Tomo-chan Is a Girl! “A Hilarious Rom-Com Anime About a Tomboy in Love” Do you have a childhood friend you’ve gone through thick and thin with? These kinds of friends know all about the unkempt and ugly side of you, just as you know theirs, but stick around anyway. Sometimes, this long-standing friend might even become your sweetheart and life partner, and their constant presence in your life serves as a testament to their love and loyalty. But such love stories don’t always end well because we’ve seen plenty of anime where the “childhood friend” loses the race. But perhaps it was never about winning; rather, it was about their constant love and support for that special someone. “Tomo-chan Is a Girl!” also known as “Tomo-chan wa Onnanoko!” is a 13-episode TV anime series that started airing on the 5th of January and concluded on the 30th of March in Winter 2023. Aniplex, Seikaisha, Crunchyroll, INSPION Edge, and Three S Studio all contributed to its creation, and Studio Lay-duce gave it life. Featuring the genres of comedy and romance, alongside the school theme, this series received a rating of PG-13 for teenagers 13 years of age or older. Each episode ran for a total of 23 minutes, while the series was released on both Blu-ray and DVD in the form of six volumes from the 25th of January to the 28th of June, 2023. Based on the web manga of the same title, the series ran for a total of 8 volumes from April 7th, 2015, until July 14th, 2019. Serialized in twi4, it was the work of author and artist Yanagida Fumita. From the 11th of September 2018 to the 22nd of September 2020, as well as starting on the 5th of December 2023, Seven Seas Entertainment published it in English. An animated music video titled “Kurae! Telepathy” by Maharajan was released on March 24, 2023, and the featured song is the opening theme for the anime. The story centers around two childhood friends named Tomo Aizawa and Junichirou "Jun" Kubota. The duo have always done everything together, ranging all the way from daily training to simply enjoying fun day outs, so it wouldn't be a surprise to anyone around them if they ended up being best friends for the rest of their lives. Everything would’ve been perfect if it stopped there, but it turns out the tomboyish Tomo is actually in love with Jun, who unfortunately only sees her as a brother. Being bro-zoned is no fun for a girl in love, so at the very start of their first year in high school, she takes the initiative and confesses her true feelings to him. Regardless, her consistently rough mannerisms and knack for throwing punches without much hesitation don’t work in her favor, leaving her beloved’s heart unshaken through and through. This is when she realizes that he will remain indifferent to her romantic feelings unless she does something drastic about them, and she becomes determined to find a way to get her love across his thick skull. Knocking sense into Jun proves to be no easy task, as he appears to be unable to open his eyes to what is right before him! Will Tomo’s efforts be in vain? Being friend-zoned is not fun for anyone harboring romantic feelings, which is the case for Tomo even after her confession. No matter how much she wants Jun to see her as a woman, he only sees her as his friend, primarily due to just how tomboyish she is. The title says a lot about the story, where Jun sees Tomo as a guy despite her being a girl, setting the stage for quite the romantic comedy. As such, the series is full of humorous gags and moments alongside the storytelling, where the goal was to be a lighthearted and fun watch for all viewers. I would say they succeeded in doing that, complete with bits and pieces of minor fanservice too. Together with Jun, we, the audience, stride along a path of realization to the fact that Tomo is actually a girl despite her many tomboyish tendencies. As I watched, one question continuously nags at me: Will Tomo and Jun have their happily ever after, or will Tomo be bro-zoned for life? The series does an amazing job of setting first impressions because Tomo’s innocent confession really hits the mark. It can be annoying when an anime takes an entire season to give the audience the romantic verdict, but this show navigates it well by making it the main premise and thanks to how each episode portrays new and exciting scenarios for the cast to deal with. There are plenty of narratives about the cast as well, complete with the obligatory beach episode. It’s just so entertaining to watch Jun’s subtle reactions and their development towards Tomo and the things around him. At the end of the day, it’s about how patient both you and Tomo are when it comes to Jun, and honestly, I loved the ride. The plot follows a sitcom-like format that sends the characters to