I once wondered what sort of wack algorithm YouTube uses to provide videos for its Recommended page - sometimes I get something clean that actually pertains to my interests, but I tend to get filler that gets in the way of the content that I actually enjoy. But the stuff that does interest me tends to be pretty good. Today, I will tell you a story of one such example of something clean that snuck through the cracks.

I tend to listen to a lot of Japanese 80's music on YouTube - something that YouTube eventually took as a sign that I would be interested in anime clips. I suppose it makes sense, given that both are from Japan, but it was still a bit of a surprise. Some of the clips that I saw were good, but there was plenty of trash mixed in there, too. Then one day, I saw a clip for an anime called Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie.

The first thing that immediately caught my attention upon seeing this clip pop into my YouTube feed was how beautiful the anime looked - how the animation and art style just seemed to stand out. Anime creators are truly, incredibly skilled artists who, in my opinion, do not get as much praise as they should. There are countless anime that have unbelievably beautiful animations, artwork, character designs, and so much more - each of which having its own unique charm. For me, Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie is one of the prettiest, well animated shows that I've ever seen - it's what, in every literal sense of the phrase, caught my eye in the beginning, while the show itself kept me hooked until the end.

In all honesty, Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie is, in essence, nothing particularly special in terms of its story - it's a romance Slice of Life style show that has probably been emulated hundreds, if not thousands, of times before. People who hate SoL won't want to watch it because of this, while those who don't care will be offput by it. With that being said, this is an anime that should not be watched for its plot, or lack thereof. Rather, the engine that drives Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie is its incredibly charming, sweet, and moving romance - something that, if you are like me, will make up for any lack of gripping plot.

Romance is, by far, my favorite genre of any form of cinema or literature - always has been. I've seen my far share of romance in shows and movies and I've, for the most part, enjoyed all of it. But Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie has perhaps the most moving, enjoyable, and sweet romantic story that I've seen in a very long time. I suppose the development of the show's two main characters, Shikimori and Izumi, is primarily responsible for this, but I'll discuss this later.

One of the most interesting aspects of this show was how they structured the romantic relationship between Shikimori and Izumi. For example, before I starting watching, I had assumed that they would start out as strangers, become friends, and then become a couple in a gradual, episodic fashion - a pretty standard romance development that keeps the audience's perception on how their relationship will develop just as unpredictable as Izumi and Shikimori's. But in reality, the creators let the audience know immediately what sort of relationship Izumi and Shikimori have within the first minutes of Episode 1 - something that allows the couple's future romantic endeavors to unfold over the span of the remaining episodes, while also providing the audience a gradual, omniscient view of their past encounters, such as their first meeting, their confession, their own childhood struggles and backstories, and much, much more. It's an incredibly unique way of growing the couple's relationship leading up to the season finale.

In regards to Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie's cast of characters, it primarily revolves around Izumi, Shikimori, Inuzuka, Nekozaki, and Hachimitsu's antics as they live lives very typical of a Slice of Life anime: they go to school, talk with each other, and do stuff together - not exactly Oscar level storytelling. However, as I previously mentioned, you don't watch Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie for the story. Take away the incredibly stereotypical SoL plot around which the cast revolves and we're left to analyze the characters for whom they actually are. With that being said, however, there isn't much to analyze about most of the cast - primarily Inuzuka, Nekozaki, and Hachimitsu, to be more specific. Each of these characters play a key role in the plot (for what that's worth) and each have their own episode where the audience learns a bit more about their personality and relation to the rest of the cast, but I'll be brutally honest: they could have been removed entirely and I wouldn't have batted an eye. They only serve to provide backup for Izumi and Shikimori's antics and nothing else - 99% of the time, they will be hanging out with either Izumi or Shikimori just to provide filler. Compare this to Kamiya, a side-character with WAY more plot relevance and backstory. She may be the most interesting character in the show and every time she had screentime, the relationship between Izumi and Shikimori got that much more interesting and impactful. These three characters steal the show and give the plot some semblance of uniqueness and sustenance.

1. Music: 62/100 - Aight, how do I feel about this anime's discography? I really don't, to be honest. In all seriousness though, I won't say that the opening and ending themes for Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie are bad, because that would be both unfair and untrue - both are good songs, but I simply did not care for either of them. If I find myself purposely skipping the intros and endings because I don't particularly care for the music, as I did with this anime, then that's when I know that it just appeal to me.

2. Plot: 71/100 - As I previously mentioned numerous times, you don't watch Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie for the plot - it's just the normal, typical, recycled Slice of Life story that is used in SoL romance anime. With that being said, however, that does not mean the plot is bad, per say. The triad of Izumi, Shikimori, and Kamiya did a good job at making the plot interesting for what it is, and I absolutely loved how the creators modeled the romance between Izumi and Shikimori the way they did - that alone makes its romance-focused story really enjoyable to me. But still, the plot is not something that will have you shouting from the rooftops.

3. Characters: 90/100 - Wonderful characters for an even better romance: that's genuinely how I view this cast of characters, or the triad of main characters previously mentioned, that is. I absolutely love the personalities of Izumi and Shikimori, and even more so how their character traits contrast each other. They are two very different people who have lived very different lives: Izumi is an incredibly kind and selfless young man, but he's afraid to be close to others out of fear his bad luck will harm them, while Shikimori is a strong, intimidating tomboy whose cool personality draws countless people to her. Kamiya provides the same strong, intimidating, and cool personality as Shikimori, but both of them are swooned and rocked by Izumi's kind, joyous, and pure attitude and outlook on others. Seeing these girls' attitudes and actions when around Izumi is incredibly adorable to watch and only serves to endear them to the audience even further.

4. Art & Animations: 98/100 - I've been very clear in the past that I tend to lean towards anime artwork and animations from the 80's and 90's, but I can't deny what made me watch Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie in the first place: the absolutely beautiful animations and artwork. This show is, to this day, the best-looking anime I have ever seen - nothing more to say. In my opinion, it is one of the most beautiful anime ever made. Am I overreacting? Perhaps, but, frankly, I don't care - I love it that much. It just goes to show how much love is put into making anime, like this, as stunning as it is.

I did not know, exactly, what to expect after deciding to watch Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie - short clips that pop into my YouTube Recommendations can only paint so big of a picture. I knew that I would be watching a romance anime, but I did not expect it to become an instant favorite after one season. It's one of the most visually stunning anime I've ever seen, it's one of the cutest, wholesome, and moving romance stories I've ever seen, and it's not a show that runs the risk of being ruined by fan-service. If you want an incredibly heart-warming romance anime that makes you smile, ___Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie_ will deliver in spades - HIGHLY recommended.__