Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re embarking on a brand new adventure, as we explore the first episode of last season’s highly regarded Skip and Loafer. I’ve had a few friends single this production out as my sort of thing, a school drama that takes unusual and welcome care in elucidating the nuances of its characters’ personalities, and also simply a particularly charming romantic comedy.

As for the production, I find myself immediately struck by the resume of director and series composer Kotomi Deai. Alongside episode director and storyboard credits on productions as diverse and distinguished as Flip Flappers, House of Five Leaves, and Kids on the Slope, she also served as the overall director for the enchanting Rolling Girls. Rolling Girls’ late-season stumbles and generally oddball nature have sadly dimmed its profile over the years, but the show’s joyful energy and fanciful visual style secured it a permanent place in my heart, with Deai’s personally directed first episode standing as one of the best premieres I’ve ever seen. Deai’s one of those top caliber talents who’s never quite gotten the recognition she deserves, so I’m eager to see how she brings this drama to life. Let’s get to it!

Episode 1

We open on our heroine Mitsumi showing off her blazer to a friend via smartphone. A remarkably efficient introduction here, with the scenery around these two and her friend’s accent clearly conveying that Mitsumi has come from a small seaside town to the big city, and the demoing of the blazer further announcing that this will be her first day at school

Her full name is Mitsumi Iwakura, and she’s fifteen years old. Nice simplified character design style, which seems quite amenable to animation

The OP seems as playful and bright as Mitsumi herself. Deai also personally directed this OP, and it clearly demonstrates her talent for energetic yet economic boarding

Aw, this dance throughout the second half is delightful! Great character animation, plenty of humor inherent in their goofy maneuvers, and you can already see comfortable chemistry in how they call and respond through their body language. It’s a rare OP that sells a couple this well!

Mitsumi comes from “a small town on the edge of Ishikawa prefecture.” I like the subdued pastel colors and lack of clear linework for these backgrounds – the scenery inherently evokes a sort of sleepiness appropriate for rural towns

“My middle school only had eight students in my year.” Oh damn, a really small town

Her friend’s name is Fumi

A storm of cherry blossoms guides us from her home to Tokyo, a classic sign of new spring beginnings

Excellent character acting as we’re introduced to a variety of other characters going about their morning routines. A real sense of confidence as the show builds anticipation, like the final preps before a stage performance (which I suppose the first day of high school basically is, particularly in Japan, where you’re so often meeting an entirely new set of classmates)

She’s staying with her dad’s sister Nao-chan

As expected, these simplified faces naturally lend themselves to comic exaggeration

“My intuition tells me that today will be nothing short of perfect.” Mitsumi’s theatrical confidence is already setting her apart as a unique sort of heroine

“I’ll join the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and build a career there providing key solutions to rural depopulation.” I definitely remember this sort of person from high school. Nice sepia slides for her lofty future plans – once again, the show is demonstrating a smart economy of design while nonetheless offering plenty of playful visual digressions

Her condescending upturned smile at her parents’ provincial concerns is another nice efficient bit of character acting

And of course she immediately jumps on the express train

“A girl in our uniform. She’s stuck to the wall.” This show’s deadpan, understated sense of humor matches its visual sensibilities perfectly

Yet another unfortunate soul defeated by the Tokyo subway system. I’m glad Persona 5 gave us foreigners a chance to experience these trains fucking up our schedules too

Another efficient change in style for Mitsumi’s horror movie despair. The more I dig into the difficulties and compromises inherent in anime production, the more I come to appreciate art design that’s built from the ground up for convenience of animation. As Yasuo Otsuka says, “simple but original is best,” while excess linework will only make for less expressive animation in the end

While this golden retriever-like savior asks her what her hometown is like, Mitsumi sits paralyzed by fear at the prospect of missing the opening ceremony. We’re already seeing a compelling contrast in their personalities here, and how this guy’s extremely laid back personality might productively rub off on the confident-yet-brittle Mitsumi

She snaps when he says it’s “just the opening ceremony,” but he doesn’t seem to mind. Nice minimalist hangdog look as she trudges behind him from the station

