A Review]()
Might as well say now that this has been one of my favourite shows I've watched. Its ability to consistently make me smile is precious to me, and I sincerely hope that it gets the continuation it deserves.
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Premise: [4/5]()
I'm not going to lie, the premise sounded really weird at first; a guy asking to go out with the perfect woman who then immediately requests marriage is a little bit out there. In fact, it almost seemed a little bit like a sort of neckbeard romance fantasy. But when I looked at it for the second or third time just before the fall season was starting, as well as what some people were saying about it, I realised that it's actually sort of sweet. Unrealistic, yes, but there aren't many meet-cutes that beat being saved from being sent into an isekai show.
In the end, it's definitely a different intro to a romance show than any other I've seen, and I have to give it points for originality, but I can't say it's perfect, specifically because of my initial impression of it.
Story: [5/5]()
Normally, I scoff a little bit at slice-of-life. Sure, it can be nice to view life through the lens of someone else's eyes for a while, but pure slice-of-life is something of a sad concept to me. After all, there's so much to do in real life (not at the moment, what with the situation, but in general) so why should you feel the need to indulge in someone else's?
That said, TONIKAWA is the kind of SOL that I like; the sort that blends the genre with something else, be it music (e.g. K-ON!), comedy (e.g. Kaguya-Sama) or even fantasy (e.g. Wandering Witch Elaina). In this case, the combination is with romance, and this makes it something amazing to me; a romance anime that doesn't rely on the unnecessary drama on which so many other anime rely. It just shows a sweet, often humorous take on love and marriage. Sure, it gets serious occasionally, but even then, it avoids drama and tragedy in order to bring a wholesome, thoroughly enjoyable anime.
There's a fair amount of character development, particularly for Nasa and Chitose, as well as some teasing glimpses into Tsukasa's past that I really hope get expanded upon, and the story moves at a nice pace, too. There's typically one or two episodes per major event, which gives it a somewhat episodic, almost sitcom feel, which makes sense for this series in my opinion.
Music: [4/5]()
As with many anime, the insert music in TONIKAWA isn't particularly special. I would put it just above the average in terms of my interest in it; it adds to the show and helps convey emotion well, but it's not interesting enough for me to listen to outside of the series.
What brings up the music score for me is the opening theme. The OP is called Koi no Uta, by YUNOMI and Akari Kitou (the latter of whom voiced Tsukasa in the series), which can be watched here:
It's a cool song; half love song, half trap beat that stands out among the J-Rock and ballad openings found in most other anime. The version on Spotify has this really annoying riff in the chorus, but I'm not reviewing that, so I won't go into much detail.
The video for the OP is pretty nice, too, with some really nice aesthetics and transitions.
Execution: [4/5]()
From the 1 other review on TONIKAWA that I've read, it seems that the art style is an issue to some people. I can see why this is; it can be inconsistent, and the characters are never particularly detailed or well-drawn, but I don't mind this, and here's why.
In my mind, this is a relatively simple series. There isn't much going on outside the development of the love between Nasa and Tsukasa, and the art style reflects that rather nicely (the backgrounds being an exception, they usually look lovely throughout). In addition, the characters remain very expressive and animated, which brings the perfect amount of energy to what could end up as a rather boring series without it. It also brings more attention to the voice work, which makes sense as there are plenty of great seiyuus involved.
A personal favourite actress of mine, Akari Kitou, really takes the helm here; thanks to her, Tsukasa is really expressive, while maintaining a sweet personality throughout. In particular, the way she speaks to Chitose really makes me smile; it reminds me very much of the dynamic between Misaka Mikoto and Shirai Kuroko from Toaru Majutsu no Railgun.
Junya Enoki's performance as Nasa isn't exactly thrilling, but he definitely gets the job done; his often soft, calm voice very much evokes his character's role as a mediator and a thinker, while also being able to express various emotions when required for comedic effect or story advancement.As for the side characters, I was surprised to see that Chitose was voiced by Konomi Kohara, who also voiced the airheaded Chika in Kaguya-sama. I guess it goes to show Konomi's range, as she pulls off the jealous/calculating role rather well.
Enjoyment: [5/5]()
I think I've covered well enough why I enjoyed this series. Unlike many others where I dread the ending of a season because I can be sure something bad is about to happen, TONIKAWA feels extremely relaxed. There's no serious cliffhangers or moments where a character is in mortal peril, it just takes its time watching two awkward young adults figure out their marriage together. It has major rewatch potential, since it's such a feel-good series that can make you laugh and smile without much effort.
Overall: [22/25]()
Of course it's going to be Tsukasa. She's kind, smart, and has an interesting backstory. She's relatable throughout with her views on video games and movies, but retains an almost ethereal quality what with her resistance to injury and (apparently) illness. There's not other way to put it; Tsukasa just makes this show what it is, and that's not a bad thing. After all, TONIKAWA is about how she changes Nasa's life, and it's only right that she should shine as bright as she does.
I loved this scene so much when I watched it for the first time, and I'm so disappointed that I couldn't find the full version on YouTube. It reminds me of playing Halo against my far more experienced friends, and I think the show knows how much it's playing on the viewers' nostalgia.
The scene culminates with a clip that I managed to find. Don't close your eyes while you watch it, you might get the wrong impression.
All in all, this is entirely deserving of the place it gets at the top of my watched series. It's funny, romantic, nostalgic, and oh-so-sweet, and should be at the top of the watch list for any romance or slice-of-life fan. Hell, any anime watcher should be sure to watch it ASAP. I gladly await the day that it's renewed for a season 2 (which, let's face it, it almost definitely will), and until then, I could not recommend watching it highly enough.