[Megane]

Hello, I don't see a discussion thread on this anime, so I thought I'd create one.

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Runway de Waratte starts with the story of Fujito Chiyuki, an aspiring fashion model and daughter of a fledgling Modeling Agency, Mille Neige. Ever since she was little, Chiyuki's dream was to be the star model of her dad's agency and perform at Paris Fashion Week. With great looks and a gifted environment, it seemed like she was on the right track to fulfill her dream, but she soon found herself faced with a seemingly insurmountable wall when her height stopped growing at 158 cm; too short to be a professional model.

Although Chiyuki still kept on believing in herself for years despite everyone telling her it's impossible, Chiyuki's resolve starts to crumble as she enters her last year of high school. This is when she meets Tsumura Ikuto, a lame classmate with a surprising talent for designing clothes, who is also considering giving up his dream due to unfortunate circumstances. Together, they begin the journey of doing the impossible in order to realize their dreams.

(Source: MU)

You can find more about the anime, here: https://myanimelist.net/anime/40392/Runway_de_Waratte

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It's highly recommended to keep your posts in spoilers, but there really is no way to enforce that since this is a discussion thread and anything goes. Don't get upset if you read something and you aren't up-to-date with the current episodes.

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I'm enjoying this anime more than I thought I would. What interests me the most is how it's labeled under the "shounen" genre. Now, I'll go into detail on why I think it's interesting. I feel like this anime is way more suited for girls than it is for boys. However, the whole gender thing doesn't concern me in anime. I'll watch anime, doesn't matter if it was made for a girl audience or made for a boy audience, I shall watch it.

I'm not sure what I was expecting when I first started watching this. I was quite curious because I have never seen an anime that goes into detail about fashion design. It's not bad at all. The anime will go into detail on different things such as the fabric used for clothing, sewing methods, and much more so if you're not into that, I wouldn't say give up there. There is a good amount of drama that goes on and during the first couple of episodes it can become eye-opening to see what designers have to go through.

Let me discuss the latest episode, episode 4!
Spoiler (Click to View)Episode 4 was epic! We got to meet a new character, Toh Ayano. He is the grandson of the famous Mai Ayano who is one of the best fashion designers in the anime.

I think it's interesting that he's picking up on Ikuto's abilities. He seems a little cocky from his attitude, but from what I can see he has good intentions. I can sense that he's not trying to mock Ikuto, but rather encouraging him to see what he's capable of. I'm excited to see what happens in the next episode and I'm sure it will be drama filled.

[Megane]

This anime still always puts a smile on my face every episode, and episode 5 was a good one. In the beginning, I thought it would be just a filler episode with nothing important in it, but I was wrong.

There were a lot of interesting stuff this episode that I was able to take in. We get to learn a little bit more about Kokoro, but not entirely. We get a small background of her history in fashion and design and we find out that she's a very hard working girl. Which is great, but what does she have to contribute to the show? At the moment, nothing. In terms of her character design, her body is a little bit weird compared to her head. For someone tall, her body just doesn't seem natural. I understand it's a drawing, but from her neck to her waist, it's just awkward. Anyways, I am curious to see how she ends up doing in the preliminaries. We don't see much of her once they start so I'm interested in knowing if she passes or not. I believe she will.

As we progress into the anime, we see more of Ikuto more than Chiyuki. but Chiyuki is supposed to be the face of this anime but considering she's just the model aspect of the anime, it does make sense we see more of Ikuto. However, at this point, you should just consider Chiyuki as a side character rather than a main!

Some things I picked up while watching Ikuto during the preliminary is that people make fun of him for being different. What I like about Ikuto is that he is exactly that, different. And I think what sets him apart is exactly that. It also makes me happy that he isn't given god armor to the point that he knows how to create awesome designs and instantly become a success. He's working super hard to get where he wants and that is what makes this show even better.

I'm excited to see what design he thought of in the next episode since we are left with a cliffhanger. I believe for Sara's design he is going to go with something "carefree". He states that Chiyuki is so carefree in her home, but still looks nice that I think he's going to incorporate that in some way. We watch a few videos of Sara's performances and Chiyuki goes into details about what poses she strikes, how her arms are positioned, and other stuff you normally don't really care about or probably never noticed unless you were a model too. But I like how this anime puts the emphasis on this stuff and you learn something new every episode.

We didn't get to find out the chat between Toh and Mr. Yanagida so maybe they'll save that for another episode. From what I read in other discussions is that they are really cramming everything into 12 episodes and there is stuff being left out. And since a good majority of people are saying that, I am really hoping that the ending of the anime doesn't disappoint.

Anyways, in-short. Good episode. Excited for next week. I believe I left out a couple of things, but that's okay. I'll probably write about it in my next post!!

