Let’s start with a rather cynical stance (I won’t stay there for long, I promise) – it is perhaps rather silly to expect that the main group of characters in *Skip to Loafer* would end up becoming such good friends. They come from such different worlds, both in terms of their social and geographical qualities. Each one has their own preoccupations and problems that stand in their own way, running the gamut through vanity, listlessness, a lack of recognition, and having cold doses of reality splashed in their faces. With so many obstacles in place, one could say that this confluence of forces would keepthe characters apart, left to their own devices to be far lonelier in the end.
Yet, through life’s odd ironic twists, it is one such force that gets everything moving. Iwakura Mitsumi is late to her first day of high school, lost in Tokyo and not knowing her left from her right. A girl who is driven to succeed has driven herself into a corner. But coming “to the rescue” is Shima Sousuke, who likewise is late to the first day of school, but doesn’t seem to pay much mind to being late. Within this strange encounter from two people with opposite perspectives, they hoof it to the school, Mitsumi tripping. But in one moment of sheer determination, she takes off her shoes and socks, continuing to run as the pavement pounds her feet. Shima looks on for a moment, seemingly taking in the sight of something both physically goofy and, for him, emotionally foreign. He cannot help but run along as well in her wake, and with a more spirited purpose than before. In just trying to get to school on time, both characters are thrown into new beginnings, complete with sakura blossoms.
“New beginnings” runs throughout *Skip to Loafer’s* threads, and more specifically, new beginnings that are simply unexpected. It may have been pure coincidence that brought Mitsumi and Shima into each other’s lives from opposite ends of the attitude spectrum, but at their core, they could not be more abstractly similar. These two, along with the rest of the anime’s cast, are tied together in them entering high school, yet each has a comfort zone within themselves that they don’t want to, or cannot, quite budge from. It’s a form of boundary that helps shield oneself from disappointments, whether external or internal. They feel it better to try and march to the beat of their own drum. With everyone housing their own insecurities or ways of seeing and experiencing each other, it’s virtually impossible to tell what anyone is thinking.
But as is often the case with entering new social spheres, that comfort zone must be left behind and you step into a new world of possibilities for people, things, and thoughts. It doesn’t have to involve a complete reinvention of who you are, either. There are numerous, tiny ways that the characters in *Skip to Loafer* express that they understand one another, even if they inevitably will leave some things housed within. The result is a fascinating breed of understanding and familiarity through understanding unfamiliarity, the acknowledgement that being able to read the room with just a touch more awareness makes the metaphorical gaps between people disappear. Tiny moments like these accrue throughout, blossoming the friendships into something that, while perhaps starting tenuously, end up feeling as comfy as an old pair of shoes. In that sense, it is a true ensemble show, and though Mitsumi and Shima’s self-actualization may be at the forefront, the others are hardly out of the spotlight for long.
To be sure, the characters are not above their own melodrama. They aren’t always the most saintly, and while it may be a little strange that they are often not letting their emotions run wild like teenagers are sometimes known to do, *Skip to Loafer’s* comedic sense is more subdued than in-your-face. Its occasional bursts of more-explosive humor are kept to a minimum, opting instead for coziness and smiles induced through warmth and the softness of its colors and lines. Its comedy is comfort rather than catharsis. Writer-director Deai Kotomi adopts a quieter ambiance in their approach, letting it pour through the screen by being bright without blare, sometimes hanging on pillow shots to let a tone sink in.
Such was the warmth of its web that any combination of characters, in any setting, at any time, could be put into a room together, and the dialogue that would play feels as natural as a summer’s breeze. By the time the show reaches its final episode, the sense of camaraderie is firmly established, sweet, and lovely. Not all the characters may have undergone life-altering changes, but they didn’t need to. Simply taking their first small steps into new beginnings was all that was needed, and wherever they go from now on, they’ll have someone in their corner with them, helping them along. Their world is a little warmer than it was before.
And that’s what it’s all about.
