Tomo-Chan is a Girl!

So Many Waifu’s to Choose From!

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RJ Writing Ink’s Picks for Best Waifu’s of 2023

The year 2023 is over, and that means it’s time for us to reflect on everything that’s happened. For anime fans, that also means it’s time to look back the anime we’ve watched, and just as important, which girls and boys we consider to be the best. This year saw tons of amazing waifus; so much so that before the year was out, we had to name them all. I’m RJ Writing Ink for D&A Anime Blog, and in no particular order, here are my top picks for best girls of 2023. 

For this list, we won’t just be including girls from shows that premiered in 2023. We will also be including girls who gained prominence on returning shows in 2023. Also, it goes without saying, but no loli’s.

Tomo Aizawa-Tomo-Chan is a Girl!

Ask her best friend, Jun, and he’ll say that Tomo Aizawa is the best friend a guy could have. One problem, though: Tomo wants to be more than just friends with Jun, and he’s clueless about this. Thus, Tomo has to find ways of getting him to stop seeing her as just one of the guys and seeing her as a girl. 

If tomboy supremacy is a thing, then Tomo Aizawa embodies it. Confident (mostly), friendly, and unwilling to take anyone’s nonsense, Tomo is every tomboy lover’s dream personified, with even girls being known to fall for her. The main issue that she has is that her tomboy ways have left her deeply insecure about her feminine side and make her think she needs to change that about herself to get Jun to like her. The anime focuses on her trying to do so, only to realize that she never had to do so. Jun already loves her the way she is, and so do plenty of fans.

Of which I am one.

Sylphiette-Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation

Introduced as the first friend that Rudeus Greyrat ever made in his second life, Sylphiette has been in love with him since day one. That only made it harder for her when he went away to earn money for them to attend magic school, only for the Teleportation Incident to separate them even further. When they finally reunited at that same magic school, Sylphie despaired when Rudy didn’t recognize her. Once she gathered her courage to reveal her true identity, though, she learned that not only had he never forgotten her, but returned her feelings. 

Can we appreciate how much of an angel Sylphiette really is? Despite knowing of Rudeus character flaws (of which there are many), she always saw the best in him even when he didn’t. More importantly, when she learned about the psychological trauma he endured from his first love abruptly leaving him, Sylphie’s first response was understanding and compassion. Her love for Rudeus saved him in one of the lowest points in his life. No wonder why he immediately asked her to marry him. 

Miyo Saimori-My Happy Marriage

Miyo Saimori did not have a happy life. Unwanted by her birth father and treated like a servant by her stepmother and half-sister, Miyo spent her whole life thinking she was worthless. All of that changed, though, when she was engaged to the cold but handsome soldier Kiyoka Kudou. Despite his reputation of scaring off his prospective brides, she soon learns that he’s not the cruel man people make him out to be. And with his support, she begins to come out of her shell and finally learn to stand up for herself.

Miyo Saimori is like the Japanese version of Cinderella, if what Cinderella went through gave her low self-esteem. Spending her whole life being seen as useless by her own family, Miyo starts out the series with little hope for a better life. However, once she gets her fiancé to warm up to her, and gains the supportive environment she never had, she grows out of her timid nature. While she’s still a bit of a wallflower, she shows everyone that she has an unspoken will to her that makes her far stronger than she seems. 

Shizuka Mikazuki and Beatrix Amerhauser-Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead

Since these two are from the same anime, I OK combined their entry into one. 

First running into Akira while he was looking to get beer, Shizuka had a demeanor so cold, she could’ve been an ice queen. While this was partially due to her logical nature, a large part of her cold demeanor stems from her control freak father dictating everything about her life. As she comes to spend more time with Akira, though, she starts to lighten up and learn never to let others tell her how to live her life. 

In contrast, Beatrix Amerhauser is very much an extrovert. A young German woman with a lifelong passion for Japan, she came to the country right as the zombie apocalypse started. However, not even zombies would stop her from seeing the country she dreamed about for years, becoming the fourth to join Akira’s growing travel party.

