Karuho Shiina’s beloved romance manga is adapted into a beautiful anime depicting an outcast girl’s attempts to make friends in high school. When strange feelings stir in her after meeting the most popular boy in class, Sawako finds a whole new world opening before her. But will that world accept a weird looking girl who has little in the way of social skills?
In 2005, a shojo (girl’s) manga (comic book) debuted about a shy girl falling for the most popular boy in school. It is a theme done to death in the genre, but what set Kimi ni Todoke (From Me to You) apart was the execution and attention to detail regarding the characters. Only the second series by author Shiina, it ended up becoming a smash hit and won multiple critics awards. Being a slow moving character piece, it would not have been a surprise if the anime adaptation changed things considerably. Surprisingly faithful, it not only stayed true to the story, but rendered it with such care that it became a thing of beauty.
Sadly, no U.S. streaming service picked up the anime when it debuted in the winter of 2009. But dedicated fansubbers released English subtitled copies of the TV broadcasts which in turn got a lot of word of mouth going on the Net. Realizing there really was a market for a DVD release, NIS America acquired the rights last year and planned to release a deluxe set in December. Somewhere along the line, they decided to delay, much it to the horror of all who had preordered the set. Horror turned to joy when it was announced the delay was in order to include the Blu-ray discs as well as the DVDs!
So it is my considerable pleasure to offer this review of Volume 1 of Kimi ni Todoke. The review of the premium set itself will be under the Technical section.
Episode 1: Prologue
Having read a fan translated version of the manga (I now own all of Viz Media’s volumes), it was with some apprehension that I approached the anime. Simply put, I could not envision it being adapted well. Shiina’s layouts are often densely packed with the dialogue and thoughts the same.
The opening title was promising, if very girly. Featuring a catchy and sweet pop tune by Tomofumi Tanizawa, it caught the main character’s personality well. Animation quality was top notch while showing a great deal of whimsy. But it did not prepare me for what was to come.
Nobody expects a lavishly painted watercolor school bathroom for one thing. I had my first inkling that extreme care was put into the production right about then. Two girls are doing what high school girls do so well, which is talking about other people behind their backs. In this case, the duo discuss another girl they find scary, Sadako. If the name sounds familiar, that was the ghost girl in Ringu, the Japanese horror film adapted into The Ring.
Right on cue, she shows up to scare the girls. Instead of being out to steal their souls, the creepy looking girl is just trying to be helpful. Painfully shy, her attempts to be friendly are perceived as hostile. Rejected, we see her in chibi (child) form being very hurt by this and find out it is normal for her. We also find out her real name is Sawako Kuronuma, not Sadako.
I should mention that this anime has a lot of switching back and forth between normal and silly caricatures. This takes some getting used to, since it is done to convey one of two things: comedy or a character’s emotional viewpoint. In this episode, much of it is about how Sawako (Mamiko Noto) views herself.
The next morning on the way to school, the outcast girl spots a boy named Shota Kazehaya (Daisuke Namikawa) with his friends. Sparkling bubbles surround him in her vision and she idolizes him, wishing she was more like him.
Or so that is what she thinks she feels. It is clear that Sawako is not fully in touch with her emotions. But she does have a good reason to think highly of the boy. At the beginning of the school year he actually spoke to her and thanked her for helping direct him to the high school. No one had ever done that before. Tellingly, this chance encounter took place under blossoming cherry trees. Unable to even get “good morning” out in reply to him in the present, she admires the smiling boy from afar.
This is despite being in the same class and the school year nearing its ending. Events in class reveal that Kazehaya knows who she is and all the work she has been doing as class representative. His attempt to intervene on her behalf flusters the girl into an awkward defense of the duties. Emitting an aura not unlike a psycho’s, the intense girl is secretly pleased by this revelation.
Things get complicated when an embarrassing situation arises. Determined to set things right, Sawako is shocked to find an opportunity to speak with the object of her idolization. Kazehaya is surprised to find out she hero worships him and is a bit flustered by it. Continuing a middle school habit of helping out those ignored by others, he talks her into coming to a test of courage for the class. This is a Japanese tradition of going out into the night to someplace spooky to see who panics.
Overhearing two other classmates talking about how “Sadako” would make a great ghost at the test, Sawako approaches them. Soon a scheme is hatched to liven things up at the class social event by Ayane Yano (Miyuki Sawashiro) and Chizuru Yoshida (Yuko Sanpei). For once, Sawako’s creepy appearance is an asset!
Little does she know that her performance will get her another chance to talk to Kazehaya. While she does not pick up on his signals to her, we do and so do the other girls. Mister popularity loses his cool and becomes easily embarrassed around Sawako, which is something for them to needle him about. It is an endearing scene with the two alone together and neither knowing how to handle the other.
Fallout from the test of courage is not so sweet and when the boy attempts to defend Sawako from their classmates things reach an ugly head. Will the shy girl be able to explain things? Or will she have to go back to her life of isolation and loneliness?
Thoughts
Kimi ni Todoke is an absolutely beautiful anime. The character designs are a little less awkward than most and I think that impression is mainly due to all the characters actually looking Japanese. You will not find blue eyes, pink or green hair, skimpy clothing, or huge bouncing breasts like you do in most anime. Instead there is a normality to the characters that serves them and the story well.
The soundtrack is just as pretty, fitting the story and moods perfectly. Gentle, sweet, and occasionally sad it never detracts from what is shown. SENS Project did a fantastic job here and deserve kudos. Since I already wrote about the opening theme, I’ll cover the end song “Paper Airplanes” by Chara. I did not like it, for it is the kind of music teen girls like that I cannot stand. So I am not the guy to ask about the quality there.
