Despite having a lot to live up for with the jampacked Winter 2022 season that just ended, Spring 2022 is holding its own quite well. One title that has caught the attention of anime fans is Shikimori Is Not Just A Cutie. After the final episode of My Dress-Up Darling a few weeks ago, people were wondering what new hit romantic comedy/slice of life anime would take its place. This title might just be the one to carry the torch.
Even though Shikimori does not have anything to do with the art of cosplay as My Dress-Up Darling did, it shares many similar traits. Within the first episode alone, the pink-haired Shikimori shares Marin's beauty and unapologetic lifestyle. Both anime showcase a wholesome romance with no signs of toxic opposing forces (so far), but there is one unique trait that they both share that isn't seen a lot in this genre of anime.
Although Shikimori and Izumi are a more established couple being shown in the middle of their public relationship, they share similar traits to the newly blossoming romance of Marin and Gojo in My Dress-Up Darling. Something that is highlighted quite well in the latter anime is the defying of gender roles and pursuing hobbies and passions despite what is considered socially acceptable. This is shown through Marin's love of anime and cosplay and Gojo's love of traditional Japanese dolls. Similarly enough, Shikimori struggles with being perceived as cute vs. being perceived as her true self, which is considered cooler in a quite masculine way, especially when it comes to competitive sports.
To highlight their gender-defying dynamics even further, both couples exhibit a woman-dominant relationship where the female counterpart is the more assertive and vocal of the couple. The men in the relationship are often the more meek or shy figures, despite the norm being the other way around, and are often protected by their female counterparts. The men in these dynamics are usually also more introspective and more in touch with their feelings.
Evidently, this dynamic is a breath of fresh air to the typical-yet-outdated macho-man and submissive woman stereotype that is ever-present in society today. Shikimori, despite her girly appearance, harbors a very powerful masculine energy, especially when she plays a competitive sport or when she has to protect her unlucky boyfriend, Izumi. In contrast, Izumi is constantly clumsy and shown to be in situational danger like being hit in the face by flying sports balls and almost getting sideswiped by a moving van. Shikimori excels at sports and Izumi is shown to absolutely love it when she shows off her coolness, despite her wanting to hide it at times in favor of wanting to look cute like in the first episode. Similarly, Marin initiates all interactions with the shy and socially inept Gojo. She is also not ashamed whatsoever of her love for something that isn't considered socially acceptable.
Interestingly though, this new trend has been met with mixed reviews, especially an interesting dislike towards the male protagonists and their "lack of masculinity". Whether this may be projecting from an audience who is used to a display of toxic masculinity or not, judging by the way Gojo Wakana is still ranked at #1 for Best Boy, he is clearly winning real-life women over along with Marin. Will Izumi be able to do the same? Both couples fit in quite well to the emerging "bisexual girlfriend, golden retriever boyfriend" real-life trope that is being realized by the collective conscious through TikTok, and judging by the surprising popularity of My Dress-Up Darling and what seems like a desperate need to replace it with Shikimori is Not Just A Cutie is evident: it's here to stay.
Shikimorie Is Not Just A Cutie is available to stream on Crunchyroll.