So...I'm a nerd, especially when it comes to anime. I've archived terrabytes of the stuff over the past 19 years and have quite the collection. I was recently watching through some of the more recent stuff that I'd downloaded and hadn't had a chance to watch yet and came across this gem. It's not video game related, but this is a blog and I felt like sharing.
To start off with, this is done by the same people who did Aishiteruze Baby, a great anime about a high schooler who gets stuck with a kid and learns about life and responsiblity by raising her as best he can. I'm honestly not all that into shoujo stories like this normally, but I love a good story, and this story was amazing. The drama was well-paced, the characters believable, and the scenario not too far-fetched. I'd recommend it to anyone who wants to watch a very heartwarming and touching story.
As I was saying, this series is made by the same people, but their artwork has improved significantly with age and their storytelling is just as fantastic. I started watching one episode out of curiosity and before I knew it, it was 5:55 in the morning and I was on episode 10.
Sukitte Ii Na Yo is a story about a girl who had been bullied through her childhood and had grown bitter and distant as a high schooler, doing her best to not form relationships with her peers. All that changes when someone unexpected is nice to her in their first encounter, despite her somewhat standoffish demeanour and the rumors about them in school. He falls in love with her in their second encounter when she accidently kicks him down the stairs after his friend tried to flip her skirt.
I was bullied a bit in high school and can relate very well with this series and the characters in it. I recognize the struggles of the characters learning about relationships with people for the first time and the conflicting feelings of wanting to be alone and wanting to be with your friends at the same time. This was my life through most of my high school years, and probably most of my childhood as well. The writer clearly knows a bit about this way of living as well, whether firsthand or witnessing it, bringing the characters to life and easily allowing the viewers to empathize with them and their hardships.
I highly recommend this series to...well, anyone. Good writing doesn't belong to just boys and girls, and while this is definitely a shoujo title, it will call to anyone who had a hard time with their first relationships or high school. Sentai Filmworks has the rights for the US and Crunchyroll is streaming it online, but no official release has been made yet. Torrents can still be found from reputable sites from other fansubbers, as well.
