Somewhere in the school at noon, one might hear the sound of two girls playing table tennis together as they wait for time to pass by.
As if by fate, two students—Sakura Adachi and Hougetsu Shimamura—stumble upon each other on the second floor of the school gymnasium. As they gradually foster a budding friendship, their feelings for one another only become more ambiguous. Growing closer by the day, the two must learn to navigate their contrasting personalities as well as determine the depth of their affection for each other.
The nature of this relationship gradually shifts when one of them starts to develop feelings beyond the boundaries of a platonic relationship. Even so, Adachi and Shimamura must realize if forming a bond stronger than friendship will bring them closer or tear them apart.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
IrrelevantGuy
Shoujo Ai/Yuri is a somewhat controversial genre. Most people I have seen are quite indifferent when it comes to Shoujo Ai and often try avoiding it; partly because same sex relationship has always been a sensitive topic, but mostly because of the fact that a lot of Shoujo Ai anime have been very ineffective lately. I'm not a big fan of Shoujo Ai either. While I'm definitely not against the concept of lesbian relationships being depicted in anime, among the few Shoujo Ai anime that I watched, not a single one managed to appeal to me. Rather, because of poor storytelling and particularly bland characters, Ithought they were mediocre to say the least. Suffice to say, my experience with the Shoujo Ai genre hasn't exactly been great.
Until I found Adachi to Shimamura, that is.
I won't lie, I was a bit skeptical about watching Adachi to Shimamura at first. Having had a bitter experience with the Shoujo Ai genre in the past, my first impressions of the show weren't very promising. I thought it was just going to be another generic Shoujo Ai anime—it didn't seem like something I would enjoy. I probably couldn't have been more wrong, though, as I fell in love with the series right from the get-go.
Adachi to Shimamura, or shortly AdaShima, is built on the relationship of two high school students, namely—you guessed it—Adachi and Shimamura. The story of the anime is told from the perspectives of these two young girls, as they spend precious time together and try to figure out what they truly mean to each other. And I have to say, this show does such a beautiful job at portraying their relationship.
Adachi and Shimamura are introduced as typical buddies who merely hangout with each other during class time. We are given the early impression that they don't see each other as more than somewhat close friends. However, as the distance between the two continues decrease, they begin to realize that their relationship might not be as simple as they initially thought. When I'm saying "they", I'm mostly referring to Adachi. I will get to that in a bit.
Adachi and Shimamura are rather unalike, I would say. On one hand, we have Adachi, an unsociable and shy girl who prefers avoiding any social interaction and skips almost all of her classes. On the other hand, we have Shimamura, who also skips classes; but unlike Adachi, she seems sociable and outgoing (which isn't entirely true). Shimamura, in many ways, is vastly different from Adachi. However, when they are together, their dissimilarities cease to become relevant and don't matter at all.
Since AdaShima explores the minds of both Adachi and Shimamura individually, we get insights into their thought-processes and their feelings for each other. Because of this, we are quickly informed of any kind of development in their relationship, even if it may seem minor or insignificant to most. This is one of the many aspects that separate AdaShima from other Shoujo Ai anime, and this is also where Adachi's excellence shows in my opinion.
Adachi is easily the shining star of the show for me. Don't get me wrong; I love Shimamura too, but Adachi is truly special. Her prowess as a character probably lies the most in her relatability. Yes, she might be very reserved, timid and unsociable. Yes, she might even be a little clingy, jealous and possessive at times. But knowing her circumstances, pretty much all of it is justifiable. Adachi, just like any other person, wants to make a lot of friends. She wants to talk with them, hangout with them, go to various places with them, and simply have a lot of fun with them. And Shimamura is just the person who can help her do that.
Insightful explorations into Adachi's mind is another aspect that makes her such a great character. Through these explorations, the anime lets the viewers know more of Adachi's thoughts, internal struggles, insecurities—or to put it simply, Adachi herself. This greatly fleshes out her character and makes her a nuanced person. Her monologues about herself and her feelings for Shimamura are also nothing short of beautiful, making her even more appealing as a character. Adachi's seiyuu Akari Kitou's contribution here is undeniably vital.
In a way, among the two, Adachi plays a more—for lack of a better word—mature role in the relationship. Despite rejecting her feelings toward Shimamura at first, she gradually learns to accept it. While Shimamura stays kinda oblivious of her feelings for considerably a long time, Adachi becomes aware of her feelings rather quickly and tries her best to advance their relationship, even if she doesn't always succeed. This explains what I said a few paragraphs ago (about "they" mostly referring to Adachi).
As I said earlier, though, Shimamura is not a bad character by any means. She is rather one of the most essential parts that make AdaShima so great. She seems ordinary upon first impression, but it is soon apparent that there is far more to her than meets the eye. Shimamura keeps up the appearance of a normal, friendly and outgoing girl, but in reality, she is a self-aware person who has built an imaginary shell around her that most people, including her "friends", can't get through. She always stays cautious of others when she interacts with them and never puts much trust in them, which explains her oblivious nature at times. Again, adeptly dissecting Shimamura's mind through monologues like Adachi is very effective in this regard.
Shimamura's contribution in Adachi's development is irrefutable. It's because of Shimamura that Adachi is starting to change for the better. Like Adachi said, Shimamura is her sun—someone who makes her everyday life a lot brighter and a lot more exciting. Because of Shimamura, school has turned into something Adachi now looks forward to everyday. Contrary to her past self, she has become a lot livelier and a lot more cheerful. And that truly is a remarkable achievement.
That isn't to say Adachi didn't have any affect on Shimamura at all. In fact, she did. Shimamura may not have realized it right away, but Adachi is one of the very few people who have broken through her shell and have directly affected her. While some viewers might say that Shimamura's change isn't very apparent, it isn't negligible by any means. Rather, Adachi's arrival is a very crucial event in Shimamura's life that helped her change herself for the better.
Some people may have complaints about the slow progression of Adachi and Shimamura's relationship, but I don't think it's an issue at all. It's true that their relationship progresses at a rather slow pace, but the progression is indeed steady and consistent for the entirety of the series. In most romance anime, this slow progression would get annoying after a while, but here, it's completely believable if you take their personalities and their circumstances into account (for example, the fact that both of them are girls, for which they are likely to have a more difficult time understanding their emotions).
Another aspect that is worth looking into is how their relationship progresses—or more specifically, what helps their relationship progress. As I said earlier, the romantic advancement in AdaShima is rather slow-paced, but it is purposeful and not done in an unrealistic way for the most part. A lot of thought and consideration has been put into almost all of their interactions and dialogues to make them meaningful and relatable to all the viewers.
An example of this can be found in episode 4. At the end of the episode, Shimamura buys Adachi a juice can, which Adachi decides to keep to herself instead of throwing it away and cherishes it as a gift from Shimamura. This may seem stupid to others, but I think every person who has ever been in love, irrespective of their sexuality, can relate to this. Yes, it is stupid. But that doesn't make it wrong or meaningless any way. No matter what others may say, it is, in fact, quite meaningful.
This, again, shows how much care has been given to make Adachi and Shimamura's relationship genuine and convincing. Even seemingly trivial things are actually impactful on the twl, but it is almost never unrealistically portrayed. As time passes on like it always does, Adachi and Shimamura grow closer to each other as, to simply put, things happen between them. And we, as the viewers, can't help cheer them on for their ever-budding relationship. At least I couldn't.
Although the main focus of the series is Adachi and Shimamura, other characters do get a fair amount of screentime. The most notable one of all is, of course, Yashiro Chikama.
I find Yashiro's role in the show to be rather bizarre and ambiguous to be honest. Early in the anime, she is seen wearing a full-body spacesuit and introducing herself as an "alien" who has come to Earth from outer space to look for her compatriot. And even after 12 episodes, that's basically all we get to know about her. Though her physical appearance is shown later, her actual identity is never revealed, which makes you doubt the plausibility of her character. Despite this, though, Yashiro is mostly a charming individual. While her antics might come off as weird to a lot of viewers, and there are times when she can be slightly irritating, it's pretty hard to dislike her.
Aside from Yashiro, Hino and Nagafuji appear regularly in the anime. They are introduced as childhood buddies who are friends with Shimamura since middle school. However, later in the series, it becomes apparent that their relationship may involve romance. While Hino and Nagafuji aren't nearly as nuanced and developed as Adachi and Shimamura, they are given enough screentime to make the viewers actually care about them. Some might argue that removing these two entirely would have no effect on the story, but I don't think it's true. Hino and Nagafuji are, in some ways, impactful on the relationship of Adachi and Shimamura, and thus they are impactful on the overall story as well.
Moving on to other supporting characters, they are all likeable and, more importantly, behave in a consistent and reasonable manner which makes them all believable. Occasionally, they help the story move forward, but it doesn't feel redundant at all. Adachi's mother, Shimamura's sister and mother—everyone plays their role consistently and contributes to the progression of the story when needed. (There is one problem, however, which I'll bring up again a little later.)
AdaShima doesn't fail to impress me in terms of its production quality either. The animation is very beautiful. The artstyle is rather distinct, colorful and vivid, immediately leaving a memorable impression on the viewers' mind. What is more noteworthy, though, is the clever use of visual metaphors and how helpful they are in regard of subtly depicting Adachi and Shimamura's thoughts and emotions. Though, there are a few fanservice scenes involving some of the characters (specifically bath scenes), which are quite unnecessary and can feel a bit bothersome. But other than that, there isn't much to complain about.
The soundtrack of AdaShima is easily one of the best this year has had to offer. The background music is mostly upbeat, resembling the rather light-hearted nature of the show. There are a few melancholic tunes as well, that are played during the more serious scenes and add more immersion to them. The opening song "Kimi no Aeta Hi" is quite cheerful, while the ending song "Kimi no Tonari de" has a sort of sombre tone to it. Nonetheless, both of these songs are very remarkable. The voice acting is also impressive. Notably, the seiyuu of Adachi and Shimamura, respectively Akari and Miku, performed extraordinarily well and added more depth to their respective characters through their voice acting.
Now, although AdaShima is mostly brilliant, there are a few issues....
The first issue of the anime, as I mentioned earlier, stems from Yashiro. While she herself is not a bad character, the ambiguity and vagueness surrounding her may make it difficult to find her presence in the show significant. This can be overlooked in some cases; however, the second problem is rather severe and problematic. It won't be hard at all to notice that there isn't a single named male character in the cast, which alone makes the secondary cast kinda weak and vigourless. There are also occasional bath scenes, a few out-of-place plot elements (the fortune teller, for example), and the random appearance of a lolicon in episode 4 which was completely unnecessary and devoid of any logic whatsoever.
What perhaps will irk the viewers the most, though, is how the show concludes.
Many people probably won't be fully satisfied with the ending of AdaShima, as it feels sort of incomplete and leaves you wanting for more. This isn't inherently a flaw of the story, however, considering the light novel of AdaShima is still being published and a lot of it is yet to be adapted—which gives hopes for a second season. But the problem is, the anime industry has a tendency to leave anime adaptations incomplete. Simply, many anime adaptations are never given a second season. Unfortunately, this is even likelier to be the case with AdaShima, taking into account that it hasn't gained much popularity. Even so, I will be waiting patiently.
It's not often that you find a genuinely compelling Shoujo Ai anime, which is why Adachi to Shimamura is truly special. It isn't free of flaws, and it isn't the most serious portrayal of same sex relationships, but it's nonetheless a spectacular anime. Adachi and Shimamura are simply outstanding. They are greatly nuanced and realistic characters that I believe almost anyone can find relatable. Combine this amazing main cast with consistent and likeable supporting characters, well crafted story, alluring artwork and beautiful soundtrack, and you've got yourself a marvelous anime.
It's just a shame that not many Shoujo Ai anime are like this.
