Kimi ni Todoke, Episodes 10 and 11: Cooperation and Special?

I caught myself up on Kimi ni Todoke last night, but I didn't manage to get a post up about the episodes, so here they are! I'm not thrilled with all that's going on in Kimi ni Todoke right now, but there was still plenty to love about both of these episodes. Just when I think Sawako can not possibly get anymore adorable, she does. She's such a lovable character that I feel like I'll never be able to get all that frustrated with this anime.

The Kurumi plotline really holds no interest to me. It's a shame, because I really do like Aya Hirano. However, I do like to see the way Sawako responds to it, and there was still some good stuff for other characters as well. Kazehaya had a few nice moments, and Ryu always manages to be hilarious in whatever little screentime he has. I hope Kurumi leaves the scene soon so there's more time for all the show's other characters.

Even when I'm not that into the story, I can't help but love this anime. From the beautiful backgrounds to the wonderfully crafted characters, Kimi ni Todoke just has a way of sucking me in no matter what. I hope there are more episodes with a slice-of-life type feeling to look forward to soon.

Rating: 94/100

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Kimi ni Todoke, Episode 9: New Friend

Onto episode 9 of Kimi ni Todoke! This was a pretty oddly placed episode- it felt more like the middle of an episode then one with a concrete beginning, middle, and end- but I enjoyed it all the same. There were some really great scenes, and even though I'm not thrilled with some of the plotlines on the show right now, I'm still totally entertained.

Right now, I'm just thrilled the anime is letting Sawako stay happy. I was worried that things would fall into a pattern of Sawako being miserable, then getting cheered up again. I don't think I could've gotten behind watching that. I'm sure that some drama with Kurumi is coming up, but as long as Kazehaya and her friends are there to support her through it, I really don't care. I just hope to get another episode like Saturday Night again.

I feel like I complain about this anime way too much, considering how much I like it. If you haven't seen it, and this is turning you off to it, ignore me! Kimi ni Todoke is an awesome show. Go watch it now.

Rating: 95/100

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Kimi ni Todoke, Episode 8: Voluntary Practice

It's hard to believe it, but I'm already on episode 8 of Kimi ni Todoke! This episode wasn't quite as good for me as the last one was, but it was still terrific and had that slice-of-life feel that I love about this anime. There weren't as much of some of the characters as I would've liked, but Sawako was probably the cutest she's ever been here, and there were some good moments of Kazehaya as well.

I'm not particularly interested in the Kurumi storyline that they seem to be developing, but I do enjoy Aya Hirano's voice acting. I don't think that they'll go back to so many people being against Sawako even when they do reintroduce some melodrama to the show, and I'm glad for that. I hope that there's room for a few more sweet and simple episode's like last weeks in there as well.

I wasn't sure about this show at the beginning, but I've really fallen in love with this anime and its characters. I'll definitely be picking up the manga after this one ends. I look forward to enjoying all the episode of Kimi ni Todoke I have left this season.

Rating: 95/100

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Kimi ni Todoke, Episode 7: Saturday Night

 Episode 7 of Kimi ni Todoke was almost perfect. After all the misunderstandings and drama, the show has gone back to its slice of life feel, and it shines like never before. This is without a doubt the best episode of the show so far.

Strangely, while the show's writing was better than ever, the character art looked the weirdest it ever has. At times, Chizuru's lips looked so weird that it was hard to concentrate on what was going on. Still, this anime is full of great characters, and there were great moments for all of them throughout the episode. I hope we see more of Sawako's parents as the show progresses too. The bit with her mother and father had me cracking up.

I'm sure that things will eventually return to the same melodrama as before, and that's disapointing. Still, I'd gladly sit through any number of episodes like that for another one like this. I hope this anime gets a chance to work its slice of life magic again soon.

Rating: 98/100

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Kimi ni Todoke, Episode 6: Friends

As I thought it would be, the newest episode of the anime Kimi ni Todoke, Friends, was a great one. Not only does it wrap up a plot that I wasn't much of a fan of, but it brings the show back to all of the things I loved about it. Once again, all the major characters got their moment in the sun, and even Pin managed to squeeze in a great scene. I find all the the main characters of this anime to be really likable, and I'm really pleased with how well the show seems to be able to focus on all of them most of the time.

Now that the big dramatics are over, I hope Kimi ni Todoke goes back to focusing on the simpler things for a while. This anime really shines when focusing on small moments. I get so much entertainment just watching how characters react to some things, especially Ryuu. I'm sure melodrama will be a part of this show again sooner or later, but I'd like to enjoy more stuff like this and get a little more character development in between now and then.

This was probably my favorite episode of Kimi ni Todoke today, and I think the show is only going to get better. The previews for next week's episode, Saturday Night, look wonderful. I can't wait to watch it.

Rating: 92/100

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Kimi ni Todoke, Episode 5: Determination

Kimi ni Todoke is now on episode 5, and it continues the storyline from the last few episodes. Kazehaya, Yoshida, Yano, and even Ryū all got some good screentime in this one, and it didn't feel like anyone of the major characters neglected because of it. I especially enjoyed the Ryū stuff. I hope we see him do more in the future.

