Love is unusual for Risa Koizumi and Atsushi Ootani, who are both striving to find their ideal partner in high school—172 cm tall Koizumi is much taller than the average girl, and Ootani is much shorter than the average guy at 156 cm. To add to their plights, their crushes fall in love with each other, leaving Koizumi and Ootani comically flustered and heartbroken. To make matters worse, they're even labeled as a comedy duo by their homeroom teacher due to their personalities and the stark difference in their heights, and their classmates even think of their arguments as sketches.
Lovely★Complex follows Koizumi and Ootani as they encourage each other in finding love and become close friends. Apart from their ridiculous antics, they soon find out an unexpected similarity in their music and fashion tastes. Maybe they possess a chemistry yet unknown, but could love ever bloom between the mismatched pair?
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
lowell
I really, really, really loved LoveCom. It was cute, insightful, hilarious and endearing. It was my most anticipated episode every week. I always wanted more. I want more now even though I know it's over! The story is about the tallest girl and the shortest boy in class and their search for love in high school. It turns out they're both kooky, funny and energetic. They're also perfect for each other... too bad they don't see that. The story isn't complicated or new, but it was told so well that it crawled into right into that soft spot in my heart. Theromance is built slowly over time and by the end, you're head over heels for them because the creators did such a great job of laying down the foundation and actually showing you how their feelings grow over time. It's not like a lot of shows where all of a sudden in a haze of fuzzy lighting and rose petals, love magically sprouts out of nowhere. Instead, you see a friendship begin, a moment happens, interest blossoms, awareness grows... the whole nine yards. You really get to know Koizumi and Otani over the course of the show and I was rooting like crazy for them.
The characters are so over the top and out of control that it's hard not to laugh. They exaggerate, make ridiculous faces and they over-react to everything. It's really kind of hammy, but that's part of the fun. And it's refreshing to see a female lead who isn't some stereotype of a dominatrix-in-training or a weak, helpless nitwit. She seems like a real human being with strong points and weak points. She isn't afraid to get ugly and imperfect sometimes and I think it's really great that they made her (and, really, him too) full of all these flaws and not-so-attractive traits... and yet so completely charming and loveable. It makes them really... human. I would say that if you like the relationship (without the music and with a lot more actual focus on romance) of Nodame and Chiaki from Nodame Cantabile, you might like this too because there's a similarity in the way that the relationships go both ways and the strength that each of them brings to the relationship.
The art is great too. First of all, they took the time and effort to change the characters appearances day to day and give them all a sense of their own style, which I really appreciate. It's just really thorough and well-executed. I completely agree with YoshikoHatake, there is something about the style that brings Bokura Ga Ita to mind, even though the tone of the story is completely different (BGI felt a lot more serious and the colors and style reflect that somewhat, I think). Music-wise, it's also nice. I don't normally notice the openings and endings that much (I've always hated credits), but LoveCom's are really good in a perky, energetic kind of way, which suits the show perfectly, and I find myself singing along w/ the karaoke. ;)
Enjoy! =)
P.S. I really haven't seen very many romances that do this good of a job at being funny and sweet and tender and honest. If you have, I'd love suggestions!
360ken
I really have a lot of bad things to say about this show but I'll warn you if it gets too spoiler-laden. Here starts the review. STORY- 2 (Dreadful) Lovely Complex is about two high school kids, Risa and Otani. They are a comedy duo because whever they're together they fight, argue, make fun of each other, and cause a scene, which makes bystanders laugh. Risa is taller than most guys and that's a problem for her because she's desperately searching for a boyfriend. Otani is sort of a dumb jock/trouble maker. He's shorter than almost all the girls and he's also self-conscious about it.So two people with height complexes.
Well the first 5 or so episodes of this are just filler-type comedy episodes which is pretty nice. Then Risa starts to like Otani for who knows what reason. He picks on her, argues with her, but the creators expect us to believe they're a match made in heaven because they both like this one rap group, Umibouzu.
For the next handful of episodes Risa tries to confess her love to Otani but Otani is just SO DENSE he thinks it's a joke when she confesses to him. This is where the show takes a nose-dive in quality. Lovely Complex starts going in circles. Something along the lines of this: Risa confesses, Otani rejects her, Risa cries, Risa beats him up. Risa stops crying and says she gives up on Otani, but then Otani does something Risa finds sweet, so Risa cries, and beats him up. She says she's going to keep loving Otani. Does it sound stupid? Yes it does! It's very long-winded, it goes in circles, Risa must've cried 30 times in this show. The show also shifts from comedy to drama around this point. You may or may not like this, depending on your preference, but you sure as hell don't want to see Risa cry again. Episodes 1-5 were okay, but around episode 6 it was a steady decline to the awful, unbearable, disgusting episodes 8-12. The show became a chore to watch because everytime I finished an episode I was so frustrated, and multiple times I logged into MAL and almost clicked "Dropped". I couldn't bring myself to do it. I would have rather never laid eyes on Lovely Complex then drop it at 12 episodes. I will explain why later in this review.
Episodes 13 on were watchable to my relief. Not as good as the first five but no where near as awful as 8-12. There is still the cycle of crying, beatings, motivations and what not, but their romance progresses slightly and new characters are added to the mix (which I will talk about later). I'm not going to dwell on the story any longer since I will spoil it for you.
