Anime Review: Tonikaku Kawaii Episode 1

Tonikaku Kawaii

Studio: Seven Arcs

Genres: Comedy, Romance

Streaming on: Crunchyroll

Parents usually dream about their children’s futures the moment that they are born. In Tonikaku Kawaii, the protagonist’s parents wanted their kid to be as great as the stars. Naturally, the father named his son Nasa, like the space organization. This is his story.

Nasa has everything planned out. He is tired of being made fun of for his name so he works hard to be even more successful than NASA. He has no doubt that he will be able to get into the best high school available. Everything changes when he sees a beautiful girl and gets hit by a truck on his way to talking to her. The girl barely saves his life, but he has missed the opportunity to go to his favorite school due to the hospital stay. Now Nasa is trying to get his life together as an adult while thinking about his missed opportunity with the girl.

The show is much more lighthearted than my synopsis makes it seem. There are both comedic and romantic beats scattered throughout the episode. Series like these tend to rely on the characters’ chemistry, so it’s hard to tell if this series will be good in the long run. For now, the first episode is entertaining. The protagonist is likable enough, while his romantic interest is mysterious. The dynamic has been explored before, but this episode doesn’t feel too familiar.

The music and sounds of Tonikaku Kawaii are fun and upbeat. The show juggles themes and tones, so the music always helps guide things in the right direction. The art is full of bold lines that add charm to the episode. The voice acting is solid, with nothing too exceptional nor offensive in this episode. The OP is a lot of fun, with a fantastically lively tune to go along with it.

While its fun, there are still a lot of question marks for Tonikaku Kawaii. This is a series that will need a few more episodes before its clear if its a must watch or not. For now, fans of romantic comedies will want to check out Tonikaku Kawaii.