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The approach to romance in anime has been portrayed in very familiar territory. It is often an explosion of emotions, of characters explicitly realizing they are deeply in love with one another, of the exaggeration and over dramatization of love to make it “pop” for entertainment purposes. This is where Insomniacs After School takes a different, much more gentler and quieter walk on the journey of two individuals learning to understand and share their feelings with one another.

One of the first things to notice about the two leads is how notably comfortable they are around each other. While there is a presence of teenage ... awkwardness, of navigating the tension of growing feelings, it is never done so in a way that is jarring and off-putting. The reactions are controlled to perfection. There is certain frictionless and accessible comfortability of the chemistry and dynamic between the leads that is very soothing. Much of the tension in the story revolves around the characters themselves, around the personal hardships and trauma they face, rather than the development of their relationship. It’s disarming but the story understand to create conflict that doesn’t stem from outside intervention. Ganta and Isaki move the plot forward on their own rather than get dragged along.

From the very first episode, the leads together hold a certain soulmate energy that stems from their shared sleeping disorder. It is with that foundation that their relationship kicks off. They begin to learn more about each other, what makes each other tick, what they fear, what they struggle with, what drives one another to do what they do, what they are passionate about. Over the course of the story, the themes of insomnia still runs, but it is expanded upon with themes of family, finding a passion, cherishing beautiful moments in time, exploring personal trauma, and accepting love, care and empathy of those around you. It explores many different aspects of life rather than run the same main theme nonstop, but never ignores the importance of it. Insomnia is something that is prevalent in almost every episode, no matter how big or small the moments are.

Ganta and Isaki’s relationship is the classic example of the “disciplined, reserved boy meets carefree, outgoing girl” story. While this has been done countless times, what matters the most is execution. In the hands of a lesser writer, the romance between these two would’ve fallen short, felt lacking and remained stagnant. There lies the magic of Makoto Ojiro’s writing, a style of romance that refines the calm approach to portraying intimacy in such a way that one can’t helped but respect the amount of tenderness and care she has for her characters, a reflection of what the two have for each other. The author and anime respects the audience’s intelligence to piece together the growing relationship between the insomniacs. It is explicit in your face that the leads love each other dearly, but it doesn’t ever need to have the two think that for the audience. Paying attention to the small blushes, facial features and understanding the context behind many big and small actions is crucial to understanding and resonating with the romance of Insomniacs.

In a way, while Insomniacs is mainly romance focused, its first and foremost directive is to portray the emotional empathy, the powerful and unyielding human connection they have to one another. Isaki and Ganta don’t focus on the ideals of love, they don’t agonize how much one cares for the other. They know it, they feel it, and they express it to each other. Their love blossomed naturally from their connection and intimacy. This approach to not ignore, but to interweave the romance so fluidly and subtly with well-meaningful interactions gives Insomniacs that feeling of authenticity that is hard to find, much less replicate. There is a natural gravitation they have towards one another that I find extremely heartwarming and touching. It’s organic romance that helps the audience learn that they’re not just romantic partners, they’re best friends, they bounce off each other so well despite being on the opposite spectrum of personalities. They are the type of people to remain together until the end of their days because their relationship is more than just romance, it’s the feeling of complete and mutual connection. They have different facets of their bond that isn’t reliant on one singular aspect.

To dive in deeper, the intimacy of their romance is very gentle and straightforward. It’s simple, but in its simplicity shines beauty and refreshes anyone that is sick of seeing characters constantly avoid each other’s advances. Isaki and Ganta are very physically intimate, they aren’t afraid to get close but not done so in a way that feels out of place. They’re not robots or machines that bends to bad romance tropes. They still are teens after all and will get a bit nervous as expected, but they never shy away from touching. There is a sense of awareness they share in one another’s presence, but they don’t make up any excuses to avoid one another’s touch. They don’t go into a nervous breakdown or panic, they cherish the comfortable moments they share.

For the emotional aspects of intimacy, there’s no shortage either. The connection these two share goes beyond falling in love. They truly get to deeply know one another and the lives they lead. As mentioned before, the feelings of empathy is executed in such a tender and powerful manner that it is easy to see how deeply lost into each other they are. Ganta and Isaki represents the ideals of youth and adolescence so elegantly through how they laugh together, how they cry and shed tears in front of each other, and through it all, be the emotional rock the other needs, whenever and wherever. There is a sense of beautiful idealization of their love that is grounded by how it is just a very natural part of life to do all they’ve done with each other. There is a balance between comfiness and melancholy, and sometimes a mix of both that Insomniacs has that propels it upwards highly in the romance genre for me.