SpSpRayquaza11
June 20, 2023
Recommended
A slice of life that is more heartwarming than a romance anime (galaxy next door) ? And has better nuanced and realistic characters than an anime posing as a mystery anime (home hero)? Wow sign me the fuck up. It's no surprise that Skip and loafer is an award winning manga, tho why is the title skip and loafer is still a mystery to me to this day.It has got the best blend of characters most of who are quite faithfully written ordinary highschool kids with no severe and unrealistic quirk for the sake of being interesting. It does this while also balancinga good amount of tension and drama but it does not hamper the feel good slice of life feeling from the original setting.
Simply put it is a highschool anime done right and I cannot emphasize enough how much I was missing this , since nowadays you either need an edgelord, monologue heavy hachiman clone or a very quirky character or maybe even a janky af setting in the mix to try to grab a few eyes.
Skip and loafer manages to be just a normal highschool anime with realistic and fun characters with normal lives and normal issues which they try to overcome themselves or with the help of others.
There is not much I can write about the plot or characters without spoiling so I'll try to stray away from any plot points in general.
Plot (7/10)
Being a slice of life it should be no surprise that there is no amazing amount of depth to the story. It is the classic inaka (country) girl goes to tokyo and her life troubles and social discoveries of this newfound setting. It also has the classic cute girls doing cute things as well as romance trope episodes like the beach ep , the karaoke ep , the zoo ep and more of the same. Though I will admit that the amount that this show is able to do with the amount of legroom it has is fascinating and credit to the author for being able to squeeze out a decent narrative out of each episode. Each episode we see a development of significance or at least there is a setup for the same , most of these said developments don't turn out to be some might world altering events, but are realistic real world issues that do make for an interesting watch. There are also some just straight up very cute and chill slice of life episodes with not much substance in terms of plot in them.
characters(9/10)
This is the strongest point of this anime and certainly the one that differentiates it from the loads of slice of life anime that have been churned out by the industry lately. The characters are not one dimensional , there are hidden sides to each of them , some bad traits like we expect kids to have but they wholeheartedly accept each other even the flaws and also work on making themselves better people. This makes watching them slowly grow closer and trust each other with their mistakes and also have a good time together while also being able to remain true to themselves and able to show who they really are (which is a very rare thing in asia) a good and cute depiction of a good highschool friend group who would probably grow up to some amazing people.there are certain characters that come off in a bad light but once you see enough of them you love them even more since they feel human , they are not idealistic and all goody goody like most anime. One of the main characters even has a dedicated character arc where they are able to get over a past mistake and are in great part helped by this new friend group and we are hence left at the last episode with this amazing group of people who can only get closer.
Sound and VA (8/10)
The Voice acting of the aunt of the FMC is what stood out to me , she really does sound like a trap and reverse trap at the same time and does portray the original manga character quite well. The rest of the highschool cast are pretty good too with the VA of Shima being the most prominent of them. The OST is cute and relaxed as a proper slice of life Soundtrack should be. The moments of tension dont have a bs soap opera kinda ost and just a somber atmosphere which was a good touch. The OP and ED are mostly cutesy slice of life stuff with not much playlist value in my opinion, but atleast I didnt mind listening through them the first few times..
Art and animation (7/10)
I had my hopes but if we are being honest it tries the generic slice of life approach of toning the colors to the brightest and lightest tints possible but also unlike do it yourself of last season who did do a similar thing but with a unique character design , the character design of skip and loafer is nothing but basic art for characters which we have seen in many shows. The animation however is a bit more high quality and some of the reaction faces and meme faces are drawn and animated quite well, but the highest budget and point was already reached in the mitsumi running scene in the first episode and the sakuga remained on mostly and above average for slice of life, but quite average for an anime with a manga of this caliber if I being honest. Personally I think the art deserved a bit more love.
This is a great show to kick back and relax and a good watch in general as well , this is one of the few examples of slice of life anime that do have a very relaxed plot and setting but do manage to remain a tad bit interesting throughout the whole ride . A must watch for genre fans , and everyone should give a few episodes a try before coming to a conclusion.
PS :- this is my 100th review on myanimelist! Thanks for sticking by (assuming if I have any regular readers xD). I started this since I wanted to discuss anime and at the time I nearly had no interaction in my profile and my IRL friends have only ever watched popular shounen , so I’d love it if you could drop by and let me know what you think about this review or the others in my profile comments it'll help my motivation in writing and improving them. We can also discuss recommendations or anything about anime in general. Thanks for your time and thanks MAL for leading me to a community where I feel that I belong!
