Review of Sing "Yesterday" for Me

Yesterday wo Utatte is delightfully deceptive, an anomaly that seems to break every preconception thrown at it. It doesn’t fit in with most of Doga Kobo’s catalogue (Himouto! Umaru-chan, Gabriel DropOut, New Game!), bearing little resemblance to the studio’s penchant for showing cute girls doing cute things. It has baffled countless viewers who are confused at the lack of romantic progression in its love rectangle, even though a closer look reveals that it never intended to play out like a bog-standard harem. It’s not a show where I could turn my brain off and let it run in the background, instead being a subject forserious thought that had me pacing around my room as I tried to untangle its complex threads. So, just what is Yesterday and why do I believe it’s the most thoughtful show of the season? I hope you’ll indulge me as I try to unpack all this here. I tried to keep this piece as spoiler-free as possible, but feel free to skip ahead to my Tl;Dr below if you wish to go in completely blind.

The first thing you would notice about Yesterday is that it’s simple on purpose. In appearance and presentation, the show never attempts to bombard your senses. Any modicum of fictitious “magic” begins and ends with the pet crow you see on the shoulder of our poster girl, Haru. From there the show commits fully to the ordinary. There is no escapism or distractions. With this deliberate approach Yesterday tells you to take in the world and its characters, who themselves are forced to reflect on their respective paths in life.

Rikuo Uozumi is a college graduate who, unlike his peers, has no discernible career plans for himself and works a part-time job at a convenience store. Haru Nonaka is an elusive high school dropout who uses her charisma as a means of keeping herself from getting hurt in relationships; she is self-sufficient and lives away from her parents. Shinako Morinome is a teacher who just moved into the city in an attempt to start her life afresh. Rou Hayakawa is an aspiring artist who’s afraid that he’ll never live up to the expectations of his loved ones. Each of these four characters feel caged in the present, constantly held back by their past and uncertain of how to get on with their lives. Yesterday’s sole focus is that of exploring how these individuals grow over time as their paths intertwine. Their experiences and conflict feel human and make for an enriching watch.

This character study is well-crafted, despite its simple appearance. Careful thought and passion throughout this project turn the seemingly mundane into something truly special. Director Yoshiyuki Fujiwara’s work here is subtle and purposeful. His use of focus and POV shots stand out and elevates climaxes, and the intimacy he captures is impressive. The background art is beautiful, accentuating the grounded nature of its story. Use of sound is restrained and complements the show. I’m really happy that the show seemingly never compromised on its production, even amidst the Covid outbreak. These supporting elements do contribute a lot to the experience, but personally they mean a lot less if the writing fails to deliver. Rest assured, Yesterday passes on that front with flying colors! A strong first half gets you thinking early on and introduces the roadmap for our cast – their situations, conflict and goals. Day-to-day interactions between our cast feel equally natural and charming, with golden lines of cutting dialogue about the human condition popping up and surprising me. I love how the show doesn’t shy from its depiction of adults and adolescents; the two main adults, Rikuo and Shinako, are framed as unsure of themselves as the youths, Haru and Rou. The adults’ decision-making is flawed just like the teens’, exemplifying how life is complicated no matter what age you’re at. Adding to this fascinating aspect is how much these characters are alike while being distinct individuals. I could spend ages drawing similarities between these four, yet I can’t say that any of them is a clone or lesser image of another. Those parallels allow me to ponder and view each character’s perspective more clearly. And boy, are these characters fun to crack open! (that came out wrong, I didn’t mean it in a gruesome way) The most interesting quality of it all is how much freedom the audience gets in arriving at their own conclusions about its cast. Yesterday is a Rorschach test of sorts, leaving it up to us to decide for ourselves which of our characters are headed on the right track in their journeys. To me this is essential to the success of the show and why it speaks to me so much. These complex individuals are brought to life in a genuine way that allows me to hold them up against my own worldview and ponder on the ideas they represent. I found it all to easy to fall into a rabbit hole every so often with Yesterday, lost in my thoughts as I examine what it is to live my life and accept change as a growing adult. And I doubt that I’m alone in my fascination for this world (or at least, that’s what I tell myself :s) I haven’t seen many shows with such engaging discussions on its characters, with the community presenting valid perspectives on their feelings for Rikuo, Haru, Shinako, and Rou. And with that, I think it’s time to finally address the elephant in the room…

