Friends will only let you down—that is the sad truth Mei Tachibana lives with, ever since she was wrongfully blamed for the death of a class pet by her so-called friends in grade school. Since then, she has stayed away from people in order to avoid ever being hurt again. However, Mei's life begins to change drastically when a misunderstanding in high school causes her to encounter popular student Yamato Kurosawa.
Yamato finds her intriguing and insists on being her friend, even though Mei wants nothing to do with him. But when a dangerous situation ends with Yamato kissing Mei to save her from the unwanted attention of a stalker, Mei begins to develop feelings for him. On the heels of her discovery that their feelings are mutual, they start dating and she gains not only a boyfriend, but friends as well. Mei, however, finds it very hard to adapt to this new lifestyle, especially in expressing her true feelings towards Yamato.
Throughout misunderstandings of their new relationship, each other, and the attentions of other girls, Mei and Yamato slowly grow closer and learn the true meaning of those three little words: "I love you."
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
Skadi
Oh how I wanted to say, I love you to Sukitte Ii na yo... but I just can’t because you’re a flat two dimensional romance that just didn’t live up to my expectations. It really is a shame, because Suki na yo had a tremendous amount of potential and gave us some things we don’t often get to see in the romance genre. But as the series winds down I found myself lamenting what could have been. It’s hard for me to be too hard on the romance anime plot premise, I mean they have pretty much already all been done before andthey are all mostly silly as well. Suki na yo is no different, with the unlikely story of the hot and most popular guy in school falling for a shy, friendless loner who kicked him down the stairs because she mistakenly thought he flipped her skirt. The beginnings of true and lasting love if I ever saw it. The girl Mei, and the boy Yamato, both have some interesting personality issues on the surface and despite the silliness of their meeting there was some enormous amount of potential in their relationship. However this is sadly mostly wasted over the course of the story.
Now here is where Suki na yo is a bit different from its other romance cousins. For the most part our lead characters are in a relationship together from the beginning to the end of the series. The typical format is 99% courting with the eventual payoff at the end when our little lovebirds finally realize their mutual affections. While it can often be frustrating when it is drug out with silly misunderstandings and character cockblocks at least by then we have a clear understanding why they both love each other. The show is called Say I love you, but it should probably more aptly called Say why I love you.
Even though I have some pretty serious complaints about the way the shows romance and plot unfolds, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy watching this series. But when you compare it with its peers within the genre and even shows that were airing during the same time as this, it comes across as distinctly average and ordinary.
Much in the same way as the story is underwhelming, so are the series main characters. A romance is by nature very character driven and if we don’t get compelling leads it’s pretty difficult to care if they end up falling in love with each other. Mei is your standard "everyman" kind of girl typical in shoujo romances. She’s cute, though not particularly beautiful, and pretty much average in every other way. She’s a nice girl with a strong spirit but very vulnerable as well. Exactly the kind of girl most people can relate too and can root for as well. It’s sweet how she slowly comes out of her shell and makes friends and learns to trust people again as well. Even though this mostly comes across pretty corny and clichéd. Though hell I like corny and clichéd anyway.
Yamato is less interesting and in many ways is also your typical bishounen leading man. Though I will give him some credit for breaking the trend and not being a cold, aloof, and unfeeling jerk. You get the feeling most of the time he has genuine feelings for Mei but at other times he’s actions around her seemed to be a bit condescending and they he was treating her more like a pet and as an equal partner. I felt some aspects of his personality were also very inconsistent, especially later in the series. For a guy who came across as supremely confident he was surprisingly weak willed at times and his distrust of Mei's feelings at times was implausible considering what the pair had been through to that point already.
The supporting cast is the weakest link though and stereotypical shoujo fair. This plays in to the weakness of the plot but basically the same themes are repeated multiple times over the course of the story. Girl appears, of course hopefully in love with Yamato, drama unfolds, girl is rejected and our leads love continues. And the rejected gets new love and becomes best friends with our dear Mei. While I mostly liked the supporting characters they simply lack the depth for them to be actually interesting. Then of course you have to look past the unlikelihood that two romantic rivals are going to be besties afterwards, particularly when one side was involved in some pretty nasty schemes and bullying.
Despite all these flaws though what Suki na yo really does best is both its artwork and musical soundtrack. Both are typical of the genre but I really did love both of the songs. The seiyuu cast is comprised of mostly veterans but none of them are real stars. I thought they did solid, if unspectacular work. While the artwork may not be a masterwork, it is very fluid and reality based, with clothes and body types that stay in the realm of possibility.
Even though in the end I have quite a few complaints about Suki na yo, it’s still a good watch. If you’re really starved, as I was, for a romance anime with a sweet ending and are not demanding to be shown some that’s never been seen before then you should have a good time with it as well.
EmoolyCow
Say 'I Love You.' Where do I even start with this anime. The title even gives off an exceedingly romantic, unrealistic atmosphere. If there was ever a competition for "The Most Generic Shoujo," Say 'I Love You' would take the cake. Let's start off with a brief summarization. A reserved young girl who has no social connection whatsoever plays as the object of desire for the most popular, handsome boy in the school. They eventually establish an awkward relationship filled with uncomfortable dialogue and well, there you have it. There really isn't much else to say about this anime. It's simplistic, it doesn't try to breakany boundaries, and it's so monotonous it will probably make you yawn and fall asleep. It executed what every romantic comedy anime out there has ever attempted to accomplish. I can guarantee that you have seen this same template numerous times before, and I can also promise that you have seen better.
Story - 4 / 10
The story is generic and monotonous. It does not bring anything new to the table that makes itself memorable, or leave a mark behind in history. You can summarize the story in one sentence, and the reader could predict everything that will ever happen in the anime. Is there any completely unexpected plot twist? Is there any cliffhanger that leaves you at the edge of your seat? Or maybe there is some sort of symbolism, or undertone that it is trying to portray. The answer is 'no' to all of your questions. The story is basically a silly, happy-go-lucky, simplistic romance that has been repeated too many times before with absolutely no depth whatsoever. The pacing also made me uncomfortable. First episode they meet, second they kiss, and third, they automatically become a boyfriend and girlfriend. It's immature and childish, and definitely does not represent the singular theme they have been emphasizing throughout this entire anime, which is indeed 'love.' The storyline was just another contribution to why I find Say 'I Love You' so bland.
Art - 5 / 10
The art is satisfactory. It doesn't do anything extraordinary, but it certainly isn't disgusting. The somewhat likable character design, and the brightening colors that were incorporated into the background scenery was what gave its' animation a semi-respectable score, and I am sorry to say, is the pinnacle of this anime's accomplishment. Other than the sparkle and the twinkle that they sprinkle and sugarcoat in every single shoujo anime, Say 'I Love You' does not outdo any other anime with its' art. To wrap it up, it does its' job, and with the wide variety of spectrum the animation studio ventures into when they bring this anime to life is a compliment I am reluctant to give, but I will just for the anime's mentionable work.
