Replica datte, Koi wo Suru.

On days when Sunao is sick, or not feeling like going to school, she is called to take her place. She was born to this world when Sunao wished to have a substitute. No one knows that she exists, but she tries to do her best for Sunao whenever she is called. One day she talks with Sanada, one of her classmates. They become friends, but soon he notices that she is different from the original Sunao...he was the first one who did. She tells him to talk with her only when she has her hair half-up. Sanada does like she told him, and they enjoy their time together. As they become closer, she realizes that she has special feelings toward Sanada. But she doesn't know what will happen to her...if she, a replica, falls in love.

(Source: Kadokawa)

Nao Main

Morohoshi, Sumire Japanese

Aikawa, Sunao Main

Morohoshi, Sumire Japanese

Sanada, Shuuya Main

Suzuki, Ryouta Japanese

Satou, Kozue Supporting

Hidaka, Rina Japanese

Mori, Suzumi Supporting

Nazuka, Kaori Japanese

Mori, Yutaka Supporting

Sanpei, Yuuki Japanese

Suzumi's Mother Supporting

Inoue, Kikuko Japanese

Mori, Taeko Supporting

Sakamoto, Chika Japanese

Mochizuki, Shun Supporting

Fukuyama, Jun Japanese

Yoshii, Haruka Supporting

Nakamura, Shuugo Japanese

Nishimae, Ayaka Producer

Itou, Saho Producer

Wada, Shouta Producer

Ootaka, Katsuki Producer

Reviews

Jun 30, 2026

Atsunome

Recommended

Something appearing dream-like as it shelters a darker undertone beneath - That is the best way I can describe “Replica datte, koi wo suru.”

I’ll have to be vague with character names in order to avoid all spoilers (only makes sense if you know the twists), so some of the sentences might sound a little strange.

It’s no secret that I absolutely adore the light novel upon which this anime is based, so the airing of this anime has been an event I’ve anticipated for a long time now. That said, I can assure you that it lived up to my expectations in every way possible, bringing ... a story I hold dear into a new medium for a wider audience to enjoy!

[Animation: 7/10]

While this is undoubtedly the weakest aspect of Replica datte, koi wo suru (henceforth referred to as ‘Repliko’), it was by no means a disappointment at all.

The constant white vignette around the screen was certainly an interesting artistic choice which took some getting used to, but it does at least set Repliko apart visually from an otherwise pretty standard 2020s anime style. It’s an experimental effect, which I can at least respect as being rather unique.

As for the rest of the visuals, the art style itself is nice but the movements are often stiff and stunted, leading to a low-budget feel for the whole thing. It’s not poorly done or lacking in life, but you can tell that this anime didn’t have a very large budget (it isn’t exactly a popular franchise) so I’ll cut it some slack here. Certain important scenes are noticeably higher effort, though, so the immersion is at least better when it really matters.

[Characters: 9/10]

This story definitely develops its female characters more than the males, with even the deuteragonist (or, perhaps he’s the tritagonist since Sunao may count as a true second) having only a couple of notable traits which don’t centre around his relationship with Nao. Still, the relationship between Replica and Original (especially in the case of Nao and Sunao) is explored in depth in addition to the main romantic relationship, which gives this show a unique edge over a typical drama/romance story.

[Story: 9/10]

Repliko takes its time to get into the real meat of the story, luring viewers in with a false sense of security for the first couple of episodes. Only after it drops the act of being a purely wholesome romance anime, however, does Repliko begin to truly shine.

There is not much I can say without spoiling anything, but this is definitely a show which deserves a few episodes of your time as opposed to simply judging it based on one.

[Music: 8/10]

Though most of the soundtrack didn’t leave much of an impression on me beyond providing some nice ambiance to scenes, the ending song of ‘Awa’ by Asmi has become a regular feature on my daily playlist.

[Voice acting: 8/10]

The characters sound pretty much exactly as I had imagined them whilst reading the novels, so the voice actors definitely nailed it on that front. Some of the earlier scenes can be a little flat in terms of vocal energy, but it’s never severe enough to take you out of the story. On the other hand, some of the more dramatic scenes were handled with incredible competence, so perhaps the aforementioned scenes are more of a direction issue than anything else.

[Enjoyment: 10/10]

It isn’t often that I tune in weekly to anime releases, usually preferring to binge them once the season is completed, but this was an instant exception to that. I eagerly refreshed my app, waiting desperately for the moment I could witness my favourite scenes be animated.

[Overall: 9/10]

Perhaps this would have ranked as an 8/10 without my heavy bias towards the original light novel, but I can’t deny just how happy it has made me to see the first part of Nao and Sunao’s story animated at last.

Though this is no doubt an advertisement for the source material given that it does not adapt the entire series (and I am not holding out hopes for a second season given the lack of popularity), I thoroughly enjoyed Repliko for what it was.

If you have even the slightest hint of curiosity about Replica datte, koi wo suru (which I would wager you did if you’ve read this entire review), I would earnestly recommend giving it a try.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Jul 13, 2026

Hebi-Mikazuchi

Mixed Feelings

Even a Replica Can Fall in Love

A girl builds a duplicate of herself to live her life for her, and the duplicate is the one who actually falls in love.

This one had the setup to be something special. A supernatural hook wrapped around a coming of age story is the exact formula that gave us gems like Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai and Kokoro Connect, and Even a Replica Can Fall in Love, leans on that same premise: Sunao Aikawa built a replica of herself named Nao when she was seven, and ever since, Nao has been the one going to school, ... sitting through tests, and living the version of Sunao's life that Sunao herself is too withdrawn to face. The moment Nao starts developing real feelings for a classmate, the whole arrangement should start cracking under its own weight. That hook pulled me in immediately, on reputation alone. The problem is that it never gets as intense as its own premise promises, not in the romance and not in the phenomenon driving it.

