A Shoujo Classic Returns After 13 Years | Why I Love Kimi Ni Todoke
KIMI NI TODOKE RETURNS. SEASON 3 is now available on NETFLIX
I did my waiting. Thirteen years of it. IN AZKABAN.
What Makes A Good Shoujo Anime?
Is it the quality of writing? The depth and complexity of the characters? The hauntingly beautiful themes being explored by the show? The plot? Or is it all about how this piece of media made you feel deep inside during and after watching it?
As cringy as this would seem, Kimi Ni Todoke is the only Shojou Anime that actually managed to giggling, heart-eyed, cheek-blushing youngster under the cherry blossoms.
Romance Shojou Mangas and Anime usually target a young adult women and adolescent female audience typically with heartfelt, young love, romance stories set in a high school setting- school festivals, student councils, cherry blossoms, you know all that. As a guy who grew up loving Shonen Anime like Dragon Ball, the Big Three, Hunter X Hunter and the likes, I can say for certain that I was not the target demographic of this show.
But there was something refreshing about the simple yet vibrant art style, the mellow and velvety music, and the initial vibe of the characters that convinced my shounen fantasy action-loving brain to give this show a chance. And I ended up liking it so much that I dove straight into the manga after finishing all the Anime episodes.
And now that we are getting more Kimi Ni Todoke Anime after like what 13 years since it last aired, I felt so hyped, I ended making this article because Kimi Ni Todoke is what I consider as Peak Shojou Anime featuring my most favourite Anime Couple ever.
This show became so popular in Japan that it was referenced by other creators in the sphere. A couple of live-action adaptations also serve as proof of this story’s success in the romance genre.
What is Kimi Ni Todoke About?
Kimi Ni Todoke is a simple and earnest story
About a pure girl and very sincere girl named Kuronuma Sawako. Someone we can consider as a blank slate regarding the complexity of human emotions and relationships, untouched and untainted by the world. She may seem very naïve and childlike in terms of being innocent to the inner workings of society and other people’s hidden agendas but this works in a good way because her pureness and earnestness give the heaviest emotional weight to the feelings she’s trying to communicate. If she says something, you know that she definitely means it.
Sawako embodies the description ‘Painfully Innocent’. Sawako grew up being meme-d and avoided by others for her close resemblance to Sadako, the long-haired apparition from the hit movie The Ring which infamously terrorized in Japan in the 2000s, not just in name but also in appearance. The story operates under the assumption that the people around her were so into superstition that they ended up being afraid of getting near Sawako. Rumours about her being able to talk to ghosts and curse others have circulated, and her very timid and soft-spoken demeanor didn’t help her situation at all. Sawako grew up as an outcast and due to this long period of isolation, she became very numb to other people’s emotional and social cues and she turned out to be very naive when it comes to the norms and complexities of human relationships.
Her main love interest is Kazehaya, a socially well-adjusted boy who fell in love with her kindhearted and caring personality. He was charmed by the enchanting and captivating side of her that others failed to see. Sawako admired Kazehaya’s efforts to reach out to her and was grateful for his help in bridging the gap between herself and her classmates. Their love story began with pure admiration and appreciation. Throughout the story, Kazehaya served as an inspiration and motivation for Sawako to overcome her weaknesses.
What I like about Kimi Ni Todoke is how it captures the feelings of overwhelming excitement, clumsiness, cluelessness, and awkwardness when it comes to having your first love. I probably sound very corny right now but I’m not gonna lie, this show is cute as heck. Like what good shoujou animes do, it focuses into the characters inner psyche, examining their deepest emotions, their insecurities, and hopes. It shows us how they fumble and fall, run into the wall, as they try to communicate their deepest emotions to each other.
The Romance
The romance in Kimi Ni Todoke is portrayed through the little things, communicating the most heartfelt emotions within the smallest gestures: the preferences in class seating, the exchange of letters during class, the beauty of friendship, the pure hope for a person’s success and goodwill, and the magic behind a person’s smile.
Kimi Ni Todoke is peak shoujo anime because it delivers everything expected from the genre at a very high level and ticks all the boxes.
Some Constructive Criticisms
But before I give you my full recommendation, let me just say that Kimi Ni Todoke is not a perfect Anime. No sir, not by a long shot. This is show has… a few problems and being a late 2000s anime, some of its scenes might seem very outdated and cliched to the contemporary audience, especially in this current year, 13 years later after it last aired.
One of my main critiques about my Favourite Shojou Anime is that the story goes very slow and some arcs kinda drag on longer than it should have. Especially the ones with this very annoying problem of Miscommunication.
Miscommunication Trope
Kimi Ni Todoke, according to some translations, means "From Me To You" or "To Reach You," and the main theme of the show is about the importance of healthy communication between friends and partners. From the title, it is clear that the main conflict of the story, especially in the early stages, will revolve around miscommunication and the negative consequences of failing to understand each other and not communicating effectively. The show deeply explores the characters’ complex emotions and reactions, which can sometimes be intense and irrational, while also highlighting how detrimental overthinking and keeping things to oneself can be in relationships.
