An anime romance where finding someone who understands your fandom is only the first hurdle? Cherry and Virgin centres on two adults whose creative passions bring them together, but cannot automatically fix their emotional baggage.
In its review, Anime News Network praises the film for taking adult otaku relationships seriously. The attraction is important, but so are uncomfortable conversations, old insecurities and the responsibility to become a better partner.
Two artists, two very different worlds
The leads are Ryo, an erotic manga creator, and Ami, a working woman who draws but lacks the confidence to turn her art into a career. Both face pressure to find a partner as marriage becomes an increasingly difficult subject to avoid.
Neither arrives at their relationship with a clean emotional slate. Previous experiences have shaped their distrust of the opposite sex, while fictional fantasies offer a more comfortable alternative to real-world vulnerability.
Their connection develops through conversation rather than instant compatibility. An outing to an idol film extends into drinks at an izakaya and a walk through a park. Along the way, guarded introductions give way to discussions about creative ambitions, rejection and embarrassing personal history.
According to ANN’s assessment, the convincing part is their willingness to listen. Their interests do not match perfectly, but they make room to understand what matters to each other.
The artwork makes their differences visible
One of the film’s most distinctive choices is that its central couple does not share a uniform visual style.
Ami, designed by Ryo Nakaharu, appears in soft pastel colours. Ryo, designed by Katsuya Takanagi, has a rougher, monochrome appearance; he is also colour-blind. Their presentation reflects the different kinds of manga they create.
The production combines rotoscoping with these contrasting designs. Its imagery also changes when exploring the characters’ pasts, moving through childhood scribbles and adolescent drawing styles. Other artistically inclined characters appear through their own preferred forms of self-representation, including animal mascots and VTuber identities.
ANN describes the film’s artistry as a strength despite its lower frame count. The visual experimentation is not simply decoration: it helps express how these characters understand themselves.
Fandom references with a purpose
The film’s references draw on the leads’ different formative influences, rather than just whichever anime happens to be fashionable.
ANN highlights mentions of Banana Fish, a visual concept connected to Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, and a pivotal Comiket sequence featuring music from Macross: Do You Remember Love?
A jazz-influenced score accompanies much of the relationship, supporting both lively exchanges and quieter moments. However, ANN also notes a potential limitation: viewers who have carried their anime interests into adulthood may connect more readily with its reference-heavy approach.
Director Masanao Kojiri, formerly associated with Gainax, made the project outside the anime industry following a successful crowdfunding campaign. Production took five years, including the COVID period.
Why it is worth watching from a Malaysia/SEA perspective
Our take: For Malaysian and Southeast Asian readers interested in romance beyond school settings, the useful distinction here is its focus on adulthood. Enjoying someone’s favourite manga is one thing; handling their insecurities and taking responsibility for your own behaviour is another.
ANN’s review suggests the film does not confuse fandom compatibility with a finished relationship. When the couple’s worse tendencies emerge, affection alone is not enough. Their creative identities also become part of a harder discussion about lived experience and accountability.
That makes this a title worth keeping on your radar if you want an otaku romance with more to explore after the initial confession. The supplied review does not establish Malaysian or Southeast Asian screening dates, streaming access or release plans.