Both these girls couldn’t be any more different from each other, yet both have aspects that make them great waifus. They’re both considered very pretty by men and are subjects to varying degrees of fanservice, but it’s their personalities that are the big draw. Underneath Shizuka’s cold demeanor lies someone who cares deeply for the people she considers her friends. And seeing Beatrix get excited by her love of Japan is enough to get anyone around her fired up. In other words, they’re both great women and great waifus.

Mitsuri Kanroji-Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

Born with an abnormal level of strength, poor Mitsuri managed to scare off any prospective marriage partner. While she did try to hide her strength to attract a husband, she quickly realized how miserable her life would be to live like this. Rather than try and act like what others considered to be “normal,” Mitsuri chose to embrace who she was by becoming a Demon Slayer. Now among the strongest people in Japan, Mitsuri hoped to find a man even tougher than her in the hopes of finally finding love.

Okay, real talk. If Mitsuri turns guys off because of her abnormal hair color or for how strong she is, then the problem isn’t her; it’s all of them. Compassionate, beautiful, and willing to lay down her life for what she thinks is right, Mitsuri Kanroji is everything most guys want in a girlfriend. The fact that she hasn’t found a husband who likes her for her is a travesty. 

Ramona Flowers-Scott Pilgrim Takes Off

She is, quite literally, the girl of Scott Pilgrim’s dreams. Those familiar with the story of Scott Pilgrim know the tale of Ramona Flowers. She is a cool skater girl with even cooler hair and has a lot of exes that Scott has to fight to date her in peace. However, all of that goes out the window when Scott disappears in the middle of fighting her first ex. While the others in Scott’s life try to move on with their lives, Ramona takes it upon herself to find out who took him, becoming the main character in this new story.

While the graphic novels and the film adaptation hinted at it, the anime version of Ramona Flowers fully fleshes out her character beyond being a manic pixie dream girl. She’s just as flawed as her prospective boyfriend, Scott, with her actions being just as responsible for how her exes turned out as they are. At the same time, seeing her come to terms with her past mistakes as she tries to find Scott shows how she can change herself for the better. Because of her willingness to make amends for past mistakes while still being an all-around fantastic girl, Ramona deserves a place on this list. 

Every One of Rentaro’s Girlfriends-The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You

Sorry, but given the premise of this crazy harem anime, it’s impossible to choose one of Rentaro’s growing list of girlfriends as best. So, much like gigachad Rentaro, I’m going with all of them. 

Hakari is sweet and openly affectionate. She may have a bit of a perverted side, but she’s very supportive of her fellow harem members and their happiness.

Karane may be a tsundere, but that personality type is popular with many anime fans. She may have trouble expressing her true feelings, but when push comes to shove, her love for her friends and Rentaro knows no bounds.

Shizuka is adorable-looking and very well-read, but at the same time, very shy. Her shyness was only made worse because everyone, including her mother, saw her as a freak for only using books to communicate with others. Underneath her shyness, though, Shizuka has a lot of courage and is willing to do anything to help her newfound family. 

Nano is an archetypical kuudere, cold and efficient to the point that she could be called a Vulcan. But once Rentaro gets into her heart, she starts to learn how to embrace her emotions more. Plus, she can dress up to look like an actual Prince Charming. That is a rare talent, indeed!

Kusuri might look like a loli, but that’s due to her genius backfiring on her with a semi-permanent drug, leaving her with the body of a child. When she does return to her actual age, though, she’s like a red-headed version of Bulma from Dragon Ball: brains and beauty combined.

As Hakari’s mom, the introduction to Hahari made her appear cold and controlling of her daughter. In truth, though, that was because Hakari’s father died before she was born, leaving Hahari to raise her by herself at age 13 (she had herself artificially inseminated, all right!) After Rentaro proved how genuine his feelings for Hakari were, though, Hahari didn’t just give them her blessing. She wound up becoming his sixth soulmate, much to everyone’s exasperation.

And this is just the first six. Rentaro is going to have 94 more before the story comes to an end.

Tomo-Chan Ends the Only Way it Can: With Love and Gusto!

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Tomo-Chan is a Girl! Ep 13 Review

It’s been a fun ride, but all good things must come to an end, lest they end up like The Simpsons. In this case, Tomo-Chan, one of the best anime of the Winter 2023 season, came to a happy conclusion. In the last episode, Jun finally got the courage to tell Tomo that he loved her back. In some shows, that would mark the end of it and leave the rest up to the fans imaginations. However, there’s still one last problem to deal with. The same problem most people have to deal with regarding their romantic partners: the parent’s approval. 

