First Look: Anyway, I'm Falling in Love with You

Written by Ross Locksley on 09 Jan 2025

Thanks to Crunchyroll, we've been given an early screener for the first episode of Anyway, I'm Falling in Love with You, the anime adaptation of the manga by Haruka Mitsui. With a stage play also in the works, it felt like something an old romantic like myself could happily spend some time with.

We begin in the present day with an adult Nishino Mizuho startled in Shibuya by a group of school friends - one girl and four boys, which gives her nostalgic feelings for her own group of friends during her adolescent days back in 2020. Boy, do I feel old now.

Mizuho's childhood friends comprise four boys - swim-star Kizuki, trendy influencer Airu, the serious Shugo and the studious Shin. Having grown up together they treat each other as family, with all the teasing, familiarity and complications that go with it. It's clear during this surprisingly narrative rich first episode that as the four have grown, their relationships have also developed, often without each of them realising it.

The drama centers around Mizuho, her desires and those who desire her

The drama comes from confessions and rejections which run rife through the 22 minute opener (not all from within the group) and the reactions to these highly emotive situations. It can take romance manga a frustrating amount of time for any progress to be made (one of the reasons Kare-Kano's first 4 episodes remain a perfect opening act) but not so here; I was surprised at how much I was invested in the characters in such a short space of time, being dropped into what appears to be the inciting incident of a torrent of young emotions.  Whether friendships will survive or hearts be irreparably broken we have no idea, having seen only Mizuho in the present.

It was also interesting to see mention of covid, though it's only ever referred to as an "infectious disease", so severe that it's lead to the cancellation of events, trips and other engagements that have left the central cast feeling demoralised about their future. As an adult it's hard to fully grasp just how impactful the global pandemic was on younger people - as one character says bitterly, "what were we even working for?" It's a sobering reality that adds a sense of time and place that feels more distant than it actually is, and it clearly colours the backdrop of the emotional maelstrom into which we've been invited.

Stunning pastels and detailed backgrounds give the series a feeling of place and nostalgia

Animation is solid, but it's the pastel coloured, shimmering reality of youth that really makes the show stand out. This is a beautiful show to look at, even beyond the attractive characters on screen. The idea of a perfect, shimmering time in each characters development at odds with the lovelorn reality at least half our cast seem destined to deal with. 

So is this one to watch in the new season? Absolutely. With a cliffhanger ending to lure you in to season two, it might actually be painful to wait a week for the next installment... 

Anyway, I'm Falling in Love with You premiers on January 9th on Crunchyroll.