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The 2020 anime series, Smile Down the Runway, unfolds across 12 captivating episodes, chronicling the journey of Ikuto Tsumara and Chiyuki Fujito as they strive to make their mark in the competitive fashion industry. Chiyuki dreams of becoming a renowned model gracing the Paris Fashion Week, yet her aspirations are constantly belittled due to her short stature. On the other hand, Ikuto, a talented designer at heart, finds his remarkable sewing abilities overshadowed by the limitations of his modest upbringing.
An intriguing turn of events arises when both Ikuto and Chiyuki secure a chance at a fashion studio, igniting hope that their ambitions might soon see the light of day. However, the duo faces challenges when they encounter shy model Kokoro and esteemed designer Toh, setting the stage for an engaging rivalry. This dynamic competition forms the emotional core of Smile Down the Runway, echoing themes familiar to fans of The Devil Wears Prada.
While Smile Down the Runway could have easily presented the glamorous world of fashion through the lens of flawless models and top-tier designers, its strength lies in its willingness to portray the genuine struggles and formidable obstacles inherent in this dazzling industry. The series skillfully balances the vibrancy and creativity of fashion with the harsh realities faced by those determined to succeed, making it a captivating watch for fashion enthusiasts.
Smile Down The Runway Taps Into The Cutthroat Nature Of The Fashion Industry
It would have been easy for Smile Down the Runway to explore the world of high fashion through the perspective of perfect models and designers who dominate their field. There’s enough joy, bright colors, and creativity in the fashion industry that there would still be plenty for Smile Down the Runway to celebrate, while still appealing to a fashion-forward audience. The reason that Smile Down the Runway works as well as it does, however, is because it doesn’t shy away from the realistic hurdles and crushing challenges that make up this illustrious industry.
The anime would feel disingenuous and manipulative if Ikuto and Chiyuki immediately found success. This authentic dimension brings the competitive cattiness and egotistical one-upmanship of David Frankel’s The Devil Wears Prada to mind. Granted, The Devil Wears Prada focuses on a fashion magazine, rather than the modeling side of the industry, but they both feed into the same toxic dynamic that’s deemed necessary to succeed in this privileged, creative world.
Ikuto and Chiyuki, much like Anne Hathaway’s Andy in The Devil Wears Prada, are thrust into a stressful and unforgiving industry where passion and talent won’t be enough to save them. The competitive streak that forms between Chiyuki and Kokoro, and Ikuto and Toh, is deeply reminiscent of the back-and-forth rivalry between Andy and Emily Blunt’s Emily, which is only further reinforced by Meryl Streep’s Miranda Priestley. Smile Down the Runway and The Devil Wears Prada evolve these relationships and reiterate that they need to have tough skin to succeed as individuals, but to also understand when it’s essential to work together and not regard cooperation as a compromise or consequence.
It’s also interesting to note that the similarities between Smile Down the Runway and The Devil Wears Prada run as deep as their respective titles. Both of their names are somewhat sarcastic and tease the darkness and dashed dreams that fill the fashion industry. In The Devil Wears Prada, Miranda’s toxic nature is made explicit, whereas Smile Down the Runway’s title is meant to be more of an uplifting mantra that pushes positivity, even when it seems impossible. There’s definitely overlap between these texts’ themes, characters, and tone, which both conclude in similarly uplifting places.
Anime Has A Surprisingly Strong Relationship With Fashion
Smile Down the Runway is one of anime’s most authentic examinations of the fashion industry, and it works as the perfect companion piece to The Devil Wears Prada. Both titles even culminate with Paris Fashion Week as a major plot point. Smile Down the Runway is one of the more recent examples of fashion-friendly anime, but it’s really just the evolution of where the medium has already been heading.
There’s an incredibly powerful connection between anime and the fashion industry that’s reflected in so many different series. Anime like Princess Jellyfish, Paradise Kiss, and Neighborhood Story all explore fashion from grounded, realistic perspectives, whether it’s through the eyes of a fashion student or a small business. Alternatively, titles like Urahara, Pretty Rhythm, and HeartCatch PreCure! break down fashion through a more fantastical lens.
Anime is a deeply aesthetic medium that reinforces Japan’s fashion-forward nature and how there’s a compulsion to celebrate this type of storytelling. Josei series are rich in cutting-edge fashion, but even battle shonen titles like Yu Yu Hakusho and Bleach are singled out for their striking and unconventional wardrobes. This passion also carries over into the real world, where fashion collaborations with anime have become increasingly popular.
Sailor Moon has worked together with Jimmy Choo and Chanel, SPY x FAMILY did a Dior campaign, and Gucci even collaborated with Doraemon. Even non-fashion-centric anime have prompted their own fashion lines, like when Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak collaborated with One Piece for New York Fashion Week. Vivienne Westwood, a prolific fashion designer who The Devil Wears Prada‘s Miranda would be lucky to work with, has singled out Ai Yazawa’s Nana as a major hub for innovative fashion.
Smile Down The Runway Has The Perfect Setup For Its Own Sequel
Smile Down the Runway tells a complete story across its dozen episodes. Chiyuki, Ikuto, and the rest of the anime’s cast experience significant growth – personally, professionally, and creatively – that leaves the series on a satisfying note. However, the same was certainly true for The Devil Wears Prada, which has come back after a lengthy absence with a sequel that’s proven to be even more critically praised than its predecessor. It’s important to realize that Smile Down the Runway is even better suited for a sequel that gives it the opportunity to follow the same trajectory as The Devil Wears Prada 2.
Smile Down the Runway’s manga is 22 volumes long, but the anime only covers the events of the first nine volumes – or roughly 35 chapters – which is not even half of the full story. It’d be easy to bring the anime back and cover the rest of its source material, plus potentially even craft original stories that complement the manga’s second-half. There are just as many similarities between the rest of Smile Down the Runway’s manga and the direction that The Devil Wears Prada 2 takes.
A Smile Down the Runway sequel can also lean into more modern fashion trends and play around in the same space that’s made The Devil Wears Prada 2 such a nostalgic return to form. Many Smile Down the Runway fans accepted that the anime is ove, but if The Devil Wears Prada can release a sequel 20 years later, then there’s no reason why more of Smile Down the Runway isn’t possible. In the meantime, it’s the perfect anime binge-watch either before or after checking in with the Runway magazine crew in The Devil Wears Prada 2.