Stark700
Humans are social animals, meaning we interact with other humans and experiment how we live with our lives. Adachi no Shimamura’s storytelling feels like a social exploration of two female characters and how their interactions influences each other. Hitoma Iruma’s light novel getting an anime adaptation brings together this unforgettable slice of life, romance tale. Everyone in this world has their own story. Regardless of race, gender, social status, or any other factor, each one of us lives in our own story. However, our own story sometimes intersects with others and that’s how relationships are built. Among relationships, one of the most dynamic and complex isromance. Not every romance story begins with a pair of characters falling in love. From the very first episodes, we meet Sakura Adachi and Hougetsu Shimamura. With a habit of skipping school classes, both girls meet by what seems to be a red line string of fate. On that special day, their story would come together and become one they won’t ever forget.
At their age, teenagers are the most common form of social animals in society. Adachi and Shimamura exemplifies what it means to be youthful and growing up. They may not have endgame goals in life yet but they have to opportunity to discover their future. Adachi no Shimamura carries a relationship bond that can be simple to understand or complex as you want it to be. Adachi’s encounter with Shimamura isn’t anything out of the ordinary but there’s already something special about them from the very first episode. From there on, the two builds on their relationship beyond the classroom doors as they each discover similarities and differences between each other.
Indeed, this anime’s roadmap has it settled together with the beginning, middle, and to the end. It would seem that while the anime adaptation handles itself at 12 episodes, it knew what road to follow with its pacing. Every episode throws in a new opportunity in some shape or form for Adachi and Shimamura to bond. It all feels so realistic because these opportunities exist in real life such as going shopping, sharing presents during the holidays, or simply just hanging out together at school. Do you remember your teenage years? It was a time to learn more about just school. It was a time to learn about how to be who you want to be in society. Adachi and Shimamura's personalities are also amplified whenever they are together. When you see the two interact, it looks like two curious animals playing with each other. This is unusual for the case of Adachi, as she is introduced with a rather reserved personality. On the other hand, Shimamura is somewhat of a scatterbrain with trouble socializing with others. From the first few episodes, you can tell that both characters aren’t exactly classroom leaders or the first person to raise their hand in class for a school play. They keep to themselves and skip classes to avoid social interaction.
Despite the small cast of characters, the show maintains important relationships between its cast. Outside of our titular characters, there’s also Hino and Nagafuji. With their strong connection, we learn about their commitment as close friends, and perhaps even more. It’s through their bond that carries the intimacy of a relationship. Further down the road, we are introduced to self-proclaimed alien girl Yashiro Chikama, one of the most unusual characters in the show. (don't worry, she's not an actual alien). Often wondering around and about, Chikama displays the innocence of a social animal. Unlike most of the main cast, she loves interacting with others and trying to sell her image as an alien. This type of personality represents the opposite of Adachi and Shimamura, who tries to avoid dealing with other social animals. Nonetheless, Chikama’s addition to the show brings in the comedic side of the anime. Let’s face it, if this show is melancholic throughout the entire duration, it could feel stale. And indeed, be prepared for a lot of melancholic moments ranging from the very first episode to the end. Like I said before, it would seem this show had its roadmap planned from the start. It knew where the anime would begin and how it would end.
Watching this show from start to finish also felt like living in their world with the cast. Adachi and Shimamura are designed with delicacy and feminine charm. This is especially true for Adachi with her icy dark hair while Shimamura has the look of an innocent young woman. On the other hand, Chikama has the unusual look of her skin, almost as if shining as an otherworldly being. Regardless, all the characters are believable humans and it’s not hard to see why. Their character expressions reflect how normal people would interact regardless of their personalities. Furthermore, there’s an elegant degree of tranquility with the visual backgrounds of the show. This applies to scenes with bike riding scenes to the intimate moments we see so often throughout each episode. No, you won’t get to see girls having sex but you will definitely see how curious social animals such as Adachi and Shimamura come together like destiny.
I’m just going to throw it out here and say that regardless how you feel about lesbian relationships, there’s a chance to learn something about the show altogether. When God gave us brains, we all got free will and can chose to be with we want to be with. In this show, there’s Adachi and Shimamura, a pair of social animals that shows us what it means to be real humans.
Marinate1016
Adachi to Shimamura is easily one of the best and most realistic romance stories I have ever experienced. One of the gems of the year. The decade is just beginning, but when it’s all said and done, I think I will look back on Adachi and Shimamura as one of the best anime of the decade. Why? It’s not often that animanga/LN’s portray Yuri in a realistic manner. Often times the girls are heavily sexualised and the romance feels like pure fanservice for horny guys. There’s only a handful of good shoujo ai series and Adachi to Shimamura is one of them. The relationship between Adachi andShimamura gradually developing from acquaintances, to friends, to romance blooming is a slow and gradual progression over the course of the show and by the end, we still aren’t quite there. This is a very realistic representation of how real relationships work. Healthy ones at least. While there’s certainly some traditional Yuri and romance tropes going on in the series, for the most part the storytelling is grounded and natural.
On top of handling romance well, I think Adachi to Shimamura does a great job of handling adolescence and the challenges of sexual identity. Adachi and Shimamura are at pivotal points in their lives when you begin to recognise more and more about yourself. The show presents a realistic depiction of teenager(s) coming to grips with their sexual orientation and doesn’t fetishise it.
In addition to its handling of adolescence and romance, Adachi to Shimamura is just a damn cute anime. There are a lot of moments that genuinely made me squeal like a little girl because of how well executed they are. There’s some great wholesome moments that newcomers to the genre and vets alike will enjoy. I can’t recommend this series enough for anyone looking for solid romance.
Adachi to Shimamura gets 10 astronauts out of 10.
thundercracer
In an era where girls love and yuri titles are rare, a lesbian's gotta eat right? So I tend to watch anything that's even yuri leaning. Which is how I started watching Adachi to Shimamura in the first place. The art style is cute, the girls are fun, and there's lots of yearning. What more could a girl want? For all of that to go somewhere, probably. I have not read the manga, so I don't know if anything was resolved further there. But,,, even the Bloom Into You anime got further. I wasn't ever bored watching that; I had to skip through quite abit of Adachi to Shimamura because it tended to drag on quite a bit without ever really going anywhere. There were also just some elements that felt out of place and random? Like the alien girl and Shimamura's childhood friend felt stapled on and not properly explored or explained.
And... god I was hoping for a confession. It was just a lot of baiting and they REALLY leaned into the yearning. Which, is fine! I love yearning as much as anyone else! But... I prefer for that yearning to have payoff and to feel satisfying. Which, the ending of this anime just didn't. It didn't really do anything with either girls' feelings and... that sucked a bit.
The bits that were good were good, and I really liked the dynamic between the two leads and even the supporting cast. But... it's just too forgettable. It's very plain Jane and flowery, not really doing anything new or interesting. I really hate to be a downer and leave this series with such a bummer outlook, but I've gotta say I'm a bit disappointed with it.
DawnHibiki
Adachi to Shimamura is a light-hearted, relaxing shoujo-ai series released in this season. Believe it or not, I was actually interested in watching this show mainly because I am a fan of the seiyuu cast, and character designs look aesthetically pleasing. I decided to watch this, and thankfully, it piqued my interest. It has become one of my favorite yuri series, and it's my personal favorite anime in Fall 2020. The main duo of the aforementioned names, Adachi and Shimamura, are the highlights of the show, and I would say that they are some of the best written and most relatable out ofall the yuri series I have watched so far. Both are extremes of emotional states all of us have felt at one time or another, and both are fundamentally flawed human beings in different ways. Both of them called themselves as "delinquents" because they had a habit of skipping class. It is their gradual emotional development that makes up the substance of the series, both in general and to each other.
Hogetsu Shimamura is a reasonably functional, sociable girl who just has no real attachment to life. She is unwilling to put relationships beyond the bare minimum effort towards them because she feels that human relationships are bothersome and require too much effort to maintain such balance. She is passive, she's never takes the initiative, and she doesn't speak her preference about where the flow of time carries her. She's also a bit of an airhead, as well as being an indifferent kind of girl, and it made her to skip class as well as not being aware of Adachi's own flaws initially. Shimamura has two of her other friends, who are Hino and Nagafuji.
Sakura Adachi, on the other hand, is both shy and unsociable. She's so introverted, she finds herself incapable of connecting with others because she can't clearly speak what's on her mind, and it make the entire situation difficult for her. She is very lonely in every sense of the word, she didn't even have much of a relationship with her family. It's this suffocating loneliness that has made her to also skip class. Adachi has finally met her first partner, Shimamura, the first person she ever truly wanted to interact with. Then they eventually became friends and started getting into the relationship together.
Shimamura was my favorite because she's actually pretty sweet and humble, albeit she's indifferent, & she likes to tease sometimes. Also, she's voiced by Miku Itou who is my personal favorite seiyuu because of her sweet voice. Then I noticed that Adachi has an introverted personality that is similar to mine because she and I have had some emotional problems. It makes her especially relatable to me, and it also makes her such an interesting, well-written character. If I'm Adachi, I would feel pretty similar when I get to have a relationship with someone because I'm pretty introverted myself, and I wouldn't mind at all if I can meet a person like Shimamura. Both characters are very likable with different kinds of flaws, and both end up in relationship in a pure, simple way at a slow, but steady pace.
Hino is a bubbly, petite girl who enjoys fishing, and she often complains not having friends who have a similar interest. Her childhood friend Nagafuji is a busty, mature girl who's also an airhead, and she slaps Hino whenever Hino touches her chest. Those two are both very lovable and entertaining, and they even give some helpful advice to Adachi and Shimamura to balance out their conflicting relationship. Yashiro, the mascot of the series, is a girl in the astronaut suit who turns out to be a glowing blue-haired alien girl. She really loves sweets and she can even eat them under her helmet! Personally, I find her annoying, and she's the only part that I don't like in the anime. She seems to be out-of-place, and I can tell that Shimamura feels irritated when she meets this alien loli.
The artsyle of this is both crisp and beautiful, and I would like to give props to Tezuka Productions, which is the same animation studio that made The Quintessential Quintuplets. I'm really impressed on how beautifully illustrated the animations and character designs are, and the lighting helps highlighting the emotion scenes well. The voice acting is incredibly well done, and Akari Kito, Miku Itou, Manami Numakura, and Reina Ueda all have done an amazing job portraying their characters.
To me, a plot doesn't have to be ground-breaking to make the anime enjoyable. Adachi to Shimamura proves itself to be a highly entertaining romance anime without wasting the viewer’s time bringing up typical, nonsensical tropes, although there are some fanservice in some scenes. The main characters are relatable and well-written, and their relationship gives me a wholesome feeling. Adachi to Shimamura is one of my personal favorite yuri series I've watched, and I recommend this to the fans of the slice-of-life shoujo-ai series.
KANLen09
Cutesy (albeit cliche), pure and wholesome (albeit tropey) Yuri, the Animation. "It takes two (hands) to clap/tango" as they say. A story of two "magical fairy-tales": a girl and a girl (how else am I gonna say?), the former very closed up on her feelings and goes on the attacc when being able to open up to people; the latter already well acquainted with people and getting along with fellow friends at the norm. A simple dose of wishful thinking and a safe haven that the two always frequent to, starts their uncanny "relationship" of being simple hang-out friends. Progressing at an atypical slow burn ofquestioning their own individual morals and values that could jeopardise their "status" if altercations were to happen, this is the light-hearted "friends or lovers" Yuri relationship story of Sakura Adachi and Hougetsu Shimamura.
