Forum - View topicMy Clueless First Friend (TV) (w/ index).
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Tony K.
 SubscriberModerator  Posts: 11299 Location: Frisco, TX |
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My Clueless First Friend (TV) Source: Manga (ongoing @ 13 volumes, by Taku Kawamura) Animation Studio: Studio Signpost Genres: comedy, drama, romance, slice of life Themes: romantic subtext, school Plot Summary: One lonely, gloomy fifth-grade girl is the target of her classmates' relentless bullying and teasing—that is, until a new kid arrives on the scene. Friendly Takada is as clueless as he is well-meaning, but somehow he possesses the magic ability to start drawing "Grim Reaper" Nishimura out of her shell. As the elementary schoolers experience all the fun of a childhood summer together—from going to the pool to picking sunflowers to watching fireworks—an unusual friendship blossoms. Air Date & Platform: April 9, 2023 (Sunday) Available on: Crunchyroll Episode Count / Runtime: 13 episodes ---------------------------------- EPISODE INDEX (Clicking on the episode will take you to my post that has a summary, comments, and screen-caps) Episode 01: The Grim Reaper and the Transfer Student Episode 02: Lunch Duty and Ghost Photographs and Love Letters Episode 03: Summer Vacation Begins Episode 04: Grandma's House Episode 05: Call Me the Grim Reaper Episode 06: Changing Desks, Class Reps, and New Friends Episode 07: Field Trips and the Magic of Marinated Eggs Episode 08: Yukata, Jungle Gyms, and Orthopedic Casts Episode 09: Run! Shout! Field Day Episode 10: My First Time Having Guests Over Episode 11: The Swift Reaper Alliance, the Cursed Song, and Christmas Episode 12: The Christmas Party Confession Episode 13: 10 Years Later, the Same as Today Last edited by Tony K. on Sun Jun 25, 2023 9:31 pm; edited 17 times in total |
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Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 23779 |
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Episode 1
Bullying is not my favourite topic in anime, especially if it is being done to a sweet female character. However, my sense is that we are in a Kimi ni Todoke situation here where the teasing isn't going to last long thanks to the intervention of a male friend. Good. I'll be a lot happier when the teasing eases up. Takada is truly clueless, but for Nishimura, he's just what the doctor ordered. Looking forward to more of this. |
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Edjwald
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Yah, this show seems to be surprisingly sweet all things considered. At least until episode 4, when it will pull out a Promised Neverland style plot twist and we find out that Akane really is a Grim Reaper. Karma time baby.
Either that, or like Blood said, some of the kids will start to ease up a little and things will become a little more balanced. That would be nice too. |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 1921 |
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I also dislike bullying in anime (and in general), thus I had some doubts about watching. I am happy to say that the first episode is charming enough to not get too depressing or dark. The new transfer student is a lovely goofball and his unique way of looking at the world shakes things up for good.
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 11299 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Episode 01: The Grim Reaper and the Transfer Student
Summary: Pending Comments: Very charming series. I think it's the fact that they're 5th graders and still so innocent, yet also simplistic is what makes this so heart-warming. Taiyoh has a lot of qualities that remind me of myself, today. But I was much more shy at his age. I was a lot more like Akane just strolling along, only not being picked on, like this poor girl. Screen Caps:  
 
 
 
 
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 11299 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Episode 02: Lunch Duty and Ghost Photographs and Love Letters
Summary: Pending Comments: This show continues to be super adorable. Watching this, in addition to (The) Dangers in My Heart, this season, I'm reminiscing on all sorts of childhood memories. Dangers is hitting my adolescent years pretty accurately, with the whole transitioning/teetering of "still being innocent, but not-so-innocent, because puberty is also starting to make you horny." Meanwhile, Clueless paints "being really nice to a friend of the opposite sex is romantic, but not-really-romantic, because you haven't hit puberty and don't know what romance is, yet." It's sort of like a kids' version of When Harry Met Sally (1989), but with the romance being completely subtext. In 5th grade, I knew this girl who was really shy. Nobody picked on her, like they do Akane, because she was so quiet and unassuming, the teacher and I were pretty much the only ones that ever talked to her. And during lunch, I noticed she didn't eat a lot of her food, either. After a while, I started outright asking her if I could have the food she didn't eat or would even offer to pay her if the food was pizza. Granted it was cafeteria pizza, but all pizza was like Filet Mignon to me in those days, no matter the quality. What's even funnier is when we did small class projects or had to get together in small groups, I was the only she'd even talk to. And even then, she spoke in a really low voice, because I'm assuming she was still shy to everyone else. And when PTA meetings came around and all the students and parents were meeting other students and parents, she only ever showed excitement when introducing her parents to me. Honest to goodness, she smiled a bunch and seemed way more energetic around me. I didn't hang out with her like Taiyoh is with Akane, as I had my own group of friends with similar interests. But seeing this reminds me a lot of that girl (whose name I still remember, as well as the fact that she had this favorite pink jacket she always liked to wear). Good stuff, this show. Screen Caps:  
 