Grab some popcorn and get ready for some laughs.

Their First Romantic Christmas Together…Gets Derailed.

It’s the Holiday Season, and in Japanese Culture, Christmas is to them what Valentine’s Day is to people in the West: romance and spending time with your loved one. That makes it the perfect chance for Tomo and Jun to have their first real date. It goes as well as we’ve come to expect from these two.

On the one hand, Tomo gets embarrassed as hell when the romance film she picks out gets too steamy for her. On the other hand, she and Jun exchange presents with each other. On the other other hand, Jun and Tomo can’t take the next step and kiss and actually be boyfriend and girlfriend. As it turns out, Jun neglected to tell Tomo something important: her Dad said that if Jun wants to date his daughter…he’s got to beat him in a fight.

Tomo takes this news very poorly. She tells her Dad she hates him and refuses to speak with Jun for the rest of their break.

Mr. Aizawa’s Testing their Resolve

After catching up with Misuzu and Carol (who aren’t happy with her ditching them over break), Tomo vents all of her pent-up frustrations to the two. And while she claims she’s fine with waiting for Jun to be ready, it’s clear she’s lying to herself. She wants Jun to date her now, and I don’t blame her. She’s waited for years for Jun to return her feelings, and now she’s getting blocked by her Dad. It’s every teen’s worst nightmare.

While I don’t approve of his methods, I do understand why Tomo’s dad is doing this. He knows how strong and strong-willed her daughter is, so any guy who would want to date her should be able to keep up with her in both aspects. Otherwise, they’re not worthy of her time. Plus, it’s always been Jun’s goal to surpass him, so this kills two birds with one stone.

The fight (or at least the parts we see) isn’t wild like one you’d expect from a Shonen manga, but it’s still entertaining to watch. And with Tomo there to motivate her in her own, Tomo way, Jun actually manages to win!

Congratulations! Jun and Tomo are now boyfriend and girlfriend, and seal the deal with a kiss that makes the wait worth it. THE END.

No, really, that’s the end. The manga it’s based on was only four panels per chapter, and they managed to cover all of that in the span of twelve episodes.

Tomo-Chan: a short, sweet, and funny romcom anime.

So, in retrospect, how would I rate Tomo-Chan is Girl! as a series? Let’s see.

Firstly, we have the premise. I have seen plenty of romcom and harem anime that include a tomboy as one of the potential love interests. However, I think this might be the first romcom anime I’ve seen where the tomboy is the lead heroine. As a fan of tomboys in fiction, this felt like a breath of fresh air.

Next, we have the voice acting. I primarily watched this in dub form, and while I know some people prefer subbed, I think the English VA’s did a great job. Heck, Carol was voiced by the same person subbed and dubbed.

Lastly, there’s the show’s ace in the hole: the length. All too often, I’ve seen romcom anime that drag this “will they, won’t they” thing for as long as possible. Not Tomo-Chan, though. It sticks to its goal of getting from point A to point B and gets it done as efficiently as possible. I might be a little sad it’s over already, but it’s better than dragging its heels to the end like so many other romcom anime do across multiple seasons. That’s a win, in my book.

So, on that note, we say goodbye to one of the best romcom anime I’ve seen in years. It’s a shame we have to say goodbye already, but it was fun while it lasted.

I Give “To Stay by Your Side…” 4/5

THANKS FOR READING MY REVIEWS, EVERYONE! I HAD A LOT OF FUN!

He Shoots, He Scores! Jun Finally Confesses to Tomo

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Tomo-Chan is a Girl! Ep 12 Review

It finally happened; it took almost the entire series, but we finally got it. Jun finally confessed to Tomo! Granted, I was completely wrong about my whole “play” theory, but that doesn’t really matter. Tomo and Jun are out of the friendzone…sort of. They’re in that sweet spot of being best friends and lovers, which is perfect.