[Megane]

Episode 6 we were able to see both sides of the main characters. The past three episodes or so have mostly been about Ikuto, with a little bit of Chiyuki mixed into it. Now, episode 6 had the perfect balance of having them both with a good amount of screen time, but Ikuto still, for sure, had more.

Let's start with Ikuto. I'm glad that his design was able to get past the first round and he was even lucky enough to get top three so that he can advance to the final round instantly. I'm not too much into fashion or designer brands in itself, (then why do I like this show? Ask me again later.) so I didn't think Ikuto's design was all that special, but when you see what thought he put into creating it, such as the fact that Seira hardly has any loungewear photos on her social media account and also that she likes stripes. I would have never come up with something like this so I give him props.

Soon after, Toh offers Ikuto a job at his company that he wants to start. We still never got to see the discussion between Mr. Yanagida and Toh about Toh wanting to hire Ikuto. I'm wondering if he'll be okay with Ikuto joining Toh, as Ikuto accepted the job. Let's hope next episode we get to see them work together so that Ikuto can make the very best for the final show.

Now, Chiyuki. Sadly, she had a bit of trouble in this episode. She has been applying to model jobs, but sadly none are accepting her. She's really cute and it sucks that just because she's short, no one wants to take photos of her or have her model their clothes. You can see in the interview with the lady at one of the agencies that she had no interest. Soon after, she was invited and hired for some event so I am hoping we see more of her in episode 7 too.

Here are some cute pics of Chiyuki! See you next week.
Spoiler (Click to View)
(The first one is my favorite)


Third one is adorable too!

[Megane]

Another good episode! This anime is still one of my favorites, probably my most favorite anime of the season. We finally got to see more of Chiyuki, I mean she is one of the main characters after all. It's still crazy to think about how the people in this anime are so rude towards everyone. Unless you are close friends with one another, everyone's attitudes towards each other are so toxic. I give major props to the voice actors in this anime for putting so much emotion into their characters. They are doing exactly what they are supposed to. For characters that aren't supposed to be liked or have a slight tone to them that is aggravating to most, they are doing a great job.

Firstly, let's talk about Chiyuki. She was hired for a modeling job and she ended up meeting Ikuto's friend, Kokoro, who is also interested in being a fashion designer. She's a model too, but she wants to quit because her heart is in fashion designing instead. She constantly begs her manager to quit but she won't let her. I'll go more into Kokoro next, as this paragraph is for Chiyuki. Chiyuki is still getting belittled because of her height. It's insane to see how rude everyone is towards her because of it. You would think people would have the manners to politely tell her that she isn't fit for the job, rather than boldly stating what they want. It's nice to see her so hard working. She had everything needed to be prepared for the shoot. The right heel size, gloves, etc. I think the flashback of her and Shizuku was very good. We got to see what motivates Chiyuki and what drives her to be a model. Despite not being the job she exactly wanted, she was able to kill it and prove to the directors behind it that even though she's short she's able prepared and willing to work.

Let's talk about Kokoro. I don't love her and I don't hate her, but she's starting to become more of a main character than Chiyuki. I don't really dislike that, but labeling her as a supporting character and giving her more screen time than Chiyuki who is labeled as a main character is kind of dirty! Kokoro seems to always bring drama with her. With Mr. Yanagida, with all of the models. Everyone seems to have something to say against her. But, she is doing well and she is succeeding in what she wants. I'm very happy that she was able to pass the second round and move onto the finals. I think that her manager, Tsumura, and Chiyuki's manager Shizuku was a good eye-opener. Tsumura still has an attitude towards what they discussed so maybe her feelings won't change too much and she'll still continue to be uptight.

Lastly, we have Ikuto! We didn't get to see much of him this episode but we do learn that Toh will somewhat be helping him in the final round. You are allowed to have a team help you but I don't think he would straight up go with Toh and I'm glad that he hesitated when asked that Toh wanted to help. That would straight up be a disadvantage and unfair to everyone. But I don't think that would be allowed in general since he is a judge.

The ending bit was interesting. We get to see what the design is for the final round. I think the last few episodes are going to be very intense and focus on the final round, rather than the final round just being 1 or 2 episodes. They have to create a design based off of the Japanese letter "Wa". When that word comes to mind as an English speaker, literally nothing pops to my mind. So I am very curious to see what everyone's designs are going to be. There are only a few words in Japanese that I know that start with Wa such as wakatta and wakarimashita. Also, the title of this anime warrate, which means smile. I'm curious if they'll go with a "smile, happy" theme. The judge said you can choose any model you'd like, and I instantly knew Ikuto was going to choose Chiyuki! What also might happen is Kokoro will want to choose Chiyuki too because of their encounter with each other previously due to work. If not, maybe Kokoro will use herself as a model. That would be something!

