Hatsukoi Clumsy Vol.1

Watching two people at that age when you're in love with the idea of love gradually grow closer is so heart-fluttering! And it's not just about romance bringing their hearts together—the way the emotional distance between them closes as they comfort each other through their respective circumstances doesn't go smoothly like it would for adults. It's awkward and clumsy... but that's exactly what makes it good! That said, this was the first time I'd ever been called "ugly" in a situation voice work, so I was taken aback at first, lol. "So I'm ugly, huh..." I thought, feeling a bit down, but being able to feel how Anri-kun warmed up to her afterward more than made up for it. At first his way of speaking was so thorny it was hard to accept—like he didn't want his parents to remarry, or have an older sister appear out of nowhere—but gradually the way he says "nee-san" loses its edges and becomes rounder, sweeter. Feeling him open his heart to her like that made me so happy. In Track 3, when he tells her to sit between his knees to watch a movie, my heart skipped a beat—stop that! And the way he says it, unclear whether there's an ulterior motive or some other meaning behind it, makes it even more heart-pounding! Despite saying "romance movies are boring," he still watches the whole thing along with the heroine—it warmed my heart to realize that spending time with her mattered more to him than the movie itself. Heh, look at you being cute (smirk). By Track 4 you can really feel that the two of them have opened up to and are drawn to each other, and as the "wall" (feeling like some relative's auntie watching from the sidelines), I couldn't stop grinning. The coming-out confession at the end was so good! You can tell his feelings are genuine, and Anri-kun is so cool for being able to say things like "I want you to watch over me." The repeated "nee-san" calls partway through... anyone who loves that kind of address would have been unable to bear it. Seino-san's fresh, refreshing voice and cheeky feel suited Anri-kun perfectly, and you could really feel the way his tightly closed heart gradually opened up—it was wonderful. The switch between "man" and "little brother" was incredible! His cute little "fu-fu" blowing on hot food because he can't handle it was adorable too. It was such a bittersweet work that made me remember my own first love. "I'll definitely make you say you love me." I'm curious to see where Anri-kun's romance goes from here. ☆

At their first meeting, Anri-kun had a foul mouth and said terrible things to her, making for the worst possible first impression. But the heroine, his new stepsister, ends up getting pushed around by him at home and at school alike, thanks to his constant "nee-chan" calls. As it turns out, behind that attitude of his lies a loneliness within him. While he's happy to have a new family, he also feels a lingering loneliness at having his father "taken away," and doesn't know how to interact with this new family, how to be affectionate, or how to close the distance between them. Even so, Anri-kun starts messing with his new stepsister, whom he's come to like, in an attempt to get closer to her. Seino Yuki is so good at portraying pure love at this age that I found myself grinning the whole time, practically frozen in a smile. Seino-san even talked about this in the free talk—yeah, it really is wonderful! And then, at the end, when Anri-kun boldly declares "I'm going to pursue you, so be ready!"... I couldn't help but wish for a sequel.

Their first meeting is just the absolute worst. Anri-kun is 16, a first-year in high school. Please look at the character illustration. You know the type—there really are guys like this. He's full of himself, so he's incredibly rude to both his father's new wife (the heroine's mother) and the heroine herself. When the heroine tells him he's not cute, he snaps and blurts out, "Ugly! Ugly!" What a limited repertoire of insults!! Are you in elementary school or what (lol) But you know, this is his desperate resistance, his emotional armor. Unable to say he's lonely because his father comes home late from work, he's spent all this time desperately arming his heart and enduring. Naturally, having a stepmother and an older girl suddenly appear throws his heart into chaos. He doesn't seem to know what to do with the word "nee-san" either, saying it for the first time. Despite yapping and baring his teeth like a little dog at first, once he starts wagging his tail, he can't stop. The way he calls out "nee-san" gradually grows softer, and eventually starts to carry a tone tinged with possessiveness... Of course the heroine can't help but be conscious of suddenly living under the same roof as a boy her age. I couldn't handle it either... It makes sense that the heroine tries to put some distance between them. Watching a movie in the heroine's room. That kind of sitting position is something only couples do... Watching the whole thing in that position definitely means their feelings are mutual! So bittersweet!! Afterward, naturally, things get heart-poundingly tense, but the heroine's reason kicks in and it doesn't go further. But that incident triggers Anri-kun to go (in a sense) off the rails. And the way it happens is, how should I put it, pretty extreme... (staring into the distance) After bringing danger upon himself, he's saved by the heroine's fine performance, and his overflowing feelings were so poignant they brought tears to my eyes. I really couldn't have predicted how the ending would go. Anri-kun, voiced by Seino Yuki, was so adorable! He portrayed a high school boy whose moods flip-flop—acting tough one moment, sulking the next—beautifully. Though I did feel a bit deflated after being called "ugly, ugly" so many times (lol) This was a story full of aching heart-flutters, the kind only a stepfamily setting can bring. Thank you so much.