Kimi ni Todoke – anime review

posted in: Anime Review | 11

kimi ni

Im not very good at writing anime reviews in english, but lately I watched a show called Kimi ni Todoke, this show was such a nice and entertaining experience, so I like to devote a blog post for this show. Kimi ni Todoke is a 25 episode long anime which was adapted from the manga with the same title, it was produced by Production I.G and aired from October 7, 2009 to March 31, 2010. Its a shoujo anime with slice of life, comedy and a little bit romantic elements.

http://youtu.be/8AzEFia1UEY

 

 

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The story centers about a girl named Sawako who was never able to make any friends and is very unexperienced in socializing with other people. Because of a misunderstanding in the past her classmates call her Sadako instead of Sawako. Sadako is the monster from the movie/novel “The Ring”and additional to that Sadako has a gloomy aura, so her classmates shun her and are also scared when she says “good morning” or tries to be nice to them, she is considered as creepy weirdo.

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On the outside she is used to be shunned and seems quite fine the way she is. She always has good grades and a normal family background. Sawako is a very kind but timid person, she is scared of causing misunderstandings or problems for others. Thanks to her inner monologs,in the show we have insight into her world of thought and emotions,even though she mainly acts worldly innocent, it is very easy to emphatize with her in most situations. I think everybody had situations where he caused misunderstandings, was shunned or was insecure sometimes.

Ignoring her gloomy aura Sawako is a very good looking girl She also has a nice and warm voice which is the one of Mamiko Noto,one of my favorite voice actors,she’s the perfect voice for Sawako’s character. Sawako easily became one of my favorite female Anime characters.

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One person in her class greets her normally is Kazehaya. He is the main male character. He is a really nice boy who likes to help others and is very popular in his class. Sawako is very impressed how he can casually talk to others. One day he and Sawako get into a conversation by chance. Kazehaya gets an instant liking so Sawako and cares a lot for her. With his help Sawako slowly learns how to put her emotions into words and is able to get in touch with other people.

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The first friends Sawako can make because of this small progress are Ayane and Chizu.  They are a very good support for Sawako. Ayane is the more adult female type, she’s also perceptive and intelligent. Chizu is the sports type and sometimes a crybaby and not as intelligent as Ayane. During the show Sawako also has to learn hard lessons like friendship not only consists of fun and that not all people around her have good intentions. So far for the begin of this nice story.

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Kimi ni Todoke is very slow paced show, but thanks to that the characters are portrayed very well, their motivations are explained very detailed and the slow pace is also very helpful to make Sawako’s slow changes more noticeable. Also the comedy is a very nice part of this show, Sawako’s lack of knowledge in socializing and the weird reactions of her are very funny.

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The animation art is also very well made,I really liked the character design, the slender eyes as well as the body proportions of the characters have a somewhat realistic look. Sometimes the show has mixed in chibi scenes which are very cute and funny. In fact Swako is totally adorable in chibi form. The backrounds are magnificent, very vivid and the play of light and shadow looks great, which creates a canvas like look and  a dreamy athmosphere. Very harmonious music is also a very good part of Kimi ni Todoke I really liked the opening song. The backround music themes are also very nice and support the athmosphere of this show.

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Kimi ni Todoke is a wonderful show about friendship and character development. It has very heartwarming and emotional moments, but manages to convince without big drama or emo scenes. The slow pace is very relaxing, it’s probably no show for marathoning I watched 3-4 episodes in one round and I think this is a good dose of Kimi ni Todoke. The End of this show is a bit anti-climatic, but I heard that the manga is still going on, so theres a good chance that we will see a new season of Kimi ni Todoke in the future.

11 Responses

  1. melgyp

    Kimi ni Todoke is really one of my favorites. I never thought of it as slow paced, but you’re right about the character development. I like how both the main characters and supporting characters are well-developed and that I can understand their actions and their personality.

    I find this show really funny and sad at the same time. I haven’t seen such a good anime for a while already. And yes, the manga is still on-going and I hope this show gets a second season with the new story development from the manga! =)

  2. Zai

    Even though I follow the manga, I’m really hoping for a second season. The artwork and animation for the show is so beautiful!

    Sawako is such a sweetheart.. reading and watching Kimi ni Todoke never fails to put a smile on my face. 😀
    .-= Zai´s last blog ..Review- HG 1-144 Gundam Avalanche Exia =-.

  3. wieselhead

    @melgyp:
    One of the best shows I’ve watched this year
    The episode where they chose their seats was so nice.in the first episodes the sad parts were really touching.

    @Zai:
    I liked the art style a lot
    yeah, Sawako is so cute I love her worldly innocence.
    maybe I should start to read the manga too.

  4. softz

    Hmm… I guess I should also add this to my list, though my list is already quite long, considering that I’m always lacking time. I shall give it a try since it’s your recommendation and a dedicated post for the anime. Cheers.
    .-= softz´s last blog ..Lineage II Elf Orchid Seed =-.

  5. Nopy

    I loved Kimi ni Todoke, it was really sweet. Even if it was slow paced, I thought there were plenty of tense moments, like when Kurumi did those mean things to Sawako and when Ryu’s brother returned.
    .-= Nopy´s last blog ..Azusa Nakano Nendoroid by GSC =-.

  6. wieselhead

    I didn’t expect that so many ppl already watched this show 😉
    Oh I wrote the title wrong it is “kimi ni” not “kimi no”

    @softz:
    I have a long list too,but then I show the tendency to pick other shows I find by chance
    you can take your time while watching Kimi ni Todoke. this is a show you could also watch with your wife even when she’s not into anime;)

    @anonymous_object:
    yeah another season would be great 😉

    @Nopy:
    hi and thx for your comment 😉
    in my opinion slow pace and tension don’t contravene.
    that kurumi was such a meanie

  7. tabetaiii

    I also found this anime really good, one of the best shoujo romance anime I’ve seen in a long time. It reminds me of lovely complex.

    I like how through the season you see how sawako or sadakoXD changes bit by bit as a person

    I’m sure there’s going to be a second season of Kimi ni Todoke, since I hear it was quite a big hit
    .-= tabetaiii´s last blog ..Alicia Melchiott PVC Figure 1-8 by Kotobukiya =-.

  8. Psycho

    I really like Sawako hair style when she go to shrine at new years eve. Even though this show slow paced, I really enjoyed. Never though shoujo anime will be this entertaining.