Akebi's Sailor Uniform

Episode 1‒2

I'm not sure why I chose to cover Akebi's Sailor Uniform. Ot certainly wasn't the feet, though I'm not here to kink shame: as the old adage goes, YKINMKATOK (Your Kink Is Not My Kink And That's OK). I think the title is what largely drew me in, but part of it is also the Super Cub vibes, though they feature very different perspective characters.

Episode 1 starts with Akebi Komichi, a girl who wants to be just like her idol, actual idol Miki-chan. It's a sweet dream backed with all the energy of a girl who wants to make loads of friends, which propels her forward... and flying straight into an open waterway. Yet even that's not enough to dull Akebi's shine: she gets right back up, chin held high, and keeps going. It's a striking way to introduce viewers to Akebi, a character I suspect I'll come to love pretty immediately.

This dovetails into Akebi getting her uniform together for her first day of middle school, only to realize the uniform has changed. Thankfully, the school makes an exception this time (the titular sailor uniform technically was a uniform the school had at some point, so…) and thus forms the foundation of Akebi's story. So far, the show seems like it's shaping up to be a halcyon stroll through the life of a girl in the countryside, something that I'm honestly very here for.

Episode 2, “See you Tomorrow," gives us an explanation (of sorts) for why Akebi so desperately wants a sailor uniform for school, though it's somewhat of a retread of the premiere, reminding viewers of how Akebi's desires are rooted in her mother and her favorite idol. But honestly, I don't think the uniform needs to have meaning: it's enough that Akebi enjoys the notion of wearing one, and it's delightful to watch Akebi just being really into these specific experiences.

More interestingly, we get our first look into Akebi's first day at school and how charmingly awkward she can be. She's quirky yet incredibly sincere and genuine, to the point that she ends up pegging herself as the weird kid right from jump. Just like the premiere, it's this lovely table-setting moment that makes it clear that Akebi is going to be a lot to handle in a rather playful way, and that zaniness of being caught between childhood and teenagedom honestly feels very true to how middle school kids are.

If there's anything I can say about these first two episodes, it's that Akebi's Sailor Uniform looks beautiful. Middle school is by and large a pretty boring time, but Akebi's Sailor Uniform filters it through a remarkably idyllic lens, and I think therein lies the charm of this series: it's watching these small moments as Komichi interacts with her classmates, and seeing the mundane made special with stunning animation. That said, there are also some strange, pseudo-sexualized moments in these episodes, like the sensual toenail clipper sniffing scene with the volume cranked up on those inhales. It's honestly discomforting, especially considering the age of these characters.

For now, I'm solidly in the camp of “show good." It's got a solid premiere and a good follow-up episode that's got me looking forward to Sailor Suit Sundays with Akebi and her ever-evolving world. I really, really like the moments where we get deep inside Akebi's head and her passion, and I hope they get highlighted over the weirdly sexual moments. In that regard I'm pretty optimistic, as episode 2 toned down a lot of the latter, and I fully expect they'll continue to decrease. Where the next few weeks will go is a mystery, but where it's at is curious enough to make it an exciting addition to the Winter 2022 season for me.

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Akebi's Sailor Uniform is currently streaming on Crunchyroll and Funimation.

Mercedez is a JP-EN translation and localization Editor & Proofreader/QA, pop culture critic, and a journalist who, when not writing for ANN, writes for Anime Feminist, where she's a staff editor, and for But Why Tho?. She's also a frequent cohost on the Anime Feminist Podcast, Chatty AF. This season, she's reflecting on her youth with Akebi's Sailor Uniform. When she's not writing and reviewing, you can find her on her Twitter or on her Instagram where she's always up to something.