Look, if you believe that Yesterday is nowhere near as deep as my pretentious self has made it out to be, that’s totally fine. Time and time again I’ve seen people share some big grievances with this show, mainly around the fact that it’s just a boring soap opera with your typical tropes thrown out. The characters are tiresome, the romance never progresses, the plot is non-existent and god-awfully boooring! I’m not here to mock you or disprove these opinions, if anything I found myself agreeing with you at times! That being said, allow me to tackle why I feel that these perceived faults in Yesterday are not only intended, but also instrumental to its success. We’ll start things off with the most infuriating aspect: the romance. Typically with most stories of that genre, we as audience members have been conformed to shipping love interests based on their admirable qualities and waiting with bated breath to see who gets the girl/boy/non-binary/etc. Yesterday, on the other hand, chooses to portray a series of character studies whilst incorporating a love rectangle. Yesterday is a piece capturing the internal and interpersonal struggles one experiences on a daily basis, choosing to forgo stylized genre trappings of a more idyllic romance story. I view the characters’ respective romantic entanglements as representations of the journeys that they take (here’s my in-depth take in the spoiler-filled “Stray Ramblings”*.) Each individual is motivated by his/her peers to do better for themselves. The decisions they make in their relationships are directly in-line with how they choose to live out their lives. The love rectangle itself, while prominent throughout the show, isn’t the focus of the story; but rather a neutral ground for these friends to put into action what they’ve learnt. Viewing this show from this perspective does make me appreciate it a ton for what it does, although I can see how the lack of progression in the story bogs down the experience in places. Which brings me to the next topic I wanna touch on – the plot, or rather the lack thereof. At first glance, nothing of importance happens in this narrative. One may assume that Yesterday is underwritten, but a closer look does reveal that a lot of thought went into the makeup of the characters. The conflict in the show is internal and brings up familiar existential questions I have yet to really come to grasp IRL. Cathartic moments and understanding comes from watching these down-in-the-dumps, down-to earth individuals slowly work these ideas out for themselves. And sure, these characters might be kinda boring to watch at times, and even frustrating as all hell. But again, that’s the beauty of it! Me overanalyzing and mulling over how flawed these guys are has occasionally made my blood boil, but this short cour invoking such a reaction from me speaks to just how effective and intimate the whole experience is. Of course, I’ve also enjoyed cheering for these awkward idiots fumble and grow; there’s a strange comfort in knowing that these realistic individuals can move on from their pasts, and it instills me with a faint hope that I’ll experience this for myself soon down the line. In summary, disinterest in the story’s intent can be unavoidable for some, but I believe that the trade-off with more traditional story beats for character introspection is justified in its comprehensive writing and purposeful execution. To those who have dropped the show or came out of it dissatisfied, I hope that my input at least allows you to see Yesterday in a different light.

I do have a couple of slight criticisms about the show, so let’s cover them real quick. Episodes can kind of blend together (ala-Endless Eight), with many scenes and setups that are virtually identical. For an animated show you’re kinda hoping that there would be greater variety in terms of how scenes are structured, but Yesterday episodes play out in a predictable fashion. (Random encounters on the street, Rikuo walking someone home, characters constantly backing away from certain decisions, etc.) Personally I don’t think it’s a mistake, but this repetitive nature of the show may play into your overall enjoyment of the show. Next, I feel the second half of Yesterday is more drawn-out than the first. Payoff is stretched pretty thin and minimal changes are made to the status quo. As such, the moments of introspection that I praised so highly for the first half might come a tad less frequently for you. One more thing, we have to talk about the weakest link in our main four, but it’s just a tiny nitpick really. Rou is mostly sidelined for a lot of Yesterday, and the screentime he does get seems less in service of his own development and more for that of Shinako. For me he’s the hardest to root for**, but here’s hoping he gets more of the spotlight further down in the narrative.

