The Little Lies We All Tell

Have you ever told a lie to your best friend in hopes of maintaining your close friendship? Even if you were aware of your best friend's secret, have you ever pretended not to know it in order to preserve your friendship? Sometimes, these are the types of secrets we keep holding onto until our last breath. This is a story about four good friends who have secrets that they can't share with one another for a variety of reasons…

“The Little Lies We All Tell" (Yonin wa Sorezore Uso o Tsuku) is a TV anime series based on a manga of the same name. Megumi Shimizu wrote the scripts, Ruriko Watanabe created the character designs, and Tomoki Kikuya composed the music for Studio Flad's production, which Makoto Hoshino directed.

It aired from the 16th of October until the 25th of December in Fall 2022 on ABC and TV Asahi's Animazing!!! programming block. Crunchyroll has obtained the license for the series, and it consists of 11 episodes, each lasting 23 minutes. It falls under the genres of comedy and supernatural, with themes of gag humor, school, and superpowers. The target demographic for this anime is Shounen, typically aimed at young male audiences, and it is rated PG-13, suitable for viewers aged 13 or older.

Madoka Kashihara wrote and illustrated "The Little Lies We All Tell," a manga. It was serialized in Kodansha's shōnen manga magazine, Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine, from the 9th of April 2020 up until the 9th of March 2023. Kodansha has compiled the manga into individual tankōbon volumes, with three volumes released from the 17th of December 2020 until the 9th of May 2023.

The story revolves around a group of classmates at Kashihara Girls' Academy who come from very unique backgrounds. Among them are an alien, a former ninja, a weak telepath, and a boy pretending to be a girl. Despite appearing to be close friends, each of them carries a significant secret that they must keep hidden at all costs.

Despite their extraordinary powers, they strive to live normal lives, although occasionally their abilities are accidentally revealed for one reason or another. To maintain their disguises as normal middle school girls, they must come up with creative ways to conceal their true identities. However, their attempts to blend in often lead to humorous and chaotic situations. They keep their abilities and true selves a secret even from each other, leading to comedic situations within their school as well.

While Japanese comedy may not always resonate with everyone, this title stands out as genuinely hilarious. The plot is easy to follow, it understands its comedic identity, and it presents Japanese humor in a way that even Western audiences can appreciate.

A comparison to the Western cartoon "Totally Spies" can be drawn, as both involve unusual events and secrets, although the characters in "Totally Spies" work together as a team and do not lie to each other. Although the later episodes may not reach the same level of quality as the initial ones, I genuinely appreciate how the anime maintains its thematic consistency. It avoids relying on a super dramatic finale and instead focuses on meaningful heart-to-heart scenes. This approach proves beneficial as it helps to further develop and characterize the main cast of characters.

Each episode of the anime is packed with clever jokes and features four amusing and engaging characters. It maintains a lighthearted and wholesome tone throughout. However, what makes the show interesting is that we get to see the inner thoughts of each character, which can sometimes be brutally honest or completely contrasting to their outward behavior. The excellent voice-acting performances enhance this aspect of the show. The voice actors skillfully adjust the tone of their voices to match the situations, which is crucial for an anime centered around secrets that characters want to keep hidden.

The main characters in the anime are well-developed. They actually function well together, despite the possibility that dull and predictable episode scenarios or skits will degrade their quality. Even so, a lackluster comedic delivery and predictable scenarios can undermine their appeal at times. Thankfully, the scenes and episodes in this anime are not groundbreaking, but they manage to avoid predictability and are executed with cleanliness.

I praise this show’s ability to make its main cast have very strong and well-defined personalities that played off each other almost perfectly. Starting with Rikka, she is the alien who acts like a cheerful and clueless girl, all in an attempt to conceal the fact that she has zero idea about what life on Earth is actually about. But her impulsiveness and other-worldly powers often create hilarious “situations” for the gang.

Chiyo is a sweet and sincere Ninja who aspires to be an ordinary girl, but life is difficult when you have to constantly fend off your brother, who the Ninja Clan sent after you after you just left, isn't it? The fact that this girl doesn't seem to have even a single brain cell to her name makes things worse! Right on the heels of the two colossal idiots are the group’s "straight men," Sekine the Psychic.

Thanks to her mind-reading powers, she was the only one who actually knew the secrets of the others, hanging around to comment on and react to her friends’ crazy antics. She is easily the smartest one, being pretty down to earth, pragmatic and selfish, and constantly trying to save the world from the two aforementioned girls. Last but not least is Tsubasa, who is a fairly easy-going but not-so-bright boy forced to crossdress by his twin sister, all in a ploy to replace her in the school.

This unfortunate individual becomes the subject of the majority of jests and is perpetually perplexed as to why he is in that location or, more precisely, enduring his existence. Thanks to this cast, the show didn’t stop being funny for me. As weird as the setup and characters are, they are regularly thrown into new crazy situations, and the show manages to not get repetitive either.

Sadly, the side characters aren’t as great as the main quartet. This is unfortunate because there was much to explore in them, and they ultimately lost potential. This is the case for the other aliens, the characters’ siblings, and Sekine's organization. Don’t get me wrong; these characters serve to make the episodes very lively and hilarious, but the focus always remains on the main four. So you could say there was a lack of variety here and many missed opportunities to make much more vibrant scenes.

In terms of art and animation, it follows a standard approach without anything particularly exceptional. The character designs are good; although they may not be unique or particularly memorable, they do suit the themes of the series. It leans towards simplicity, but the specific effects and art style choices chosen for different situations align well with the overall tone of the anime, making it a great fit.

I agree that the voice-acting in the anime suits the characters perfectly. It adds depth and personality to their portrayal, enhancing the overall viewing experience. As for the opening and ending soundtracks, while they may not be exceptional enough to be included in a playlist, they are still decent.

The opening theme, "Eclipse" by Nacherry, impressively captures the vibe of the anime, which deserves recognition and contributes to the overall enjoyment of the series. The ending theme, "For 4 Forever," performed by Chiemi Tanaka, Natsumi Murakami, Ayane Sakura, and Megumi Han as their respective characters, provides a fitting conclusion to each episode.

Indeed, the enjoyment of this anime largely depends on personal preference when it comes to comedy. Some viewers may find the humor to be good and entertaining, while others might perceive it as bland. It's essential for individuals to assess whether this type of comedy aligns with their preferences. This show is absurdly enjoyable, but bigger titles overshadowed it.

If you loved but finished watching Spy x Family, “The Little Lies We Tell” is pretty similar, and you should definitely give it a go. It also has some similarities with “The Disastrous Life of Saiki K." The only big difference is that it uses a far smaller cast. So expect to just laugh without commitment or brainpower expended in each episode here.

Describing it as a “show to watch while eating” is quite fitting from my perspective, as it’s a series that can be enjoyed casually and without intense focus. I recommend it for fans of slice-of-life, action, and comedy anime, as it combines elements from these genres pretty well within an atmosphere of simplicity.

Ultimately, whether you should watch “The Little Lies We All Tell” or not depends on your personal taste and what you’re seeking in a comedic anime experience. So the best approach is to watch at least the first 3 episodes and see if they resonate with you before making your decision. Overall, recommended!