The most real and beautiful thing about the romance between the couple is that it’s not tied to some goal. Everything that happened between them are pieces of the path, of all they went through together rather than the definite end goal they have to reach, it’s a sense of almost wandering through life and love that lies in the soulful nature of the two’s bond. Their relationship is not a mere reward but rather it is like planting a tree. Instead of the chase, you get the growth, the journey. The fruits of their relationship comes as an extension rather than the focus of their journey. Branches of intimacy extend as their relationship grows and they grow closer, from the seeds of two teens finding out they share the burden of insomnia, something they try to work around as a positive throughout the story.

From outside the couple, the supporting casts add extra depth, introspection, perspectives, and bounce off the leads very well. All of them lead their own lives but are there to provide the wisdom and support to help the two not only grow closer, but as people. They are the friends and people you wish you had in your life in high school. Shiromaru is the senpai that wants to make sure you truly understand the passion you are diving into. Kurashiki is the sensei that helps you decipher the kind of person you are, the struggles you face, and the emotions you hold. Ukegawa is the kind of wingman you’d want as not only a best friend for life, but a brother. Nono is the girl you’d want nothing more than to protect and keep her happy, her outgoing silly nature is contrasted by her focused, meditative one when it comes to art. Anamizu is the inspirational gal that you’d love to goof off with and play sports all day together due to her passion of her own, the gal who works her butt off despite people telling her she sucks and can’t do something right. Kanikawa is the spoiled brat that seems to be extremely hatable, but her energy and enthusiasm is nothing short of infectious and uplifting, plus being a chef that wants to bring the best food for the people she cares about is not half bad either. In a sense, they embody the best parts of teenage years almost just as much the couple do. It’s the sense of having these kind of people in one’s life at one point that makes high school truly worth cherishing.

The anime’s background visuals are very beautiful and as expected of Lidenfilms, the skies shine bright, the twinkling stars lined with a wonderful blend of blue, black, pink and and purple. The animation is not much to write home about but for a slice of life romance, it’s not very necessary. The emotional moments and beats are of course enhanced wonderfully by Yuki Hayashi’s OSTs, the man behind the music for Haikyuu and My Hero Academia.

Overall, this anime is a treat for those that enjoy well-paced, natural, casual and laidback romance helmed by leads with wonderful chemistry. It is a refreshing take on the romance genre and unique in its normality. The raw display of earnestness, genuine love and care the couple have is nothing short of a sight to not only behold but to truly feel, along with the calm and healing atmosphere. For me, it is a romance anime peeled back to the most rawest and beautiful layer.

When one wants a satisfying and well-written romance and/or slice of life manga, this should be one of the top picks and recommendations.

The level of warmth, depth and intimacy of romance is almost indescribable with this manga. While not the most original nor grand display of romance, what Kimi wa Houkago Insomnia does is take the execution and refines it to near perfection. Everything clicks from the character interactions, the chemistry, to the evolution of feelings. It feels organic and genuine, nothing is out of place, and it is understandable why the way they are and how their personalities blend so well with their ... interactions. What is intriguing about this series is that the couple never come to an exact realization that they are in love with each other, meaning they never had that explicit internal or external dialogue of "Oh, I like her/him." It's always shown through their actions, what they do and the way they do it for each other. It's heartwarmingly realistic and clenching to see two insomniacs grow closer together, how they need each other, and how they love each other. There is a sense that they are soulmates or kindred spirits, even from the very first chapter. They are comfortable around each other; they feel safe and aren't afraid to express those thoughts to each other. Nakami and Magari grow from finding a person to share their troubles with to friendship to romantic feelings, all flowing in a steady stream of development.

There are certain boxes that this couple checks off so when looking at this manga, expect:
1. A balanced and equal power dynamic between the leads: One does not hold power over the other in any way, they are partners who are equals.
2. Open and honest communication: Nakami and Magari will express their desires, their fears, and their feelings. They genuinely get to learn about one another.
3. Emotional support: The leads are each other's rocks, they will have each other's backs, defend each other, and encourage each other.
4. Physical intimacy: This is one of the strongest aspects of the manga. The couple are not afraid to get close, there's no tiptoeing around each other. They lean on each other a lot, hug, snuggle and more. Those actions feel natural and are not done too often that it gets stale, always at those strong emotional moments and sometimes the little ones.
5. High chemistry: Both leads can be quite stubborn and can bicker/argue at times, even get into fights, but never in a way that feels contrived. There are many fun and cute scenes of teasing, flirting, and banter that flow naturally. They bounce off each other well. There are also moments of awkwardness that's done in a way that isn't cringe but rather in a "damn, I felt that" in a sympathetic way, just flavors of Nakami and Magari experiencing teenage love with one another (an example would be the end of chapter 14). It just adds to the realism of their relationship.
6. Help one another grow and see new perspectives: As the story develops, secrets are revealed, and character feelings are grown and changed. Nakami is changed because of Magari and vice versa. They complement each other and are each other's other half, the connecting puzzle pieces.
7. Sappy moments: There are some scattered throughout the story but are balanced and grounded enough in the story that rather than providing eyerolling, they enhance the level of depth and love the characters have for each other. It's a certain level of romantic idealization that instills a sense of wonder in the readers.
8. Struggles and bumpy roads: There will be moments of struggles and setbacks they face but will never come from certain external factors. That means there are no love rivals, jealous moments, outside misunderstandings. Those struggles will come from them as characters, their perspectives, and their personalities. They will however not devolve into melodrama and will be tackled appropriately.

