WARNING: The following contains spoilers for TONIKAWA: Over the Moon For You, now streaming on Crunchyroll.
The fall 2020 anime season had more than a few popular titles in its lineup. One of these included Crunchyroll Original, TONIKAWA: Over the Moon For You, a 12-episode rom-com series based on the manga of the same name. In a genre that is well-saturated -- in anime and other mediums -- how does TONIKAWA set itself apart in its recently-completed first season? By going in the opposite direction.
No, this doesn't mean that the two main lovers start to dislike each other and break apart their relationship. Instead, the end goal of many romances (being together forever) is the starting point of this show. From the beginning, TONIKAWA is already at the traditional finish line, and it works its way back to the beginning of the relationship -- and the characters are absolutely ready for this challenge.
Tonikawa Starts With Wedding Bells
The very first episode of TONIKAWA introduces the two lovebirds. On one hand is Nasa Yuzaki, a studious and responsible boy who aims to become something great, as his NASA name suggests. At age 16, he was nearly hit and killed by a truck, until the mysterious girl Tsukasa dove in and saved his life. Grateful, Nasa asked what he could do to repay her and Tsukasa proposed marriage, of all things. Then she vanished for two years, and Nasa got a job and a modest apartment... and a burning desire to find that beautiful girl who saved him.
Later, she arrived at his doorstep and urged him to help her fill out the paperwork and make their marriage official. No bells and whistles, no rings or bridesmaids; just a legal marriage to start a new household. The paperwork was completed that very night.
So, what next? Within two episodes, the hero Nasa was already at the end goal of many rom-coms: a loving marriage. The Maid-Sama! anime/manga franchise, by contrast, saved its marriage scene for the very end, and the two lovers, Misaki and Takumi, butted heads and teased one another all the time in a will they/won't they dynamic. But not here. Nasa got hitched already, meaning TONIKAWA utterly lacks the will they/won't they dynamic. Instead, the question is: can Nasa justify what he just did? Getting married isn't a game; it's a serious commitment, and Nasa suddenly has a lot on his plate. He's optimistic about all this but nervous, and Tsukasa feels a bit nervous herself.
So, the real conflict is whether these young newlyweds can scramble to build a marriage with all its vital components, such as the approval of their respective families (who are out of the loop), financially supporting themselves (Tsukasa is unemployed); whether they can get along in the same household, and other typical problems for new lovers. Nasa, for his part, feels like Mr. Romantic and wants to throw a big, fancy wedding for his new bride, while Tsukasa's attitude is "that's OK, you don't have to do that." Nasa is determined, though, and it remains to be seen if he can throw the ultimate wedding bash all on his own.
Why Nasa Isn't Your Average Romance Hero
Nasa Yuzaki, especially, sets himself apart from other rom-com protagonists in a few ways. For one thing, TONIKAWA treats Nasa and Tsukasa as co-leads, although it may be more like a 60/40 split in Nasa's favor. In any case, Nasa is a young man of 18, though he acts more like he's 35 or so.
In this anime series, Nasa isn't gushing blood from his nose in every episode or getting wooden buckets thrown at him in the girls' bathroom or anything like that. Nasa is actually rather mature and responsible for his age, and he surprises the audience and Tsukasa alike with how down-to-earth he is. Nasa doesn't erupt or get overwhelmed by the tiniest things; he takes it all in stride, and he acts as a peacemaker when conflict arises. When Chitose objects to the marriage and tries to take Tsukasa back, Nasa politely tries to talk it over with her more than once, showing his serious diplomacy skills. When his apartment burns down during a trip to Nara Prefecture, Nasa is dismayed, but not devastated. He prudently kept all his most vital assets elsewhere, and he happily moves in with a friend while his apartment is being rebuilt.
TONIKAWA also strays away from the aforementioned ecchi aspect of rom-coms. Some anime series really dial it up for humor's sake, but this series focuses on the little, everyday victories to bring Nasa and Tsukasa together instead, leaving ecchi at the door. It's true that a few scenes in this show are a tad risqué, such as those that take place in the Arisugawa bathhouse, but it's fairly tame, all things considered. Some rom-coms use accidental "I saw you naked!" scenes to create conflict, but TONIKAWA doesn't bother with that. Nasa and Tsukasa have no real conflict with each other; instead, their challenges are external, such as the need to find better furniture or trying to earn Chitose's approval. In fact, the last thing this wholesome series needs is Tsukasa shouting and throwing buckets at Nasa because he caught a naughty peek at her in the bath.
Through most characters' amazed reactions to Nasa's maturity and forethought drive the humor, in addition to G-rated "isn't that sweet" moments between the two leads ( ...and an unexpected scene involving a Street Fighter tournament), TONIKAWA might be trying to prove that you don't need the clichés to be funny -- or conventional story structures to create effective romance tales.
