Reviews for A Star Brighter Than the Sun

Romance anime, even with cliché ones, can be enjoyable when done well. A Star Brighter than the Sun started off as a fun series, but quickly became boring and predictable. This anime has a thin plot that could've easily been wrapped up in 3 episodes, but stretched out to 12. There's no real substance - you could fast forward and not miss anything of importance. The characters are very one-dimensional. Kamishiro is your typical shoujo male lead. A good guy, always smiling, and is conveniently available to save the day whenever there's a problem. His backstory was uninteresting, making him a forgettable character. As for Iwata, hercharacter basically revolves around Kamishiro. It's always "Kamishiro this, Kamishiro that". She rarely took action to find out who the guy likes, yet with teary eyes, she regurgitates "Let's stay friends" multiple times in an episode. Take away Kamishiro, and what remains is a faceless character with no real personality.

The supporting characters are cardboard cutouts needed to make the series complete.

Positives

Well, it looked good with some nice transitions.

If you're looking for a light and easy romance without much drama, this story might just be perfect for you. Unfortunately, this was disappointing.

A star brighter than the sun is one of the gentlest, sweetest romances this season. What stands out is the writing around Sae’s insecurities. Her height and build are treated seriously, but not melodramatically. I think anyone who’s dealt with body image issues will be able to relate to her and find the story believable. The romance with she and her childhood friend is so sweet. I love their chemistry and how genuinely wholesome every moment with them feels. It’s a nice slow burn romance, but there’s enough progress every week to keep you engaged. Nothing gets dragged out either, when characters have problems, theytalk through them and say what’s on their mind instead of letting things snowball. The supporting cast is really good, the main couple’s romance is good and the show looks so pretty. It’s really got everything I like about shoujo romance and very little, if any, of the negatives. I think it’s a very solid coming of age story with two people slowly learning to connect with one another, and Sae is one of my fave characters this season. This is really a must watch for any romance fan!

Adolescence is hard. Not only are you dealing with school and other responsibilities but you’re also dealing with a changing body. Puberty can be a bitch and with how judgmental other kids can be.. it can be a challenge to keep your self confidence. This show is one of the best stories about body image issues I’ve seen. Sae being taller and stronger than other girls her age and defying traditional gender appearance standards creates a lot of insecurity and stress for her. It couldn’t come at a worse time either as she’s got a massive crush on her childhood friend, who she used to defend from bullies growing up, and is now the talk of the school. What she doesn’t know is that he’s just as crazy for her now as he was as a little kid and still sees her as the cool girl who saved him!

Earlier I said nothing gets dragged out in this story, but that was somewhat inaccurate. The one thing that gets dragged out is the misunderstanding where Sae and Kouki don’t realize how much the other idolizes them. Kouki still sees himself as the weak little kid who Sae had to protect as a child and Sae sees herself as someone who doesn’t deserve to stand next to Kouki because she’s not as feminine as the other girls at school. To their credit, both characters do their best to change that perception the other character has, but their insecurities don’t allow them to pick up on the hints. Even with that, we still see them get closer and rekindle the friendship they had as kids that was somewhat lost as they went to middle school. Because we get progress every week, it doesn’t end up feeling like a chore to watch. In fact, characters becoming friends before taking that romantic step makes relationships feel more earned and satisfying so I had no problem with it. Plus, there’s plenty of cute and wholesome moments between our leads to keep you engaged!

The supporting cast is so good here. I absolutely love how supportive Sae’s friends are of her. They are she and Kouki’s biggest shippers and do everything in their power to get them together. They encourage Sae, they help give her the “normal” high school girl experience and they look up to her! It reminded me a lot of the supporting cast from Kimi no todoke and honey lemon soda recently. Ayukawa was a nice male supporting character as well and I said on multiple occasions I would’ve loved for he and Sae to have got together in another world. The way he was the first guy to really treat Sae like a girl and how flustered she’d get around him was cute.

Really could yap about this one for ages, Sae and Kouki scratched that Kimi ni todoke season 4 itch I’ve had since last year and the show looks absolutely gorgeous. The art, animation and direction are actually really good for a lower key shoujo adaptation. We ate good this season and I will miss this one a lot. I’m definitely reading the manga asap.

