Kawaii dake ja Nai Shikimori-san

To cringe or not to cringe Why do people hate this show: This show is bad if you're prone to cringing. If you're someone who cannot possibly stand a woman being a dominant figure in a relationship. If her spouse is shy and awkward and you find that to be ultimately too cringeworthy to possibly comprehend, then this isn't the show for you. As you have probably noticed from the countless reviews from people who are enraged by this, The general thoughts for this show are not only on MAL. On twitter, youtube, anilist or just about any corner of the internet, Shikimori is referred to as 'mid'. Why is this? My theory for why this anime had such a dramatic backlash from the community is because of the reputation the manga held as a highly rated romance manga. On sites like MAL and all social media, there has been a big influx of elitists, especially since covid as more people got into anime, so obviously there'll be more new, pickier fans, especially on seasonals. When the first couple episodes aired, more picky fans went into this anime expecting something special. This show is a lighthearted slice of life that fans of the manga enjoyed exactly for that reason (hence its high rating). So when people who are not interested in that watch it and cringe at some of the scenes in the first couple episodes, they are ultimately disappointed. It also doesn't help that Dress Up Darling got an adaptation the season before. Which handled the shy male main character much better. However, if you're like me and enjoy watching cute anime and are easily pleased, it's entertaining. This anime and manga is a wholesome, fun, and simple trip for anyone open to enjoying it. There's so much anime rated much higher than this with much more questionable morals than 'The man isn't a chad'. At the end of the day, don't watch a show you know you're not going to like. What the hell were you expecting? It's a cute but average show, but I recommend it to those who are interested.

Yeah..I think for everyone it's safe to say we were all blinded by what seemed to be a new take on romance with beautiful animation. When the first episode came out I was definitely fooled.. Excited to see a couple that was actually together for the entirety of the show and this gender role switch was kinda interesting but..it got old very quickly.. The clichés were practically unbearable and when it came to the plot... To sum it up, nothing ever happened.. Sure it was cute and the characters were bearable give or take, but if that's all there was going for it.. yeah after three or four episodes...got pretty boring fast. I remember when I first watched the opening and it seemed like there would be some drama mixed in there which kept me pretty excited but nope...Nothing happened..nothing ever happened.. Overall everything was predictable and cliché which was upsetting because it had original and interesting elements yet such poor delivery.

That was pretty good, considering the amount of negative opinions on this anime. Kawaii dake ja Nai Shikimori-san is a cute and simple romcom with role reversal of the main couple. The main characters are dating from the get-go and show they love for each other. So, it's different from other romcoms, in which there's a lot of drama until the characters can finally be together. Instead, we get to see their lovey dovey relationship daily and their interactions with side characters without any problems arising, which some people could say is boring and maybe is one of the reasons why many people don't like it. But that's something that many people ask for in romance animes when the characters only start dating by the end and it's not shown what happens after it. The main characters are pretty straightforward, without much depth or development. Shikimori is the cool and strong girlfriend, who loves Izumi more than anything else. Shikimori alone is the reason why many people like the anime, and it's understandable. She is attractive, protective and loving. It's natural to fall in love with her and to wish she was your girlfriend, and that's also one reason Izumi will get hated, since people will think someone like him doesn't deserve her. Izumi is the shy and weak boyfriend. One thing that was bothersome was how much the anime kept repeating their traits over and over again. I get it Shikimori is amazing and can do anything and Izumi is unlucky, weak and can't do anything alone, so Shikimori always has to help him. That was cute and funny in the beginning, but it keeps happening every single scene, and you know it will happen again and Izumi will never be able to overcome anything by himself. It becomes dull at some point, especially when Izumi wants to do something for Shikimori, and we already know beforehand it won't work because of his bad luck. To be fair, the anime did a good job in the final episode turning it around, when his bad luck actually did something good for them, so there's that. Nekozaki and Inuzuki are fine as the main couple friends, they have their moments in the story, but also lack depth like the MCs. Hachimitsu is one character that I kept wondering every episode "why is this character in the anime?", she is even more plain than the others and the deadpan comedy from her is not even funny for the most part. The only time she became a somewhat relevant character was in the sports festival. And finally, Kamiya. She is the only character that I can say has depth and development and her arc was the only time the story shows some seriousness and drama, she is the best character in the anime. The art was good, the animation was stunning in many scenes, but also pretty plain in others. The opening is amazing, ending is pretty good as well, other than that I can't say much about the ost, there wasn't anything remarkable. Overall, this anime was enjoyable, which is the most important, the interactions between Shikimori and Izumi are too adorable, they are enough to carry the anime and make it enjoyable. So I recommend if you are looking for a cute romance without drama, without a deep story or characters and if you don't mind the role reversal. It's definitely underrated because people don't like the male character being a weakling and relying on the girlfriend, especially by insecure people who want a weak girl to be saved by the strong boyfriend, and not the other way around.