Recommended
2023 has been an improvement to 2022 regarding seasonals so far in my opinion. While 2022 does at least bring up a lot of exciting ideas for newer anime, they barely care about using them effectively. With some exceptions I have in mind, they’re nothing worthy to talk about. 2023 does the same thing except, a lot of the anime this year (again, so far) have thought to themselves. Skip and Loafer is no exception. At first, I thought this would be just an alright show judging from the first 5 minutes of it. But as I gravitate towards the series, oh my! This isa combination of a refreshing experience and pure excitement.
So what exactly is Skip and Loafer? Skip and Loafer is about a country girl named ‘Mitsumi’ who would show Japan sheer positivity by attending a prestigious school. When she arrives in Tokyo however, she’s not prepared for city life. Thankfully, she runs into Shima and both became quick friends. Together, they made friends and they all follow Mitsumi’s journey. I’m personally not too familiar with this kind of idea but this series so far has done nothing but a great job of presenting such a unique premise. Forget what I said about the first 5 minutes of the show. This has put a lot of soul into its storytelling and directing.
Skip and Loafer is very consistent and on-point with how Mitsumi follows her school journey alongside her friends. It truly shows how passionate you can be to spread the word across a place you want to be in while not being so serious about it. Mitsumi being the passionate country girl in school she truly is and trying her best to give out inspiring wisdom to people. I would hella love to see more shows have something like this. This right here is the kind of slice of life that spreads such a diverse message. The romance parts never feel forced also. The dynamics between Mitsumi and Sousuke aren’t too light but also not too toxic. Although very subjective, the comedy is refreshing as well. The jokes are clever and the scenes of characters giggling around are very fun.
Enough talking about how great the story is. I also want to talk about the bundles of happiness that are the characters. We have Mitsumi, the clueless country girl. We have Sousuke, the chill boy who is Mitsuki’s (possibly) first friend. Anyways, these two are a great pair for how they tone the drama. Mitsumi is very passionate about what she wants to do but doesn’t seem to know how to get herself on the right track while Sousuke bonds with her and talks about how they’re doing on their school trip. Again, the series did a fantastic job at making characters interact with each other before drama comes in. Both seem to convey the pros and cons of seeing/interacting with people very well.
You also got these side characters that are also engaging. There’s Mika, there’s Yuzuki, there’s Makoto, and all of them are a great supporting cast that isn’t just a bunch of surface-level comedic reliefs. My personal favorite episode is the 9th one where in the second half of it, Mitsumi reflects the balance between the positive and the negative while Sousuke is in a very gloomy mood. Despite this situation, Mitsumi is still there for him and will always make sure their dreams come true. Both the main cast and the side cast interact with each other just as wonderfully.
For the superficial aspects, the art style is simple yet conveys human emotion really well. It feels very friendly to look at. Looks like a glorious Japanese children’s entertainment even though it really isn’t. The OST is quite solid. Each soundtrack has more expressions to themselves than just average laidback songs. Both the opening and the ending are equally good. The voice acting is great. The VAs are quite precise with their roles. Glad to see Maaya Uchida and Megumi Han bringing even more great roles.
“If you're more concerned about breaking character than your own feelings, you're gonna snap at some point. It'll take a toll, and they'll notice that you're not being honest and that you're distancing yourself.”
To me, this quote says it all. Skip and Loafer is the epitome of obstacles revolving around human emotion and a presentation of a rather accurate balance between the positives and the negatives. The directing is amazing, the drama is well-paced, the romance aspects never get old, the humor is really fun, and the characters are truly multi-dimensional. This show is truly a comfort zone that has a delightful meaning to it. I don’t know what else I could say here. Skip and Loafer is without a doubt one of the best series this season. That being said, I’m looking forward to what a second season looks like. Might be even more enticing. Who knows? We’ll find out. Thanks for reading!