This focus on miscommunication is not inherently a bad thing; it is actually both interesting and relevant. However, my main issue with this aspect is that the show hyperfocuses on the miscommunication problem. It zooms into the conflict on a molecular level, using an electron microscope when a magnifying glass could have been more appropriate for the job. There are parts of the show where the conflict about miscommunication drags on for episodes on end when it could have been resolved in minutes if people simply communicated their needs- if people simply just talked. Unfortunately, though, communication is Sawako’s weakest point, and her social skills are way underdeveloped. Explaining how relationships work to her would require building her knowledge from the ground up and giving her a full academic course before she becomes well-adjusted in her relationships with those around her.
And that frustrates me a little because I was already too invested in the characters and wanted to see more development and cute scenes full of hand-holding, cheek-blushing, and romance, rather than being dragged down by the miscommunication problem. But I guess it's also about having a balance of sour and bitter flavors in your food, rather than just always having it sweet and savory. And getting through the stressful stuff in the makes the good stuff feel much more rewarding.
That is my main criticism of the show, but the good news is that these frustrating moments only occur in some parts of the anime. I believe the author addressed and fixed this issue, along with the pacing problems, later on in the manga. As someone who has read ahead a bit, I can say that the recently released Season 3 will be great because it features many highlight moments and milestones for the main couple and the other characters.
Kimi Ni Todoke is great, but I admit that it’s not for everyone. However, if you get past the pacing issues and the miscommunication dilemma at the beginning, the show becomes very rewarding by the end, and the positives far outweigh the negatives.
Sawako is very naive and slow when it comes to relationships, but she learns and improves with each arc. There is slow and steady character development, and later in the manga, you’ll feel very proud of her for how much she has grown. Despite her flaws, her character is very cute and endearing. There is a natural charm about kindhearted people who find themselves helpless in certain situations, and something very magnetic about earnest and well-meaning individuals who try their hardest at things they are not very good at.
Kazehaya is consistently great, and the other characters are multilayered and nuanced as well. I love how the story shares the spotlight with the side characters, giving them their own development arcs and showing their insecurities, flaws, good qualities, and shining moments.
Reversals
The show may be slow-paced, but as a reversal to my earlier criticism, this glacial pacing allows us to see the gradual changes in each character over the seasons. We see how they change classes, switch uniforms, grow taller, and how their speaking patterns evolve. The public holiday hangouts, sports events, and school festivals all contribute to a steady, week-by-week progression of character development. Rewatching this show made me feel like I was back in high school again, hitting me with vibes of nostalgia that are never unwelcome. It made me reminisce about the times when things were extremely bright and simple. I connect to characters, especially to Sawako, on an emotional level because, as an awkward teenager, a professional overthinker, and a hopeless romantic cringelord back when I was still in Year 12, I knew how hard it was to make new friends and socialise with people, as they were things I struggled with during my formative years.
Conclusion
Kimi Ni Todoke is great because it perfectly captures the giddiness, awkwardness, stress, frustration, longing, and hopefulness of being young and in love. It portrays the heart-pounding sensation of interacting with your crush, the crushing feeling when things seem out of control, and the sweet moments of having your first relationship.
The relationship of the main couple is very pure and endearing. And the show explores why people like each other, focusing on the qualities the main couple admires in one another. Sawako and Kazehaya’s relationship is built on mutual admiration, respect, trust, and goodwill, with both hoping the best for each other and doing what they can to make each other happy and emotionally secure. And if that isn’t an excellent portrayal of true love, then I don’t know what is.
Kimi Ni Todoke may not be the most well-written show or the most unique among shoujo mangas, but it’s the only show that got me this emotionally invested. Watching it was a deep, memorable, meaningful, and pleasant experience. Through the journey of the main couple, Kimi Ni Todoke communicates feelings of hopefulness, belonging, friendship, and love. It left me feeling refreshed and motivated after each episode, and isn’t that the reason why I watch Anime in the first place? That’s why I consider it peak shoujo anime.
If you’re looking for a good shoujo anime to watch, you should definitely give Kimi Ni Todoke a chance. Another reason to watch is that it also has a Voice Actor lineup that is quite stacked (Daisuke Namikawa, Mamiko Noto, Aya Hirano, Yuiichi Nakamura, Miyuki Sawashiro, Mamoru Miyano, and more.)
It’s also great that it finally had its third season after all these years. That makes me hopeful for other anime that didn’t get the chance to be continued back then. Maybe other titles can also get picked up and be given another season. (I’m looking at you Ouran High School Host Club, Yona of the Dawn, and Kaichou Wa Maid-Sama!)
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