Winter 2022 First Impressions – Akebi’s Sailor Uniform

Streaming: Funimation and Crunchyroll

Episodes: 12

Source: Manga

Episode Summary: Komichi Akebi is looking forward to starting junior high school at her mother’s alma mater, in part because it means she’ll finally get to wear a sailor uniform like she’s seen in her mother’s old photographs. Komichi and her mother pick out fabric at the fabric store so that her mother can sew together a uniform just for her, with each detail just perfect. When it’s finally finished and Komichi gets to try it on, it brings tears to her eyes – her dream is finally coming true.

Her world comes crashing down during the entrance ceremony, when Komichi learns that the uniform for the school changed to a blazer some years ago, making her the odd one out. Though she gets permission from the school principal to wear her uniform (since it was the school standard at one time and the principal seems to have some nostalgia for it), she struggles with how much attention her decision might potentially dump into her lap. But some unexpectedly wise words from her little sister convince her to keep wearing the uniform, and when the first day of school rolls around, it turns out that it might be the perfect icebreaker, as well as an opportunity to display Komichi’s strong will and integrity.

Impressions: Sometimes the things that we desperately want for ourselves seem to defy all logic in the eyes of others. Many years ago, a J-fashion brand was releasing a dress that looked like a violin. I don’t play the violin. I don’t want to play the violin. And yet, there was something about that particular dress that absolutely captured 100% of my attention. I wasn’t as well-off then as I am now, and I really had to work to set aside the money for such a ridiculous luxury item in those days. I’m sure there were friends of mine who thought I was nuts for caring so much about a single article of clothing. Maybe it was a little bit ridiculous, but sometimes you have to go after something a little bit unreasonable, something that sets you apart from others, in order to achieve some semblance of feeling whole.

I’ve seen a little bit of criticism about the premise of this series in general, focused around this seeming obsession Komichi has with wearing a sailor uniform. Shouldn’t she care more about the quality of the school? Why is this one weird thing so important to her? Setting aside the fact that most middle school students probably aren’t thinking in the long term just yet, I think the answer to that question is more related to emotional fulfillment than anything especially concrete. It’s an amalgamation of her love and admiration for her mother, and a symbol of growing up. And ultimately, it becomes a way for her to make a statement about the person she wants to be – one who follows her passions.

I really enjoyed this episode, and not simply because it’s beautifully animated (because it really is), but because it speaks to a part of me that I don’t always listen to very well. It’s the part of me that’s unapologetic about the things that I love and the person who I’d like to be – someone smart, funny, and distinguished. I’ve got two racks worth of those dresses at this point, each one a work of art that my heart decided I simply couldn’t live without. Sometimes I look over at them and remind myself of who I am.

Pros: This episode is all about attention to detail, whether it’s the scenery in Komichi’s rural hometown, dotted with rice fields and irrigation streams filled with cool, clear water, or her mother’s sewing process and fabric selection know-how. The animation is replete with delicate character acting and body language, to the point where I was almost cringing thinking about the animators working to bring the show to life. It’s all just really beautiful, adding visual excitement to its very down-to-earth, simple subject matter.

Cons: The detailed body language and character acting has its down side, though, which is that I suspect whoever is storyboarding the series might have kind of a thing for feet. There are some fairly detailed and occasionally lengthy scenes involving bare feet that I felt were bordering on gratuitousness. I think the bothersome aspect of it is more due to the youth of the characters and the otherwise very mundane nature of the story – this isn’t the series that I’d want to serve as a fetish vehicle.

Content Warnings: Brief body shaming/talk of losing weight. Mild nudity (non-sexual bath scene).

Would I Watch More? – I was definitely enchanted by this premiere’s gorgeous visual style, and I do really enjoy very low-key slice-of-life stories, so I expect to follow along for a while. I just hope that the skeeviness is more an illusion than a reality, or at the very least it remains infrequent enough to ignore.