南くんの恋人 ▫️2004 ▫️Episodes

I have always loved this story and stories about tiny people in general (The Borrowers, Arietty, Honey I Shrunk The Kids). I vaguely remember watching this show long ago, but I forgot all of the details beyond the basic plot. Initially, I felt the show might be a bit cheesy and was pleasantly surprised to find it has a pretty genuine vibe!

This show reminded me of Abunai Hokago, only because it’s all about the close ups on Nino’s expressive face. I’m not saying that’s the reason I enjoyed the show so much but it’s a bonus. This wasn’t a challenging role for Nino in terms of the character and seemed similar to some earlier high school student roles he has had. He’s clumsy, confused, a little rude and a bit clueless. But it was his most involved love story so far and I feel it really displayed a ~sweetness~ his other characters haven’t had. I don’t know how to explain it, because of course some of his other characters have been very charming and sweet, but there was so much tenderness in the way he engaged with Chiyomi. Even just the way he smiled and looked at her felt stronger than when he has used that same expression in the past. He is definitely such a strong facial actor.

I think Fukada Kyoko also did an amazing job. She balanced Nino’s role well and deepened that feeling of genuine love between them. It’s wild to think about them basically acting ALONE for most of the scenes, that part really impressed me. I think the special effects were solid, all things considered. They were very clever with the camera angles and props–tiny Chiyomi ended up feeling pretty believable. I kind of want a sequel where Nino’s character gets tiny too and walks around Tokyo.

There were parts of certain episodes where I lost a little bit of interest, but I kept coming back in the moments of sincerity that are spread through-out the show. This is a story about the power of love—doing everything we can for those that are most important to us. We can help the people we love be better people just by loving them! It’s also about accepting one another even if we are different and overcoming obstacles without giving in to despair. I think these themes really kept me engaged in the show, along with the loving energy between the two main characters.

Although the last episode had some ridiculous and cheesy scenes, I was moved by the ending overall. The show certainly has some tragic aspects, but it’s a story of hope and running (literally) toward the future with the best intentions. We all deserve to meet someone who makes us feel the way these two characters portrayed love.

It’s probably a 3 star show overall if I’m being honest and comparing it to other shows I’ve watched, but Nino’s amazing face and the sincerity of the themes pushed it to a 4 for me.