Some genres end up being paired together so often that the resulting blend becomes a unique genre in its own right. For instance, everyone is familiar with action-adventure due to how common the combination is. Other genre combos, however, are so odd that their mere existence is notable. Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl is a fantastic example an unusual genre blend leading to a great anime.
Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl is based on the manga written by Satoru Akahori and illustrated by Yukimaru Katsura. The story began in the pages of Dengeki Daioh in 2004 and proved popular enough to get an anime adaptation, made by Studio Hibari and directed by Nobuaki Nakanishi (Lucifer and the Biscuit Hammer) in 2006.
The Plot of Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl
Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl follows a high school boy named Hazumu Osaragi, who is unlucky in love and not as smooth as he wishes. One day Hazumu declares his feelings to his crush, Yasuna Kamiizumi. She rejects him, however, and the upset young boy runs to the top of a mountain to cool off. At the peak, Hazumu wishes on a falling star, hoping this turns his luck around and helps him find love. A UFO crashes on top of him instead, killing him instantly.
Hitoshi Sora, the alien on the ship, is upset by this accident and brings Hazumu back to life. However, he accidentally alters Hazumu's DNA and turns him into a girl. Unsure what to do with this new body, Hazumu returns to school -- only to find that Yasuna now loves him. This is because, unbeknownst to Hazumu, she had a condition that changes her perception of males; she perceives them as an odd gray haze rather than as people. To make it more confusing, several of Hazumu's peers fall in love with the new female Hazumu, forcing him to navigate many new social dynamics.
Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl Flawlessly Blends Yuri & Sci-Fi
Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl is a yuri (girls' love) show at its core. The main focus of its over-arching plot is the love triangle between Hazumu, Yasuna and another member of their friend group. While this triangle does add a male down the line, this character is always presented as an outsider and isn't built up as one of the logical choices for Hazumu. A lot of the drama comes from the protagonist and his friends having to adapt to and handle their new feelings triggered by Hazumu's female form. Understanding new emotions is a common theme within yuri narratives, making this a slightly different take on the usual self-discovery storyline.
However, this is paired with a gripping sci-fi B-plot. The alien Hitoshi Sora doesn't vanish once they've brought Hazumu back from the dead; rather, they hang around and act as a core member of the cast until the very end. As the story progresses, it is revealed that Hitoshi is a cultural anthropologist who has come to Earth to study humans and learn about emotions; his people gave them up long ago, and this has caused problems for their society. This adds a fascinating twist to the story as it offers viewers a unique view of the chaos Hazumu's new form is causing. Hitoshi struggles to understand why things are playing out as they are due to his own emotional deficiencies and lack of experience with humans.
While yuri and sci-fi are quite different, Kashimashi links them via a common aspect that melds them together surprisingly well. Hitoshi, Hazumu and Yasuna's story arcs all revolve around understanding new emotions and learning about themselves and their place in the world. Each character is forced to navigate new feelings and how their self-image can alter their emotions -- even if their self-image has been changed, be it by their transformed body, a visual disability or (in Hitoshi's case) their ancestors' past decisions.
Importantly, Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl never gets lost in its gimmick or treats its emotional beats as an afterthought, making the story both heartfelt and genuine. Anyone who has ever struggled with their identity will likely find several touching and relatable moments in Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl. This means the story feels highly cohesive despite fusing two usually disparate genres.
It is rare to see an anime that blends yuri and sci-fi narratives together, but Kashimashi: Girl Meets Girl pulls it off flawlessly. While the two genres are vastly different, Kashimashi connects them with a relatable emotional core that, despite the weirdness, still makes it a lot of fun even today. It's a perfect series for anime fans who want some heartwarming romance that steps outside the usual format.