Modern life is stressful. Surely we can all agree on that? Therefore, it's not too much of a stretch to empathize with Sunao, who'd prefer to stay in her room than engage with stressful things like friendship difficulties, socializing, and schoolwork. While she could shut out the world entirely and embrace the hikikomori lifestyle like 1.5 million of her fellow Japanese countrymen and women, she has recourse to another solution, to an uncomplaining, compliant, almost exact replica of herself. It's almost too much temptation to bear. Why bother with anything difficult or unpleasant when you can outsource such experiences? That's how “Nao” takes on more and more of Sunao's life and identity, and her classmates begin to notice.

Although they look identical, there's something very different about the way Sunao and Nao interact with others. Where Sunao is cold and snappy, Nao is warm and reaches out with compassion. She shows interest, in comparison to Sunao's apparent self-centredness. Nao makes a point of distinguishing herself from her progenitor by wearing her hair up with a scrunchie. That's how classmate Shuya Sanada knows on which days it's safe to approach her. On a “hair down” day, he's likely to receive a tongue-lashing. On a “hair up” day, his conversation is welcome.

I've been looking forward to this adaptation ever since I reviewed volume one of the source novel series for the Fall 2024 light novel guide. Although I always intended to read the follow-up novels, I never quite found the time, so I made do with the anime version. I have mixed feelings about how successful this choice was.

The central premise is certainly intriguing. Who among us hasn't fantasized about being able to do two things at once, or to be in more than one place at the same time, so as not to miss out on anything? Sunao doesn't look at her inexplicable gift of a replica in quite such positive terms. Instead of using a replica to embrace all that life has to offer, she offloads responsibility and difficult situations onto Nao, who complies because she only wants to make Sunao happy. It's an unpleasantly unequal relationship. Sunao can summon Nao from the void whenever she wants, and can dismiss her as capriciously and suddenly as she likes. She doesn't let Nao eat meals with her family, nor does she allow her the respite of sleep. Night comes, and it's basically “back to the existential horror of nothingness for you; there's only one bed in this room, and it's mine.” As we see most events via Nao's viewpoint, Sunao comes across negatively for much of the show, and we only get a good glimpse into her psychology right towards the end.

Sunao's not an antagonist, though. She's not cruel, and she doesn't technically mistreat Nao. Sometimes she's even pretty considerate of her needs and wants. It's obvious she's rattled when it becomes clear that Nao gets on better with her friends than she does, and even finds a boy she likes. She begins to regret outsourcing the important part of her life to another. As the story progresses beyond the contents of the first volume, we learn more about the replicas, meeting several more, though their presence is never fully explained. This is a relationship drama first, with mere SF/fantasy elements added in. The concept of a replica is primarily a plot device used to explore issues of identity, emotion, and responsibility.

These thirteen episodes cover the first three novels, of which there are six in total, leaving enough material for a second season, should the production committee desire it. Despite adapting only half the series, episode thirteen ends at a satisfying stopping point, so it doesn't feel like an unfinished story, even if the resolution of the central relationships is a little abrupt. This contrasts with the rest of the show, which is methodically paced and has a definite rhythm. It's obvious to see where one novel ends and the next begins, and each story arc slowly builds to an often brutal twist before dealing with the fallout.

Sometimes that fallout takes a while to arrive. The climax of the first story arc involves a deeply upsetting cliffhanger. Although it is quickly resolved, its ramifications do not fully emerge until the end of the third arc. This seems a little odd, though the second arc's climax features a similarly disturbing and sudden event that is at least thematically linked. Most episodes are slowly-paced tales about Nao getting closer to Aki, the boy she likes, or interacting with her classmates, while Sunao sulks. Thankfully, Sunao becomes more active and, therefore, more sympathetic as the third arc progresses.

It's not the most exciting or dynamic of shows, and this is reflected in the overly pedestrian direction and static, flat visuals. For some reason, almost every screen is haloed by a fuzzy white filter at the edges, making the whole thing feel like it's being told as some wistful flashback. It's extremely distracting and, at times, inconsistently applied. I can't, for the life of me, work out why this filter is more prominent in some scenes than in others. While the show never looks bad, it never looks exceptional or particularly interesting either. The character designs are blandly attractive; they don't quite retain the charms of the novel's illustrator, raemz's artwork.

The opening track, “Refrain,” by shytaupe is one of my favorites of the Spring 2026 season. It really captures the emotional melancholia at the heart of the tale, and the part where Sunao and Aki slowly dissolve away into nothingness as the music swells really pulls at my heartstrings. The closing song “Awa,” performed by asmi, is a little more light-hearted and playful, if a bit more forgettable.

If anything, this relatively middling adaptation mostly makes me want to return to the novels to read the rest, which I suppose is “job done” as far as the producers are concerned. I can't help thinking that with a bit more directorial creativity and flair, this could have been something really special. It's carried by its fascinating premise, but doesn't quite take flight as it should. I'd still watch a second season, but I'd recommend reading the books first and treating the anime as bonus content. It's nice to have, but inessential.