Common Name: Acchi Kocchi
Alternative Names: Place to Place, All Over the Place, There to Here
Score: 7/10, 4/5
Length: 12 Episodes, 1 OVA
Genre: Comedy, Romance, Shoujo, Slice of Life, School Life
Summary: Caught in that awkward stage between falling for someone and working up the courage to actually confess to that person, Miniwa Tsumiki is determined to not let her feelings for Otonashi Io get in the way of their friendship. Of course, no one is particularly happy with this unconscious decision. So, in an attempt to make the thick-headed Io understand, their shared friend groups spend a lot of their time trying to convince Tsumiki to be honest with her own feelings. Until the day their feelings are finally conveyed though, there's no reason not to tease out Tsumiki's cat-like nature and Io's natural tendency to make the women around him swoon with a few sweet nothings.
Review: It's always a weird moment when I find myself trolling around anime joke videos, GIFs, and the like, and come across a show I watched years ago and get the itch to watch it again. It's particularly weird when I'm forced to acknowledge that the show didn't really have much going for it. I can understand why titles like DBZ, Sailor Moon, or even Lucky Star can be referenced and rewatched over and over again since they basically defined what anime was to an entire generation. Weird little nothing titles like Acchi Kocchi don't really have that kind of draw though. Clearly made to be a tad derivative given Tsumiki's character design. Full of fairly basic and repetitive humor. The only thing that really carried this show for me was the sheer saccharine goodness it had to offer. I think that's what ultimately what drew me back to this title though. While I usually don't waste my time trying to rewatch shows (I have so many I still haven't seen after all), every now and then the need for something fun and familiar will strike from nowhere. Alternatively, when the world gets to be a pain in the ass or I find myself in a bad mood, there are a few titles I know I can wrap myself up in like a security blanket until I'm ready to face the world again. Acchi Kocchi is one of those titles for me. It's not particularly good but it's one of those titles that'll just always sit in the back of my mind, available whenever I need it. Since it's still holding a small piece of the anime world's subconscious, though, I have to wonder if there's something else to this show.
Until I determine what that something might be, I'm more than happy
to just share one of my few guilty pleasure shows.
Centered around the feline Izumi Konata look-alike, Miniwa Tsumiki, the general premise of this show is fairly simple. Tsumiki has a crush on her friend, Otonashi Io, but doesn't really know what to do with those feelings since she's scared that admitting they exist would ruin their friendship. Until she's sorted out those feelings though, she feels content to let things stay the way they are while she quietly revels in his company. It's a story nearly every middle school and late-blooming high school student knows all too well. While I'm certain that some people never really had to deal with this awkward stage of romance, I'm confident in claiming that everyone knows a Tsumiki--some shy or generally introverted person who struggles at being honest with their own feelings and desires that is equally likely to grow silent, defensive, or outright upset at the mention of those concealed affections.
It's a pretty common trait for introverts in general, so I'll give you a moment to realize
who the Tsumiki in your life is. If it helps, I'll even admit that I'm definitely a Tsumiki.
Given that infinite source of tsundere-fueled comedic goodness, it would figure that the vast majority of this show's comedy features Tsumiki and Io's friends trying to egg the poor girl on. Tsumiki's reaction to their teasing isn't the show's only source of comedy though. Each character generally has a couple good gags going for them that are repeated throughout the show to break up the unchanging repetition that is Tsumiki's romantic anxiety. For example, Io himself functions throughout the show as either A) the "crouching tiger, hidden badass" character, B) the unconscious lady-killer, and C) the thick-headed straight man who just doesn't get why everyone teases Tsumiki. On the opposite side of that coin, the characters of Katase Mayoi and Inui Sakaki are the female and male, accordingly, antithesis of Tsumiki and Io. They are usually the instigators of the comedic hijinx that can be witnessed throughout this series. Following the standards of karma, though, they are also the ones who end up worse off when all is said and done--typically because they are the de facto targets of Acchi Kocchi's slap-stick comedy. Tending toward a more neutral stance, Haruno Hime (aka Himecchi), tends to egg on Io's more romantic side to shorten the gap between Tsumiki and Io. While this is to their benefit, it is worth noting that she gets something out of it too, since she loves watching romances play out, as noted by her frequently bleeding nose.
