The one-sentence review: The very charming AIFILWY is a well written, acted, and directed coming of age story about growing pains and what's most powerful, poignant, and meaningful in young life: Young love, particularly unrequited love.
"I didn't realize it at the time, but in my teenage years, life was truly dazzling."
AIFILWY opens to the camera panning over still shots with live sound in the background. Some look like book illustrations and some look like faded photos. It sets a somber and pensive mood. The mood is confirmed by the first words: "What an awful birthday." The first opening is Mizuho as an adult. She's around 30 and working as a manga editor. One of her pet projects has been slated to end, so it's a sad time. The second opening is her recalling her HS years and the close friendships she had.
The 2nd opening is also very Reply 1988-8.6. The FL recalls growing up with 4 friends, ALL boys. In R88, the FL and her 4 friends were BROS. She had burping contests with them - and worse. When they get older and start noticing the differences between them, she goes through a couple in the group before deciding on her forever mate. In this show, we learn early on that more than one of the boys likes her as more than a mere friend,
Based on a manga written and illustrated by Haruka Mitsui, AIFILWY is a 2025 release that is rated 6.08 on MAL. It is 1 season consisting of 12 24-minute English dubbed episodes with CC available. S2 has been announced.
We might start in the current day, but most of the show takes place in the past. Mizuho was always a writer. That was her dream. She ends up as an editor. Life feels rather cyclical as she's mentoring a teen writer whom she believes has unlimited promise. They seem to be having nearly identical conversations to those that Mizuho had with her own editor when she was young.
When she was young...
None of the girls at school really understand Mizuho's relationship with these guys.
"Mizuho, please take these treats to Kizuki."
"He's right there. Take them yourself," 🙄Mizuho cannot fathom this girl's method nor her feelings.
"I just couldn't. I freeze in his presence!"
"What's so special about him, anyway?" Mizuho remembers the little snot-nosed kid who always followed her around. Kizuki is her little brother. That's all he is. But that is not how Kizuki sees Mizuho, and he's determined to make her see him as a man - HER man. The background is the 2020 covid protocols, which didn't get into full swing until later in the year. They don't wear masks, but I think we should allow them that artistic license. Who wants to watch an anime where everyone is in a mask? The artists likely couldn't bear to do that.
Nishino Mizuho is voiced by Marie Maganda who did the voice of Sujin from True Beauty-7.5. All Mizuho cares about is getting her manga published. Her friends will often help by taking over "eraser duty" and other menial tasks. Hazawa Kizuki is a 🏆-winning swimmer, but all of his meets are getting canceled. He's younger, and Mizuho doesn't seem to notice how big, broad, and handsome he's gotten. She notices after he pulls her aside and kisses her, after declaring his fervent love. The kiss that Kizuki plants on Mizuho at the end of ep1 is the sexist anime kiss I've ever seen in my still-sort-of-new anime life. It's a goodun, an 8/10 every day of the week.
Izumi Airu of the two-toned hair is the stylish social media influencer and model. He used to be a delinquent, but now he's into only beautiful things. Kashiwagi Shin has adorned himself with an extra prickly manner. He's always berating Mizuho. He's your typical overachiever: Class president and headed for med school. Hoshikawa Shuugo prefers to stand back and watch. He notices everything, particularly everything about Mizuho. He flirts outrageously with his teacher and claims to have a hankering for older women. "He's not attached." The teacher assesses Shuugo who has made a spectacle his "crush" on her. "He's just using me as camouflage. The truth is, there's someone else he likes. He's afraid to get hurt, so he hides his true feelings. But if he doesn't stop this, I'm sure he will deeply regret it when he's older. His older brother, Tougo, is at college, but comes home to do a student teaching stint. He's a bit of an egotist and won't let anyone forget that HE was Mizuho's first crush. "I can't believe how cute you've become!" He doesn't care if he's agitating all the younger guys.
I'm not sure if I'm a noob at this point or intermediate when it comes to anime. I am just starting to learn the lingo. So, this is a "reverse harem" piece. Already I'm wondering why they don't just call it a herem, a "HERem". The whole idea of "reverse" is that it's not the norm, while that doesn't jive with real life. That all goes back to when manga and anime was more for males and by males. Whatevs. It isn't that important. (Still, I'm not in love with women being relegated to "reverse" anything, like it's the left-hand path or something).