"But hey, as long as they're happy, it's all good." -- the following is a brief paragraph or two on my overall thoughts, followed by a conversation on how this show feels lifeless. reader discretion advised. -- Shikimori was one of those shows that felt like nothing right out of the floodgates. No pointless three episode rule or anything - completely dead on impact and a perfect example of how a slice of life show can fail. Hidden by good animation, character gestures and boring frames show an inherent laziness. Not everything needs to have references or obvert goofiness to spice up the visuals, but having a unique quality like that makes everything seem so much more alive. A nice OP and ED (the one thing that benefits from the paper-thin plot) sandwich a mediocre middle. The reason I found Shikimori-san to be a test of endurance is how everything seems undeserved. Moments are presented in grand, spectacular fashion as if they're animation crescendos, important scenes that'll be engraved for years to come... yet they come with characters that haven't grown. Scenes don't feel like an excuse to let the audience learn to love the characters by simply witnessing them, but rather convenient set-ups without emotional backbone, all for payoffs that fall flat. A terrible decision is to characterize Izumi and Shikimori late into the season. The episode showcases their lives before each other which makes their motivations and fears and their, well, characters, all that more lifelike. Hell, starting with them already dating was a fumble from the offset. The two act as if they're lightly flirting with each other, but they've actually been dating for a full year. Of course there's a cultural gap and every show doesn't need to have the same romantic elements and things vary from person to person, but when the central relationship isn't believable, that's a problem. Hollow. The comedic efforts of bad luck and badass didn't work and following their school life didn't appeal to me. Probably my least favorite of the season.

Simply put, the first two or so episodes are overwhelming and don't do the second half of the season justice. The instant nature of their relationship leaves a lot to be desired as on first viewing there's nothing for you to connect to or care about beyond the gimmicks and the character's depictions don't leave a great first impression. This is all flipped on its head as the season continued, specifically episode 6, 7 & 8 with an arc that kicks the characters in the ass and explores their relationship beyond the gag. Izumi's unluckiness gimmick & Shikimori’s Strength & Possessiveness is annoying and overused during the starting episodes, yet it calms down as the season continues with a slow rollout of their history and cute moments of their relationship beyond their gimmick. It takes 6 episodes to truly offer something different with the start of the Cultural Festival arc and the introduction of Kamiya. As a romance anime consumer this arc was unique and perfectly executed. It gives Kamiya the limelight and provides us with a beautiful exploration of unrequited love & friendship by exploring the whole cast beyond their gimmicks. If you dropped the show, I would recommend just watching from Episode 7, enjoying the Kamiya character and her interactions with the main cast who at that point aren't played as jokes. Kamiya's whole character and the interactions with Shikimori are beautifully moving and something I don't think I've seen in romance, romcom etc. anime before. The friendship with the cast during and following the Cultural Festival episodes made the the experience infinitely better and got me hooked into finishing the show but those initial episodes are tough to get through. If there's any comparison to be made, it would to Nagatoro.

The series offers you unique-Romance type of Anime. If you are looking for a cheesy yet laid back feel that doesn't invoke much of heavy feeling of sadness I would highly recommend watching this one. The rating doesn't necessarily reflect the overall quality of this series, yes it is not perfect, but it is worth the watch. The traditional romance anime contains a Male Character being the cool guy while the Female Character being the shy and timid one. However in this Anime, you are introduced to an unusual pair of Shikimori and Izumi. As the title suggests that "Shikimori is not just a cutie", this Anime delves deep into that Idea and is paired by an adorable dynamics between of their relationship. My first thought while watching this series is that, it's extremely unusual for the girl to be the cool person in the relationship, which I think could be the reason why the series is rated low, however as get to watch more episodes the series I believe delivers, which in my opinion is what makes this unusual plot work. "A strong relationship requires two willing hearts that are committed to making it work". This quote in my opinion best describes the entire journey of this series. Regardless of how cool and strong Shikimori is she is willing to do anything to make her relationship with Izumi work. The Case is the same with Izumi, though a natural airhead, he is willing to make himself a better person for the sake for Shikimori's sake.

Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie is a highly specific type of anime. It is in no way deceptive about what it is and delivers exactly what it sets out to do. The show remains tonally consistent from the very first episode. I would classify it as a relaxing and uneventful romcom. The conflicts within this show are very minor and contained and primarily serve to portray the personality and dynamics of Shikimori and Izumi. Personally, I enjoyed this show. If you're looking for a break from convoluted or heavy works of fiction or even hectic ongoings in life, this may be worth a watch. If you're looking for an exciting, unpredictable, edge-of-your-seat thrill ride, this might not be the show for you. If you're unsure about watching this show, give the first episode a try. If that does not appeal to you, I find it unlikely that the rest of the show will.

Shikimori's main hook is that the couple are together right from the start. A refreshing take on the romance genre considering a majority of shows only have the couples be together at the very end and then the show never shows us anything beyond that. It's a hook that is really interesting and the massive hype from the general anime community before the show aired is emblematic of that. However, after the first few episodes the show got bombarded by negative reviews because Shikimori showed exactly what was promised: A cute romance story about a couple that are already dating. Nothing more, nothing less. The problem for most is that is was also JUST that premise. No drama, no conflict, no development. On paper, it sounds like a very boring show and I can understand why some might think that if they aren't hooked immediately. But for my personal opinion, I think the show is vastly over hated. If you're going in expecting it to have frustrating relationship drama or unnecessary angst, then you're only setting yourself up for disappointment. It's a cute show that's supposed to make you feel good, that's it. It's not everyone's cup of tea, but if you have the right mindset and curb your high expectations, then it's a show that should fill you with "the good feels" every episode and leave you sad once you realize it's over. The first 2 episodes were really enjoyable due to the fact that Shikimori and Izumi are together. The middle episodes was the only area where it can drag since it's the main characters just enjoying life. But then everything after episode 7 was great, even more interesting than everything the show has shown so far. It's a shame that so much of the hate came in the middle episodes, and people dropped the show right before the interesting episodes happen due to the "3 episodes rule" that most diehard anime fans have. If you decide to watch the show or have previously dropped it, then I highly recommend you at least give the later episodes a chance because you're really missing out on the best parts of the show. I think the cast of characters were great. Each one had a sizeable amount of screen time, distinct personalities, and were all likeable (Kamiya best girl). The weakest link is obviously Izumi and I won't deny that his cliche can get a bit much. However, he alone doesn't ruin the show when there are so many other fun characters and his "bad luck syndrome" only occasionally appears. Shikimori is just as obviously the star character. She's design to be the perfect girl, but a lot of her charm comes from when she shows her other various sides of her character (determined, angry, flustered, jealous etc.). Every other character could also hold their own and the show explores the different dynamic each characters have with each other, not just focusing on Izumi/Shikimori, and I'd argue that these dynamics are just as interesting as our main couple. The art style is beautiful and the animation is serviceable for a romance show. The OP and ED are also great, with each of them being both bangers and enjoyable to watch every time. In conclusion, Shikimori is a great show if you want to feel good about a wholesome and healthy relationship. Not everything needs to be filled with drama and negativity. And I think the people who call it boring have forgotten what it's like to watch a multi-season romance anime where nothing happens with the main couple until the end. The "Will they, won't they" formula isn't for everyone, especially someone like me who is sick of the frustrating suspension of disbelief over how some of those shows justify their main couple dancing around a confession and act like unrealistic anime stereotypes. Likewise, this show isn't for everyone. But for those it is made for, it's a wholesome show that will give you a good time. 9/10

I started watching this series with a low expectation because of all the hates it got online, but I honestly think it isn't as how as how people made it out to be. The parts that people hate about this anime is that some episodes are boring, character interactions are cringy, etc., and I can see why they say it. What do I like about it? The anime is pretty laid back and enjoyable to watch. Especially the interactions between Izumi and Shikimori, they're more and more open towards their love for each other as the story goes on. There are rarely any conflicts between characters, making it stress-free to watch. It is hard for most watchers to acknowledge this writing style, but I do suggest this anime if you are a romcom lover. But keep in mind that the female MC (Shikimori) is the dominant one in the relationship, and the male MC (Izumi) is not, which is also one of the common negative reviews that people rate this anime. But if you can get over that, then this anime can be very fun to watch.

