⋆｡°✎OPENING THOUGHTS⋆｡°✎
honestly, it’s quite difficult to pull off another high school setting romance without it feeling repetitive. however, yano-kun blew it out of the park (,,>ヮ<,,) with its charming animation and comedic aspects. while a centralized story about the daily lives of high schoolers, it reveals the inner thoughts of romance and the tumultuous feelings that come from experiencing first love. this could’ve been another average high school romance with humorous undertones of entertaining mishaps or miscommunications, but it does try to add nuance to each plot element it throws into the mix.
one of the hardest things for an anime of this stature is the pull to make one return weekly, to see the next episode. when that interest fades, i imagine people like myself quickly forget or drop the story, because it’s not memorable. this was not the case for yano-kun. truth be told, usually i like to check in on the mangas of all the animes i watch, but i can’t remember the details of yano-kun in order to give accurate comparisons or thoughts in this review. that isn’t to say that the manga is forgettable, but yano-kun isn’t one of those earth-shattering things where something big happens. besides i would say two things people are curious about, which get answered fairly quickly. the first being, do yano and yoshida get together? well…yesn’t (ᵕ • ᴗ •). yano is very VERY oblivious when it comes to love or what it means to be in a relationship. he ends up saying things without thinking of what it might imply to yoshida. then again, yoshida is no master at love either. she understands the basic foundations of love, but not really what it means to date or be a couple.
the second question is “do we get to see yano’s eye?” well, (ᵕ,—ᴗ—,) not us. but, yoshida gets lucky to see it by accident (╥﹏╥). literally so lucky. what i didn’t expect from the story was building an actual plot around why yano is the way he is. of course, i mean, hiding his eye. for a story centered around the comedic aspect, i actually just believed yano when he said he was self conscious about his heterochromia. which- yano, that’s so cool (˶' ꒳ '˶) there’s no reason to hide it! (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶). if it wasn’t for that, i certainly would’ve believed that he was injured in a terrible accident due to his clumsy luck. however, i’ll get into more detail when i get to yano’s section.
besides the obvious humorous tones, i truly enjoy how the story delves deep into the perspectives of all the characters. as mentioned earlier, high school settings come and go, but it’s the colorful cast of characters who reflect the reason why all stories set in the same environment differentiate from each other. in the case of Yano-kun, the story sets itself apart by incorporating comedic elements with a hint of foreshadowing subtly woven in. what may seem funny on the surface ends up coming to bite the characters in later episodes. additionally, i love how this story takes a new spin on love. the core aspect of love, dating, or relationships, isn’t spoken in the romance genre. the majority of the time, it’s expected that people automatically understand the basic elements of romance before getting involved in a relationship. so, the plot makes an interesting decision to push all surface-level aspects equated to the typical romance story pretty early on, then centers on what it means to be in love with someone. but, enough about me yapping about love (i could go on for days), let’s get into the characters.
ʚɞ TSUYOSHI YANO ʚɞ
of course, we have our main star, yano-kun (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶). he is so silly goofy, but he is so much more than that. i think it’s sad how yano tries to distance himself in his new environment because he’s afraid of his “luck” (so to speak) hurting his classmates. they could’ve easily made rumors about him, turning his high school life no different than what he experienced in high school. sure, it’s easy to write a character for comedic purposes for one reason to exist, but it’s more difficult to create a character like that and have an equal amount of depth into the “why” part of the story. the charm yano-kun possesses is what attracts his classmates to him. there’s also the aspect of his eye (who wouldn’t be curious?). again, this could’ve been written off as a comedic thing of a past accident, but it isn’t. speaking of which, i guess i should talk about his hidden eye while on the topic of it. originally, when yoshida asked about his eye, he simply brushed it off as an insecurity. sighting his heterochromia as something he’s not fond of showing. clearly, this was to foreshadow a hidden truth. to be honest, the way his face looked after lying made me think he was hiding a battle scar or something ( ˶ˆᗜˆ˵ ).
