Gimai Seikatsu

This anime is realistic. Maybe a bit too realistic. The pacing, the camera angles, the dialogues, everything about it is non-standard. Typically, romance anime is just a full on try not to blush challenge featuring the main cast, but this anime casts that aside and delves indirectly deep into the psychological statuses of the characters. From the way its going right now, I don’t even know if it’s actually a romance anime or if its a psychological anime that expresses the irl troupes of just suddenly having a step brother/sister. The main theme these past episodes is that they are “strangers”, but they grow closer ... to feel somewhat related, and yet so distant. The pacing in this is so slow, but steady; and that’s probably the main reason that im calling it the most realistic anime i’ve watched.

The art and animation in this anime beats 99% of all the other anime in this genre out of the water. The lighting, the fluidity of motion; everything about it is triple A.

As for all i’ve said, i’ve marked this as mixed feelings as I wouldn’t be recommending this to everyone that’s asking for a romance anime. Usually, when people ask for romance anime, they would want something that would make them hyper blush or cringe out of excitement. This anime is not that, in fact it’s kinda giving the opposite. The first few episodes kind of give the feeling of black and white. It gives off a vibe of uncertainty, but at the same tine the anime portrays happiness some sides. The “comedy” in this anime is almost non-existent; there is almost nothing to smile about in this anime. However, this is still an enjoyable watch as it’s a breath of fresh air from all the romcoms i’ve watched so far.

Gimai Seikatsu, or Days with my Stepsister (DWS) exactly opposes the idea of “high concept media”- it is almost impossible to imagine a story simpler and more grounded. Though low concept media is viable, and can be excellent- look no further than Hyouka- it relies heavily on tightly written characters, and peripherals of its presentation. These include stunning animation or a superb soundtrack for visual media, or elegant prose for written media. Unfortunately, the anime adaptation of Gimai Seikatsu does not carry these aspects to a consistently high enough level to ascend its simple plot.
DWS suffers from two primary ... issues, the first of which is its ponderously slow pace. Across all its forms, slow-paced media can be phenomenal, but there are diminishing marginal returns when decreasing the pace of plot. DWS, to the extreme, refuses to rush its plot. An example:
In one episode of the anime, two characters see a movie together. Later on, a line from this movie is referenced for dramatic effect, while one of the characters recreates the scene. So far, so good. The issue is that four and a half minutes- nearly a quarter of the time an episode runs- is spent showing the movie. The scene in which DWS characters re-enact a small part of it? Only three minutes.
Less than five minutes may seem like a small issue, but in a twelve-episode anime, every second comes at a premium. Frequently, simple, everyday chores are shown in such a way that buttering a piece of bread may take 10-15 seconds, and background shots with no dialogue also seem to occupy much of the run time. Add the line delivery, which is so slow as to be occasionally comical, and the pace of DWS seems artificially glacial. Which brings us to the second problem with this show.
Animation quality is not all encompassing, and a poorly animated show can still be good- but DWS is absolutely hamstrung by how it looks. Frankly, it is distracting how often still background shots are cut to in an effort to avoid animating movement. The camera is frequently placed below characters’ heads, so their mouth can be ignored. My theory is that the absurdly slow pace serves to diminish the number of slides that need to be drawn. In a show about simple, everyday interactions, the visual quality should be superb, reminiscent of “still life” paintings, but is instead reminiscent of 1969 Scooby-Doo. This is an unfair standard, but DWS is an entirely different show if it looks like Violet Evergarden.
Despite my complaints, DWS seems to possess some mystical quality which interferes with the passage of time and makes it surprisingly watchable. Nearly every episode, I would be shocked hearing the ED fade into the background, convinced I had only been 8 or 10 minutes into it. Probably due to its lethargic pace, my mind kept expecting more had to happen in an episode, so therefore I couldn’t be through with it already.
Also a note in the positive column is how incredibly relaxing DWS is to watch. Completely in contrast to most anime, the characters not only communicate at the level real people do, but way overshare, which leads to quick resolution of conflicts that aren’t elevated from standard high school trope schlock. It’s not genius, risky, or thought provoking, but it works, so if you want to turn your brain off and enjoy a low-drama romance (not enough comedy to be a romcom) then this may be exactly what you’re looking for.
DWS has potential but is very likely hamstrung by budget. In the hands of a different studio, this could be a real gem. It’s just good enough for me to recommend if nothing else is speaking to you.

