Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie

## Season 1

### Soundtrack

I thought Shikimori's opening was quite neat. It's a cute opening with cute visuals to come with it. Even though I wouldn't really listen to it every day, it still really fits the show's vibe quite well. Not the best of the best, but above average.

The credits song, "Route BLUE" is even better than the opening. Wow, what a BANGER. It's such a fun song with a really nice beat. The vocals are also so cute. I will definitely add it to my playlist. On top of that, the animation for the credits is really nice. I especially enjoyed the "game art" concept that was executed. Lovely.

### Thoughts

Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie isn't a very good anime at the start. This anime is like if you added even more sugar to Horimiya. It's genuine slop at the start, but ramps up relatively quickly into a respectable cute romance anime. The second half of the anime is so much better than the first. Hang in there.

I think the highlight of this anime has to be the characters themselves. Shikimori's depicted as a relatively complicated character, balancing her personality between being cute and being strong. I think this is an excellent subversion, first of all moving the "protector" gender role to the woman, while also executing a really good "double personality" concept. Her love for Izumi really shines through the screen. No matter what everyone says, she wants to protect her boyfriend from the dangers that he has to go through. On top of that, Shikimori's one of the best glass cannon characters I've witnessed yet. She professes so much love to her boyfriend, yet Izumi effortlessly plays with her heartstrings on a whim. She wants to prove herself to the people around her, like her brother and her mother so hard that she tries to imitate them. In the end, what Shikimori cares about are the people she loves. By then she's realized that she has to be her own person. She's going to fight for her and the people that she loves no matter what.

Izumi, on the other hand is quite a unique male protagonist. He's not the classic shonen shy otaku type, nor is he the popular shoujo type. Rather, his main trait is being unlucky. This is the main gimmick of the anime. It's such a silly concept, but the story surprisingly works well with it. In each and every situation, he always gets the outcome that he doesn't want. Maybe it's a plot device so that the story's more interesting. Maybe not. A lot of things can be true. But I like to see it as a developmental tool. Izumi is probably the kindest protagonist ever. He's ready to put himself into the world while also paying attention to what the people around him need. Without him being unlucky, maybe he wouldn't have been so kind. Maybe he wouldn't have been as close to Shikomori. Maybe Shikomori wouldn't have been there to save him. I think that's the silver lining of the unluckiness. More than that, I think that's one of the moral messages of the story. To keep going, stay strong, even if the universe is against you. Because there's always a silver lining. I think that's a beautiful message.

While the main couple are the focal point of the story, that doesn't mean the side characters are left out. I think each and every character's personalities were really fleshed out. They're so distinct from each other. I enjoyed Hachimitsu's chillness, Inuzuka's confidence, and Nekozaki's energy. They really do add so much more depth to the story. But the best character definitely is definitely Kamiya. I really enjoy the juxtaposition of her shy personality with her popularity. More than that, I really liked her storyline with cherishing her feelings for Izumi. I especially loved how Kamiya and Shikimori handled it incredibly maturely. While it would be selfish for Shikimori to force Kamiya to bury her feelings, she takes the high road and chooses not to, because anyone who sees Izumi for what he truly is can only be good people. I think that's incredible and one of the highlights of the story.

As you may have noticed, I have sparsely talked about the story itself. I think the story's alright, but there isn't really much relation between the arcs and episodes themselves. I will talk about the ending, though. The final episode is quite intimate. I enjoyed Izumi and Shikimori spilling their hearts out in front of each other. They even showed how Izumi's "bad luck" was actually a blessing in disguise for their relationship. Nevertheless, I will say that the decision to not make them kiss was a very bold one. I thought the mood was perfect, and clearly the two were into it. But a cheek kiss showed restraint and respect, so I can't really complain about that. Maybe we'll get it in the second season (if there even will be one).

I will say one thing before the last paragraph. Even if it's all the anime is about, I really enjoyed witnessing the development of Izumi and Shikimori's relationship. They care so much for each other that it seems like they were made for each other. Shikimori loves Izumi for who he is and vice versa. I love it.

All in all, Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie is just a boring anime. It isn't a boring romance anime, though. The love between Izumi and Shikimori is just so incredibly contagious that it makes you get tired of smiling. This is the only thing that makes the show good and watchable. I'd give the anime 8/10 Gem-Mid.