So you may be asking, looks like you hated the plot...why not give it a 1? 1 is what Lovely Complex would be if it weren't for some great moments later in the series that just made me go "Awwwwwwwwww :3". They weren't anything worthy of bringing my score up past 5 but they were cute sweet shojo moments, and I was happy Lovely Complex included them. But the story is still a horribly low 2, and that's fair. The last episode, though I won't spoil it for you, is horribly contrived and way too unrealistic and convenient for the main characters.
All in all, Lovely Complex's story is a frustrating, long-winded, tedious, and boring one with not enough good humour for a romantic comedy. All of it is slapstick which isn't even funny. Risa kicks Otani probably as much as she cries her eyes out. It's a crappy story.
CHARACTER- 1 (Pathetic!)
Characters are unlikable and underdeveloped. The main characters...okay let's discuss them. Risa, awful as stated before. No redeeming qualities, just an all around annoying person. Otani, he's probably the best in the whole show, and that's actually sad. He's underdeveloped, stereotypical and dense. Side characters...well the main one here in Nobu-chan who is Risa's best friend and side kick. She's alright, nothing really irked me about her. She had no personality, she just loved her boyfriend and provided motivation and chances for Risa to meet alone with Otani. She wasn't awful but nothing was good about her. I'm not even going to talk about her boyfriend he's so underdeveloped and useless to the story.
Also on the topic of side characters, Chiharu was friends with Risa in the beginning but never mentioned past the first episode. She's just a shy girl.
The biggest problem, bigger than the character's being flat, is that they weren't put to good use. These names may mean nothing to people who haven't seen the show, but to those of you who have, Maity-sensei, Haruka, that blonde transvestite, Mimi, the red and black haired kid, and Otani's ex-girlfriend recieved no character developement and were brought into the series only to be forgotten. Ok, Mimi, red head kid, and Otani's ex weren't that important to the story, but all the other side characters were! Haruka most particularly, had brought a bunch of drama in the series and created tension between Risa and Otani in the beginning, only to be forgotten and useless to the plot, and never developed. He could've had a story arc about him but the creators didn't choose to go that route which was dissapointing. In the end, no side characters got any actual closure.
Character in this show is pathetic, Risa is the worst mainly because she cries too much.
Sound- 5 (Meh.)
The "sad moment" music just made the scenes too melodramatic. The "happy, funny moment" music did it's job and fit in well with the scenes. The "good moment" music (ie, when something romantic happens between Risa and Otani) is probably the best. It makes the seens just that much sweeter and it puts a smile on my face. The OPs and EDs were forgettable and just not special. That's all I reall have to say.
Art- 8 (Nothing to complain about here)
The art I actually quite liked. The character designs were nice, the colour palette was bright and colourful, sometimes Risa's fish-face bothered me but overall I liked the art in Lovely Complex. It was nice to look at, I would probably call it unique but from what pictures I've seen from Kimi ni Todoke and Bokura ga Ita, the art is all the same. But still, it's good.
Enjoyment- 2
Had some sweet moments but in the end this frustrating tedious mess of a romantic "comedy" made me want to bang my head against the wall and had little to no redeeming values. A MAJOR dissapointment.
Overall- 3
Lovely Complex was a terrible, horrible, nauseating show that I wouldn't recommend to anyone. Unless you have a strong fetish for slapstick humour, you won't be able to sit through half of this.
(Jokes)
But seriously, it's a bad show.
kiriska
Girl meets boy and girl likes boy. But girl is also half a foot taller than boy and thus, epic drama ensues! S T O R Y - I don't read/watch a lot of shoujo, but from the start, I figured it was a pretty basic plot and as a result, probably a pretty generic story. I was right -- it's a lot of what you would typically expect from shoujo: lots of silly romantic drama, lots of hilarious shenanigans, and the your handful of cute, fluffy moments scattered throughout that always feel like an shot of diabetic sweetness straight to your black, black heart. Andit was wonderfully done for the most part. As predictable as the overarching story can be, it was still very engaging and fun to watch. The slice of life approach makes the episode-to-episode drama slightly less obvious, and I really loved that time actually moves throughout the series.
I suppose time progression would logically be more common in slice of life and shoujo series, but since I don't dabble into the genre much, it was very refreshing for me to experience. The series begins as the characters start high school and ends neatly as they graduate. Time moves at a pretty fixed pace, so there's no awkwardness in transitions. I was also really happy to see the beginning, creation, and progression of a relationship -- the series doesn't just end when they get together (I refuse to count that as a spoiler; I mean, c'mon. Did you ever have any doubts?), it keeps going and explores some of their problems and potential future. All in all, it's wrapped up pretty nicely. The story, while fairly generic, is solid, well told, and just silly and fun. The pacing is steady, and though things do feel like they're being dragged along occasionally, the feeling never lasts long. It's a good thing to watch after a shitty day. I'm actually really sad it's over for that very reason.
C H A R A C T E R - Risa Koizumi is a very dramatic girl. It's fun at first; after a while it got a little tiring. But then I came to realize that wait. Girls really ARE like this! They ARE overdramatic and hysterical and crazy and thoroughly ridiculous. After realizing that amazing truth, I didn't mind so much anymore. Risa is just a girl. And that's how they are. Honestly, I can't call her unrealistic in good conscience because everything she does, every over-the-top reaction she has, I can imagine someone I know in real life doing the same. Considering that, I think Risa's actually a pretty damn well done character. She's very sympathetic and easy to relate to, even when she's crying for the fifth time in five episodes. And she grows -- her feelings for Otani evolve and mature a lot throughout the series, and through you're constantly reminded of this progression through three-second flashbacks, it is something that's nice to look back on.
