Confessions, unrequited love, and mixed relationships are the heart of Anyway, I’m Falling in Love with You, the new romantic drama anime of Winter 2025. Episode 1 swiftly immerses the audience in Mizuho Nishino’s memory of her and her childhood friends in July 2020. As this close circle of friends, consisting of one girl and four boys, navigate their late teenage years, a confession from one of the boys tests the group’s dynamics and ultimately sparks a reshaping of their relationships.
The premise and timing of Anyway, I’m Falling in Love With You immediately caught my attention, because this is the first anime series that is specifically set in 2020 — the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. As someone who lived and is still living in that reality, I expected this series to reflect or at least mention some of the defining aspects, such as masking, social distancing, or lockdowns. However, the show simply uses the unnamed “infectious disease” as more of a plot device than a direct reflection of real-world events. The infectious disease’s impact is primarily seen in how it disrupts the characters’ lives as students, canceling key experiences such as school trips and festivals. While I wondered if these high schoolers would be confined to their rooms or face similar restrictions to what we experienced, the pandemic seems to just serve as a backdrop instead.
Beyond the initial premise, I found all the characters to be quite distinct and likable in the first episode. The anime’s use of different hair colors is definitely a plus and a notable advantage over the original manga source material, where character differentiation relies more heavily on drawings and shading. Mizuho is a vibrant character who forms genuine relationships with each of the boys, both all together and separately. It’s obvious that their bonds since childhood are quite strong, and each one of them values the others.
Among the boys, Kizuki stands out in particular in the first episode. He is a swim team member who is popular with the girls, but as the youngest in the friend group, he is the most serious and direct in pursuing his love interests. I don’t know if any of the others have a crush on Mizuho, but at least one might. The question is if these boys will respect each other’s chances with Mizuho without jeopardizing the harmony of the friend group or if Mizuho’s actions will shake things up.
In addition to the characters, the background visuals in Anyway, I’m Falling in Love With You are quite detailed and breathtaking. With a somewhat washed-out color palette, it really adds a subtle and nostalgic charm, making the yellow-orange hues of the sunsets stand out. These scenes evoke a warm, hazy atmosphere that feels almost tangible and makes them feel more realistic. The attention to backgrounds also extends into the night, such as the glittering surface of the pool and the gentle movement of the waves. I don’t think these visual touches are just for aesthetic purposes, as I believe that these help enhance the mood and emotional tone of each scene and the series overall.
Some may simply write this show off as just another reverse harem, but I think the first episode does a great job of hinting at something deeper. Anyway, I’m Falling in Love With You will certainly explore childhood friendships transitioning into young adulthood, and the themes in it are very real and relatable so far. I look forward to seeing how the friendships and relationships will evolve, especially with the pandemic in the background subtly affecting parts of their lives.
Anyway, I’m in Love With You is streaming on Crunchyroll.
Series Staff:
- Director: Junichi Yamamoto (Why Raeliana Ended Up at the Duke’s Mansion, More Than a Married Couple, But Not Lovers)
- Series composer and scriptwriter: Yu Murai (Haigakura series composer)
- Series composer and scriptwriter: Nagisa Nario (Dahlia in Bloom co-scriptwriter)
- Character designer: Vaio Shii (In/Spectre Season 2 ending animation director and key animator)
- Animation production: Typhoon Graphics