I have my issues with the story but I have to admit that this is an excellent production. It's so artistic in its style that in the first few episodes it seems like it might've been an arthouse psychological film. Maybe that will alienate some people that will find it too slow, but I'm into that.
The directing, soundtrack, shot composition are excellent, and even though the style of animation it uses most of the time isn't cutting edge for different purposes it stylizes animation depending on the occasion was a really clever choice.
There's a very skillful use of non linear storytelling for spots. We'll see ... something about to happen, next scene is the next day, and in the next episode we're shown what happened in very efficient flashbacks. Or we'll see details of how another character experienced the same moment in a different way. And they're so well done, it doesn't feel like a flashback in the tedious way most shows in a "We interrupt this for a drawn out flashback".
And beyond just flashbacks a lot of details are shown as memories to let the audience know why and how a character is thinking as they navigate their feelings.

Even the way the framing of scenes is done to convey details of what's going on in the story is uncharacteristically cinematic for anime, and even more for this genre. For example, when there's scenes of people drifting apart, the "shot" will frame characters looking physically distant even though they're sitting at the same table. And even the way the directing allows for silence to play a role in the dialogue during arguments is really impressive.

The only problem I have is that the story let me down. The first two episodes had me intrigued. For a change it seemed like it WOULDN'T follow the formula of the step-sibling trope and the guy with a friendly co-worker, but it very disappointingly did. It felt we were in for a more unique take on things, but it weirdly speedran its way into all the clichés out there. To the point the last two episodes and first two feel like completely different universes and characters. Also, around episode 6, the story started to revolve exclusively around the sister and how our MC suddenly decides to make it his mission to help her and a lot of character nuance that had been established about him fades into the background.
And this probably won't be an issue for 'newer' watcher, but for someone like me who remembers watching Clannad After Story as it came out weekly, archetypes don't work on me that much anymore.
And, despite it being very well done from a technical aspect, as I pointed out, ultimately the story felt like the weakest link.

The characters did stand out for actually having a personality at first, but then it became a frustrating mess. And it doesn't help that the main girl reminds me a lot of my second girlfriend, and that brought up some unpleasant flashbacks of my own as the similarities in personality were uncanny at times. The manipulative arguing, the weaponized self-pity and trying to get as close as possible only to randomly start pushing people away... It might sound silly but that resonated with me in an unpleasant way.

I can't say it's a bad show, because it isn't and I did enjoy it for the incredibly skilled production it is, but I can't say it's great either.

I could not like this anime at the first 4 episodes. The number one reason being, the way our main characters talk, is very unrealistic for two person who just met each other, especially for two 17 year-olds. They completely discard the fear of misunderstanding or shame, lay their entire feelings out on the table and analyze them together like some kind of robots studying human emotions. This cursed style of dialogue only happens between our main characters and certain side characters throughout the anime. And it's not like this anime doesn't know how to write conventional emotional dialogues like Makeine. They literally have a ... senpai character(whatever her name is) who talks in a jesting manner very much like characters from Makeine or whatever traditional romcom anime you've watched. Funny thing is, this anime has huge amount of monologues, pretty well written ones too, which makes me wonder if the writer carried that style to its dialogue, because honestly, it does feel like the writer talking to himself with two self-inserted characters sometimes. However, as I finish the series, I believe that this cursed dialogue is beneficial for the story to progress in pace within 12 episodes. It also brings out more of the character's emotions as much as I hate getting used to it.

Second reason why I disliked the anime in the beginning is because of the confused tone between the story and the presentation. This anime plays around the lighting very consciously. But for whatever reason the first four episode looks excessively dark. Morning light could come out of the apartment's window from the right and dies out before it even reaches half the screen. The character sprites are always shaded a little dark even when they are inside a well lit room. To make things gloomier, the entire anime uses this melodramatic ambient music with really slow and heavy piano tunes. Combine this with the cold speaking tone of the main characters and the abundance of silence during their lines, this show gives out a depressing vibe, which doesn't make sense for the story progression in the beginning, considering our main characters barely said anything negative. This depressing tone, however, would work better in the later stages of the anime as our main character develops their inner conflict.

One of the biggest selling point of this anime, is how it tackles the sibling romance theme. For me, this is my first anime that treats this sort of forbidden love or taboo with a solemn manner, so I applaud the originality. Yuuta and Saki are somehow reasonable and matured teenagers, so they have a lot of monologues revising the development in their relationship and emotions. They even go through denial stages, highlighting their inner conflict on the issue. Their progress on this topic is still in its early stage, so how well this topic is handle remains to be seen, in an uncertain season 2.

In summary, Gimai Seikatsu is an impressively unusual anime that approaches a controversial topic without treating it lightly. It has astounding focus on the main characters' development and emotions, using heavy amount of monologues. Saki is hot af and I literally watch this show for her. *vine boom* Unfortunately, the anime comes with jarring tones in its dialogues and atmosphere which lowers my enjoyment as much as they play into their own strength. If you can get past the weird tones, you might appreciate the distinctively solemn approach on sibling love this anime goes for.

