Review of Days with My Stepsister
Gimai Seikatsu (Days with My Stepsister) may be what can be described as a misunderstood anime. The title itself and romance genre brings together questions on whether this may include psuedo incest content. And if so, that would bring nothing less than controversy. Luckily, you can ease your fear because Days with My Stepsister isn't a show about dating. At the heart of the show involves the step-brother and step-sister. Both attend high school students in their second year and it's here that the story evolves. Yuuta Asamura stars as the main protagonist as an ordinary guy with no distinctive traits. He tends to keep tohimself and remains distant with others. On the other hand, we meet Saki Ayase, a cold beauty who tends to avoid others and in some ways, similar to Yuuta. Watching the first few episodes gives the impression that the pair does not know each other very well. It's only as they spend more time together that they begin to open up because from the first few episodes, they look more like strangers than step siblings.
Told in a narrative format with heavy dialogues and inner thoughts, this show protrays a very melancholic mood. There's a mixture of emotional drama that often sees how characters think from their point of view. This is prominently displayed through the eyes of Saki as she wonders about her daily life and reflecting with others she thinks of. The most important person in her life is Yuuta although she does not recognize this herself at first. That's because Yuuta takes a practical approach at living life. He takes on life in a realistic way such as working at a local bookstore, going to school, and avoiding trouble whenever possible. Realistically, it's the most fundamental way of how a person can live. Yuuta doesn't possess any extraordinary gifts so naturally, he doesn't go out his way to prove himself to anyone.
Similarly, Saki tends to hide her own emotions, and accomplishes this rather well. In public, it's almost if she's wearing a mask to cover her personality. However, she has nothing sinister to hide because deep down, she is a kind and gentle person. She just isn't the type that tries to be the girl next door. Saki's character slowly progresses and she shows more emotions, particuarly towards Yuuta. However, I will say to keep expectations in check. Through her diary entries, body language, and character expressions, Saki really isn't someone who befriend others easy. The anime contains a mellow mood that explores the depths of human feelings. Yuuta and Saki displays similar emotions that sometimes, you have to wonder if they're the same person.
The show contains a small character cast which effectively works although Saki and Yuuta overshadows the majority of them. Saki's classmate Maaya adds some energy to the otherwise melacholic show while university student Shiori shows maturity and being the responsiblity of young adult. Reflecting on Saki and Yuuta's character stories, it really will take patience for viewers to warm up to them. The main point of this show is giving us viewers the chance to see what their lives is like while developing an important relationship.
Told through heavy narratives, key moments are highlighted through the usage of letterbox format. It's a clever usage of chereography as it makes the scenes feel important and memorable. Throughout this show, there will be many flashbacks that takes control of the story narrative. Studio Deen effectively delivered those chereography with its clean animation. Furthermore, character designs are decorated with a soft, delicate feature, especially for Saki Ayase. The show omits any type of cartoony reactions and instead uses more realistic human expressions. If you ask me, this show set out to do what it wanted on day one.
Even if it's misunderstood at first glance, there's plenty of time to grow and accept the anime for what it tries to tell us. Main protagonists Yuuta and Saki tells their story and molds it together as their relationship develops. Rom-coms like this can also be despairing to watch with the oversatured amount of melacholic moments. But for Days with My Stepsister, it's a journey that is worth following.