It's Shiratori Reiko! A thorough review of this lovey-dovey show just for the two of them!

This is Reiko Shiratori! A love show just for the two of us - Detailed review and recommendation

■ Public Media

OVA

■ Original Media

comics

■ Release date

April 25, 1990

■Release and sales

Bandai Visual

■Frequencies

45 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 1

■Original Story

Yumiko Suzuki

■ Director

Mitsuru Hongo

■ Production

Animation Production: Asiado

■Works

©1990 Yumiko Suzuki/Kodansha/BANDAI

■ Story

The extremely haughty young lady, Shiratori Reiko, moves to Tokyo to confess her love to her high school classmate, Akimoto Tetsuya. She enters the same university as Tetsuya and lives in an apartment opposite his house, and does things that are unimaginable from the normal Reiko. Will Reiko be able to defeat the love rivals that appear one after another with her naturally selfish attitude and quick recovery, and win Tetsuya's love...? Unable to be honest in front of the man she admires, Reiko's troubled love becomes a huge mess!

■Explanation

This original video animation (OVA) is based on the romance manga of the same name, depicting the exploits of the beautiful and extremely selfish young lady Shiratori Reiko. It was made into an anime in 1990, the year after it won the 13th Kodansha Manga Award in the Girls' category. The character of Reiko, who symbolized the bubble generation at the time, became a social phenomenon in this work, and the comical depiction of Reiko's feminine feelings and her rich but lovable character became popular.

■Cast

・Reiko Shiratori/Maria Kawamura/Tetsuya Akimoto/Kenyu Horiuchi/Haruo Takada/Ken Yamaguchi/Kyoko Ando/Yoshino Takamori/Satomi Kawanishi/Satomi Koorogi

■ Main staff

・Original story by Yumiko Suzuki (published by Kodansha's "mimi")
Director: Mitsuru Hongo; Screenplay: Taeko Okina; Character design and animation director: Masahiro Koyama; Art director: Kazuo Ebisawa; Director of photography: Kosuke Endo; Sound director: Hiroshi Yamazaki; Music production: Bandai; Production: Production Yurika; Animation production: Asiado

■ Main Characters

・Reiko Shiratori The main character is a beautiful and haughty young lady. In high school, she is confessed to by Tetsuya, whom she has a crush on, but her proud personality causes her to reject him. She follows Tetsuya to Tokyo and enrolls in the same university as him.

Tetsuya Akimoto: A university student in Tokyo and Reiko's high school classmate. He is popular with women for his cool idioms.

Haruo Takada is Tetsuya's friend from university. He is cheerful, proactive and caring. He has feelings for Kyoko.

Kyoko Ando is Reiko's friend from high school. She is dating Tetsuya, who attends the same university.

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1
・Your heart is in danger!
Lyrics: Hitomi Kuroishi Composition: Hitomi Kuroishi Arrangement: Hitomi Kuroishi Vocals: Risa Tachibana

・ED1
・Mysterious Destiny
Lyrics: Hitomi Kuroishi Composition: Hitomi Kuroishi Arrangement: Hitomi Kuroishi Vocals: Risa Tachibana

■Detailed evaluation

"Shiratori Reiko desu! Futari Dake no Love Love Show" is a 1990 OVA release based on the manga of the same name by Suzuki Yumiko. The story revolves around the beautiful and haughty young lady Shiratori Reiko, who comes to Tokyo to pursue her crush Akimoto Tetsuya. Below, we will provide a detailed review of the appeal and features of this work.

Story and Characters

Shiratori Reiko is a typical rich girl character, but her selfishness and pride are what make her so appealing. Her actions are always unpredictable, and her pursuit of love for Tetsuya is comical yet relatable to viewers. In particular, many viewers will be able to relate to Reiko's inability to be honest in front of Tetsuya.

On the other hand, Tetsuya Akimoto is a cool and popular character with women, and his presence plays an important role in bringing out Reiko's actions. In addition, supporting characters such as Haruo Takada and Kyoko Ando also add depth to the story and portray Reiko's love life more realistically.

Animation and performance

The animation for this work is produced by Asiado, with character design and animation direction by Masahiro Koyama. Reiko's expressions and movements are drawn in great detail, allowing viewers to enjoy visually the changes in her emotions. Art director Kazuo Ebisawa's backgrounds also realistically recreate Tokyo during the bubble economy, adding to the atmosphere of the work.

Director Mitsuru Hongo skillfully controls the tempo of the story, drawing the viewer in without getting bored. In particular, the scenes of Reiko's misunderstandings and rampages are effectively made with comical direction, eliciting laughter while also helping viewers understand her character more deeply.

Music and Sound

The music was produced by Bandai, and the theme song "Heart is in Danger!" and the ending song "Fushigi na Destiny" are sung by Risa Tachibana. These songs reflect Reiko's feelings, and have the effect of stirring the emotions of the viewer as the story progresses. The sound effects by sound director Hiroshi Yamazaki and the performances by the voice actors also enhance the realism of the work.

Impact as a social phenomenon

"Shiratori Reiko desu yo!" is a work that symbolizes the bubble era of the 1990s, and the character of Reiko became a social phenomenon. Her selfishness and arrogant attitude resonated with young people at the time, influencing many fashions and lifestyles. It also became a catalyst for manga-based love stories to become more widely known through the medium of OVA.

■Recommendation details

"Shiratori Reiko desu! A Love-Love Show for Just the Two of Us" is a must-watch for viewers who enjoy romantic comedies. It is especially recommended for those who like beautiful, spoiled young ladies and those who want to experience the atmosphere of the bubble era of the 1990s. Also, those who have read the original manga by Suzuki Yumiko will enjoy watching Reiko in an animated version.

Furthermore, this work has been released in the form of an OVA, so you can enjoy it all at once in a short amount of time. In a compact time of 45 minutes, this work depicts Reiko's love life in a comical way, making it perfect for busy modern people. Please give it a watch.

■ Related works and information

The original manga for "Shiratori Reiko Desu!" was written by Suzuki Yumiko and serialized in Kodansha's "mimi." It won the 13th Kodansha Manga Award in the shoujo category, proving its popularity and high acclaim. In addition to the OVA, it has also been adapted into various media mixes, including drama CDs and novels.

A related work is the "Maria-sama ga Miteru" series, also by Suzuki Yumiko. This series also features a beautiful and arrogant young lady character and a love story, so it is recommended for fans of "Shiratori Reiko desu yo!"

Other works that depict the bubble era include "Tokyo Love Story" and "101st Proposal." These works also have love-centered stories, and you can enjoy the atmosphere of the 1990s.

■ Summary

"It's Shiratori Reiko! Our Love Love Show" is a comical depiction of the love lives of the beautiful and spoiled young lady Shiratori Reiko, and became a social phenomenon that symbolized the bubble era of the 1990s. All elements, including animation, music, and sound, are put together to a high standard, successfully entertaining viewers. This is a must-watch for those who like romantic comedies or want to experience the atmosphere of the 1990s.