Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie: An Anime Relationship Portrayal Done Right

gamerant.com:

Majority of most Anime romances have two distinctive characters that each embody an ideal or conform to a gender norm. Generally speaking, between male and female characters, one will be soft-spoken, patient, and supportive; while the other one is confident, outgoing, and popular.

Anyone who's read or watched a good shoujo anime will likely guess that the girl is the former and the boy is the latter. Thankfully in the year 2022, there's more variety and exceptions to every genre, romantic comedies included, and Shikimori's Not Just A Cutie is one of them.

Shikimori's Not Just A Cutie Episode 10 Review

The two main characters, Izumi and Shikimori are a couple madly in love with each other, and they do well to balance out their respective «roles», for lack of a better term. Izumi is a soft-spoken boy who enjoys cooking but struggles with bad luck. Shikimori on the other hand, while still cute and retaining a feminine aura, is bolder and more athletic — but struggles with cooking. The Anime doesn't do a full role reversal, as one might expect.

In fact, it treats its two leads as more than cookie cutters of a set trope. For instance, Shikimori's character as a whole. She is still very much a feminine character and exemplifies the typical «cuteness» appearance most, if not all Anime girls have. However, she still exerts a degree of dominance and provides a sense of security for Izumi. After all, men deserve to be taken care of by their partners just as much as women do — and Izumi is no exception.

In addition to their general dynamic, there is also a deep sense of mutual respect the two have for each other. Izumi's infamous bad luck leads him to some pretty humorous occurrences in the story, but Shikimori is always there to come