One of the themes is: Live without regret. "It's scary to share your feelings with someone. And it's scary not to. I'm terrified of destroying what we already have, but I'm no less afraid of regret." Mizuho cannot understand Kizuki's boldness. Why doesn't he have any fear? Kizuki has resolve. He's made his decisions. "What scares me most is the thought of losing you to someone else. I won't live with regret. One day, we'll grow up, and no matter what the future holds, I've made up my mind. I want to be your first. I want to be your first and your last boyfriend."
Kizuki is kind of simple that way. That does not make him stupid. Many of life's things are quite simple and we get ourselves stuck in the muck by overthinking. There's often a brilliance to simplicity.
Two of the guys in the group end up in open war for Mizuho's affections (They'll probably regret that). They are starting to pay more attention to eachother than her! Mizuho can't stand the type of attention they are giving her, anyway. It's too much!
Another theme is the disconnect of youth. "You know how people are. The less you know about something, the easier you believe it," is a quote from the show Vincenzo. Kids know very little. Their worlds are smaller. The smartest people are the ones who can see that, the older they get, the LESS they know. Pride is the steroid of emotions, and youth is tragically in a constant roid-rage. Pride always competes, which is why gossip and comparing ourselves to others are such popular sports. All that judgment and all that comparing is actually a form of us lying to ourselves. What do we really know about other people, their abilities, their gifts, their challenges, they're setbacks, their sicknesses, their background... What is there to compare? Lifting ourselves up at the expense of others is particularly pathetic, and it's another lie. We never lift ourselves up that way, we only make ourselves smaller. This is at the root of the disconnect between youth and age. Mizuho thought her editor was straight from Mars when he told her that her 17 y/o life is dazzling. She thought that until she was staring down 30 and realized he was right. She was wrong.
The art is very good. People are drawn for zero fantasy, and the look is quite realistic. Backgrounds are detailed and close to looking like a faded photo. The use of lighting is gorgeous. People in the background are often depicted by outlines filled with classic comic book dotting or pixilating. It's a nice technique.
At the end of ep1, Mizuho is single and seems lonely, though she's still in touch with Shin and Shuugo locally, and Airu by way of long distance (he's in France). When ep11 starts, we still don't know where Kizuki is, but that is who Mizuho is thinking of and longing for.
We don't know what's going to happen - there's not many clues. S1 ends in current day, with Kizuki arriving back in Japan. The pieces are set up: It looks and feels like a game that has been frozen in place for 10 years without anyone making a move. By the end of S2, will Mizuho's loneliness be remedied? It's looking like a job for Kizuki, but the game will have to be played. It's time to pick up the pieces and play the game until a winner is declared.
QUOTE🗣
You can't talk somebody out of a mindset.
IMHO〰🖍
S1
📣7.5 📝7.5 🎭7.7 💓5 🦋6.5 🎨8.5 🔚? ▪ 🌞6⚡3 😅2 😭2 😱1 😯3 🤢1 🤔5.5 💤0 🤗6.5
🎵/🔊7.7 Lilting but solemn piano music plays in the background and it's nearly dreamlike.
Age 10+ with the following caveat: Ep1 has a very steamy kiss. There's another doozie in one of the last episodes. Beyond that it is actually tame and not a bad set of ideals and primfor kids to ponder. Rated: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older
Re-📺? It's most likely to happen when S2 is released.
From lite&trite to heavy&serious, here's some recs ~
💘
Ouran High School Host Club-8,,
Ao-chan Can't Study-7.8,
Special A Class 💓8.2,
Maid Sama-10,
Why Raeliana Ended up at the Duke's Mansion-8.4,
Mischievous Kiss,
True Beauty-7.5
Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun-7.7,
Colourcloud Palace-7.5,
Hakkenden,
7th Time Loop-7.9,
Honey & Clover,
My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU,
Princess Principal 8.6,
Sugar Apple Fairy Tale-7.5
My Happy Marriage-8.3,
My Happy Marriage-8.3,
Real Girl-7.5,
My Happy Marriage-8.3,
Your Lie In April-9,
Violet Evergarden-9.5
7th Time Loop-7.9 : The Villainess Enjoys a Carefree Life Married to Her Worst Enemy!-7.9
After the Rain 7.6,
BELLE-8.5,
Chihayafuru-8.5,,
Food Wars-8.2,
Forest of Piano-8,
GTO,
Honey & Clover,
Kayuga Sama Love Is War,
Love Chunibyo And Other Delusions-8.4,
Maid Sama-10,
Mischievous Kiss,
Mob Psycho 💯-8.5,
Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun-7.7,
My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU (just one season/unfinished),
Mythical Detective Loki Ragnarok,
Ouran High School Host Club-8,,
Real Girl-7.5,
Special A Class 💓8.