RecommendedWell-written
At some point in everyone's early school life, they experienced the feeling of agony, dread, and uncertainty as well as excitement and anticipation when they first entered this peculiar realm known as high school. A realm within the larger school system that’s often branded with much importance in the eyes of many as it’s the stage in one’s early life that marks many transitions: The transition phase from a teenager to an adult and becoming a part of society, the transition phase of preparation for further education in Universities, and in some cases, it’s a transition phase of life-changing events that define who one canbe later in life. This emphasis is felt throughout various people’s lives and it’s certainly presented heavily in media such as anime.
Skip to Loafer, to its basic premise is about a bright rural Japanese girl who got into a top high school institution in Tokyo. With such an institution, she wants to use it as a platform for her dreams: Fantasizing about working in the law and governmental sphere as a career with great ambitions, she has already mentally planned out her bigger goals in life of changing her rural side of Japan forever. Brimming with absolute confidence, she steps into the greater Tokyo headstrong but only to get lost on her first day of school.
When inspecting such ambiguous plot synopsis of Skip to Loafer, the ever so easygoing promotional cover for the anime, and even the standard character designs, one can mistakenly simplify Skip to Loafer down to a generic, run-of-the-mill, slice-of-life high-school drama. While there are dramas in the anime, it’s very minuscule as much of the focus is on the characters and social dynamics. And the drama that takes place is never too overbearing that it becomes silly, exaggerated, and unreasonable. Instead, the dramas in the show are there to foster competent writing of its characters and storytelling.
What Skip to Loafer does best is the exploration of its cast at a basic human understanding in the most organic and purest ways. Each of the characters in the show has their own motivations, insecurities, flaws, strengths, and tenacity for themselves and each other. What’s so fascinating to watch is that the anime often put them all together and have authentic interactions that highlight the individual traits that ultimately define them. And this way, they learn not only about themselves but also about each other—just like a small but close group of friends in any typical high school environment. When putting such a focus on this particular group of characters, the anime gets the opportunity to go in-depth on each particular individual too. And because the anime is really just about them, when a character is fully explored, the things that we learn about them have a direct connection to the rest of the cast.
Take Mika Egashira for example, the purpose of her character at the very beginning of the anime was, at first, to be the drama queen of the show. A very confident, manipulative, and very self-aware of social dynamics for a high schooler. Unlike the plain old drama queens of her type, however, she doesn’t just fall into that single category and is strictly confined to it. What the series presents at first is very much a glimpse of her character. An insight into the motivations of her acts and thinking. Rarely does an anime such as this ever give depth to what it’s trying to convey through a character. Skip to Loafer does. What the viewers first see of Mika is not the same at the end of the anime. Through its runtime, the anime understands that to beat outside of its usual set-up, there needs to be more than just a simple flashback for Mika, it needs to first construct and assemble these characters with authentic human emotions and thoughts of high schoolers. The trials and turbulences, and the emotional growth that come with this particular age group. Mika, despite her unlikable attitude at the onset of the anime, she did still have a caring and vulnerable side of her—which is revealed by the time that they all spent together at Karaoke. The point is, the anime took the time to show it to the viewers just enough for us to grasp her thoughts and personality. And when the anime finally did expand on her, we are more inclined to empathize with its presentations.
One particular highlight of the anime that nails it home is the trials of the high school experience in terms of misunderstandings and communication. In those particular situations where one wants to resolve conflicts, teenagers often struggle to find words to express their thoughts, emotions, and conflicting feelings about themselves and others. In fact, it is a common struggle among all people. The anime not only present these situations from the perspective of infuriation for anyone who’s ever gone through it but also pushes the only known concept to confront these misunderstandings is head-on. To talk. To speak one’s mind. One’s better off being understood than being left in a state of limbo where all the anxiety and guilt-driven feelings reside and the breaking of connections, bonds, and friendships occurs. This is particularly important as the anime expresses it is part of experiencing high school life where forming long potential long-term bonds and friendships materialize and transpire.
Skip to Loafer offers more insights into the minds of broader high schoolers. The past, present, and future experiences that the characters form in the anime are often presented with much detail and reflections of an authentic experience. The subject that the series tackles are never to preach to anyone. But merely a presentation with an alluring and charming group cast with plenty of depth to themselves.
