A Star Brighter Than the Sun Episodes 1 to 3 Review

If there is one truth at the heart of shoujo romance, it is that the two leads never quite realize their feelings are mutual, especially when they are childhood friends who drifted apart. A Star Brighter Than the Sun embraces that idea wholeheartedly, and its first three episodes are about as classically shoujo as it gets, full of floaty bubbles, soft filters, and pastel stills.

It could easily tip into parody, but this adaptation of Kazune Kawahara’s manga knows exactly what it is doing. The story is not new, and it does not need to be. It simply uses its familiar tropes well, delivering the comforting and slightly frustrating push and pull that makes a good romance work.

At its center is Sae Iwata, who has quietly carried a crush on Koki Kamishiro since they became friends in elementary school. Back then she was the tallest kid in class while he was one of the smallest, but by middle school he had grown past her, and the two gradually lost touch.

Sae never stopped watching Koki, though, and the show strongly hints that his feelings run the same way. In the first episode he leaps at the chance to rebuild their friendship, and there is a lovely moment where he seems to choose his high school the instant he hears which one Sae picked.

That is what makes the series so charming. It lives in the little moments, the small hesitations and glances that say more than words do. A Star Brighter Than the Sun is currently streaming on Amazon Prime.

My take: This is comfort food shoujo done with real care, and I am completely charmed by it. Sometimes you do not need a twist on the formula, just two sweet kids and the courage to finally say how they feel.