Those factors can give off the energy of them being a legitimate married couple, which is interesting considering they're still in high school. That's another thing about this manga, there are no usual bad tropes that are present. No contrived misunderstandings, no crazy wacky over the top humor that ruins the story tone, no cliché archetypes, and no stringing the readers along with zero development. The romance is paced fluidly, never rushed nor dragged out. It simmers with the characters and shows the readers why the characters are the way they are. There are no external contrivances that are made for Nakami and Magari to shallowly overcome together. They move the story forward on their own, the flow of the story is dependent on them, not the other way around. They are not products made to be swept along with random plotlines, they are fleshed out to guide the story themselves. Another strong aspect is that the leads are well-written enough to function on their own without romance. Both have their own fears, struggles, and personalities that are intriguing enough that even without romance, they are still great as characters. Both the fMC and mMC are not caricatures of tropes, they are fleshed out enough to pass as real people.

Switching to the other aspects of outside the main couple, let's first address the supporting cast. While they aren't as tightly written as the leads, that's not a problem in the writing, but rather the focus the author wants to take. The manga is written as about 70% couple and 30% side casts, when in terms of focus. That does not mean the side characters are ignored, rather they are not as prevalent. They won't steal the spotlight from the couple and act as strong support systems to provide wisdom, perspectives, and warm character interactions. They are distinguishable enough to have their own personalities while feeling realistic at the same time. They do their job while not being just empty husks. The author understands that the story is mainly between Magari and Nakami while not excluding others.

Going into the more technical aspects of the manga, Makoto Ojiro has complete control of the medium. The art has a kind of lazy elegance that feels so naturally blended into the story. Beautiful, detailed spreads are what she loves to utilize to bring the emotions of her characters across the story, emphasize certain moments in time, create breathtaking scenery, or all three. The slice of life presentation is portrayed so soothingly and smoothly. Panel and page compositions are easy to follow and flow so naturally. Full frame pages are placed perfectly at the right moments, to say that those certain moments are especially important. Even looking at the details on the characters' eyebrows, that's how dedicated and passionate the author is when drawing the manga. The author is also a master at the “show not tell” approach, there will be certain scenes of no dialogue that perfectly gets her message across and tell more than words ever could. It allows for the SFX, characters, scenery, or silence to speak for the story. The first half of chapter 35 fits that description perfectly. All these aspects blend to create an immersive atmosphere, as if one is in the manga experiencing the moments instead of watching it from an outside perspective.

Lastly, there is the story tone and themes to consider. Kimi wa Houkago Insomnia is a story of overcoming afflictions together, exploring personal trauma, cherishing the beautiful moments of youth and time, and creating new precious memories. Insomnia is a condition that is treated with respect in the story, it never goes away completely and the two can fall back into the cycle of getting no sleep. There is no cure, only working to lessen the effects. This is done through finding passions that help bring a mechanism to cope with their problems, and those passions also help alter the way they see things. The tone takes a very strong coming of age focus at times, as the characters slowly battle the challenges of life and grow up over time, to prepare for life beyond high school. The two insomniacs learn personal life lessons, work to combat their internal or external conflicts, and they do it together. There is life drama, the exploration of how their issues can affect each other and the future. The manga can be painfully relatable, melancholic and soul clenching despite the comfiness it provides. It’s an iyashikei that puts a warm blanket over the reader while whispering chillingly in their ears that winter is coming. It’s an emotional journey to remember.

To conclude:
Story: 10/10
Art: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Enjoyment: 10/10

This manga is my personal favorite one and I truly believe it to be the best ongoing romance manga out there. Depending on how it ends, it could be the best romance SoL manga for me period (also I’m glad MAL finally decided to add the romance tag). I don’t think I’ve ever connected to a story as much as this one nor do I believe Makoto Ojiro can top this masterpiece, but I would like to see her try if she ever does make another manga.