Honestly, confession scenes in anime are usually a disaster. You know the drill: fireworks go off at the exact moment someone says "I love you," or a high-speed train roars past to drown out the dialogue. It’s a trope we all love to hate. But when I've Always Liked You (Zutto Mae kara Suki deshita) dropped, it flipped that script by making the confession the very first thing you see. No build-up. No teasing. Just Natsuki Enomoto blurting out her feelings to her childhood friend Yu Setoguchi within the first three minutes.
It was bold. It was also a total lie, because she immediately panicked and claimed it was just "practice" for the real thing.
If you’ve ever felt that soul-crushing fear of ruining a friendship by catching feelings, this movie probably felt like a personal attack. Produced by Qualia Animation and based on the massive HoneyWorks Vocaloid song series Confess Your Love Committee, this 2016 film remains a cornerstone of the "shoujo-style" anime movie boom. It doesn't try to reinvent the wheel. Instead, it just leans into the messy, sweaty-palmed reality of being seventeen and terrified of rejection.
Why HoneyWorks Changed the Game for Anime Romance
You can't really talk about the I've Always Liked You anime without talking about HoneyWorks. They aren't just a studio; they are a "positive rock" musical group that created an entire universe through music videos. Long before the movie existed, fans were obsessed with the Kokuhaku Jikkou Iinkai (Confess Your Love Committee) songs on Nico Nico Douga and YouTube.
The transition from a four-minute music video to a 63-minute feature film is tricky. Most people expected a shallow cash-in. Surprisingly, the film succeeded because it kept the "vibe" of the music—vibrant, sugary colors and a constant sense of emotional urgency. The animation captures those small, mundane details that feel huge in high school: the way a tie is loosened, the sound of indoor shoes on linoleum, or the specific way Natsuki hides her face behind her hair when she’s lying through her teeth.
It’s short. Barely an hour. That’s actually its biggest strength. While series like Kimi ni Todoke might take twenty-five episodes for a hand-hold, this movie is a sprint. It understands that teenage hormones don't have a slow burn; they have a "burn the whole house down right now" energy.
The Natsuki and Yu Dynamic: More Than Just Childhood Friends
Natsuki is an interesting lead because she’s a bit of a tomboy but deeply insecure about how that affects her femininity. She wears track pants under her school skirt. She’s loud. She’s athletic. Her fear is that Yu sees her as "one of the guys" rather than a romantic interest.
Yu, on the other hand, is the classic "cool on the outside, crumbling on the inside" archetype. The tension in the I've Always Liked You anime stems from the fact that they are both waiting for the other to make the first move, but Natsuki’s "practice" excuse creates a safety net that actually prevents them from ever being honest. It’s a paradox. By practicing her confession on the person she actually loves, she’s inadvertently friend-zoning herself.
The Supporting Cast Isn't Just Background Noise
While Natsuki and Yu take center stage, the movie does a surprisingly good job of seeding the stories of the rest of the crew. We get glimpses of Akari and Sota, whose relationship is explored more deeply in the follow-up film, The Moment You Fall in Love.
Sota (often called "Mochita") is arguably the most relatable character for anyone who has ever admired someone from afar. He’s been watching Akari for years. He knows her favorite things. He’s paralyzed by her beauty. The movie treats his "creepy" tendencies with a bit of a wink, acknowledging that he’s just a shy kid who doesn't know how to bridge the gap between "fan" and "boyfriend."
Then there’s Koyuki Ayase. Poor Koyuki.
He’s the catalyst. The long-haired, soft-spoken boy who undergoes a makeover just to catch Natsuki’s eye. Every romance needs a "Second Lead" to raise the stakes, and Koyuki plays the part perfectly. He represents the "safe" choice—the guy who is actually brave enough to be honest while Yu is still playing it cool. His presence forces the main duo to stop stalling. Without Koyuki’s intervention, Natsuki and Yu would probably still be "practicing" their confessions well into their thirties.
Let's Talk About That Ending (Spoilers, Kinda)
The climax of the I've Always Liked You anime takes place at a concert, which is a nice nod to the film’s musical roots. There’s a specific moment where Natsuki finally realizes that "practice" is a form of cowardice.
The ending doesn't give you a wedding or a "five years later" montage. It gives you a resolution to a single conversation. Some critics at the time complained that it felt unfinished, but that misses the point. High school romance isn't about the "happily ever after"—it's about the relief of finally being known. When the credits roll to the song "Zutto Mae kara Suki deshita" by HoneyWorks, you feel that catharsis.
Technical Specs and Where It Fits in 2026
Even a decade later, the production holds up.
- Director: Tetsuya Yanagisawa (who surprisingly also did High School DxD, quite a shift in tone).
- Studio: Qualia Animation.
- Art Direction: The backgrounds are bright, almost over-saturated, reflecting the idealized memory of youth.
If you’re watching this for the first time in 2026, you might find the "misunderstanding" trope a bit dated. We live in an era of more direct communication (or at least, more direct texting). But the core emotion—the fear of losing a best friend—is timeless. It’s the same reason people still listen to Taylor Swift or watch John Hughes movies. The medium changes, but the panic of a crush stays the same.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Movie
A common misconception is that you need to watch the entire HoneyWorks catalog to understand the I've Always Liked You anime. You don't.
While the "Confess Your Love Committee" series is sprawling, this film stands alone perfectly well. It’s an entry point. If you like this, you go watch The Moment You Fall in Love. If you like that, you watch the six-episode TV special, Our love has always been 10 centimeters apart. It’s a rabbit hole, but the film is the front door.
Another mistake? Thinking it’s a sad story. It’s not. Unlike I Want to Eat Your Pancreas or Your Lie in April, nobody dies here. There’s no terminal illness. The only thing at stake is the characters' pride. In a world of "sad girl/boy" anime, there’s something refreshing about a story where the biggest tragedy is a missed connection at the lockers.
Actionable Insights for the Aspiring Anime Fan
If you’re planning to dive into this world, here is how to actually enjoy it without getting confused by the massive amount of HoneyWorks content out there:
- Watch the movie first. Don't start with the music videos or the TV series. Start with I've Always Liked You. It sets the tone and introduces the core cast.
- Pay attention to the lyrics. If you’re watching on a platform with good subtitles (like Crunchyroll), the songs are often translated. The lyrics aren't just background noise; they are inner monologues for the characters who aren't currently speaking.
- Check out the "After-Credits" scenes. HoneyWorks loves a good stinger. The story usually continues through the end crawl, so don't click away as soon as the music starts.
- Follow the chronological release, not the timeline. Some people try to watch the scenes in "story order." Don't do that. Watch it in the order it was made. The emotional payoff is much better when you see how the creators’ vision evolved.
- Look for the "Easter Eggs." You’ll see characters from other HoneyWorks songs walking in the background of the school hallways. It’s a shared universe, and spotting a character who gets their own movie later is half the fun.
The I've Always Liked You anime isn't trying to be a philosophical masterpiece. It’s a postcard from high school. It’s loud, it’s a little bit embarrassing, and it’s deeply sincere. Sometimes, that’s exactly what you need. Instead of scrolling for another hour trying to find the "perfect" complex psychological thriller, just put this on. It’s only an hour. You’ll probably see a bit of your younger, more awkward self in Natsuki. And honestly? That’s why we watch romance in the first place.