It just so happened that Archangel Duriel visited me in a dream and badgered me about doing my second anime series review since my first one didn’t even make enough hits to make a difference in this indifferent world of the Internet, that I didn’t save any souls or change lives or help starving kittens or save endangered species like the giraffe or the echidna or the platypus or somesuch.
I told Archangel Duriel to get lost and to cancel my membership from the Pat Robertson’s 700 Club, which I speculated must be the reason for these bad dreams. Furious, he cast Magic Rocket on me. Suffice to say, when I woke up, I was wet with cold sweat as were my undies. Ah cripes, that wasn’t sweat. Fine. I watched two seasons of Kimi to Boku (You and I) in a span of three days. That’s 26 episodes or something like 13 hours’ worth of anime. God, or whoever’s up there, please extend my lifespan because I’ve done nothing lately but waste my time so I can change the world by writing these senseless reviews. Sigh.
So my verdict and rating for this series? I give it 4 out of 5 fond high school memories, which is astronomically better than, well, one or two good high school memories, or none at all. Personally, I’d settle for one fond high school memory of a high school girl in PE uniform, but that’s just me.
To know why I rate this series pretty high, do stick around and read more.
Prelude
During awkward situations like when you get high, or on a religious retreat, or on an awkward blind date, sometimes you get asked about what particular time in your life you enjoyed the most. Some of us would probably say high school. After all, it’s the time of growing up and discovering things about the world once thought too trivial back in elementary. This sense of wonder and discovery can turn goofy real quick when it involves boys. Boys in high school just love to hang out with each other and do stupid things. They wrestle with each other, box each other for fun, play video games, start smoking, watch porn, brush each other’s hair, bake goodies, give each other haircuts—wait, well, maybe not all male friendships in high school would be like that, but one should not be as narrow-minded when judging an anime series like Kimi to Boku.
Kimit to Boku is classified as a comedy and a slice of life about some otherwise normal teens with quirky personalities. Unsurprisingly, it’s targeted for shonen or young males, but I’m confident anyone can safely watch this and appreciate it. Although it’s the humor that really get the show moving, there are some story threads that come up from time to time and the days and seasons progress as the series moves along. We are treated to an otherwise normal, albeit comical, high school life, complete with awkward first loves that feel quite realistic.
Not much hard thought required or deep understanding of Japanese culture to appreciate this series. One can simply relax and take a load off while watching this show, which of course is always great after a shitty day of work or school.
Strengths
I’ll just make it simple and be frank and say I really had fun watching this show. It has been a while since the antics of a group of boys genuinely made me laugh. The last time that happened was when I first got to watch Ouran High Host Club. It stands as a stark comparison to so many comedy anime about girls doing nonsensical things, like how to eat a chocolate cornet or imagining strange things about a friend’s (removable) pigtails.
What I like about this series is the interaction between the characters. They mostly do the tsukkomi routine, with their resident bespectacled class president as their tsukommi or straight man, and the others taking turns playing boke or fool. The timing is great and the humor doesn’t devolve into the usual groping accidents or panty shots. No fanservice necessary to elicit laughs, which is a good thing.
The art and animation are hardly spectacular, but they serve their purpose. The music is not exceptional but it conveys the mood of the series. Voice acting is great, with each one fitting their role without standing out too much.
Weaknesses
Some parts drag at times, building up for quite a while towards an unsatisfying punch line. The love triangle screams Honey and Clover, but that’s probably just me.
And the cats! I have yet to know why, but there are too many cat eyecatches! You’ll get allergies because you see them every minute or so. Someone please explain that to me.
Conclusion
With likeable characters and guiltless humor, Kimi to Boku is a treat to watch on any given day. The pacing is just fine and I assure you of laughs in the dead of night as you watch this. So my verdict and score: 4/5, an anime series I’d definitely recommend to another person, even if they aren’t into anime.
Whatever your high school life may have been like, Kimi to Boku will still have something in store for you, and probably something to relate to as well. If not, well, you can always reminisce about college instead. What? Still no? Then just read my next anime series review. I assure you it’ll be three times better.
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