Okay, this time for real the last thing I'll talk about is the ending preview. We see that something is wrong with Ikuto's mom in the hospital. We already knew that she had health problems, but maybe something worse is happening. Either this is going to crush Ikuto because he has to focus on his family, or he'll use this as motivation to keep going forward and produce the best design he can to support his family.

I think the next episode we'll see some scenes of Ikuto discussing his future with his sisters. Hopefully, nothing bad has happened to his mother and everything is okay.

[grady]

Yo, they made an anime of this???
The manga is fucking dope

[Megane]

Yo, they made an anime of this???
The manga is fugging dope

Yep, and I am enjoying it very much! How are you liking/how did you like the manga?

[Megane]

Episode eight was fantastic. It was an emotional roller coaster. I'll say it again, this anime is my favorite of the season and this episode, despite going from "0 to 100" was phenomenal.

We start the episode finding out the situation that happens with Ikuto's mother. It turns out, she relapsed and ended up needing surgery. Her surgery was successful and it's good to know she's okay and that her recovery will go well if she doesn't stress out too much. The doctor said that she didn't want to do the surgery and it turns out that she wanted to visit Ikuto's fashion show that he's going to be taking part in. Ikuto blames all of this on himself, but he shouldn't put himself down like that. It might not be the best thing, but if Ikuto has tickets to allow one of his sisters or all them, they might be able to tape it or "facetime" (I quote facetime because that's not a thing in anime duh) their mother while she's in the hospital so she can see the event live. I say it might not be the best thing because it could get her heart rate up, as contests and events are usually stressful for those in it and those who might be watching.

The doctor says that the bill for all the medical things that the mother has gone through will need to be paid at her release. So it turns out that the mother is broke and of course Ikuto and his siblings are just getting by with minimum wage pay and they somehow have to get 430,000+ yen which is around $4,000. Of course, with the help of Ikuto's two older siblings and himself, if they were to work part-time they would be able to make that money. I know in the states I could make that money, just give me time of course. I'm not too sure how rates work in Japan but I do know they'll be able to make it. So, that being said, the two older sisters do end up getting part-time jobs and Ikuto looks to make money while being still in his career path.

Ikuto ends up quitting not only Mr. Yanagida, but he also quits from Toh's team as well. While departing from Toh, he once again discriminates Ikuto and tells him how awful of a designer he is and that he's average at best. I get it, he's a cocky guy. However, he was trained by one of the best in the fashion industry in the anime, his grandmother. So, of course, his interpretation of good will be a higher standard than most.

It sucks, but it's true. Money runs the world. Ikuto was offered money by Kokoro's manager. Saying that if he was able to get her to quit making clothes and become a model instead of a fashion designer, she'll give him enough money to not only pay for his mother's medical bills but enough money to supply himself for the festival. It's so messed up that people think money will get people to do anything, but it's true. It does.

Let's talk about Chiyuki for a little. Chiyuki ends up going to Paris, but she was denied from everyone she went to interview with just because of her size. Once again, it's crazy how much her height influences the jobs she can take and how people see her in this industry. In Japan with all the idols being different sizes, I'm wondering why when it comes to being a model height matters. I've noticed that of course gravure idols (the playboy of Japan) there are different sizes of girls, but since they aren't really modeling on a runway, I guess it makes sense that height doesn't matter.

Ikuto ends up getting a call from Chiyuki's dad, who runs Mille Neige. He says he still wants to buy the design Ikuto made for Chiyuki and he's willing to spend 2 million yen, which is around $18,000. That's insane and wonderful for Ikuto. Before, he didn't want to sell the design, but this time I believe he accepts and I'm very happy for him. It's nice to see that Chiyuki's father is so kind and he isn't rude like everyone else. Next, Ikuto asks Chiyuki if she wants to model for him at the festival and she accepts. This is going to be a wild ride the next few episodes and I hope it's as dramatic as this one because I know Chiyuki and Ikuto are going to be an unstoppable duo. They'll be criticized for sure and I know for a fact that they'll do something to surprise everyone.

[Megane]

Fantastic episode. Drama, drama, drama. This anime knows how to keep you at the edge of your seats and I love it.

A lot went on in this episode so I'll just keep it short than I normally do.

I'm wondering who Ikuto is going to choose as his models for the runway considering that Chiyuki is going to model for Kokoro. Additionally, I wonder who will model for Toh. I'm sure because everyone knows who he is because of his grandmother, he'll be able to get some great connections when it comes to the top models.

We learn that Toh and Ikuto have the same design. This is going to be an intense festival I know it for sure!

It looks like Kokoro, Toh, and Ikuto are going to be the top three to be looking at. So with that being said, their designs are going to be the best out of all the people competing.

I'm so excited to see the festival. I already know that it's going to be filled with even more drama I cannot wait until next week!

[Megane]

Wonderful episode. I loved watching every single bit of episode 10. It sucks there are only two more episodes left, but I already know they are going to be fantastic!