A star brighter than the sun gets 10 out of 10.

I must say, there's nothing special in this anime, no heavily emotional drama, usual misunderstanding, common romance-anime-character mentality, cute anime art style, and the list goes on and on... But, as long as it's well composed, then what's wrong with having nothing special? I mean, when it comes to romance-centric stories, there are only 2 types I wouldn't recommend, first one is the ones dominated with cringy or overly annoying characters, and the second one are those with too much romance-drama where the MC tries too hard to get their love interest's heart (which even I would go like, go and look for someone elsedude), but this one is neither of them.

Okay so straight up I'll say.. Watch episode 1 then watch episode 12 and you won't have missed anything really important. In a nutshell.. Dense protag, misunderstandings, and cack blocking the whole time. No comedy, side characters are 1 dimensional, main guy is only liked cause he is "nice" main girl is an idiot. And the whole time they talk in riddles to each other.. "I have someone I like... But I won't say who." kind of crap.. (When they are both in love with each other.) Anyways just a waste of time romance anime, no banter, no wit, no love, no romance.. Just many awkward conversations andanxiety induced internal monologues..

It tries to be pure romance, with no comedy to like the characters, and no drama to sympathize with the characters. So you're left with a frustrating feeling every episode.. (And the confession scene was also pretty bad too.. They said "I like you." then walked away, after they already chased after each other.)

Normally I don't review shows.. But considering they want to make a season 2... But had almost no romance progress or a likable, hateable, or memorable character in the first season. I'd rather they use that time slot for a different anime..

(It'd be like Rent-a-Girlfriend got 4 seasons without 1 mutual consensual confession.. And I couldn't stand another show like that again so soon.)

I recommend watching this anime if you are a fan of angsty fluff and can handle very high schooler-anxious-and-shy love tropes. I really like this anime especially because it focuses heavily on the insecurities of the female MC and her inner world, how she views her love interest. This deeply and meaningful of a breakdown is not something we see on our average shoujos. Her love is seeping through the screen, it is not shallow. At the same time, we also get to see how male MC deals with his insecurities, and how they experience their feelings towards each other and I found that to bevery endearing and enjoyable to watch. But Koki is very absent, especially when compared to Ayukawa who is very calm, collected, mature and seem to really like and enjoy Sae's person and company.

First few episodes drag a bit as female MC's monologues get pretty long and bit tiresome but if you push through that, the anime opens up more. I think the portrayals of school environment, friendships, the feeling of having a crush on someone, and the slight anxiety of all circumstances are done well, and it is worth a shot to sit through few episodes to see if it is to your liking.

Really sorry to add this but Koki is super ugly, it should have been Ayukawa all along, man.

"Taiyou yori mo Mabushii Hoshi" Is probably gonna be atleast top 3 romance s from this season, from the cover it may appear a bit weird and basic, that s what i thougt too but from the start to where am i right now it seem s to be really good, i seen many people underrating this anime, but if we think more about it we are getting only poor isekai s or good anime s with downfalls now days so i would say this anime deserve s more hype than it has, it has good comedy, let s say romance it s good tooand it has some nice characters and it seem to go on the right oath, yea it might seem to be one of those slow burning and complicated romance s with two characters that seem to cant really speak about of they re fellings.

The story has 2 high school students, pretty basic start, a pretty charming guy but who seem a bit lost when it s about romance or he simply doesnt bring it, and a tall pretty girl, pretty TALL girl but she s beautiful that way and I like the ideea, who doesnt like tall girls?.. And this girl is in the biggest lap of love, she s so in love with our guy and every time she thinks about him or talks with him the background change in a romantic one and the scenes are full of love, but neither one of them speaks about they re love, and I think we have some competition for the girl tho, cuz she s not the only one who seem to like him.

The art is beautiful, but a bit different at a first glimpse, the characters looks a bit like in the anime "Orange" if u ask me so you might like it or not depending on you.

This anime looks good till now and I think it will become more and more good and it clearly deserve a try, trust me.