Sound - 4 / 10
The soundtrack of Say 'I Love You' is almost like a lullaby. It puts you into a slumber, and makes you wonder whether Say 'I Love You' is supposed to make you fall asleep or make you giggle and laugh over the chemistry experienced throughout adolescence. The opening theme is a heartwarming hymn, but certainly isn't anything special. It's calm, collected, but definitely doesn't introduce the romantic aspect of Say 'I Love You', but gives you a more wistfully composed orchestral piece. The quiet piano and violin strumming away in the background is soothing and gentle, but it just didn't break a barrier or kick down a wall for me. The ending theme is practically an identical twin to its' opening theme counterpart. The OST? More whimsical singing, making me picture it to be more of a children nursery rhyme than a love song. In conclusion, the sound? Nothing remarkable. But still bearable.
Character - 3 / 10
The characterization throughout Say 'I Love You' is most likely the worst part of this anime. The main female protagonist is timid, reserved Mei Tachibana. Her introduction actually somewhat drew me in-- an anti-social, pessimistic student who doesn't believe in establishing relationships with her classmates. This really hooked me-- I wanted to know more about her perspective on the everyday boundaries of school life, and her thoughts/opinions on social hierarchy, interactions, etc. I also really liked it when I noticed the courage she possessed when she gave the most popular boy at her school a roundhouse kick in the face! But then this bright, intelligent, and audacious young woman that I believed had such an interesting view on the world suddenly transformed into your ordinary tsundere character who would never respond to the male protagonist, Yamato Kurosawa's affection. Which brings me to my next point. Yamato Kurosawa has got to be one of my least favorite characters in Say 'I Love You." He is perfect, almost robotically so. Yamato Kurosawa, the academic all star, the athletic champion, the wealthy son of a successful family, and on top of all that he has a beautiful face and a social life. Which is what makes him so monotonous to observe as a character. I didn't like how there wasn't anything wrong with him. He is a human, not an alienish demigod who excels at everything he does. I also didn't like the sudden fluctuation between his interest in Mei. First he is all over her, his top priority, the one individual he wanted to see and spend his time with, and then all of a sudden, he almost forgets her. The process rinses and repeats like a cycle. Neither Mei Tachibana nor Yamato Kurosawa did their role as the main protagonist justice, not even decently so, which is why the score they have received is so long. It would have been even lower if Mei Tachibana's introduction wasn't so solid. This aspect of Say 'I Love You' was yet another factor that made this anime so disappointing.
Enjoyment - 3 / 10
Alright, I will admit it. I don't usually watch shoujo anime. Yes, I have seen a lot of excellent shoujo anime, and I have seen a lot of completely gagworthy shoujo anime. Say 'I Love You' to me is just a mediocre, soap opera fling. It is a decent anime to watch if you want to completely turn off your constructively critical brain, and just enjoy a romantic comedy. But that does not forgive the English bran muffin of a storyline, and the disastrous characterization. Say 'I Love You' has done everything that has already been done, and if not worse. I certainly did NOT enjoy this anime, and this is coming from a female adolescent, which I believe is Say 'I Love You' 's target demographic. It claims itself to be a romantic comedy slice-of-life. But I did find the relationship that Mei and Yamato shared to be romantic, but more awkward, prepubescent, and coming-of-age. The most that Mei and Yamato did was hold themselves in an uncomfortable embrace, or a sudden kiss here or there. In my opinion, an adolescent attraction is not what love is, and if you haven't noticed already from its' title, is what this anime is trying so hard to emphasize. It claims itself to possess comedy, and will promise laughter. But the jokes that were displayed only put a halfhearted smile on my face, because well, I can't put it anymore bluntly than it wasn't funny, and definitely didn't provide any entertainment for me as the audience. It does what it's supposed to with its' slice of life genre, which isn't all too interesting to witness anyway. You have your high school, identical uniforms, and handsome/beautiful boys and girls. Nothing ever happened, nothing ever happens, and nothing ever will happen. Say 'I Love You' just wasn't for me.
And with that, I give it an overall score of 4 / 10.
Sorry. :/
Stark700
Sukitte Ii na yo is a gem. I mean it as a gem that sparkles, shines, and is one of those rare classic shoujo that is pleasing to audience who are into the drama medium. The series is quite something to take an insight on because of the way it presents itself. Let's think of it this way and picture yourself in the story: You're an individual who has a troubled past. You have been ostracized by various circumstances and nowadays, you don't give a damn what anyone thinks about you or your life. That is till you meet one of the hottest student at schoolwho takes an interest in you. Your heart pounds and for the first time in your life, you give a damn about your life and those around you especially regarding that student. That, my friends, is where Sukitte Ii na yo shines. It's a discovery and it's a classic.
Sukitte Ii na yo (also known as Say "I Love You".) is an anime series adapted from the manga written by Kanae Hazuki. The animation studio, Zexcs handles its production which is already known for some of its past works in the romance department such as Da Capo, Fortune Arterial, and H2O: Footprints in the Sand. The series fits within the romance and drama side as opposed to a pure romantic comedy because of the story involved.
Like I mentioned before, the series is a classic for those into the shoujo medium. It is like a breath of fresh air to watch especially with the lighthearted backgrounds presented. For those into some school drama involving the typical high school life, it's like a journey all over again.
The series kicks off with a girl named Mei Tachibana. She is nothing special although she used to get well along with others. Unfortunately, it seems that events in the past has shut her down and made her an unsociable person. In fact, classmates who knows her describes Mei as a girl who keeps to herself with little words and a person stuck in her own little world. Yet at the same time, we can see Mei as an honest girl who is caring, loyal, and willing to help others when the time calls for it. But time isn't always on her side especially during a day when she bumps heads to heads with the most popular student at school.
Here's where the drama kicks in and his name is Yamato Kurosawa.
Yamato is one of the most popular guys at school and his name may even suggest a male version of Yamato Nadeshiko (no pun intended). He meets Mei in a very unusual way at school and later on so helps her with a problem involving a stalker. Yikes! Now, from there on and out, the two forms a bond despite Mei's stubbornness.
Now, the duo seems to very incompatible at first glance. I mean, Mei is one of the most plain looking girls at school with a plain way of dealing with her life. On the other hand, Yamato is the most popular guy at school who is idolized by many of the students. Sounds like living on the opposite of the world, right? Yet, what these two individuals share in common is their willingness to take on life itself with their ways of helping others and discover themselves. It's a pleasant watch and a rare gem we don't see too common in today's shoujo theme series. Later on, Mei and Yamato forges a relationship that seems to get quite the attention.
