Netflix’s new Japanese series From Me to You: Kimi ni Todoke is based on a popular manga series written by Karuho Shiina, which already was adapted into an anime series in 2009-2011 and a live-action film in 2010.

The series follows the life of a shy girl named Sawako Kuronuma, played by Sara Minami. Since fourth grade, she has been bullied by classmates who call her “Sadako,” who is a creepy character from the movie Ringu whom she resembles. 

Kuronuma, now a freshman in high school, is looking to get a fresh start. She ends up doing odd jobs and favors to gain the favor of her classmates. She quickly befriends Kazehaya Shota, played by Oji Suzuka, and ends up making many long-lasting friendships with his help.

The series is set to be a love story between Kuronuma and Shota, but it also doubles as a looking glass into the complexities of the high school experience. 

The show is set in a small, heartwarming town with beautiful visuals executed by the crew. The story spans multiple years and seasons, so viewers get to see the town in different lights every few episodes. 

The show can make the viewer impatient, as characters never clearly express what’s going on in their minds, and some scenes also drag on painfully long. It also skips some scenes and moments from the manga and the anime, which might disappoint fans.