Say "I Love You."
Synopsis
Friends will only let you down—that is the sad truth Mei Tachibana lives with, ever since she was wrongfully blamed for the death of a class pet by her so-called friends in grade school. Since then, she has stayed away from people in order to avoid ever being hurt again. However, Mei's life begins to change drastically when a misunderstanding in high school causes her to encounter popular student Yamato Kurosawa. Yamato finds her intriguing and insists on being her friend, even though Mei wants nothing to do with him. But when a dangerous situation ends with Yamato kissing Mei to save her from the unwanted attention of a stalker, Mei begins to develop feelings for him. On the heels of her discovery that their feelings are mutual, they start dating and she gains not only a boyfriend, but friends as well. Mei, however, finds it very hard to adapt to this new lifestyle, especially in expressing her true feelings towards Yamato. Throughout misunderstandings of their new relationship, each other, and the attentions of other girls, Mei and Yamato slowly grow closer and learn the true meaning of those three little words: "I love you." [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Audience Consensus
Audience opinions are divided on 'Suki tte Ii na yo'. Some appreciate the relatable characters, touching romance, and good art, while others criticize the generic story, cliched tropes, and shallow conflicts. The anime's strengths and weaknesses evoke mixed reactions, resulting in a polarized audience sentiment.
Strengths
- Interesting characters with relatable pain and loneliness.
- Touching love story with heavy chemistry between the leads.
- Good art and animation with sharp lines and detailed backgrounds.
- Soundtrack matches the feel of the anime well.
Weaknesses
- Generic and monotonous story with a predictable plot.
- Simplistic and cliched tropes, including the loser heroine and popular boy dynamic.
- Shallow conflicts that are easily resolved.
- Lack of character development, particularly for the supporting cast.