Skip and Loafer (2023) - REVIEW
“You can never tell what people are thinking. So, I’ll try to understand them - little by little.”
Skip and Loafer is a 2023 anime adaption produced by PA Works, the studio that housed works like The Eccentric Family, Shirobako, and Angel Beats. It was directed by Kotomi Deai,who had previously directed a few episodes of Michiko & Hatchin, Kids on the Slope, and Natsume’s Book of Friends.
This anime is a somewhat romantic, but a mostly slice of life story that wears its heart on its sleeve as much as its main cast of characters does, which is really where it shines brightest. The characters are so vibrant and full of life, both in the way they’re acted, and in the way they’re written. Each character is perfectly tailored to the themes of the story, and each of them have unique motivations, passions, and flaws that don’t fall into common trope trappings.
The premise of the story follows a young girl from a small town, as she moves to the big city with equally big aspirations - but her small town life follows her, as the bustling nature of the city, and the people within it, are a little overwhelming. She has to learn not just how to navigate city life, but navigate people themselves as she quickly learns just how complicated humans can be, and how not everything is first as they appear.
While dealing with the complicated motivations and emotions of other students, the show itself is full of life and whimsy, from sleepovers with friends, to school festivals. Even the budding romance itself between the two main characters is completely innocent and slow-paced, matching perfectly with the realistic depiction of young kids learning how to live their lives. The development of that romance, and the development of each of the characters, is done so subtly throughout the series - in regular conversations, you can see so much of their growth happen in the smallest of ways, a wonderful showcase of carefully crafted character writing.
The art style is perfectly in tandem with the innocent nature of the story, with its incredibly soft pastel color palette, and really light outlines that make even the characters themselves look softer, which highlights all of the poignant moments beautifully. That color palette is likely largely thanks to the color designer of the series, Yûko Kobari, who had previously worked on titles like Texhnolyze, Space Dandy, and Great Pretender, and would go onto work on the film The Colors Within.
Despite the fact that this is technically an as of yet unfinished adaption (though a second season has been announced), the finale of Skip and Loafer could easily serve as a satisfying conclusion by itself. This soft spoken slice of life drama that showcases subtle character development, beautiful art direction, and some of the most endearing characters to ever grace the screen is an absolute gem that deserves a spot in my Top 100 Anime of All Time List.
My Current MAL Rating: 8/10
Top 100 Contender: Yes
Current Top 100 Ranking: 30/100