Jun Finally Gets His Act Together

We’ve known for a while now that Jun’s fallen for Tomo as much as she’s fallen for him. However, since they’re both awkward teens and best friends, they have no clue how to take that next step. Tomo even questions if she wants to take that next step, since she fears it would mean the end of their friendship. Jun, meanwhile, finally realizes what Tomo meant when they first started high school together about she loved him; like I said, he was in denial about it. 

Before he can do anything, though, he feels the need to clear the air with Misuzu. So, she pulls her aside and apologizes for how things ended between them. He partially admits that he never tried going after Tomo at first out of respect for Misuzu…though she doesn’t see it the same way. As a side note, Misuzu wasn’t even Jun’s first love.

After that, comes the moment on the rooftop where Jun makes his big romantic confession. And Tomo…calls him a dumbass and runs away. She still doesn’t want to lose him as her best friend.

Misuzu Owns Up to Her Mistakes

Misuzu has had enough of what’s happening and steps in to be the voice of reason. First and foremost, though, she apologizes for trying to make Tomo change to get Jun. She was already perfect for him the way she was. So, after actually crying, Misuzu urges Tomo to do what she should’ve done from the start: be herself and stop overthinking things.

One contest of strength later, Tomo and Jun have an honest heart-to-heart where they both admit what they want: they want to be best friends and a couple. It sounds selfish, but it’s also perfect for them. And just like that, the two best friends take the next step.

So, What Now?

Full disclosure: I got so impatient waiting for the next episode that I went and read the remainder of the comic. At first, I thought that we might get a second season of Tomo-Chan. Given how short each chapter is, though, I’m willing to bet the final episode will cover all of that in the needed timeframe. 

I’m going to miss watching Tomo-Chan after next week comes around. This was one of the best slice-of-life anime I’ve seen in a good while, and it will be sad to see it go. But, it was a pretty sweet ride up until this point in time. That, and it was great to see a tomboy become the main waifu for an anime.

 I Give “Goodbye, Best Friend” a 4/5

I Think Misuzu’s Finally Lost it!

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Tomo-Chan is a Girl! Ep 11 Review

It’s taken most of the season, but at last, we’re seeing some real progress with Tomo and Jun’s relationship. Now both are aware they have a crush on the other; it might not be long before they’re a full-fledged couple. So…why isn’t Misuzu happy about this? This is what she’s been working towards throughout the whole show. Maybe she’s jealous because she doesn’t want to share Tomo with anyone else?

Things could get interesting fast.

Tomo, Carol, and Misuzu Get Jobs

Most people will never forget their first job, although some keep trying to do so. In this case, Tomo starts hunting for a part-time job to pay for a birthday present for Jun. That’s when Misuzu’s number-one fan, Tanabe, says his Dad needs help at the family ramen shop while his Mom’s away. Tomo, Misuzu, and Carol all join in, and soon, all three girls are working at the shop.

Since this is an anime, and Tomo, Carol, and Misuzu are all cute girls, business starts booming at the ramen shop. Say what you want, but getting pretty people to work at a business is effective. In addition, seeing Tomo and Carol in maid outfits is worth buying a few bowls of ramen (Misuzu refused to wear that outfit, though!) Jun seems to think so.

It turns out that Jun’s a regular at that ramen shop, and when he sees Tomo in a maid uniform…he starts going there every day so he can see her. While this does fluster Tomo immensely, the two are happy, and they’re even happier when Tomo buys Jun a matching smartwatch for his birthday.

I Think We Broke Misuzu

It’s the second segment of the episode that’s the most interesting one, though, and it all has to do with Misuzu. When she tries to push Jun and Tomo further along by pushing Jun down some stairs into Tomo’s arms, it backfires. He lands on Carol instead, which feels like something that would happen to Yuuki Rito from To-Love-Ru.

After that mishap, Misuzu ends up falling into a depression. As in, when she falls down the stairs into Tanabe’s arms, she thanks him. It’s that bad, and it gets worse when she stays home pretending to be sick for several days. The reason is two-fold this time: firstly, she realizes that her telling Tomo that she should act more like a “normal” girl in middle school affected her more than she realized. It made her feel unworthy of Jun when the reality is anything but. Secondly…she realized that part of her doesn’t want Tomo to be with Jun. She’s jealous.

