Skip and Loafer is an adorable slice-of-life/romance anime set in hustling and bustling Tokyo. There are a ton of anime series that take place in the biggest city in Japan, but Skip and Loafer stands out because of its main character, Mitsumi Iwakura. She's a normal, country girl from the Ishikawa Prefecture who is way out of her element in her new big city environment. The show's juxtaposition with Mitusmi's naivety and the complexities of high school life in Tokyo is one of its strong points.

Skip and Loafer stands out within its own genre thanks to a ton of reasons beyond its main character. While most slice-of-life series rely on their main character to do most of the heavy lifting, there are a ton of different reasons to enjoy Skip and Loafer. Each brings something to the series, contributing to one of the most fun and laid-back shows of the past few years.

7 Set in Bustling Tokyo

One of the Biggest Cities in the World

A lot of TV series produced in Japan are set in Tokyo. It makes sense, as Tokyo is not only the biggest city in Japan, but one of the biggest cities in the world. It's a hard city to truly understand due to how diverse it is, with neighborhoods bigger than entire towns. The city might seem overdone, but Skip and Loafer has a unique take on setting a story in Tokyo.

Main character Mitsumi Iwakura is the perfect placeholder for anyone unfamiliar with life in Tokyo. She's from a laid-back country town in the Ishikawa Prefecture, making everything in Tokyo new and bright for her. Her entire class back home had a total of eight people in it. On her first day in her new school, when she's giving a speech to the incoming first-years, there are hundreds of kids listening in.

The first time Mitsumi has a "Star Box" coffee feels like a genuine spectacle

Skip and Loafer does a great job at making the Tokyo setting feel fresh despite how common it is. The first time Mitsumi has a "Star Box" coffee feels like a genuine spectacle. She brings her friends with her, who have a little more experience in the big city. Their reactions as she digs into her sugary drink are wholesome, funny, and entirely relatable.

6 Nao-chan and Egashira

A Wholesome Relationship

the best slice-of-life anime don't just rely on their main characters to tell a story. If they do, they run the risk of becoming boring, overplayed, and tiring. Skip and Loafer doesn't have this problem in the slightest, and one of the greatest examples is the relationship between Nao-chan and Egashira.

Nao is Mitsumi's aunt and Egashira is one of her new friends. They come together when Mitsumi and Sōsuke go hang out at the zoo one day. Nao wants to make sure this new city boy isn't taking advantage of her niece, and Egashira wants to learn more about their relationship.

At their core, Nao sees a lot of herself in Egashira. She sees a young girl trying to find herself in a busy world, too worried about what other people might think about her. When Nao opens up to her, it's like someone really sees Egashira for who she is for the first time. It's a great, wholesome relationship where someone who has already been through some hard times can guide her niece's friend through some of those same issues, saving her from the same heartache she once had to go through.

5 Takes Places in a Prep School

The Smartest Students Around

If Tokyo is one of the most common settings for anime, then schools take top spot as the most common setting in all of anime. It's another area where Skip and Loafer succeeds. Skip and Loafer isn't just set in a Tokyo school either, but a top-tier prep school filled with smart, dedicated students from a variety of different schools.

Each student at Mitsumi's school has had to work hard to get there. She's only there because she believes it's a good way to get into Tokyo University, where she'll dedicate herself to try and get into the Japanese government.

One of the biggest set pieces of the series is the festival that takes place towards the end of the first season. It's a culmination of all the students' hard work, and Mitsumi worked harder than anyone. Moments like these make the setting worth it. Viewers are treated to a myriad of splendor through different events, relationships being tested, and an adorable younger brother who just wanted to find his older brother in Sōsuke.

4 Friends Overcome Perceived Differences

Seeing the Best in Each Other

The characters in Skip and Loafer have more differences than they have in common, and that's a strong point for the series. Mitsumi is an honest, earnest young girl who is too naive to lie. When she meets Egashira, Murashige, and Makoto, she meets three completely different girls who eventually become her closest friends.

Egashira, Murashige, and Makoto all think that they're too different to become friends. Egashira and Makoto are jealous of Murashige's looks and distance themselves from her because of it. It's a normal, human response that they initially can't get over. Thanks to Mitsumi, however, the three become closer than ever.

It's one thing for a show to make everyone friendly for no reason, but to show characters overcoming adversity is even better. Now, the characters have a reason to be friends with each other, and it makes all of their interactions better for it.

3 Great Side Characters

More Than Just the Main Characters

Skip and Loafer has one of the best ing casts in anime history. Mitsumi is certainly the best reason to watch the show, but her relationship with her friends, with Fumi back home, and with her aunt Nao-chan make the show incredible.

Nothing is sweeter than hearing Mitsumi's conversation with her best friend Fumi. When Mitsumi is too tightly wound to relax, Fumi is there to calm her down. She's a fun-loving girl who just wants the best for Mitsumi and it shows. Fumi's reunion with Mitsumi when Mitsumi came home from school was adorable, heartwarming, and a sign of how deep their friendship really is.

Nao-chan watches Mitsumi's back like a good guardian should. She understands how hectic life in the big city can be, and she's there for Mitsumi when she needs fashion advice, wants to invite her friends over, and everything in between. No matter which side character is on-screen, Skip and Loafer is made all the better for it.

2 Sōsuke Shima

A Character with a Lot of Depth

It's hard to tell if Skip and Loafer is a slice-of-life anime with romantic undertones or a romance series with slice-of-life undertones. Sōsuke Shima is the biggest reason that Skip and Loafer might be a romance series. He's smooth, cool, and confident. He's every girl's dream, and more importantly, a good friend to Mitsumi.

Sōsuke Shima is a great addition to Skip and Loafer. He's much more than just his good looks and calm demeanor. He's a calm, thoughtful character with a deep backstory. Before he was Mitsumi's handsomest friend, he was a child actor who was very good at what he did.

While he's spent most of the series trying to hide his past from his friends, Mitsumi is slowly helping him get over it. Their relationship is great because of how real it is. Mitsumi loves how helpful and sincere Sōsuke can be, and Sōsuke has never met someone as ridiculously honest as Mitsumi.

1 Mitsumi Iwakura

One of the Best Female Leads in Romance Anime

The biggest and best reason to watch Skip and Loafer is easily its main character, Mitsumi Iwakura. She's a country girl in the heart of Tokyo and her experiences are at the forefront of the series. While she has a hard time navigating Tokyo life sometimes, like when she gets lost on her way to school, she's always able to dig deep and overcome her challenges. She's even willing to rip her shoes off and run to school barefoot if it means making it on time.

Mitsumi's earnest effort makes Skip and Loafer amazing. She is one of the few characters in anime who is always trying their best, no matter what situation she finds herself in. Because of her personality and honest demeanor, she's quickly become one of the more popular anime characters around.

Whether Mitsumi is trying to protect Shima from his mean childhood friend Ririka, heading to the zoo to see a panda in real life for the first time, or hosting her first Tokyo sleepover, she's a treat every time she's on-screen. Its characters like Mitsumi Iwakura make slice-of-life series like Skip and Loafer great from the start to the beginning.