Shinozaki can barely stand how much his short, busty mentor Shiori pampers him. Could you stand it?
#01 — “My Senpai is Small and Cute”
Hmm.
I mentioned two recent anime shows set in business offices for my preview post about My Tiny Senpai. Would the short-stack office romance be closer to My Senpai is Annoying in tone, or more like The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague? Both shows were slice-of-life comedies, but My Senpai is Annoying had high energy because the short office worker main character yelled a lot. The Ice Guy anime featured many internal monologues and romantic daydreaming. It also showed cute supernatural effects when the demihumans’ emotions overcame their self-control. My Tiny Senpai is much more like The Ice Guy. Shiori often sprouts cat ears and a tail, so much so that I’m surprised she has bunny pajamas instead of a feline version. Maybe Shinozaki will buy her an appropriate present in the future.
The light tone and pastel colors of My Tiny Senpai also signal that dramatic tension will be minimal. Shiori reserves her harsher scolding for her colleagues’ and protégés’ failures to report good news. That one scene of Shiori needing to climb steps to pat Shinozaki’s head reminded me of a child “scolding” her doll for not calling her out to play. Her playful flash of temper appears to be the limit of My Tiny Senpai’s suspenseful moments. The hook for each episode will be watching how Shinozaki accidentally makes Shiori react (seemingly) romantically or sensually. I expect much blushing, moaning, and eyes holding back tears in the coming season.
Heh.
Shiori Katase of the Sunpick company is height-challenged. Oho. Shiori turns into a mischievous cat when she teases her junior colleague, Shinozaki. Head pats! With oppai at eye level! Shinozaki feels pampered every day. The opening credits show a smol lady who doesn’t understand the effect she has on her tall male colleague. Do your best, Shinozaki! I see hints that My Tiny Senpai will have a hot springs inn business trip and a beach episode!
Shiori likes playing with cats before work. Well. She thinks she saw a cat in the bushes. She’ll have you know she’s a responsible adult. Yup, Shinozaki is a regular dude. Like the rest of us, he thinks it’s more likely Shiori has sore shoulders from other reasons besides stress. Nice. Cute moans from shoulder rubbing. My Tiny Senpai understands its cultured audience. Shinozaki’s imagination is a fun place to be. Ha! Shiori’s shoulder rub looks like a cat kneading paws as it purrs. I didn’t hear purring, though. Uh oh. Her hands are too small to handle the big, hard Shinozaki… Phrasing!
Dude. Shiori is totally a cat. She sneaks up and pounces on Shinozaki in the breakroom. The junior officemate is about to have his first solo presentation, which takes Shiori back to her memory of a PowerPoint disaster. Cliché alert in My Tiny Senpai. Eat the kanji for “person” (人, hito) to allay nervousness from public speaking. The American standard used to be imagining audience members in their underwear, but I’m sure that’s sexual harassment these days. Talk to the hand! Haha! Shinozaki called Shiori “wifely.” Ah. Her hands are ticklish to a puff of breath. Where else is she sensitive?
Tiny Senpai’s Competition?
Ooh. The product development group’s designers are all women and newbies like Shinozaki. Shinozaki’s childhood friend, Chinatsu, doesn’t want to attend their section’s monthly drinking party. Uh oh. Their familiarity breeds rumors! They’re not dating! Now Shiori is jealous. Of getting along with Chinatsu! Did My Tiny Senpai take a left turn to Yuri Town? No. Chinatsu has a habit of attracting cats. Shinozaki’s small and cute senpai is a cat.
My Tiny Senpai’s eye-catches are cute and fluffy. Box and boob jokes. Gotta love it!
Shinozaki noticed Shiori doesn’t get mad at people for their mistakes. She gets even! I kid. People make mistakes because we’re not perfect, so we should judge them on how they correct them. Then we can get mad if they make it worse! Here we go. Shiori’s angry at Shinozaki! Why? Because he hasn’t made enough reports about his successes! That’s not scolding. That’s slightly sadistic pampering. Yes, Mommy Shiori, whatever you say. Har. Tiny Senpai Shiori needs to use the stairs to pat heads.
Late night working with Shiori-senpai. Shinozaki is a slave to Shiori’s pampering power harassment! Oh. Chill in the air. Shinozaki’s jacket is still warm. It feels like he’s hugging her! Shiori enjoys the sensations too much. This guy. Shinozaki likes how his jacket smells like Shiori now. Working hard is fine, but overwork is prohibited. Sunpick is not a black company.
Another Day, Another Cat
Morning again, and Shiori still can’t find that cat. Hoho. Can Shinozaki become Shiori’s tomcat? No teasing! Punishment game: he has to say “nyaa~” after everything he says. Section Chief Chihiro enjoys watching office teamwork grow. Is that the new euphemism for sappy office romance?
My Tiny Senpai (Uchi no Kaisha no Chiisai Senpai no Hanashi) streams on Crunchyroll in Japanese audio and multiple language subtitles.
Working late with his senpai might give an office worker ideas. Like missing the last train, getting a love hotel room, and exploring every inch of each other! Like that would happen, but it might have in Ganbare Doukichan! You’ll have to get Yom’s third volume to be sure. Ganbare Doukichan 03 — Yom (Senpai is Mine) is in the J-List store for you now.
Did you enjoy the slow pace of Shiori-senpai’s pampering? Do you identify with Shinozaki barely keeping it together? Or were you expecting more excitement from this slice-of-life office romance? Let us know in the comments below or online on Facebook, Twitter, or Discord.