The series’ TV Tropes page suggests that this might be because Misuzu sees Tomo as more than just a friend, but there’s nothing concrete. Regardless, Misuzu’s guilt is very much real, even after Tomo convinces her to come back to school, only to find she’s been drafted to play the starring role in the class play of Cinderella. And the Prince is played by…Tomo.

That TV Tropes page also says that Tomo makes girls question their own orientation, and I’m starting to see why. Still, this could be a good opportunity.

Hurry Up and Make a Move, You Two!

There’s only two episodes left in the season of this show, and I don’t know if there’s going to be a second one. Given how the manga its adapting is about 950 chapters (all of them one page) and we’re in the 800s from what I’ve seen, the chance of them ending the series in that time is…nill. I’m hoping, though, that we get to the point where the two finally fess up and get together, and this play could be the perfect way to do so.

Think about it: if Tomo were to suddenly end up playing Cinderella because Misuzu bailed, then Jun could be the Prince. That’s perfect for romance! Then again, much of Tomo and Jun’s relationship seems unorthodox, so that might not work. Either way, I’m looking forward to seeing how the next episode turns out. And I’m also hoping that Misuzu stops beating herself up like this. Another fun episode from my favorite anime from this season.

Oh, and don’t read the TV Tropes page if you want to avoid spoilers. Otherwise, go nuts. 

I Give “My First Part-Time Job” and “The Abandoned Cinderella” a 4/5 Each.

Never, Ever Make Carol Sad Again. EVER!

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Tomo-Chan is a Girl! Ep 9 Review

Okay, I knew that there was something about Carol that made me feel uneasy. On the one hand, she’s like this living cinnamon bun that makes people smile. On the other hand, it’s implied she’s way smarter than she lets on. She managed to troll Misuzu, after all! However, this week’s Carol-centric offers a greater look behind her smiling face than we’ve gotten thus far. And I have to say, it’s a pleasant change of pace. 

B-Couple Drama Ensues

Carol Olston and Kousouke Misaki are what shippers refer to as the b-couple of the anime. They’re the pair that also garner attention, but not as much as the main couple. In this case, Tomo and Jun. They also make for an odd pairing due to Carol’s seemingly ditzy nature and Kousuke always fretting over her, but to each their own. 

The plot of the episode kicks off when Kousuke enrolls in Mr. Aizawa’s dojo to get stronger for Carol’s sake. Given how he has to compete with Jun and Tomo, though, that’s a tall order. However, when he mentions this to Carol and explains how he wants to catch up to Tomo, she misunderstands this as thinking he likes her. Uh-oh.

Not only does this lead Carol to act colder towards Tomo, but she tries to make Kousuke jealous by flirting with Jun. He wasn’t the only one who felt uncomfortable, though. I know enough about relationships to know that this tactic can blow up in people’s faces.

Then, Misuzu…she messes up.

Maybe Misuzu Shouldn’t Play Matchmaker Anymore

Carol goes to Misuzu to ask if she knows what Kousuke thinks of her. Rather than tell her the truth, Misuzu does something that potentially crosses the line. To encourage both of them to open up more, Misuzu lies to Carol, making it seem like Kousuke doesn’t romantically like her. Her goal’s to get her to cry so Kousuke can stop putting her on this pedestal, which is fine. However, this plan backfires when Carol takes it even worse than expected. She stops smiling! CAROL NEVER STOPS SMILING! THAT’S A RED FLAG.

Ultimately, Misuzu’s plan does end up working: Kousuke chases after Carol, sees her in tears, and finally works up the nerve to tell her how he feels. It’s a happy ending for everyone, with Carol pranking Misuzu as payback. However, things came very close to ending off far worse.

Misuzu came dangerously close to emotionally scarring Carol. Had that happened, and if Kousuke hadn’t learned about it soon enough, Carol’s mindset could’ve changed for the worse. Thus, Misuzu dodged a big bullet.

The question is, though, should Misuzu keep trying to make Jun and Tomo get together? Her meddling could make things worse and ruin everything for everyone.

Questionable decision aside, I liked this episode for adding more depth to Carol. She’s not as one-note as some fans might think. However, I want the show to get back to Tomo and Jun, because it’s starting to get good with them.

I Give “The Angel’s True Face” a 3/5

Jun, Stop Treating Tomo So Delicately!