Decent Comedy, meh Romance Taiyou yori mo Mabushii Hoshi is another High School Romance, another pure love story that doesn't break out of the mold, but that is not bad necessarily. In many ways this is a generic shoujo, with a lovable heroine and near perfect hero (with subtle flaws), and admirable cast. It's a more grounded, less funny skip to loafer; with the self-reflective frame of Kimi ni Todoke. The jokes however land (for those more familiar with shoujo and/or various aspects of Japanese culture), and the animation short cuts they take (which can be annoying), do not detract too much from the characters andhave a kind of charm. It seems to be played for laughs, having fun with certain animation tropes of the genre (Treating key characters the way side characters are).

production

The music is good, and the opening piece was really beautiful, the animation decent, and the voice actors are talented. These are the elements that stand out. I also like the poetic nature of the title.

Narrative:

Very predictable thus far, they establish the setting quite vividly and well. The main cast is distinct and well designed, not as subversive of character tropes like Kimi ni Todoke.

For twists, the author is playing around with character dynamics. The character archetypes are not new, but the interactions are somewhat different. To counteract the predictability of the plot, the author shifts around the conflicts. So many plot points are obvious, what the characters choose to do, and how they react is not as obvious.

As an introduction it was slow, despite the fact they sped through the backstory. This gives the first arc, an overly expository flavor. The hook seems to be "cuteness, and beauty". For intrigue, there are small hints that there is more to the hero than the green flags the heroine sees in him. The interesting thing about the Hero is this combination of red-green flags. Things that might have been taken to be red flags normally being recontextualized as green flags.

Three episodes in, the set up is pretty much done, and it looks like it will be a good, albeit predictable romance. If you are a fan of pure love Romance, this looks like something worth your time. Especially since there seems to be no hope of getting a Last Game anime; or a second season of Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun. This will have to do. It is heart warming, and sweet; and more importantly not another isekai.

It's possible for a romance anime to be extremely cliche and simplistic but still be fun and enjoyable. Hell, I literally just watched one earlier that falls into that category, The Inexpressive Kshiwada and the Expressive Oota. And this one had a lot of potential. It starts somewhat strong, with our main boy and main girl, Kouki Kamishiro and Sae Iwata respectively, having been childhood friends, and were really close in grade school because of their similarities and their differences. The main feature of the first episode is showing their backstory to us, while simultaneously giving us a glimpse of thepresent day, where things are differnet. Back then Kouki was bullied a lot and Sae was always there for him. But in the present day Kouki is extremely popular in high school and they don't hang out nearly as much as they used to, although Kouki still greets her whenever they meet. And despite the time that's passed, Sae still has feelings for him; in fact, her feelings seem to have strengthened over time, and it's causing her heart a lot of pain because she's under the impression that he doesn't see her that way anymore. Of course we learn very quickly that this isn't the case and he has also been dealing with a lot of the same complex emotions that she has.

But unfortunately the series kind of becomes boring after this. It's not terrible, but the characters themselves aren't that interesitng divorced from their relationship with each other. I don't know what happened to them but they were way more intersting when they were kids honestly. Even then I can't truthfully say they're the most bland and forgettable characters I've ever seen, but I'm unlikely to remember them for very long that's for sure. The only thing that stands out is the art and lighting. I like the more realistic and grounded art which for some reason often works very well in romance anime, and the lighting makes certain scenes look absolutely beautiful. But story wise, when I can say an anime is only 12 episodes but it still drags that's not a good sign. This might be the first anime I've ever seen where I think it would have been better as a movie going for an hour and a half to two hours instead of a tv anime series. I will say that the final episode would have been a great concusion if I wa sable to get into the rest of the series. I'm a sucker for love confession scenes under fireworks.

With a title like A Star Brighter than the Sun and a physically unconventional heroine at its center, one anticipates gravitas in the story — if not depth, then at least intention. Three episodes in, the characters remain curiously flavorless, even after their backstories are established, dragged further down the pit by an essentially aimless plot. If we weren't repeatedly told that Kamishiro was extraordinary, we'd never know. He's about as interesting as paint drying, his image bloated entirely by Iwata whose entire personality revolves around him. At one point, she delivered an internal monologue about how he outgrew his motion sickness, and somehow framedit as a legendary trial he conquered. She lives, breathes, and possibly shits Kamishiro, which somehow makes her character even worse than his. Without a sense of self, or a capacity for one, I stopped expecting her insecurities to be explored with any real depth. True to form, her identity instead hinges entirely on Kamishiro’s perception of her. The side characters do not fare better; they simply exist as placeholders for the archetypal Shoujo friends.

