DGFischer

Anime has produced a ton of great (and not so great) teen-roms, each with its appreciable level of difficulty in getting couples together.  Torodora ... two people who can't stand each other use each other to get to their BFF of their dreams (they end up together ... maybe).  Golden Dream ... neurotic girl meets no memory guy.  Lovely Complex ... lanky girl and petite boy get on each other’s nerves until it is obvious that they care for each other (everybody else at school knows this).

However, Kimi ni Todoke offers the best story of two absolutely opposite personalities meeting and, at the end of the first season going out on their first date, a shrine visit on New Year's Day.  Okay, original plan, five friends go to the shrine, but three make a strategic bail, leaving Sawako and Shota an evening of awkward moments, a last minute birthday celebration for Sawako, and an understanding that perhaps there are feelings between introvert Sawako and friendly-to-a-fault Shota.

The second season tries to stymie all that romantic progress, and this through those walls of misunderstanding.  First, Sawako is afraid to give Shota Valentine's Day chocolates,  Then rivals show up, Kento to lure Sawako away from Shota, Kurumi, already rejected by Shota, irritated with Sawako's density about matters of love.  Then there is the obvious disconnect with personalities.  Shota should find somebody sociable, Sawako somebody more restrained.

Then there is Sawako's trepidation and annoying tendency to overthink everything.  This leads to all those precious omake moments when the lovely Sawako turns into a dumpy, stressful pseudo-chibi contemplating all the possible worst case scenarios known to man.  This calls for the renewed efforts of Sawako's friends Ayane and Chizuru to steer her through all the obstacles and misunderstandings.  Good friend Ryu does a nice 'silent influence (Ryu and Chizuru qualify for that other romance on the radar.

In this rendition of 'love conquers all,' the pace was extremely slow.  Sawako's angst is understandable, but it cripples what should have been a matter easily resolved.  Totally disgusting sensei and too big of an ego to allow to live Arai makes for great comic relief ... but you just want to slug him.  A good melodramatic mix.

Second seasons have the problem of surpassing the first year's effort.  Scuttling a budding romance does give the plot drive, but somehow all the other features lagged from season one.  The music was not as compelling, though the muted coloration scheme carried the story well. 

Coming one year after Kimi ni Todoke's first season (2011), season two was a fine continuation of a story that seemed perfect after the New Year's shrine 'date.'  But love travels the rocky pathway, and after all the renewed drama which topped the lovey-dovey-ness of 2010, the karaoke 'date' with the class seemed the best way to announce the newest 'couple' which is a real shocker to all the girls at school.  A really satisfying conclusion to all the trauma and tears.