I'm going to tell a harsh truth here: people come in all kinds of conditions, the obvious, the not-so-obvious, you name it, you probably missed out on some things that just make the uncommon who they are. And for one, the male MC Junta Shiraishi, is just that character: someone who's akin to an unnoticeable side character, more commonly referred to as a mob character in a video game. Nobody ever notices his presence in school, and no matter if he is or isn't in school, he's not much worth calling. I feel a terrible inch of Shiraishi in myself, because I used to be that classmate who would sit at the back and not care about my surroundings, much less interact with classmates who once had the potential to become friends for life.
However, there is a sleight of hand of luck within Shiraishi: the rumour stating that those who spot him will be blessed with good luck, similar to when a god shows up unannounced to bless one when one prays at a temple and seeks good luck in his/her life (that's more of a supernatural thing than anything else). And somehow, Shiraishi's peace is interrupted by one lone girl who finds him fascinating: Nagisa Kubo, who just happens to be his classmate seated next to him right at the back of the class. And what happens thereafter is what you'll typically find in most rom-coms, though this relationship interaction is as sweet as pie itself.
No doubt that this is the story of the relationship between Shiraishi and Kubo, but for a rom-com to work, there are the same factors that you've come across time and time again: school and family. In school, Shiraishi is really not noticed much that he has already obtained his mob status in school by himself, but it's Kubo that finds him each and every time, playing games with his heart and feeling her own in the process through the never-ending teasing that makes the former shrug with feelings that he's just beginning to register for the very first time, all while Kubo always has the pouting face that is always cute to watch. Also, while Shiraishi has little to no friends, Kubo has a few that are close to her: Hazuki Kudo and Tamao Taira. But really, while they are a minor occurrence early on in the manga (which the anime adapted decently), they play a pivotal role in both Shiraishi and Kubo's getting together antics that flutterkick the heart.
And although the private moments in school are nice to see, it's those of family that really show who the eventual couple will be: Shiraishi's younger brother Seita, along with Kubo's older sister Akina and cousin Saki (the latter of which makes minor occurrences at this point too). The hallmark of a well-endowed growing young boy/girl can be seen from home, and Shiraishi's guise as the older brother and taking care of Seita is just about what I would expect for a respectable family child, being light-hearted and still ignorant of his surroundings. On the other hand, Kubo has her stingy older sister Akina, who quickly catches on to her younger sister's antics when she is dealing with Shiraishi in her cutesy ways, making for the typical sibling moments of jealousy that's like a never-ending infectious drug of diabetes. Regardless, it's clear that while Shiraishi and Kubo's relationship may be seen as-is, it's the small moments that make it count for their lovey-dovey moments, inching towards each other...albeit slowly but surely.
Despite being a studio that has registered some polarising rom-coms to its name, mainly of 2017's "Rom-com Misunderstanding the Animation" of Summer's Gamers! and the preceding original show of Fall's Just Because!, while those shows were the studio's first noticed undertaking, they have aged poorly, when it comes to Pine Jam. With the studio now dabbling in many forms of different genres, from the suspense thriller of Glelpnir to the theatrical Kageki Shoujo!!, and even with last year's "CGDCT Do It Yourself!!" it seems like Pine Jam is trying to be a "Jack of all Trades, (but) a Master of None". With Kubo-san, the studio is tapping into its beginning roots of rom-coms, and in just 6 years since the very day when Gamers! aired, Kubo-san has become one of Pine Jam's newest triumphs in adaptation and screenplay. I just love the bright and light colours given to lift the manga right into the anime space, and for the most part, did the servitude right to respect the manga at its finest, because for all that Kubo-san is worth, it's fluffy like sheep-laden shaped clouds in the sky.
Though the male side is a bit of an unknown, VA Kengo Kawanishi is more used to the side character roles (Hey! Just like Shiraishi himself!), the popular ones being Dr. Stone's Gen Asagiri and more recently of Demon Slayer's Mist Hashira Muchiro Tokito. However, you can always trust HanaKana when it comes to her VA roles, and her veteran status does not disappoint when trying to bring Nagisa Kubo to life with her angelic voice. That brings us to the character-focused OP, which is sung by HanaKana herself, which I feel is just fine and nothing remarkable. What's remarkable, however, is DIALOGUE+'s ED, because I can tell you for life, this idol unit has been recently gaining lots of traction with Anisongs that are just great songs in their own right, and Kubo-san's ED is no exception to the rule, being one of the best songs that I've heard from the girl group. Along with the watercolour-like visuals that are just nothing short of striking, and really, I am deeply enamoured and touched by the cute ED that's a cohesive and wonderful listen. When all is said and done, it's a great song.
As someone who lives and breathes rom-coms for a living, it's sad to see this show go into hiatus, no thanks to COVID. But that hiatus is thankfully shortlived since it's only temporary for a season's push back, and greatness lives once again, only to the cusp of those who still remember that this show existed before COVID took all of the attention away. But, as a rom-com connoisseur who can tell the good from the bad, Kubo-san is, at the very least, a decent rom-com that, at first sight, may be nothing special, but pry it open, and its romance magic will set you on a path to purity. Even though the manga has already been completed since March of this year, there is no doubt that the anime has lived to see people press on to read the source material, which is good in its own right.
Dull, boring, awful — Kubo-san is not. It's fun-seeking pleasure in every regard.