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Tomo-Chan is a Girl! Ep 8 Review

Whether Jun likes it or not, he can no longer deny the facts: Tomo is a girl. She’s a badass girl who’s also super cute when she tries to be, and one he very much finds attractive. Many people do; why else would Gigguk include a call to join the Church of Tomboys in his review for the Winter 2023 anime season? So why isn’t he doing anything about it? 

We still have until April for the season to end, so there’s more time to see these two lovebirds try and figure out their relationship. More fun for the rest of us, though!

The Summer Festival, another classic trope of Slice-of-Life anime

It’s summertime, and in slice-of-life anime, that almost always means two things happen. Firstly, we get a beach episode. Secondly, we get the festival episode, where the cast dresses up in kimonos, visits stalls, and watches fireworks. And, thanks to Misuzu, Tomo will spend the local festival alone with Jun. Let the romance begin!

There’s just one problem…ever since the beach trip, Jun’s been way too flustered to act like his normal self around Tomo. It gets worse in this episode when Tomo goes to the festival in an amazing kimono, and almost every guy’s floored by how beautiful she looks. The stall attendants are so blown away when they start sharing a photo of her, and the reactions are priceless. Everyone looks at Tomo like she’s this beautiful goddess walking amongst mere mortals. 

As funny and heartwarming as everyone’s reactions are, though, they highlight Jun’s biggest issue. He knows Tomo’s a girl and finds her attractive. Yet whenever he acknowledges this, he starts treating it way more delicately. Tomo likes that to an extent. However, she still wants him to be her best friend and her boyfriend. 

Girl or not, though, Tomo can still kick most people’s butts. And it takes a certain incident to get Jun to snap out of his funk.

Don’t Mess with Jun, Tomo, or Misuzu. 

Once the new term starts, Tomo’s bummed out by how more cautious Jun’s treating her and complains about it to Carol and Misuzu. And as the season’s progressed, it’s clear that Misuzu’s secretly jealous of them and doesn’t want to lose her best friend. However, that gets sidelined due to a certain incident.

If you’ll recall, this pack of bullies made the mistake of going after Tomo earlier in the season, and she cleaned their leader’s clock. Then Jun did the same to all of them at once. When they spot Misuzu and Carol, though, they see this as the perfect chance for revenge, leaving the two girls to run and hide…and call Jun for help. Tomo soon learns, and before long, the cavalry arrives to save Carol and Misuzu. Oh, and Kousuke, the captain of the karate club, comes because Carol’s his friend/and or fiance.

The following curb stomp serves as a reminder to Jun that he sorely needed. Tomo might be a girl, and while it’s fine for him to protect her when she needs it, she can still kick most people’s asses. Given everything we’ve seen of the two, neither can reconcile these aspects.

Okay, Real talk, Tomo and Jun

I normally don’t do this in a review, but I feel like it’s necessary. Jun doesn’t realize how lucky he is to have Tomo.

Tomo is one of the best waifu’s I’ve seen in an anime in a long, long time. Not only is she cute, but she’s also a badass. That is seriously awesome to have someone like that as your best friend. And despite the fact that both are attracted to and perfect for each other, Jun’s as scared as Tomo is about taking that next step. They don’t want to give up their status as best friends, even if it means they become lovers. But is that what will happen?

Real talk: there’s no rule against your best friend being your lover as well. If anything, that’s the best of both worlds. The fact that they’re best friends means they don’t have to put on an act in front of each other and be themselves. That’s the best thing that could happen in a romantic relationship! So for both of their sakes, they better figure that out soon.

Alright, rants over. Once again, Tomo-Chan knocked it out of the park. I love this anime, and it’s one of the best of 2023. 

Also, never anger Misuzu. She will destroy your social life.

I Give “The Night of the Summer Festival” and “The Distance Between Them,” a 4.5/5 each. Best Episodes yet

I Think I Figured Out Jun-Chan’s Deal About Tomo-Chan!

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It might be premature, but I’m now putting Tomo-Chan on my list for best anime of 2023. This week’s episode has to be my favorite one yet. Besides Tomo going from total badass to awkward teenager, it also gives us some sweet moments between her and Jun.

