Review of Days with My Stepsister

This is a romance between step-siblings who do not fall in love immediately, but develop feelings for each other as the story progresses, as in a slow burn romance. This anime differs from the average romance or anime in general, as it's slow paced, with quiet characters who don't show exaggerated reactions or make stupid jokes all the time. So it's understandable why it might not be very popular with a large portion of the anime audience. Another point that adds to that is that the romance is developed gradually and there are clear reasons why the characters like each other, different from the commonplot in romance animes when the heroine has feelings for the protagonist from the onset, without any reason at all. In that sense, the story is far above average, with realistic characters and smart writing. It all makes for a beautiful and emotional story. The struggle of the characters in dealing with their evergrowing feelings for each other in opposition to the implications that such a relationship might entail yields a modern approach to the classic forbidden love concept. The true love that transgresses societal norms and family opinion is an old tale, but it's done masterfully here with new contextualization, producing a fresh version of an old story. The plot is strengthened by great monologs and insights into the characters' psyche, especially in the diary entries by Ayase, highlighting her hidden thoughts from previous episodes and displaying a look within a character who looks rather aloof most of the time. Those scenes are done brilliantly, playing repeated scenes with new insights added, creating a thought provoking sequence.

The artstyle is top tier and uses creative displays, such as in the flashbacks and in the monologue scenes. The visuals are beautiful, both the characters and scenarios, even though it has some faults at specific scenes. Those qualities are essential for this kind of show, since the pace is slow, and it feels like nothing is happening sometimes, so the stunning art combined with the music evoke feelings and keeps the anime an enjoyable experience. The soundtrack has good synergy with the pace of the anime, adding beautiful piano pieces for a mundane and touching narrative. It's also apropos to mention the opening and ending songs, especially the opening, which is among the best ever, displaying pleasing visuals and a striking song by fhána. One curious aspect of the seiyuus starring this show is that the side characters are voiced by famous seiyuus, rather than the protagonists. Aside from the famous Tanezaki Atsumi and Ueda Reina who do a great job, as usual, Suzuki Minori deserves praise for the great performance as Yomiuri Shiori, one of the main reasons why this character was so lovable. Being called kouhai-kun in such a endearing way will make anyone fall in love for sure.

One unfavorable point that can be mentioned is the weak cast of side characters, who are pretty flat and seem to not have been thought about by the author. But it doesn't hurt the plot since it's fully focused on the two main characters, while the others are mostly used as plot devices and exist only in relation to Ayase and Asamura.

Gimai Seikatsu is an underrated romance due to its slow, down to earth story and calm characters. Actually, this anime is a breath of fresh air from the fast paced romances, full of exaggerated reactions, fanservice and over the top comedy. It's a great show with real characters, without hyperbolic plot devices to catch the viewer's attention, but something truly remarkable and worthwhile.