Runway de Waratte – Episode 1 [First Impressions]

Ahhhh I really enjoyed this episode and I already can’t wait to watch more! I haven’t read the manga so this is my first time experiencing the story (and I’ll probably hold off until the anime finishes airing to avoid spoilers). To be honest, from the moment I‌ watched the PV‌ I’ve just been so eager for the first episode to come out so I could jump right in. The premise, the characters, even the art style all dragged me in – and I’m not disappointed! I have very high hopes for this anime.

For a first episode I‌ thought it was really solid. They did quite a bit of character developing in such a limited amount of time and it really allowed me to appreciate our character’s goals despite only watching them for 24 minutes. It feels fresh and new despite knowing we’ve met characters like these before. I‌ don’t really know what makes me feel that way, but it makes me all the more excited to keep watching. It’s an underdog story, we started from the bottom and we’re going to make our way to the top! (Or in Chiyuki’s case: I started from most of the way there fell out of luck and am now getting back to the top. Not the typical underdog story, but I’m still interested to see how this journey goes for her).

But let’s talk about the characters because that’s what has sold me the most on this so far. Chiyuki, so far, seems to be a great character, she wears her emotions on her sleeves and she’s completely unapologetic in what she is trying to do. She’s headstrong, knows what she wants, and just won’t give up. Even though she hasn’t grown a single centimeter since 4th grade, she’ll achieve her dreams – who cares that super models need to be a certain height? She is a bit self-centered, but not necessarily in a “I’m going to push others down to make it to the top” and I‌ really like that; it makes her a lot more enjoyable and makes me want to cheer her on. I‌ wouldn’t be surprised if she does have a moment of “I can do it by myself and don’t need you anymore”, but ¯(ツ)/¯.

Tsumura is great, I‌ already love him and want the best for him and his family. I love that in this first episode he recognizes that making clothes can make other people happy and that’s what brings him joy as well. When he first appeared I‌ was worried that he’d be a very self-critical character who just lacks confidence and a lot of his arc was going to be others giving him confidence. It’s not the worst thing, but having a timid character know what they want to do and work towards achieving their dreams just brings a smile on my face. I think that the dynamic between him and Chiyuki will be wonderful, they compliment each other very nicely and I really want both of them to succeed!!!

Outside of the characters, I also really enjoyed the soundtrack from this episode. I missed most of it the first time around because I‌ was so focused on the story in the episode, but I’m glad I decided to re-watch it. If you missed out on it too, I’d strongly recommend going back and checking it out! Lastly, I adore the fact that the ending addressed that this was going to be the story of two characters rather than “It’s all about Chiyuki!!! Also Tsumura is here”. I really hope that they are able to split content between the two of them nicely and one of them doesn’t get pushed to secondary status.

I can’t wait for the next episode and for the two of them to actually start engaging with the fashion design / fashion modelling industry. I have a feeling this is going to a roller coaster of emotions, but I’m buckled in and ready to go!

Possibility of Watching: Guaranteed

Possibility of Blogging: Yes, please!