As a straight male, and having watched some Yuri high-school setting of slice-of-life shows in the past (of which Yagate Kimi ni Naru (a.k.a Bloom Into You) is one of the recent and finest examples) to having a clear expectation and perception of the genre, I still don't know what to think of this one...until this weird turquoise-haired self-proclaimed alien girl Yashiro Chikama appeared in the show, and donning an astronaut suit of her first impressions. That was when I realized that there was something interestingly magical about this, and yeap: it's Hitoma Iruma, the same mangaka/novelist that created Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko back in 2009 (anyone remember the futon-wrapped "alien" Erio Touwa?). As usual, Hitoma Iruma's "masterful" work of the sci-fi genre always leaves me hanging on what to make up for the "convenient" alien sub-plot (that always seems like his go-to to create some easy-going atmosphere that doesn't contribute a lot to the main plot, but whatever), and it's mostly the same here, so TL;DR: Yashiro's mostly an eccentric extra for adding into the mystical aspect.
On a sidenote, if you're referring to the manga adaptation of the LN, there's actually 2 different versions of different illustrators: Mani and Moke Yuzuhara. The former, a largely condensed version (with an open ending) and the latter, what the adaptation mostly follows (because that route is the best in terms of fleshed-out content and character development). Be aware that the anime constantly fluctuates the sequence of contents between both manga (sometimes both manga will have the same event, just represented differently from time to time) to capture the feel of the series in its entirety. That's something rare to see though, and props for the follow-up.
With the clarification of the source materials outta the way, you might be wondering what's up with the main cast of (count not 1, but 2) Yuri relationships. Yes, Adachi and Shimamura are the main Yuri couple, but I just feel that I've gotta give a shout-out to their classmates Taeko Nagafuji and Akira Hino (whom are also another Yuri couple and friends since kindergarten times), just sliding in for additional character effects of being casual and helping the main couple be relaxed in the school setting (and the provocative teasing goes on privately behind closed doors).
Referring back to both Adachi and Shimamura though (as with Bloom Into You), going deep into the character "mantra" lore of the POV perception just makes the both of them feel humanly connected, and not for the sake of just being cardboard cut-outs (unlike the horrible drama-esque Citrus, that one is just too sour and salty). Going through school life and hanging out together to the realization of feelings for one another, both Adachi and Shimamura have to make big strides in keeping their "romantic" relationship intact (well, mostly Adachi anyways).
In life, it's just like the sensitivity of friends in general, and walking into the next big step of a transitional relationship can be tough. Watching both characters dig deep into their POV world, and imaginations of how various situational circumstances could have played out (par for the course) of making headways, along with the "one step closer" rhetoric to fulfilling their own defining desires of "friendship". Of course, not everything is "a bed of roses", and the insecurities of both Adachi and Shimamura start to pop up: the former's sustained mood swings of her loner status, and puppy-like doggone loyalty to the latter from "friends to lovers", and the latter's other life circumstances (from her family, to a past "burden" (a.k.a elementary school friend Tarumi, and with nicknames to match (Shima & Taru) before being very distant growing up and heading to different schools)).
The TL;DR is this: every moment of the main duo's life of reason feels very human, very real and relatable amongst all the interactions. A relatively simple premise, yet doesn't all that contrived, and an overall better execution of magnificently well-written and realistic characters.
Having produced the 1st season of Go-toubun no Hanayome (a.k.a The Quintessential Quintuplets), the legendary "Godfather of Manga" Osamu Tezuka's self-creation of his production studio may have fallen from grace as one of the prolific anime studios of the late 20th Century, but it's not all that bad. Having said that, the production of said series (even the co-production of Dororo with MAPPA) truly was an eye-opener to see a resurgence of the studio under a new generation of staff that could compete with the likes of Shaft in both the animation department and depiction of Yuri shows, and this show is no different. With rich, detailed backgrounds and soft-coloured palettes of art that oozes the contrast between both (imaginary) expectations and reality, add in the extraordinary transitional effects of life and dreams abound, and this has got to be one of Tezuka Productions' finest attractive and alluring work of recent times.
Also, some pretty good sound and music across the board, and I swear that the well-talented VA Akari Kitou (after Kimetsu no Yaiba's Nezuko) is REALLY laying down her suss and on a trail-blazing roll for 2020 alone: Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun's Nene, Kyokou Suiri's Kotoko, Love Live! Nijigasaki's Kanata, Tonikaku Kawaii's Tsukasa, and now this show with Adachi, ALL of which are MC roles (and that's one impressive heck in established popularity). Of course, not forgetting Miku Itou (Shimamura), Reina Ueda (Nagafuji) and Manami Numakura (Hino) on their respective roles. A spectacular job from veteran Seiyuus, no surprises. The OST is also well-refined to the likes of cheery, jovial tunes, it's as if it was made for this show. and once again, both Akari Kitou and Miku Itou's collaborated OP pairing really did wonders (the former doing BOTH OP and ED, as if to punch our hearts with the perfect-feeling gut-wrenching emotions even further).
More than just another recommended show, it's another great show to add into the line-up of the illusively Yuri genre of "non-cringefest" and "pure as white snow" feels. Now only if LGBTQ+ anime representations are influenced well into the real world, how wonderful will it be???
Shingster
Please note this review is intended to be read by those that have finished watching Adachi to Shimamura and while care has been taken to minimize story related spoilers there may still be spoilers present within character analysis. You have been warned. Based on a popular light novel of the same name Adachi to Shimamura otherwise better known by its Synonym Adashima is a slice of life, romance, school, and Yuri genre anime that gives us the unique opportunity to see what will happen if one day a quiet and socially awkward girl who has few friends and was a virtual outcast within her assignedclass, were to one day after ditching class and in the midst of heading to her one refuge within the school where she can be herself in the form of the rarely trodden second floor of the school’s gym was to encounter for the first time in a long time in the form of another person that shared her desire for a place that can serve as a refuge. Despite the two being on virtual ends of the school spectrum the two slowly but gradually begin to hit it off forming a strong bond between them that serves to not only open up the near closed-off hearts that both possess by showing them the power that friendship and acceptance can bring but also in the process begin the journey that both must embark upon if they want to step back into society not just as friends and cats licking each other’s wounds but maybe something that transcends that of friendship if both can play their cards right.
Traditionally the school-based setting when used in conjunction with the modern-day setting that we see here in Adachi to Shimamura is one that has seen great success in replicating both the slice of life and romance scenarios due to a combination of both the unique society that schools present to its occupants as well as the innate social pressure that comes from being a person living in the 21st century a timeline that has stress, aspirations, and responsibilities by the bucket load. With such a heavy burden on their shoulders combined with the unique tension that can come from the unique societies that exist within schools the danger of being labelled as an outcast and ostracized by your classmates as well as being forced to try hard to maintain existing ones to forget past pains are constant issues that many high school students have to live with. While the premise and the setting of this series is one that’s common to a degree I felt that its core theme of healing one's heart by meeting and making genuine bonds with others and relearn what its actually like to have friends that aren’t fake and whose feelings and care for you are genuine was one that was paired relatively well with the romance aspect of the series that served to create a tale that was both compelling but also heartwarming to see an aspect that I felt was one that served to brighten our days in the wake of the crisis that’s sweeping through our world IRL. The first episode of the series I felt was an excellent one that while showing well the kind of world that Adachi and Shimamura view the world around them as also did well to showcase the kind of unique relationships that both the main leads have established between them while foretelling the kind of struggles that both will have as their journey to recovery begins a tale that I felt quite compelled to follow on as I was curious as to whether will they succeed in their endeavour and a decision that I felt was really justified.
Sakura Adachi
Sakura Adachi portrayed by veteran seiyuu singer Akari Kitou of Youkoso and Grancrest Senki fame is one of the main characters of the series and is one of the series two protagonists. A high school freshman Adachi from her initial appearances was seen to be a quiet, calm and confident person by nature that while intelligent and composed and someone that will have no trouble making friends was instead someone that seemingly preferred to stay away from the established groups within her class preferring instead to keep her heart firmly closed and finding refuge outside of the class. For a time this sense of finding refuge in places within the school that did not have much footfall by the rest of the school's occupants served Adachi well allowing her to find a sense of peace within the school where she can still remain herself and not needing to force herself to change her attitude to reflect that of her friends and classmates something that was all too common within schools.
While itself an admirable attempt to retain one's independence of will high school life like the society that it serves is not one where one can exist in without making friends a fact that soon earned her a certain amount of notoriety within the class and saw her being labelled as a troublemaker by both her peers and the school. That is until one day when within her refuge she was to encounter another person who while was the total opposite to her in both class hierarchy and temperament was not only sharing her desire to find a place of refuge from which to shelter from the stresses that come from modern society but also surprisingly was able to get on well with Adachi and from there kindle the spark that will serve to allow Adachi to take the first steps in re-entering society by forming her first real friendship since entering high school. Though the first steps of their friendship was a shaky one due to her nervousness as well as her social awkwardness around others that she knew nothing about which was in turn supported by her reluctance to open her heart to others easily thanks to Shimamura’s kindness, patience and her desire to listen the relationship between the two rapidly progressed and soon formed into the solid foundation that served to define the core relationship that was between them.
As the series progresses and we get to see more of Adachi’s personality get expanded upon it can be seen that unknown to everyone but herself that Adachi as a result of her nature and unwillingness to mix with her classmates had a fair share of issues that she was suffering from. As a result of her reluctance to get involved with others Adachi while having no trouble in maintaining her academic performance within the class was seen to view it not with a sense of elation but rather saw each of her days in school as being one that was filled with boredom and each day being a trial that proved ever harder to surmount. While the meeting with Shimamura and later with her friends Hino and Nagafuji served to spice things up for her and make her days in school much more bearable this was only when Shimamura was present within the class. However, after meeting not only Shimamura and later Hino and Nagafuji Adachi for the first time in her life as a high school girl was to experience an aspect of life that while being a fundamental aspect of a high school girls repository was something that was until then something completely alien to her which was a sense of genuine friendship and bonds that are formed between true friends who care nothing for false modesty and instead value honesty and sincerity in their relationships. For Adachi long resigned to the fact that she will not have any close friends within the school this meeting served well to open the closed-off heart that until now had been firmly closed by her own will in a quest to protect herself and introduce her to the unique interactions and heartfelt emotions and feelings that can only come from meeting with and bonding with likeminded friends that you can rely upon for both advice and that unique warmth that only close friends can bring to one another. While hesitant and fearful of taking the first steps into re-joining the very society that had burned her in the past thanks to the interactions that Adachi had experienced with Shimamura and wanting to both repay her as well as be strong enough to be able to enjoy more time with her Adachi resolves to take the one step that she never thought she be able to take which was to enter into the stressful and cruel society that she for so long had avoided by taking part in more social activities with Shimamura and her friends and in the process relearning what it meant to be a high school girl in the modern world namely outings with friends that pass the time in the blink of an eye, visits to restaurants and cafes that served to present the cutest but also the funniest moments between friends and lastly attending special events that served to be both magical and yet also potent opportunities that allow the bonds between friends to grow ever stronger as you enjoy the magical moments together while learning something deep about them from their heart.
Overall the character of Adachi I felt was an interesting one that was both well designed and developed with her evolution from a quiet, reclusive girl that had few if any friends to someone that was not only more assertive but also one that was brave enough to re-join the society that had inflicted such profound damage to her heart in a desire to get close to the one girl that had not abandoned her and instead bonded with her as a comrade and friend being especially heartfelt. While Adachi’s role within the relationship that she establishes with Shimamura was not as large as Shimamura’s in terms of impact I felt that the quiet sense of determination and bravery that she injects into her role within it served well to balance out the bond that exists between the two girls.
Hougetsu Shimamura
Hougetsu Shimamura portrayed by veteran seiyuu singer Miku Itou of 5 – Toubun no Hanayome and Ryuuou no Oshigoto fame is one of the main characters of the series and is one of the series two main leads. A high school freshman and a fellow classmate of Adachi Hougetsu who we better know as Shimamura was from her initial appearances seen to be a quiet, calm, and perceptive person by nature that as a result of possessing both beauty and intelligence in equal measure was someone that was well-liked within the class and was noted to have many friends within her peers with Hino and Nagafuji being counted as among her closest. However unlike the great majority of her classmates who got by with false modesty and kindness geared towards joining one of the classes many circles of friends Shimamura was shown to have none of that being someone that was kind and caring and honest and direct with both words and feelings towards others aspects that while serving to push fakers away served to allow her to forge strong bonds with those that respect her for it in the form of Hino and Nagafuji. While a quiet girl for the most part Shimamura was shown to be someone that was relatively carefree in nature and was someone that was shown to have quite the sense of humour a fact that is seen well in her teasing of Adachi when they are together a fact that while cute to look at was also an aspect that I felt contrasts nicely with Adachi’s quiet and sullen self.