Atsushi Otani is an idiot. It's fun at first; after a while, it gets a little frustrating. But then I came to realize that wait! Boys really ARE like this! They're retarded and stupid and dense and miss all the obvious signs and are super awkward when they do finally get it! Amazing. Once again, I found Otani's depiction to be hilariously accurate on many levels. He does tend to be much less dramatic than Risa, but that's not surprising considering the male stereotype and the fact that his point of view isn't focused on as much until the second half of the series. Though both Risa's and Otani's feelings are undoubtedly romanticized greatly, I found the slower development of Otani's feelings a lot more interesting -- you know what's going to happen, but watching everything unfold is still interesting.
The supporting cast of friends do a great job of contrasting their lovey-dovey relationships with the irregular, often immature, and haphazard relationship of our protagonists. This makes them all noticeably idealized to the point where they're more roles than in-depth characters, but I guess that's all they really needed to be. Seiko and Haruka were fun gimmicks as well. Still, Nobuko was a pretty convincing best friend for Risa, likely because she had the most screentime of the supporting cast.
A R T S T Y L E & A N I M A T I O N - The animation and art jump around a lot in this series, so there's a bit of bad and a bit of good. The opening and end themes had a lot of fun variation to them, though all seemed pretty typical of shoujo, especially in the sense that they played around with the characters' fashion and style a lot. In the episodes themselves, the characters jumped back and forth from a pretty lazy and generic style to a really hilarious caricature style to a super, sparkle-filled, shiny, pretty shoujo style. The first of those three was the most common and got annoying sometimes because there would be strange discrepancies in how certain things (people, buildings, objects) look and I noticed some variations in height differences and proportions, especially for Risa whose lanky shape stands out a lot when the proportions change. The second was really amusing, especially since many of the SD faces are uniquely and hilariously grotesque and the characters don't hesitate to point this out themselves. The final style naturally showed up in all the super romanticized and climatic scenes -- its those scenes they saved their animation budget on, I'm sure -- making everything that much sweeter. It's predictable, but hey, it's gorgeous and cute and it works, dammit.
Another thing I'm sure is pretty common in shoujo, but that I appreciated all the same, was the fact that fashions changed from scene to scene, episode to episode. I loved that characters changed their clothes every day and had a lot of seasonal fashions; they would also be scene shopping occasionally and the clothes they buy would show up later, etc. I also loved that Risa's hair was constantly changing -- sometimes it coincided with her mood and emotions; sometimes it coincided with events or the weather; sometimes it was just different. It's not that big a deal, really, but it makes the characters that much more real and easier to relate to.
Overall, Love★Com's animation is just average, but it's good enough and the style definitely suits the series.
M U S I C - The first time I heard the first opening theme, "Kimi + Boku = Love?" by Tegomass, it confirmed all the stereotypical expectations I had for the series. It's upbeat and cheerful-hopeful, the vocalist's voice has an endearing, dorky quality to it, and the even the name of the song is corny as hell. It felt very right. End themes are generally slower, more somber, and more thoughtful compared to opening themes, and the first end theme, also by Tegomass, was no different. It kind of struck me how different the vocalist sounded. It also felt very right, and both songs really grew on me during the first half of the series.
Surprisingly though, the second pair of themes for the series are even better! I absolutely adore how the second opening, "Hey! Say!" by Hey!Say! 7 starts. In conjunction with the colorful animation sequence, it suits the series perfectly. It's the kind of music that I imagine Risa and Otani would listen to in addition to Umibouzu, and the lyrics are adorable. The same can be said for the second end theme, "BON BON," also by Hey!Say! 7 -- it's much more upbeat than the first end theme (though still reasonably thoughtful and kind of reminiscent) and once again, just adorable.
Love★Com also surprised me by having a really nice general soundtrack. The theme that played for all of the more depressing scenes was especially pretty and sweet to listen to. For other series of Love★Com's technical quality, I usually don't notice the soundtracks because they're generic and bland, so it's definitely worth noting that the music in this actually stood out. It's one of those soundtracks I wouldn't mind listening to outside of watching the actual series.
V O I C E A C T I N G - If you actually know Japanese or if you are just a gigantic dork, you might notice that pretty much all of the characters in this series speak in a Kansai dialect, which makes sense since the story takes place in Osaka. I found this pretty awesome because while a lot of series will have one or two characters that speak in the dialect, few have the full cast speaking in it. The last time I heard so many "aho"s instead of "baka" was in BECK. It's really interesting and neat to hear because even if you don't understand the language that well or realize that it's a different dialect, if you've seen a lot of subbed anime, you'll be able to pick up on slight changes in pronunciation and vocabulary (the most obvious things that I caught were "na" instead of "ne" and "chau" instead of "chigau"). For Risa, I also found her pronunciation of "Otani" to be occasionally distracting because she stresses the "o" a lot more than I would normally expect.