But what about the story, you ask? Well, it is formulaic on the surface, but manages to avoid being boring or completely predictable due to a sense that the characters are real people. It is very strange to write that about a cartoon, but it is that ability to make you care about Sawako, Kazehaya, and the other characters that makes Kimi ni Todoke something special.
As a first episode, it is mildly amusing at first then progressively gets more serious and becomes emotionally involving. Though it is a setup to the main story, what happens feels important and has a self contained arc in it. The ending is endearing and, dare I write it again, beautiful.
The voice actors are terrific at handling all the many moods of the show, from comedy to teary misery. Mamiko Noto’s soft voiced Sawako is completely believable and anchors the series. Playing opposite her is Daisuke Namikawa and his Kazehaya is a welcome change from most male anime leads. Neither a blowhard or a wimp, he is a genuine nice guy with a backbone. I find it strange that one of the best male characters in the anime is found in a shojo story, but that is the way it is.
It is also why this is a rarity, a romance anime that can be recommended to guys despite not having explosions or fights. One of my friends admitted to shedding “manly tears” over the show, which amused me. The characters are believable, grounded in reality, and very likeable.
I recommend Kimi ni Todoke for teens and up. Adults who like a good story and a pure of heart romance will like this a great deal. Those who have felt like outcasts and are shy will find much to identify with as well.
For me, this is one of my top three animes of all time, so I cannot sing its virtues enough. Suffice it to say that it radiates goodness and makes one want to have more faith in humanity.
Technical
NIS America went all out on this premium edition. While pricey at over $50.00, it is worth every penny. Encased in a large cardboard slip case, it contains two DVD cases and a hardcover book.
The slip case is made of thick cardboard and has nice prints of Sawako and Kazehaya on one side, and Chizuru, Sawako, and Ayane on the other. It is quite large and you will not be able to fit it into normal DVD sized shelves.
Volume 1 only has half of season one on its discs and they are spread out across two DVDs and two BDs. Disc One of the DVD has episodes 1-6, while the BD has episodes 1-8. Both have the OD and ED in clean versions. Disc Two of the DVD has episodes 7-12 and the BD episodes 9-12.
The hardcover book, titled “My Memories” is ostensibly a scrap book put together by Sawako and features her thoughts along with color captures from the series. Special attention is shown to the lovely painted backdrops, much to my delight. It also is a clever episode guide and has complete credits in the back.
So that covers all the goodies included in the set and NIS America promises that Volume 2 will have the same treatment. Since they have announced they will release Season 2 as well, I have to assume it will get a premium edition.
With so many episodes packed on each disc, I admit I was concerned about image quality. Not terribly so, since improvements in algorithms over the years have yielded smaller, but better looking transfers in Funimation’s re-releases, for instance.
I needn’t have worried. Both the DVD and Blu-ray versions look great, especially the latter. Despite shoving eight episodes on the first BD disc, each episode is 4.7 GB and with only a stereo soundtrack that means the space was used for very high image quality. On a 1080p HDTV the show looks spectacular and I found myself admiring the background art even more than usual. HD and animation are a match made in heaven in this case.
Audio is clear and excellent, but not top of the line when it comes to the Blu-ray version. Since this is not an action story there is no real need for surround sound, so the soundtrack is stereo LPCM on the BDs and Dolby Digital on the DVDs. So do not expect your high end receiver to get a sonic workout.
Oddly, the menu’s are completely different between the two formats. Both are easy to navigate, but only the Blu-ray one is animated.
Since this is a subtitled only release, the quality of the translations and presentation need to be covered. Here the Blu-ray is better in text rendering and I was pleased how unobtrusive it was. The English translations are very good and differ somewhat from Viz Media’s for the manga. Nothing earth shattering, but fans will pick up on it.
In summation, this is a superb release of a true gem. If you are a fan of the manga or anime it is a must have. With no bargain release announced, this may end up the only way it will ever be available in the States, so keep that in mind. To me, the price was worth it and is actually a steal given all the goodies included. Thank you, NIS America for taking a chance on Kimi ni Todoke!
BEWARE! HERE BE SPOILERS!!!
Oh that ending. I remember sampling the manga at random to get an idea of what Japanese girls liked in comic books. It was different from what I had seen aimed at boys and adults, that was for sure. While the story did not grab me right away, I decided to finish the first chapter.
When it hit the part where Kazehaya was to be punished for failing the test of courage by having to date “Sadako” for a week, I rolled my eyes at how formulaic it was. But as the popular boy defended her rather than demur or try to protect his reputation, I started paying attention. Then Sawako’s desperate bid to clear up the “misunderstanding” and her subsequent breakdown the next day, I realized this might be something special.
That scene of her crying as she faced going back to the her lonely life hit home for me, since I was an outcast for most of my school life. So when she encountered Kazehaya waiting for her outside the school with the apology from the class it got to me.
It is during their conversation where Sawako shows how little she really understands what is going on that we finally get to see things from the boy’s viewpoint. The flashback to when they first met reveals that it was not just special to her, but to him as well. Seeing her true smile is what got his attention back then. This is no rescue mission, Kazehaya was smitten and now his task is finding a way for his feelings to reach her. “Reaching you” is an alternative translation of the title and what the story is all about.
I like that Sawako is no great beauty and somewhat strange looking as far as shojo style art goes. But when she genuinely smiles, she becomes radiant. I have known a few women like that and I can say that it is a hugely attractive trait. The series eventually delves into this a little later on.
A very quick bit flashes by at one point in the episode and it is as Chizuru and Ayane walk away into the forest. It is lifted from further into the manga and is Chizuru’s personal code: Obligation. Humanity. Virtue.
While amusing once you get to know her character, I think those three words describe Kimi ni Todoke very well. At its core, it is a story filled with goodness and decency, which is something modern day culture is lacking. It is so refreshing to find something with such a good heart in modern entertainment.
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