Mukai Naoya and Saki Saki have been close since their childhood. For a long time, Naoya has secretly harbored feelings for his childhood friend and eventually decides to confess to her. Saki reciprocates his feelings. Shortly thereafter, Naoya finds himself in a similar situation as Saki. Atop the school rooftop, Minase Nagisa confesses her love for him. Initially, Naoya attempts to gently reject her. However, upon realizing the effort she put into approaching him and being charmed by her personality, he proposes the idea of being in a relationship with both of them. Upon discovering this, Saki is initially infuriated. But unable to resist Nagisa’s charm, after much persuasion, she reluctantly agrees to this unconventional arrangement.
Table of contents
Kanojo mo Kanojo – Audiovisual Design
Visuals
The animators at SynergySP have done a fantastic job. The character design is exceptional, full of intricate details. They’ve brilliantly captured the characters’ emotions, with a particular emphasis on their eyes – the most expressive part. The animation techniques used add a significant sense of dynamism to most scenes, showcasing the mastery of skills developed by anime creators over the decades.
The use of lighting in many key scenes is notably beautiful. Each episode consistently maintains a high standard of visual quality, which is a significant achievement.
Audio
As is often the case, the voice acting impressed me greatly. The cast of Kanojo mo Kanojo is a veritable who’s who of top-tier seiyuu, including Takahashi Rie, Taketatsu Ayana, Sakura Ayane, Koga Aoi, Waki Azumi, Koshimizu Ami, and Enoki Junya. With such talent, success was inevitable. The series is worth watching for the voice performances alone – they are that outstanding, with every actor reaching new heights. This is even more impressive given the unique demands of the director’s style.
The openings and endings of both seasons are also noteworthy for their excellence. The soundtrack effectively captures the mood of the scenes, but it doesn’t stand out enough to draw me back after the series has ended.
Kanojo mo Kanojo – Plot and Characters
Introduction
The poster alone enticed me to watch the first season of Kanojo mo Kanojo in the summer of 2021. This isn’t unusual for me; I’ve often found many great series just from their posters. The art of creating posters for specific types of series is a topic I find intriguing – one I might explore in-depth someday. You can glean a lot from promotional graphics even before the release of the first PV.
A Quick Overview of Kanojo mo Kanojo’s Plot
Mukai Naoya and Saki Saki have been close since childhood. Naoya has been in love with his friend for as long as he can remember. The day comes when he decides to confess. He didn’t expect the effort needed to get Saki to accept his feelings, but his determination and direct nature assist him. Eventually, she reciprocates.
Shortly after, Naoya faces a similar situation with Saki. On the school rooftop, Minase Nagisa confesses her love to him. At first, Naoya tries to gently reject her. However, learning about her efforts to talk to him and being charmed by her personality, he decides to be in a relationship with both of them. Saki, upon discovering this, is initially furious. But unable to resist Nagisa’s allure, she relents after much pleading.
What is the series about
Kanojo mo Kanojo is, at its core, a comedy. The humor is often absurd and random. While such styles don’t always appeal to me, they did in this case. Several scenes had me laughing hysterically. The reactions of characters with starkly different personalities were invaluable. This aspect made the show thoroughly enjoyable, and I looked forward to new episodes each week.
The first season primarily focuses on character development. In the background, at a leisurely pace, Nagisa, Saki, and Naoya’s feelings for each other evolve. Rika becomes part of the main group, with the start of something more profound hinted at the first season’s end with Kiryuu Shino’s introduction.
The second season continues the absurd humor but delves deeper into the characters’ emotional journeys.
The Characters
Saki is somewhat absent-minded, lively, and full of energy but easily provoked. She occasionally struggles to manage her emotions and is slightly self-conscious about her body, particularly her breast size. In contrast, Nagisa is sweet, persistent, selfless, caring, and hardworking. Her charm is so potent that even Saki can’t resist, leading her to agree to the unconventional relationship.
Rika is proud, arrogant, yet gracious and determined. She often boasts about her achievements and physique to mask her insecurities and gain attention. Shino is exceptionally intelligent, caring, and protective of her friend Saki Saki. She’s serious and well-mannered and disapproves of Naoya and Saki’s relationship on moral grounds.
Naoya is straightforward and open. His bluntness knows no limits, evident in any setting, whether in public or in private with his girlfriends. His honesty is uncompromising. He cannot lie and promptly confesses anything he deems inappropriate to those involved. Despite his complex relationship, he remains incredibly loyal and strives to satisfy his girlfriends. Interestingly, even his name, Naoya, meaning direct and straightforward (直) (nao), and to be (也) (ya), reflects his character.
A Bit More on the Direction Style
Although the series is dominantly comedic and sometimes absurd to the extreme, it never becomes overbearing. The humorous scenes are cleverly mixed with everyday life and the characters’ romantic entanglements. Usually, such titles can become humor-saturated and overwhelming, but here, the directors have skillfully evaded this trap. The series remains pleasantly engaging, thanks in part to the well-written and varied characters. Kanojo mo Kanojo masterfully shows that a work doesn’t need a complex or unique plot to be impactful. Using established patterns and simplicity in storytelling can be done effectively and with elegance.
Kanojo mo Kanojo – Evaluation and Summary
Kanojo mo Kanojo is definitely one of the best series of its genre that I’ve seen, and I’ve seen quite a few. The exceptional voice acting, well-crafted characters, superb humor that doesn’t wear out its welcome, and stunning visuals make this show an everlasting favorite in my heart.
I’m hopeful that the creators will finish adapting the series. The manga has concluded, and there’s just enough material for one more season. I’m eagerly anticipating that the third season will be a certainty and that its premiere date will soon be announced.
Now, for a small formality, here’s my ranking of the characters:
Shino > Saki > Nagisa > Rika.
Finalny werdykt
Final evaluation
Which translation do I recommend to watch Kanojo mo Kanojo?
- Crunchyroll – this time, the best option is the official translation. I genuinely have no complaints.
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