REVIEW: ‘Do It Yourself!!’ Season 1 Is Pure Comfort Anime

Serufu and Miku have been friends since childhood. But along the way, something happened that made these next-door neighbors drift apart. But when Serufu stumbles upon her school’s Do It Yourself Club, she will discover a new world of fun, learning, creativity, new friends, and perhaps a way to reconnect with the one she lost in Do It Yourself Season 1 from Pine Jam.

Long-time fans of anime know how much the medium loves to introduce viewers to what seems like a beautiful, happy world, just to bring it all crashing down before the viewer’s eyes. While this bait-and-switch tactic has come to keep viewers on their toes, it also makes those series that never pull the rug out from under you all the more special than they would otherwise be. Do It Yourself Season 1 is one of those wonderful series that never feels compelled to hurt its audience. Rather, it introduces us to its wonderful cast and just draws us in deeper and deeper into its warm, comforting story. I hadn’t realized how much I needed a story like this until I became enamored with its charming cast of characters.

At the center of Do It Yourself Season 1’s story is Serufu. An upbeat and enthusiastic girl, she often lets her mind wander in her excitement, which, more often than not, leads to pain in her body. A bit clumsy, Serufu is the well-intentioned kid that always manages to mess it up. But when she discovers the Do It Yourself Club and its sole member, Rei Yasaku, she discovers a place and a person that may just manage to focus her energy to the point where she can succeed.

But a school club can’t exist with only two members. So the new duo set out to attract more members with new projects. This quest to build up their club sees the cast grow as more charming personalities build out the club’s roster. From the athletic Kokoro, the timid Takumi, and the visiting American Juilet Queen Elizabeth VIII(Jobko to the DIY Club members), every new character builds upon the chemistry and enhances the sweetness of the cast.

The most elusive member for the club to recruit, however, is Miku. While Serufu is always eager to have her old friend join in on their fun, Miku is always resistant to her efforts. The reason behind Miku’s unwillingness isn’t revealed until the final episode, and when the show finally reveals her motivation for resisting her friend, I was left bewildered. The explanation is so underwhelming all I could think was, “That’s it?” It is easily the biggest stumble of the show’s otherwise near-perfect, charm-filled narrative.

The visual style that Pine Jam crafts for Do It Yourself Season 1 is perfectly fitted for the story. While more simplistic in its coloring and utilizing line work that could be described as rough, the look of the show feels wonderfully complimentary to the “do it yourself” energy of the series. It delivers on the charm of its cast as it creates the perfect visual language to accommodate the show’s themes.

Do It Yourself Season 1 delivers warmth and charm that is not easily rivaled. While it doesn’t pay off on one of its biggest plot lines, the sheer joy of watching the ladies of the Do It Yourself Club grow together to build up their club and each other is a simple pleasure that I only grew to love more and more as I watched my way through this wonderful series.

Do It Yourself Season 1 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.