I honestly think the duo are quite compatible that balances out each other. We know that Mei is a plain looking girl who is clumsy yet very honest with herself and with others. Yamato often goes out helping his classmates as well by putting others above himself. We can see that he dislikes people who just likes him for his appearance. When Yamato realizes that Mei likes him beyond just his physical appearance, the two becomes quite compatible. Although loathed by some of the other students at school, they are a good match.
The other characters also plays their roles in the story as well that often brings forth new surprises and obstacles to the couple. That brings for the drama into the series.
On the male side, we have Kai Takemura who has very similar circumstances with Mei. Both of them had a past they wish they can forget but they manage to move on. After their encounter, Kai becomes part of the love triangle between Yamato, Mei, and himself. It's drama to the D especially when we see Yamato's jealous and defensive side. On the female side, there is Megumi Kitagawa. She is seen as an idol on similar status with Yamato and is possibly what Mei wants to be: popular and beautiful. Yet, we see behind that outer shell is a very insecure girl who seems sweet but is only aiming at her own goals, aka Yamato. The three of them is a love triangle that makes Mei once again examine herself and the relationship she forms.
The overall execution of the series follows that typical shoujo theme ways of portraying its ways, settings, and backgrounds. As such, expect some cliched and predictable moments especially between the duo of Mei and Yamato. Even from the pilot episode, it can be easy to tell where the direction the two are heading. The misunderstandings and some of the drama are also easy to see through especially involving Megumi. It's no surprising either that in high school, all sort of situations happen and love is may just be one of them. The series takes that love between the duo and drives it throughout each episode as obstacles and events are presented. It shows how much they discover themselves and how much they can change when they understand each other.
The artwork of the series is quite realistic and portrays the backgrounds with the school life setting. The various classrooms, playgrounds, and characters are real and needs to be in that way to convey to the viewers what high school is all about. Yuka Hirama (the art director) does a wonderful job of that crafting the characters. Mei is painted as a plain looking girl. Yamato is painted as cool looking guy. Megumi is painted as a school idol with a beautiful figure. Kei is painted as a guy that used to have a rebellious nature. It is all there and the audience can see how each of them fits within their boundaries within the artwork department.
Similarly, the soundtrack of the series is lighthearted. Although not too well known, Yuuji Nomi engineers the series' music with his skills to create a sense of being there. It's nothing too special because it mostly is lighthearted and hardly noticeable at times. However, it is a sweet melody that depicts the settings and the characters especially the opening song. "Friendship ~ for Sukitte Ii na yo" by Ritsuko Okazaki is a very lighthearted song that gives off that melody of sweetness which depicts the duo's sweet relationship. Similarly, the ED song follows the same suit to match the lightheartedness of the series.
All in all, Sukitte Ii na yo is a pleasant series to watch. The relationship between Mei and Yamato is quite warming and realistic to what some of us may have experienced during our teen years. It's heartwarming, sweet, and at the same time has drama to it especially involving the other characters. It is also a shoujo that fits within its boundaries without going over heels or trying too hard. Ultimately, it's a rare little gem that deserves praise for its beauty.
Rinkashikika
Sukitte Ii na yo was my first romance anime to watch and I decided to write this review in order to convey to you all of my thoughts about it. Well, when I was watching the earliest episodes, I thought it was really underrated. There are many out there that don’t really like it (and I’m talking about girls certainly) and that was always leads it to be given really unfair ratings. Well that’s exactly the problem with romance animes. Their stories redound to become mainstream and that’s why they don’t appeal much on their viewers, so that makes them complete them without considerate them asa big deal. But here we have something special. A HUGE deal, actually lol.
So, let’s start from the basics.
We have our typical social-awkward girl and the popular hot guy who falls in love with her. Of course I was like “awww” when hearing the typical love words and stuff like “you’re my everything”, but what I liked more was the participation of the other characters in the story. I mean, watching a couple doing stuff all over the anime is totally boring. But here, you will see development in the characters. They will narrate their different pasts, their different stories and reveal sad truths and facts about them. So, there were some life lessons as well. Trying hard to be accepted by the others -so much that you harm yourself, overcoming your fears, the meaning of friendship, be envy of the others, isolate yourself. All these applied on the characters making you enjoy the show as you see how relations between them are being developed. And I think that was actually what made me curious about the next episode, watching it right after the previous ‘cause I just couldn’t wait at all :P What I also liked was the way that characters showed up in the show, leaving you more curious and making you wanting to “explore” their personalities and find out their connection to the rest of the characters, as well (which was an another strong point of the anime).
So, about the “romantic” side, I have to say that I really liked it. You can clearly see what love really means, what love really is just by how the relation between the two main characters is developed. And this anime taught me that love has to do with completing and dedicating completely to each other. Hahah, and I’m putting aside the cute main character, our loving Yamato.
Overall: 7
Sukitte Ii na Yo was a decent romance anime. Not too girly nor boring and totally NOT stupid at all. It can keep you stuck to it until the end through its great love story, the shapely art, the variety of the characters and the zestful relations/connections between them.
inuelle
This is my first review, and I never thought I would actually write one. But I feel like what I have to say needs to be heard. This is all my own opinion, and if you don't agree with it, then that's okay too. We are all entitled to our opinions. Sukitte Ii na yo (Say "I Love You") was an anime I knowingly walked into as the new love story of the year. Except it surprised me, in the best way possible. The story seemed to rush into the love story at the beginning, I didn't really expect anything more than that.Except the story took a new twist.
The story took a deeper path, by looking at the background of almost every character, the things that had happened to them. Basically their dark secrets. For each one it was either being a bully, or being bullied. The story turned from this silly love story, into watching people overcome fears, battle their pasts, and learn to trust others.
If there was one thing I took out of this anime, it was this:
Everyone has a story to tell. And the way people act now, is because of something in their past. And if you never learn about that past, then you don't know the real them.
A quote from the anime:
"But there's nothing wrong to worrying. It's like a wall you need to overcome, to make it to the next level. If you're running up against that wall, it means you're moving forward. I wonder how many walls I've broken up until now, but if you wont move yourself, you will never get anywhere."
I recommend this anime to anyone.
otakuchii
This anime was far too cliche for me. I'm an avid lover of romance anime, or anything for that matter, but it was literally frustrating and painful to complete this series. Classic loser heroine and popular boy likes girl. Oh, sure, the art was pretty good, but that's all. The only reason this anime was eye-catching was because of the artwork, IMO. However, I did enjoy the soundtrack. It matched the anime and feel of it. Very little character development. She was basically a loner, never doing anything or having any friends. He was a classical hot-popular guy with floods of girls who has asoft side for the mysterious girl who has painful self-esteem. (which is irritating as the series goes on.)