later on, it’s revealed that the reason he hid his eye was an accident in his previous school, where something happened to a classmate (who was his only friend) after she saw his eye. now, no matter how many times his classmate says she’s fine, and it wasn’t his fault, rumors fueled truth in yano’s mind. which is disheartening because early on, we see that yano is quite susceptible emotionally. this isn’t to say he’s dumb, but he believes everything around him a bit too literally. being surrounded by negativity, it’s no wonder that he started so secluded. i was worried his former classmate (okamoto) had given him the trauma (causing his avoidance) when it was the opposite. in that case, i like how yano was able to close that chapter in his life. i do believe it was wrong of him to leave her hanging (when he was the only friend she was comfortable with) but, i do understand the implications of why he had such a thought process when it came to it. especially in the end when okamoto was going to leave his friends, and he was the one who called out to her. they’re both so considerate. okamoto wished to see the yano she had befriended in the past return to normal, and yano closed that gap to remember that she didn’t do anything wrong and didn’t need to shut her out of his life. it’s very sentimental ߹◠߹.
another aspect of yano that i enjoyed watching was his curiosity for everything. he has such a sweet heart that’s been bruised by his old school, that he didn’t get to experience “normal” high school life. small things like eating out or going to the theater make him so happy, it’s like watching someone experience everything for the first time. he finds joy in the smallest of things, it helps me appreciate through his perspective, to care for the little things in life a bit more. due to his curiosity, he relies on yoshida and his friends to teach him about certain things he’s unfamiliar with. such as romance. i don’t think he fully understands the concept of love (since hashiba is holding back so much information (≧ᗜ≦)). to yano, something needs to be definitively described to him down to the bone for him to grasp a concept (not all the time, but the majority of it). surprisingly, it’s the ‘not knowing’ that gives yano the charm he has when speaking to yoshida (he becomes very charismatic (,,>ヮ<,,)). it’s a refreshing take (i’ve probably said something similar a thousand times already…sorry (ᵕ,—ᴗ—,)) to see the guy in a romance not know what to do, when it’s usually the opposite. i wouldn’t say yoshida has all the answers either, but each scene of them together is amplified by them enjoying small things like holding hands to such a high degree. it’s a concept that gets overlooked sometimes from the need to be perfect.
(-⊙⩊⊙) KIYOKO YOSHIDA (-⊙⩊⊙)
our token class president, yoshida!! ദ്ദി◝ ⩊ ◜. she is so lovable and dependable. a quick mention for the artistic choices of her expressions, it brings more depth to her character, and i love it. usually, when there is a class president character, they are very well put together or talented in all aspects of their field (i won’t be counting shirogane (≧ᗜ≦) if you know that reference). this isn’t to say yoshida isn’t always prepared, but she lacks in corners that makes her more open as a character. she isn’t as well-versed in art, and she’s not always on top of her studies. but, that’s to be expected because she’s only a high schooler. however, it’s her passion to always help others that makes her stand out to yano, as well as her friends. i’m not going to say the friend group is mean or neglectful of yano. however, yano’s accidents were brushed off by others as separate bad luck. they weren’t mean, but they didn’t overthink as much as yoshida when it came to his safety. her regard for his well-being is what makes him fall for her (unknowingly). yano always wants to repay her for doing so much for him. people might say that yoshida fell for yano-kun too quickly, but honestly, i think she’s still learning things about herself, love, and yano-kun.
sometimes, i think people forget not every story is a friends-to-lovers or a slow burn. meaning, the dating stage is also a time to learn about one another. it’s why i say yano and yoshida are dating but not really dating. in the eyes of others who are solidified in their resolve of romance, it’s simple to them what dating entails. however, yano and yoshida i feel only fell in this category because their friends told them their feelings are romantic. both of them don’t know exactly what romance means (yano especially). especially the beginning where yoshida explains her feeling is a constant thought of if he’s alright. this could honestly be just that, but it’s her friends who tell her that her feelings towards yano are romantic. through this journey of dating, she becomes assertive in her desires while wanting to know more about yano. in short, it’s a love that grows. it’s nothing to do with her “i want to kiss him” from episode one. the start of a fixation that grows into an infatuation. she genuinely cares about his well-being and wants to do something for him. which is another thing i love, her communication. being class president means her having to take on hard roles, but i love how she applies it to her relationship with yano. she’s equally scared, but has the courage to ask him the hard questions when it matters.