Tomo-Chan’s Birthday Makeover

In our first segment, it’s Tomo’s birthday, and she starts acting smug to the others since she has her birthday before them. Besides getting sunglasses from Jun that give her the power of the drip and an actual gold bar from Carol, Tomo receives a special birthday present. Carol and Misuzu give her a mega-makeover. One that’s way more extensive than the one she got for her date with Jun. then Carol and Misuzu send her out into the world to give her confidence.

Then, as if by fate, she runs into Jun at a convenience store. And Jun does recognize her in her makeover, and he’s super confused about it! So confused that the day afterwards, he goes out of his way to get punched by her to make sure she hasn’t gone soft on him! 

As funny as this whole thing was, it does give us some insight into what Jun sees in Tomo. He’s suffering from the classic “putting someone on a pedestal” syndrome. 

Dodgeball is Serious Business

In the second segment, a dodgeball tournament’s coming up. And since Tomo’s too strong for the girls, she has to play on the boy’s team with Jun. Since the two are unstoppable together, they slaughter the enemy. Dodgeball is serious business to high schoolers, after all!

Come the final round, the two face off against the strongest person in school, and Jun gets knocked out protecting Tomo. So Tomo tries to turn the thing around by getting Jun back in the game, but Jun zones out and…they still win, but it’s anticlimactic. 

There is a reason why Jun messed up, though: he was expecting Tomo to win without him. This whole episode reveals that Jun has Tomo on this pedestal in his head. To him, she’s the strongest person he knows, and he’s always been trying to catch up to her, even though she doesn’t see it that way. As a result, he’s got this inferiority complex with Tomo. He knows things are different between them now, but he doesn’t want to move forward until he thinks he’s strong enough to rival her.

In other words, normal teen love drama. 

Best Episode Yet

In a show that’s already given us plenty of laughs, this episode of Tomo-Chan is probably the best. It’s got the right balance of hilarious and heartwarming. Say what you want, but I think it’s a great anime.

That, and I want to meme the heck out of Tomo with her sunglasses.

I Give “Birthday Present” and “Burn Up! The Ball Sports Tournament” a 4.5/5 Each

Misuzu Scares Us When She Smiles

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Tomo-Chan is a Girl Ep. 4 Review

In my teen years, one of my go-to romcom anime was To-Love-Ru from the halls of Shonen Jump. Say what you want about harem anime and the fanservice, but it’s a lot of fun when it does stuff right. And one of the best things To-Love-Ru did at one point was splitting the episodes up into segments, letting them tell more stories in a single episode. Some of them didn’t even revolve around the main character; they could be about the supporting cast. Why am I talking about all of this, though? Because Tomo-Chan has reached the pointed where it can start to break each episode up into more segments and focus on the side characters. And the side characters are still pretty funny. 

Misuzu Gives Me all Kinds of Red Flags

An interesting thing about Misuzu: in the dub, she’s voiced by the talented Jad Saxton. A lot of her roles over the years have a recurring theme of being characters who are

  1. Associated with cats.
  2. Actual cat-girls.
  3. Cold & sassy tsundere’s
  4. All of the above

Going by this criteria, I’d say Misuzu was meant for someone like Jad. She acts prickly to almost everyone, and…she’s one of the best characters on the show.

The thing about Misuzu that the first short drives home is that she’s scary. Jun says that when she smiles, it’s like the Devil’s smiling at him. Even Tomo’s a little scared of her smile. However, Misuzu’s scary in a good way because you know she’s going to do something fun. 

Plus, she does care about her friends.

Misuzu Craves Tomo’s Affection

Misuzu may not say it outright, but as the next short makes clear, she deeply craves Tomo’s affection. They’ve been best friends since they were babies, and they balance each other quite well. Tomo brings out the best in Misuzu, and Misuzu keeps Tomo grounded when she lets her emotions run wild. So, when Tomo decides to become more physically affectionate with her girlfriends and winds up getting glomped by Carol all day, she gets jealous. 

Misuzu’s what we call a tsundere. Someone whose harsh to people at first but warm and affectionate to people once she’s warmed up to them. However, Misuzu’s pride also keeps her from expressing her emotions properly. Thankfully, Tomo and Misuzu’s bond is too strong to be broken by things like that.