Other than fun dialect stuff, the voices themselves were pretty average. Risa's isn't that memorable, but it works well enough for her role. I was more impressed by Otani's voice because I found that he had a wider range of emotions and a much more recognizable tone overall -- his voice has a really unique inflection when he's upset or surprised, but it's also very charming when he's being serious. Other notable roles: Nakao was surprisingly soft-spoken, which goes great with his character, but was still surprising to hear because few people ever speak that quietly. Seiko's voice was obnoxiously high-pitched, which also went great with his/her character, but it also made me really glad s/he wasn't in too many scenes...
O V E R A L L - Lovely Complex was a much more enjoyable series than I thought it would be, but I'm always happy to see cliches work out. It's very true -- there are no original ideas left, so all there is to do is write good stories. They don't need to be original stories, just good stories, solid stories, fun stories. Lovely Complex fullfills all of above, so even though you know they're going to live happily ever after, you can still enjoy watching it for what it is. As I mentioned earlier, I watched episodes of Love★Com at the end of bad days. They're a shot of sugar and laughs, straight to the vein: adorably effective. Now I need to find another drug.
DragonsWhip
You love love? Then you're going to love this anime! The story itselves seems very standard at first glance, but it isn't. Risa, the main character, is an girl who is taller than the average girl. She wants an boy that's longer than her, but then something happens. She and Otani, a very short boy from her class, are often being laughed at, because they look and act like an popular comedy duo. Although the fact they're being laughed at and are bickering all the time, their friendships start to grow and Risa even starts to like Otani. From here on the story has a lotof twists and turns, even untill the end, which makes it very interesting!
The art was nice. It has it own style and is different than most of the anime. The characters wear different time of clothing and have an other hairstyle. The art is more focused on the girls than on the boys: the guys aren't really handsome or whatever, not something you see a lot in shoujo! An other visual part are how the emotions are showed. They're typical, but also 'a bit' exaggerated. It doesn't annoy me, instead it makes me laugh! It makes it very funny and that's a part of the power of Lovecom.
The sound was something that perfectly matched the anime. Once you know the translation of it, you're going to love it. When I first heard the OP and EN I didn't enjoyed it that much, but now I'm totally in love with it! Later on the OP and the EN change... I loved them at once!
The characters are just so human! You could have the feeling that you're one of the characters, there's nothing extra-ordinary or something about them, like that they're actually an alien or something. No, the characters are human and that's why you can feel sorry for a person when he or she is crying and sympathize with them. It makes the whole story only more interesting~!
I really, really, really enjoyed this anime. The love, joy, sadness, funny parts, dreams that come true, dreams that scatter, it is all part of it and that's what it made me totally addicted to LoveCom.
Overall it deserves an big 9~! Just watch and see this amusing anime!
Obamanizer
This show is not enjoyable. The density of the main male character gets old seriously fast, and then turns to anger. The story progresses at a snails pace, the characters as a whole dont have much value to each other and no depth. The art is bad but thats to be expected of something so old and the sound is forgettable. but seriously, the biggest turn off of this entire show was the density of the main male character, it was seriously denser than Thors hammer which is made of the core of a star...
TokyoSanchez
Can't wait for the hate for this one. At the start of watching Lovely Complex, I was certain that I was going to love this show, being a fan of shoujo romance. I can't say that I dislike it, but rather I was heavily dissapointed by it. Throughout the first half, I really enjoyed what it brought to the table. The start was a little rough, but it was a nice twist to an unoriginal genre (I say this way too much with romance anime, but so be it). Otani and Risa are a pairing that are so much fun to watch. The back and forthbetween them was well handled early on. Not only that, but it did extremely well with the themes of unrequited love and beauty is only skin deep.
The thing is, as the anime trotted along, I realized that this was the ONLY thing it did. It kept beating the theme of unrequited love so much that it lost a lot of it's impact. There wasn't a lot of anything else that the characters talked about other than Otani and Risa's relationship until the very end of the series. The saying goes that variety is the spice of life, and the lack of this in Lovely Complex grated on my patience.
This also bears a problem when talking about side characters. The four best friends of Otani and Risa (aside from Nobu who I will get to in a minute) have barely anything to them. They are left sidelined till the last couple episodes, just so the anime could say that they developed them. Hell, the one defining character trait of Chiharu established in episode one, which was she feared men, was not brought back up until episode the second to last episode.
Nobu is the only other character besides the main leads that gets much screen-time at all. All her character is is her yelling at either Otani or Risa to either do something about their relationship, or yelling at them because they did something wrong. I didn't dislike her character, but I just felt I should mention how one note she felt for the majority of the series.
As for the rest of the side characters, most of them are just plot devices to cause tension between Otani and Risa.
Otani and Risa themselves, while frustrating at times, were the best part of the series. Risa is a girl who tries very hard to achieve her goals. Even though she cries a lot, which did get annoying sometimes, it was hard not to get behind her whenever she fails or succeeds. I also liked how Otani dealt with the whole unrequited love thing. I won't spoil it, but he handled it in a way that was frustrating but very believable, which I appreciated a great deal. They aren't the best couple I've seen, as they suffered a lot from the lack of buildup of their relationship due to the stretched out nature of the middle section of the show, but they were an extremely fun couple, for the most part.
The art and animation was not fantastic. While I liked the colour palette they used, and the character designs were well done, and my god the facial expressions were amazing, but it still felt a little flat to me. The animation was stiff as well.