not to say yano is rude to her, but she truly never gives up on him. while trying to help yano experience as close to normal of a high school life, she learns things about life and herself along the way. after all, when mei asked her what her idea of a ‘normal’ high school lifestyle is, yoshida had no answer. similar to yano, she wants to cherish each moment spent with yano-kun and her friends. oh- speaking of communication. i love how she dealt with hashiba’s confession. naturally, there’s maturity in both their characters as being dependable, but i think they would balance each other out too much. this is my way of saying they’d be cute together, but they’re too alike in personality. hashiba does his best to move on cordially and yoshida doesn’t let the confession sway her life dramatically. as for her character, i’m fine with her not having all the answers. not many people do and it’s interesting to see a character who’s put together and in a position of high regard, not always be someone who’s deemed perfect. besides, she’s in high school, there’s time to figure oneself out during this time, and that’s the whole point. i’ll end this by saying, i’m jealous of her of being the rare few people who got to see yano’s eye (i’m so curious (╥﹏╥)).
⚾︎ YŪDAI HASHIBA ⚾︎
hashiba-kun, the token second male lead. now, if i had a nickel for every time there was a second male lead that still harbored feelings for the main girl after getting rejected, but supporting her and being a good friend to her and the male lead afterwards, then i’d have three-ish nickels. but it’s weird it occurred three times (≧ᗜ≦). i’m not sure if this is a new trend, but i do like it because it shows these second male leads don’t need to act like man-children over getting a rejection. now, is it still sad because they’re a great guy? yes. can we please stop having love angles? i wish so, but they’re super popular for some dramatical reason and people love drama, so no. but, i rather this occur than a certain example of clearly toxic behavior and it being brushed off as “he’s just like me for real” or “he’s just a teenager, he didn’t know better” or “he’s just a tsundere, it’s okay” ( ,,⩌'︿'⩌,,). yes, i’m still reeling in from having to read some people trying to find something in everything that was so clearly laid out for them. but, enough about that. let’s focus on hashiba. (also forgot to mention this earlier, but i also would have three-ish nickels with these second male leads, eventually ending up with the second lead female/best friend of the main girl/guy).
in the case of hashiba, he’s just as dependable as yoshida, it’s what the two have in common. i think hashiba admires yoshida’s caring nature and wants to protect that. another way of saying i see their relationship as protector or another protector. the fallout, sadly, is that i think yoshida is fine taking care of herself. what i mean by that is, i believe yoshida likes helping others without thinking of herself. it’s why i believe she’s best for yano-kun because they balance each other out in that regard. there isn’t the need to help hashiba because she knows he’s a capable individual. additionally, i love how quickly hashiba comes the conclusion that his feelings won’t be reciprocated. however, he acknowledges yano and yoshida as his friends, far more important than his own feelings (which is so sad (╥﹏╥)). i’ll bring this up in the next point, but i think for a character like hashiba, he should be with the “yapper” girlfriend type. someone he can protect while also being the anchor to listen in on conversations. i’m not saying hashiba is a closed shell, but he certainly isn’t the most expressive either. his dependability knows no bounds. as a ‘rival’ he doesn’t want to give in, but he knows yano is someone who has a hard time in life. he doesn’t allow his feelings to stop him from helping those in need. no matter how hard it is for him.
who wouldn’t like him? he’s athletic, smart, and dependable. heck, even yano-kun is his number one fanboy. i think while teaching yano about love, he also learns the feeling to be a bit more laid back in situations. he doesn’t always need to be on the fence about everything. i haven’t read the majority of the manga, but from what i could skim through, the story doesn’t push the romance as forward compared to the comedic elements. which is why i say, i’m not sure where his relationship goes with izumi. but, i had a feeling they would be paired with each other. hence, the yapper girlfriend and quiet boyfriend trope. the two of them balance each other out. i hope hashiba does give izumi a chance while also learning to move on himself. i don’t see hashiba as someone to linger his feelings out for a prolonged period of time. also, if i remember correctly, him and izumi are childhood friends. if that’s the case, it makes their story cuter because no one knows each other better than these two. besides being a great friend, he’s also a good brother. in the few times he gets his sister her favorite manga, is he embarrassed? sure. that doesn’t make him any less of a good brother.