Whenever one of their friend group gets Io to put on his lady-killer act, it tends to look
like an actual murder has occurred due to all the bleeding noses present.
When this show is at its best, though, it typically acknowledges an unfortunate truth of love at that age. Namely, one of the other side characters (typically Sakimori Saki) tries to take a more brutally honest approach with Tsumiki with a statement that functionally amounts to the acknowlegement that Io might not always be available. In other words, if Tsumiki doesn't express her feelings now, while Io is already by her side, either someone else will take him or they'll end up being separated after high school, meaning she'll end up regretting her weakness either way. While stating that so bluntly might be seen as cruel, it does get Tsumiki wondering if sticking to the status quo is really a good thing. Similarly, there are a few quieter moments scattered throughout the show that point to the idea that Io is simply waiting for Tsumiki to grow comfortable with the idea of them being a couple. While that assumption cheapens some of his thick-headed idiot gags, it does point toward Io's own investment in their relationship, as well as his insecurities. While Tsumiki might worry that a relationship would ruin their friendship, Io seems to fear that if he plays his cards before Tsumiki is mentally prepared for that he'll ruin the chances of them having any kind of meaningful and stable relationship. The interesting thing to note though is that both eventually seem to acknowledge that these fears and defeatists mindsets will do them no good, in the long run, it does point toward some real depth of character.
Behold, the cry of everyone who watches these two lovebirds in action: "Just do it already!"
While there really isn't a question of whether or not Tsumiki and Io will get together, merely a question of when, this show does have a surprising level of depth that can be noticed when you look for it. There's a kind of thoughtfulness to how this show approaches the main relationship (yes, there are other implied relationships but they don't really matter) that very nearly gives it the same kind of romantic satisfaction we got from Toradora!, Clannad: After Story, and Sakura-sou no Pet na Kanojo. To be clear though, it's not quite there. Rather, Acchi Kocchi is eternally on the cusp of reaching that level of satisfaction; forever standing at the precipice that is their relationship. While I could see how some people might be frustrated by that kind of teasing the audience, it does clearly play into the main focus of the show. This show set out to express the anxiety, comedy, and frustration that comes with that point in every introverted romance and it does so in spades. Does the perfect encapsulation of that single concept make this show worthwhile though? Maybe?
I'm having to perform some Io-level mental gymnastics to have this show make any real sense.
While I have acknowledged that this show has some depth and accomplished its intended goal, I'm still fairly uncertain whether or not those things are what make this show so memorable. I mean, I had to dig pretty deep to get to those conclusions, so I'm forced to doubt whether or not people enjoyed the show for those same reasons. So, if not that, then what does this show have to offer? The art style and animation certainly aren't the show's strong suit. Neither is the drama or comedy of the show's threadbare plot since both always end up returning the show's established status quo where Tsumiki is still struggling with her feelings for Io. Being a slice of life, it's definitely not the pacing of the show either. So, I'm basically left with nothing. The best I can figure, people liked this show simply because it was relatable. Because it functionally captures a single moment in nearly every relationship involving an introvert, it's a story that a lot of people can identify and relate to without any deeper thought necessary. While I wouldn't say the show offers any kind of wish-fulfillment regarding that kind of relationship, it does offer a portrait of something both cute and funny that nearly everyone has either seen or experienced first-hand. So, maybe that fact alone is what makes this show memorable. It reminds the viewer of that universal experience, focusing on the good and funny moments of that experience rather than the more cringe-worthy moments typical of most rom-coms these days. Maybe, just maybe, that kind of sugary sweet simplicity is all that was necessary to make this show a favorite for me and others like me--for all the Tsumikis out there. Does that mean I'd recommend this show to everyone? Not necessarily, but I see no reason why it should be avoided either.