NIS America snuck in an extra bit of licensing news at their panel. After doing their main presentation, they did the standard Q&A segment with some up front and clear answers about things when it comes to costs, localization and the economy, and then when they wrapped up, they basically said, “oh, and here’s Kimi ni Todoke too.” Which is surprising since a lot of people tend to leave when the Q&A hits and might miss the news. The anime series is based off of the manga of the same name that began in 2005 and is still ongoing with a release in the US by Viz Media and there’s also been several light novels. The first season of the series ran in 2009 into 2010 for twenty-five episodes while a second season finished out in the winter season this year with twelve episodes. The license looks to be just for the first season and they look to have it out in two box sets, the first of which will land in October of this year.
Plot concept: Sawako Kuronuma, called Sadako by her classmates for her resemblance to the character from The Ring, has always been feared and misunderstood because of her appearance. There are rumors that Sawako can see ghosts and curse people. However, despite her appearances, she is a sweet and timid girl who longs to be able to make friends with everyone and be liked by everyone else. When her idol, popular boy Kazehaya, begins talking with her, everything changes. She finds herself in a new world, trying to make friends and talking to different people and she can’t thank Kazehaya enough for giving her these opportunities. Slowly, but surely, a sweet love is blossoming between the two as they will overtake any circumstance or clear obstacles in their way.
