TONIKAWA: Over The Moon For You

TONIKAWA: Over the Moon for You is a gentle romantic comedy based on a manga by Kenjiro Hata, the creator of Hayate the Combat Butler. The manga began in Shogakukan's Weekly Shonen Sunday in February 2018 and is still running, with more than 35 volumes. Its Japanese title, Tonikaku Kawaii, means something like "Anyway, She's Cute", and that simple feeling sums up the show. The first anime season was made by studio Seven Arcs, directed by Hiroshi Ikehata, and aired 12 episodes from October to December 2020.

Most romance anime are about the long road to a first date or a first kiss. This one flips that idea. The two leads get married almost at once, and the story is about what happens after the wedding. That makes it less about "will they or won't they" and more about two people learning to share a life.

The hero is Nasa Yuzaki. He is a very smart teenager who was teased as a child because of his odd first name, which is written with the Japanese word for "starry sky". One night he sees a beautiful girl and runs after her, and a truck almost hits him. The girl saves him. Her name is Tsukasa. Hurt but brave, Nasa tells her that he has fallen in love. Her answer is a surprise: she will date him, but only if they get married first. He says yes. Then she is gone, and for a long time he does not know where she went. He is left heartbroken.

Years later, on the day Nasa turns 18, there is a knock on his door. It is Tsukasa, holding a marriage form. From that moment, the two start a quiet new life as husband and wife. The episodes follow small, sweet steps as they set up a home and slowly get used to living with another person. Nasa is clever but often clumsy with feelings. Tsukasa is calm and a little mysterious, and she rarely talks about her past.

That mystery is one of the show's hooks. Some writers have compared Tsukasa to Princess Kaguya from The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, an old Japanese folk tale about a girl from the moon. The show leaves small hints but does not explain everything in the first season. Other characters add comedy. Kaname Arisugawa is a younger girl who strongly supports the couple. Her older sister Aya was Nasa's classmate and has feelings for him, but still wishes him well. Chitose Kaginoji is a girl from Tsukasa's family who does not like the marriage at all.

The tone is warm and soft. There is very little drama or fighting, and many of the jokes come from Nasa's nerdy reactions and the couple's shy moments. It mixes romance, comedy, everyday life, and a small touch of science fiction. It is the kind of show people watch to relax. The manga has sold millions of copies, and the anime later got a second season and extra episodes.