Highlights
- Kimi ni Todoke, a beloved classic anime, is finally getting a long-awaited sequel in 2024, exclusively on Netflix. Original voice actors will reprise their roles.
- The anime industry has seen a rise in revivals and remakes, giving popular shows a second chance to finish their stories or improve past adaptations.
- Kimi ni Todoke's return is significant as it allows the beloved series to finally have the conclusion it deserves, exploring young love and emotions beyond the high school setting.
The history of anime is littered with classics that touched the hearts of many despite also leaving their adaptations unfinished, usually because there wasn't enough material to adapt. Fans are lucky if an anime presents a satisfying enough conclusion to make this forgivable, but in the growing trend of classics coming back from the dead, Kimi ni Todoke isn't settling for "almost."
Kimi ni Todoke, or, From Me To You, was a 2009 anime from Production I.G and director Hiro Kaburagi (My Little Monster, 91 Days, Great Pretender), based on the manga by Karuho Shiina. It tells the story of Sawako Kuronuma and Shouta Kazehaya, two teenagers who grow closer together as the former attempts to come out of her shell and make new friends despite her anxieties.
The Long-Awaited Sequel
On September 3, The news broke that the series would be returning in 2024, coming exclusively to Netflix, animated once again by Production I.G. Better yet, the original voice actors for Sawako and Shouta, Mamiko Noto and Daisuke Namikawa are reprising their roles. The studio has been on something of a roll lately, between the critically acclaimed Heavenly Delusion from just this year to the upcoming Kaiju No. 8 adaptation.
There is no word yet on the production staff behind this sequel, such as whether director Kaburagi will be returning to helm the new season. With so much time having passed, it wouldn't be a surprise if the staff was mostly different compared to the original. However, it would be quite reassuring if Kaburagi were to come back, as they excel when directing stories with lots of interpersonal drama, be it teen romance or an adult crime drama.
This won't be the first time that Netflix has landed a big release for this series. Just this past March, Netflix and TV Tokyo collaborated on a new, 12-episode, live-action adaptation of the manga that was met with mostly positive reception. Additionally, the first two seasons of the anime are already available on the platform, eagerly awaiting the third to join the collection.
The Significance of Kimi ni Todoke's Return
As the anime industry has changed over the past decade, there has been a reconsideration of how studios should adapt popular works. This has gone hand-in-hand with a growing demand for revivals and remakes of popular anime adaptations from the past, many of which were held back by limitations or were simply made too early.
Kimi ni Todoke, like so many other anime that were never finished, came to an end because of a lack of source material to adapt. The industry now tries to approach adaptations smarter, allowing ample time for the source material to progress, and rarely opts for anime-original endings except for rare instances of varying quality.
Fruits Basket, Rurouni Kenshin, Spice and Wolf, and more are either being remade or continued years on. Fans might call this the Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood effect, and it speaks to a demand for popular anime to get a second chance at finishing their stories or improving on the flaws of past adaptations. It could be seen as a byproduct of the trend of appealing to nostalgia, which has reached new heights in the current cultural zeitgeist.
Perhaps that last point is a tad too cynical. The fact that over a decade later, a work of art can finally be given the conclusion it deserved, with the same cast returning, is undeniably special. After all, Kimi ni Todokewasn't just another successful love story, but a universally beloved genre work. It was the product of a production team who knew how to bring it to life with nuance
Some over the years have been critical of the show for how its melodrama can be excessive, like the numerous misunderstandings at the heart of the narrative's ebbs and flows. Then again, just as many viewers found an escape in its earnest approach to the nervousness and anxiety that goes into young love. With a third season, Kimi ni Todoke could explore those emotions further through new obstacles that look beyond the comforts of the high school setting.
Kimi ni Todoke is available to stream on Crunchyroll and Netflix.
Source: Comic Natalie