I would recommend the show to a sick, bedridden friend who can only use a quarter of their brain at the moment, and that's after exhausting the list of better, worthwhile romance anime.

Adolescence is the stage of life where self-image and identity often begin to clash with the expectations of the world around us. A Star Brighter Than the Sun (also known as Tamahoshi) explores this fragile period through a romance that focuses on the slow process of learning to understand oneself. At the center of the story is Sae Iwata, a girl who often feels overshadowed by the people around her. She is taller and physically stronger than many girls her age, something that constantly feeds her insecurity in a world where femininity is often associated with softness and delicacy. Without exaggerating this conflict for melodrama,the series treats Sae’s body image struggles with sincerity and restraint. Her doubts feel grounded and believable, reflecting those anxieties many people experience while growing up and comparing themselves to others.

Much of the emotional core comes from Sae’s relationship with her childhood friend, Kouki Kamishiro. When they were younger, Sae was the one who protected Kouki from bullies, standing tall both literally and figuratively as the stronger presence between them. As they grow older, however, that dynamic begins to shift. Kouki becomes the admired and charismatic student everyone notices, while Sae begins to feel that she no longer belongs beside him. What Sae doesn’t realize is that Kouki never stopped seeing her as the same brave and dependable person who once stood up for him. In his eyes, she remains someone deeply admirable. This mutual misunderstanding becomes one of the story’s central emotional tensions. Sae believes she isn’t feminine enough to stand beside Kouki, while Kouki still sees himself as the weak boy she once relied on. Both characters admire each other deeply, yet their insecurities prevent them from recognizing how much they matter to the other.

The romance between them unfolds as a slow burn. The series builds its emotional momentum through awkward conversations, subtle gestures, and gradual realizations. Their chemistry feels warm and genuine, and the relationship develops steadily enough that the story continues to move forward without feeling stagnant. The supporting cast also plays an important role in shaping Sae’s journey. Her friends are particularly supportive, encouraging her and often acting as enthusiastic observers of the developing relationship between her and Kouki. Their presence adds warmth to the story and helps give Sae the kind of normal high school experiences she sometimes feels she doesn’t deserve. Other characters bring additional perspectives to the narrative. One notable example is Ayukawa, whose interactions with Sae highlight another side of her personality. His presence briefly introduces a different dynamic, showing how Sae reacts when someone openly treats her as a girl rather than focusing on the traits she feels insecure about.

From a production standpoint, the anime adaptation produced by Studio KAI keeps its presentation simple but effective. The visuals rely on expressive character animation and soft color palettes that complement the atmosphere of the story. It may not aim for spectacular visual moments, yet the overall presentation remains polished and consistent with the tone of the narrative. The pacing can occasionally feel slow, largely because the story spends considerable time exploring Sae’s internal struggles. The central misunderstanding between Sae and Kouki about each believing the other is out of their league also lasts longer than necessary. However, the series still maintains steady emotional progress, letting the characters to grow closer over time. In conclusion, A Star Brighter Than the Sun works best as a coming-of-age story about self-acceptance and emotional growth. Through Sae’s journey, the series explores how deeply insecurity can shape someone’s perception of themselves, and how meaningful it can be to have someone who reminds you of your worth. The romance itself remains sincere, allowing the story feel less like a dramatic love story and more like two people gradually learning how to connect with each other and with themselves.

Anyway, keep in mind that no opinion is ever purely objective, and every perspective remains open to discussion. Even so, each viewpoint still holds its own value. If you happen to see things differently, simple mutual respect is more than enough. That same respect is the spirit behind this reflection as well. Wishing everyone a peaceful day ahead, and thank you for taking the time to read.

I am literally hate watching at this point. I believe anyone who have seen any romantic anime in their life has figured that Kamishiro was indirectly talking about Iwata in episode three and it's because of her he is in the same school. The remaining nine episodes are nothing more than a tear-jerking, where the author will try to make us doubt our common sense and make Iwata suffer with her indecisiveness. Indeed, how can you just approach and talk to someone you have been knowing for 10+ years? Instead she will be glazing Kamishiro from a distance every minute of every episode. Repeat to herself howhandsome and dreamy he is, how he absolutely can not have feelings for someone like her, and how she should settle down with just being friends with him.