However, as the series progresses and we get to see more of Shimamura’s personality it can be seen that Shimamura like her dear friend Adachi was also someone that had her fair share of struggles that transpired in the past that had wounded her heart greatly. While on the surface Shimamura was someone that was positive, friendly, energetic and enjoyed the company of numerous friends within her peer group beneath this it can be seen that she like Adachi was someone that had great trouble in opening her heart to others and was someone that preferred to stay away from others as much as she possibly can. However, despite this, she was shown to treasure the strong links that she has forged with those that she trusts and despite her desire to stay away from people tried hard to maintain this small redoubt within society that she uses as both a refuge and as a source of advice and amusement for her in her everyday life. While Shimamura’s core arc and struggle within the series is similar to Adachi in that it focused on her reopening her heart to others and learn to experience the sense of joy that can be found in relationships between friends that genuinely understand you I feel that this was also used well with the sense of loneliness and sense of regret that Shimamura secretly battled with within her heart. Though Shimamura was someone that was well accustomed to hiding her true feelings from others the sense of loneliness that she felt in her heart as a result of this was something that she can never use too, as try as she might in not becoming a burden to others this only served to ensure that her days before Adachi was not only long but also days that were filled with grey and boredom that almost made her days impossible to get through.
However, these endless days of boredom soon vanished when Shimamura in her quest to find a place of refuge where she can pass her days without interruption was to encounter a classmate who despite being on opposite ends of the spectrum within the class hierarchy was also surprisingly someone that shared the same kind of pain that came from being an outcast that had few if any friends within the class and lacked anyone that they can trust to show their true selves too. It is after this meeting between Shimamura and this mysterious girl that calls herself Adachi that the life of Shimamura was to change profoundly for she for the first time in her life was to not only encounter someone that she was able to show her true face too but also serve as an excellent vehicle that will allow her to improve herself as a person a goal that while a hard one that has a high chance of failure was one that she was willing to try not only because she wanted to improve herself and be able to enjoy this world of colors with her own eyes and honest feelings but also because she wanted to also help bring into the world the one person that she was closest too and one that she can always rely upon to tell her the truth. While on the surface Shimamura’s relationship with Adachi and her desire to bring Adachi into the real world that is society can be seen to be one that’s almost self-satisfying in nature from an external perspective I feel that on the contrary, Shimamura’s actions and desires to improve herself by interacting with and bringing Adachi into the real world was a genuine attempt to help someone that had like her had been affected by the unique nature that modern-day society had served to create. While the teasing aspect of their relationship was one that served well to highlight the increasing closeness that their bonds have served to create between them it is within the events within the series such as Shimamura’s confrontation with Adachi’s mother as well as the Christmas date and the valentines events that serve to really show just how determined Shimamura was in not only helping herself break out of her frozen heart but also in the process reintroduce the feelings of trust and love that until meeting Adachi had never quite existed when interacting with her friends within the school.
Overall the character of Shimamura I felt was an interesting one that while matching Adachi’s inner struggles relatively well with her own also served to balance out the relationship between the two by making use of her more expressive and emotional nature that really served to draw out both the sweetness and the cuteness that came from two cats licking each other’s wounds as both sought to use each other to improve themselves and break free of the chains that had until now held them back from the fun, joy, and colour that existed within the real world.
AMV
In terms of animation, I felt that the character designs for the series were both well designed and developed that made great use of both simple animation techniques and soft colors that served to enhance the series already excellent animation by adding a sense of clearness to it and allowing it to display natural phenomenon that much more effectively. While the designs of the characters school uniforms that within the series served as their main hub that allowed both to meet each other without fail were relatively simple ones I felt that this sense of simplicity worked well in combination with the sense of relatability that we as the viewers were able to easily relate too as no matter which country we are from we all attended school at some point and have experienced the sense of pressure that our two heroines were seen to struggle with. Location variety wise though the series only featured a handful of locations that the cast served to visit I felt that each of these locations while simple in design were also ones that were paired well with the events and significant moments within the relationship that is established between Adachi and Shimamura with notable examples being the school gyms second floor that served as the twos sacred refuge and the place where they first met and forged their bond, the family homes of both Adachi and Shimamura that served to allow both to not only see what their own home environment was like but also in Shimamura’s case allow her to determine the true cause of Adachi’s nature that stemmed from the inattention of her mother to her daughter’s needs.
Music-wise the series made use of one opening and ending theme which was Kimi Ni Aeta Hi which was performed by veteran seiyuu singers Akari Kitou and Miku Ito in the guise of their assigned characters in this series and Kimi no Tonari de which was performed by Akari Kitou. While both of these songs were excellent ones I felt that the kind of feelings and emotions that they invoked when used in combination with their accompanying visuals were very different with the former giving off a sense of a destined meeting between two girls who despite being on opposite ends of the spectrum within the class hierarchy had numerous things that they can easily relate too and their desire to use this meeting to break out of their respective shells no matter how hard the journey will be. On the other hand, the feelings that the ending theme served to invoke was one that while calm also served to showcase just how much the fruits of their labours together had served to introduce and enhance the bonds that the two have formed with the people around them in the form of Yashiro, Hino, Nagafuji and Shimamura’s little sister. While often neglected when compared against the series gorgeous animation I felt that the series OST was a calm and relaxing one that served to enhance the series scenes as the girls go by their life day by day.
Voice acting-wise I felt that overall the series main voice cast all did an excellent job at portraying their assigned characters whether they were main ones or support ones. In particular, I feel that Akari Kitou and Miku Itou really served to pull off a most excellent performance portraying their respective characters of Adachi and Shimamura by infusing their characters with not only their innate skill as seiyuu’s but also a sense of chemistry within them that was both heartfelt and easily relatable to anyone that saw it. In terms of the supporting cast, while I didn’t cover their characters within the series, I felt that Iori Saeki, Manami Numakura, and Reina Ueda all did an excellent job at portraying their assigned characters of Yashiro, Akira Hino, and Taeko Nagafuji respectively.
In overall Adachi to Shimamura, I felt was an excellent anime that had among its main strong points a unique premise, excellent story, characters, animation, voice acting, and a unique take on the idea that romance between two damaged girls who had both been affected by the unique pressure that modern-day society forces on you can serve to not only heal them but also serve to allow them to rediscover the path that will allow them to once more re-enter society and start their life anew.
In the modern-day the life that we as inhabitants of this age live in can be ones that are incredibly stressful no matter what role we have in it. Whether we’re high school students or professionals that work in the adult world society is something that places plenty of pressure on our shoulders and while the majority of us can bear them effectively many might not be able to handle them and in the process suffer grave mental damage from them that will serve to dramatically alter their life as a result. In my eyes, while Adachi to Shimamura’s core story was one that was well-trodden within the anime world I felt that when used in combination with the feelings and emotions that the main and support cast experience as well as the impact that this has on their bonds that I feel that the story become something that was truly magical as when used in this capacity it served to both highlight and enhance the many sweet and cute moments that transpire between Adachi and Shimamura as well as their friends Hino and Nagafuji that was not only heartwarming but also serve as potent reminders to both them and us that even in this hard and high pressured world that can feel oppressive and scary there are still plenty of people who are like you that you can confide in and bond with and move forward together a fact that in this new deeply pained world that we live in is a lesson that is worth remembering.
In times of a final overall score, I would say that Adachi to Shimamura easily deserves a final score of 9/10. While 2020 may have been a rather bleak year due to the pandemic I feel that this series in partnership with the equally excellent Tonikawa Over the moon for you served well to remind us of the kind of power that heartfelt feelings and bonds can have in helping us get through the harsh realities of life a lesson that we all should take heart from.
dlxuniuniu
Float through the air together on a bicycle in a beautiful sunset - the cover picture of “Adachi to Shimamura” magically attracts every Yuri fan. Spending time together with a friend is definitely something we all enjoy. Eating, Chatting or just fooling around with a person we like makes us happy. Our story here is about Adachi and Shimamura, two high school girls who found each other in an unusual way to build a deep friendship… or is there even more behind it? Imagine you don't feel like attending classes and just want to crawl into your regular place upstairs in the gym where nobody can disturbyou. But one day you meet another girl there who has the same thoughts as you. This was the way our two main protagonists met each other and began to spend a lot of time together. From the atmosphere you can feel the harmony between them was perfect, they instantly took a liking for each other.
What is a "friend" for you?
Before meeting Shimamura, Adachi never had someone whom she can call a friend. She had an extremely introverted personality and was cold towards other people. She didn’t even attempt to make friends with other girls in the past. Shimamura changed her life in that point. Through her, Adachi found a true friend and Adachi would like to spend all the wonderful time with her alone. That’s the reason why she is also a generally, very jealous person towards Shimamura when she is together with her friends and as a consequence usually ends up running away. Beginning with a friendship, she gradually realizes that she definitely wants more than “normal friends”. She wants to be with Shimamura forever.
Shimamura on the other has always been quite popular and gets along with other girls. She is polite and open for everything. Although she spends a lot of time with other people, Shimamura finds human relationship as bothersome since she feels that it requires too much effort to maintain such balance. She is a bit slow when it comes to feelings and love, but she also feels the emptiness when Adachi is not around.
Besides our two main characters, the supporting characters Yashiro, Taru, Taeko and Akira also appear in the series. They don't play a major role, but Shimamura gets along with them as well. They are good friends.
What really catches your eye are all the beautiful scenes where the light contrast is unusual. There is often also a slow-motion effect applied as well which makes everything even more beautiful. The art style in general goes perfectly with a story about friendship and love. The beautiful moments they spend together are emphasized in color, but also the sad and lonely ones can also be recognized by the slightly darker backgrounds. Regardless of whether it is raining, sunny or just a touching scene, the visual effects are used perfectly. It is always stunning and beautiful.
There are 7.8 billion people on earth, how can you meet THE person of your life under such circumstances? Still, Sakura and Hougetsu managed to meet each other. With the OP "Kimi ni Aeta Hi" both show this must have been fate. Only through the other person their world become brighter and colorful. In addition to the lyrics and the beautiful music, the visual representation also shows that they will never let the other person vanish away.
The ED song, performed by Adachi only, underlines again how important Shima is being as a part of her life. Adachi would give everything for her, she will always be there for her. The music is very nice to listen to here as well.
In addition to the songs, some short but beautiful melodies that are played during certain scenes are also perfectly fitting.
As a big Yuri fan, I was really looking forward to this anime and was not disappointed. Besides the wholesome and cute story, it's just enjoyable to follow our characters. What really surprised me in a very positive way are the visual effects, which make everything even more color- and beautiful.
Everyone who is a fan of slice of life in combination with Shoujo Ai will surely love this anime. Enjoy a pure and beautiful friendship!
I am sure we will see more of “Adachi to Shimamura” in the future!
Marleonka
I wanted to like it but I just couldn't. I love slow romance and slice of life, so that's definetly not a problem for me. I feel like the series falls into a lot of tropes and doesn't do anything intersting with them. The way a few elements at the beginning make you go “okay, these characters have room to grow, so lets see how it evovles”, but when they don't do so is a bit frustrating. I feel that ultimately the main characters have a bit of an anti-dynamic, as they are sometimes horrible to each other in very subtle ways. One seemsto be very openly into the other, who whether or purpose or not acts entirely oblivious. Shimamura I still don't quite understand what her character is, and the series doesn't want to explore that in any meaningful way. She sure thinks about stuff a lot, but that never really takes shape in her actions. I know her actions are supposed to be artificial, but there's no real distincton between how she acts towards Adachi. It ultimately feels like she doesn't actually care about her. The characters often say one thing (or rather think) and do a different thing. Ultimately nothing happens between them, so I have the feeling that it was going nowhere.