I did enjoy at first, but that didn't last long. Just horrible.
Overall, I watched this a long time ago and I was so disappointed. I hear about how amazing it is and it baffles me. = _ = but, I guess it's just not my taste. There was nothing interesting about this anime.
24puraland
Sadly, I didn't enjoy this anime at all. Story (3) I didn't find anything particularly interesting about the story, and sometimes it was ridiculously predictive. Just your typical high school setting, except that there was nothing interesting about it in the slightest. Art (7) I would say the art is the best thing about this anime, even though it's not really my type. It is quite beautiful at times, but it's nothing spectacular. Sound (5) Not much to say here.Character (2)
The thing I find most exciting about television is the characters. When they're all complex and interesting, they're almost a family, and each has their own strengths and flaws, and when you want to get to know them. This anime had none of that. I didn't find any of the characters interesting at all, each were painfully stereotypical. The female lead was interesting to me in the first episode - she seemed shy, lonely yet strong - but after the first episode, she became extremely bland, and everything she did was frustrating and boring. The other character, her love interest seemed so over-"perfect" that it was annoying and uninteresting. Also, the way that he fell "in love" with her seemed ridiculous and rushed, and it made no sense to me. I found myself rolling my eyes throughout the entire show. Some of the side characters had interesting back stories though, but that's about all.
Enjoyment (3)
The first episode was enjoyable, I can admit that. It showed a lot of potential and it got me interested, which is why I kept watching. Sadly, it just went downhill from there. I felt no emotion towards any of the characters. However, I stuck through the show in hopes of a decent ending, which never really came.
Overall:
There's absolutely nothing fun about the plot, story, anything. Isn't love supposed to be enjoyable to watch? Not painstakingly boring and cringe worthy? I wouldn't recommend it. I've seen plenty of other romance animes that are way more enjoyable than this one, with characters you can realistically relate to, or fall in love with all the same. Not this though. Sorry :(
Kecchan
I can't decide whether to praise or diss this anime. I could write a review gushing about how great it is, or a scalding one about it's downfalls. I'll do both. Pros: -The romance itself is quite good. It's interesting to see the different sides of each other they bring out. They make one another less boring and have a truly touching love story, as sudden and maybe even forced as it was. They have heavy chemistry and you can understand why they love each other, even if seems that they fell in love rather fast. -That being said, Mei's character isn't your regular happy, cheerful, submissivegirl (well...), but she's interesting in that we can all relate to her pain and loneliness. She has had some tough experiences that were a bit dramatized and probably are...uncommon...but possible, and the pain she felt at being rejected by her classmates and being hurt over and over by her friends, is something we can all definitely relate to.
-There is no annoying waiting. The main love interest tells her he likes her quickly, and they don't take ages to get together, which is refreshing. They are also surprisingly honest with each other, which is nice to see and helps the romance come at a faster, better rate.
-The art is absolutely beautiful.
-The story is familiar, but it has some new elements that make it interesting and very unique.
-The romantic interest isn't a cold jerk to the girl for once. He is the cliche popular, rich, perfect player guy, but he is actually very kind, considerate and warm towards Mei, which is refreshing and interesting.
-They have a very balanced relationship. He is considerate towards her, and Mei is honest with him. There is no one person dominating the other. They have one of the healthiest relationships I've seen.
Cons:
-The romance is good in terms of chemistry, but it happens way too suddenly, way too fast. You blink, and they're in love. He's nice to her, sure, but at the same time, she doesn't come off as the type to be so trusting and loving right away after all she's been though....
-Talking about Mei, she goes off character many times. She goes from a cold, prickly girl to a moe, kawaii blushing cute girl in the span of four seconds. It's just uncharacteristic to change so fast. It's not character development, it's just conveniently changing her with no reason to make her cuter, more appealing, and better for the romance relationship.
-I can't stand the music, but some may, so I rated it average.
-The main male romantic interest is boring. I've seen him in nearly every shoujo anime - arrogant but kind, perfect, good at sports, good at academics, rich, popular, every girl loves him yet he chooses the loser girl, player....yeah. Been done before, and there's no development or even backstory for him. He's kind and a great boyfriend, but beyond that, very hollow, shallow character with little interesting things about him.
-A lot of the obstacles seem very forced, cliche, overdone and overdramatized. They take the smallest thing and blow it up to be some huge, mindblowing issue. It's just not that great story-wise. The plot is forced and kind of blind, despite some good themes it brings in.
SirHellfire
"Having friends is the same as setting yourself up for a fall." - Someone probably. Sukitte Ii na yo or Say "I Love You." is an anime mainly about trying to manage a relationship with THE most popular dude in high school with you being the unpopular 'emo' girl, while at the same time is about making and sometimes find out what a true friend is. Now people have told me that, to be blunt, my reviews are sometimes a bit shit so I'm going to try a different formula and see how that goes. THE GOOD: The characters in this anime are great, and you reallyneed them to be because, this is a high school romance anime, if the characters are uninteresting or poorly done, no one is going to care when the drama rolls in to shake everything up. That being said the two key characters that you're going to be following for this entire anime are anything but uninteresting. First you have Mei Tachibana a social exile for lack of better wording, who, when she was in elementary school, was blamed for killing the class rabbit by her 'friends' and after that point she didn't make another friend until she ran into... or rather roundhouse kicked the most popular dude in her high school, one Yamoto Kurosawa, who, for some odd reason, is instantly interested in Mei right after she kicks him off a staircase.
Now Mei might come off as a predetermined tsundere once she opens her mouth, but she's actually rather shy and timid. While Yamoto is the silver-tongued-suave-lady killer, who's loved for being a nice dude at school... and apparently he's handsome.... No comment. But because these two MC's are pretty much polar opposite it (at first) felt like Yamoto was a cat chasing after a ball of yarn, Mei being the yarn, but after the second episode you realize that, no, Yamoto does in fact what to be serious with Mei affirmed by the line, "You are mine.".... *Whispers* I think he's a dominatrix. On a side note, the characters as a collective actually talk like they're in high school, they talk about sex and porn and boobs as, you know, actual people do/would.
The sound design, for the voices, was done to what I've come to expect as standard really, no one had an annoying voice and no one felt let the person voicing them had just woken up and wanted to go back to sleep, it was fine. Standard. Par. Good Enough. Alrig- Okay I'll shut up now. The music and sound queuing on the other hand was a little bit better than standard, at least at the start, the constant cutting of piano with the rapid editing of the visual blended really well, and I'll admit I actually jump a little with the scene featuring the train in the first episode. So the sound was all-round solid, nothing else to mention really.
The art and animation didn't do anything to make me go, "OMG MY EYES!!!!!" in you, is was pretty much on level with the sound, on scene from the first episode sticks out because Mei was screaming and waving her hands around and the camera is solely focusing on her face and everything in the background is blurred instead of a standard shot where everything is in focus and still.
