Adachi and Shimamura

First-year high school students Sakura Adachi and Hougetsu Shimamura encounter each other one day while skipping class and become friends. Adachi gradually develops romantic feelings for Shimamura, which she struggles to express, while Shimamura feels like Adachi is merely a friend to her. The series follows their relationship and their emerging romance as Adachi gathers the courage to open up to Shimamura.

Sakura Adachi (安達 桜, Adachi Sakura)

Voiced by: Akari Kitō^[4] (Japanese); Megan Shipman^[5] (English)

A first-year high school student who often skips classes. She is a beautiful girl with a slender figure and black hair, and works part-time at a Chinese restaurant. Adachi is a deeply introverted individual who generally eschews relationships with others, as she finds them to be a significant burden.^[6] This changes when she happens to meet Shimamura, who also skips classes. She has romantic feelings for Shimamura, and is intense jealous towards other girls who interact with her.^[7]

During summer break in their second year of high school, Adachi confesses her feelings to Shimamura at a festival, and becomes her girlfriend.^[8]

Hougetsu Shimamura (島村 抱月, Shimamura Hougetsu)

Voiced by: Miku Itō^[4][9] (Japanese); Amanda Lee^[5] (English)

A first-year high school student who tends to skip classes, though not as much as Adachi. She has light brown colored hair and an innocent personality. Although she dislikes socializing, she has a talent for taking care of others.

During summer break in their second year of high school, Shimamura is confessed to by Adachi at a festival, and chooses to accept her feelings, thus becoming her girlfriend.^[8]

Akira Hino (日野 晶, Hino Akira)

Voiced by: Manami Numakura^[10] (Japanese); Sarah Anne Williams^[5] (English)

The youngest daughter of a wealthy family with four older brothers. She is short, has black hair, and behaves frivolously. She is not used to the refined atmosphere at home, often staying at Nagafuji's house. She became friends with Shimamura in high school.

Taeko Nagafuji (永藤 妙子, Nagafuji Taeko)

Voiced by: Reina Ueda^[10] (Japanese); Monica Rial^[5] (English)

A high school girl as tall as Shimamura with large breasts and glasses. Her recent worry is being stared at by boys. She is a little careless and always teased by Hino. She has been friends with Hino since kindergarten.

Yashiro Chikama (知我麻 社, Chikama Yashiro)

Voiced by: Iori Saeki^[10] (Japanese); Sarah Wiedenheft^[5] (English)

A self-proclaimed alien from the future who came to Earth in search of her lost compatriot from space. She looks like an elementary school girl, but claims to be around 670 years old. She likes Shimamura and often plays with Shimamura's younger sister at home. She usually wanders around the town.^[11] Yashiro demonstrates telepathic abilities,^[12] and is described in a flash-forward sequence set ten years after the main events of the series as having never physically aged.^[13]

In the special novel stories included with the Japanese Blu-ray release of the anime, Yashiro is depicted thousands of years after the events of the series, still not having aged. She encounters reincarnations of Adachi and Shimamura (called Chito and Shima) on a post-apocalyptic planet that has been colonized by a since-degraded future human civilization, and it is revealed that she has committed herself to ensure that every version of Adachi and Shimamura continue to meet each other, having promised this to Shimamura in the past.^[14]

Tarumi (樽見)

Voiced by: Ai Kayano^[15] (Japanese); Alexis Tipton^[16] (English)

Shimamura's best friend in elementary school. She and Shimamura called each other "Shima-chan" and "Taru-chan", but became distant as a result of attending different junior high schools. The two happen to meet again in the winter of their first year of high school with the hope of restarting their friendship. She has a reputation as a delinquent because she often skipped school and wandered around in junior high. Tarumi's efforts to reignite her friendship with Shimamura upset Adachi, igniting extreme feelings of jealousy when she sees them together.^[7]

Joe Ballard of CBR reviewed the anime series throughout its run. In early reviews, Ballard said that it is similar to Bloom Into You and called it "a heartwarming coming-of-age story" while noting the "growing friendship" between Adachi and Shimamura, as their relationship expands, and their bond strengthens.^{[81][82][83][84]} In later reviews, he said that the series focuses mainly on "two girls getting to know each other" as they learn more about each other along the way and their romance blossoms.^[85][86] In his review of the final episode, Ballard said that the story is "slowly blossoming into a love story" and added that end of the episode is symbolic, as Adachi and Shimamura are not sitting next to each other, "but they're a little closer than they were before."^[87] In January 2021, Constance Sarantos of CBR said that the series shares similar storyboarding moments which emphasize "intimate moments and loneliness" with the series Otherside Picnic.^[88] The same month, Ballard penned another review of the series, saying that the first season "concluded with more questions than answers," and hoped that a second season would bring "more concrete answers."^[89] The same month, Angelo Delos Trinos of CBR called the series a "heartwarming Shoujo Ai (i.e. Girls' Love) anime" which legitimizes the yuri genre, saying that it is unfortunate that not many people talk about it or "Yuri romances in general."^[90]

A review of the first volume in Publishers Weekly called the series "oddly voyeuristic" and felt it was "inexplicably" being marketed to an adult audience. The review further criticized the characters as "flimsy adult fantasies" with no complexity, and concluded by saying that it may have appeal with a teenaged audience but would not interest older readers.^[91]

The School Library Journal listed the first volume of the Adachi and Shimamura (2019 manga) as one of the top 10 manga of 2021.^[92]