Slow Start

Hana Ichinose, a 17-year-old high school student who is not only introverted, but also insecure and timid, has just moved and will be attending a new school. To make her situation more difficult, Hana is a "slow start," which means that she missed a year and worries about attending a class where everyone is younger than her.

During her introduction, the teacher reveals it is Hana's birthday, which gives her the jumping-off point to meet three of her classmates: Tamate Momochi, a charismatic and extroverted girl; Kanmuri Sengoku, who is shy and small; and the popular and pretty Eiko Tokura. Not wanting to lose the chance to make new friends, Hana's interactions with these three mark the beginning of some beautiful relationships that will change her life.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Momochi, Tamate Main

Itou, Ayasa Japanese

Sengoku, Kamuri Main

Naganawa, Maria Japanese

Ichinose, Hana Main

Kondou, Reina Japanese

Tokura, Eiko Main

Mineuchi, Tomomi Japanese

Hannen, Hiroe Supporting

Uchida, Maaya Japanese

Kyouzuka, Shion Supporting

Ichimichi, Mao Japanese

Enami, Kiyose Supporting

Numakura, Manami Japanese

Tsubakimori, Sachi Supporting

Kouno, Marika Japanese

Takahashi, Nanae Supporting

Minase, Inori Japanese

Ichinose, Hazuki Supporting

Hikasa, Youko Japanese

Kobayashi, Hiroyuki Producer

Hashimoto, Wataru Producer

Onoue, Taiki Producer

Tsuruta, Kishou Producer

Reviews

Mar 24, 2018

Fircoal

Recommended

With the massive amount of shallow school-based CGDCT that exist you'd be forgiven for thinking that Slow Start is another one of those. While there are many shows that try to take a simple gimmick and turn it into a CGDCT show, that isn't the case here. It may look like it, after all the fact that one character is a year behind seems like a nice basis for a show so that it can set itself apart that little bit before going back to the old tropes.

Except it's not a gimmick and it's not treading the same ground. Rather it's going farther than most ... CGDCT shows ever try to do.

In reality, the core of Hana as a character isn't the fact that she started a year late, but rather how that late start effects her as a person. Hana shows all of the traditional signs of the worrier archetype but it goes beyond that. While sometimes it can be played up for laughs it doesn't exist solely for laughs. Rather it is a core focus of the show. Hana isn't just a worrier but rather is someone who has anxiety and a pretty bad case of that. Whenever something is brought up she is always finding the worse possible scenario for it and then fretting over it. Whether it be a misplaced unaccounted-for screw, fearing if she'd be able to get friends, or fearing what her friends would think about her secret, every event has something to worry about. This isn't something that shows up just when it'd be humorous but something that exists in each and every interaction that she has.

And thusly the core of the show isn't really about a missed year, rather the core of the show is about dealing with anxiety and the support system around her. And what makes Slow Start so magical to me is that it's able to deal with the subject matter while also being fluffy and fun at the same time.

Hana is really relatable as a character. What she goes through and how she approaches situations is parallel to what I and others face as follow sufferers from anxiety. It happens all the time and it can happen from any sort of stimuli. Furthermore, there is this sense of feeling how silly or meaningless the worry is about. Hana remarks several times that she thinks her own fears are stupid but the fears never stop. Anxiety isn't concerned with what makes sense and whether it's logical to be worried or not. It just happens. A scenario pops into one's mind and it cases worry until it can finally be put to rest. And this happens a lot with Hana. No matter what situation she's in there's always something that she can worry about and something that her anxiety can pick on. Furthermore, she's not the only one to have anxiety in the show. There is also Ms Hannen who suffers from social anxiety. In her case, we get to see her slowly come out of her shell as she learns how to deal with society and be able to go out into the real world. She's a shut-in but not even an okatu, just a shut-in, and it's believable in the ways that she acts as a shut-in. And the slow steps that she takes to get out of it. She goes to many convenience stores because it's somewhere to practice being in society at, and while it seems silly there is something real to taking small steps in order to conquer anxiety. Rome was not built in a day, and one can't go straight out into the belly of the beast and expect things to be alright. That sounds like a recipe for a panic attack, and panic attacks are not fun.

The whole show is about taking small steps. And in that way, the name fits. While I understand why shows can try to build up something bombastic and have it resolved quickly, I also really like how Slow Start is comprised of small issues dealt with slowly. Especially the recurring issues like Hana's anxiety are treated with care and are resolved slowly. There is no quick fix for anxiety. There is no way to stop the endlessly worrying mind from worrying. And the fact that this show gets that and rather focuses on having them slowly grow and be treated with love and comfort the whole way is something that I really enjoyed seeing.

The show is even able to show other parts of anxiety rather than just the worry. It also shows the effect of on self-esteem that it has and the ways that it cases Hana to react. Every reaction Hana had was deeply relatable to me. And even better is that they managed to provide this without the full melodramatic pain. Everything was alright. Everyone still loved her. But still the struggle existed and Hana's self-esteem continued to erode at herself, only to be reminded by everyone that her fears were not true. Slow Start shows a level of acceptance I did not expect. Rather than dismiss her worries or how she is, her friends and Shion all accept who she is and that she has those worries. For every fear, Hana has there is someone not just telling her that it's ok and rebutting it, but also telling her that it's ok for her to fear that. That it's ok for her to be herself. That she is ok and that there is nothing wrong with her because of whatever issue is bothering her. Anxiety is not ideal, far from it, but that doesn't mean that the person with it is any less worthwhile, or that their thoughts are stupid. It just happens. And I'm so glad to see that Slow Start not only tackles these issues but reassures that it's ok to feel this way.