This episode didn't have you at the tip of your seat, but it grabbed your attention. I despise Kaoru and I am sure the majority of the people watching this too dislike her. I hate how rude she is and just because she doesn't want to lose, doesn't mean she has to be so nasty to Ikuto. She should just face it that she was too nervous to raise her hand quickly enough at Mr. Yanagida's fashion event. I will say her designs were okay. I'm sure the producers made sure to make her clothing interesting but not as good as the next designers.

This episode mostly focused on Ikuto. This means the next episode will certainly be Kokoro as we know her turn is next but I believe we will also have Toh be the final bit to wrap up the episode.

Ikuto's designs were amazing! Exactly what you'd expect from him. His last design with the French theme was my favorite. Ikuto even got the judges surprised when he made a simple unisex suit design. I believe because of Ikuto's chat with Ryuunosuke, this inspired him to re-create the very first thing that started fashion, the suit.

There were certain flashbacks during this episode to show how much Ikuto has improved over the years and how close his family is. I am glad they were there to support him and it's good to see his mom out of the hospital. This was the first time any of the kids were able to see her cry and I think that story behind all of that was beautiful.

Up until this episode, we had no idea what either of the designer's plans was for the outfits. In this episode, we were able to see Chiyuki's outfit when she and Kokoro arrived and I'm assuming that was made by Kokoro. It looked nice on her. I'm wondering what we'll get out of Kokoro.

For Toh, we know that he is also doing Harmony. I am sure the judges are going to love his designs.

It's hard to see who is going to win this until we see all of the designs. I know that Ikuto will be in the top three though. I'm hoping Kokoro will blow the judges out of the water with her designs, and even more her manager who doesn't want to see her as a fashion designer.

I think Toh's grandma, Mai, being at the event is good too. She might be able to hire a few models or even some of the designers after the show to work for her.

Additionally, I think it's awesome that Mr. Yanagida has inspired a lot of the people here. He inspired Kokoro, Ikuto, and Kaoru in different ways.

[Megane]

Fantastic episode. I'm glad that the directors didn't go straight into showing off Kokoro's clothing. We were able to get a little backstory on how she created them. We also saw various scenes with Kokoro and Chiyuki working together. They make a great team despite all the things going on between them.

Sadly, I think that Kokoro's clothes were boring. The only one I liked was the dress that had the "wind" theme. I'm wondering why they went with that. Considering that the theme is "waku waku" I'm not sure how "kaze" fits in with that. For those that don't know what waku waku is, it is an onomatopoeia for being excited, similar to doki doki.

This episode was good for Chiyaki and Kokoro. Not only for them to bond but we saw that people were amazed at her show. I don't think she'll win, but this is a great opportunity for both as I said before.

The judges and the fans were surprised. I'm not going to go into what her showcase was like because I'm too lazy to type up all of it, but I like how no one cared about Chiyuki's height as much as Kokoro's manager.

The next episode which is the last is going to be Toh's showcase. I'm sure we'll get what we got this episode and get the behind the scene look at what Toh did for his work. He didn't seem to happy at the ending preview so I'm wondering what we'll be getting. I think it will be a close call between him and Ikuto. I hope that Ikuto wins this!

[Megane]

Runway de Waratte was my favorite anime this season. It's been a long time since I've been amazed so much from watching an anime show. My final rating for this is going to be an eight.

The characters in this show don't stand out too much. Certain characters had different roadblocks and all of them tried to drive around them. Thankfully for everyone, it made them who they were and they were able to make great things out of it. For example, despite being short in height, she was able to finally land a job as a model.

The story was fantastic. I learned quite a bit about fashion that I never even knew about. Of course, I didn't care too much about the details, but what made me enjoy this anime the most was the drama.

This anime was filled with drama to the maximum. I am a huge fan if it doesn't get too annoying, which this anime did not.

Sadly, Ikuto was not in the top 10 for the fashion show. Kokoro was able to win and that's an honest surprise to me. I thought it was going to be a battle between Toh and Ikuto.

So much happened during the final minutes of the anime it is insane. Chiyuki got a job, Toh said he wants to continue working with his grandmother, Ikuto was offered an internship, and Kokoro was able to finally become a fashion designer.

Honestly, there could be a season two if they wanted to. I felt like there were hints but I doubt there will be one. If there is, we can finally see Toh and Ikuto working together. Additionally, we would see more of Mr. Yanagida.

With that being said, there is so much they could do if they brought this anime to life again with another season.

People stated the manga is better and I'm wondering if that's true. I haven't read it and I don't know if anyone goes to the Paris Fashion Week in the manga, but if they were to bring that into another season would be nice.

Anyways, as much as I like this anime I won't recommend it. I know too many people are going to brush it off and not appreciate it as me. But if you want to give it a try and you have an open mind for things, I'd say give it a go, please.