A while ago I posted an article on anime ‘The Ice Guy and his Cool Female Colleague.’ I saw that at the start of the winter. There I mentioned how this anime has a winter tone and this would be a great watch for Summer. Same applies to ‘Skip and Loafer’ that has a Spring to Summer tone and such a heartwarming theme to enjoy during winter times. I watched it around August 2023 and planned to watch it again as winter here is reaching its peak.
Skip & Loafer anime produced by P.A. Works and aired between April-June 2023. It is based on the manga series of the same name, (Sukippu to Rōfā) written and illustrated by Misaki Takamatsu.
- Manga is still running on (monthly updates)
- The manga had over 1 million copies in circulation by 2023.
- The manga series has won the 47th Kodansha Manga Award in the general category.
Storyline
Mitsumi Iwakura – a junior high school girl who lives on the outskirts of Ishikawa prefecture. Soon to be moving to a high school in Tokyo, which is far away from her countryside home, she thinks of this as an opportunity to pursue her academic and life goals.
Now, in the Entrance Ceremony at West Tsubame High School in Tokyo, she is all geared up to excel in overall areas of life except she took the wrong train to her school. Tokyo’s lifestyle, crowd, and busy morning didn’t settle good with our passionate countryside girl as she was lost at the train station.
Nowhere to go, she feels gloomed and at the chance of fate, being discovered by a boy named, Sousuke Shima from her school.
Both are late for their entrance ceremony but Sousuke is in no hurry and is very clueless about it. For him, it’s just another day of school but to Mitsumi, it’s her first step toward her brilliant life and she doesn’t wanna miss that at any cost.
She reached the school and after a beautiful and long speech at the ceremony, she couldn’t get hold herself anymore and as the anxiety bottled up in her body, she ended up barfing.
Mitsumi Iwakura now has earned herself a title at her new school – ‘The Barfing Girl’
But at the end, she became successful in making friends
Hence, mission successful for the day!
S1 of Skip and Loafer
Skip and Loafer anime S1 follows Mitsumi Iwakura’s journey as she navigates her high school life in fast-paced Tokyo with her new classmates and friends from the city.
Coming from the countryside to a big city, she learns a new way of life, makes new friends, and participates in annual functions that bring her all the memorable experiences that she has always been dreamed of.
Along the line, the contrasting life difference between rural and city life is pretty evident in S1. But no matter what side of people we’re talking about. We all dream of having a better life for ourselves where we have more things to do in life that make us feel more human, more alive.
Mitsumi’s passion for doing something better and becoming something better is so motivating to watch throughout the story.
Of course, she isn’t flawless so as the other characters of the story and that makes these characters to make a genuine connection with their viewers.
What’s new for me in Skip & Loafer
The characters are natural, authentic, and true to their nature. They are not bubbly or gloomy all the time as one can see in most of the animes. Their life seems ordinary yet fascinating showing the slice of life in the true sense.
The character of ‘Nao’ – Mitsumi’s Aunt, is such a breath of fresh air. She works as a stylist in Tokyo and the confidence she has in her identity is so empowering.
The family of Mitsumi who played an important role in shaping her personality. Despite their rural background, they are supportive and open-minded.
I have been in rural areas and such families are hard to find. But the depiction in anime could be true for some places in Japan. The parents care about the well-being of their daughter and don’t burden her with the unnecessary burden of either being a girl or from a rural background. They just want her to be happy. Such a thoughtful family.
The kids from a big city like Tokyo accept the Mitsumi as they adorn her pure, natural and innocent nature. Despite their own struggle, different perspectives, and personalities, they get along so well.
Even the kids from her rural hometown route for her successful life. You can feel the genuineness of these teenagers and how hopeful they are for their upcoming future.
On a side note, I loved the dialect that Mitsumi used. I’m normally used to the mainstream Japanese accent that we hear in most animes but not much of dialects from different regions from Japan. It was the first time I see a clear dialect in anime which I can possibly differentiate.
Overall take on Skip and Loafer
The Genre :
The series comes under rom-com and Slice-of -life but I would say it’s more a blend of Coming-of-Age and Slice of Life than rom-com. The plot doesn’t depend more on romance, at least not in S1, for its progress. The characters have more layers within themselves than just being a love interest of someone. The plot has its seriousness but it retains its charms along the line.
Optimism:
It shows a very positive aspect of school life and life in general in rural and city areas. Mitsumi’s positive outlook toward her life and the people around her fits the saying that
“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.”
Frances Hodgson Burnett
Reminds me of a ‘Kenrokuen‘ garden in Kanazawa – The Capital city of Ishikawa prefecture.
Visual appeal and animation style :
The anime carries stunning visuals that are appealing to the eyes. Some scenes can even send you back to the memory lane. The scenery and bustling city scenes with nature in the background feel good to watch. The animation style is one of my favorite, wish I knew the name of this style.
A blend of everything beautiful :
Delightful music, soothing visuals, the plot, the characters, beautiful animation, and over-the-top humor make it a complete package.
A heartwarming, bright tone that is just made for winter. The OST ‘Mellow’ by Keina Suda welcomes viewers as the opening theme of anime, giving it a Spring season vibe.
At the end note, I would highly recommend to pin it for your watchlist. The S1 has only 12 episodes and even if it’s not one of your usual anime types yet it deserves a chance to be on your one-time watch list. You can watch the series on Crunchyroll.
The Spring of Skip and Loafer would feel like the sun in winter – refreshing and calming. Ending my take on ‘Skip and Loafer’ with this beautiful quote :
“When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest.”
Ernest Hemingway
Here to the winter-spring…
Animexon 