As a side note: Jun’s a total hypocrite. When he surprises Tomo with a hug out of nowhere, it’s fine, but when she does it, it’s not cool? Either it’s cool for both of them, or it isn’t, man!

Tomo’s Parents are Just Like Her

The final short, while a bit all over the place, is also my favorite because we get to meet Tomo’s parents for the first time. After seeing them, her personality starts to make a lot more sense.

First, there’s her mom, whose just as fiery and passionate as her daughter is, to the point where she threatens Jun when he doesn’t call her by her first name. Then, we finally meet her dad, the head of the Aizawa Dojo. Despite being as much of a meathead as Tomo and Jun can be, he’s powerless before his wife. It’s clear that she wears the pants in the relationship. 

Despite what Tomo thinks of her Dad, Jun understands Mr. Aizawa a little better. He may not look cool in front of his wife and daughter, but Jun understands that he doesn’t need to put on airs in front of his family. He can be himself with them, and that’s the best thing anyone can ask for. The rest of the segment revolves around Tomo standing up to a group of bullies for her girlfriends. And when they seek revenge, Jun whups them offscreen. 

They may not have been as organized as some of the other episodes so far, but I’m still having fun watching them. Better wait for long-term for Jun to wise up to his best friend’s crush on him, though. 

I Give “The Reason for Her Smile” a 3.5/5, a “I Want to Be Playful Like a Girl” a 3.5/5, & “Heroes Fall a Lot” a 4/5

So That’s Why Misuzu Hates Jun-Kun!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime , , , , , ,

Tomo-Chan is a Girl! Ep 3 Review

Another week goes by, another instance of you guys enjoying my reviews of Tomo-Chan is a Girl! I’m not sure if it’s because I’m writing it for D&A Anime Blog or watching the anime, but thank you, regardless. I’m personally still enjoying this light-hearted rom-com. Speaking of romance, the second segment for last week’s episode ended with the reveal that Jun and Misuzu used to date. Tomo wasn’t aware of this, and the three had been friends since they were kids.

Time for some good old-fashioned drama!

Why Misuzu Hates Jun So Much

After hearing about the apparent relationship between the two of them, Tomo immediately goes to Misuzu to learn more. The story went like this: one day in middle school, Jun asked Misuzu out on a date out of nowhere, and she said yes. However, his idea of a “date” was bike riding up a mountain road. Misuzu didn’t like it. At all. They did the same thing the day after that, so she couldn’t take it anymore. 

It gets funnier. Even though she wanted to break it off with him, Jun did it first. And that’s why she hates Jun so much: he hurt her pride as a woman.

Hilarity aside, it’s pretty obvious that Jun’s ideal date involves doing things that Tomo would like. Between that and how he becomes violently protective of her around other guys, it’s pretty safe to assume that he likes Tomo like that. He’s just Naruto Uzumaki levels of dense about it. Some might find it boring, but I find it funny to see how long these two will keep fumbling around like this.

Speaking of which…

An Actual Date Between Tomo and Jun!?!?

Tomo finally manages to work up the nerve to ask Jun out on a date! At least, that’s what she intends for it to be. Jun merely sees it as the two of them hanging out like they usually do. Still, Misuzu and Carol both agree that Tomo shouldn’t waste this chance, and advise her to dress slightly more feminine. The end results are pretty impressive to look at; when Tomo puts her mind to it, she looks really pretty.

Too bad Jun remains as dense as ever. As a result, the two continue to do things they normally do, like play baseball and go bowling. And sadly for Tomo, when she suggests they go do karaoke together, she’s left singing kiddie songs while Jun watches. It’s…a little sad to look at.

As seems to be the case, though, Jun slowly does start to see Tomo as more of a girl, as he privately admits that Tomo looked cute in her outfit on their not-date. 

I may not have much experience with dating (sadly), but I do know that a date doesn’t have to be exactly romantic. As long as both people are doing something they love together, then that’s also fine. 

Thus far, I’m loving this anime. I think it’s one of the funniest ones to come out of the Winter 2023 season, and I look forward to seeing how far it’s going to go. 

I Give “Best Buds” and “Let’s Go on a Date!” a 3.8/5 and 3.5/5