A CONCEPT THAT NEEDED SHARPER FOLLOW THROUGH

The idea here is genuinely the best thing about the show. A living duplicate quietly falling in love with a boy who thinks he's talking to someone else entirely is rich territory, and for a while it feels like the series knows exactly what it has. It just never cashes it in. Director Ryuichi Kimura's background leans more toward warm, breezy stuff like Aikatsu and A Galaxy Next Door than toward the unsettling, uncanny tone this premise is built for, and that mismatch shows. The show has all the pieces of something genuinely eerie and moving, and it just keeps playing it safe.

A CAST WORKING HARDER THAN THE SCRIPT

The voice acting deserves real credit here. Everyone is clearly trying to sell more than the material is giving them. The standout piece of trivia is that Sumire Morohoshi voices both Sunao and Nao, meaning one actress is responsible for making a girl and her artificial copy feel like two distinct people with two distinct inner lives. That's a genuinely tough assignment, and it explains a lot about how the two halves of this story land unevenly. Nao gets to be curious, warm, and quietly compelling, a character who is technically not supposed to have feelings at all somehow ending up the more textured of the two. Sunao, the original, comes across comparatively flat and underdeveloped. That's not two actors being cast unevenly, that's one performer's range being split down the middle, and only one side of that split really landing.

The one character who fully works is Suzumi Mori, the former student council member on the sidelines of the main couple's story. Her arc is the one stretch of the show that actually delivers on everything else here is only gesturing at. It has a real feel good current running through it, though even that pocket of warmth feels a little held back, like the show wouldn't quite let itself commit even when it had something working.

A ROMANCE THAT NEVER FULLY IGNITES

The central romance is where the shortfall hurts most. It's not bad, it's just thin, missing the passion and the emotional depth the premise is clearly reaching for. The music, courtesy of composer Kanako Hara, is perfectly serviceable without ever being memorable, and the art is decent without doing much to distinguish itself. Nothing here is poorly made. It's just consistently good enough rather than good.

THE BOTTOM LINE

This is a show with a genuinely strong concept and a cast giving it more than the script gives back, undercut by execution that plays it safer than the premise deserves. It's not a disaster, it's a series you can put on while you're doing something else, the kind of watch you reach for because you want something on rather than something that demands your full attention.

Potential, in the end, is exactly what got dragged down by an execution that stayed firmly average. 6/10, and that's a 6.4 that MAL just won't let me keep.

Hope this helped you decide if it's worth your time. Give it a watch if you want something easy to have on, just don't go in expecting to be blown away.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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Jul 6, 2026

Chuy_diazz

Not Recommended

It could have been the surprise of the season, but it chose to settle for the bare minimum.

For most of its run, I kept thinking, "This could be as good as Gimai Seikatsu." A low-budget story, very good direction, and a story good enough to carry the project. It had a story that created its own mythology about the doppelganger phenomenon. The story presented a girl who was able to create a replica of herself. The mystery was figuring out the reason for these replicas' existence. The anime begins an exploration of existentialism through characters who aren't human. They play by different rules, their bodies ... are different. They suffer the problems of being "replicas," which we as humans can understand through the screen, but can't fully empathize with. Things like not being masters of our own lives, nor of our own deaths. The identity crisis of not having anything of our own. The story, from its beginning and development, showcases a romance and vulnerable characters, gradually building the myth of the replicas. Each episode provides an answer while simultaneously raising two questions, which draws you into the story. Furthermore, they knew how to use their replicas very well. Each new replica that entered the scene did so with purpose, bringing an important theme to the table. Nao represented an identity crisis, Aki was the purpose of a replica, while Ryo was the end of a replica. These three replicas coexisted in perfect harmony, creating one of the most intense and memorable moments of the season: Ryo's end.

Despite being its best moment, it's also the scene that dooms the anime. It's the peak of drama; it hurts, it leaves a mark on your heart. It's a scene you can't easily forget because of its suddenness. The series tries to continue the story, but it can't quite steer it in the right direction. They enter a rather gentle, quite lighthearted setting. The atmosphere was different, one where we needed a strong emotional catharsis. And rightly so, after what happens. Even so, the series becomes self-contained, trying to deliver the lightest possible ending. Which ends up ruining everything completely. The characters' stories cease to make sense, and practically everyone has one. Furthermore, the explanations become simplistic. They are answers given with the awareness that the anime won't have a sequel. They are answers that try to wrap everything up as abruptly as possible so that you don't even feel like reading the novel. The ending is awful. Everything that was set up and developed loses its meaning. The characters perform an act that goes against all their development as individuals. The ending is rushed, it's bland, it's insipid. It doesn't satisfy; it simply seems like they didn't want to continue the story.

Without a doubt, we can say that this is the disappointment of the season. He had so much potential, but they let him fall from the top.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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	Poll: Replica datte, Koi wo Suru. Episode 13 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Atsunome - Jun 30	76 replies	by niookookjo »» Sep 4, 1:45 PM
	Poll: Replica datte, Koi wo Suru. Episode 9 Discussion ( 1 2 ) godzilla9637 - Jun 2	63 replies	by niookookjo »» Sep 4, 11:35 AM
	Do you think... [Ending spoilers] GrumbleDango - Jul 1	7 replies	by xnub »» Aug 17, 11:03 PM
	Poll: Replica datte, Koi wo Suru. Episode 5 Discussion ( 1 2 ) InternetAngelAme - May 5	67 replies	by Solidos_27 »» Jul 30, 9:37 AM
	Poll: Replica datte, Koi wo Suru. Episode 4 Discussion ( 1 2 ) InternetAngelAme - Apr 28	81 replies	by Solidos_27 »» Jul 30, 9:35 AM