Binbou Shimai Monogatari

Without the presence of both their deceased mother and their debt-ridden father, sisters Kyou and Asu Yamada are forced to fend for themselves. Thankfully, they at least have a roof over their heads: a small room in an old apartment spacious enough to fit both of them. However, to make ends meet, the older sister Kyou strives to juggle various part-time jobs—all while making sure that she and her younger sister can continue studying.

Despite these hardships, they are not alone. Seemingly blessed with good and kind people around them, Kyou and Asu's lives are far from miserable. Above all else, the two sisters share a precious bond that, no matter what pain, trials, or quarrels may come their way, will always remain unbreakable.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Yamada, Asu Main

Kaneda, Tomoko Japanese

Yamada, Kyou Main

Sakamoto, Maaya Japanese

Saegusa, Ranko Supporting

Hiramatsu, Akiko Japanese

Echigoya, Ginko Supporting

Kozakura, Etsuko Japanese

Ichinokura, Masao Supporting

Kishio, Daisuke Japanese

Echigoya, Kinko Supporting

Shindo, Naomi Japanese

Hayashi, Genzou Supporting

Mugihito Japanese

Kaizawa, Yukio Director, Episode Director, Storyboard

Sugiyama, Keiichi Episode Director, Storyboard

Suzuki, Yuusuke Episode Director

Mikuriya, Kyousuke Episode Director

Reviews

Feb 10, 2025

AngeVNs

Recommended

One of my favorite anime genres is iyashikei, or wholesome slice-of-life, which is all about appreciating the smaller things in life. And what better way to do that than with a story about two poor sisters struggling to make it through each day?

With a title like Binbou Shimai Monogatari (Poor Girls’ Story), you might expect some dark, gritty drama. But despite the first episode being a little melodramatic about the sisters' situation, the show isn’t really about suffering. If anything, its strength lies in the contrast—these two sisters are barely scraping by, yet they appreciate what little they have and, most importantly, they cherish each ... other. That’s what makes this one of the most underrated wholesome slice-of-life shows I’ve ever watched.

The story follows Kyou (15) and Asu (9), who live in a rundown, cheap apartment. Kyou is the breadwinner, delivering newspapers instead of attending school, while Asu takes care of cooking, cleaning, and attending school in her sister’s place. It’s a surprisingly fair and well-thought-out dynamic—you can tell they worked it out themselves because they love each other and want to contribute equally to their simple but harsh lifestyle.

If you’re interested in seeing how people who are poor—but don’t necessarily hate their lives—live day to day, this anime offers a great perspective. I have a distant relative who has talked a lot about her experiences growing up poor, and watching this show made me feel like I got a glimpse into the mindset of someone in that situation. Some people, even when given the chance for a better life, might hesitate to leave what they’re used to—even if it’s objectively more comfortable.

To me, that’s the beauty of this show. It takes a premise that might seem depressing at first but writes it in a way that makes you appreciate a different perspective—people who might not have material wealth but still find ways to live with gratitude and warmth.

The sisters themselves are fantastic characters with a great dynamic, but the side characters are also surprisingly charming. Their old-man landlord is a kind and friendly presence in their lives, and the Echigoya sisters serve as interesting foils to Kyou and Asu. Since the story is mostly told through Asu’s eyes, we get to see how she perceives her schoolmate Ginko, who comes off as much haughtier and less kind than Asu but has a complex relationship with her own older sister.

While I really love this show and its premise, its biggest strengths are also its biggest weaknesses. The focus on appreciating the small things in life is great, but there’s only so much you can do with that theme before things start feeling repetitive. Some episodes feel like slight variations of previous ones, just with a different scenario or minor dialogue changes.

The few moments of melodrama—especially in episode 1—sometimes feel a little out of place. The occasional reflection on poverty is interesting, but when the drama is just about characters getting frustrated or mad at each other, it doesn’t feel like it adds much to their development or the story (or lack thereof).

That said, if you can somehow find a way to watch this super niche series (seriously, I barely know anyone who’s even heard of it), I think Binbou Shimai Monogatari is worth checking out—especially if you're looking for a unique iyashikei slice-of-life experience.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Apr 6, 2024

Deepfry_Water

Recommended

Who would I recommend this anime too, or who was this anime made for, or who can get the most out of watching this anime?

Ok, here's the picture. Imagine you're between 25-35y old. You got a job, some money, but there's always the thought in the back of your head that one day you may lose your job, end up alone with no money.