(๑ᵔ⤙ᵔ๑) SIDE CHARACTERS (๑ᵔ⤙ᵔ๑)
i put this section together because i didn’t have much to say about the other characters, but i did want to yap about a couple of them. starting with izumi, girl is so cute and a total yapper. i mean that in the best way. my favorite moments with her are when she gets under hashiba’s skin. another amazing second female lead. well…i wouldn’t know if i should give her that title. the reason being, she doesn’t show any signs of having feelings for hashiba till later on (after he got rejected). though, i could’ve been too busy invested in yano and yoshida to even notice her subtle expressions. however, she could fit the title of second female lead, since hashiba technically doesn’t have feelings for izumi yet (or acknowledges them i fear). cutting out the feelings talk, she is similar to hashiba when it comes to romance. she’s very well-versed and holds a kind heart. if there is any indication of her harboring feelings for hashiba before he was rejected, then she’s a great friend who knows what it means to love someone. close to hashiba, she supports him in his minor pursuits and moments with yoshida (more like teasing, but she encourages it). i hope in future chapters of the manga we get to see more of her background and her growing relationship with hashiba (i’m curious as to how they’ll play out).
as for mei (yoshida’s best friend), she’s also great. she gives great advice to yoshida and is there for her when she needs it. her personality leans more on the blunt side, so it gives way to a lot of sarcastic humor. the stories don’t shy away from the fact she loves food (≧ᗜ≦), who doesn’t? again, i don’t know if the manga will touch upon this as well (probably not because what i’m going to say is very much on the subtle side), but i wonder if mei ends up with haruto. not saying they need to be together just because the other characters are, i’m just curious because they always seemed to be paired next to each other (like snacking buddies). the idea itself has been shot down by mei before, so my thought could be as irrelevant (then again, they might’ve been joking and could pull a reverse card). speaking of haruto, this boy has the most npc stuck face ever (≧ᗜ≦). i would say mei’s expression does change when she gets super fired up about something, but haruto is either •ᴗ• or ( ˶ˆᗜˆ˵ ) it’s so funny. with the way he’s drawn, he’s probably the star in the group to give the most comedic moments. since the anime is very yoshida and Yano-centric, these two tend to slip away in character moments individually. however, they’re solid friends to both yano and yoshida and help move the scenes along.
(っ º - º ς) CLOSING THOUGHTS (っ º - º ς)
overall, this is a difficult series for me to rate so highly. as mentioned, the setting is in high school (i would be rich with how many romances are set in high school) so, it’s quite hard for me to rate high school romances highly these days with how copy and paste they are. this is NOT to say yano-kun is like every other high school romance. but, not even i can answer what’s missing from this story that’s holding it back from being a perfect score. perhaps this can be linked with the weekly schedule. in certain cases, i like to watch anime’s as they drop their episodes weekly. however, the problem is how much i’m left waiting. i’m not saying i’m into terrible cliff hangers, but they do come in handy when i’m trying to remember to watch the next episode. for a good chunk of yano-kun, the story is shown to be more of a slice of life with episodes that don’t quite connect. aside from a few arcs (like yano’s eye or okamoto’s reveal). which is why when i finished the episodes, i do get a wholesome feeling, i don’t feel the urge to think “what happens next?!” because, yano and yoshida are ‘technically’ together very early on.
i would say, if this was done binge watching, then there’s a chance this would’ve been rated higher since i’m not waiting for an episode to drop each week. also, if anyone is waiting for a kiss to happen this early on, then i will tell you now it won’t happen. as far as i got to in the manga there isn’t one (yet). though, that makes the timing of it more exciting when it does occur. i do wish this series receives a season two. though, i believe it’s highly unlikely. there’s so much to be explored with each of the characters. like- why is yoshida always taking care of her siblings? where are her parents? when will we see yano’s mom? all those sorts of details is what i wish would be adapted. though i will say, what i enjoyed so far was in episode 6, when yano-kun had no chill being super charismatic ⸜( ˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡ along with episode 8, where he gains more aura by winning yoshida a ring. all in all, i would say, if you want a feel-good low-stakes story that centers around the personal growth of characters as they make their way through the simplicities of high school, then this series could be the story you’re looking for.