I'll be completely honest with my review. At first, this anime seemed boring. The first episode was kinda meh, the second one was dumb, but it got so much better. I started enojying this show after a while, and now I'm kinda sad because it ended. Why do I think Shikimori was good? I don't know. I just really enjoyed it. And NO COUPLE has EVER made me feel so incredibly single. I almost couldn't even watch the last episode, because the tension was just... At first, the "love" between Shikimori and Izumi didn't seem real. But when I finished this anime, I understood why they love each other and such. Some people really think couples have to have a reason to date. F*ck that. Shikimori loves Izumi, Izumi loves Shikimori. They just find each other attractive. They are cute. They are entertaining. What more do you need? Also, I don't know what people were expecting of a romcom. Incredible character development? Tragic depressing backstories? Bro, this anime is a romantic comedy. A slice of life. It exists to make us happy just because those characters exist. And that's the point a lot of people missed. Can I also mention the opening and ending? The opening had a really wonderful music and I always enjoyed listening to it. The ending was one of the most creative endings I've ever seen. And also super cute. Good job on that one. It makes me sad to see how the score of this anime dropped. I agree it isn't the best thing ever, but it deserves more than 6.96. Other shows with this score were TRASH. This one isn't on the same level of trash. At least there are some people out there who enjoyed Shikimori. I'm with them.

Let me start by saying this kind of anime is not normally what I would even consider watching. I have no idea how I even found it, but I was hooked before I even finished episode 1. To say I loved this anime is an understatement. The characters feel fleshed out and you can only want what the two main characters have. The female lead, Shikimori, is not just a damsel in distress far from it in-fact. The story will likely make you wish you could go back to high school somehow and likely wish you had a partner like one of the leaders or secondary characters. I cannot think of any character in this anime that isn't loveable. I am terrible with reviews but if you take anything from this, please give it a watch its well worth it even if you aren't a fan of this genre, I normally dislike this stuff but loved this.

Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie is not an anime. No, Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie is a weapon. A weapon designed to supplant all mass produced Waifus. A weapon designed to be a sleeper agent on all Otaku’s shelves of figurines. A weapon that can even surpass Metal Gear in its lethality. Yeah, this show feels like it was designed to house the perfect Waifu. By looking at the show before it aired, Shikmori looked liked the prime candidate to be best girl this season and potentially challenge Marin for the crown of best girl this year. While that is fine and dandy, you still need to have an anime to go along with it and this is where I think the show falters. Sit back, relax and grab your popcorn for the annual “Best Waifu” debate as I present to you the anime review for Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie. Let’s begin Story: 3/10 Our lead protagonist, Yuu Izumi has a case of bad luck syndrome as anything he does, bad luck will sure to follow and entering his second year in high school, he hopes his luck will change because of his girlfriend, Shikimori, being able to protect any harm coming his way. Along with the rest of their friend group, Kyou Nekozaki, Shuu Inuzaka and, Yui Hachimitsu, they enjoy the school life and with Shikimori around, Izumi hopes his bad fortune will change. That sets the basis for the show and how far the show goes plotwise. Yeah, there isn’t really much of an overarching plot here or any plot for that matter. We are dropped in the middle of Izumi’s and Shikimori’s relationship that is going swimmingly and they have a great group of friends. From there, it’s just going from one event to the next with nothing really getting added. There is nothing that makes the show feel different from the start to the show to when the show finishes. Izumi and Shikimori still love each other and they still have a great group of friends. All there is in between is how they get along. There isn’t really that moment that can make you believe that the state of their relationship is going to change. It stays the same throughout and that leads to the show feeling stale by the end. There is one part of the show that presents a possible love triangle but that doesn’t really go anywhere because that would go against the status quo that the show presents. That’s another problem with the show’s story, the status quo. It follows a lot of tropes you would expect from School Rom-Coms and seems to use many of the cliché episodes like the school festival and the sports festival. The main thing it doesn’t have is the beach episode but proceeds to have a substitute. While it does do these things right and with good execution, it just doesn’t try anything new. It just does everything we’ve come to expect and that’s a problem when they are trying to present Shikimori as this cute girlfriend who is also a badass and yet they don’t do anything exciting with it. They use what we expect them to use but tries to put Shikimori front and centre and make her the star of the show. Like I said, this anime feels designed to make Shikimori a standout character and maker her best girl of the year, let alone the season. They could’ve used her to make something feel more original, but it feels like we’re watching something we have seen before countless times in the rom-com genre. It seems like it wouldn’t matter if Shikimori ended up being best girl this season...so how do we break it to them? Characters: 3/10 So we should start with Shikimori first since that’s the character this show wants to display first and foremost. She is presented as this girl who is cute but is also really cool as well and give us the best of both worlds. While She isn’t an absolute perfect girl since she can’t cook and is very competitive, they want to show that she can overcome any challenge thrown in her way, even with a bad luck magnet like Izumi. While that does make for good waifu material, as a character, it doesn’t look like she grows as a character. She remains near perfect from start to finish which itself is a problem because it never feels like she is trying to overcome something. They do show her beackstory where you could say she is overcoming something but since that is set in the past, we already know the outcome. Again, it feels like this character is designed to be best girl and the ironic thing is that I don’t think she is close to best girl this season. You’ve got the other best girl candidates from previous years, Chika, Kaguya, Hayasaka, Raphtalia (quality of season two not withstanding), Komi and Kurumi. But this season, you have Anya and Yor Forger from Spy x Family, Ushio from Summertime Render, Desumi from Love after World Domination and others like Aharen and Eiko. She is among the candidates but I don’t think she is a serious contender because the majority of these characters here have something to overcome whereas we know she can always overcome anything thrown at her. Her only obstacle would be combating Izumi’s bad luck. Speaking of which, let’s talk about him and their relationship. I would consider Izumi to be a wet blanket of a protagonist. Just a sweet, nice guy with no naughty intentions and wants to just be a great boyfriend for Shikimori. But he is a bit of a fumbler and just too sweet of a guy. He just doesn’t have any characteristics that make him interesting as it feels like he is a one note character with one defining aspect to his character, his constant bad luck and how it affects his day to day life. Without this aspect, he is basically like every other nice guy school protagonist but lacks a thing called a spine to be a bit more tough instead of being, like I said earlier, a wet blanket. His bad luck is mainly used as a plot device though for two reasons. One, the comedy and two, to make Shikimori look cooler when she protects him. While it is quite amusing to start with, over time, it just becomes tedious. It’s like how you expect Shikimori to overcome every obstacle, you expect Izumi’s bad luck to strike whenever he tries to do something. Both become very predictable and your interest starts to dissipate and you know that these will counteract each other so it will make them less significant than the show wants it to be. Then there is their relationship with one another which honestly feels artificial. There just doesn’t seem to be any chemistry between these two and while we are told why Shikimori likes Izumi, it doesn’t change the fact that what we have on screen is not working. It just only gives context to their relationship. We start the show in the middle of their relationship but it fails to make us invest into their relationship. It doesn’t feel like a relationship where they are equals. It feels like a relationship between a mother protecting her son. They don’t grow from being with one another, they still act the same and their feelings haven’t changed for one another. There’s barely anything to challenge their relationship in this show. Izumi just feels like a plot device in this relationship to make Shikimori look cooler, so they stuck these two together in a relationship but with none of the setup or natural chemistry to make these characters want to be together. As for the rest of the cast, there isn’t really much to say as they act like one note supporting characters you’ve come to expect and much like our two main leads, they don’t grow as characters. The main group of friends are just there to fill the friendship group quota. They can add some different dynamic to the situation and they do get their own time in the spotlight, but they are so underdeveloped that giving them their own time to shine doesn’t work. There chemistry with one another though is ironically better than Izumi and Shikimori’s chemistry and does do a solid job of making this friendship between these people feel believable. Animation: 8/10 Well that was a lot of negativity, let’s talk about something positive. The animation for this series is actually good…

