REVIEW: ‘Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie,’ Episode 4 – “How They Each Feel at the Start of Summer”

Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie is a romantic comedy anime produced by Doga Koba. With summer right around the corner, Yuu, Shikimori, and the rest of the gang are ready for some summer fun. But before they can enjoy the sun, they need to do some shopping! Oh, and studying for finals in Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie Episode 4.

While the last episode focused on  Yuu and Shikimori’s relationship, this week’s story highlights its title character squarely. With the group deciding to take a trip to a local river as soon as finals are finished, a trip to the mall is called for so the ladies can outfit themselves with some new swimwear. While Shikimori doesn’t initially plan to buy anything, when she catches Yuu eyeing a swimsuit ad, Shikimori has a change of heart and heads out to update her style.

When she explains the situation to Nekozaki and Hachimitsu, Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie Episode 4 takes the viewer back to when the two friends first met Shikimori and introduce viewers to Shikimori’s struggles to share Yuu’s attention with anyone.

To be clear, Shikimori gets jealous of others where Yuu is concerned, which isn’t a great look. While this jealous streak is never pushed too hard in this story, one can extrapolate it as an unhealthy aspect of Shikimori’s personality. I’ll be interested to see if the show decides to address this character flaw seriously or keep it light and never allow it to become more than a comical element.

I would love to see the show explore it, as it would give Yuu another opportunity to support Shikimori with a problem and allow Shikimori to show that she is willing to protect Yuu from anything. Even from herself.

Despite Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie Episode 4‘s focus on its female lead, Yuu still manages to get some moments in that are both humorous and touching. The couple’s final scene as they share a late-night phone call delivers the show’s signature cuteness in a way that lets the viewer continue to learn about its main protagonists.

Capping off this episode is a final surprise that only kind of works. I won’t spoil what this post-credits sequence is, but while it does some fun stuff that helps explain Yuu’s character and epically bad luck, it also gets a bit too cringe for me. Several of the sight gags in the sequence were more eye-rolling than funny. Hopefully, this will be a one-time-only problem.

The visual elements of this week’s episode do a great job of delivering the show’s moments while not going overboard with how it delivers the sight gags. The fun is always front and center when it is leading the episode, and the emotion of the ending is nailed by the visual’s use of camera placement and lighting.

Despite one solid stumble, Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie Episode 4 delivers a lot of what I have loved from the show so far. I look forward to seeing what new adventures and perils await Shikimori, Yuu, and their friends now that Summer Break has arrived.

Shikimori’s Not Just A Cutie Episode 4 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.