Gotta say, it would be spicier if Yuuta and Saki weren't step siblings. Because you know, it's only good when they're blood-related.

This is a good anime overall, but it is definitely not for everyone.

First off, this anime is much more realistic in the viewpoint of a stepbrother and stepsister actually falling in love than many other anime. What this means is that the romance is a lot more slow and nuanced compared to something like "Toradora!" where there is more fast paced relationship growth and more of the typical embarrassed blushing romance that commonly happens in those animes.
"Days with My Stepsister" however focuses much more on the childhood of the characters to the point of using it as an aid for backstory on the main ... characters and also using their graduation from high school as a point of decision for the teenagers with their growing up and need to find higher education for better jobs.

That isn't to say that I didn't find issues with this, actually I did. I found that this entire show moved so slowly, that it could probably be made into a compacted 6 episodes, or made into one movie. Which I believe this would've been better told as a movie, than that of a anime, but it is what it is.

If you are interested in a more realistic take on this romance, then I recommend it to you.
If you are not the type of person to sit through slow moving romance or dislike realistic relationships, then I would likely stay away.

7/10, Its good.

An odd duck of a show, in that it takes a trashy premise (stepsiblings falling in love) and tries to give a plausibly realistic take on it, but does it in an excessively slow paced and mundane manner. The show is always on a knife edge between being small and relatable and being a total sleep aide. The closest comparison might be one of those live action japanese Iyashikei shows that have very light drama, but are really about watching a person eat for twenty minutes. Except, this show really doesn't provide a much of healing sensation, Every episode is basically structured around three ... or four conversations between our two protagonists about very mundane things like who's going to cook breakfast or whether they should go to the pool as part of a friends outing, with occasional inner monologues that are like "oh, do I like him?". Comic relief is provided by the male protagonist's slightly older female coworker who flirts with him. So, not very much going on, and it doesn't help that that the characters come off as excessively closed off from each other (and themselves) a plausible argument could be made that they are suffering from some kind of PTSD. On the other hand, i feel compelled to watch til the end, and I think the director has found a distinct aesthetic despite this being a show that doesn't really escape the limited animation sludge. So, ymmv, but it's something different from the normal light novel romcom adaptationsthat are so omnipresent in anime currently.

Don't be fooled by this show's name. This isn't just another trashy romcom incest bait show. It actually presents quite a mature story that explores its two main lead characters and develops their relationship really well.

But, unfortunatelly, there are a lot of things that bog it down, it's clear that this show has a good scriptwriter and a good director with vision for the project. But the amount of content adapted here isn't enough for 12 episodes, so the pacing is incredibly slow. I am usually a fan of slow paced shows, but just like someone else has said it in a review here, its ... comically slow. As a result, the characters develop in an unnaturally slow way, and it leads to a show that cant keep up with the audience.

Second, the adaptation, while I give props the music and storyboarding, it's more than clear that this show was made by studio Deen: generic character designs, stale backgrounds, limited movement, pair that with the terrible pacing, and this show is made worse than it actually should be.

Yes, Days with My Stepsister is nothing as wacky or trashy as the title may suggest. But no, this is not as heartfelt and thought-provoking as its first impression may suggest, either.

The best thing about the anime is the "vibes." This is a slow and talky show, driven by conversations and internal monologues taking place in every-day situations. "Directing" is what stands out here above any one aspect of the anime. The pastel-tone colors. The visual and audio flourishes, like the old film projector effect. The tempo of scenes and conversations. The wonderfully soothing music. All of these seem carefully put together to give ... the show a strong, distinct "feel." The style reminds me of Liz and the Blue Bird or even Shoushimin Series from the same season.

Unfortunately, unlike those two anime, the style is not quite backed up by the meat-and-potatoes of production. The animation is very sparse and stiff, the characters frequently go off-model or lose detail, and there are many cut-aways that conveniently avoid complex animation work. I have a feeling that the show could have been much more effective and enjoyable if it had more striking artwork and subtle details such as tiny changes in facial expression. The weakest link is the character art, which is extremely bland. Personally, it falls on the "irritatingly bland" side, rather than the "passably bland" side. It might be the eyes; these characters just look dead inside.

The show is completely focused on the two main characters: what kind of people they are, how they tackle their day-to-day and how their feelings slowly develop. Both Yuuta and Saki have a calm and thoughtful personality but are emotionally closed-off. I suppose that makes them "realistic," but not necessarily interesting people. All of their interactions are very formal and straightforward. So many thank-you’s, sorry’s and that’s-okay’s. They outright tell each other what they are like and what they are thinking. Or they say nothing, and we get to hear their inner thoughts. We see so much of these characters and their dialogue is so measured, but it never feels like there is much going on behind their blank expressions and their words.