Especially since a lot of times the structure of the episodes is repeated and each time the effect is the same, that despite the fact that the characters talk about how much they mean to each other, there is a certain feeling that the status quo resets every night and ultimately this “change” of theirs is purely arbitrary, because nothing actively changes between episode 1 and 12, because they continue their relationship looks largely the same, and they continue to be unsure if they even like each other and distant which after the whole series is a bit of a slap in the face to the viewer. Especially since the insight into their personalities is so limited that it feels totally illogical at times how they behave relative to what we are shown they are thinking. I do enjoy the ideas the show wants to convey, because two girls coming out of their shells is lovely, but the way this show handles it doesnt really make it satisfying, because they ultimately dont want to open up to each other and talk about things.
Their flaws as humans are never addressed with each other. Adachi is morbidly jealous of everything, while Shimamura simply isolates herself emotionally from everyone and sends Adachi mixed signals the entire time. And well, of course they refuse to communicate. While at first its cute because Adachi's a bit awkward, as the series goes on, it really makes you dislike the two leads. Adachi being so horribly jealous she gives Shimamura the silent treatment for days because she talks to any other girl is definetly not a healthy way to approach their relationship, so I wish she at least acknowledged that she's doing something wrong rather than going "I guess Shimamura doesnt really care about me, because she talked to someone else for a few seconds." And the worst part is that she is somehow right! When we get to see Shimamura's POV, she often talks about how distant she is to everything and everyone and that maybe her relationship with Adachi is not gonna last. She has no desire ever fighting for Adachi and despite them being best friends, she doesnt treat her any different from people she seemigly doesnt care about. With how much she talks about being distant and not creating actual connections, it feels like wasted potential for her to never bring it up with Adachi or not to explore how she actually feels under that mask of being cheery. The series never wants to address who Shimamura is, who she wants to be and especially what she wants of Adachi. If they are supposed to be different than all the other artificial friendships Shimamura had in the past, doesnt seem to put the effort towards it, often making Adachi feel bad on purpose (like with questioning her on why she enjoys physical intimacy with her, despite knowing it makes her doubt herself)
The ending itself is also extremely unsatisfying. I feel like the series sets up like 5 mini-plots and none of them get resovled in any meanngful way. Adachi never kisses Shimamura as she wanted. Adachi never learns of Tarumi. Nagafuji and Hiro just stop appearing at a certain point (only to get a small cameo in the final ep). Somehow Nagafuji and Hiro had better chemistry than the two leads, but they just got tossed in the bin. Yashiro doesn't ultimately achieve anything (I dont want her origins explained, but just do something with her). The series just ends and it ultimately feels entirely pointless, as their relationship didnt grow in any significant way, so what was the story they were telling?
The technical side of things deserves praise. The music, voicework as well as the animation are lovely and make the experience a lot more bearable. The concepts of two very different people coming out of their shells through their mutual connection and ultimately love is a lovely subject, but this series doesn't do it any justice. The leads are infuriating at times and while their cute moments are definetly cute, them being terrible for each other makes it sour and prevents me from enjoying the series. If you seek a very similar story done right, I highly recommend the movie Doukyusei. It's pretty much the exact same in terms of premise, but universally better in every single aspect of the storytelling.
(Also. who decided to put a scene of a pedophile staring at kids at a pool? What purpose did it serve? That's the only male character in the show btw. So unnesecary and bizarre, please don't do it again.)
GamerUnglued
During the late afternoon, as classes ramble in the background, two girls sit together in the shade of their school's gymnasium. Boxed in by a fence, and the threat of being found, they take solace in each other's company, both being loners who feel distanced from those around them. Perhaps they read, or just talk, or play ping pong, or rest in each other's laps. In some ways, this place is a cage, but in other's it's more like a sanctuary, shared with someone truly special, someone who gets them. It's this feeling of distance yet warmth that begins Adachi and Shimamura. The first thingto note about AdaShima is that it is SLOW. Like, as slow of a burn a slow burn romance can get. It's atmosphere is quiet and melancholy, and it's in anything but a hurry to make progress. It stars two characters who are each in a form of stagnation, and the pacing highlights that to a palpable degree. Adachi loves her time with Shimamura, and wants to make their relationship even more special. But she's awkward, insecure, anxious, and grapples with a bit of internalized homophobia. She is the one who has the ability to initiate progress, but she struggles to express her feelings, out of a fear of rejection, insecurity of being seen as a weirdo, and generally being terrified of not being a special person to Shimamura, nervous of going too far too fast. Meanwhile, Shimamura holds the most power in the relationship. She is ultimately the one who is capable of allowing for progress, but she is detached, emotionally distanced, and terrified of intimacy. This conflict is what drives Adachi and Shimamura. Two characters who both want to make progress, who want to be closer to each other, who each have to overcome stagnation in order to do so.
But the way I've described it, this almost makes it sound like a very generic romance story. A shy character trying to express their feelings to someone they feel is out of their league, or with who they don't want to distort an already existing relationship. And while this is a part of the narrative, I don't think it paints a fully accurate picture of the series. For one, while Adachi is the one who initiates progress, it is Shimamura who holds power in this relationship, by means of consent. Shimamura is extremely depressed and emotionally detached. She has an inability to form long-term relationships, and she justifies this to herself as a natural fact of how life works; that relationships will inherently break off. When people try to get close to her, she instinctively pushes them away. She's lonely and scared, and in her internal monologue undergoes a constant push and pull of wanting to get closer to Adachi but wanting to avoid intimacy. She has some, as she calls them, "superficial relationships," but that's as far as she knows how to go. This is her stagnation, and it's also the key to her and Adachi getting into a relationship, no matter how much Adachi might attempt to make advances.
To highlight the dichotomy between these character's very different mindsets, AdaShima constantly switches between their perspectives, having most episodes led by one of their internal monologues. And there is a sharp contrast in their perspectives. Adachi's perspective is generally light-hearted and awkward. She's a dorky character struggling with endearing and relatable fears of being rejected by the person she loves. She tries to plan out the right words, she imagines silly scenarios in her mind about potential interactions with Shimamura (ranging from sweet to sexual), and she obsesses over even the tiniest amount of progress, going as far as to keep pieces of garbage if they are tied to a special moment between them. In contrast, Shimamura's perspective is always melancholy. Her internal monologue highlights her internal conflict: her isolation, loneliness, and desperation. She comes at you with these genuinely deep, sad lines about the nature of relationships for her, and they hurt to say the least. She paints this picture of someone suffering under the weight of her own loneliness, who feels like they're drowning, or breaking apart, and are desperately fighting to overcome that no matter how much pain the solution may come with. Adachi's perspective is very romantic, and captures all the adorable dorky awkwardness, insecurity, and most importantly, wonder of being in love, while Shimamura's perspective is more poignant, and drives the series themes. Of these two perspectives, I generally find Shimamura's to be the most engaging. Adachi's is very fun and sweet, but Shimamura's digs at the core that serves as the series beating emotional heart. Almost all of most resonant moments come from Shimamura's internal monologue, and I find her journey to be the most powerful thing about the series. Shimamura has become a very special character for me, one who I painfully relate to, and who brings to light some of the most frustrating things I hate about myself in a way that is simply raw.
I've heard it said by people frustrated by the series that they wish Shimamura figured out Adachi's extremely obvious feelings at some point. But I believe that to think she doesn't figure it out is a gross misinterpretation of Shimamura's character. In fact, I would go as far as to say that she is acutely, consciously aware of Adachi's feelings at least as early as episode 5. Shimamura is perhaps a tad dense, but she's also very observant, and keenly aware of her relationships with those around her. She knows that most of her relationships are superficial, and it is Adachi who struggles to figure that out, only realizing that the smile she gets from Shimamura is the same as the one given to those around her relatively late into the series (a very sad realization that says a lot about both characters). But Shimamura shows that she knows something is up with Adachi pretty quickly. When Adachi invites her to hang out in episode 3, and Shimamura runs into Yashiro (who I will talk about later), Shimamura brings Yashiro with them to ease the tension and make the moment less intimate. When Adachi invites Shimamura out on Christmas in the most awkward way imaginable in episode 5, she grapples in her internal monologue with the idea that Adachi sees her as special. In this scene, she almost refuses the date because she can't handle the idea of being seen as the only person Adachi wants to be with, and when Adachi tries to make the scene less awkward, Shimamura twists her next lines to justify to herself that Adachi would want to go out with anyone, and that it doesn't matter that it's her. This is the nature of Shimamura's character. She clearly wants to be with Adachi, but she's too afraid to be seen as special and be let into others lives, and she constantly finds ways to justify their relationship and it's inability to progress, despite the fact that she is ultimately the one who refuses to allow that progress to occur. I find her extremely compelling for this reason.
I've been mostly talking about Shimamura, and that's simply because I find her to be the series strongest asset. Adachi is a wonderful character, she's immensely endearing and adorable, and her perspective drives quite a few of my favorite moments. In particular, their Christmas date in episode 6 is a standout episode that captures the wonderful joy of being in love better than most romances I've seen, culminating one of the series most memorable moments. But ultimately, I don't have a whole lot to say about her. This isn't because she's not a compelling character, but Shimamura is just more complex. Adachi is wants to be seen as someone special to Shimamura, and is grapples with the fact that Shimamura is extremely distant and detached from basically everyone. Adachi is also starved for affection, likely due to her distant relationship with her mother, and like Shimamura she feels distant from everyone around her, though in her case it comes from feeling like an outcast. She is genuinely fantastic, I just have less to say about her much more straightforward arc.
I think the thing that makes this series so slow is that there isn't a straight line for their progress. Each of them constantly progresses and regresses. Shimamura will finally let Adachi in just a little bit more, before slipping back into old habits almost instinctively. Adachi will finally find the guts to confess, but immediately take it back just a little bit to ease the awkward tension. This means they never make large strides together, but instead make small steps towards personal growth which ultimately contribute to the progression of their relationship. What keeps me invested is that the two just share astoundingly good chemistry. Their dialogue is understated, but believable and has a really addicting rhythm to it. I just adore the times where they simply talk, just the two of them sharing a mundane moment together. Combined with the series strong atmosphere and effective direction, it manages to be a moment-to-moment delight just as much as the more poignant moments hit.
Compared to the main cast, the side cast is decidedly more of a mixed bag. I mentioned Yashiro before, who is a little alien girl taken as a cameo of sorts from another of this author's works. She gives the series a bit of magical realism, and at times is something of a mentor for Shimamura, incidentally providing goofy metaphors about drifting through life while fishing together. That being said, she drops out of that role pretty quickly and ends up relegated to being a side character who shares an admittedly pretty cute relationship of her own with Shimamura's younger sister. Shimamura's two friends Hino and Nagafuji don't make the strongest impression, with the first thing Hino does being to grab Nagafuji's boobs in public. Actually a lot of her dialogue early on has to do with grabbing boobs now that I think about it. Thankfully she calms down quite a bit after that, and her and Nagafuji get their own little side arc which I also found to be pretty cute. They still play a small part in the main story as Shimamura's "superficial" friends, and I do find their (post episode 1) personalities to be endearing enough, but I wouldn't say I particularly love them, and I'm happy they play a relatively minor role in this story.
The most noteworthy side character is Tarumi, who is Shimamura's old friend from elementary school. As Shimamura is grappling with her feelings for Adachi, Tarumi comes storming back into her life during the latter half of the series, and they start to rekindle their old friendship. At first I thought she would be more of a romantic rival, but really her presence serves to make Shimamura realize just how much she loves Adachi, as their relationship fails to resemble what they had as childhood friends. "Reality ages far less gracefully than memories" she thinks to herself after hanging out with her. She has her own personality and character arc as well, and is a very solid addition to the series cast. Easily the series strongest side character.
