Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie is a charming new rom-com anime that's part of the Spring 2022 season, a wholesome comedy starring the seemingly perfect girlfriend Shikimori and her clumsy but good-natured boyfriend, Izumi Yuu. Now is as good of a time as ever to get started with Shikimori and see what this story has to offer.
This season has seen Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie get a lot of competition from popular series such as Komi Can't Communicate and fellow newcomers like Aharen-San Is Indecipherable and A Couple of Cuckoos. Still, Shikimori should appeal to any romance or comedy manga/anime fan who enjoys stories featuring strong female characters who can get the job done. Here's what it's all about, and where to check out the anime and manga.
The Plot of Shikimori's Not Just A Cutie
Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie is more of a premise than it is a gripping plotline, which is fairly typical for slice-of-life manga/anime titles like this one. The story stars the titular Shikimori, the ideal girlfriend who serves as her boyfriend's #1 fan and guardian -- all while juggling a few more friendships with the rest of the supporting cast. In the first few episodes alone, Shikimori is seen protecting the hopelessly clumsy Izumi from everything, from his own pratfalls to falling debris and even forgetting things at home. Izumi is deeply grateful and still a little amazed that he got a great girlfriend like Shikimori.
This story also emphasizes the spirit of competition, with the main characters competing to see who can win a game of basketball, scoop up the most goldfish in a summer festival sequence or win big in their school festival's matchmaking game. Izumi and Shikimori have practically no drama between them, so the plot throws external conflict at them instead so they can overcome it as a team. This means Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie follows in the footsteps of wholesome romances such as TONIKAWA: Over the Moon For You, a recent rom-com featuring anime's fastest marriage of all time.
Where To Read The Shikimori's Not Just A Cutie Manga
The Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie manga remains ongoing in both Japan and the West, and interested fans can dive right into the English translation anytime they like. The original Shikimori manga is published by Kodansha, with the English edition featuring nine volumes as of this writing, with the upcoming Volume 10 due to release on August 2nd, 2022. This ongoing manga does not yet feature any omnibus editions or deluxe hardback editions.
Rom-com fans can find the Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie manga from a variety of online retailers, with the Barnes & Noble online catalog being a fine start. B&N stocks all nine print volumes of Shikimori, and the same is true for similar retailers such as Right Stuf Anime and Amazon's book department.
The available volumes of Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie can also be bought and read digitally if preferred, and Barnes & Noble and Amazon both deliver. Barnes & Noble stocks digital volumes with its Nook Book option, and Amazon offers Shikimori with Kindle and comiXology. Notably, Right Stuf Anime only sells paperback editions of the manga.
Where To Watch The Shikimori's Not Just A Cutie Anime
As of this writing, the Shikimori's Not Just a Cutie anime is seven episodes in, not counting a bonus filler episode with commentary, meaning it has fallen slightly behind the other Spring 2022 titles. The Shikimori anime does not yet have a Blu-ray/DVD release in the West, either.
For streaming options, interested anime fans can visit Crunchyroll's website or use the mobile app to stream all available episodes of the series. The anime's original Japanese dub is subtitled in a variety of languages, including English, German, Arabic, Italian, European/Latin American Spanish, and more.
As for foreign dubs, the Shikimori anime is dubbed in five languages, including English, German, Portuguese, Spanish, and Russian.