I’d Rather First Episode | Tsukigakirei

Tsukigakirei | 12 Episodes | DUB | VRV

Initial Impressions: They are such middle schoolers and they are so shy and awkward and embarrassed and sensitive and… ugh!! It hurts to watch them but they’re cute.

The first episode was slow. Really slow. But it moves at the pace that middle schoolers move at. The main characters are a boy and a girl in their last year of middle school. The girl gets moved into a class with none of her friends or track team members and she is really nervous. She carries a plushie around with her which she squeezes whenever she gets nervous to help calm her down — I think she suffers from severe anxiety or something. The boy is a quiet boy who likes to read and write and keeps to himself. He’s got two friends who we don’t much about yet.

These two run into each other while their families are out to eat and their parents introduce themselves to each other. This embarrasses them both. Her parents talk about how much food she ordered (she’s a growing girl and an athlete who just got home from practice) and his parents talk about how cute and pretty she is. They both turn red and look like they want to die.

After that incident, they become hyper-aware of each other. They keep looking at each other but never speak. They end up on the equipment team for the school sports festival, and he notices her there. They still avoid each other a bit, but when that gets him in trouble, they exchange numbers and it seems like it’s the beginning of whatever is going to happen between them. It’s kind of frustrating but also cute and a bit nostalgic. I think this anime is doing a great job of depicting middle school angst between two kids who are experiencing liking someone for the first time. There’s a lot of blushing, a lot of looking away, and a lot of staring at the phone wondering what to do.

I’m not a huge fan of the animation style because it looks like a 3D-video game with weird lighting, but then it’s like normal animation in some places and… it’s not my favorite. But, it’s not horrible either. The pace is much slower than what I’m used to, but I think it’s a good pace considering the type of story it’s telling. I’m looking forward to watching these awkward kids figure out how to deal with their emotions and each other and everyone around them. I think it’s going to be a fun ride. Maybe not for them, but… definitely fun to watch.

The Otaku Couple