Kimi ni Todoke

Known for her semblance to the Sadako character of The Ring series, Sawako Kuronuma is given the nickname "Sadako" and misunderstood to be frightening and malicious like her fictional counterpart, despite having a timid and sweet nature. Longing to make friends and live a normal life, Sawako is naturally drawn to the cheerful and friendly Shouta Kazehaya, the most popular boy in her class. From their first meeting, Sawako has admired Kazehaya's ability to be the center of attention and aspires to be like him.

When Kazehaya organizes a test of courage for the entire class and encourages her to attend, Sawako sees this as an opportunity to get along with her classmates, starting with Ayane Yano and Chizuru Yoshida. Through each new encounter and emotion she experiences, Sawako believes that meeting Kazehaya has changed her for the better. Little does Sawako know, her presence has also changed Kazehaya.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Kuronuma, Sawako Main

Noto, Mamiko Japanese

Kazehaya, Shouta Main

Namikawa, Daisuke Japanese

Sanada, Ryuu Main

Nakamura, Yuuichi Japanese

Yoshida, Chizuru Main

Sanpei, Yuuko Japanese

Yano, Ayane Main

Sawashiro, Miyuki Japanese

Kurumizawa, Ume Supporting

Hirano, Aya Japanese

Arai, Kazuichi Supporting

Ono, Yuuki Japanese

Maru Supporting

Jounouchi, Souichi Supporting

Yamanaka, Masahiro Japanese

Sanada, Tooru Supporting

Hatano, Wataru Japanese

Wada, George Producer

Tamura, Manabu Producer

Nakatani, Toshio Producer

Nakatake, Tetsuya Producer

Reviews

May 18, 2025

AnimeExplorer21

Recommended

Alright, so Kimi ni Todoke had been sitting in my watchlist for what feels like forever. I remember adding it years ago but every time I saw that it had 25 episodes just in season 1, I’d back off thinking, "Eh, I’ll watch it later... maybe next week." But after hearing about it again and again from friends who swore by its beauty, I finally said screw it — and dove in.

Man... I’m SO glad I did.

As someone who's watched over 120+ anime series by now (I know, I need help), Kimi ni Todoke honestly hit me in the same soft, emotional spot that Tsuki ... ga Kirei did. It’s got that rare, grounded feel. No cringey "accidental fall on boobs" scenes, no sudden love confessions in the rain after episode 2 — just a slow, delicate build of feelings, mutual respect, and actual communication. It’s how real love blooms... awkward hellos, subtle glances, small shared moments, and a lot of emotional hesitation. This anime nails that perfectly.

The story centers around Sawako Kuronuma, this incredibly sweet but painfully shy girl who gets mistaken for a horror movie ghost character because of her long black hair and quiet demeanor. That misunderstanding? It’s actually kinda funny but also really sad if you've ever felt like an outsider (which I have, in school — so it hit close to home). Then enters Kazehaya, who’s basically sunshine in human form — cheerful, kind, and always surrounded by people. From their very first interaction, you feel the shift. Not dramatic, not over-the-top, but a quiet, gentle ripple — and that’s where the magic begins.

Every episode takes its time. It doesn’t rush feelings or force plot twists. Watching Sawako open up — not just to Kazehaya but to Yano, Chizuru, and even confronting Ume — was so heartwarming. Like, you actually see her grow as a person and not just "the love interest." And speaking of side characters, god, I loved that they weren’t just there for filler. Everyone had their own emotional arc, their own struggles and development. Ryu’s calm energy, Chizuru’s loud yet loyal vibe, Yano’s cool but caring nature — they felt real. Like friends you wish you had in school.

The animation, despite being from 2009, holds up so well. Honestly, the art style is kind of timeless. The little blushing scenes, sparkly background frames, and those soft acoustic soundtracks — chef’s kiss. There’s this one moment where Sawako just smiles after being called by her name... and dude, I don’t know why, but my eyes legit watered up. It’s such a simple moment but it’s built up so emotionally that it hits you like a truck.

So yeah, if you’re like me — skeptical because of the episode count or you think it might be just another high school romance — please trust me and watch it. It’s not just a story about love, it’s about being understood, making connections, and finding courage to step out of your comfort zone.

