It is often advised to not be buried into the hype of manga fans when they are recommending the adaptation of a manga they love but I’m willing to make an exception just for this one. Short of a disaster striking the anime, the source material is extremely strong, even if the anime will be limited by a 12 episode release. It is in my eyes, a strong contender for AOTY. That is a lot to consider knowing the competition in 2023 and the rather limited content the anime will show.
The reason a good chunk of people praise the manga and are hyped for the anime is due to how the series approaches romantic development and its portrayal. Kimi Wa Houkago Insomnia is a well-executed take on creating a romance between two people with the same affliction. The premise is two high schoolers, Ganta Nakami and Isaki Magari, suffer from insomnia and seek to find comfort in one another as they form a friendship which develops into more.
The strength of the relationship comes from its no filler approach, there isn’t a moment that the romance isn’t developing. There are no misunderstandings or forced drama. All the bad tropes that are seen in romcoms are avoided in Insomnia. The pacing of the romance is organic, never too slow or fast.
“Progress” of the romance won’t come from external contrivances but between the two characters themselves, in which they work to tackle together. The two leads move the story forward on their own and the conflicts that arises mainly stem from their personalities, though nothing from that ever feels forced or contrived.
Nakami and Magari have amazing chemistry and can not only communicate honestly, they will emotionally be each other’s rock. They tease, laugh together, banter and much more. It’s a well established and balanced dynamic in which one doesn’t have more power in the relationship than the other. They’re both equals.
Romance aside, a lot of this series’ SoL strength will be emphasized by the silent moments, not a word of dialogue other than sfx of the background or other elements. For me, that’s how the story can feel very immersive and atmospheric, with its high focus on character acting and sceneries rather than internal monologues.
This series is one of my favorite coming of age romances not just in anime but in media. It is however not really a romcom since comedy is not a large focus or driving force, so keep that in mind. Be warned that there will be somber and melancholic moments as the series can be very “mono no aware” at times.
One of the biggest praises I can give this series is that in my opinion, it’s a more mature and better done realization of Makoto Shinkai’s seishun romances. It has romanticized and idealized displays of youthful emotions but with more intimacy and open emotional connections. At the same time it keeps itself grounded through how the characters interact and fall in love.
I’m very excited for this spring season, especially because of this series being adapted. The trailer OSTs were played by Yuki Hayashi, so I have high hopes they can nail the soundtrack for the anime.
Kimi wa Houkago Insomnia or Insomniacs After School is an easy recommend from me and perhaps from many more once they see the anime. I hope those that experience this series for the first time through the anime can experience the magic I felt from reading the manga.
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