One new anime series that’s set the hearts of many anime fans aflutter is Kawaii Dake Ja Nai Shikimori-san, or Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie, the story of the “perfect” anime girlfriend who is super kawaii when she wants to be, but has an inner strength and a seemingly supernatural ability to protect her boyfriend Izumi from harm.
Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie is The Perfect Anime Girlfriend!
Kawaii Dake Ja Nai Shikimori-san is part of the fast-growing genre of dere-dere romance anime, which tells a “lovey-dovey” story about a boy and a girl in love with each other. Like My Dress-Up Darling and Tonikaku Kawaii, the genre takes the old romantic comedy concept, removes any tsundere character elements and all drama related to whether or not the two people will become an actual item, and just lets us get to the business of watching a cute couple in love. It’s remarkably relaxing and free of stress.
Poor Izumi-kun is cursed with the worst luck possible, falling down and nearly getting hit by a car or crushed by a falling sign as part of his daily routine. But he’s also blessed with the cutest girlfriend in the school, Micchon Shikimori, voiced by Saori Oonishi. Not only is Shikimori-san cute, but she’s also kakko ii, or cool in a bad-ass way, protecting her boyfriend whenever he’s in danger. The story explores their unfolding relationship as Shikimori tries to be more kawaii and Izumi apologies for being such a weak boyfriend.
What kind of fan is Shikimori-san aimed at? It’s hard to say for sure. Obviously the show is a great example of male escapist storytelling, creating a 2D anime girlfriend who can be everything a boy might want: cute, head-over-heels in love with us, yet kakko ii and able to do cool stuff, like bowl a perfect game just because we praised her. But the show is definitely aimed at girls, too, with 30% of readers being female, which is quite high for a shonen series. Like Sailor Moon, the work blends elements that appeal both to male and female readers in unexpected ways and reaps the benefits.
Will Shikimori-san Win the Waifu Wars?
Every time a new anime season starts, we get the same thing: waifu wars, as the new crop of anime series brings a new crop of “seasonal waifus,” and fans debate who the best girl is. You might think this is a semi-new, but I can assure you, we were all doing this back in the early days of technology-connected geekery on the San Diego 8-bit anime BBS scene in the mid-1980s.
While Marin Kitagawa handily won the battle during the winter 2022 anime season, the field is a lot more crowded this time. In addition to Shikimori-san, we’ve got Kaguya and Hayasaka. The adorable Aharen-san. The cuteness that is Anya from Spy x Family. And of course the new season of Komi-san. Which girl will win the hearts of fans, and become the chosen anime girlfriend for the current season?
Thanks for reading this blog post about the new Shikimori’s Not Just a Cutie anime. Which girl will you be rooting for in the new waifu wars? Reply below, or chat with us on Twitter!
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