THE BAD:
The thing that this anime arguably lacks, personally I think it just doesn't really need it, is a plot. You can argue that it's about Mei learning to trust people again, but really the only thing that's driving all the events is the relationship, not that there's anything wrong with that, it'd just be better if something else would be happening apart from the Mei/Yamoto relationship and the various dramas unfolding because of that.
One thing that felt really forced by this show was the message of 'everyone is the same, regardless of what they seem like' and this show really beats you over the head with that, ALL of the named characters have some sort of emotional or physical scar from the past that they somehow tie to Mei. Somehow. this aspect might be realistic, because there isn't a person on this planet that doesn't have some sort of damage like that, and if you're that person whose reading this saying, "Nah not me." 1.Bullshit 2.Wait a little longer, then get back to me.
Another thing that personally annoyed me just a little bit was the final episode, episode 13, you could've ended the anime on episode 12 and nothing would've changed, I feel like they had the project done, but then realized that they needed something to do with all the time they had left and someone just put up their hand and said, "How about another episode?" That guy then got promoted.
THE VERDICT:
Sukitte Iinayo is a good anime, it's nothing outstanding, but it does it's job properly, it shows you what you came for and nothing really apart from that, no hidden meaning (FRIENDSHIP IS A LIE!!), and some pretty nice characters that have normal conversations, instead of straight avoiding those blasphemous words and acting all embarrassed and innocent when someone hints at it. Say "I Love You" won't pry those words out of my mouth, but it will get me to take it to dinner and walk it home.
Goodbye my brethren, see you in the next one.
Otaku_Apologizt
Sukitte ii na yo (eng. Say ”I love you”) had potential to be a blissful romantic drama - for the most part, it is. It nails many aspects of a good story which make up for its flawed plot. The best part of this show is the cast of characters: they are solid, varied and interesting. All of them have their upsides, downsides, flaws and rivalries. Even without an external plot, the emotional plot alone carries this show far. The animation is really sick too: The lines are sharp and everything from backgrounds to people is finely detailed. Both the guys and the girls are attractiveto the eye but not overtly sexy. I can't emphasize enough how much I liked the art – oh, and the music! Both the intro and the end theme are amazing and I loved hearing them every time.
The only problem with this show is its lack of a plot. Especially unnerving is how watered down the love triangles are. Every crisis is resolved way too easily, some of them almost instantly and without any actual developments. The good thing is, by the time you start feeling disappointed, you've already reached the ending. The strong points for this series are the characters who have tons of personality and historic background.
The show deals with plenty of social themes, mostly focused on the brutal side of social life, such as bullying, eating disorders, self-esteem issues, etc. These themes could've used far more in-depth exploration. I have not read the manga, but I get the feeling like most of my problems with this series are related to the hiccups which materialize when you adapt hundreds of pages of manga into 20-minute episodes.
I love romantic fiction, but I also have a very personal beef with it. I know there are young people out there who build their ideas about relationships from fiction. The story of Romeo and Juliet is the perfect example of how retarded and self-destructive young love can be. I'm not saying people can't enjoy fantasies, but they need to recognize pandering bullshit. "Sukitte ii na yo" is smart because it avoids one of the grave sins of romantic fiction: Instead of falsely implying that lack of social skills makes you hot, the story actually digs into the theme of disparity in social stature and its effect on a relationship. The author clearly has an idea what she's doing and it´s too bad the story doesn't reach the heights it could have.
I really hope that some day there will be a second season for "Sukitte ii na yo", because I definitely feel thirsty for more.
highpriest2500
In a world full of strangers, full of people who hate you, no matter which way you turn, you can't trust anyone. Even if you reach out to someone, they will only end up using you or simply outright betray you. Sukitte Il Na Yo, or Say I Love You, builds upon that premise with an added twist: what if the first person you begin to trust is your first love? This is quite a daunting situation because trust, as well as listening to each other, and spending time together, is an important element to a healthy relationship. It is similar to being forced torun before learning how to walk. You just can't do it without knowing the first steps.
This is the situation that our main female character, Tachibana Mei, is in. Having been bullied and excluded by friends during her childhood, Mei has withdrawn herself into her own cocoon as she enters high school. One day, the most popular guy's friend, named Kenji, pulls Mei's skirt, provoking her. Extremely pissed off, she ends up roundhouse kicking Yamato, who is the most popular guy in the school. It seems that her kick struck a chord in Yamato and he ends up seeing Mei as a love interest. I can't speak for all guys but, to all girls out there, kicking us guys, if we don't know you, will probably not make us fall in love with you. Anyway, "Say I Love You" follows a pretty typical shoujo plot: girl has problems, girl meets prince, prince changes girl's life, girl falls in love with prince. But this is not an anime where they get together and head off into the sunset riding on a white horse at the end. In fact, Mei and Yamato get together very early in the anime. What this anime shows is how they come to understand each other while being in a relationship. The situations that the couple was placed in were very interesting, especially the first couple or so, because given Mei's lack of trust in general, you get to experience her emotional turmoil as she struggles to understand what it takes to be in a relationship. However, as the anime approached the end, the situations were falling more into the generic Shoujo situations of misunderstandings and the like.
While the primary storyline of the anime is the relationship between Mei and Yamato, there are a few subplots running about, especially near the end. I had a little bit of a hard time figuring out how those plots tied into the main story but they tie into the bigger themes of bullying, trust, and friendship. I would say the anime does a good job of weaving these small stories into the anime without having them end up feeling like fillers.
There is a relatively large cast of characters and unfortunately, most side characters don't get much development. I would say Aiko and Asami get a gradual development over the course of the story while the others seemed to just get a quick exposition and no more development afterwards. This is not a bad thing since I am seeing Sukitte for the action between Mei and Yamato but at the same time, the side characters were pretty interesting people that I wanted to understand more.
Aside from the side characters, our two main characters are pretty good. Out of the entire cast, Mei is my favourite. Mei starts off as a really insecure character but as she grows in the relationship and climbs out of her cocoon, she reveals herself as a really good and passionate person, and in my opinion, a great girl for any guy to have. Yamato is a decent guy. Like most other shoujo anime, he is a heartthrob who can claim a girl's heart simply by breathing. Although he can go overboard with his desire to help everyone, he loves Mei with all his heart. His development is mostly stagnant throughout the entire anime and he mostly serves as developing Mei's character.