Visually, Adachi and Shimamura is a mixed bag. It's biggest visual strength lies in its cinematography and storyboards. It's not rewriting the wheel, but it's conventionally very well shot, and utilizes the medium of animation effectively. Weather it be caging the girls in their sanctuary of the gym, which contrasts the time when they outgrow that and finally rejoin their class, or highlighting their isolation and loneliness with effective color changes and framing, it nails every emotion it seeks to highlight. When Adachi revels in a small moment of intimacy, the colors change to something totally joyful and the camerawork becomes equally intimate, allowing me to sink into the mood and enjoy Adachi's small step just as much as she does. But when Shimamura falls to the bottom of a pool and monologues about how detached she is, the visuals genuinely make it feel like she's drowning. It's Shimamura's monologues that bring out some of it's most striking visual moments. I particularly appreciate how it uses it's lighting. It has some very particular lighting quirks, with a saturated yet faded style to it's color palette, and background lights highlight some super memorable moments, such as the wonderfully romantic end of the couple's Christmas date. The series biggest visual failing comes in its animation, which is often stiff and moves only just enough to not be a slide show. The character designs occasionally struggle to stay on model even in the most mundane visual moments, and it sometimes feels like the character designs are too detailed for the production to keep up with. The series also has some really awkward and jarring male gaze shots of the girls thighs, highlighted by the exceptionally short skirts of their school uniform. It's not exactly a huge issue and it's not too common, but that only makes it even more distracting when it does come up, and there are times where the shots are just so intentional about including fanservice that it feels completely at odds with the series grounded approach, occasionally taking from the atmosphere. Thankfully it only happens occasionally.
The series soundtrack is really wonderful. Like the series itself, it's grounded and down to earth. It's littered with light piano tracks and percussive tracks, and utilizes strings bring out the best of it's melodies. The whole OST screams "melancholy adolescent coming-of-age," which makes it a perfect fit for this series of adolescent anxiety, angst, and warm romance. Tracks that play during it's more intimate and romantic encounters tend to highlight the strings more than anything, and make those moments feel just that much more romantic. It's probably my favorite 2020 anime OST, always highlighting the mood and with quite a few tracks that stick out in my mind. It's a delight to listen to (hell I'm listening to it right now), just as the show itself is to watch. The show is also blessed with really fantastic vocal performances from Akari Kitou and Miku Itou as Adachi and Shimamura respectively. They both nail their characters so perfectly, giving more grounded performances than most shows, dialing back all the cutesy anime talk for something more real. They're exceptionally emotive yet also subtle. They're standout performances in my opinion. Saeki Iori's performance as Yashiro also deserves some mention, perfectly capturing her eccentric, excitable personality.
Relationships are a complicated beast to get into. Few things take as much effort to build, as much work to maintain, and as much pain to navigate. Adachi and Shimamura is, at it's core, a work centered around this dilemma. Each of it's titular characters struggles to overcome stagnation in some form, to move beyond their awkwardness, insecurities, and fears of intimacy, and ultimately to find the wonderful warmth of love and belonging. In presenting how scary it is to grow closer to a person, and let more of each other into your lives, it nails it in a way that's raw and poignant. But Adachi and Shimamura is also a deeply romantic series. It reminds me of how wonderful it can be to fall in love, how it's worth all the fear and awkwardness for that small moment of triumph, like someone has heard your feelings and responded in kind. AdaShima can be sad, it can be angsty, it can be poignant, but the ultimate feeling I take is that it's warm. It is empathetic to it's characters fears of intimacy, and so revels in it every time they find some solace in a small victory. Adachi and Shimamura is about two lonely people navigating the complicated feelings of adolescence and loneliness, and by the end, they're still on their journey. But the progress they've made, the relationship they've forged, it warms my heart in a way few series do. It's a show that didn't just remind me the joys of being in love, but also made me fall in love with it in the process. For all of its visual and writing shortcomings, the strength of its titular couple, their (particularly Shimamura's) internal monologues, and it's most memorable moments, have etched their way into my heart, cementing Adachi and Shimamura as one of my favorite anime romances.
Gwynbleidd_Alan
"Adachi to Shimamura" has such a cute premise which is incredibly wholesome. Two students, Sakura Adachi and Hougetsu Shimamura, cross paths on the second floor of the school gymnasium while skipping classes. Their friendship gradually deepens as they grow closer to each other throughout the story. This had the potential to be something truly special, but the potential feels a bit wasted. There's two major issues which feel out of place and have no reason to be part of the plot. First, the story includes an alien who randomly appears dressed in a space suit, and the characters react to this bizarre occurrence asif it were completely normal. As much as I wish I was making that up, the alien then takes the form of a blue haired child. Her only purpose towards the early parts of the season is to be annoying and intrude into the alone time of the two main girls, preventing them to truly develop their relationship. As the show progresses, her existence is neither explained nor does it serve a greater purpose like helping a character figure something out about themselves or moving the plot along. Luckily, she gets shifted into the background in the later stages of the season. Without a clear reason for her existence or any explanation, her character feels unnecessary, and completely out of place. I can't understand how the other characters react to a girl who has glowing blue hair, emits light particles, and claims to be a centuries-old alien as if she's the most normal thing ever. The other thing which just felt completely out of place is that the first time a male character gets introduced and gets screen time, he's a pedophile peeping on little children at a swimming pool..... This scene serves ZERO purpose and just sort of exists, which makes it even more of a headscratcher.
The relationship feels one-sided for most of the season. One character appears almost obsessed with the other, even going so far as to ignore her for days just because she talked to another girl for a few seconds. This creates an unhealthy dynamic where one character is deeply in love while the other seems to go along with it just to avoid loneliness. Adding to this, the character in love makes her feelings quite obvious, while the other is either completely oblivious or pretends to be, resulting in content which can tend to feel awkward . Despite the significant growth in the emotional bond between the characters throughout the season, it concludes on an unfulfilling note, leaving more questions than answers.
This anime has its high points and several qualities that make for a pleasant viewing experience. The drawing style is pretty and the music is well chosen alongside a good voice cast. The romantic moments feel organic and genuine, and the interesting premise allows it to stand out in a genre with limited options. However, it does have glaring issues that range from minor disturbances to elements that become, quite frankly, extremely annoying. Ultimately, while the anime has moments that redeem it, making for an overall positive viewing experience, these flaws add an unfulfilling element that somewhat taints the experience.
SanaeK10
For a show written by the same author as Denpa Onna, I wouldn't have imagined myself to be so enamoured by, and so engrossed in Adachi to Shimamura. In many ways, it is a refinement of Denpa Onna's ideas and themes, polished to a mirror sheen and given incredible focus to its subject matter. Adachi to Shimamura stars the titular couple, a pair of socially awkward introverts (though Shimamura makes an effort to seem outgoing) with copious amounts of inner monologues throughout the whole series. What makes the show so relatable, is that, in spite of the heavy narration, Adachi and Shimamura feel like real people.It's very easy to empathize with either of them and the strong writing does wonders to make these people seem so natural in their behaviour and in their conversations with each other and with others. It's honestly refreshing to watch the very first episode and be impressed with how the conversations turned out, i.e. it's very much something you would have with someone else, a very realistic and natural conversation, about nothing at all, yet entirely encapsulating nonetheless.
The series gives a strong focus to Adachi and Shimamura's progressing relationship, with the irony that Adachi becomes more awkward and embarrassed around Shimamura the more she starts to realize her feelings for her. Unlike the scatterbrained Denpa Onna, AdaShima is comparatively razor sharp in its focus, with the occasional digression to look at the lives of Hino and Nagafuji (itself a foil to Adachi and Shimamura's relationship) as well as Shimamura's sister and Denpa Onna canon immigrant Yashiro (a different one, but related to the Yashiro from Denpa Onna). Adachi's dorkiness is incredibly adorable and her turning into a puppy or spilling her spaghetti in front of Shimamura is really cute. But I do enjoy how both characters do slowly work towards building their romance with each other.
Refreshingly, there is little to no drama or substantial love triangle in this show, unlike the very similar YagaKimi where Touko going through an identity crisis built into the main drama/conflict of self-identity and discovery. AdaShima is very relaxing and comfy by comparison, offering very pleasant visuals paired with a soothing soundtrack as you witness the two go through their day-to-day. The surprising thing is that there is never a dull moment in the show, glacial as the pacing may be, every moment centered around Adachi or Shimamura does something in progressing or exploring their relationship with each other or with the outside world. Tarumi's inclusion does raise Adachi's jealousy by a fair bit, but she never becomes a rival in the same way as say, Sayaka from YagaKimi (which coincidentally received a spinoff spotlight LN by the same author, and of which Tarumi heavily resembles in voice and in role), at least this far into the show.
There's a somewhat ethereal flow to the conversations and their depictions in the show. Very dreamlike, sci-fi-like, or floaty. The kind of conversations that make your mind wander off, yet pay close attention to in the same time. Maybe Yashiro's presence is rubbing off on me with her alien-like abilities toying around with the cast every so often.
If you're ever tired of cliched will-be-wont-be's or drama-heavy romance series, AdaShima may just be the cure for you. Its pace is incredibly slow, but it does work for the kind of series it is: A relaxing thought-provoking look into the minds of two introverts who fall in love with each other, with a very real approach to its dialogue and inner monologues.
7/10
HenriqueNeves
Adachi and Shimamura are inseparable friends who spend their days talking about the most different types of things. However, Adachi begins to see Shimamura with different eyes and, little by little, the friendship between the two begins to become something much more complicated to deal with. It is very noticeable how Adachi to Shimamura tries to express himself with a more sensory approach in a very intimate way. The entire good level of anime production (of course, together with Artistic System thought by the director) is committed to causing sensations that have relations with the elements of the plot, but which, unfortunately, does not progress asexpected.
The first episode at least shows this very well, it has many organic elements that guide our look while we get to know a little of the story and the characters. Whether they like it or not, the characters act in ways that leave clues as to how they feel about this relationship, but that never open up to each other, it is a somewhat mysterious relationship. And the anime tries to explore a sensory side of it.
The anime also makes quite a lot of very expressive details. Sometimes small gestures or experimentation. There is a commitment to show us small details and actions that cause an effect, that have an impact through the visual in an intimate way as these characters face each other, talk, play etc.
With the passing of the episodes, the anime follows this same approach until the end, which would not be a problem, put following the progress of the plot (which becomes more complex, desolate and subtle) the anime in theory should improve, but the what happens is just the opposite. The big problem that gets in the way of this whole system of the director, is an unnecessary verbiage. The characters speak very expositively as they are feeling in relation to these feelings, and this causes a creative conflict in the work. Let's see. While the aesthetic interest of the work is to pass on such sensations and feelings to us through a more organic and sensory approach, all of this loses its meaning and the work tells us how they feel. There is a scene that is so self explanatory that the character even explains the analogy in the middle of it. Almost all of the more experimental value is thrown away, and the anime is almost just that.
There is another scene of even more significant value that also loses much of its meaning due to this verbiage. We know that for Sakura Adachi's character, walking hand in hand has a very strong value (or at least it should have). Later in the anime, when Hougetsu's childhood friend Shimamura takes her hand, there is a very evident detail in this action. This act of walking hand in hand should have a very strong value, but it is also wasted.
Another choice that didn’t make any sense, and that perhaps was purely formalistic, are the transitions between 16: 9 for Cinemascope. Cinemascope is such a proportion of the screen more vertically closed. I might even think that this is a representation of the characters being submissive in some way, but the anime only uses it at random.
