First Impression: Plus-sized Misadventures in Love!

The ambulance siren wails as Yumeko Koda breathes her last, reflecting that she deserved to die for loving a handsome man despite being overweight, and hoping that if she is reincarnated, she will be more… She flatlines before we hear her dying wish. But it’s ok, because actually, she survives! The plot device of choice here is not reincarnation, but rather…du du dum: amnesia! Yumeko awakens with no memory of who she is, why she apparently tried to commit suicide, or how to do her salaryman grind of a job at the Planning Department for a sweets megacorp. But everything is going to be just fine, because, while she may not remember what social media is or how to do a corporate presentation, she has two secret weapons: a drawer full of Ideas notebooks, and irrepressible, overflowing, unwavering, superabundant confidence! So much so, that everyone at the office is pretty much shocked speechless, including her line manager, who’s a bit of a suspicious character, and her deskmate, pick-me girl Tamai. Yumeko doesn’t heed (or possibly even notice) their double-takes or any of the microaggressions from her coworkers, though. She’s a new woman now, one who can own her attractiveness and find a thousand things a day to take joy in and be grateful for, including finally meeting her (apparent) crush (judging by all the photos of him on her phone). Yumeko was granted a second chance, and life is goo—her phone rings and it’s the police. They’ve processed the scene from the rooftop that night, and the evidence says that Yumeko didn’t jump; someone tried to kill her.

This was three parts cute and sweet, and one part sheer harrowing intrigue! The pacing and writing are perfect for selling this as a workplace romcom that is secretly a thriller, with little hints being dropped in “blink and you’ll miss it” fashion throughout, steadily ramping up the tension until the reveal. (There’s more to the episode as well, not spoiled above, adding more layers to the core mystery.) I have so many questions—about Yumeko’s backstory and who she used to be, which Yumeko herself is trying to uncover; about her relationship with her parents, which seems to be somewhat strained; about the handsome man at the heart of it all; and, of course, about her potentially murderous office mates. And I can feel that this one is going to keep me guessing all season! I also just really like Yumeko: she’s so full of joy, it’s positively contagious! Watching the effect that her confidence and joie de vivre have on those around her is delightful. The animation and color design capture her sunny exuberance really well, with some thoughtful layouts and plenteous peeks into her “inner world” making this a fun watch. All in all, MarvyJack studio has done a fab job with its premiere title as lead studio! I’ll admit, I wasn’t expecting much, but I’m sold on Yumeko and her story. Can’t wait for Mondays now—words I’ve never said before!

Plus-sized Misadventures in Love! is streaming on Crunchyroll.

claire
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