Tl;Dr: Yesterday wo Utatte is an innately personal experience. Thoughtful, subtle and well-crafted production elevates this oddity into something truly special. Its characters and slow-burning narrative is all-too-good at making me feel a medley of emotions and thoughts. The depictions of Rikuo, Shinako, Haru and Rou may not be 100% true to life, but the beliefs and ideas they represent certainly are. Yesterday isn’t afraid to give up entertaining and familiar tropes in favor of showcasing what it’s like to grow and change as an individual.
With something as intimate and atypical as Yesterday, I feel that it’s necessary to take emotional impact and personal subjective experience into account. And coming from a mildly-jaded adolescent who himself is going through big transitions in life, Yesterday and its cast spoke to me in a profound way. Sure, you might just call me out for being an impressionable child and suggest that I watch “Welcome to the NHK” – both points I fully agree with, BTW. But I have a great respect for this frustrating, heart-warming, cringy, thoughtful and beautiful mess of a show. And I’d be pretty sad for someone who hasn’t yet given Yesterday a chance to sing for you. 8/10~

STRAY RAMBLINGS (SPOILERS):
-*Way I see it, the characters’ respective romantic entanglements are representations of the journeys each character is taking. Rikuo asking Shinako out in the first episode is a sign of him jump-starting his life and having ambitions for himself. Shinako’s initial rejection and eventual acceptance of Rikuo in her life marks the change in how she chooses to move forward with her life; she first goes about cutting all ties to her past (and her hair), and then understands that not everything in her history is holding her back. Haru’s stubborn resolve with Rikuo is her way of deciding to open up to other people, even though she runs the risk of getting hurt. Rou’s desire to prove himself to Shinako is centered around the goal of breaking free from the comparisons between him and his brother, thereby becoming his own man.
-**Maybe Rou is my least favorite character because I project my self-hatred onto him. I would totally be the kind of head-strong idiot who sees too little of himself because of the expectations he perceives other people have for him. I respect and root for Haru because she knows she can and probably will live without Rikuo, only going the lengths that she does because she finds enjoyment in the act itself. Whereas Rou comes off as stupid for not seeing his self-worth and stubbornly forcing his improbable ideals for life in an unhealthy way while seeing problems that literally don’t exist and - OH MY GOD I’m falling down that rabbit hole again…
-I love Episode 3 to bits. Call me a sucker for a good ‘ol underdog story! Getting a look into Haru’s life was a fresh change of pace from the Rikuo/Shinako angst. Love the motifs and themes in this episode. In this episode you knew for certain that Haru was gonna lose her self-declared war, and yet the real victory was watching her say “F*ck it” and charge forward anyway. One of my Top 5 eps of the season [unless Great Pretender counts as a Spring show? Ah well, that’s a discussion for another time ;) ]
-Jeez, all this talk about the main characters, and I almost forgot to shout out these gems! The supporting cast are a real treat. Kinoshita and Fukuda are such bros. Morita-sensei was a real godsend for calling Shinako out on her BS in Episode 8; I laughed a bunch as she single-handedly yoinked Shinako out of running in the circles she’s been caught in since she moved to Tokyo. We deserve a lot more Chika Yuzuhara though, it’s a shame she left as quickly as she burst into the scene.
-I don’t think I ever got over how the VA for Legosi talks to a girl named Haru two seasons in a row. Good thing the similarities with Beastars end there; Yesterday would be a very different show if Miss Nonaka took her clothes off in front of Rikuo OwO
-Taking place before the age of smartphones and social media, the setting adds to that feeling of isolation some of us know all too well. Scenes with Shinako staring out of a window as she’s washing the dishes or Haru lying in bed at ungodly hours hit me in a different way then what I’ve gotten used to. Thank goodness for the Internet!
-Bit of a wholesome tale I dug up while prepping this review. Back in 2015 when the manga completed its final chapter, freelance artist Ilya Kuvshinov made a video tribute for Yesterday out of hand-drawn stills and uploaded it to YouTube. The vid garnered plenty of praise, most notably from the author himself, Kei Toume! Just under 5 years later, Ilya had his artwork featured in the ED for Episode 9 of the anime! Go check out his video and some of his other artwork for characters like Haru and the like. Fantastic stuff!
-BEST GIRL: We stan Haru. The bird has good taste.
-Whoo, this mess was tough to put together. We finally made it to the end, thanks so much for stickin’ around! If you somehow like my verbose overanalysis (or have masochistic tendencies), feel free to check out the other stuff I’ve covered this season. ‘Till then, stay safe, stay woke, peace!