First Impressions: Kimi ni Todoke & Kobato
There are very few shows this season which draw my interest. So I settled for shows which drew other people’s interests, and the two main ones were Kimi ni Todoke, a high school shoujo story, and Kobato, which stars a young girl trying to mend people’s hearts. Let us begin…
No anime has toppled Kare Kano for the crown of shoujo anime, but from all the buzz I’ve heard about KimiTodo (is that the proper shortening?), it is apparently a strong contender. My reaction to this beginning might be coloured from all the hype I read about, but I did try to be objective. On that grounds, the first episode of this series was perfectly pleasant, but not mindblowing or astonishingly effective. Which I feel Kare Kano was. Now, I know that KimiTodo is not Kare Kano and doesn’t want to be, but that anime is a great example of an introduction that immediately pulls you into the story while being enjoyable and unique. KimiTodo’s introduction was certainly entertaining and enjoyable, but it didn’t quite have that hook. I also think there was a sense of lopsided drama – everything seems to fall into place for the main character a bit quickly. Her conflict is being resolved almost immediately after she introduces us to it.
Now, I trust all the people who claim this show’s greatness and will assume it goes nowhere but up. And I like the characters enough to want to see what happens to them. So onwards we go…
The first two episodes of Kobato are out as of this post, and I enjoyed both of them. Not in the way that I enjoyed Natsume Yuujinchou or Honey and Clover. So far it hasn’t been particularly deep – the kind of thing you think about after you’re done. But it is satisfying to watch and makes you feel happy afterwards, which counts for something. Kobato, the main character, is one of those somewhat childish-and-naive female characters, which is usually an archetype that I dislike. But for some reason, it doesn’t bother me that much here. Maybe it’s due to the presence of her stuffed dog – they have a nice banter between them, such as when he scolds her during her more naive moments. I’m curious where this series will lead – is it going to remain a light-hearted, mostly comedic series? Or will it delve further into it’s premise (mending people’s hearts) and all the possibilities that entails?
6 responses so far
OK, I’m up for Kobato. Your very qualified review still gives me more hope than reading the industry-crafted summaries of the plot – and my faith in CLAMP, based on shows like XXXholic, Cardcaptor Sakura & Angelic Layer, has been shaken lately by my attempts to plow through Tsubasa & Chobits.
And Kimi no Todoke is going to be good, I feel confident. The seiyuu reminds me of Bokura Ga Ita, which is a big plus for me. I’m hoping not for another Kare Kano, but something like a better Skip Beat – these are the daughters (or nieces) of Miyazawa Yukino.
Just an FYI: it’s Kimi NI Todoke, not Kimi NO Todoke.
Ah, right, thanks. Kimi no Todoke doesn’t make much sense ^_^ ;
Knowing CLAMP, there’s always the chance that Kobato can go through the angst meter, but it doesn’t seem like it…
Good to see another anime fan here at York U who’s not just into Bleach and DBZ (not that they do not have a place), the quality, reflection and effort in the postings really show…one comment you made earlier made me think…have you noticed that the overall quality of anime has shifted (originality etc)? I’ve found myself watching shows that may not be that good to kill time, but am curious to see if you have found any diamonds in the rough this season (thinking of starting Natsume, Maison is scaring me with its huge episode count).
I am tempted to say yes. For example, I think of older anime and think of Maison Ikkoku, Touch, and other great series, but then I remember that these are just a few anime our of dozens and hundreds. It’s easy to remember old series and cherry-pick the good ones, but in reality there were probably just as many bad ones. So I’m skeptical that the actual percentage of quality series has changed over time. I do think, though, that there seems to be a lack of originality lately. This season seems to have a lot of shows which carry on trends left by other series. So much of them seem to just blend into each other.
As for this season, I can’t say I’ve found any diamonds yet. Going purely by plot, Aoi Bungaku sounds like it could be one of those overlooked gems, but it seems to have a very low chance of being picked up by any group to be subbed.
(Maison Ikkoku does indeed have a monster episode count. But it’s not meant to be marathoned. It should be be viewed at a gentle pace, like visiting friends a few times a week.)
I spoke too soon. Aoi Bungaku has been picked up by Anime-Himitsu. Well, I hope it turns out to be something great.