Review of My Clueless First Friend
My Clueless First Friend is the story of what would happen if a new student became super attached to the friendless kid in the class, and was completely oblivious towards the situation. Taiyou almost immediately imprints on Nishimura like a puppy due to his chuuni tendencies, and an unbreakable bond is formed. While a lot of this anime is variations of this scenario, as the series goes on we see Nishimura-san become more confident and win more people over. There's Also a form of the "will they won't they" dynamic between the two main characters that isn't really resolved here, but could be further exploredin a subsequent season.
The animation probably won't blow you away, but this is a very simple slice of life show where over the top animation isn't really needed. It feels like the team behind the show was aware of this, and opted instead to save the budget of animation for the opening and ending sequences. They feel very symbolic of Nishimura being lonely and "lost" before finding friendship with the ray of sunshine that is Taiyou, and thus they tend to deviate from the typical reality and logic of the show in a sense. The music feels kind of somber, with occasional pop of energy to it, which in itself is reminiscent of Nishimura and Taiyou's dynamic.
The side characters, aside from most of the bullies who stay relatively one note, were also interesting in their own right. Hino-Kun was hilarious, Adachi-San was super sweet, and it really tugged on my heartstrings when Nishimura's dad explained how much he cared for his daughter even if he could only help her "behind the scenes" and not follow her to school. But what really shines about this show is how hopeful it is. If you've ever been the "weird kid" or are even an outsider of sorts in your daily life, this anime will make you believe that the right people are out there, waiting to be found. Even if it's not completely realistic, it gives us something to strive for. If the Nishimuras of the world can find love and acceptance even after years of being misunderstood, then surely our world can be a better place.