Currently in my rom-com anime mood, I stumbled across Sukitte Ii na yo (aka Say I Love You) this week.
An anime series based on the manga by Kanae Hazuki that tells the story of the relationship between Mei Tachibana and Yamato Kurosawa.
Mei, a girl who never makes friends with other students due to a traumatic experience with ‘friends’ during middle school, and Yamato, the most popular boy in the school who is loved by most of the girls.
But, when Mei kicks Yamato down a flight of stairs accidentally, then does everything she can to ignore him, Yamato becomes interested in her.
Soon the most unpopular girl and the most popular boy are dating.
When do Sukitte Ii na yo‘s Mei and Yamato start dating, though, and how do they get together?
When do Sukitte Ii na yo‘s Mei and Yamato start dating?
Anime that go on for the full 12 or 13 episodes before the two main characters get together are annoying.
Thankfully, it isn’t like that in Sukitte Ii na yo, with Mei and Yamato getting together quite quickly.
In fact, Yamato kisses Mei at the end of Sukitte Ii na yo Episode 1, after he rescues her from a stalker.
The kiss isn’t a real romantic kiss, though, but just Yamato’s way of forcing the stalker to leave Mei alone if he thinks she has a boyfriend.
By Sukitte Ii na yo Episode 2, however, Mei is in love with Yamato, and it’s obvious Yamato has the same feelings back.
That’s why, when she rushes to see him at a karaoke bar and he kisses her outside without asking permission, she becomes angry with him.
After all, a girl at school told her Yamato kisses anyone, and so his kisses obviously mean nothing.
Mei shouts at him “Kisses without love behind them don’t make me happy, idiot”. So Yamato kisses her for real. Several times.
And that’s how they get together.
By the beginning of Episode 3 then, Mei and Yamato are dating.
Although Mei, ever the girl who believes people don’t really like her, is still trying to convince herself they are just hanging out, while Yamato insists they are dating.
By the end of Sukitte Ii na yo Episode 3, however, after Mei encounters another girl who is in love with Yamato and has to confront her own feelings for him, Mei and Yamato are definitely dating.
Watch Sukitte Ii na yo aka Say I Love You via Crunchyroll. If you enjoy a good rom-com anime, I can definitely recommend this one.
Brit-American journalist based in Austria,. Former radio DJ at 97X WOXY, and Founder/CEO of Leo Sigh. I’ve covered K-drama, K-pop, anime, and manga news for over a decade.