Smart-san

A gentle, old-fashioned coming-of-age charmer that ambles through a nostalgic city with warmth and light comedy.

Created by

Waki Yamato

Genres

Animation, Drama, Comedy

Starring

Reiko Suzuki, Atsuko Mine, Katsuji Mori

Overview

Benio Hanamura is a 17-year-old schoolgirl in Tokyo during the Taisho era. Benio lost her mother when she was very young and has been raised by her father, a high-ranking official in the Japanese army. As a result, she has grown into a tomboy—contrary to traditional Japanese notions of femininity, she studies kendo, drinks sake, dresses in often outlandish-looking Western fashions, and isn't as interested in housewife duties as she is in literature. She also rejects the idea of arranged marriages and believes in a woman's right to a career and to marry for love. Benio's best friends are the beautiful Tamaki, who is much more feminine than Benio but equally interested in women's rights, and Ranmaru, a young man who was raised to play female roles in the kabuki theater and as a result has acquired very effeminate mannerisms.

How it feels

Warm, earnest, light and whimsical. Measured and easy to follow.

About

Identity, gender, coming-of-age, family

Content

Mild violence. No gore, sexual content or swearing.

Note

Written by AI, so it can be wrong. Full breakdown

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