This anime was so bad that without even analyzing it, it's just straight up painful to watch. The first thing that stood out to me was the concept of the show (not the gimmick, I’ll talk about that later (if I remember lol)). on paper it’s really good— the characters are already together, so throughout the show instead of buildup and “will they won’t they”’s we get sweet, intimate couples' moments. Key word being ON PAPER. Horrible execution. it just feels really lazy. It’s pretty much a “will they won’t they” but with literally ALL the stakes removed. Like at least in more traditional rom coms such as Dress Up Darling and Fragrant Flower, there’s tension between the ML and FL. Usually as the audience we know how reciprocated the feelings are between them, but it’s still like “will he be able to muster up the courage to make a move” or something like that. In Shikimori it’s like they just did that traditional concept, except threw out the first 5 eps where the characters get to know each other. it just feels so lazy. Now for the Characters, I cannot STAND them. They are all laughably shallow and the development is nonexistent. I THOUGHT we might get a little character development, but I was proven wrong. When we get introduced to Kamiya, she’s this popular, pretty girl and everyone has this impression that she has a perfect life because of it. We hear some inner monologues, lo and behold that’s not the case. So, we get this whole sequence of “emotional” discourses between Shikimori and Kamiya, where she breaks down and realizes her faults. She’s all like “I’m done hiding my true self, time to show my emotions” not even FIVE fucking minutes later when Shikimori’s best friend(Nekazaki) asks her something about how she’s feeling she refuses to answer😭 and after that(I might be wrong here, the show all blends together) we don’t see her again for the rest of the show. it's not as extreme with Izumi and Shikimori, but still worth mentioning. We don’t have any “fake deep” moments between them, there’s just no moments. Period. Their bond doesn’t develop, they don’t learn to rely on others more, they don’t want to help the other one feel comfortable with sharing their flaws and insecurities. It’s just “let’s hold hands and blush yippeeee” for the whole show. Shikimori’s whole “arc” and “backstory” are awful too. You can boil it down to: “she’s pretty and good at everything” -> “she’s all of those things AND nice” -> “backstory time: she was always like that”. I mean it’s just so superficial. Shikimori is just the embodiment of stereotypical perfection. She has no flaws. No aspirations or goals, no inner conflicts. No NUTHIN. Onto the plot and pacing. This is up there as being one of the worst parts of the show fr. With 12-episode romance anime I’ve come to expect the quintessential: “School festival where they make a cafe or sum shit”, “Firework festival”, and “Sports festival” (jeez I'm just realizing how many “festival” tropes are in romance anime”) but this takes it too far. I mean I can handle one of each of the aforementioned things, but for this— ITS THE ENTIRE SHOW. We start with a sports festival. RIGHT AFTER we get the fireworks festival. THEN the school festival. then (and you’ll never believe this) ANOTHER sports festival. Not an original scene in sight🥀 Time for the gimmick (I remembereddddddd). just like the characters, it’s wildly shallow. At its core, it doesn’t actually change the romantic dynamic it just swaps the tropes. If the ONLY thing keeping your couple mildly interesting is a falling flowerpot or a brick being hurled at Izumi’s head, you don’t have romance; you have a repetitive series of reiterative stunts. Shikimori is an anime that tries to be “different” by doing the exact same things as every other high school rom-com, just reskinned. If you just want an “attractive” FL, and ZERO conflict, this show might be for you. But if you want a romance with actual emotional payoff, do yourself a favor and watch Tonikawa. It does virtually the same concept of “established couple” but doesn’t sacrifice character depth (relatively to rom coms ofc lol)

Imagine watching a slice of life where the only interesting characters are the the side characters but the side characters still suck. This honestly is the worst anime ive ever watched. The plot is weak and that understable because is a slice of life but the characters are awful so its a miserable watch. The story is unique and original but sooo boring. Honestly I don't see what other people see in this because this is just a romance slop where the MC gets a perfect girlfriend that helps with unluckyness. Then It also doesn't help because you already know something unlucky will happen BECAUSE THEY DO IT EVRY EPISODE.

“Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie” is what happens when someone has a good premise but lacks the skills to utilize it properly. It’s a bland, boring, going nowhere romcom. Basically like 99% of rom coms out there. What makes this one so infuriating is that the premise, on paper, is solid. A caring, athletic, attractive girl falls for a shy, timid guy that could be the manifestation of Murphy's laws. In theory it’s a solid premise with a lot of potential about role reversals in relationships. That could be a pretty good anime. Unfortunately we will never know that because we got this atrocity instead. Let’s start with a positive aspect of the show. The two main protagonists are actually dating. That saves us from god knows how many episode of “will they-won’t they” bs. … … Yeap. That’s it. End of the positive aspects of the plot. The problem is that this “relationship” doesn’t look like a romantic one. It looks more like codependency or emotional addiction with a touch of child-guardian aspect to it. Miyako Shikimori - the cool, athletic, competitive girlfriend that hates to lose, acts more like Yuu’s mother or big sister than a girlfriend. She protects him, cares for him and even gets unjustifiably jealous of him. To be honest there are very few scenes that portray their chemistry in a romantic way. Yuu Izumi - the timid, shy boyfriend with more bad luck than people who thought EA would give up on loot boxes, is… just boring. In theory he should be the star of the show. A person who is a walking jinx gets a girlfriend that actually likes him. There are a ton of ways to tell awesome stories just from that one sentence. Instead we get more of the things we’ve seen a million times from any romance. Some self doubt, a little bit of hope for the better and all topped with a not so healthy dose of being a goddamn idiot ergo any rom com out there. To be fair after the first 3 or 4 episodes You saw it all. You won’t see anything original in the whole show. The premise has potential but it should be given to a writer that actually can take advantage of not so standard relationship setup.

