Kimi Ni Todoke (Season 1)

Alternate Titles: From Me to You, Reaching Out to You, 君に届け

Original Japanese Release Date: 2008

Episode Length/Run-time: 25 Episodes

Summary:

Kuronuma Sawako (whose name means “happy child”) is a well meaning high-school girl.  She is kind, and often looks to give others the benefit of the doubt, perhaps out of her nature or out of naivety.  However, she is awkward in social situations, often giving off a creepy, brooding, nature.  Which earns her the nickname “Sadako” after the creepy child from the ring.  One day Shōta Kazehaya the most popular boy in her class befriends her after seeing her true nature and Sawako’s dream of having friends and clearing up the “misunderstandings” begins.

Review:

What’s this anime in one word?  Sweet.

From start to finish it’s a tender story full of sweet, sincere, and funny characters.  Their interactions are well played out with the appropriate amount of believable-ness that you can relate to their problems and what they’re going through.  But at the same time they don’t left this level of realism let the story be transfered into the realm of the boring.

Sawako is a character who makes you fall in love with her.  Her awkwardness while over the top resonates with anyone who has ever been misunderstood or has come across the wrong way.  You just want to see her succeed, and you know what’s the best part? She does! That’s not really a spoiler as this starts to happen early in the series.  But the key becomes the fact that it’s not just getting people to befriend her but maintaining it and watching it flourish.

Sawako and Kazehaya’s relationship is sweet.  It did get to a point though where it was confusing where Kazehaya expressed his feelings and Sawako said she wasn’t ready, which is fine.  But as the series develops she does seem “ready” and they seem to act like nothing ever happened.

Its the perfect slice of life series I’d recommend for any girl or lover of light comedic romance.  Definitely well recommended.

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