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Fumita Yanagida’s most awaited rom-com anime Tomo-chan is a Girl! had an amazing premiere, where fans of the original manga series couldn't stop praising the adaptation by Studio Lay-duce and the entire staff. Besides the animation, the primary voice cast of the series did a commendable job of portraying the roles of the characters, especially Rei Takahashi (Tomo Aizawa) and Kaito Ishikawa (Junichirou Kubota).
Episode 1 of Tomo-chan is a Girl! has been divided into two consecutive narratives: "I Want to Be Seen as a Girl!" and "A Terrifying Challenge." The first segment of the series saw Tomo’s confession, which ended up being a complete disaster. Meanwhile, the second piece showed Tomo getting challenged by two girls from Class B.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from Tomo-chan is a Girl! series.
Highlights from Tomo-chan is a Girl! episode 1: Junichiro and Tomo get into a fight; Tomo seeks advice from her senpai
I Want to Be Seen as a Girl!
The first narrative of Tomo-chan is a Girl! episode 1 kicked off with Tomo confessing her feelings to Junichiro after mustering all her courage. As a friend, the latter presumed the confession to be a casual assurance between friends and responded to the former by saying he loved her too. The next day while heading to school, Tomo recalled the first day of high school when Jun made fun of her for wearing the girls' uniform.
Tomo sought help from her closest friend, Misuzu Gondou. By stating the obvious regarding the former’s tomboyish personality, the latter advised her to act more feminine in front of Junichiro. Misuzu wanted Tomo to start by softening her tone instead of speaking brutishly. Tomo tried her best, but according to Jun, she sounded more like an older person.
After getting into a fight, Tomo headed home. Witnessing the bruises on Tomo’s face, her father found out that she and Junichiro fought each other. However, instead of learning the reason behind the scuffle, Tomo’s father was more concerned about whether or not his daughter lost in the fight. The next day, despite not knowing what he did wrong, Junichiro apologized to Tomo.
To help Tomo, Misuzu set up a group lunch with Junichiro. Tomo was shocked after Junichiro casually ate the fried chicken off her chopsticks. Later, the latter’s friend, Tatsumi Tanabe, started asking him indecent questions regarding Tomo. However, as nothing got through his thick head, Junichiro presumed Tatsumi was talking about practicing Karate with Tomo.
To ignite another fight between the duo, Misuzu manipulated Tomo into believing that Junichiro was spreading false rumors about them. Finding Junichiro alone in class, Tomo unleashed her wrath on him. While waiting for Tomo, Misuzu tried teasing Junichiro by exclaiming that he might have a boyfriend, to which he reacted by angrily pushing her into the rain.
While heading home together, Tomo bolted away after Junichiro came too close to her by saying she smelled good. The latter did the same thing after witnessing the former’s soaked clothes.
A Terrifying Challenge
The second segment of Tomo-chan is a Girl! episode 1 began with the titular protagonist knocking out her senpai, Kousuke Misaki, while practicing Karate. Tomo told Kousuke that she got a little carried away during her first day at the girl's karate club, which is why she had to join the boys club. The former wanted to know what womanly features she possessed.
Flustered, Kousuke responded to Tomo by saying she was charming the way she was. The next day, Mifune and Ogawa from Class B tried to scare Tomo by asking her to meet them behind the gym. Besides accepting the proposal, Tomo intimidated them by asking them if they were ready to fight her. Following this, Mifune and Ogawa were devastated after learning about Tomo through their classmates.
Misuzu told Tomo that the girls wanted to fight verbally and advised her to use words instead of fists. The former even told the latter that she would be happy to lend a hand during the altercation by crushing them socially. After meeting Tomo behind the gym, Ogawa and Mifune exclaimed that they liked Kosuke.
Tomo presumed that the pair wanted to seek her advice on “love.” Excited to finally do something girly, she assured them to help them get close to her Kousuke. Mifune and Ogawa felt comforted all of a sudden. The next day, Misuzu tried to enrage Tomo by saying that the girls from Class B called her “The Natural Lady Killer,” to which she responded casually by saying she didn’t kill anyone.
Final thoughts on Tomo-chan is a Girl! episode 1
Given the positive reception from the first episode of Tomo-chan is a Girl!, it is sure that the series might become one of the best rom-com anime series of 2023. Lay-duce's anime adaptation exceeded fans' expectations, as instead of elongating stiff animation like most rom-com slice-of-life anime, the studio effectively worked on the detailed movements of the characters.
With the release of the first episode, Tomo-chan is a Girl! looks promising enough to be on its way to success. Rei Takahashi did a fantastic job capturing Tomo Aizawa’s essence. Overall, the series has garnered a lot of praise worldwide, and fans are excited to see how Tomo and Junichiro’s relationship blossoms.
