Switch Girl!!

A good number of us do it. We get dressed up for the day to go out to maybe run some errands and when we return home, we relax and change into more comfortable clothes. It's a completely normal routine for many and sometimes we may not even realize that it is. However, for Tamiya Nika, it's more than just a routine, it's her life. Why? Because Tamiya Nika is a switch girl!

Switch Girl!! is an upbeat, Japanese romantic comedy that's based off the manga of the same name and centers on Tamiya Nika and her life as a switch girl. The television show has two seasons, each with eight thirty-minute episodes to their names.

Season One

Tamiya Nika is the envy of everyone in her high school. To the entire student body, she is perfect with stunning looks and an even more so personality, though what they don't know is her most precious secret that only her best friend, Nino, knows about - she has another side to her.

While in the public eye, she is a bombshell as the "switched on" Tamiya Nika, but when she is home, her switch is "off" and she allows herself to act like her true self - a tacky girl with an eye for cheap supermarket deals and a lack of care for acting feminine.

This is a secret that Nika plans to take to her grave, but that all changes with the arrival of one new transfer student named Arata. Kamiyama Arata is a good looking guy that Nika finds upon the school roof one day, and when she tries to introduce herself while in her "on" mode, she's coldly ignored without a second thought. It's fate (or rather her mother's forgetfulness) that brings them together again that night when she travels to the supermarket while in her "off mode," meeting a slightly different Arata who wears goofy glasses to hide his looks in order to keep away any unwanted attention.

Due to certain circumstances the following day at school, Nika and Arata end up together upon the roof and Arata realizes Nika was the girl from the grocery store. The two then strike a deal, she won't tell anyone that Arata wears ugly glasses to hide his looks and he won't tell anyone about her "off mode."

As the story progresses, Nika and Arata grow closer to one another and soon a friendship is born by the numerous hysterical inicidents that they go through. However, that friendship soon unknowingly begins to grow into something more as time goes by. The two slowly realize their feelings for one another, but complications get in the way.

Once things simmer down, Arata makes a big gesture and reveals himself to his classmates by taking off his glasses and the two are finally recognized as a couple.

Season Two

The story picks up right where the first season ended, Nika and Arata are the new power couple at school and are still new to dating each other. After Arata removed his glasses and his secret is out, it's now only Nika's secret that needs protecting from the rest of the school.

The couple's relationship deepens as they go out on dates, and on Nika's birthday, she's enthused at the idea that their relationship could be taken to the next level when Arata asks her out. The date doesn't pan out as she hoped, but the Nika and Arata's relationship has been strengthened instead.

Nika and Arata have plenty more obstacles to overcome and their love and relationship is put to the test. Soon their misunderstandings and lack of communication causes a rift and both parties are left heartbroken. Nika realizes that Arata, the only person who loves both sides of her, is much more important than she originally thought and Arata comes to the same conclusion, both of them deciding to make things right.

Overall

Switch Girl!! is a show that has entertained me completely. It pulled upon my heartstrings and caused me to grip my sides from laughing so hard. Tamiya Nika is a pure-hearted girl who is a breath of fresh air, making her a relatable character in some scenarios that allow the viewer to connect with the show on a whole new level. The way the show is produced is similar to that of an upbeat anime with exaggerated movements and characters, making this an even more amusing show to anyone who is familiar with animes and mangas. This show doesn't leave much to be desired and has crept its way into my heart. It's a series that will entertain and leave you in a good mood while also leaving an impression!