「陽だまりの詩(うた)」 (Hidamari no Uta)
“The Sunshine Song”

Why couldn’t have every episode of Kimi to Boku been this good?

In a day and age where being too close to a younger child can bring some really negative attention, this final episode brought out those honest happy-go-lucky feelings that surface whenever I get to spend time with a younger generation. Something about getting dragged along at their pace and enjoying it never fails to put a smile on my face.

But for all of your kid haters out there, I thought it was a great twist how the writers went full circle and put Kaname in the same position he once hated — being a cool senpai like Koichi. While his methods or words may not be as suave as Koichi’s, I think Kaname’s bluntness managed to instill the same amount of confidence into Ken that Koichi had once done to him. To put it bluntly, I was shocked by how emotional I became after watching Ken mature up and apologize to the girl he had feelings for.

All in all, this final episode of Kimi to Boku was pretty good. With a combination of cute little kids and more of Kaname showing off his cool side, there probably couldn’t have been a better way to end the season.

 

Final Impressions:

For an anime that decided to switch out girls in favor of boys, I’m pleasantly surprised to say that Kimi to Boku’s first season was pretty good. Even though it had a really rough start, this show has turned into a small little gem that’s close to finding its sparkle. I’m not sure how I would describe the changes that have occurred since those first few episodes but those changes only help to make this statement ring true — there are certain things that can’t be done with a traditional slice-of-life anime filled with moe girls.

With the standard five man group, Kimi to Boku probably won’t win you over with its characters’ personalities. What will, is how these characters interact with the situations they’ve been given and how much of an emotional response it’ll draw from you. The two biggest examples would have to be this week’s episode and episode seven. The former personifying the feelings I feel whenever I get to take care of kids and the latter proving that quiet characters like Yuuta can be complex and ridiculously cute.

If my fondness for the series hasn’t already become apparent, let me state it clearly — Watch Kimi to Boku. If you’re a fan of the slice-of-life genre and want to see something different, this series will definitely surprise you. It may be slow at times, but I think that the genuine emotions certain episodes evoke from you will make up for it. Plus, with a second season already planned, I’m hoping that the pacing issues will be replaced with an overflowing amount of awesome.

18 Comments

  1. WHAT?! I didn’t know it was only a one-cour season .. Oh damn, I thought they were going to show when kaname gets a girlfriend (I’m speculating from the credits). Oh ballz, guess I’ll read the manga or can I hold out for the second season?!

  2. WATCH KIMI TO BOKU. I pretty much think the same as you. When I realized they were about to go to their kindergarten I was like hell yes parallels with Koichi sensei’s flashback and I was not disappointed. That ep was aaawesome.
    Also after watching ep 9 of Ika Musume and this one I think I developped a new fetish: playing house with little girls.

    Rockmanshii
  3. This series was a respite to all the troubles of my life.

    With its laid back, down-to-earth themes and comical characters, it’s a surprising hit for me this season.

    Expecting the next season to be just as great or even better.

    🙂

    Ddadain
  4. this is the best episode of this anime for me and i kinda relate to Kaname. Older girls/women attract me more than younger ones. I dunno why. Also, I think i had a crush on 8 teachers. hahaha and Ken and Kaname really look alike

    dongfishy
  5. Amazing episode. I can’t even point to some scenes I especially liked since this whole episode was basically just a string of golden moments for me.

    In my opinion, this is one of the most underrated shows this season. Shame it seems to have lost some viewers along the way due to the rather slow start.

    Definitely looking forward to season 2.

    Periwinkle
  6. Even though I already read it in the manga, I nearly lost it when Ken said he wanted Kaname to be his older brother. Everything about this episode was pretty much flawless and if I were to ever show anyone an example of how the series is, it would be this episode. As you said too, seven and this are the epitomes in showing the potential that this series truly has. Despite the rough start, I’m glad it came through like I had hoped it would.

    Right now I really just want to go and adopt Ken. He has to be one of the cutest kids I’ve seen in anime (even up there with Rin from Usagi Drop!) Must be that cheeky attitude and underlying soft spot.

    Overall, I can’t even point out the scenes I love because I would just end up recapping the entire episode. Beautiful job of a finale and I cannot wait until the second season starts 🙂

    staticology
  7. This was such a refreshing and fun show. I also loved episode 7 (and epi 8 for the LOLs). A lovely way to end this season by having them all return to the place where they met/ bonded the most. Hopefully Kaname’s love interest will be fleshed out more in the next season, as well as more attention given to Shun. A great series overall though, where the cast rose above there ‘types’ and the comedy and poignancy shone even at the most ‘mundane’ of moments. Looking forward to season two as well!

  8. This episode was really amazing. I felt so embarrassed just watching just play with the kids.

    I know this wasn’t the most popular anime people watched on RC but thank you for blogging this until the end. Can’t wait for season 2.

    It’s a real shame really. This anime really captures the genre of Slice-of-life yet people don’t understand the significance of it.

    Corn
  9. I laughed real hard at Chizuru’s “Aa~ douzou….” as he sulked… and when Kaname agreed to play along. XD

    I can relate to the kids in this episode, having a 5 year-old here at home (not mine but my sister’s). Love this series and looking forward to the next season! Thanks for blogging it, Takaii!

    Izumi
  10. havnt thought about watching this anime at all… that is until i read this post. I am so glad I used my last day off to marathon a relaxing, funny slice of life show. thanks takaii for changing my mind, enabling to enjoy this little gem of a show. 😀

    n0216332

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