English Dub Review: Akebi’s Sailor Uniform “The Sailor Uniform I Always Wanted”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Akebi Komichi has been accepted into Roubai Academy and has dreamed of wearing the school’s sailor uniform ever since she saw her favorite idol wearing one. But on the first day of school, she notices that the other students are wearing blazers.

Our Take:

If you want to make an excellent first impression, you got to have the best uniform money can buy. For our main character, the best uniform could be the key to gaining self-confidence. Following its Japanese debut in early January, the new series has quickly made its way to the United States to see if it can make its own solid first impression for Western audiences.

The first episode of Akebi’s Sailor Uniform is merely a preparation stage for Komichi (Megan Shipman). She helps her mother and young sister craft a sailor uniform for Roubai Academy. However, after seeing that the students and staff are wearing blazers instead of the usual sailor uniforms, her confidence starts to wane. That is until her young sister Kao (Tia Ballard) gave her the strength to push forward.

Most anime shows I usually watch consist of fantasy, supernatural, and action elements like Fairy Tail and Demon Slayer. So seeing that the show focuses more on the slice of life elements felt like a change of pace for me regarding my anime taste. I didn’t think something like this would interest me as much as I was with the other action-packed anime, but it happened to prove me wrong.

The episode’s story is more of a set-up to the show’s fish-out-of-water tale, with Komichi being the only student with a sailor uniform. Whether its formula would wind up being stale or not, later on, remains to be seen. However, as a starting point for what’s to come in the upcoming weeks, it’s a sweet and humble depiction of someone who’s unfortunately behind their time regarding the uniforms.

But, of course, the series itself isn’t the only thing that has to make a solid first impression. It also comes down to the main character (Komichi Akebi) and their personality. Komichi is seen as a happy-go-lucky teen who’s facing uncertainty due to being the only person without a brazer. Based on what I saw, she does have an opportunity to provide some inspiration for viewers who also fear being standouts at school. Plus, Megan Shipman (from Sing a Bit of Harmony) did a solid job in capturing Akebi’s sense of innocence and humanity. Tia Ballard also did well as the voice of Kao, along with her chemistry with Shipman, which is my main highlight of the episode.

Overall, “The Sailor Uniform I Always Wanted” is a heartfelt and gorgeous introduction to the fish-out-of-water series from studio CloverWorks. The English dub voice cast is solid in their roles, the plot is sweet and heartwarming despite its formula, and the animation is suitably beautiful. It’s a swell first day that sees the show hoping to gain enough confidence to make it through the first year. Unsurprisingly, the same can be said for Komichi, who’s starting her first day right by meeting her first friend at the Academy.