This episode felt a little too short to me, as if 5 minutes or so had gotten chopped off. I actually went ahead and checked to make sure this one was a long as all the others because it felt so cropped to me. I suppose it's better to feel like to didn't get enough of an episode than to feel like you got too much, but I wish I could've seen a little more before things ended. At least the cliffhanger has me excited for this week's episode.

Even though I haven't been thrilled with this plotline, I still really enjoy this show and the characters. Next week's episode, Friends, looks like it'll be a great one, and once this story wraps up I think I'll appreciate the new episodes even more. I know I've been a bit hard on this show lately, but it's only because I like it so much. I can't wait to start raving about it again.

Rating: 88/100

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Kimi ni Todoke, Episode 4: Rumor

Kimi ni Todoke is now on episode 4, and as I suspected, they're going with a plot line I'm not particularly fond of. Kimi ni Todoke is a very well written show, and they're handling it much better than many other places I've seen this storyline used in, addressing my major complaints with it. However, it's still not something I really like to watch, although I understand why other people get sucked in by this type of story.

I didn't think this was a bad episode by any means and I was very involved in it from beginning to end, but I just didn't enjoy it as much as I have previous episodes. This is totally a personal taste thing and not the fault of the anime. As I said, they're handling things really well and all the major characters are being written impressively. This episode also had some of the weirdest facial art and the best backgrounds I've ever seen on the show. It was a weird mix of everything I like and dislike about the way Kimi ni Todoke is drawn.

I hope that they wrap up this plot soon and I can go back to enjoying Kimi ni Todoke as much as I was. However, it's still an excellent show, and if you're really into watching stuff with personal drama, this episode is going to be a great one for you. If like me, you preferred the show for its slice of life feel, hopefully the show will go back to that soon. It's still great regardless.

Rating: 87/100

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Kimi ni Todoke, Episode 3: After School

I'm now up to the third episode of Kimi ni Todoke. So far I've really enjoyed this anime in spite of it being a romance show, but after this episode, I'm concerned I might not be able to enjoy it as much for long. It looks like certain shoujo manga tropes are about to come up, I'd really prefer it if they didn't. I hope I'm wrong and the show goes in a different direction than what I think it's going to go into.

Overall I did enjoy this episode, although it wasn't quite as good as the last one. I didn't feel like the humor in this episode was as natural as the humor in episode two, but this episode did do some things I was really hoping to see the show do. I just hope this anime keeps up its slice-of-life feeling rather than descending into melodrama.

I certainly can't see myself dropping Kimi ni Todoke even if it does get a lot more dramatic. I'm pretty invested in the characters at this point, and I want to see how things turn out for them. I really hope I can keep enjoying the show and keep on rooting for Sawako to be happy.

Rating: 88/100

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Kimi ni Todoke, Episode Two: Seat Change

Kimi ni Todoke's second episode picks up a little ways after the first one left off. I've never read the manga that this show was adapted from, but it really felt like a volume to volume transition. It didn't bother me in the slightest, but I'm curious about whether the show will continue on like that, and how the manga is actually paced. I'll have to track it down and read it sometime soon.

I mentioned in my post about the first episode that the art style on Kimi ni Todoke was a bit off-putting. I feel like I really need to clarify here- the way the characters are drawn bothers me a bit, but the backgrounds on this show are absolutely stunning. I tried to feature a picture for this episode that illustrated just how gorgeous they are, but it really doesn't do it justice. I think I'm adjusting to the art style of this show a bit as well, or maybe I'm just enjoying it so much that I don't really care. This was another terrific episode, and I feel like I might get sucked into the show's romance in spite of themselves. There were several really great little things they did that made me want to root for these characters, Kazehaya in particular.

I am concerned that this series is going to get a little bit repetitive after a while. The heartwarming moments in this episode and the last were very well done, but there was a lot that was similar about them. Hopefully my concerns in that department are completely unfounded. I'm really enjoying this one.

Rating: 90/100

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Kimi ni Todoke Episode One: Prologue

In Kimi ni Todoke, we are introduced to a girl named Sawako. Sawako is a sweet girl that also happens to be terribly shy. She bears a striking resemblance to Sadako from Ringu/The Ring series (Samara for those of you who have only seen the US version!), and this coupled with her quiet nature has led to her classmates thinking of her as creepy, and inventing stories about how she can curse people or summon ghosts. Sawako desperately wants to make friends, especially with her lively classmate, Kazehaya, who is kind even to her.

Kimi ni Todoke did a great job of making Sawako a sympathetic character. She has such a kind nature that it's really heartbreaking to see her being mistreated. I was occasionally bothered by the style that characters were drawn in, but I thought the voice acting was great, especially for Sawako and Kazehaya. It more than managed to make up for any other short-comings. The episode was well paced and I felt involved the whole way through, even though a few bits were predictable.

Romance anime generally isn't something I get that excited about, but the main characters in this show are just so likable that I really want to see them find happiness. I hope that the show continues to stay character driven so I can really enjoy that aspect of it. Maybe Kimi ni Todoke could even be the show to convert me into a romance anime fan. I've heard that the manga is terrific, so if the anime can measure up something really special could be in store.

Rating: 89/100

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