Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie

Well… this show’s actually pretty good… wait, everyone hates it? I guess I’ll just have to play a bit of devil’s advocate here then…

This show presents to us a bit of a different take on the romance genre, a clumsy but lovable main character, with an alpha, and very cool female main character. This show gets people into huge debates about gender roles and the dynamic between the main characters, but for me, the problems lie not necessarily on the dynamic of the main couple, but more on the repetitiveness of certain tropes presented. There are a lot of good aspects about this show as well, especially some of the supporting cast, which was surprisingly strong and intriguing to watch, and I’ll highlight all of that in my review below.

My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20

STORY: 17.2/25

The story isn’t this show’s strong point, and that’s to be expected as this is a slice of life romance anime. In a nutshell, Izumi is a “cursed” kid, who’s very clumsy, and needs to be protected. His protector, and girlfriend is Shikimori, a very cool and badass character, who can be cute at the same time. Its overall premise is unique in the sense that the relationship starts from episode one, and it’s not one of those romcoms where a romance is developed, which is a welcome change for sure. I would have liked the backstories of the main characters a bit earlier in the series, but at least we got one.

What this show does super well is its handling of side characters. There are other people potentially interested in our main characters, and I’m glad that didn’t draw anything out in terms of romantic development, or create any unnecessary trashiness or love triangles, harems or anything of the sort. That’s why I liked Kamiya so much. It shades away from fan service as well, and didn’t need to rely on that to make the show more intriguing for the viewer, rather, it just used normal romcom slice of life elements to create a more organic path for our main couple.

It’s not perfect though, because the jokes are repetitive for sure. Izumi’s constant “bad luck” moments get a bit over the top and unrealistic, like the guy almost got isekai’d by Truck-kun, and that’s a main reason why people don’t like the show probably. I do think it’s repetitive, but that’s the premise of the show, and it’s just a minor drawback for me. Shikimori’s moments are also a bit repetitive, in that her thing is saving Izumi, and getting jealous. I’m glad that the characters had a little bit more depth, as shown in the backstories, or else the characters would have seemed a bit dry.

ART: 8.3/10

It’s a decent style, and I’m glad Doga Kobo was able to handle the production issues due to the studio getting closed down in April. Didn’t see any quality issues in later episodes.

MUSIC: 8.5/10

The opening and ending were pretty top-notch and one of my favourites of the season, as they were decently creative. The soundtrack was pretty solid throughout.

CHARACTERS: 14.8/20

This show shines a little brighter than the romcoms due to the greatness of the side characters, but first I’ll talk a bit more about Izumi and Shikimori.

Izumi, probably the character that gets the most hate. He’s clumsy, but kind, and needs to be taken care of. I know that a lot of stuff that happens to him is quite unrealistic, but we got to remember that this is fiction, and this stuff isn’t reality. His constant mess-ups do make for good comedic moments at times, and when he’s able to be, he can have his good, wholesome moments as well.

Shikimori is an interesting character, in that she protects Izumi, and also loves him, most likely because he’s kind and tries his best to take care of her too. She has her moments, but honestly, she felt a bit of a boring character to me, even though she was very cool, and showed off her skills. Basically, she’s the OP character you’d normally see in an isekai series, maybe she could be a solid isekai protagonist.

Now to the side characters, and in my opinion, one of the best parts about this show. Inuzuka and Nekozaki don’t contribute a whole lot to the overall story, but they have quite a few comedic moments that were very fun. Hachimitsu was one of my favourite characters, because what can I say, I’m a sucker for deadpan humour. She’s a good friend to everyone, and she kind of feels like Izumi, in that she tries her best at things she struggles at, and was the pinnacle of comedic relief. Personally, the character I was most impressed with was Kamiya. The way she was written to prevent any love triangles from forming was awesome, and just saying, if this series went that route and got trashy, INSTANT 2 OR 3/10. Luckily that didn’t happen.

ENJOYMENT: 13.5/15

I was very impressed with the handling of Kamiya’s character, and the backstories too. Good that there were some good comedic moments.

THEMATIC EXECUTION: 15.8/20

I enjoyed how the romance was handled, and the depth that some characters had as well. The development felt well paced, and all the characters had their time to shine. Some jokes were repetitive, but overall, the show worked for me.

OVERALL: 78.1/100

A pretty solid show for me. Sure, some of it was boring, but I don’t really get the hate it gets. Perhaps people were wanting a new waifu at the same level as Marin, and a show like My Dress Up Darling, but a show with little to no fan service, and a good, and different romance was just as good and funny for me. Remember, Izumi and Shikimori are a fictional couple, and while this type of dynamic isn’t seen a lot in real life, it is a heck of a lot of fun to watch their interactions.