This anime is like a gentle hug, that tells you it's ok if you end up poor, because look at these sisters. They live very frugal and try to make the best out of their condition. As long as they ... have each other, their love can conquer any hardship.

Yes, sometimes they don't understand each other, sometimes they interpret their feelings or situations the wrong way, but in the end, they only have each other, and all other problems in the world don't matter, as long as they can be together and happy.

This is one of those anime where I wish my own life was more humble and that I had a pure little sister that can rely on me and that I can rely on. In a world where every hour of my day revolves around clients, how to increase profit, how to please my bosses, how to deliver better results, this anime tells me that you know what? All of the "problems" in my life are actually not problems. These sisters, poor as they are, are enjoying life way more than I am which is a nice contradiction. Gaining money won't make you happy. These girls experience true happiness every day

At least that's my take on this anime. Also read the manga. Feels unfinished but oh well, overall it's a really nice life story.

If you're watching this in 2024 or even future years, I want to congratulate you for giving it at least a chance. It's an old, forgotten anime, that I never heard about. Only discovered it after casually browsing titles.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Jul 13, 2008

Ranivus

Mixed Feelings

::QUICK REVIEW::
Story: 5 (Problem--> sad drama--> happy outcome, repeat)
Art: 8 (very clear, colorful and beautiful)
Sound: 6 (light hearted sound effects and music)
Character: 9 (Only 2 characters but you feel for them deeply)
Enjoyment: 2 (one tragic story after another hurts my soul)
Overall: 30/50 = 6.0 (I've cried too many times to admit)


::FULL REVIEW::
Theres a lot of things you can make fun of for being poor. And like in real life, it makes me feel bad watching what is essentially a situational drama about two sisters who are poor with a dead mom and a deadbeat dad. It's such a tragic type of drama some people can't ... be bothered with. Because the girls always have an optimistic view about everything and any poor problem that they face ends up somewhat comical at the end. Of course with being poor theres drama, but for some reason the drama is kind of comical in a pitiful sort of way. Don't get me wrong I can actually relate to some of the situations they face. But it doesn't help that during the 'commercial breaks' they show ways on how to save money. I didnt know i can make a 2nd sandwich out of bread crumbs. Also, at the end of every episode, ends the same... it all manages to work out somehow.

As for the animation quality, you would think this would have a 'poor' quality. But actually its really above average. Static characters are drawn all the way with color. The binbou sisters are so gaddamn cute it'll make anyone sad with wonder on how such a tragic problem ever fell on such cute girls. But they do many impressive tricks throughout the shows like rotating camera angles, sweeping camera angles, etc. The art really does enhance the drama of the show and emphasize how poor these girls are.

The music are all covered with typical light piano + string quartets running most of the emotional pull and the do it very well. Everything else sound wise is there nothing is done wrong. Even the voice actors impressed me.

Whenever Asu opens her mouth you just cant help but push your cheeks together and go "OMG HOW CUTE!" They do a real good job on the chemistry between the sisters. You almost feel as if you're right there struggling with them.

But then again, this show is dealing with some hardcore serious issues. Like paying the rent, working two jobs to survive, how to ration water, how do you go to the hospital with no money, how do you eat with no money, how do you deal with a dead mother, the list can go on forever. If they wanted to they could make this into a 50 episode series. I don't mind being depressed watching anime because of some turn of events, but when the whole show is just one giant depression after another it wears on you. Its a good anime if you enjoy train wreck stories. Unfortunately this isn't the train wrecks I enjoy watching.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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	Poll: Binbou Shimai Monogatari Episode 10 Discussion angelei28 - Oct 9, 2010	21 replies	by bushman66 »» Jul 24, 2024 2:04 PM
	Poll: Binbou Shimai Monogatari Episode 9 Discussion angelei28 - Oct 9, 2010	8 replies	by bushman66 »» Jul 24, 2024 2:03 PM
	Poll: Binbou Shimai Monogatari Episode 8 Discussion angelei28 - Oct 9, 2010	10 replies	by bushman66 »» Jul 24, 2024 2:02 PM
	Poll: Binbou Shimai Monogatari Episode 7 Discussion angelei28 - Oct 9, 2010	5 replies	by bushman66 »» Jul 24, 2024 2:00 PM
	Poll: Binbou Shimai Monogatari Episode 6 Discussion angelei28 - Oct 9, 2010	11 replies	by bushman66 »» Jul 24, 2024 1:59 PM