At 167 cm, Sae “Iwa” Iwata is the tallest girl in her class, and always has been, since elementary school. But the athletic, feisty kid has become an insecure teenager who sees herself as a heavy giant, a being of a different species than the slim, petite girls in her class. This has made her contemplative and quiet, and we see her thoughts, reflections, and memories from a distance, and occasionally on a screen she sits in front of. She harbors a crush for the blond, blue-eyed Kamishiro, who used to be a scrawny kid (and picky eater) who she took under her wing when they were little. But the years passed; now, Kamishiro is much taller than Iwa, and they are no longer on a first-name basis. This is not the only change: As an athlete and a genuinely nice guy, he is becoming increasingly popular among the girls. Iwa reflects that the situation feels the same as when a fringe singer you like becomes a star, or an obscure manga you’re interested in becomes mainstream, and is seriously considering letting her crush go once and for all. Why should she torment herself? But one day, Kamishiro and Iwa happen to be together on school duty. The conversation is fresh, just like old times. Is he just being kind to her? Or does Iwa have a chance after all?

I found the first episode of A Star Brighter Than the Sun to be very well-rounded: I think it could even work as its own self-contained little story. It’s also quite charming. The key is the subdued tone that keeps anime-isms to a minimum while preserving the medium’s unique touch with the details. Right after introducing the characters, the episode takes its time to put you squarely into Iwa’s headspace. The art style smoothly accompanies the golden memories, the special moments, the surprises, the setbacks. Her troubles are not uncommon, and her reaction to them doesn’t feel overdramatized or exaggerated. I loved the calm pace, the contemplative tone, the feeling of the past dawning on the present. This sense of authenticity makes the developments in the second part of the episode feel as magical and unexpected as these kinds of encounters do in real life. Did this conversation really happen? What did this or that word mean? I had a great time, and if the rest of the show keeps this tone, I can see it becoming one of my all-time favorites, right next to the likes of Kids on the Slope, Toradora, My Love Story, From Me to You, OreGairu, or Chihayafuru. And whatever the case, I’ll always have this episode.

A Star Brighter Than the Sun can be streamed on Amazon Prime.