https://www.sakugabooru.com/data/82a9eaca3cca39c49c04ee490976dc91.mp4 Lets start with a rather cynical stance I wont stay there for long I promise it is perhaps rather silly to expect that the main group of characters in Skip to Loafer would end up becoming such good friends. They come from such different worlds both in terms of their social and geographical qualities. Each one has their own preoccupations and problems that stand in their own way running the gamut through vanity listlessness a lack of recognition and having cold doses of reality splashed in their faces. With so many obstacles in place one could say that this confluence of forces would keep the characters apart left to their own devices to be far lonelier in the end. Yet through lifes odd ironic twists it is one such force that gets everything moving. Iwakura Mitsumi is late to her first day of high school lost in Tokyo and not knowing her left from her right. A girl who is driven to succeed has driven herself into a corner. But coming to the rescue is Shima Sousuke who likewise is late to the first day of school but doesnt seem to pay much mind to being late. Within this strange encounter from two people with opposite perspectives they hoof it to the school Mitsumi tripping. But in one moment of sheer determination she takes off her shoes and socks continuing to run as the pavement pounds her feet. Shima looks on for a moment seemingly taking in the sight of something both physically goofy and for him emotionally foreign. He cannot help but run along as well in her wake and with a more spirited purpose than before. In just trying to get to school on time both characters are thrown into new beginnings complete with sakura blossoms. https://www.sakugabooru.com/data/2ae41f1be3d850c6c75bef919561da8f.mp4 https://www.sakugabooru.com/data/bf9b5eab736c16f912e20b345a773faf.mp4 Mitsumi running with Shima to make it to the opening ceremony on time both clips animated inpart by Seguchi Izumi. A character being thrown out of their element and into a new situation is a running thread throughout the show New beginnings runs throughout Skip to Loafers threads and more specifically new beginnings that are simply unexpected. It may have been pure coincidence that brought Mitsumi and Shima into each others lives from opposite ends of the attitude spectrum but at their core they could not be more abstractly similar. These two along with the rest of the animes cast are tied together in them entering high school yet each has a comfort zone within themselves that they dont want to or cannot quite budge from. Its a form of boundary that helps shield oneself from disappointments whether external or internal. They feel it better to try and march to the beat of their own drum. With everyone housing their own insecurities or ways of seeing and experiencing each other you cannot necessarily know what everyone is thinking. But as is often the case with entering new social spheres that comfort zone must be left behind and you step into a new world of possibilities for people things and thoughts. It doesnt have to involve a complete reinvention of who you are either. There are numerous tiny ways that the characters in Skip to Loafer express that they understand one another even if they inevitably will leave some things housed within. The result is a fascinating breed of understanding and familiarity through understanding unfamiliarity the acknowledgement that being able to read the room with just a touch more awareness makes the metaphorical barriers between people disappear. Tiny moments like these accrue throughout blossoming the friendships into something that while perhaps starting tenuously end up feeling as comfy as an old pair of shoes. In that sense it is a true ensemble show and though Mitsumi and Shimas selfactualization may be at the forefront the others are hardly out of the spotlight for long. 550https://i.ur.com/yA9NKcg.png Murashige and Kurumes friendship is one of the animes most unlikely yet a wholly natural development out of Skip to Loafers penchant for fostering warmth in the tiny touches of understanding between people To be sure the characters are not above their own melodrama. They arent always the most saintly and while it may be a little strange that they are often not letting their emotions run wild like teenagers are sometimes known to do Skip to Loafers comedic sense is more subdued than inyourface. Its occasional bursts of moreexplosive humor are kept to a minimum opting instead for coziness and smiles induced through warmth and the softness of its colors and lines. Writerdirector Deai Kotomi adopts a quieter ambiance in their approach letting it pour through the screen by being bright without blare sometimes hanging on pillow shotshttps://nofilmschool.com/ozuvase::text=A20pillow20shot20is20afor20these20kinds20of20shots. to let a tone sink in. 550https://i.ur.com/CLFBUEz.png This shot from episode nine holding while Mitsumi eats some watermelon offscreen with her softly crunching shows Deais comfortability in just letting a tranquil emotion and moment in time exist uninterrupted Such was the warmth of its web that any combination of characters in any setting at any time could be put together and the dialogue that would play feels as natural as a summers breeze. By the time the show reaches its final episode the sense of camaraderie is firmly established sweet and lovely. Not all the characters may have undergone lifealtering changes but they didnt need to. Simply taking their first small steps into new beginnings was all that was needed and wherever they go from now on theyll have someone in their corner with them helping them along. Their world is a little warmer than it was before. And thats what its all about. https://www.sakugabooru.com/data/44832137f1a8fa166d33cb19af9abb09.mp4 Mitsumi realizing that a new beginning lies in wait for her. Many more will follow