The artwork in Sukitte is very good. It takes a more realistic approach with, of course, the usual characteristics of a shoujo anime: long armed and tall guys and (much to a guy's dismay) flat-as-a-board female MC (anyone get the reference to another great shoujo anime?). The colour palette showcased dim, perhaps even washed-out, colours. I thought it complemented well to the relatively quiet nature of the entire anime. The animators deserve a lot of credit as they depicted the facial expressions of the characters very well. I recall in one scene where there was little dialogue but the facial expressions and body language effectively conveyed the tense and confusing atmosphere of the situation.
The sound was well done as well. Although the soundtrack doesn't reach epic status, the music in each scene was well selected. I also enjoyed the relatively quiet OP as it complements Mei's personality and perhaps her relationship with Yamato as well. The voice actors also did a very good job. Mei's voice actor, Kayano Ai, was also the voice for Menma from AnoHana and Ibara from Hyouka while Yamato's voice actor, Sakurai Takahiro, was the voice for Matsuyuki from AnoHana (nice complement there), Suzaku from Code Geass, Jin from Sakurasou no Pet, and (for laughs) Tentomon from Digimon. Props to both of them for bringing great chemistry to Mei and Yamato.
Say I Love You is a decent anime. It is not just a story about love but also about opening up to others. Sometimes, just putting yourself out there can do wonders. Definitely give this anime a watch if you are romance fan or looking for an anime where you see how the relationship develops throughout the course of the show (rather than simply seeing the couples get together at the end)!
Let me know what you think of Sukitte Il Na Yo! I would love to hear from you!
KrenZane
Whatever attempts it had on conveying the optimistic side of human relationships and the acceptance of connecting with oneself and with others as a way to achieve emotional growth was stale at best. It had messages that, despite being oversaturated, were still beautiful and helpful. At least, hypothetically. Say I Love You falls short in creatively telling a story about a high school misanthrope without any friends and a romantic partner and her daily school adventures with your quintessential campus crush and how they learn to acknowledge their scars, how to forgive ourselves, and how to trust. Already on the "pessimistic introverted female" and the"perfect idol guy" the grounds start to feel barren, yet the author was not able to spring up anything fruitful from it, making the journey towards the end more discomforting than what it already brings to the table from the start.
Say I Love You suffers from cliched tropes and melodramatic elements on a romance-centered tale that at many times just felt dreadful or just bland to even witness. Drama for the sake of drama, conflict for the sake of conflict. It really wasn't that convincing of a 13-episode presentation, what with weird pacing and random, disparate character interactions and played scenes.
On that note, the characters are second-rate actors performing second-rate scripts. Tachibana Mei is a person of the background in the character cast sphere with nothing in her to stand out as someone "profound". Kurosawa Yamato was a weird guy who barraged timid Mei with unsolicited kisses on the lips (I counted 8 in the first 2 episodes) which felt so out of character as we found out how he is actually someone on the sensible and reasonable side of things. But at the same time, his interactions with Kitagawa Megumi and his treatment of Mei in specific occasions raises an eye. A bland protagonist and an inconsistent and unlikeable male lead is a recipe for a subpar junk food.
Enough of the criticisms, let's dive into the brighter side of things shall we? Say I Love You wasn't all bad. Despite everything I said about its painfully average storytelling and some downsides, I still have some gratefulness within me for the author's intent, regardless of its critical and technical executions. To not be afraid of trusting and to be open to opportunities on human connection is something integral which should be preached to the youth especially. On that ground, it had cool ideas. High school hormones are wild, teenagers are still at the peak of their flaws. Yet despite all that, authenticity is the key to meeting people who will love you for who you are, as well as the means to forgive yourself flaws and all.
Mei's background made her easily empathize with Yamato's lenience and inaction, Aiko's forced transformations, and Kai's desire for revenge. It was through Yamato's love for her (which came as sudden as a sneeze) which was rather bewildering considering their social positions and personality that Mei learned how to speak her own mind. It was through his relationship with her that Yamato learned to be more mindful of his actions, and to be more assertive in his values (minutely shown on the grand scheme of things, however). This theme continues on with Kitagawa Megumi and her desire for love done in a very self-harming manner. The human instinct for connection and intimacy rang strong for Megumi who was bullied for her outer appearance and lacked the care of a parental figure, making her blind to the people in her life who truly loves the girl behind the facade. Authenticity and tackling life head-on with bravery was wholly discussed in the story. These actions are requirements for self-actualization. The title speaks directly to this--speaking with truth and integrity. The fact that Mei never was able to externalize this feelings of hers shows that there is still much room left to grow, so much weaknesses left to conquer, not necessarily an off-putting hole in the heart of the story or anything.
In conclusion, I'm still in confusion. I admire the ideas presented by the author, but they were just not executed convincingly, leaving me with a regretfully bad taste. A core with distorted flesh does not do much. I mean, most stories are awesome in theory right? The act of creation is already applaudable. But how it's handled is a make or break situation. Additionally, as a romance story, I did not even receive any sweetness nor any romance-related sensations from it. It had me focus more on human connections in general. The romance is a mere stepping stone for that, I guess?
And so with all of that being said, I decide to mark Say I Love You as a hodgepodge melodrama that could have been more were it to calibrate its component cogs.
KonaKoffee
A mediocre tale written about a mediocre girl who falls in love with a mediocre guy, how cute. Say I Love You is the story about a girl who is never noticed falling in love with a guy that everyone noticed. In other words, it is the even more basic version of every high school drama series ever created. Story: 4 The storyline isn't the worst and at times it comes off as quite adorable. It is also a storyline that many of us can relate to, if you were the kind of kid who was never popular in high school. Basically, Mei (female protagonist) isa very antisocial girl who decides not to make anymore friends in high school. That all changes one day when she finally meets this guy, whom for some reason she has never seen before despite them going to a high school where everyone knows everyone, and he changes her outlook on social activity. Hooray!
Art: 8
The art is the only really good thing in this show. The characters are drawn well and everything looks very calmly and peaceful, which sets the mood for this kind of series.
Sound: 7
The music is nice and the overall sound is very appealing. However, it is still not all that unique comparitively speaking. Voice acting matched the characters well, but nothing special enough for me to write about.
Character: 2.8
The characters, all of them, are completely stagnant and poorly developed.
First you have Mei, which we all know to be antisocial, but I mean she could have at least tried harder in life. I watched the entire 13 episodes hoping I would watch her blossom into this mature woman, but nooooooo. She is beyond passive, and despite gaining a bit more confidence she still has the same mediocre tone to her personality.
Then you have Yamato, the king of "marty stues". He is not only the best looking guy in the world, but he has messed around with every single girl he's met yet manages to still treat them with respect. Aw, how thoughtful of him to treat a human being like a human being, that must mean he is the most absolute perfect boyfriend in the world.
The writers are trying to fool you into thinking he is this perfect guy, but he is completely docile and clueless when it comes to the poor behavior of himself or the people around him. And sure, he is a good boyfriend (at one point) to Mei, but you quickly realize he lacks the perfect qualities you are fooled into believe he has. However, it is still played off as if he can do no wrong and it makes the entire theme feel completely phony.