The soundtrack was extremely memorable. Normally romance soundtracks don't have much of an impact on me, but there were a few songs in this one that were fantastically put together. Some stand outs would be World's End, Risa, DUNK SHOOT, Deep Past, and Theme of LoveCom. Complex is also noteworthy, but only because the first 18 seconds are more or less a complete copy of the chorus of The Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby". Seriously, go listen to them both.
The voice acting is also memorable in how everyone has a kansai dialect. The voices of Risa and Otani are very good as far as I'm concerned. There were technically some bad voice actors here and there, Chiharu and Suzuki for example, but there voices were so different that I loved their voices regardless.
Lovely Complex is a show that seems to focus on very specific things, which ended up hurting many other aspects of the show that could of been interesting. And while yes, these things that were so heavily focused on were well done, I was spoon fed so much of the same thing that it left me grasping for something else. It doesn't help when all your characters talk about is Otani and Risa's love life, and basically nothing else until the very end of the series, and that the drama felt very forced, especially towards the end. That being said, the end did leave off on strong note, with everything wrapping up very nicely, even if the drama was forced. Overall, Lovely Complex was a fun show to watch, with some great cutesy moments and comedy moments, but it isn't a show I would highly recommend. Of course, I think I'm in the minority here, so if you watch it and end up loving it, more power to you.
Master10K
Lovely Complex is a Shoujo, Slice of Life, Romantic, Comedy about an odd couple; tall girl Risa Koizumi and short guy Atsushi Ootani. It is near impossible to sit through this series straight-faced, as it is full of drama and lots of laughs. XD Video Alternative ^_^ The story proved to be both entertaining and heart-warming at the same time. One thing I personally didn’t like about the story and other may have a problem with, was the time-scale. Throughout series, everything seemed to move so fast that it was even skipping from season to season in a single episode. But that is also a great thingas the series would have wasted a lot of time otherwise. The romance part of this Rom/Com was done incredibly well, because it thoroughly went through Risa’s constant struggle. There were quite a lot of unexpected developments as well that easily overshadowed all the cliches. Putting the romantic aspect aside, the comedy was great with some hilarious use of slapstick comedy, mostly brought on by the comedy duo (Risa x Atsushi).
With the story completely revolving around Risa and Atsushi, the pair needed to be great for it to be interesting and that is exactly what they were. Not only is it delightful to watch them constantly argue with each other but also the drama and tension between them was portrayed so well that you’ll have to be heartless to not feel anything. Well of course there were other characters, but after the first couple episodes they barely played any major part in the story and were there just for jokes or to meddle with the comedy duo.
The style of animation really suits the comical manner of this anime, as it can look incredibly crude half the time to go with the various jokes. But then it can look somewhat striking when it needs to. The music is just a bunch of basic melodies to go with every situation although it does drop in a few really good tunes for the dramatic moments. The OP and ED themes aren’t amazing, nonetheless that doesn’t mean that they don’t go well with the show.
Overall this is an amazing Rom/Com that is able to mix the Romance and the Comedy so well, so that neither seems overbearing. Even though the relationship was always “two steps forward, one step back” it never really felt dragged out. The one issue was the excessive amount of flashbacks, which sometimes got really repetitive but it never ruined the overall enjoyable feeling of the series. Even though it is a Shoujo anime, I’m a guy who hugely enjoyed this series and it’s definitely worth any Rom/Com fan’s time.
^_^
jet2r0cks
5 WORDS OR LESS REVIEW: Definitely not typical shoujo anime If you looked for the meaning of "Romantic Comedy" in the dictionary (or maybe even Wikipedia), you'd probably see "Lovely Complex" written in its definition. Okay, maybe not, but somebody should put it there! As much as I love shoujo manga and anime, I do get tired of it sometimes because most shoujo follow the same formula. Such is not the case for Lovely Complex. I think Lovely Complex is the true embodiment of the romantic comedy genre. A love match between a tall girl and a short guy is like the perfect recipe for a romanticcomedy. Not only that, it's also heartwarming, but funny at the same time. That is what makes it so refreshing. I don't think I laughed and cried for a shoujo anime as much as I did for Lovely Complex.
The 2 main characters are different from the usual shoujo protagonists as well. You have Koizumi Risa, taller than the average girl, slightly tomboyish and awkward. There's also Otani Atsushi, shorter than the average guy, insecure, and kind. Together they also deviate from the usual shoujo anime/manga couples. When they officially become a couple (not really a spoiler because it's obvious they'll get together XD), it's evident that Risa is more dominant than Otani.
To be honest, I didn't like Lovely Complex right away because I wasn't used to hearing so many characters speak in Osakan accents. The moment I heard one of them speak, I thought to myself "Obviously Osakan". Not that I have anything against Osakans, but at times, it sounded as if they were speaking in Chinese and couldn't understand what they were saying (I have the habit of translating in my head even while reading the subs). I'm still iffy about the accents, but then I realize that the Osakan accents really work well for Koizumi and Otani's personalities - loud. Very loud.
I like the character designs - Again, not typical shoujo anime/manga designs in which characters are usually bishie-fied. The characters look cute and their clothes are always so trendy. The only typical element you'd find in the character design is the out of proportion bodies, but in a different way. Sometimes Risa does look boyish because she doesn't have a figure, but I guess her look matches her personality. I also like the colors, consisting mostly of yellow-orange tones. The colors made the visuals of Lovely Complex really attractive, cute and current.
