In the Clear Moonlit Dusk Premiere Gets a Complicated Review
The review captures a tension between appreciating a story about gender dysphoria and critiquing how the medium rarely allows masculine-leaning female characters to stay confident in their own skin.
Reporting from 1 sources: Anime Feminist.
Anime Feminist published a review of the first episode of the shojo romance series In the Clear Moonlit Dusk on January 15. The review describes the protagonist Yoi, a tall girl with a lower-pitched voice who has been nicknamed "The Prince" by her classmates. She is uncomfortable with the label but struggles to speak up. The episode introduces Ichimura, a popular boy also called "Prince," who is the first person to see past her reputation. The reviewer is of two minds about the premiere. On one hand, they value the story's exploration of how rigid feminine beauty standards can exclude girls from being seen as women. They note that Yoi experiences something like dysphoria due to being misgendered. On the other hand, the reviewer is disappointed that the series seems to be heading toward a romance that reaffirms Yoi's femininity rather than letting her embrace her boyish traits. They also criticize the character design, arguing that Yoi looks conventionally attractive with big eyes and soft features, which undercuts the premise of her being unfeminine. The reviewer finds the animation lovely and the leads have chemistry, but they remain frustrated with the broader trends the story represents. They place the show on their "It's Complicated" shelf.
The review from Anime Feminist is the first critical response to the premiere of In the Clear Moonlit Dusk, which aired this week. The reviewer praises the episode's animation and the chemistry between leads Yoi and Ichimura, but spends most of the piece wrestling with the show's gender politics. They note that Yoi has been effectively misgendered by her peers due to her height and voice, and that the episode uses strong imagery-a giant male symbol stabbing through Yoi's head-to convey her anguish. However, the reviewer argues that the character design undermines the premise: Yoi still has the same big eyes, long lashes, and soft features as other shojo heroines, making it hard to believe she is seen as masculine. The reviewer also expresses wariness that the romance will end with Ichimura reaffirming Yoi's femininity, rather than allowing her to be confident in her boyishness. They acknowledge that Ichimura is pushy and brash but also finds him weirdly endearing. The review places the show on Anime Feminist's "It's Complicated" shelf, indicating a mix of praise and frustration.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Anime Feminist In the Clear Moonlit Dusk - Episode 1