This is a gem. Season 1 alone gave me so much warmth and nostalgia that I honestly didn’t want it to end. Definitely one of the most genuine and heartfelt anime I’ve seen — and easily a 10/10 for me.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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Jun 20, 2025

TheCompletionist

Mixed Feelings

The wonderful world of high school. It can be such a minefield to navigate, especially if you’re a very shy and introverted student, but if you can surround yourself with good people and stick to your principles then you might be proud of yourself for everything you’ve accomplished, and you might even find love in the process.

This is pretty much the plotline of Kimi Ni Todoke where we look at the life of Kuronoma Sawako who often gets called Sadako because her appearance resembles the appearance of the girl character from the Ring movies. It’s because of this creepy name that many students have ... this opinion of her that she dabbles in mysticism and they don’t want anything to do with her because of her creepy appearance. However, you’ll find out that she is nothing like that and that she is incredibly sweet and kind despite being very timid and shy. From the very first episode, Sawako meets a boy by the name of Kazehaya Shouta who talks to her normally and encourages her to be a lot more open and try to make some friends. His kindness and admiration to her helps her navigate through the many pitfalls of high school while they slowly develop feelings for each other as hard as it is for them to admit that to each other throughout this anime.

The biggest strength for me personally in this anime is the main character, Sawako. She is absolutely somebody I can relate to on a personal level. For me, in my life I was a very shy and introverted kid that struggled to make friends all throughout high school so it put me in a position where I would do anything I could to get people to like me. I would often volunteer to do tasks so nobody else would have to do it. The relatability towards the main character is really what kept me interested in this anime, and it’s nice to see that for every obstacle that she overcame when it came to finding herself it helped her evolve as a person to the point that she maintained some good friendships with some of the other main characters in this story. This anime really does benefit from having a small cast and it doesn’t suffer from too many characters syndrome. We not only get to see some of the struggles of Sawako, but we get to see some good heartfelt stories from some of Sawako’s friends. The anime is smart enough to not overbear Sawako on the audience too much while giving ample opportunity for other characters to evolve throughout the story.

I think the anime does a really good job of showing how harsh high school can be. Even though the anime has a bit of a light-hearted carefree approach it’s nice to see interpersonal conflicts and how they can negatively affect a person. Some of the things that we see are malicious unfounded rumors, physical abuse, popularity contests, body positivity among other things which are often common in high school life. We even have a romantic rival that personally wants Kazuhaya to herself and is willing to do whatever it takes to get his attention even if it means using horrible mind games towards Sawako. If you want people to relate to your story, then you can’t be afraid to show how hurtful and malicious high school life can be.

Even though I did enjoy the main character of this anime, I can wholeheartedly admit that this anime isn’t really designed for a person like me. I think this anime is more suited for a high school audience or an audience in their early 20’s where it’s far easier to relate to the characters and the story that this anime tries to encompass. The biggest issue for me personally is the pacing. The anime is 25 episodes long and despite the length of this anime not much really gets resolved by the end of it. The anime does get stuck on certain plot points that take far too long to resolve when it could have easily been resolved in one episode. One day in this anime can last as long as 3 to 4 episodes and there is really no need for it. It can be really aggravating when you’re waiting for specific plot points to be resolved so it can push the story forward. This series can be relatively boring and there is not much with regards to humor or excitement to keep the viewer engaged. It really does take a long time for anything to truly develop, and I hate to say it because for all the nice build-up this anime has, nothing really gets resolved by the end of it even though it gives the viewer the perception that something is going to happen. It’s nice to see that both Sawako have come to terms with their feelings but it kind of feels fruitless if we can’t see the result of all this build-up. It not only applies to both Sawako and Kazuhaya but to the other characters as well. Maybe things will get better resolved in the other seasons but only time will tell.

