I’ve been consuming and creating stories for over 20 years now. Don’t make fun of my age, I’m sensitive. Either way, there’s one thing that has been consistent throughout the good stories I’ve consumed. The best stories have good character writing. It’s very simple. Your worldbuilding can be amazing, your action scenes can be cool, your music and animation quality can be the best in the business but nothing will top a fascinating character. A likable character that you just want to root for. Someone who is well written and has their flaws but that’s okay because they’re perfect and they can do nothing wrong. So needless to say, Skip and Loafer is in the mix for anime of the year for me.
So what’s this story about? Iwakura Mitsumi moves from a small town in the countryside to the bustling city of Tokyo. There she moves in with her aunt Nao and starts her life at a prestigious Tokyo High School. Her goal in life is to become an important politician and make a big impact on the world. Obviously to do so, you need to start off well on the first day of school. Mitsumi is very smart and driven but she’s not particularly in tune with the city. So on her very first day she arrives late. In a panic, she encounters Sousuke Shima who is also late for his entrance ceremony at the same school but is much less bothered by it all. He helps her find her way towards school and the two become fast friends from that point onwards. After throwing up on the homeroom teacher and messing up a few more times, Mitsumi slowly starts getting used to life in Tokyo as she makes more and more friends due to her likable personality.
The first season of this show – and I’m saying first season because I want to live in a world where there are more seasons coming – focuses mostly on our main duo but also takes the time to develop some of the important side cast. We learn about Mika and her insecurities and how she slowly comes to terms with who she is and that she wants to change part of who she is. We spend some time with Kanechika who is living his best life being an actor and being extremely outgoing. We also spend some time with Mitsumi’s aunt, Nao, who is a trans woman. This is handled very well – and I’m saying this as a cisgender man with zero authority on the subject – in my opinion. It’s not a point of contention, that’s just who she is. I really liked her character and how endlessly supportive she is of Mitsumi’s antics but also the unexpected advice she ends up giving to Mika when she needs it most.
Last but not least, I think part of what makes this show so good is the vibes. The animation and artstyle are great and it seems like they took a lot of inspiration from the source material since it feels like a very faithful adaptation. The character designs are great and the music makes you really relaxed while watching it. The entire package just works and delivers a great show. After watching the anime I got into the manga, and from what I’ve read so far – which isn’t a lot, I’ve been busy – it’s also very solid. Check out either of them if you love a good slow burn romance without too much annoying drama. I’m keeping this short since I have a bunch of tests to grade and some sleep to catch up. Thanks for reading.
Opal Kaharis 