The appeal and reviews of "Tonari no Seki-kun": A coming-of-age anime depicting the small joys of everyday life

Tonari no Seki-kun - Detailed reviews and recommendations

■ Public Media

TV anime series

■ Original Media

comics

■ Broadcast period

January 6, 2014 - March 31, 2014

■TV Broadcast

TV Tokyo Sunday, January 5, 2014 26:05-26:15

AT-X Monday, January 6, 2014 23:00-23:10

■ Online distribution

GyaO! (free for 1 week)

dVideo powered by BeeTV

UULA

AniTeleshiAta (1 week free)

Niconico Video

Video Market

Free Video

Yamada Video

d Anime Store

TSUTAYA TV

Hikari TV

■Broadcasting station

TV Tokyo

■Frequencies

10 min

■ Number of Episodes

Episode 13

■Original Story

・Original work: Takuma Morishige

■ Director

・Director: Yuji Muto

■ Production

・Animation Production: Shinei Animation

■Works

©Takuma Morishige/KADOKAWA Media Factory Inc. Published by Seki-kun Anime Production Committee

■ Story

—During class at a certain school. A male student, Seki-kun, sneaks away from the teacher and plays alone at his desk, while a female student, Yokoi-san, watches (or interferes with) Seki-kun's play from the seat next to him. Seki-kun's play takes an unexpected turn every time, and this time...

■Explanation

The original manga, which depicts the quiet battle between the two characters that unfolds almost in silence each time and is known as the unique "only manga in Japan about skipping classes," is currently being serialized in "Monthly Comic Flapper" (Media Factory). Volumes 1 to 4 of the manga are currently on sale and have sold over 3 million copies (as of September 2014). It has also been featured in various comic rankings, including the "Manga Taisho 2012," Nippan's "Recommended Comics Selected by Booksellers Nationwide 2012," Da Vinci's "Next Manga Ranking" (2012), and 14th place in the female category of "This Manga is Amazing! 2012."

■Cast

・Seki-kun/Hiro Shimono

・Ms. Yokoi/Kana Hanazawa

・Goto-san/Sato Satomi

■ Main staff

・Original work: Takuma Morishige

・Director: Yuji Muto

・Character design: Masae Otake

・Art director: Shinji Kawai (Studio Uni)

Director of photography: Hiroki Yamamoto (Lightfoot)

・Sound Director: Yasuyuki Urakami (Audio Planning You)

・Color design: Kayoko Ebina (Shin-Ei Animation)

■ Main Characters

・Seki-kun

A lazy male student who never listens to class and just plays around. However, he is always inventing original games and is serious about playing silently. He is also top-notch at avoiding being discovered by teachers when he is slacking. His real name is Seki Toshinari.

Yokoi-san

A female student sitting next to Seki-kun. She wants to take her classes seriously, but she can't help but be interested in Seki-kun's play. Sometimes she interrupts Seki-kun's play, but sometimes she joins in seriously. Her real name is Yokoi Rumi.

・Goto-san

・Yuka-chan

・Uzawa-kun

・Maeda-kun

■Subtitle

・1st period/Domino (2014/01/05)

・2nd period/Shogi (2014/01/12)

・3rd period/Desk polishing (2014/01/19)

・4th period/Go (2014/01/26)

・5th period/eraser stamp (2014/02/02)

・6th period/Evacuation Drill (2014/02/09)

・7th period/Letter passing (2014/02/16)

・8th period/Shogi 2 (2014/02/23)

・9th period/Knitting (2014/03/02)

・10th period/Golf (2014/03/09)

・11th period/Climbing (2014/03/16)

・12th period/Radio control (2014/03/23)

・13th period/Pool (2014/03/30)

■ Theme songs and music

・OP1

・Nuisance Spectacle

1 to 13

Lyrics by Yuki Matsuura

・Composer: Shigenobu Okawa

Arrangement: Shigenobu Okawa, Takeshi Arai

・Singer: Kana Hanazawa

・ED1

・Set Them Free Desktop Drum ver.

1-9, 11-13

・Composer: Hiroshi Nakamura

Arrangement: Hiroshi Nakamura

・Drums/Akira Jinbo

・ED2

・Set Them Free ～Another Version～

・10

・Composer: Hiroshi Nakamura

Arrangement: Hiroshi Nakamura

・Drums/Akira Jinbo

・IN1

・Great time with the robot family

6, 12

Lyrics by Takuma Morishige

・Composer: Hiroshi Nakamura

Arrangement: Hiroshi Nakamura

・Song: Ichiro Mizuki

Detailed evaluation

Story and Characters

"My Neighbor is Seki-kun" is a work that depicts the quiet battle between Seki-kun, who sneaks away from the teacher to play during class, and Yokoi-san, who observes and disrupts his play. Even as Seki-kun skips class, he develops his own unique games and is memorable for his silent dedication to them. His games always take an unexpected turn, entertaining the viewers. Meanwhile, Yokoi-san is a character who wants to attend class seriously, but is drawn into Seki-kun's games. The subtle changes in her feelings towards Seki-kun are also one of the highlights of the show.

Other characters such as Goto, Yuka, Uzawa, and Maeda also appear, enriching the relationship between Seki and Yokoi. Goto in particular sometimes joins in Seki's play, bringing new developments to the story.

Animation and performance

Shinei Animation, the animation production company, portrayed Seki-kun's play in a realistic yet humorous way. In particular, the details of Seki-kun's play on the desk are carefully drawn, making for a visual treat. Director Muto Yuji also skillfully directs the story, which progresses almost silently, stimulating the viewer's imagination. Character designer Otake Masae meticulously expresses the expressions and movements of Seki-kun and Yokoi-san, visually conveying the subtle changes in their emotions.

Art director Kawai Shinji recreates the classroom atmosphere realistically, making the viewer feel as if they are there. Cinematographer Yamamoto Hiroki captures Seki-kun's play dynamically, enhancing the visual impact. Sound director Urakami Yasuyuki selects sound effects and background music suited to the mostly wordless story, enhancing the viewer's emotions. Color designer Ebina Kayoko devised creative colors for the classroom, adding to the visual enjoyment.

Music and theme song

The opening theme "Meiwaku Spectacle" features the impressive singing voice of Kana Hanazawa, and is a song that symbolizes the relationship between Seki-kun and Yokoi-san. The ending themes "Set Them Free Desktop Drum Ver." and "Set Them Free ~Another Version~" were composed by Hiroshi Nakamura, and express the freedom of Seki-kun's play. The insert song "Danran! Robot Family" was written by Takuma Morisigaki, and highlights the humorous side of Seki-kun's play.

Ratings and Recommendations

"My Neighbor Seki-kun" is a work that entertains viewers with its unique worldview and humorous story. In particular, the creativity of Seki-kun's play and Yokoi's subtle changes in emotions are worth watching. In addition, the animation and direction are also excellent, making it a visual treat. The music also adds to the atmosphere of the work, and it has received high praise overall.

The reasons why I recommend this work are as follows:

• Enjoy a unique world view and a humorous story
• The highlights are the creativity of Seki-kun's play and Yokoi-san's subtle changes in emotion.
• Excellent animation and direction make this a visual treat
• The music enhances the atmosphere of the piece.

"Tonari no Seki-kun" is a work that teaches us the importance of finding small joys in our daily lives. Please give it a watch.