Kawaii Dake ja Nai Shikimori-san Episode 1 [First Impression]

This anime is a breathe of fresh air for me, one that I truly need right now. Unlike most school romance anime where both the girl and the boy slowly falling in love as the series progress, this is one where both main characters are already dating since the very beginning. The series follow the titular character Shikimori, and her boyfriend, Izumi. At first sight, the series seems to be the typical extremely pretty and popular and ‘perfect’ girl dating an ordinary and dull but kind boy. The first few minutes totally broke that conception as Shikimori showed the side that truly befitting the series’ title.

I really like Shikimori. At first glance, Shikimori was this seemingly cute and kind girl who boys would fall over heels for. In reality, beneath Shikimori’s cuteness was a fierce side that would make people, particularly her boyfriend, think she’s very cool. Shikimori is definitely not a stereotypical weak girl that needs to be protected. Rather, she’s the one who’s doing the protecting, countless times saving Izumi from being hit by a car even to a small thing such as from a falling eraser. Not only that, what I love the most was the part when Shikimori silently glared at the guys who mocked Izumi for being dull and unattractive yet having a pretty girlfriend like her. Most people would come to their lover’s defense in obvious way and with Shikimori’s strength, it’s possible for her to use force against those guys. However, Shikimori was smart enough not to do so, knowing how bad it would impact Izumi.

I also like Izumi. Yes, he’s the typical kind ordinary unlucky boy, but just like how he won over Shikimori with his kindness and sincerity, Izumi also won over me the same way that I’m envious of Shikimori having him as a boyfriend. And unlike most characters who usually have inferiority complex for having boyfriend or girlfriend that people viewed “too good” for them, Izumi didn’t let what those people said bothering him. He loved Shikimori and vice versa, and that’s what matters to not only him but also Shikimori. It’s never about whether they are a match or not in the eyes of other people, what matters is that they love each other.

I like watching a school romance anime where the couple is already deeply in love and just spending their time together like lovesick teenagers they are without worrying about love rival or the sorts. It’s so sweet!

The supporting characters are also likeable. Inuzuka, Izumi’s best friend, reminded me of Bakugou from My Hero Academia. Not only they resembled each other in looks, they even were voiced by Nobuhiko Okamoto. Nekozaki and Hachimitsu reminded me a bit of Uotani and Hanajima from Fruits Basket (Nekozaki being competitive and somewhat rough like Uotani, and Hachimitsu being the quiet and calm Hanajima), they were good best friends for Shikimori. I love how these best friends supported the two lovelorn main characters. And their presence prevented the whole Shikimori turning from cute to cool moments in front of Izumi, into becoming too repetitive.

Possibility of Watching: Guaranteed

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