Then you have everyone else, who is either beautiful and stupid or beautiful and rude. Either way, you are forced to believe that beautiful people cannot have bland personalities, that's for ugly people. I mean, this is why Mei is ugly, right? *rolls eyes*
Enjoyment: 4
Some of the scenes were very adorable to watch, and it is nice to watch shows where someone makes friends and their bond grows stronger. However, the entire series feels so fake when it comes to those strong bonds of love and friendship.
All of Mei's friends are still better friends with Yamato, and they truly behave in the way of putting Yamato before her. She doesn't define her relationship and she never defines her relationship, Yamato is their relationship. This makes the series very frustrating to watch, especially since none of the characters really improve in terms of quality.
Overall: 3.9
Welp, it's not the worst anime I have ever seen...
Bearbear145
Sukitte Ii na yo. A very underrated anime, many people slate this anime but I believe if you're a fan of the romance genre you'll very much enjoy this and hence throughout this review I will tell you what the producers did well! Please note due to the nature of this review I will reveal a very 'slight' spoiler, not of great importance and revealed about two episodes into the series anyway, however; please be cautious before reading on! Story - First of all, let's start with what I believe this anime did right in terms of its story line. As I'm sure you're aware mostromance anime show the two main protagonists slowly coming together near the end of the series. Unlike this, 'Sukitte Ii na yo' has the two main characters come together near the very start of the anime, thus showing how they develop as a couple rather than developing into a couple, this makes for a fun and new change of pace for romance genre lovers.
Art - I was a great fan of the artwork, I believe in general there was great simplicity, though I found the portrayal of the characters was fantastic! The characters were drawn in a way that almost gave insight into their characteristics: shy; naive; confident or so on, almost allowing the audience to foreshadow later events.
Sound - I have little to comment on the sound other than, having personally watched the Dubbed version, the voice acting was strong and representative of the characters. I'm unaware what the original voice acting sounds like however.
Character - Naturally, in the genre of romance; characters are very important, especially when it comes to the main male and female protagonists. I want to avoid any further spoilers so will avoid telling of how these characters change the direction of the story, but will however comment on how their range of different characteristics allow the anime to have an edge, keeping the audience intent and interested with the story.
Enjoyment - I found great enjoyment within this anime and believe it has high 'rewatch' value, I was content with the ending and didn't feel the need for any further story. The anime truly ended on a good note whilst also providing fan service.
Last notes - Let's end this review in a conclusive manner, is 'Sukitte Ii na yo' worth a watch in my own opinion? Yes, the anime excels its expectations, providing a chilled, fell good and more over a enjoyable experience!
DocNagi
Sukitte Ii na yo is a hard pill to swallow. One can be overwhelmed by the ambition that this anime tries to achieve, however such stray from the norm can overwhelm the audience to weaken its premise as a memorable romcom. The art and music is presented with emotion that heightens the story. The anime's ED features Suneohair, who has also made EDs from other romances such as Honey and Clover and Arakawa Under the Bridge. In addition, the voice cast works hand and glove with each other, conveying the character's feelings that feels fit towards each person. Having said that, the character development is leftwith silly misunderstandings and overwhelming drama that depicts society as a dismal place to live in. The supporting cast's lack of depth and main heroin's constant troubles overcloud the story into becoming more fictitious and far-fetched that believable. All the running gags and complications of a romance are shown in full effect, and while other anime such as Seto no Hanayome can pull this off with ease, Sukitte Ii na yo falls short. This can leave the audience yearning for more depth with Kurosawa and Tachibana (the main characters), but also shows the inconsistencies this anime possesses.
In retrospect, sukitte Ii na yo provides a refreshing breath of the romcom genre with ambitious strives and leaps, however falls short with its lack of character development and its display of having a non-memorable storyline.
Excloverinz
There have been many anime out there that take the theme of romance between popular boys with lonely girls or vice versa. Likewise with Sukitte Ii na Yo. Okay now it's time to discuss the aspects that distinguish this anime from other romance anime. If anime romance in general has the concept of a story about "how to establish a relationship", then there is a slight difference with Sukitte Ii na Yo, because this anime discusses "how to maintain a relationship". Therefore, from the 13 episodes, Sukitte Ii na Yo had quite a lot of conflicts that they tried to present to the audience. However, theseconflicts tend to be shallow and easy to predict. There is nothing "wow" that makes this anime easy to remember.
However, behind the conflict, they try to present interesting things to watch. That is about "what exactly is that friend". And this meaning is quite deep, because it involves problems that often occur in everyday life.
Betrayed, humiliated, exploited - there are many reasons for someone to shut down and distrust others around him. Although at first glance it looks just like an ordinary romantic story, this anime actually has a deeper story, which is about people who have been hurt, such as Mei who was made a scapegoat for the death of a rabbit in his school, Asami who was mocked for his body shape, or Aiko who beloved by her lover. This anime tells the story of how they learn to grow trust in themselves and also in others. Indeed there are still general signs of an ordinary romantic story, such as new characters who suddenly appear to cause far-fetched problems, but as if understanding that this will only have a bad impact, this anime immediately limits the roles of these characters, so the story is more likely to feel colorful than too long. Compared to other romance genre anime, this anime has started to grow up.
For the audio visual, well actually it's not a big problem. It's just that I don't like the character designs of this anime except for Mei because Mei is amazing "I love you Mei". Taking place settings at school, the character designs should also adjust to the background of the place they take.
If you take the story of the genre slice of life, at least they should try to make this series look natural, look realistic. OK, I understand this is Shoujo anime, and they are trying to make female fans to get tired, in such a way as to make the male characters look handsome. But that is too much and not realistic!
Besides that, there is nothing too special about this anime visual, but he still managed to support his story well, especially from an emotional perspective. Cold gazes from behind the shoulder, or a lonely bench in the middle of the corridor - this kind of silent cinematography is able to help the audience to understand the alienation suffered by the characters. Then the voice-acting section also deserves praise, because he managed to represent each character correctly so that each feels unique even in their tone of voice and manner of speech.
For the Character How to save a girl from the stalker? According to Yamato, kiss him in public. How do you cheer up a girl who has just been decided? According to Yamato, sleep with him so he doesn't feel worthless. Although then try to be explained as naive in understanding women's hearts, Yamato's principle of 'kindness' is more like 'cunning' that takes advantage of the situation, so it feels really ridiculous when this anime actually wants to describe it as something romantic.
Likewise with Tachibana Mei. Described as a girl who is determined not to look for friends, because she has the principle that if you have a friend it will hurt her. From here we can see that there will be an interesting development in Mei. Sukitte Ii na Yo managed to show the development that occurred in Mei.