It isn't just Hana's actions that make her anxiety so relatable but rather the reactions of those around her. Her parents are supportive and try to help her with what they can. Same with Shion. The actions that they take are completely in line with the actions that one would take for someone in Hana's situation. They're careful with her and coddle her a bit more than someone would be at her age. But they still do it because for someone like her it makes sense to comfort her. To tell her that it'll all be alright. She is treated with more care than someone else at her age would be and it makes sense why that is true. Even the teacher knows about it and tries to help Hana along. She tries to guide her as well and tries to give her a good understanding of what's what.

But Hana isn't the only character who shines in the show. All of the characters shine and differentiate themselves from the typical mould of CGDCT. There is Eiko who feels like a real teenage girl, she's fashionable, mature, and is discovering herself like most teenagers do. She has interests that are usually out of the scope of CGDCT, but that fall very in line with who she is as a person. And added on top of that she is a natural flirt who is able to get the attention of almost every girl that she interacts with. It's hard to say whether this is on purpose or not though, on one hand, it all looks innocent but on the other hand, there seems to be a real sense of longing with her, a sense of emptiness that needs filling. Eiko isn't just flirting just because she's the natural flirt but also because it's something that she likes to do and something that makes her feel more comfortable. There is an interesting push and pull with another character from the show that demonstrates this well. There is some level of a game to it for her, and a level, of satisfaction of being wanted and needed. She is an interesting character who I have yet to see another character like.

Tama also shines. She is the typical sort of Genki girl but also an okatu, and unlike what one would expect from that archetype she's actually really responsible. She keeps track of her finances and seems to have a good grasp on what she has to do and all of that. She isn't one of the Genki girls that need to be reminded every episode what's important but rather she knows it already. Really she's just hyper and someone who loves to get the full flavor out of life. And certainly, she adds to the show by giving just that. Adding extra fun and emotional moments that really shine and make the show even more distinct. You can tell her sense of responsibility by how her grandmas interact with her. In many shows, the Genki girl is scolded by their parents over and over again for being too irresponsible and causing trouble, but in the case of Tama, she is revered by her grandmas.

Kamuri is the weakest character of the group but she has her own flavor and certainly, she's better than some of those characters can be. She doesn't have the same character depth as the other three but she certainly does add to the group and is fun to watch.

The character interactions are fantastic in Slow Start, they fully and completely feel like friends and even more so than that it feels like they're fully committed to helping Hana and each other. Both Eiko and Tama go out of their way to reassure Hana and show her that everything is alright. They don't laugh at her issues but rather empathize with her. While the characters certainly can have fun with each other and joke about each other when push comes to shove they're always there for each other and there to try to help out. They're great friends and I loved every moment of watching them grow closer and support each other.

Add onto that the animation of this show is fantastic. The character animation is top notch as the characters are allowed to have small animated movements that make them feel so much more lively. It makes the emotions of each scene that much richer, including the fun which feels that much more vibrant. In fact, I've never been one to care too much about animation quality especially in a CGDCT, but seeing what the emotive animation of Slow Start can do really gave me an appreciation of what animation can do, even for a genre that doesn't rely on it the same way that action would. There are so many little movements in this show that work so well and it's so great.

Slow Start is one of the best CGDCT shows that I've watched yet. It's able to tackle serious issues in the background while still being vibrant and fun. The way that the situations are handled also is very heartwarming and its just so nice to see people bond and care for each other. CGDCT is made off of heartwarming interactions and fun fluff, and for a show to do both so well like Slow Start has, along with providing interesting distinct characters, and dynamic character animation... magical.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Apr 13, 2023

OG_Otaku

Mixed Feelings

Recommended with a big asterisk.

Bottom line: if you like CGDCT, yuri, and ecchi, then you will enjoy Slow Start. It is a PG-13 teaser, with enjoyable fan service and lots of yuri flirtations between the characters, especially so between Eiko and her teacher. But there is no nudity, nothing explicit, just a lot of joking and CGDCT.

The plot is minimal. The anime writers and producers let us down, suggesting a number of story lines that just fizzled out before they could get interesting. The art style is sort of classic for CGDCT, and may not be everyone's cup of tea.

I may ... find myself watching bits of this again someday. Sometimes you just need a little yuri CGDCT to get through the week.

6/10

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Apr 15, 2018

Axew13

Not Recommended

"The protagonist is a normal high school student going to your typical all-girls' high school. But wait! She's actually one year behind! I swear I'm not running out of ideas."
This was my first thought upon seeing Slow Start. Bear in mind, I actually (guiltily) enjoyed this show after watching it. But flaws are flaws, so here's my review.

STORY: Hana Ichinose is a- you already know this. And that's all the plot you're going to get from this series aside from minor character development. Spoiler: The gap year thing ends up not being essential to the show at all.

ART: Slow Start has the most generic art ... style it could possibly have. Granted they couldn't take too much liberty since this is a manga adaptation, but the show still looks like a template. The actual animation is stunning: as expected of A-1 Pictures, characters move pretty smoothly. Background art does the job. Fanservice scenes are on-point.

SOUND: The OP, ED and that one background song are as catchy as they should be, without doing anything particularly innovative. I'm not Japanese, but the voices fit the characters for me, and the acting (especially Tama) was great.

CHARACTERS: Hana is a self-insert crybaby. Tamate represents the male otaku audience. Eiko is kind of like an older figure, especially to Kamu who is the token loli. The characters are by no means realistic, but if you're willing to overlook that, they do show more (perhaps unexpected) traits that deviate them from their archetypes.

If you're a fan of moe then Slow Start is a good watch. Hell, watch it just for Tama-chan. But don't prioritize it, because then you're likely to be disappointed and miss out on better shows.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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