Senryuu Girl

Gentle. Sweet. Charming. Warm. That's SG's payoff.

SG is a 2019 release that is rated 7.38 on MAL. It is 1 season consisting of 12 12-minute English dubbed episodes with CC available. They have the voice actor read most, but not all, written communications, which is a relief, as our lead uses a portable whiteboard and marker to communicate. There are several times that Japanese words appear on the screen with no English interpretation. What's amusing about people is that some will find that near intolerable, and some won't even notice it. It bothers me, but this issue alone is overlookable.

Nothing-gets-past-me-Yukishiro-Nanako (voiced by Natalie Rial, younger sister of voice-legend Monica Rial) doesn't say much. She mostly communicates via a whiteboard that she /always/ carries around. I'm just learning anime lingo. She appears to be a dandere. She enjoys literature and she's in the senryu writing club at school. Busujima Eiji (Adam Gibbs) is a thug. At least, that's what he looks like, and appearance is 90% of the story for people forming a first impression. In the past, he's been pulled into many a fight. He's determined to change that and become a /new/ person at his /new/ school. He joined the senryu club. He's going to explore his sensitive side. Thus, they meet and become friends. Eiji is 2nd🥈 in the gap-between-outward-appearance-and-club-choice rankings. His best friend and self-described "older sister,' Ootsuki Koto - who is scorchin hot, happens to hold 1st🥇 place. She's in the American armed forces combative club. Just like baseball stats, there's no end to rankings.

What's senryu? "Senryu are unrhymed Japanese poetic form structurally similar to haiku but treating human nature, usually in a satiric or ironic vein. Whereas haiku focuses on nature, senryu is concerned with human nature and its foibles." (Jan 6, 2023 Britannica) The poems must be 3 lines in 5-7-5 syllable format. Lines 1 &,3 are 5 syllables and line two is 7. I think I nailed it with my title, but be forgiving, please. I'm a noob.

As the show begins, the 2 are already friends. In the last episode, we find out how they met.

Nanako reminds me of a kitten that I adopted. She acts terrified of everything all day long but when something comes along that she really wants (like those kitty chocolate treats) she finds plenty of courage. As it turns out, Nanako is much braver and stronger than she seems, and she knows what she likes: Eiji. She's not scared of him!

The pleasant musical accompaniment includes plenty of piano and strings with lilting pop mixed in. The art is minimalist and simple, but uplifting. It's not a comedy. Laughs are limited, but the smiles are not.

These two are so cute together. They never acknowledge that they /are/ together in S1, but everybody else can plainly tell. Speechless though Nanako is, other guys see her cuteness loud and clear. Her flighty tendencies only make her more endearing. As for Eiji, everyone at school thinks he is terrifying, but that has never crossed Nanako's mind. These two get along organically, and for quite some time, they never give it much thought. Others are starting to notice, however, and some of these others want to help push them along. The two make plans with the club president to go to an amusement park, but prez strategically cancels on them after they've arrived at the gates. Looks like it's a date! It's a beautiful day: They entered singly. They share treats, rides, fireworks. Do they exit paired?

〰🖍 IMHO

📣7.6 📝7.5 🎭7.7 💓7🦋5.5 🌞7.8 🎨7 ⚡3 🎵/🔊6 😅4 😭2 😱3 😯2 😖0 🤔5 💤0 🔚7.6

Age 13+ Language- b@$+@rd; There's some mild attention to breasts. The nurse's aid (a student) asks a male if he needs sex education and tells him to lie down - they're childhood friends. It's banter. Rated TV-PG-13: Parents Cautioned

Re-📺? Would

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-8.6, Mischievous Kiss, True Beauty-7.5, Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun-7.7, Doctor Elise: The Royal Lady With the Lamp-6.5 (tweens), 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 Real Girl-7.5, Toradora-8.5, My Happy Marriage-8.3, Nina the Starry Bride-8.4, Your Lie In April-9, Violet Evergarden-9.5.

For a series that had episodes that were 12 minutes long, it was a pretty fun watch. Story wise, it's a basic story of a shy girl falling in love with a supposed thug because he made her feel like she was more than what she was. And you have a few more characters in the blend. It's nothing grand, but it is fun.

The show's animation was good, but not breathtaking. I feel in some ways it fell short, but it also complimented scenes callingfor humor. With characters, we have a plethora of scenes of Eiji and Nanako together and they definitely make a cute couple. What with their mannerisms and adorkable personalities. Their moments are so sweet, it's sickeningly so.

However, because the episodes run for 12 minutes, it does keep from genuinely getting wrapped around other characters who had the potential to be great, but were otherwise limited due to run time. The opening and ending themes were great at the very least. It bodes well with the premise. While cheesy in some ways, it is a harmless watch that'll surely give you the warm fuzzies.

ENG Senryuu Girl is a calm and relaxing anime that offers a pleasant experience with its short episodes. The art style is charming, using soft colors and simple designs that add a warm touch to the series. The main character, Nanako, expresses herself only through senryuu (a type of short poem), which gives the show a unique and sweet storytelling style. This poetic communication makes the interactions between characters feel fresh and endearing.

One of the most entertaining parts of the anime is Nanako's father. His overprotective behavior and the intense yet funny reactions he has toward Ryuujii are genuinely amusing. Every scene he's in brings a smile.

However, the biggest weakness of the anime is its lack of a strong story. There's barely any plot development or character growth. While the calm atmosphere is nice, it sometimes feels like nothing really happens.

Overall, Senryuu Girl is a lovely pick for those looking for something light and sweet, but it may not satisfy viewers hoping for a deeper or more engaging story. 7/10.

Senryuu Girl is truly a gem that deserves more recognition. Its two main characters are an adorable girl who can never manage to speak out and hence communicates through written haiku, and a soft-hearted young man who unfortunately enough always comes across as an aggressive thug. Is the plot that original? Not at all. Boy and girl interact in various cute ways - it's been done before, and it will be done again. But Senryuu Girl sticks out in how is does it. It uses an entire literary genre as the focal point for its story, and not once does it feel contrived or like it's trying to maintain a shtick just for sticking out. It's a lovely story about communication and how we can do better (a point that all of its side characters tie in to in some way as well), and not once does it take itself too seriously. Its funny, often surprisingly self-aware humor always made me smile, and it managed to do so in a half-length anime even.

Purely bite-sized adorableness that never overstays its welcome and leaves you feeling warm and fuzzy, Senryuu Girl deserves your time. <3

Yukishiro Nanako is a cute, cheerful high school girl with one peculiar trait - instead of verbal communication, she writes senryu (a type of haiku) poems to relay her thoughts. Together with ex-delinquent Busujima Eiji, they are budding freshmen of the school's Literature Club. Even though Nanako doesn't talk, with the power of senryu, the adorable pair has no problem enjoying their fun school-life through the tune of 5-7-5 syllables.

While there isn't much plot to the story. But it's still fun, relaxing and very wholesome to watch.