The supporting characters get even less depth. Some of them, like the cutesy popular girl, come across as "anime characters" and awkwardly clash with the more grounded main duo. Others are so overtly direct and almost clairvoyant that they feel like they only exist to clumsily push the story forward.

The story revolving around these characters is minimal and simple. Thanks to their personalities, the main characters mostly avoid forced drama and silly misunderstandings. At the same time, there are very few surprises or creative twists to the story. These characters go through pretty much what you would expect anyone in their situation would go through, when they have limited experience with love and a family member they feel attracted to. Any situation that does arise is quickly resolved in a predictable and sensible fashion. How do you break the news to your classmates that that girl in the other class is your sister now? Think of the most mundane option.

I have not mentioned the subject matter until this point, because the show does not seem to have a lot to say about it. Of course, it is not expected to do so, but after it sets itself up as a refreshing, thoughtful look at a sensitive topic, it is disappointing that it just never ventures beyond "but it’s bad." Maybe it is simply taking its sweet time, to be continued in the next season. Why might a step-sibling relationship be okay? Why not? How will their relationship affect their family and friends? After 12 episodes, it does not feel like the show dug deep into its most interesting aspect at all.

This is the most frustrating show that I have watched in the Summer 2024 season. It is a slow but not unpleasant watch experience, if you do not mind slow-paced shows. Its approach to the subject matter, solid direction and its atmosphere are all interesting and deserve attention. However, the show does not deliver on much else that matches those strong points. The characters are much too dull in terms of the visuals and the writing, and the story does not take any interesting turns or provide insightful commentary.

After the first episode had me hooked, I was left unmoved and unsatisfied by the time the credits rolled in the last episode. I could not stop thinking that I should like this more than I actually do. Now, a week later, the show is already fading from memory. In the end, Days with My Stepsister is a simple, slow, inoffensive character drama, and that may be enough for some. It is just a shame that it could not become much more than that.

This is the first anime in a long time that left a weird mix of emotions after watching. I don´t know if I like the plot, the ending or anything about this series at all. At the same time it was extremely captivating. There was so much that could have happened but didn´t. Such a mundane anime all the way trough and yet it has the power to awaken so many mixed emotions. It´s recommend but not in a good way, more in a ¨you need to feel what I felt¨ kind of way. Like showing a really terrible Instagram reel of someone getting hurt ... to a friend LOL.

i really enjoyed this show i came with the expectations that it would be these siblings doing supposed incest or trying to do incest but the story truly surpassed my expectations it was complex and truly intricate, i really like these slow paced and complex writings,but one thing I have complain abut character development was not balanced .Like eg; there parents or the male mc and there is one thing ackward that old woman in the college was like out of air pop up from nothing.It kinda yu knowand this anime is not for everyone like exspecially ppls who is searching for differantttttttt thing from ... the anime .i am in for the Light Nobel and also hope season 2 arrives!

the story is build different as "stepsister" title, and am enjoy the feelings.
this is not everyone cant watch perhaps, cause your viewing this will catch the "stepsister" means different.
Iam suddenly compare this anime with kuzu no honkai but something more like not that as sh*t.
I dont sure this is recommendation cause you have to watch deep and feel more emotional into this, cause this is actually 1 of "good guy" in the world.
I give 9 cause i get the emotional and feeling of the relationship as "step" more look likely real pov, but sure you have to manage your emotional before watch this complicated feelings.

Whenever a show starts with the stepsister, it’s kind of expected that that will be a siscon ultimately. But in this case, “Days with my stepsister,” from judging from the premise or the character's point of view about their surroundings, I thought this might be something new, like there won't be any siscon, which there isn’t. 

I personally avoid this kind of (siscon-related) anime because of its very genre and traumatic experience of Domestic Girlfriend, yet I started this show; the reason was already mentioned. Generic characters, plots, but only I expected that they don’t do any siscon what they pretend really well. From the starting, ... the female doesn’t see any kind of affection toward the male lead, and in episode 3, when they got their viewers, it simply turned out to be siscon promax. Degenerating as hell. 

Finally in the mal, people are questioning that if it’s a flop? I mean, to be honest, is there anything to flop? First of all, it’s a normal anime that has had any high hopes whatsoever. Secondly, it’s not made to be hit. I don’t know what people want from a degenerating siscon. 

About animation and production, it’s unique and satisfying if Studio Deen used this in other shows; I hope they would get a good response out of that. Also, Studio Deen completed the production before the half, which is appreciating where other studios keep delaying and postponing a show. 

Overall, some praises and etc., this is the most pretentious siscon, to be honest.