“In the end, I lashed out at this kind, considerate guy. I feel like I’ve seen my own true colors in half a day.” Yep, nothing like despair to test your true nature. Don’t worry Mitsumi, we all freak out when our perfect plans are dismantled

More excellent character acting with clear attention paid to how the folds of their school uniforms move as the two jog the last stretch to school

And again, with minimalist designs like this, playful expression work comes naturally

We see the precise moment when this laid-back guy is first inspired by Mitsumi’s example, as she rushes past with him with shoes in hand, utterly unconcerned with her appearance as she desperately charges towards school

The music neatly matches their example, strings rising in tense repeated patterns as if echoing the building energy in his heart. It seems like he’s briefly unsure precisely how to feel about this girl, until the strings cut, he smiles, and then the strings return with a confident, encouraging melody. Through this careful matching of character movement and expression to sound design, his immediate infatuation feels contagious and almost inevitable

Mitsumi doubles over in wracking coughs as she arrives. I feel like we’re going to get a lot of mileage out of her implacable determination pushing against her eminently unathletic body

Apparently Mitsumi’s also top of the incoming class… but she forgot her speech in her bag. We’re getting a clear portrait of a girl who’s unstoppable just so long as absolutely nothing ever goes wrong, which seems like a fine pairing with a boy who’d take success or catastrophe with the same nonchalant shrug

But wouldn’t you know it, she memorized the speech. Our boy is once again thoroughly impressed – it’s easy to see a potential arc spilling out before him, wherein he comes to appreciate the satisfaction of trying your hardest

The show’s narrative seems to echo the appeal of its production: classic, unassuming fundamentals executed with mastery and confidence, thereby elevating the familiar into the enchanting

“She didn’t blink once!” Mitsumi’s demand for perfection is already demonstrating its destructive consequences, making it easy to see how she might learn from her new friend Shima-kun’s laid-back example

Mitsumi’s perfect blueprint for the first day of high school is swiftly undercut by her post-speech puking session

“Is Tokyo just filled with dreamy people like him?” It’s refreshing to watch a show that understands people, but is also so lighthearted and kind. I feel like you more often get either light-but-superficial shows or heavy-but-thoughtful ones

Mitsumi’s friendship with the hotty immediately secures her some cred among her classmates, leading the girl behind her to introduce herself as Mika

“I guess my timing was just off earlier.” Understandably, Mitsumi’s small town upbringing means she’s not particularly good at reading new people

Their puke victim teacher introduces herself as Sakura Hanazono

Back at home, Mitsumi describes her adventures to Fumi

Convincingly comfortable dialogue for these two, further establishing a contrast with her difficulty talking to new people

I like Nao-chan’s unique profile – she’s unusually tall and broad-shouldered, giving her a very distinctive look in spite of the show’s generally simplified designs

Interestingly, we then cut to Fumi’s side, as she checks in with Mitsumi’s family. Old-fashioned phrasing emphasizes how this rural town’s culture is a little behind the times

Meanwhile, our loafer Sousuke’s catching up with his middle school friends, each of them offering tales of their new high school life. I appreciate the sense of continuity offered by all these glances back towards their pre-high school lives; we don’t simply become new people in a new environment, and these characters’ existing relationships are bound to continue impacting their high school days

“Wouldn’t want to be late tomorrow, you know?” Mitsumi’s example is already changing Sousuke

“Today’s mistakes don’t count. It was only my first day, after all.” Mitsumi still determined to embody perfection. We’ll see how that goes

And Done

Well, that was an altogether delightful premiere! Skip and Loafer’s sunny disposition is infectious as hell, and our two leads already seem like individually charming characters who’ll be even more endearing as a pair. I was impressed with both how quickly and how convincingly the two developed a bond, and am excited at the prospect of a romance that doesn’t drag its feet regarding the connection between its main characters. Additionally, the production’s already demonstrating the manifold strengths of its art design choices, with the simplified character designs facilitating all manner of playful expression work, convincing body language, and fanciful aesthetic digressions. This marriage of confident storytelling and clever direction makes for an eminently winning experience; Skip and Loafer is simply an excellent time.

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