 
 
 
Last edited by Tony K. on Sun Apr 30, 2023 3:55 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 11299 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Episode 03: Summer Vacation Begins
Summary: Pending Comments: Taiyoh's positivity is hilarious. It's like he can turn any negative into a positive or, at the very least, neutralize it. I also appreciate his honesty. Most kids that age are honest, to a degree, but they also talk about who-knows-what-the-heck. It's honestly very refreshing to see Taiyoh wear his emotions on his sleeve like that. Outside of the one girl whose food I'd always eat, I didn't know any others outside of school, except for two others whose parents were friends with my parents, and we'd hang out whenever all the parents got together at someone's house for little parties. We played a lot of hide-n-seek, which was especially fun when the houses had lots of floor space. My summer vacations consisted mostly of staying inside renting/playing video games, watching VHS-ripped tapes of the same handful of movies, or playing with other neighborhood kids. I grew up an only child, so I didn't mind the solidarity. I didn't have many friends I considered "close," aside from, maybe, 5 max. And it wasn't until middle school that I was actually able to appreciate friends for their personalities, rather than the fact that they shared similar interests. I've also never been to Disneyland, since that's what most kids think of as "a cool summer vacation." I like the simplicity of the pool party. It's also a good allegory to the effectiveness of the show. Screen Caps:  
 
 
 
 
Last edited by Tony K. on Sun Apr 30, 2023 4:31 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 11299 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Episode 04: Grandma's House
Summary: Pending Comments: I'm not really a fan of cats, but the one in this show is cute and funny. I think it was the derpy look on its face when they introduced it in the previous episode that got me. For future reference, I'm probably gonna' focus on the getting caps with that cat. There's something about it that I feel helps tonally tie the show together. As for the story, there are some pretty big revelations in this one. This whole time, I've barely even been paying attention to Taiyoh's infatuation with the supernatural. I just keep analyzing their friendship and thinking back to my own childhood and how great it was. And now, we learn that Akane's mother died giving birth and that Akane inherited the name "Grim Reaper" afterwards. That's messed up. And after calling Taiyoh her real first friend, he realizes how inadvertently mean he's been calling her "Grim Reaper" this whole time. That's a lot of self-awareness and maturity on his part. Good for him. I can't believe how well this show handles so many issues with such subtlety. These are 5th graders, for crying out loud! And yet, it's hitting some emotional strings with way more gravitas than others couldn't do in an entire season. Kudos the the manga-ka for great writing. Screen Caps:  
 
 
 
 
Last edited by Tony K. on Sun Apr 30, 2023 4:55 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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smurky turkey
Posts: 1921 |
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I wonder how things will change after episode 4, I imagine that things can't really stay the same anymore.
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smurky turkey
Posts: 1921 |
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Well, the first half of episode 5 did indeed have things be a little different, but things were solved in a speedy fashion. The rest of the episode was more accidental flirting and more hand holding than most romance anime have in 3 seasons.
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 11299 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Episode 05: Call Me the Grim Reaper
Summary: Pending Comments: Pending Screen Caps:  
 
 
 
 
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 23779 |
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I'm finally caught up with this show. So cute. I'm glad that Takada and Nishimura got past their first crisis with Takada feeling bad about calling her the Grim Reaper after finding out that her Mom died not long after her birth and that she feels like she replaced her. I'm also glad that next episode is titled New Friends. Seems like Nishimura's circle will get expanded.
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smurky turkey
Posts: 1921 |
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Episode 6 was another fun time. Though I do wonder how dense Takada really is sometimes, he played Kasahara like a fiddle. The bullies are now at the point were they basically run away when Takada shows up, since getting into an argument with him is pointless. Finally, is it even possible to not know what kind of birthday present to give to Hino, the boy who seems to live for tanktops?
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 23779 |
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Episode 6
The episode title did not lie: Nishimura has a new friend. She also has a rival for Takada. Not that it's much of a contest... Nishimura has clearly bewitched Takada with her Grim Reaper powers so Kasahara doesn't stand a chance, the devious little schemer. Too bad there wasn't some way to capture the steam that Nishimura gives off when she's embarrassed. Seems like there's enough of it to power a decent sized turbine. |
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Tony K.
Subscriber Moderator Posts: 11299 Location: Frisco, TX |
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Episode 06: Changing Desks, Class Reps, and New Friends
Summary: Pending Comments: Pending Screen Caps:  
 
 
 
 
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