Kimi ni Todoke

If you've been checking in on YouTube, you've probably seen that I've done a cover on a song from this anime series.  Just thought I'd make a post about it to pimp the series a bit.  In no way is this site turning into a anime blog.  Seems like a lot of work, haha.

Kimi ni Todoke (君に届け), or "From Me To You," is a shoujo manga by mangaka  Karuho Shiina.  The story revolves around Kuronuma Sawako, who is mistakenly called Sadako by her classmates due to her supposed resemblance to the same Sadako from the movie Ringu (the original version of The Ring as we know it here in the US).  The students often fear and misunderstand her due to this misconception even though in reality she is a kind and caring person.  Though she is shy, she wants to clear up the misunderstandings about her and wishes to be liked and make friends.  She aims to be just like her fellow classmate, Kazehaya Shouta, who is a very popular and outgoing boy in her class who actually even greets and talks to Kuronuma.  As Kazehaya begins to talk to Kuronuma, everything around her slowly begin to change.

The story on the basic level seems a typical romance regarding opposites.  In this case, we have shy girl and outgoing boy... or maybe it's scary girl and not-scary boy?  Some other examples that come to mind regarding the opposites are stupid/smart like in Itazura na Kiss, short/tall in Lovely Complex, and maybe I guess you can say clean/messy and just intimidating/will actually kick your butt Toradora lol.  Even though the details of Kuronuma's character may seem a bit strange, it actually works out very well in the story.  Many of the situations in the story are realistic regarding the relationships and interactions between the characters, and the characters themselves are believable as well.  Sawako may seem to be a bit on the extreme side regarding her ignorance when it comes to friendships and relationships.  I suppose you can attribute that to her being a social outcast throughout her upbringing, but you get the feeling that it's on the far end of the spectrum.

The art style in the manga and the anime are similar thankfully, which wasn't the case for Toradora (which I haven't read, but have watched and seen the comparisons).  It often alternates between the standard look to chibi representations of the characters depending on the situation, chibi being used usually for comical moments.  The characters were transitioned well into anime form, with the additional benefit of how well the anime studio does at bringing the backgrounds to life, somewhat similar to the look of watercolors.

The audio for the anime is also great.  With regards to the soundtrack, the music does a great job of fitting to the moods, from comical to those of anguish and hopeful moments as well.  Not only that, but choices for the opening and ending song I feel were great picks in terms of representing this story.  You already know how much I like the opening by Tanizawa Tomofumi, but the ending has grown on me as well.  Chara's voice is definitely a unique one, along the lines of a Macy Gray or something in that ballpark.  The voice actors are good picks as well.  Some feel that Kuronuma's voice is too soft for her character, but I think that's what it was intended to be according to the manga.  I couldn't imagine any other seiyuu in the role of Sawako at this point.  Kazehaya does well also, especially during his moments of embarassment.

The story is pure and clean.  No excessive/unnecessary use of bad language and nothing ecchi nor hints of anything sexually perverse.  A lot of the typical moments you find in your average romance anime are thankfully absent in this series, which is another plus.  No water parks/ public bath/ hot spring visits, no yelling out onii/onee-chan as the older brother or sister is running late to class, and no harem whatsoever just to name a few.  Even though the plot is simple, the elements of the it are quite believable and real, which makes it easy to relate to.  It doesn't need any gimmicks or elements of fantasy or sci-fi to grab you.  It's just that good, plain and simple.

I couldn't help but be drawn into this excellent series to the point that I actually decided to read ahead into the manga as well.  Thanks to the groups currently translating the series for the impatient.  The good news is that this series was also licensed here and can be bought at your local bookstore. 

With that, I give my recommendation to this series to those looking for an anime drama romance to watch or a manga to read.  Probably one of the best of the Fall 09 and Winter 10 seasons in terms of anime... unless you like tentacles or something.