various locations that provide them with new opportunities, like the beach, festivals, and school events. In each setting, Tomo lunges at the opportunity to make Jun see her as a girl, and I’m all for it! The character department is the highlight of Tomo-chan Is a Girl! Tomo and Jun undoubtedly steal the show, and the supporting cast does an amazing job as well. Starting from the top, Tomo has behaved and dressed like her guy her whole life, but her feelings for Jun spur her to act more feminine. Thus, she sets off on a journey of hilarious plans and antics to be seen as a woman. Meanwhile, Jun is a somewhat dumb but super considerate guy who loves Tomo, but not in the way she wants him to. While we all want to know whether they end up together or not, the series emphasizes the journey more than the destination, and this is executed well thanks to the cast. Carol and Misuzu are the two best players besides the main duo, whose roles are very prominent and their influence undeniable. Misuzu is that girl who has some history with Jun, having been his girlfriend for some time. She even advises Tomo on how to tackle the problem, but ultimately, the execution is up to Tomo herself. Meanwhile, Carol is the present-day rival for Jun’s affections; at least that is how Tomo sees her. This is normal considering how Tomo is dead set on earning Jun's affection, making her wary of the other girls around him. Regardless, these girls are amazing friends who support Tomo on her daring quest in a wide variety of ways. These perceptions are where most of the humor comes from, and I honestly related to her on multiple occasions. We are also shown the characters’ pasts, where it becomes obvious that none of them have changed much. The character interactions are superb as well, allowing the show to work so well as a comedy that will appeal to almost anyone. Each of them gets satisfying endings and doesn’t leave you hanging in this short but expertly paced show. As for the art and animation department, Studio Lay-duce did an amazing job. The character designs are crisp, colorful, memorable, and easy on the eyes, while the character expressions are just spot-on and executed for maximum effect. The cast’s reactions are amplified to another level thanks to their cartoony style, peaking during moments of surprise, which they capitalize on with Tomo’s massive crush on Jun. Misuzu, on the other hand, has this look of deviousness and mischief, which is highly noticeable when they dress up Tomo in various scenarios. Both she and the anime go the extra mile to make Tomo look like a girl, putting her in numerous dresses and wigs, each moment just as entertaining as the other. The animation is smooth and beautiful as well; there are no complaints. Overall, this anime is bright and visually attractive. The Sounds and Music department does not fall behind the rest. The theme songs are very decorative and eye-catching, especially when you experience them for the first time. The opening theme is the aforementioned "Kurae! Telepathy" by Maharajan, while the ending themes are "yurukuru＊love" by Rie Takahashi, Rina Hidaka, and Sally Amaki, and "Jiribaki_love" by Kaito Ishikawa, Kouhei Amasaki, and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka. It's a nice little touch that the voice actors for the characters sing all the ending songs. On the subject of voice acting, it’s downright superb! Tomo’s performance was groundbreaking, and she commanded the screen with her presence, selling this boisterous character even more. Misuzu and Carol’s VAs did great jobs as well, adding much to the scenes. All of them embodied their characters well and pumped so much life into the show; they’re just amazing to listen to. The OSTs weren’t as noteworthy, but they were in no way bad. Overall, Tomo-chan Is a Girl! is a very entertaining watch, especially if you’re a fan of the comedy, romance, and slice-of-life genres. This is the best comedic romance of its season, and you won’t regret watching it. From the very beginning to the very end, you will enjoy this show, and it will consistently remain true to its premise. Owing to their limited runtime, they chose not to adapt the full source material, and that is perfectly fine because they found the perfect middle ground to dish out maximum satisfaction. You will probably remember this fun story and its colorful cast of characters for a while, which very few Rom-Coms manage to do these days. I fully recommend this one, especially if you’re looking for a lighthearted show! Please Like, Comment, Share or click one of the links below to read another post. https://pinnedupink.com/blogs/random-thoughts-because-mondays-suck https://pinnedupink.com/blogs/on-screen https://pinnedupink.com/blogs/flashbacks
