Chiaki and Mitsugi return from their travels in Japan following the Great Eastern Japanese Earthquake. How did the earthquake affect Japan overall? What were the highlights? What anime is taking Japan by storm right now? They answer these questions and questions you submitted!
Reviews: Beelzebub, Kimi Ni Todoke 2, and Level E
Impressions: A Channel, Lotte’s Toy, 30-Sai no Houken Taiiku
Alternate Titles: Reaching Out to You
Original Japanese Release Date: 2011
Episode Length/Run-time: 12
Summary:
Kimi ni Todoke 2 is a continuation of the original Kimi ni Todoke series. It follows Sawako, meaning “happy child” who is nicknamed “Sadako” from the ring due to her extreme lack of social ability and a number of misunderstandings. Her two friends, Chizu and Yano, after bringing her out and helping her become accepted by the class in the first season see to it to help the delicate and budding romance between her and the most popular boy in class Kazehaya. However, will Sawako be able to overcome her insecurities and will the interference of others like the lovely Kurumi or the playboy Kento get in the way?
Review:
May I please take a moment to express, as a girl, how much I LOVE this series. It’s now 36 episodes long in total, counting both the first and second seasons, but the second season is a convenient 12 episodes. Anything longer than that would’ve been excessive and have gotten into the way. The series is produced and completed by the same people as the first with Studio Production I.G. at the helm it follows the 13 book manga that started in 2005 and is still ongoing. There is also a light novel series which started in 2007.
Now I feel I must preface this review by saying that some of it will be spoilers from the first season just because it is a direct continuation, so if you’re planning on watching the show I leave you with a strong recommendation and telling you to stop here.
So in the first season it was well established that Sawako and Kazehaya had feelings for each other. They were both generally in love but both too quiet about it to make it obvious. Or, when one of them did say something it was misunderstood by the other. Sawako being the main culprit. This season opens with Valentines day, and the painful experience of Sawako not being able to give chocolates to Kazehaya because they meant far too much. Thanks Kurumi, yes, she’s back.
The series goes on and Sawako continues to become more accepted by the school on the whole, to the point that she even has another suitor. But instead of dragging out twisted love triangles to the point of disgust the series takes a realistic approach (I feel) to how the characters interact with each other. Kazehaya is not pleased of course in the situation and acts how a normal boy would. Sawako does continue to eff things up though which is borderline annoying. But as more people in the show begin to see what’s going on between them their assistance helps Sawako and Kazehaya realize the misunderstanding s that have been happening between them.
Is it too late at that point to salvage their budding love? I’m not going to tell you! Watch the series. But what I will say from start to finish, first OR second season this series won’t let you down. The 12 episode length is perfect for the second season, and I almost think they could’ve condensed the whole show down to 24. The shorter length really forces them to focus on the core of what’s going on and that alone makes it a nose above the first season. Plus, how they wrap everything up with a neat little bow and just enough to make the fans happy on top of that was a nice touch.
This show really is worth your while if you’re a fan of the slice-of-life comedic romance. Highly recommended and worth the investment of your time.
[starrater]
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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