Kiss Him, Not Me ran for twelve episodes across one season on BS-TBS and TBS, airing between October 7, 2016 and December 23, 2016. It is an anime adaptation of the manga by Junko, serialized in Kodansha’s Bessatsu Friend magazine from April 2013 to February 2018. The story follows Kae Serinuma, a high school student and fujoshi who loses a large amount of weight after the death of her favorite anime character. That weight loss turns her into an attractive girl in the eyes of her classmates, including Igarashi and Nanashima, and sets off a chain reaction of desire among four boys at her school.
The show was met with strong critical reception upon release, as reflected in its standing as a respected entry in the genre. This review weighs the show against its own ambitions rather than comparing it to some external standard.
Trailer, via Crunchyroll Store Australia.
Kae Serinuma and the Weight Loss
The core of Kiss Him, Not Me is Kae Serinuma herself. Yu Kobayashi voices the protagonist, a second-year high school student whose love for yaoi and romantic fantasies about male couples defines her daily life. When one of her favorite anime characters dies, Kae locks herself in her room for a whole week. When she emerges, she has lost a large amount of weight and has become a beautiful girl in the eyes of others.
The weight loss is not a joke or a costume change. It triggers genuine social change in Kae’s life. Her classmates, including Igarashi and Nanashima, now see her as attractive. That shift forces Kae to confront a situation she never wanted: attention from boys who do not know what a fujoshi is.
The show handles this premise with a light touch that avoids becoming cruel. Kae remains the same person inside, even as the world outside her changes. The humor comes from the gap between her inner thoughts and her new outward reality, not from her discomfort itself being made into spectacle. The contrast between her private world of BL fantasies and her public image as an attractive girl is the engine of the entire story, and the show never lets that gap collapse into cruelty or mockery.
The Four Boys Who Want Her
The four boys who compete for Kae’s affection are Igarashi, Nanashima, Shinomiya, and Mutsumi. Each one brings his own personality to the mix:
- Igarashi is a straightforward, sincere boy who reads Kae’s feelings clearly.
- Nanashima is quiet and reserved, observing Kae from a distance.
- Shinomiya is a snarky junior who comments on everything around him.
- Mutsumi is a senior who carries a strong sense of pride and self-respect.
Together, they form a quartet that keeps the story moving forward. Their competition for Kae’s attention is not a simple matter of who gets the girl. Each boy has his own reasons for wanting her, and those reasons vary from genuine care to competitive instinct.
The dynamic between them is the engine of the series. Without it, Kae’s predicament would sit still. With it, the show becomes a comedy of manners about young people trying to navigate desire in a public space. The show uses this quartet to explore different modes of desire — from the sincere to the competitive — without reducing any of them to simple types.
The Fujoshi Mind
Kae’s identity as a fujoshi is central to the show. She reads yaoi, imagines romantic relationships between men, both fictional and real, and ships her classmates without ever telling them why. Her mind is constantly filled with BL fantasies, and she cannot help but think about the romantic possibilities of the people around her.
The show treats this identity with respect rather than mockery. Kae’s shipping is not a flaw or a punchline; it is simply who she is. The humor comes from the mismatch between her private thoughts and the social expectations placed upon her, not from her interests themselves.
This approach distinguishes Kiss Him, Not Me from shows that treat fujoshi culture as a joke. Kae’s shipping is presented as a natural part of who she is, and the show’s willingness to center that perspective is one of its strengths. The show does not ask viewers to laugh at Kae’s tastes; it asks them to understand them.
Shima Nishina and the Classmate Dynamic
Another classmate enters the picture alongside Kae. Shima Nishina is voiced by Miyuki Sawashiro, and her presence adds another layer to the show’s exploration of fujoshi culture.
Shima’s role is smaller than the four boys’, but she functions as a mirror for Kae. Both women share the same tastes, the same habits of thought, and the same inability to express them directly. Their friendship is a quiet thread running through the series, offering moments of solidarity amid the chaos.
The show uses Shima to show that Kae is not alone in her way of thinking. There are others who understand her, even if the rest of the world does not. Shima’s presence also helps establish the idea that fujoshi culture is not a solitary condition — there are other people who share Kae’s tastes and her way of seeing the world, even if they keep their thoughts hidden.
Voice Cast and Animation
The voice cast brings the characters to life with energy and precision. Keisuke Komoto voices Nozomu Nanashima, Nobunaga Shimazaki voices Asuma Mutsumi, Miyuki Sawashiro voices Shima Nishina, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka voices Hayato Shinomiya, Yuki Ono voices Yuusuke Igarashi, and Takahiro Mizushima voices Takurou Serinuma.
Each actor brings their own interpretation to the role, and the chemistry between them is evident throughout the series. The voices carry the emotional weight of the story, making the comedy land and the drama feel genuine.
The animation itself is clean and expressive, suited to the comedic tone of the show. Character designs are distinct, and the backgrounds are detailed enough to ground the story in a believable high school setting. Nothing about the production feels rushed or underdeveloped. The animation supports the show’s light touch rather than overwhelming it.
The Story’s Limits
The show is not without its weaknesses. Some episodes lean heavily on visual gags and repetition, which can make the pacing uneven. The middle stretch of the season slows down as the competition between the boys drags on, and the resolution arrives after a period of extended build-up.
These are minor complaints against a show that mostly knows what it is doing. The worst moments are brief, and they do not undo the work the show does well. The show’s strength is its handling of Kae’s predicament, and even when individual episodes stumble, that strength carries the series through.
Reception and Legacy
Kiss Him, Not Me extends beyond its anime adaptation. The manga won Best Shōjo Manga at the 40th Kodansha Manga Awards. The live-action film adaptation, released in July 2020, extended the story’s reach beyond the anime audience.
The manga’s award reflects the strength of the original material, and the live-action version brought the story to viewers who might not otherwise have encountered it. Together, these adaptations helped establish Kiss Him, Not Me as a significant entry in the genre.
Final Verdict
Kiss Him, Not Me earns its standing as a respected entry in the genre. The show takes a premise that could easily have been cruel and handles it with warmth instead. Kae’s journey is handled with respect, and the supporting characters are given enough depth to carry the comedy.
The voice acting is excellent, the animation is solid, and the story holds together across its twelve episodes. It is a show about desire, identity, and the gap between what we think and what others see, told with humor and sincerity.
Kiss Him, Not Me is a worthwhile watch for anyone interested in romantic comedies, fujoshi culture, or simply a story about a girl whose life changes overnight and has to figure out how to handle it.
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