I didn't like the first set of OP and ED themes at first, because I thought that kind of music was kind of corny and for older fans. Just when I was starting to like both songs, they replaced the OP and ED themes with Hey! Say! 7 songs (around episode 13), and I'm really glad they did. The latter set of songs is more current and trendy as they should be, because the anime itself is current and trendy. I especially like "BON BON" by Hey! Say! 7, the second ED. I think it's a really sweet and cute song.
I'm glad I picked Lovely Complex when I was looking for a new shoujo anime to watch. It turned out to be one of the best series (in general) I've ever seen, and I strongly recommend it to all anime fans, whether you like shoujo or not.
LoonyB
A romance-comedy with a Kansai twist. I was a bit late getting onto the Lovely Complex or LoveCom bandwagon but once on board I was there till the end! LoveCom had me laughing, crying while my heart trided to leap out of my chest. It was well balanced in light and heavy scenarios, high in good anime-nutritions, a must-see for the anime-fan diet! One I devoured in two days! (All 24 eps). Story: Every manga-ka tries to find their niche market. What do the romance-comedy fans want next? Dramatic pasts with dead characters? Forbidden loves? Deaths? Mahou-shoujo? There are millions of romance-comedy manga and anime out there that arebased off cer-ray-zeh ideas however, it does not make them worth while, nor more interesting. However, all my kudos goes to the original Manga-Kas, Nakahara and Aya, for using the simple idea of height complexes and creating one of the worlds best romance-comedies ever! In short, the LoveCom story is simple, sweet but one of the best ideas out there.
Art:
The art seems very simple at first glance but it is most effective. Not only does the style translate from the manga perfectly but it amazingly portrays the unique kansai humor that makes up half of LoveCom. It also well portrays the characters types which are so important in this anime about characters who have porblems with themselves. From the adorable Seiko to the tall (but model like) Risa.
Sound:
Could've done with some work. Personally I really didn't like the opening and ending themes although they did match the anime perfectly. Also, Seiko's voice was starting to make my ears bleed after five minutes. However, Risa and Otani's voice's were perfect and the background music for those heavy emotional scenes (mostly bad ones) was very effective.
Character:
This anime is built on the characters it portrays. The mix of strange and fairly normal teens (plus two teachers and some strange parents) is very effective. Each character bounces off another as they help one and other grow. Ofcourse, LoveCom is about love and complexes, and so every character doesn't go without their own little slice of problems and it's these that fuel the anime along, and these we grow to love.
Enjoyment:
I must say, while I tend to greatly enjoy romance of anysort (and the love-love in this anime stopped my heart a few times) the unique Kansai region humor really did me in. Word unique to Kansai (and Osaka) like 'Aho' rahter than 'Baka' made this anime stand out, and the comedy-duo acts, in the style of japanese comedy was something new and amazing to experience, even in animation! It is so difference to western humor (much like how british humor is generally different to american) and it kept me smiling all the way!
Overall, as you may be able to tell (10/10!!) I enjoyed this anime greatly, and so should many others. It reaches many aspects of life; love, self counsiousness, moving on and being true to what you feel. LoveCom is a romance-comedy for all anime fans. What are you waiting for? The All Hashin Kyojin are preforming just for you!
yakitate9
Lovely Complex is truly a great series. Every episode, regardless of what is happening, is enjoyable and leaves you wanting to watch the next one. The storyline isn't anything crazy or off the wall, but it is executed to near perfection and contains a lot of really good plot turns and twists. Complimenting the story, and enhancing it, is a lot of very funny comedy. A good story makes you want more, and in that regard, this does exactly that. The artwork and animation is good, although at times it can be inconsistent. But what is most important is that the scenes that are madeto be remembered, look stunning.
As for the sound, there are some very good background pieces that come up throughout the series. Of the two OP's and two ED's, I really only like the first ones. The OP and ED of the second half of the series were pretty mediocre to me, although they have both grown on me a little bit. The voice acting was what really took the cake; all of the voices were well done, with the voice actors of Otani and Risa really doing an excellent job.
The characters really made this series so good. There is not a single character that I feel doesn't fit into the series, but again, Otani and Risa just steal the show. Their friends also have good characters, but aren't paid as much attention as the two mains.
Overall, this is an incredibly enjoyable anime. You come to live and die with the characters, and really feel what they feel. Lovely Complex has some of the most perfectly executed moments that I have seen, where the stars just seem to align and make a scene that forces your jaw to drop and your heart to pound.
kytaen
Lovely★Complex is centered around our main character and tallest girl in her class, Koizumi Risa, and the shortest boy in the class, Otani Atsushi. The anime explores their relationship, from classmates to friends to maybe even lovers. The premise of the anime is fantastic. Both our deuteragonists have a case of height complexes (hence the name) and struggle to overcome this. In the beginning, there is a mutual dislike for each other, as Risa and Otani are laughed at because of their reputation as the class' "comedy duo". As time progresses, however, Koizumi begins to like Otani, as a friend (and later, a crush), and acceptsthe fact that he's shorter than her. But to Otani, Risa is just the other half of their comedy duo, and no more than a friend. This unrequited love is what drives the whole story and plot forward.
