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Al's Anime Reviews - A Star Brighter Than the Sun
2 weeks ago
Sae Iwata and Koki Kamishiro have been friends since childhood. One fateful day at the end of middleschool, Sae has a revelation: Koki has grown up. Now they're in highschool and she has another revelation: She has feelings for Koki. But she isn't the only girl who does...
It's a truth universally acknowledged that a shojo romance must feature two characters who don't realize their crush is mutual. This truism is doubled only if the two are childhood friends who drifted apart a bit in middleschool only to reunite in highschool. When you add to that the visual elements of floaty bubbles, soft filters and pastel stills, A Star Brighter Than the Sun's first three episodes look like the winners of The Ultimate Shojo Challenge. If it wasn't also good, it might be a little ridiculous. But fortunately, this anime is leaning into its trappings because it knows how to use them. It may not be a new story, but it doesn't have to be--all it has to do is use its tropes well.
Sae Iwata (Iwa to her friends) has been crushing on Koki Kamishiro since they became friends in gradeschool. At the time, she was the tallest kid in class, shooting up to five feet in no time, while he was among the smallest. By middleschool, she'd reached 5' 4", but he surpassed her. And because they weren't in the same class and thanks to the whole gender expectations vibe of middleschool, they more or less fell out of touch. But Sae never stopped watching Koki, and there's a strong implication that the same can be said for him. In episode 1, he practically jumps at the chance to rekindle their friendship, and if you're paying attention, it looks a lot like he announces his choice of highschool the minute Sae says hers. His body language and delivery both indicate that North High hadn't been his plan until hearing that it was Sae's.
This series seems to be all about the little moments. Koki's brief hesitation before saying North High, the way he seeks Sae out with his eyes even if they're not near each other, and how he goes out of his way to be close to her all speak volumes, even if Sae can't catch them. Her sense of social inferiority to him is so ingrained that she can't recognize her own behaviours in his. In episode 3, when he says that the girl he likes shines brighter than the sun, she immediately assumes that means it can't possibly be her because no one would describe her that way. But from Koki's words, it sounds like he thinks the same way, that no one as good as Sae could ever see him that way.
It's a very grounded approach. Everyone believes that there's something wrong with them. Just as Sae is stuck in the mindset of being a giant girl, Koki is keenly aware of his own shortcomings, and both of them believe that those stand out as much to others as they do to themselves and no one could love them for it. Yes, Sae's height is inescapable, but once people get used to the fact that she's so tall, they don't seem to care--her kindness is what shines through to everyone. Sui, one of her new friends, doesn't view Sae as the weirdly huge girl who saved her when she fell, but as the nice girl she met on the first day of school. And when someone doesn't see beyond Sae's height, Koki is there to let them have it, which obnoxious Izawa (who at one point attempts and fails to bestow the nickname "Jolly Green Giant" upon Sae) learns firsthand. Or so we can assume, anyway. In a good bit of Show, Don't Tell, no one ever says that Izawa was making fun of Sae when Koki shoved him down a slope. We can guess that from Koki's body language and the fact that he reverts to calling Sae by her first name, but it isn't spelled out. Similarly, Izawa later remarks that making fun of Sae is officially off the table. It's pretty clear that he's referring to the hill incident... Or maybe another attempt to do the same thing, since he doesn't seem like the kind of guy to learn his lesson easily.
Apart from the slowly unfolding romance plot, what I love about these episodes is Sae's friend group. Sui, who could've easily become a two-faced fake friend bitch when she found out about Sae's crush, is instead shown going out of her way to be a good, true friend. When she thinks Sae doesn't like "girl talk", she switches it off, and when she learns Sae likes Koki, she stops thinking about actively pursuing him. Kagawa, the third in their trio, also makes a real effort to be a good friend. She's dry and serious, but that doesn't mean she doesn't enjoy spending time with Sae and Sui, and the scene in episode 3 where Sui dries her hair for her is a beautiful little snapshot of their relationship.
In another story, Sae and Koki not really communicating could've been annoying, but the details are so well done here, from the line delivery to the body language, that it really works. I genuinely want to see them work things out and figure out their feelings (and he better not have a crush on someone else). In a shojo romance, that's paramount, and this show is poised to get it right. Don't let me down, A Star Brighter Than the Sun, and you might prove to be one of the best new shows this season.