In short, Adachi to Shimamura is a work that tries to deal with a conflicting plot in a very expressive and innovative way, but that prevents the viewer from feeling such emotions due to differences in the way it is staged.
SpennyBoi
I loved Adachi to Shimamura and I heavily recommend this to anyone who likes similar anime such as yagate kimi ni naru but here are the things I think it did well and what I think it could’ve done better. This anime has great story telling where it shows you the perspective and inner monologues of both characters which is my favourite way for romance to be portrayed as it shows you what the relationship means to both people rather than just one. This anime is also very cute in its portrayal of the relationship with a kind Shinamura who has almost everything go over her headand a shy Adachi who tends to get jealous and protective of her seemingly first friend (I haven’t fully read the rest of the story so I may not know something or a I may have forgotten something but Adachi has always been know to be shy and alone among her peers so I’m assuming that)
I also love the art style of Adachi to Shimamura so that’s also a bit of a plus. (it was actually the reason I clicked on it in the first place)
But now here are some flaws I find that are keeping this show from being a 10 in my mind. (I’ll be comparing it to yagate kimi ni naru which is a 10 on my list)
As I’ve said this show is very similar to yagate kimi ni naru (bloom into you) but I see this as a bit of a worse version.
In yagate kimi ni naru there is plenty of character growth all the way till the end such as in the last episode you can see Koito starting to like Nanami and actually start having fun compared to the blank expression she had for almost the whole series.
(A bit of a spoiler for when Adachi confesses in this paragraph)
Whereas in Adachi to Shimamura there’s a lack of character development and it’s more like a cycle of Adachi asking to hangout with Shimamura, Shimamura saying yes and then Adachi becoming a nervous wreck around Shimamura. We don’t see Adachi confess until reading 2 short novels after the end of the anime which is honestly the first point where I see her develope as a character.
Due to this cycle the show which is only 12 episodes becomes rather repetitive and feels a bit like a drag as a result of the dynamic not changing much in the latter half of the series. If the pacing was a bit better I’d like it more (by pacing I mean just speeding up the boring parts, as a one piece fan I’m happy to watch a show with slow pacing as long as it’s just not boring)
An1meDweeb
Disclaimer: I am helplessly in love with this show. Finding something special is an amazing feeling, made all the more wonderful when you make that discovery in an unlikely place. Perhaps you've chuckled at a funny memory for no reason in particular, or found a cherished item you could have sworn you lost years ago. That feeling describes how I feel about "Adachi to Shimamura," or Adachimura for short. I aimlessly stumbled across the show while looking for a quick seasonal to watch, and left having seen one of my favorites all-year. Why is that? Because Adachimura is enamored with that same special feeling - ofmeeting someone you never knew you needed, and seeing your life change forever. This review is meant to be spoiler-free, but feel free to skip ahead to my Tl;Dr if you'd like to go in blind.
Adachimura is centered around two self-proclaimed delinquents, who in skipping class find themselves hanging out on the second floor of the school gym. Our partners-in-crime form a fast friendship, which grows into something more meaningful. The show explores the uncertainty that comes with having a first crush, the nuance in navigating social dynamics, and what it means to find someone special in your life. Adachimura achieves this by frequently fleshing out the individual perspectives of our leads. At times it goes as far as to retrace its own steps, switching places to the other main character prior to a shared event. It's all about perspective. Getting into the headspaces of our girls is what Adachimura does best, with thoughtful observations providing the audience with plenty to relate to and think about. However, such perspective would be pointless if both girls were too similar, and thankfully Adachi and Shimamura are about as distinct as night and day.
Meeting Adachi was like meeting myself; the only difference between her and yours truly is that I don't happen to be a "kawaii" high-school girl who's good at ping-pong. A habitual introvert closed off to the world around her, Adachi's walls come crashing down as Shimamura barges in. The hopeless romantic I am connects with Adachi effortlessly; I know all too well what it's like to fall for someone way out of your league. Lazy afternoons in the gym hall take on new meaning, as Adachi discovers a need in Shimamura. The smitten "delinquent" and her tumultuous feelings closely represent thoughts I've had for special people that changed my life. And no, I'm not just referring to the rampant hormone-induced horniness Adachi indulges in. Rather, the element that makes her arc so endearing are the changes she undergoes during this relationship. Watching Adachi's journey through her own eyes lets me know just how much her feelings for Shimamura influence her decisions. She second-guesses every tiny interaction, because Shima matters and is worth the extra thought. She trepidly tests the waters with moving the relationship forwards, because she wants to draw closer to Shima. She celebrates every small victory with excitement and relief, because knowing you need someone and are needed in return is the greatest news in the world. The way Adachi relays my past experiences back to me is just shy of a personal attack; at times her goofy naivety and awkward mannerisms leave me laughing as I hold my head in embarrassment. Having been in her shoes not too long ago, I empathize with her and root for every W she can find. Adachi discovers herself in someone else, and seeing her grow alongside her precious bond felt wholesome and rewarding.
If Adachi is a character I relate to, Shimamura then is someone I've learnt a lot from. She's charming on the outside, and caring on the inside. Shimamura has her own reasons for killing time at the school gym. While her close friend is only just looking at life through rose-tinted glasses, Shima is one who's seen it all. She's never had problems clicking with peers around her, in fact she's almost spoilt for choice when it comes to picking cliques. But despite her ability to find her place amongst a sea of people, she feels lost, having yet to experience a bond that goes beyond the superficial. And it's not for lack of trying, as evidenced by her attempts at investing in relationships that didn't pay off. Her once excited, optimistic approach to life now carries a tinge of tiredness and world-weariness. Giving her all to others and putting on a likeable image has taken its toll on Shima. Her thoughtful introspection throughout the series shed some insight into interpersonal relationships from the perspective of my loved ones. In the past, my happiness over the notion that I'm liked by my friends sent my expectations of them sky-high and clouded the truth - that these people are just… people. Individuals, with wants and needs, just as I am. Shimamura showed me what it's like to be on the receiving end of those expectations. The show goes at length to depict how tiring it can be to keep up with changing dynamics, when the status quo works so well. Her caring nature is at odds with the idea that getting too attached to people is an exercise in futility. That is, until Adachi proves her wrong. Once again, Adachimura celebrates what it means to meet someone special, gradually bringing color back to Shima's world. It's a joy to watch her slowly open her heart to Adachi and welcome those innocent feelings of youth once more.
Adachimura glitters its coming-of-age story with charm and wide-eyed whimsy. Don't worry about the character introspection being nearly as dry as the essay I've put together, as the show strings together its melancholic musings with some great, witty dialogue. The show is brimming with thoughtful quotables about the human condition, as well as characterization through dialogue that gives attentive viewers plenty to chew on. Adachimura also shares the various ways people share their love through its side characters, with pals Nagafuji and Hino taking the show to new, adorable heights of gay. Speaking of side characters, we are introduced to a literal ALIEN who holds no significance to the plot other than comic relief and playing the occasional deuteragonist. IDK about you, but I find that concept incredibly funny. The Alien joins a looney astrologist and a hack fortune teller as a group of oddballs that occasionally make appearances in an otherwise grounded show, perhaps suggesting that relationships between people are as mystic and mysterious as the zany stuff I just mentioned. In any case, a playful, fantastical charm permeates every aspect of the show, depicting the mundane through cute visual motifs and a vibrant sheen. The art style is quite literally shiny, but not all there for flashy effect; strong direction and versatile stylistic choices amplify the message being shared. All-in-all, the show is just gosh-darn beautiful.
As much as I'm in love with Adachimura, it's not a show for everyone. One issue is how the show disobeys the adage "Show, Don't Tell." It spells out most of its metaphors out for the viewer. While some who struggle with reading subtext would appreciate the clarity, others might find that this adds to the series' struggle with repetition. Adding to that weakness is the constant use of anti-climax. Sure, using that device a story isn't always a bad thing, but the very nature of it inherently robs the audience from catharsis. Adachimura often succumbs to repetition and a lack of "real" progression. Adachi's frequent compromises are seen as the same rinse-and-repeat plot structure we've grown to dislike. Given my biases and personal experiences, all I can say is that such anti-climax is as real as it gets. 'Cause even if things stay mostly the same, there's always joy to be had in sharing that special bond. And who knows? Perhaps life has more miracles in store, and more ways to open us up to new experiences. Whether you're coming into the world with fresh eyes or have seen all there is to see, life will find a way to surprise us through the people we love.
Tl;Dr:
Adachi to Shimamura is enamored with the concept of love. About what it means to find yourself in someone else, about seeing the world around you in a changed light. It explores how two girls from different places in life stumble upon love, and how that love changes them. Thoughtful use of perspective creates a deep sense of empathy, as a couple of young delinquents open up to each other. Filled with charming interactions and melancholic introspection, Adachimura offered me a connection that's truly special. 8/10~
***
STRAY RAMBLINGS: (SPOILERS):
- Unpopular opinion: I kinda think that Adachi getting rejected would make for a strong story decision. Sure, it'd tear my wee little heart to shreds and go against everything I've talked about so far. But as an exploration of a dynamic that I'm surely not alone in experiencing firsthand, the pair being separated seems like a natural place to be. Adachi's actions could admittedly be seen as unhealthy, so the story heading in that direction and exploring Adachi's recovery could make a lot of sense.
- How the hell did the author know I don't celebrate Christmas? Yet more proof that Adachi is stolen from my unreleased (and unremarkable) life story, I'm taking this to court!
- "The level Adachi wants to take our relationship was so impossibly high that I'd probably need to sprout wings to even attain it." This quote hit me HARD, had to pause for a good 5 minutes and get my bearings back.
- Who else caught diabetes at the Valentines' Day episode, pretty sure it was so sweet that my toes fell off
- Shoutout to the VA that played Ekishaman, the fortune teller from the subway station. Not only did she provide Adachi with a great character moment, but she also made the most out of her 3 minutes of fame with some hilarious line delivery.
- BEST GIRL: Tough pick, this just isn't fair. Gonna go with Brunette Shimamura, seeing her true colors slowly emerge as time went on was really sweet.
***
That's a wrap! Hope the corny personal stories didn't distract from my thoughts on the show. If you happen to like my verbose rants, feel free to check out my other reviews for seasons past and present. Happy Holidays, and expect more ill-informed takes, from me to you. Peace~
NextUniverse
(TLDR Review at the bottom, as always, thanks for reading) Let's get the important questions over and done with. Is AdaShima a yuri anime the community knows and loves with excessive kissing and other unholy actions? No. Is AdaShima a wholesome love story that will inevitably take part in fuelling various wholesome forums and anime boards across the internet? Yes.Now for the review.
AdaShima is a pleasant anime to arise from what is now a playground consisting of generic isekai, hyped (but by no means bad) shounen anime, and other heavily anticipated anime deriving from popular manga and creators. I won't lie, this year has given some other decent romance anime to remember, but I don't think they had the same touch as AdaShima, as in the touch of youthful school romance you usually get from your average school shoujo non-comedy anime such as Kimi ni Todoke and Say "I Love You". It is a nice addition to go forward with, whether it be with the romance genre or the Shoujo Ai genre or the anime seasons that awaits us. Every now and then a simple school story that doesn't converge with what else is in the air won't hurt. It acts as an equalizer, if you like, that doesn't usually appear in this day and age.
