Developed by Studio Doga Kobo in April 2022, Shikimori’s Not Just A Cuite made its debut from its manga origins, by Keigo Maki this show focuses very heavily on teenage love stories backed by some amazing visuals. The story follows Yuu Izumi, a rather accident-prone young man who always seems to have bad luck glued to him like a manga reader glued to their bed on a weekend. However, his attentive, and ever-present, Girlfriend Shikimori usually shows up to save him from either hurting himself or others. The Anime follows their story of love and how they deal with Izumi’s bad luck hand in hand supporting each other.
This anime holds a special place in my heart. It always has and always will because of its pure and utter charm. Visually it is gorgeous, comedy-wise it’s hilarious, and all around the story is so engaging and easy flowing it really helps you feel like part of the world. Not in the isekai sense though, would be a very boring isekai. Anyway, the characters are well-grounded and feel very much alive with their own fun little quirks.
Take Yui Hachimitsu for example, a character who never raises her voice, constantly has an absent-minded stare in her eyes, and acts just as strange as the rest of the characters. You know… Now that I think about it, she’s just stoned… Like constantly… Anyway, she has these moments where she bursts with energy, and you’re genuinely surprised at how weird she looks with her calm demeanor and vocal tone.
Compare that to Shuu Inuzuka and his loud but still even appearance which feels more akin to what you would find in an actual Japanese high school. He’s fun to hear him talk and often has some halfway decent insight though when challenged can become a bit louder and more problematic. Luckily his constant clashing and bantering with Kyou Nekozaki keep him busy and help him get his energy out. The group’s dynamic is strange in the sense that they work so well together.
Constantly dealing with Izumi’s bad luck but constantly showing they’re more than capable of handling it and taking the bad times in stride like good friends would. Even with Izumi constantly falling, ending up dirty, wind blowing his papers away… Neon signs nearly crushing him to death… Cars almost slamming into him… In all honesty with how much this poor boy is almost outright killed in this series, I’m surprised the “Thriller” or “Shonen” tag hasn’t been added to the show’s tag listings.
Regardless of whether this should be an action anime, Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie is one of the most fun I’ve had in a Rom-Com anime. Not all of them get it right or push too hard on the comedy you never get a feel for who the characters are. There’s reflection and acceptance within this anime understanding we all have our issues. And going through them alone is never the right solution, but when you stand with friends the burden suddenly lifts. And you can finally understand what it means to be happy.
Mushy stuff aside I highly recommend this show. It’s a great laugh and doesn’t need to be taken as seriously as other Romance Slice of Life out there today. Just sit back, relax, and have yourself a good laugh.