It's a truth universally acknowledged that a shojo romance must feature two characters who don't realize their crush is mutual. This truism is doubled only if the two are childhood friends who drifted apart a bit in middleschool only to reunite in highschool. When you add to that the visual elements of floaty bubbles, soft filters and pastel stills, A Star Brighter Than the Sun's first three episodes look like the winners of The Ultimate Shojo Challenge. If it wasn't also good, it might be a little ridiculous. But fortunately, this anime is leaning into its trappings because it knows how to use them. It may not be a new story, but it doesn't have to be--all it has to do is use its tropes well.
Sae Iwata (Iwa to her friends) has been crushing on Koki Kamishiro since they became friends in gradeschool. At the time, she was the tallest kid in class, shooting up to five feet in no time, while he was among the smallest. By middleschool, she'd reached 5' 4", but he surpassed her. And because they weren't in the same class and thanks to the whole gender expectations vibe of middleschool, they more or less fell out of touch. But Sae never stopped watching Koki, and there's a strong implication that the same can be said for him. In episode 1, he practically jumps at the chance to rekindle their friendship, and if you're paying attention, it looks a lot like he announces his choice of highschool the minute Sae says hers. His body language and delivery both indicate that North High hadn't been his plan until hearing that it was Sae's.
This series seems to be all about the little moments. Koki's brief hesitation before saying North High, the way he seeks Sae out with his eyes even if they're not near each other, and how he goes out of his way to be close to her all speak volumes, even if Sae can't catch them. Her sense of social inferiority to him is so ingrained that she can't recognize her own behaviours in his. In episode 3, when he says that the girl he likes shines brighter than the sun, she immediately assumes that means it can't possibly be her because no one would describe her that way. But from Koki's words, it sounds like he thinks the same way, that no one as good as Sae could ever see him that way.
It's a very grounded approach. Everyone believes that there's something wrong with them. Just as Sae is stuck in the mindset of being a giant girl, Koki is keenly aware of his own shortcomings, and both of them believe that those stand out as much to others as they do to themselves and no one could love them for it. Yes, Sae's height is inescapable, but once people get used to the fact that she's so tall, they don't seem to care--her kindness is what shines through to everyone. Sui, one of her new friends, doesn't view Sae as the weirdly huge girl who saved her when she fell, but as the nice girl she met on the first day of school. And when someone doesn't see beyond Sae's height, Koki is there to let them have it, which obnoxious Izawa (who at one point attempts and fails to bestow the nickname "Jolly Green Giant" upon Sae) learns firsthand. Or so we can assume, anyway. In a good bit of Show, Don't Tell, no one ever says that Izawa was making fun of Sae when Koki shoved him down a slope. We can guess that from Koki's body language and the fact that he reverts to calling Sae by her first name, but it isn't spelled out. Similarly, Izawa later remarks that making fun of Sae is officially off the table. It's pretty clear that he's referring to the hill incident... Or maybe another attempt to do the same thing, since he doesn't seem like the kind of guy to learn his lesson easily.
Apart from the slowly unfolding romance plot, what I love about these episodes is Sae's friend group. Sui, who could've easily become a two-faced fake friend bitch when she found out about Sae's crush, is instead shown going out of her way to be a good, true friend. When she thinks Sae doesn't like "girl talk", she switches it off, and when she learns Sae likes Koki, she stops thinking about actively pursuing him. Kagawa, the third in their trio, also makes a real effort to be a good friend. She's dry and serious, but that doesn't mean she doesn't enjoy spending time with Sae and Sui, and the scene in episode 3 where Sui dries her hair for her is a beautiful little snapshot of their relationship.
In another story, Sae and Koki not really communicating could've been annoying, but the details are so well done here, from the line delivery to the body language, that it really works. I genuinely want to see them work things out and figure out their feelings (and he better not have a crush on someone else). In a shojo romance, that's paramount, and this show is poised to get it right. Don't let me down, A Star Brighter Than the Sun, and you might prove to be one of the best new shows this season.
Drag0nK1ngmark
~drag0nk1ngmark
Ooh sounds interesting show