Narrative:
I said AdaShima is a simple school story, to be more precise, a simple school love story. And yes. It is quite literally that. There isn't any quality of the anime to fish out as majorly impressive or distuginging to sit through, albeit there were elements from the characters that did annoy me slightly which I will get onto later. In watching this story though, one thing that did get out to me was the presentation and execution. Something about AdaShima made me feel like I was reading a story, as in if it were in a book format, whilst concurrently watching an anime. If you don't already know, AdaShima originated as a light novel if I am not wrong. In my time of reading light novels, I must say, the detail into character thoughts and the viewpoints of surroundings and behavior is greatly enhanced. The anime does this through countless amounts of internal monologue, and not in a way that it was like the narrator from Peppa Pig, it is just the simple yet perplexing thoughts of your teenage girls that have fallen in love. Such a technique isn't new. But it does allow for interesting perspectives and looks into the behaviour of our protagonists. It makes them more human to look at rather than characters that exist to do things in some plot. Honestly, not a bad way to go around with such a simple story. With the pacing of the story, it wasn't too slow, but it wasn't fast either, if I had to say, it leans more onto the slow side of things, which in turn gave it that mood of realistic growth in the atmosphere rather than something that comes out of a 13 y/o teen relationship that exists just to get that street cred from classmates. Whilst it is a little slow, it is nothing that will make you fall asleep.
The characters are somewhat interesting to focus on. I don't like dumb characters. I just don't know why someone would do dumb things. But the preception of what is 'dumb' and not all boils down to relativity, especially with emotions. Adachi is a good example of this. To me, Adachi did quite a lot of stupid things, though looking at the romance genre and everything it has given, her actions are to be expected and, not surprisingly, liked to some extent. In other words, she is your average romance protagonist. However, that doesn't excuse her from the stupid actions that you may be tired in seeing constantly. She is a jealous girl, and an iffy one too. Not that I have many emotions to begin with, but damn, I have seen this Adachi-kinda-girls more times than I have seen shounen plot armour. It is annoying to view nevertheless. The number of times Adachi gets jealous of whoever the hell Shimamura interacts with, or the silly amount of times she stops talking to Shimamura or runs away from her. It is undoubtedly some of the most generic plot devices for a dramatic atmosphere. But as I said, the story is simple, it is to be expected. Though, recalling back to my earlier statement of humanisation, it makes her more human, I mean half the times she has some of the most innocent of wet dreams when it comes to thinking about Shimamura. She is a loner. A teenager. Wouldn't be surprised if she hated 'insta normies' too. But yeah, she is what you would expect of someone who just fell in love. She has all the stupid qualites and the redeeming ones too. Even though I have said some negative things about her, she does fine as a character for this story.
Shimamura is another engaging one to focus on. One could say she is denser than Osmium, or she is CEO of confused.com. Though in seriousness, I thought that she was indeed slightly dense and confused when it came to her tremulous relationship with Adachi. You see Shimamura's feelings towards Adachi are fogged. You can't say she has the same feelings as Adachi to her, however, you can't say that she is looking at her as just a friend. Friendzoned, if you like. I can never really tell what Shimamura truly thought about Adachi other than someone she really enjoys being with. You can tell what she will do next, but I was not convinced about her true motives in the event something went in a peculiar fashion. In her presence of taking up screen time, she has shown that she does question quite a bit of things mostly revolving around the people she spends time with, whether she has spent time well or not. But other than that, and her relation with Adachi, she isn't one that can be easily deciphered. Not a bad character, but not the star-of-the-show. Just a really thoughtful (the thinking kind) girl.
Side characters, you could do without, their presence and impact on the story means little hence why I said that, they are not anything vile, but given how most of the story is focused on Adachi and Shimamura (surprisingly, as if the title wasn't enough), it felt as if that the side characters didn't need to exist in the slightest. It probably would have made for a more bland anime, so I give thanks that the side characters do exist, though they are indeed just useless to anything to push the plot forward, even Yashiro who was this alien from out of nowhere didn't mean much after episode 3 or somewhere close to it. A sad loss. But I wouldn't mourn over it.
Audiovisuals:
The visuals were good. Very good. Polished and detailed so much so that it actually feels like something from this generation of anime. I mean, don't tell moi u don't luv dem lips, u know u want dem close ups. Although, if you pictured a random scene as if they were landscapes, background visuals don't hold up to the character designs, which is kinda disappointing. Animation-wise, it felt slow, like the writer got so immersed with the slow pacing that they decided to jump onto one of the animation PCs and start animating. It has this slightly choppy flow to it which made for a few scenes that would trigger for a few giggles to come out unintentionally, like when Adachi physically runs away from Shimamura. Nothing appalling or unwatchable, but it is just a slight hiccup that disenchanted the experience.
I swear I binge watched AdaShima and I have come out not remembering any of the OST, I really believe that it was that "in the moment" kind of OST being played as supposed to something intentionally made to stay in your head. Saying this, I will admit that I don't have the best memory in the world. However, not even one soundtrack has stuck with me since. I wouldn't say the sounds are bad though, as I willingly try to recall sounds played, for that, I would probably remember more than not. OP and ED were different, they stuck with me and were actually very nice to hear, it had that smoothing feel everytime you listen to it. Seiyuus were good. Basically what you would expect from anime like this. Nothing too deep or enlightening to report on that matter.
Enjoyment:
Hey, I love me a good romance. Regardless of how cliche or foolish the characters are. I literally used to live on r/wholesomeanimemes at one point, so you can get where I am coming from. The enjoyment was splendid. The pair were going out bowling, feeding each other, holding hands, resting on each other's thighs. You can't tell me that isn't wholesome. Simple things like that were very enjoyable for me, and maybe will be enjoyable for those who watch this. The whole light novel presentation idea was very enjoyable for me as well, diving into character thoughts does make for some well played enjoyment. Tells me to get back to reading soon lol.
Overall - 6.8 (7)
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TLDR Review:
Story - 7: Simple love story, played as if it were a light novel.
Visuals - 7: Good character design, but somewhat choppy animation
Audio - 6: Good OP and ED, though nothing memorable from OST, most are made for "in the moment"
Characters - 7: Adachi is slightly dumb, but an expected character. Shimamura is mysterious. Side characters mean nothing at the end of the day.
Enjoyment - 7: Very wholesome romance, execution if really fun to immerse in as well.
Overall - 6.8 (7)
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Really can't say I have final words for AdaShima, I mean, everything I have been meaning to say has been covered. I have every intention of reading the light novel, so I should enjoy that hopefully. I am just going to say I recommend this to anyone who wishes to watch this. It is nothing groundbreaking, you probably won't get much out of it, but it is there if you are either new to the genre or just want more decent anime to watch.
YetiSsimo
Warning : May contain spoilers, i'm trying my best not to spoil anything, if what i wrote contains spoilers, immediately stop reading this review. I wanna rate this anime a 10/10, but i just can't, i don't want to fake my own feelings right after i finished this anime, everything that i felt when i watched it, will be put in this review. Shoujo Ai/Yuri...where should i even start, every aspect in this romantic teenage love between 2 girls, was confusing yet acceptable, especially Adachi's feeling towards Shimamura, everything happened in the anime was nothing but because of adachi's dream, yet she immediately fell in love toShimamura without a good reason behind it.
What i meant by "acceptable", is how Adachi's feelings was increasing as time flows, and still increasing even though there are conflicts, until the story reached it's climax.
About other aspects, let's talk about the art, shall we?
About the art, there really is something to be criticized, even though i could guess the main problem about the art is that not everyone's face got animated, only everyone who's involved in the story is perfectly animated, but everyone elses face? it's blank, there's literally nothing in it, although they did have faces in several scenes in the classroom, but leaving a blank face instead of animating even the tiniest detail, feels a bit unacceptable, but i am myself amazed about how well the environment was animated, especially the makoto shinkai-ish scenes, it fits perfectly with the environment.
And then what else... oh yeah, the theme song.
I love it so much, the theme of the song fits the theme of the anime, and what's interesting, the openng theme was sung by Akari Kito and Itou Miku, the vas of the main characters, and the ending theme was sung by Akari Kito herself.
Character Development
There's nothing much i could say about the characters, i want to explain it, but it'll be full of spoilers and i don't want that, just 1 thing that bothers me, the character Yashiro, feels like it was a character whose appearance is forced, she has nothing to do with the story line, and what's worse, no one knows who she really is, she just explains that she is an alien named Yashiro, and she is 800 years old.
Enjoyment
If i'm being honest, such a good yet simple title, "Adachi to Shimamura" or "Adachi and Shimamura", but the storyline is not about about the love story between Adachi and Shimamura, the whole 12 episode was basically full of Adachi being too nervous around Shimamura and unable to tell Shimamura her true feelings, i enjoyed it, but caused a bit of disappointment.
Overall
It's a 9/10 from me, i can change it to 10/10, i really liked it, too bad, my expectations was too high, it left me a hole nside my feelings, like something was missing, and things that adachi should've done before the anime ends.
Thanks for reading my Adachi to Shimamura review!!!
- YetiSsimo, 06/03/2021
Jiggly_333
It should be important for me to mention at the start of this review that I love yuri. There's just a certain level of comfort and happiness that yuri brings me when I see it. And I especially love it when I see it done well. And one of the biggest problems I've had since becoming a weeb has been finding yuri that feels well-written. There's not a lot of yuri that's been made, but of what is already out there, the best yuri stories is usually side-stories in more general romance. Bloom Into You is good, but something like Sweet Blue Flowers is boring andunremarkable and Citrus is a whole other beast that I hate. So when Adachi to Shimamura fell into my lap, I realized that I found something special.
From the start, it's about an unlikely friendship that develops out of convenience. Both girls sneak out of class to meet up in the gym to hang out. The dialogue in this show is so different from what I always see in other yuri. It feels natural. Or at least, it feels more clever than most other stories. The conversations they have up in that second floor of the gym feels like I'm watching "Yurimonogatari" and the art matches it.
In fact, I just want to talk about the art even more for a second. Do you know how hard it is to find a yuri anime with good art? It's next to impossible. Studios don't really waste budget on yuri, which is why something like Sweet Blue Flowers is incredibly forgettable. The lighting and shading make these characters stand out in contrast to a lot of other yuri.
Of course, there are some slight issues in the story. I'm not writing this review right after watching, I watched it as it was coming out and now I'm two anime seasons past it. I might have some goggles on and forgetting about the weird alien girl that shows up and doesn't really seem to have a purpose. In fact, this show could get a 10 without the weird added mystical stuff with that alien girl. There's no explanation for her and I'm just left confused.
But at its core, at the center, what is most important is if the love story feels good and believable and if the animation and art looks good. And those two things were absolutely knocked out of the park.
Is a good anime.
Pyrple
Before watching this anime, the only anime I found myself disliking were shows that were poorly made overall. This anime has a good production value. The animation is great, the characters look adorable, the direction is good - which just made suffering through it disappointing on top of unentertaining. This anime starts off very strong. The relationship between Adachi and Shimamura is enticing and it made me want to see where it would go - and I was promptly handed my comeuppance for this transgression. There's a certain point in the show when watching Adachi and Shimamura's relationship goes from adorable to excruciating. It'sduring the day when the kid joins them at the mall. While the scene made me very angry, it was for a good reason. I relate heavily to Adachi, and I absolutely hated that kid because I understood exactly what it's like to be in that situation. I was so happy when it ended and Adachi got to go back to being alone with Shimamura - except the only problem was the show found out how to make me feel the same form of anguish even without the kid.
Very soon after the scene I described ends Adachi's character absolutely plummets. She goes from being shy and closed off from everyone except Shimamura, to shy and closed off from everyone, including Shimamura. I absolutely know that her feelings are realistic, but it's so hard to watch. We never get any release from Adachi's social anxiety. There are no islands where she's truly able to bond with Shimamura. It's nothing but her running away, not knowing what to say, etc. Again, these things aren't bad when the conflict they bring is resolved - but there just is none in this show.
Up until the very end Adachi never grows past her anxiety, and even this wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't for the fact that she didn't start off so socially inept. She's perfectly competent at the beginning, but after a few episodes she just becomes hopeless. I get that it's realistic, but there is such thing as being too realistic. Besides, despite being realistic, there's still plenty of fanservice, so that took away any brownie points I could give it for realism.
There are some cute moments in this show, but overall it was just suffering past a certain point. If it weren't for the amazing animation and tiny amounts of cute moments, I'd find this show horrid, but thankfully there are redeeming qualities.