I literally made an account just to post a review because this anime absolutely does not deserve a 6.94 score as of writing. The problem: Shikimori-san's first 5 episodes are average at best and you'll see that a lot of negative reviews are preliminary reviews with 3/12 episodes watched. After that, the episodes quickly pick up in quality and character development. The anime follows a very predictable formula for the first 4 episodes: Izumi's bad luck strikes again, then Shikimori does something cool. Rinse and repeat. Once you get past that preliminary stage, Shikimori-san does what it does best: being a SOL romance anime that makes you feel warm and good inside. Don't expect story development or anything like that, you're very well just following the daily lives of Izumi and Shikimori and seeing wholesome moments. The animation isn't anything too special, but the art style itself is colorful and eye-catching. Most importantly, it's very consistent and I don't remember any instances of bad art. CHARACTERS I've seen people say the cast is great, but I disagree. I would actually say the cast is the weakest part of Shikimori-san, other than Kamiya who gets the most development. They aren't awful or anything, rather just average to slightly above average. The supporting cast have the problem of only getting one episode dedicated to their development, some characters even having to share half their episode with others. I actually liked Izumi. He is no way as pathetic as people make him out to be, especially in the later episodes, and I honestly don't understand the fascination with wanting a more masculine character because that's what the entire dynamic between Izumi and Shikimori is based around. His bad luck gimmick gets less attention as the anime goes on, which is a relief, but unfortunately that's all that stands out about Izumi. He's a generic shy anime boy with a heart of gold. I suppose that's better than writing a character so awful that you question how someone like Shikimori fell in love with him... (Minor spoilers for Shikimori's past ahead) Speaking of Shikimori, despite being the MC and my favorite character in the anime, I would argue she's one of the weakest character-wise out of the cast. The OP has flashback scenes that make it seem like Shikimori has a serious past, and it certainly doesn't help that the first few episodes play up Shikimori's "toughness" as something to hide. Instead, what we got was: Shikimori doesn't know what she wants to do (as a middle-schooler mind you), she follows her brother around, gets into karate and excels at it, and her friend recommends her a romance manga. She reads it and suddenly decides her entire personality will revolve around being cute and wanting her dream to love someone. Even for a SOL anime that's ridiculously weak. She's good at everything for literally no reason other than she was good at karate that one time. Part of this is my fault since I had mistakenly thought bandaged Izumi in the OP was a young Shikimori, and that the person confessing was someone else instead of Izumi cause the confession doesn't line up with Izumi's in the anime. I had assumed that as a child she was a tomboy who regularly got into fights with others, was a loner, had someone important to her, and she slowly became more feminine to escape her past. Still, I can't help but imagine if that was actually what her character was based around how much it would help her character's depth. That would explain her toughness way better and why she tries so hard to be seen as feminine and cute. The way it is, even if her "coolness" is certainly refreshing, it's poorly explained and she has little to no flaws other than being really competitive and slightly possessive. While I would not consider her a Mary Sue, she's waifu-bait, clean and simple. CONCLUSION The first 5 episodes did not help the reviews for this show. They make it seem like Shikimori-san is more predictable and tropey than it actually is, and I can understand why someone would not like the anime based off of those episodes. It's definitely not an anime for people expecting serious story, but for those that just want a feel-good anime, I would easily recommend this, you just have to stick through it. I genuinely think the anime can only go up from here, so it would sadden me if we never get a second season because of the low reviews.

Shikimori is not just a cutie, she is also a girl capable of making a potentially good romance anime into one of the most painful experiences an anime fan can go through. Whilst the series does have its moments that can make you smile through its humour or general story enjoyment, it is so overhyped yet so underwhelming that you will just be in for a massive letdown if you think this is any better than the standard romance revolving around a weak-minded male character struggling to make basic conversation. This art style is probably the saving grace of this entire series, stopping me from giving it an even lower school. It is clear that a lot of effort and love went into making this series and the animators did a very good job, especially considering the dull story they had to work with. The voice acting wasn't terrible but wasn't particularly spectacular either... apart from Shuu's voice (Nobuhiko Okamoto) but that is because he is generally just a great performer in every role he plays. The intro is nice and the outro is funny, but neither are the type to prompt you to look them up on YouTube and listen to them in your spare time. Shikimori (Micchon, Mi-chan) - The main female protagonist and the girlfriend of Yuu Izumi. Yuu Izumi (Ijumi) - The main male protagonist and the boyfriend of Shikimori.

