Gimai Seikatsu

I'm sorry but this anime is about two robots discovering human emotions. Where normal humans will laugh and cry, these two characters open their eyes slightly wider and get misty-eyed. For an anime that's been rated 7+ here I find myself, for the first time ever, in pretty big disagreement with the overall consensus. I felt as if i was watching a computer receive new computational input to process throughout an episode. Hell, I have a step sibling who has gone through the experience of a nasty divorce and still has a better grasp on human emotions than these tamagotchi replicants. I gave this alow score because even if I think an anime is "meh", I can usually still "watch" it while playing a videogame or doing some other task. This anime has caused me to stop whatever I was doing and ask, "What the fuck?" so many times that I just gave up. I finished this show out of sheer perseverance.

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 primaryissues, 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.

Despite the title, Gimai Seikatsu or “Days with my Stepsister” is one of the best written romances of all time in my opinion. It is the first show of its kind to actually illustrate the challenges of two teenagers suddenly becoming siblings and having to navigate the newfound family dynamic. It’s a mature story that feels reminiscent of A24 films in terms of direction, narrative, scene composition and overall vibe. Characters talk with understated realistic diction and tone, and episodes while slow, are fulfilling. This is truly a must watch for any cinema enthusiast, romance fan or those just wanting an anime that feels plausiblefor once instead of the dozens of exaggerated goonbait shows we get every year. I know, I know, we have had quite a few “step-sister” anime in recent years, most revolving around comedic gags, “incest” bait and just your usual silly anime reused tropes. And don’t get me wrong, I don’t hate that, but after 20+ of them they all start feeling a bit samey. What’s cool about Gimai Seikatsu is that the people act like real humans. They don’t fall in love just because someone said something nice to them, they aren’t sneaking and stealing underwear, getting flustered all the time, etc. Instead, you have two teens are thrust into this unfamiliar situation and try their best to work through things together. Slowly getting to know one another and growing as people in the process. On paper, Saki and Yuta couldn’t be more different as people, but after living together they realise they have a lot of the same insecurities and problems and this acts as a bonding device for the two of them. This was great for me because the way Saki’s trendy gyaru-esque persona is slowly chipped away at throughout the series is reminiscent of the way you assume things about people irl and then come to see they’re not like that at all, and you see you actually have more in common than you thought. Yuta’s distrust for women because of his mother’s actions and Saki’s trepidation towards men because of the rumours she and her mother have been subjected to initially serve as barriers, but are broken down in a very sweet way. The pacing of the show is very slow, it’s not uncommon for entire episodes to be dedicated to 1 or 2 conversations, but the way those conversations are framed and directed makes them feel engaging and they go by so quickly. One example of this is the journal sequences where we get an insight into Saki’s true thoughts and feelings. Those scenes felt so intimate and raw that I got completely lost in them. There’s a level of emotional vulnerability that the author is able to convey in this story that few others can. I often say the best anime are the ones where you forget they’re anime because of how organic and real they feel and this anime has that. The slow burn build up to Saki and Yuta realising their feelings for one another is beautiful. I think it’s right in that sweet spot of not being too slow where you get frustrated, but not being too soon where you don’t care about the romance because of it being shallow or based on a flimsy foundation. I saw a lot of “symptoms” of love in this show that aren’t uncommon in the real world. Often times you start feeling jealous or a desire to be around someone all the time before the realisation comes that you’re in love. Sometimes we go through denial or run from our feelings if we feel it’s an inappropriate relationship as well and this show just captures all that. Now I’ve talked about the step sibling aspect, but another cool part of the story is the step parents themselves. Yuta’s dad is kinda just there, cool guy but doesn’t get a big arc. BUT. Saki’s mom and her desire to be accepted Yuta is really well done. Usually these shows just focus on the kids falling in love, but there’s a whole new parent stepping into the mix and for most people that’s going to take some time getting used to. As a step parent, you obviously want to be accepted by your new son or daughter and you know you’ll never be their biological parent, but there’s that awkward period where you’re unsure where you stand. I like the way this is done between the two of them and by the end seeing Yuta accept her as his step mother and go public with her and Saki as siblings at school is really cool. Minor thing, but just made it feel more authentic to me. Ok I’ve talked enough about the story. It’s great. But the other really awesome thing about this series is the direction. It looks incredible and the cinematography is among the best I’ve ever seen. For this to be a studio DEEN work, I was blown away. Again just goes to show you that staff matter more than studio. The scene composition is absolutely amazing, use of lighting and shadows to illustrate moods, use of spacing and other really cool camera techniques just make this feel more like an auteur adventure rather than a seasonal anime. If you’re at all into A24 films or Robert Eggers, you’ll see a lot of that energy in this anime! Gimai Seikatsu is truly an amazing show and it’s a shame it got overshadowed by stuff like Roshidere this season. It’s one of the sweetest and most authentic romances in this medium and a joy to watch. I can’t wait to read the books. Gimai Seikatsu gets a very easy 10 out of 10.

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