REVIEW: ‘My Tiny Senpai,’ Episode 1 — “My Senpai is Small and Cute”

Based on the manga written and illustrated by Saisō, My Tiny Senpai’s premise is summed up by the title. Shinozaki (Yūki Shin) is an office worker who has been taken under the wing of his senior coworker, Shiori (Hina Tachibana.) Kind and caring, especially towards Shinozaki, and yes, diminutive in size, My Tiny Senpai Episode 1 sets up the main hook. While Shinozaki can’t tell if Shiori’s level of attention is that of her responsibility for her job, we soon realize that the feelings he harbors for her are likely mutual.

Directed by Mitsutoshi Satō, “My Tiny Senpai is Small and Cute” doesn’t do much to vear off the beaten path. It’s the standard introductory episode, as we meet our primary protagonists as well as supporting characters who will make up the rest of the workplace ecosystem, including Shinozaki’s childhood friend. The series, written by Keiichirō Ōchi, Yasuko Aoki, and Satoru Sugizawa, will likely delve further into other dynamics as the series goes on, but My Tiny Senpai Episode 1 is solely interested in Shinozaki and Shiori’s dynamic and the will they, won’t they pull that’s already been established.

This is, frankly, a relief. The show would’ve quickly grown tedious if it were just relying on the innuendo-heavy narrative of Shinozaki pining and daydreaming about his senior, every pep talk delivered by her somehow misconstrued into something crude. The show however makes quick work of demonstrating Shiori’s affections, just as she’s caught up in her co-worker’s charm. At its most wholesome moments, the result of their dynamic is cozy and sweet and shows that the series will perform best when it indulges in their shared feelings.

The two are given their fair share of meet-cute moments throughout the episode. Their affections are given multiple moments to shine, from Shiori’s need to give an abundance of praise to Shinozaki, arguing that a simple and strong effort at work is worthy of notice, to the later giving Shiori his jacket when he realizes she’s cold. The latter is a particular highlight, as again it manages to demonstrate the mutually returned feelings, as Shiori becomes flustered wearing his jacket and soon returns it, confused by her reaction to the gesture.

It’s also always refreshing to see a romance take place outside of adolescence and high school scenarios, especially in mainstream anime. While there’s no denying the coming-of-age magic of series such as My Love Story, or Insomniacs After School, there’s also a greater need for more series in line with Wotakoi: Love Is Hard for Otaku. Our expectations of dating and romance shift and develop as we get older, so it’s always nice to see an anime manage to spotlight that type of relationship as well.

It also wouldn’t hurt to give Shiori more of her sense of agency rather than simply being either the object of the protagonist’s desire or just characteristics boiled down to her main descriptors. The episode drives home her physical attributes, from frames that pan in and out on her chest to constant chibi-style designs that depict her with cat ears and a tail. She’s cute, with big breasts, and the character designs by Hayato Hashiguchi and Hiromi Ogata make sure to highlight both.

It’s all relatively harmless, but it doesn’t promise an exciting season of television. For romance fans, it will certainly be something worth checking out, but even then it’s been such a standout year so far for the genre that there’s an argument to be made to allow My Tiny Senpai a few episodes first to gain its footing rather than diving into immediate week-to-week watches. It’s inoffensive but relatively dull, with simplistic character designs and personalities and both do little to help highlight the other.

My Tiny Senpai Episode 1 is sweet but hollow. While there’s a relative amount of charm between the two would-be romantic leads, there’s not yet enough characterization for either of them that makes them a couple worth rooting for. The series will undoubtedly have its fans, and there’s an easy rhythm and familiarity to how the characters behave, but in a year with such an exemplary series for the romance genre, it needs to be more than strictly “good enough.”

My Tiny Senpai Episode 1 is available now on Crunchyroll.