Later the series even introduces a "rival". Who is Kamishiro's cousin. And of course Iwata is going to get into every possible cliche situation, will see and hear things, that will further reassure her that Kamishiro is in fact in love with said cousin. 🙄

Can't wait to see the finale to find out if Iwata is going to be happy after all or nah.

Hi, dub watcher here. This show was fine at best. Lots of unnecessary drama, with Subaru causing Sae to second guess things over and over again. Maybe it’s just me, but it seems like even though the show clearly states Subaru’s last name is Kamashiro (so one can assume Koki is related to her), the dub kinda gaslights you into thinking they’re not since there aren’t many lines that explicitly mention that they’re related and Sae continuously gets the wrong idea about them. Kind of a weird way to create unnecessary tension… but okay I guess. I think the biggest travesty of this show isits treatment of Koki’s rival, Ayukawa. Like what the heck was his arc supposed to be? He’s just sad at the end of the show after Koki and Sae get together and it’s really depressing. They should’ve at least given him SOMETHING of a final scene with Sae after giving him so much screen time. But alas, both Subaru and Ayukawa were both the means to an end, and that end was as basic as any other mid-tier seasonal romance anime.

Imagine… Despite all of your insecurities, you finally confess to your childhood crush. Then you find out while your favorite song is playing that the sentiments have always been mutual. **Squee!!** Typical high school events occur: sports festival, school festival, and a bonfire confession. The art is nice & dramatically emphasized at times, not overly cinematic; simple and clean. Music is enjoyable and sounds are well placed. Lead characters are relatable, the names of the other characters might be forgettable but their art designs & demeanors are accurate {athletic & attractive, nerdy & distant, quiet but intriguing}. There are opportunities for new crushes for bothmain characters, adorable flashbacks, supportive friends, uncomfortable family relationships {they made it weird might elude to something EWW! lol}, “scary” potential plot twist, and courageous confessions.

This is for the childhood romantics and empowered overcomers!

The show was relatively predictable, but my favorite part was definitely the actual confession and the slow build-up of another character developing feelings for the main character. I do feel like the show could’ve done more overall—it didn’t push boundaries or deliver anything groundbreaking in terms of writing. That said, it was my cup of tea at the time. The story is not that unique but it was fast paced. I did like the mc crush and the character that was beginning to crush on the mc. That definitely add to the overall enjoyment of the show If you’re looking for something light and fluffy, thisworks just fine. It doesn’t do too much, but it’s an easy, enjoyable watch.

A Star Brighter Than the Sun The story is about a girl " Sae " who is tall and not that beautiful compared to other girls in the anime welp that was the overview for starters . The anime is kinda like " From me to you " as the Mc girl is distant and not appriciated by everyone but the Mc boy makes her understand that she deserves it and makes her life all cheery and happy .. The anime is a classic shoujo with slow burn blushing romance with confession in the last episode well some might not like the anime bcz of the bland storyline about the mc having inner thoughts like " I am not good enough " in almost every episode in different ways and gets disapointed by her surroundings and the Mc boy breaking the walls around her to clear her misunderstandings .

Welp the anime got its sequel announced the same day the anime finished so yep a good watch for " Shoujo geeks "

Predictable, boring, stereotypical cheap aaah romance anime. I hate every single character in this shitty anime, why is the main character sooooooo so lamee omg to be thristing for a guy since little and making literally 0 moves, slow burn my a$$, they could at least make admiration-> love and through reconnecting and reviving the frienship in high school making them develope feelings. Boring aaah character the blond guy kamishiro whatever his name is, him being idealized and ooh how cool aww how cute at every second and min of each ep is so annoying... Wdym they made the only relative of kamishiro a "rival" or someonewho makes the protagonist jelous/insecure??? THEY ARE RELATIVES can japan stop with this incest stuff? idc if that couple really are a thing or not, the mere fact that they mention the cousins as looking cute toghether as a couple makes me want to vomit.

The only one that is not annoying and interesting is the second love interest they guy with grey hair, but i already know how this super predictable stereotypical cheap romance anime will possible no, literally will end.