The plot is simple and predictable, yet the way it was executed made it interesting. There are some times where the plot doesn't flow as well, but all the episodes have use and further move the plot along. There are other times where the plot feels like it's looping, or taking "one step forward, two steps back", especially with romantic progression. Overall, a solid plot that does get a nice ending and ties many loose ends. However, the conflicts presented in the show heavily rely on the use of many love triangles, and most of the love rivals do not provide any doubt to the watcher as to whether the main advertised romance might not succeed , something that a well-written love rival should. Love triangles, when properly used, can bring the plot forward, but some of these love triangles did not drive the plot at all. The pace of the plot was in general, pretty fast-paced, but it's not rushed, and it received some slower progression as the plot began to unfold and broaden. The emotions that Love★Com tries to evoke are a hit-and-miss: sometimes it works to an astonishing degree, allowing the watcher to sympathize with the characters, and other times, it may feel a little cumbersome or it has a delayed effect. The plot is probably the main reason why this anime, for me at least, did not have much of an impact on me.
The characters are likable and funny, but the complexity of side characters are what I feel is the most lacking in this anime. Our protagonist, Koizumi Risa, is an exception: she's one of the most developed characters in the show. She is funny, dramatic, sarcastic, sometimes pathetic, determined yet wavered at times, charismatic, and nice. Her kindness, which is mentioned many times by her friends, tends to be overshadowed by her other personality traits, though. Her defining trait is her determination in seeking a relationship with Otani, even with all the obstacles thrown at her and all the times she nearly gave up. However, she loses sight of her goal countless times, to the point that it's hard to classify her as always determined; rather, it's like she has periods of absolute motivation and periods where she loses all hope. We get to see her go through a range of emotions, which is well portrayed in the anime. She can be over-the-top sometimes, dramatically pathetic, and an absolute idiot, but she's relatable, with realistic flaws and virtues, and that's what I think is the selling feature of hers.
Otani is dense, sarcastic, humorous, and idiotic. He has a hard time sorting out his feelings, and doesn't like to talk about them either, therefore his feelings, if any, towards Risa, is definitely more toned-down than that of Risa's toward Otani. He constantly gives Risa hope (referring to their relationship progression) but then snatches that hope away from her, which tires her to no end. As dense and unaware of his actions as he is, many of the lines he has does have a profound effect on Risa. In short, a character with a few interesting quirks, and not at all typical.
However, with so much of our focus on the main characters and their love, the side characters do not receive enough attention. Most of them are two-dimensional characters that rely on one or two traits to define them. They don't have much of an impact on plot, but then again, I guess the point of Love★Com is to mostly display interactions between the deuteragonists, but I would like for more depth in personality for the sides, to promote that yes, the side characters are equally as important as the main characters.
There isn't as much character development in Love★Com, because of the focus on romantic development and friendship development, but for this anime, that is exactly what makes it enjoyable. Of course, I would've liked to see some, but the anime as it is now can do without.
The comedy in this show is spot on and greatly enjoyable. For an anime classified as a comedy, this is exactly what I'd expect: sad or tense moments followed by a comedic one to relieve the tension. Lines are perfectly executed to bring laughter to the one watching. This anime does a wonderful job at playing with the watcher's emotions. Love★Com is guaranteed to make you happier after a bad day.
Now, for the romance. It develops bit by bit, and we clearly see the stages of love here. The romance part of the story is unique and lovely, but it could have been better approached. The side characters tend to bash Otani for not liking Risa, something I find a little unfair. Along with the countless love triangles as the main strain on Risa and Otani's relationship, this degrades the whole complexity of the romance by a fair bit. The romance grows with the few internal conflicts (such as Otani not being able to see Risa as anything but a friend, no matter how hard he tried) and external conflicts, but suffers under the majority of others. In general, a promising romance that, on the whole, is very satisfying and unique, but lacking in a few small areas.
The background music suits the anime well. There are the upbeat and cheerful songs, perfectly tuned in with the anime's overall atmosphere and inner message of hope, and then there's the sad, depressing songs played during disappointing moments. There is a good variety in song themes and it's effective, but the Love★Com OST isn't as noteworthy in particular. The openings and endings of the anime aren't as memorable, with the openings being overly cheerful and peppy and the endings being more thoughtful and slow, but I do admit they also complement the anime. The voice actors are decently matched with their respective characters, especially for the main characters, who have a tendency to be expressive and loud.
The art of the anime is satisfying, but it's not special or exceptional. It works well with the characters, and fit their different personalities. Risa is a character that changes her hairstyle often, showing her personality and sense of style. The characters encompass a broad range of emotions, and the art does nicely in the portrayal of them, whether it's sadness, anger, or just Risa being plain exaggerative. Light colors are often used, nothing too dark, which goes along with the fact that Lovely★Complex is a light-hearted anime, without any terribly dark conflicts or themes.
Overall, Love★Com is definitely worth the consideration, for its entertaining comedy, relatable main characters, and the romance. It's lovely, all right ... just not as complex.
STORY: (7) ART: (7) SOUND: (8) CHARACTER: (8) ENJOYMENT: (8) ★OVERALL★ (7) Feedback, con-crit, and suggestions to improve this review is welcome!
Caleb_Marvell
"You idiot! Big or small, as long as you have a ☆☆☆☆ you're a man, right?!" My initial thoughts when starting this series? "What am I getting myself into..." Those words were what ran through my head when I watched the first episode. It was ranked pretty high by the MAL Community, and I decided to give it a try. After the first episode, I couldn't help but press the next episode button... I mean, who wouldn't, right? Anyways, as I started watching the series, I hadn't noticed until around episode 17 that I had just spent 8 hours laughing my head off every episode. Strange,isn't it? We don't realize that we're doing something until we've been doing it for a long time or until someone points it out. What am I getting at here? Lovely☆Complex was probably the highlight of my month. I watched every episode in a matter of hours, and I enjoyed every minute of it.
