawako smiling, is so adorable. I totally swooned.
Quite a few people hated that part, saying it was ugly and such, which is NOT TRUE!!! Good to see others liked it as well =3
I think the problem with it is that the character designs are pretty simplistic, but then they hit you over the head with that over-detailed work. She did have a pretty big mouth too… which ain’t so bad… the more upper-lip, the better!
I agree. And as you said, hopefully they leave the Sadako jokes in for a bit and allow her to use some of her creepier tones… her reading of the children’s book in Monster gave me the chills.