Art wise, the art is fine. The art in the anime itself is basic for its time and doesn’t really stand out because there aren’t many different environments that are utilized. Many of the scenes either take place at the high school, in somebody’s room or house, or the recreation field outside the high school. I will give the art of the anime a lot of credit especially during the final few episodes where we have scenes take place during Christmas and the upcoming new year. The scenes where Kazuhaya and Sawako interact when they go to a shrine for a New Year’s Eve celebration is animated very beautifully especially when it comes to the snowfall. It’s also during this final storyline where Sawako looks at her most beautiful. The way her friends help with her hair and make-up brings out a beauty in her that we never get to see and it absolutely increases her cuteness level. It’s a nice way to show the viewer how much Sawako has evolved as a character over the 25-episode length because even though she is still shy and introverted, she has established lifelong friendships, and she is much more comfortable with her feelings. The scenes used in the opening and ending of the anime is where the art is much different because it uses a gentle water colour pallet to design the characters in a very alternative way.

The music unfortunately is not very memorable regardless of if it’s the opening song or the ending song or the music used throughout the story. It is fitting for the aura of the anime but most times I couldn’t really be bothered with it.

Kimi Ni Todoke is one of the better slice of life stories that I’ve personally watched even though slice of life anime is not really my favourite anime genre. Its ultimate strength is having a wonderful main character that you really want to cheer for as you see her go through a wide range of emotions as she is navigating high school. However, it is incredibly boring and very poorly paced, so unless you’re a fan of slice of life anime this may be a bit of a challenge to get through, so you need to be patient when the good moments actually happen. In time I’ll get around to watching the additional seasons, but I certainly hope the other seasons have a much better sense of closure than what the first season did.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Jan 15, 2025

Cloughy04

Not Recommended

Funny

I really don't understand the hype for this show. It's currently rated at an 8.05 on here and I'm so confused.

I get it was 2009, but the art style is very classic shoujo and dated. The cutesy moments are okay enough, but they get grading after a time because sawako is the most bland carbon copy female protagonist of all time. In general, I think I'm just tired of this type of show. So if you're still pretty new to romance anime and are going through the old ones first, you might enjoy it more.

The main guy is pretty chill, although I forget his name ... which is kind of a problem considering how much Sawako says it. He's just kind of there though. He has enough charm because as male protagonists go he's fairly normal. In a genre filled with either a shoujo MC who's a cliche nervous wreck, or a MC who's ridiculously perfect in a cringey way, this guy was pretty chill. There just isn't that much to him at all. He's just there.

Ryu was interesting. Him and Chii and the other girl were the only reason I got this far through the show. Ryu and Chiis dynamic, although pretty played out, was much more interesting then anything to do with the main girl. But their plot lines didn't really go anywhere either.

There's a lot of typical 2000s romance anime drama in here, the shit you've seen a million times before, the timid MC crying over every misunderstanding under the sun. I think it's the fact that anime has got a little more realistic in terms of relationships and character dynamics nowadays, and the ones that aren't that come out now are the ones I don't enjoy as much.

Dandadan and blue box are great examples of great modern romance, where there's internal drama but it's done in a grounded, realistic way. Even the losing heroine show that came out last season had that.

Again, if this was like 5 years ago, I mightve enjoyed this show. It's similar to the maid sama era, a show I had fond memories on but rewatched a few years ago and struggled to get through it.

Times have changed I guess.

The art is pleasant enough, the soundtrack is mid af but fits the show well enough, the OP is pretty decent, I skipped the ending, and the voice acting is okay. I think the VAs were well cast and well performed (I watched the sub), its more that Sawako as a character is so annoying so her voice needs to accommodate for that soft "cute" style of voice. But yeah, that's just another thing I'm sick of.

If you're bored of timid main characters and shows that move at a snails pace and never feel like they resolve, don't watch this.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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	Poll: Kimi ni Todoke Episode 14 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 ) tsubasalover - Jan 12, 2010	195 replies	by croquetkills »» Jul 6, 7:43 AM
	Poll: Kimi ni Todoke Episode 2 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page ) HawthorneKitty - Oct 13, 2009	333 replies	by Mrtimepass1828 »» Jun 21, 1:56 AM
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	Poll: Kimi ni Todoke Episode 20 Discussion ( 1 2 3 ) francismeunier - Feb 23, 2010	138 replies	by perseii »» Apr 10, 11:03 PM
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