Ranked #149

Kimi ni Todoke 2nd Season

When I first heard that there would be a continuation of Kimi ni Todoke I was overjoyed but also filled with great trepidation. The original had a less than stellar ending, so the prospect of getting a worthy finale to the series was an exciting opportunity. But at the same time I know the track record when it comes to sequels in anything, and considering how much I loved the original I feared it would be impossible for it to live up the expectations I had for it. In the end both came true in a way, being at the same time better and worse than the first season.

What really attracted me originally to Kimi ni Todoke was the way it broke the typical shoujo stereotypes and mostly stayed away from them. Instead standing many of them on their heads and having fun with them. It stayed away from love triangles, misunderstandings, and the other typical cockblocks that plague romance anime. This begins to change somewhat from episode one when we are introduced to a new character Kento Miura. A character that could only have one purpose and a type that anyone familiar with the genre could recognize from the start. While in retrospect I probably shouldn't have been surprised that a rival might make an appearance, I also think that it’s a bit out of character for the series as well. Sawako is just too innocent and simple of a personality to have her heart swayed by the appearance of additional bishies. Though his character doesn't really pan out the way I feared he would, I am still left wondering if it was even necessary to include him at all.

As much as Kento's arrival initially annoyed me, the main problem overall with this anime is the frustratingly slow pace. This started to bother me in the first season towards the end but most of the time you just found yourself tapping your cheeks and exclaiming, "Aw, they're so cute!" However now I found myself more often pounding on the arm of my chair screaming, "Get on with it already!" The constant string of misunderstandings and hand-wringing gets old really fast. There is a limit to how clueless, how bashful, and socially awkward two people can be. And this is the source of most of my frustration with the plot.

However, as much chagrin and annoyance as most of the series' pacing caused me it’s almost completely offset by how it ends up. All of my expectations were fulfilled as we are treated to a wonderful culmination of their struggles to reach each other’s hearts. We are even treated to something that we rarely get to see in romance stories, the after the confession story.

Another rewarding aspect of this season is the continued growth of Sawako's character as a normal well adjusted person. As much annoyance as certain characteristics of her personality caused me at times by the end you see a girl who changed quite a bit from the shy and gloomy person at the start of the first season. Even Kazehaya is changed, though it is not as noticeable with his outgoing personality as a shell to cover up his own insecurities.

The rest of the cast remains pretty much unchanged with one notable exception; Kurumi. Her role in this season is greatly diminished but all of her appearances are quite impactful. Each one displays an element of her character, from jealousy and vindictiveness to vulnerability and honesty. Over the course of the series she manages to both stand in Sawako's way and to help her get around her. Though you could say they are technically not "friends", this kind of tough love probably changed Sawako in more ways than any of her other friends managed to. I think that everyone can relate to Kurumi's feelings and her unrequited love. It's hard to not feel a little sorry for her, but while she's still not over Kazehaya by the end its clear she is going to be ok. Unlike most rejected romance characters, it’s hard to imagine Kurumi pining for Kazehaya for the rest of her life.

Artistically there is really no change from this season to the past one. It remains the most beautiful shoujo romance probably ever made. If there is any fault to be had it is with the overuse of Sawako's chibi form. While I myself happen to love chibi style animation, I felt they were used inappropriately at times. Particularly in some of the more impactful scenes which ended up taking away from them. The music and voice acting remains top notch, MAY's "Kimi ni Todoke" ED song I think is the best one of the entire series. Mamiko Noto's performance is also quite memorable. I really believe this is a defining role for her, almost as if the character had been created specifically for her. I cant imagine any other seiyuu voicing Sawako.

Overall the 2nd Season of Kimi ni Todoke is an excellent conclusion to the series. Though even with its excellent ending it never feels like it equals the quality of the first one. Combined with the frustratingly slow pace and an implausible string of misunderstandings, makes the experience as a whole uneven. Despite these warts if you loved the first season your still going to like and perhaps love this as well.
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PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE

Story: 10/10 Beautifully continued from the first season, Kimi Ni Todoke Season 2 kept me hungry for more with the developing relationship between Shouta and Sawako growing.

Art: 10/10 I fell in love with the stunning artwork when I was introduced to it in the first season. The characters are drawn more realistically than most Japanese Anime and the scenery (cherry blossoms) are amazing.

Sound: 10/10 I love the music. My favorites are the romantic tunes when Shouta and Sawako look at eachother.

Character: 9/10 I love Shouta's character. He's this cute, outgoing athlete who becomes this cutely shy guy when it comes to Sawako. Sawako is this introverted girl who becomes extremely shy when it comes to Shouta. The only problem I have with this is that for many episodes throughout Kimi Ni Todoke (in general, but more in the 2nd season) there are times where I think they are too shy. It even becomes quite unbearable at one point in the 2nd season; I almost wanted to stop watching the anime. However, I understand that Sawako was very unsocial to begin with and Shouta is just shy around her because he likes her. I needed to cut her a little slack.. but Shouta couldn't tell that she liked him. It took him a while before he started to get it. I hate it when anime characters are DENSE.

Enjoyment: 9/10 Besides the middle of the 2nd season of Kimi Ni Todoke where I wanted to rip out my hair because I was so frustrated that Sawako wasn't getting it, I love this anime. :) I really enjoyed this anime more as it went towards the end of the season (Episode 10 to be exact). That one episode is amazing.

Overall: 10/10 I love this anime. Despite the shyness, I thought that everything was well done. I recommend this anime to people who love a cute love story, but have the patience to sit through it. It took a while but in the end, I felt happy. In fact, if they didn't drag on the developing relationship, then there would be no strong meaning to the title.

I can't wait to see the last 2 episodes. I'm sad that there are only 2 though..:(

-MsCHOCOHOLICishere read more