The art style for Kawaii dake ja Nai Shikimori-san is amazing! It stayed visually appealing from start to finish. The characters were all loveable, some were relatable and overall impacted the story in their own unique way. Musically, I enjoyed the anime's opening and ending songs but the opening had a fun take on showing off the two main characters, Shikimori and Izumi. The place where it lacked the most was the storyline. At first, I had mixed feelings about this anime. I felt it was a bit too cliche for my liking but then I came to enjoy the characters and the overall happy vibes that the anime held mostly throughout. If you are looking for a saucy romance anime, look in another direction. But if you enjoy easy, heartwarming anime then I would advise that you take a look at this.

First, the only reason I didn't give 1 is because of Kamiya (the single thing I didn't despise about this anime). Second I watched all 12 episodes so none can say it gets better cause it doesn't, it actually gets progressively worse. Where can I start, the pointless story, yes the story is pointless and people who say this is a slice of life anime, pls stop talking I have seen slice of life like Usagi Drop and even slice of life have a point to the story but this anime doesn't have a point, it is just aimless chatter over and over again, the characters don't progress, the side characters except from Kamiya are absolutely bland with 0 things interesting abound them. After the pointless story let's continue with the absolutely disgusting relationship between the 2 main characters. I have seen over 150 days' worth of anime and only one other time I despised a main character from an anime and that says something. The anime starts with the relationship already established and that makes me feel that every single scene with them together isn't earned and all those "romantic" stuff feel appalling because of that. The bad luck thing gets old and progressively annoying fast. Also, I absolutely hate everything about shikimori as a character, she is the worst character I have ever seen in an anime. This anime and story in general, is pointless, with no direction, no character progression, no interesting plots, and absolutely nothing to look forward to. This story taught me one thing, to read more about an anime before I put it in my plan to watch cause this was torture. Stay away at all costs, and to all those who say this is a slice of life, again I say shut up, there are slice-of-life anime who are amazing, and calling this slice of life is an insult to those anime.

There really aren't enough romance anime where the characters get to be this open and honest about their love for each other. Anime-only fans of romance are often left in suspense when beloved shows never return for a sequel. What's the point of asking will they/won't they for 12 weeks if you never get an answer? But by starting the series with the two characters already in a relationship, Shikimori can instead dedicate time to portraying the euphoria of being in love. And that's basically what Episode 12 involves. Twenty minutes of pure joy. In a way, it actually makes this a difficult episode to review. If I put it down to words, it's very straightforward: Izumi and Shikimori go to a faux-Disneyland and have a lovely time. When Shikimori asks if they can kiss, he misunderstands. Later, he kisses her on the cheek and she's happy about it. There's no particular ongoing drama, and there's actually less focus on comedy than usual. Instead, what we get are just a series of heartwarming moments. It's fun watching them be in love with each other, whether that's in a ridiculously long line, in a surprisingly fancy restaurant, or during an intimate boat ride. Shikimori skips the fluff and has them say lines like “You're all I'm ever looking at” and “I'm in love with you, Shikimori. I'll stay with you forever” to each other. Of course, it is funny that they're so madly in love with each other but still consider the act of kissing each other to be so embarrassing. It's clearly not an issue of not knowing each other's feelings—it's very clear that they both want to kiss. But I guess they have to hold something back from the audience. This may be a short review for the series finale, but there really isn't much to say. While I've made it clear before that I wasn't too impressed with the early episodes (which I think is why I've seen a lot of people calling the show “mid”), Shikimori found its footing halfway in with some surprisingly strong drama. Izumi being unlucky is only funny for a short while, but the writing flourishes the moment these characters are taken seriously. I will miss Shikimori. A COVID outbreak at Doga Kobo made for a rockier production than the team would've liked, but they've still put together a visual spectacle. With today's digital landscape, it's difficult to say if the show's been successful enough for them to consider a second season, but I hope they do. Or, at least, I hope there are more romance anime like Shikimori that are prepared to commit to this same kind of euphoria.