But on the other hand, the overly forgiving nature of this Mei makes the conflict seem very trivial. It's OK to understand if it's like that because he doesn't want to "lose his first relationship". But on the other hand, I don't know why the way he forgave that jerk Yamato was really strange.
However, this is only a small part, while in other parts of this anime managed to explain the characters very well. Each of them is given a background and reason enough that their anxiety is so easily understood. And although the theme of bullying Mei be felt too often and repeatedly, it only makes their tendency to gather and seek mutual support more reasonable.
- Overall:
Love is about trust, so for Tachibana Mei who has long distrusted other people, loving someone is a long, hard road and full of obstacles. That is why this anime is superior compared to other romance genre anime. Instead of just talking about the romantic relationship between young men and women, this anime tells about the evolution of character. And with every part of it trying its best to help you understand the evolution, this anime has completed all the requirements as one of the best shows. (8/10)
misplaced
Honestly, I loved this anime. It sure isn't the most original anime but it's wonderful in it's own way. Story: It's your typical popular boy falls for shy girl romance blooms. However this is probably one of the most realistic romances I've seen in a while. Mei falls for Yamato but that doesn't mean everything is perfect between them. She's still painfully shy around him and sometimes says things she doesn't mean because she doesn't know how else to react in that situation. Sure there's lots of cliché jealousy but that happens in real life. There's just something so sweet about this couple youwant to keep watching more.
Art: Not much to say, I really liked the animation of it. It's quite refreshing and smooth. It has clean lines and crisp colors. There's a watercolor-ish feel to the background as well.
Music: The opening and ending songs are a bit annoying a first, but by the end of the anime I came to realize how nicely they fit in. Very sweet and slow. As far as the background music I thought it fit in nicely with the anime but nothing spectacular.
Character: Mei, well at first she seems to fall into the Mary-sue trap but once you understand her character I think she's wonderful. She's very easy to relate to and root for and all her reactions to the situations are realistic. She's painfully shy at points but slowly begins to open herself up and make friends. Along the way convincing and helping other people as well.
Yamato kind of comes off as cocky jerk. Which is true for the first couple of episodes. But you can tell he genuinely likes Mei and being in a relationship with her changes him. You can tell he's gotten all he's wanted all his life, and now he has to work to keep Mei. (Mei also has to work to keep him.)
Enjoyment: I just really like this anime. It's by no means perfect but their relationship is so real. I came to genuinely care about the characters and when they cried I cried. The show also touches about a lot of important topics. Examples: How important is beauty, trusting people, bullying, how people view you, and most importantly being yourself.
Overall: If you love romance then you'll love this show. There isn't much action but it's a sweet anime. I'd recommend giving it a shot.
deeLovesAnime
Hot guy + anti-social girl ? I thought the same, but after watching it you feel a certain way that's describable. THE LOVE IS REAL AND IMPRESSIONABLE, YOU WILL FALL IN LOVE WITH THIS ANIME, AND HAVE NO IDEA WHY. ITS THAT AMAZING. wow. First review I've ever written, and this anime just took my breath away, while warming my heart at the same time. Its SO good that I can't think of a better way of spending my time. I really don't know why it's so good, it's a typical shouja... But I can't stop thinking about this anime. The story itself just leavesme thinking, and thinking, whats so special about it. But I think it's a must see, because the number 1 thing I noticed about this anime is that it makes me HAPPY. its whimsical, funny and cute, its easy to follow, and fall deep into , it makes you believe that this love is possible. in only 13 episodes, i got attached and hooked, it was always just the right tempo. It makes you love there love, because it's real, id make the same decisions the lead character mei did, this anime just leaves you with the biggest impression, that will stay with you for a long time. Its a classic in its genre, I really recommend it if you've given up hope on unrealistic love, be prepared to regain faith, + be prepared to melt away by yamato's actions like I did.
Caleb_Marvell
Alright... like all of you that have watched and completed this show, I bet you thought to yourself, "Why is this anime so good?". I pondered that in my mind for about 3 hours before finally realizing the answer: It's the most realistic romance anime you can find out there. Some of you probably have different reasons why you love the show, but that was what I came up with. You have tons of romance animes out there, such as "A Bridge to the Starry Skies", "The Rose Madder Colored Hills", even "The Future Diary" can be considered a romance in it's own way... the problem withall of them, they seem fairly unrealistic. I doubt anyone in the world had to go through picking one girl out of an entire group of girls that loves him, picking either your fiance or your sister, or finding out your girlfriend is a sociopathic murderer in a challenge to become God.
Now we turn to Say I Love You. It's how a lot of real romances go, the couple date, they kiss, they declare their love for one another. That's pretty much this show in a nutshell. For all we know, this might even be inspired by a true story. Might.
For a story, it was good. It wasn't entirely original, but there were moments in the show that got me wanting to know what happens next. A lot of shows revolve around some mini stories and one big story. This show pretty much only had one main story with the exception of one mini story, which kind of tied in with the main story, so if you're following me, there was only the main story. So as I was saying about it being slightly unoriginal, it's basically a Guy-Meets-Girl plot line. Luckily I liked the show because it was one of the better Guy-Meets-Girl stories.
Artwork, good. I liked the character's designs, especially Mei. She seems pretty average looking, but the artist made something about her make me like her a lot. Other characters were well drawn, but there were some exceptions, like Kai's character art. First of all, no offense to those who like his style, I'm not the biggest fan of mohawks, nor male earrings. It makes him look a lot like a punk rocker. Then there were the "mean girls" of the show. They try to look "fabulous" by putting on tons of makeup and stylish clothes, and in the end, they make them look scary. I mean like "I wanna punch them in the face" scary. Those are the only problems I had with the artwork though. I liked the backdrops, most of the character art, and it just gave me a real image of what Japan looks like.
Sound, voices were good. They weren't extraordinary, but the voice actors did their roles well. Don't have any negative comments about any of them, I just think they sounded pretty average.
Characters, 9. I loved all of the characters. Despite the fact Kai had a mohawk and piercings, I still liked him. None of the characters made me grow a hatred towards them, except for the mean makeup wearing freakshows, so I was satisfied with that. I thought, "Finally, there isn't really a villain in the show". Mains were all cool, I liked their personalities, and Mei and Yamato make a great couple. I dig the whole Tall x Short thing going on between them.
I can say that I really enjoyed the show. A little unsatisfied with the ending of the show, I feel like they could have done so much more with it, like make a really good finale, but the rest of the show made up for it. It had a few good laughs, a well thought out vision of what would come next... overall it was a really good anime. For those of you who like romance animes, this is definitely something you want to watch. It gives you a real taste in what romance is like in the real world. I hope this review helped.
