Yano-kun’s Ordinary Days – Episode 1

What’s it about? Yano Tsuyoshi is a high school student who is notoriously unlucky, which results in him being constantly hurt.  This concerns his fellow classmate, Yoshida Kyoko, who begins to secretly follow him around to make sure he doesn’t injure himself any further.

This fall premiere isn’t shaping up to be anything exciting, but it’s certainly nice that my first show of the season is a sweet little high school romance between an overprotective teenage girl and a clumsy teenage boy.  It’s a wonder how Tsuyoshi survived his childhood, considering he’s in danger of being hit by everything from a flying plastic bag to a delivery truck.  The boy might as well walk around with every lucky charm available to humanity just so he can miraculously make it to adulthood.  The comedy primarily centers around Tsuyoshi getting hurt and his classmates worrying about his safety, but I have to wonder—how long can that joke last? 

Physical comedy can be a hit or miss depending on the target audience, but even the most experienced comedian can tell you a running joke can only last for so long.  The tone of the premiere is a bit jarring to me because it clearly WANTS me to find his situation hilarious, but I couldn’t find anything funny about Tsuyoshi landing in the hospital. The true star of the show was his classmate, Yoshida Kyoko, who provided the enthusiasm this premiere badly needed.  Thankfully, the episode focuses on her feelings about Tsuyoshi and the slow realization that she actually has a huge crush on him.  There isn’t much to be said about Tsuyoshi yet, except that he’s a nice person and just wants to make friends without worrying if he’ll live or die just by stepping foot outside. He’s perfect for fans of sad wet cats with protective love interests.

Beyond that there isn’t anything exciting about their relationship.  If the opening theme song is to be believed, the series will mostly consist of Kyoko following Tsuyoshi around with a worried face while she tries to figure out a way to confess her feelings for him.  That’s not necessarily a bad formula for folks that want a slow-burn slice of life show to enjoy, but personally, I need something more to keep me interested.  

Despite my minor complaints, the animation is really nice and the soft colors help the character expressions shine through, particularly Kyoko’s anxious feelings towards Tsuyoshi.  I just wish the pacing was a bit faster because I often found myself checking for time. It’s also worth noting that there isn’t any fan service, whatsoever.  I know that’s a low bar, but hey we gotta celebrate a victory when we see it.  

This show definitely isn’t for me, but if our readers are looking for something extremely laid back then this show is right up your alley.