For starters, when it comes to good quality storylines, Lovely☆Complex might cross people's minds. True, it may not sound like anything special, but truthfully it is. Usually when it comes to Shoujo animes, the storyline is based around 1 plot, and that would be getting the 2 protagonists together in the end of the series. What makes this unique is that the male protagonists are often taller then the female protagonists. In this case, it's the other way around... by about half a foot. Risa, codename "Giraffe", is a whopping 172 cm tall, and Otani, codename "Midget", is a mere 156 cm tall. It's abnormal for either of them to be that height, so when people are trying to make romance come out of that situation, it might seem impossible, especially since the two of them are fighting constantly. But overall, the story was really well played to my surprise. There was good comedy, romance, and an overall feel to the anime. I was very happy about that. It's not often where you come across a Shoujo that hasn't copied a story from another shoujo...
2007 isn't that long ago, and for an anime that's over 6 years old, it had a pretty decent art style. I liked how the characters were portrayed, however it seems like everyone in Lovely☆Complex was either really short, or really tall. I don't think there was an average height person in this show... strange, but had good quality overall. One thing I did have a problem though were those creepy-assed faces that mostly came from Risa. It ranged from a chipmunk, to a rabbit, to a god-knows-what. It's hard to like her when her face is so misshapen like that. I still laughed though, at least when I wasn't shielding my eyes.
Excellent cast for Lovely☆Complex. I really liked how they got the voice actress who played Nami in One Piece to voice Risa as well. She did really well in One Piece and transferred that profession into Risa. Then there was Otani. His voice was played by Akira Nagata. Haven't heard of him? Well neither had I until I looked up who voiced Otani. He's had 2 roles, one of them being Lovely☆Complex, so it shocked me to see him with a lack of roles. He voiced Otani so well that I was kind of sad, not being able to hear him again. As for all the other voice actors, they voiced their roles with professionalism and enthusiasm. I applaud that.
I could go on forever about who I liked best and why, but I'll keep the text to a minimum here. I liked Nobu the best, but I'll get to her later. For starters, Giraffe-- er, Risa was really funny, she was pretty when she wasn't cosplaying as a beaver, and she had an overall likable personality. Otani-- er, Midget-- wait, yeah, Otani seemed really dense, and when I mean dense, I mean REALLY dense. You could literally send him a note telling him "I love you" with your name signed at the bottom and he'd think it was a joke or for someone else. Either way, he too had some really funny moments to him. Haruka was the bane of my existence as an anime-lover. His constant obsession over Risa was almost intolerable. But either way, he seemed to have a crucial role in the story, so he was needed, to my dismay. Nobu, yaaaay! Risa's best friend. Probably the most affectionate girlfriend you could possibly have in all honesty. Truthfully I'd like to see someone get in the way of her and Nakao (Nobu's Boyfriend, and also one of the funniest characters in the show), and trust me, that person would die. Then there's Suzuki and Chiharu. I'm lumping them together because they're basically the same person, only 1 is male and the other is female. They're both really shy, but they are really nice as well. Last of all, Seiko. I'm not gonna give you a rundown of what makes Seiko a crucial character, but all I'm going to say is prepare to have your eyes burned out of your sockets and your brain blown up, along with constant laughter.
Enjoyment: 11/10. This is probably my favorite Shoujo out there today. I got my sister to watch it and she loves it as well, and she never watches any anime other than Angel Beats! and The World God Only Knows. She has a limited tendency to watch anime, but if I was able to get her to watch this, you should try it out for yourself as well. This anime had some great comedy, really good romance scenes, and an overall likableness to it. I urge you to watch it, and I really hope that those of you who have seen it can vouch for me in supporting me on how good this was.
Hyduk87
I initially reviewed this piece after watching it only once, but since then, I have seen the series three times and decided to give this a complete and thorough review. I personally enjoy a systematic review that rates each category and explains why, but this first chunk is going to be just my thoughts on the anime as a whole. If you want to see my ratings for each category and why, continue reading at the bottom to see it (or if you'd just rather see scores for each category, then skip to the bottom after the lines of asterisks). **************************************************************** There aretimes when the telling of a tale becomes more than just a story - it becomes a masterpiece, forever to be treasured and remembered. Everything seems to just work, from the overarching plot-line, down to the background character cast and everything in between, the epic masterpieces move, change and impact in powerful ways. Lovely Complex is an anime that makes its mark as a potential to be one of these phenomenal works.
Immediately, this anime begins by setting up the story; a guy and girl who are both very self-conscious about their heights who desperately reach out for some kind of relationship. It becomes apparent almost immediately, though, that these two are nearly perfect for each other. But, of course, they can't begin to see each other as a candidate for a relationship. So the two decide to cheer each other on and help one another. Within just a few episodes, Koizumi (the girl) begins to develop feelings for Otani. Now beyond that is where the actual excitement and enjoyment of the story come into play. Frequently, you will find yourself laughing (extremely hard at times) at the plethora of jokes, but almost as often finding yourself near tears or frowning at that touching emotional scene. Very few stories have the capability to balance both comedy and drama ON TOP OF a romance plot. But not only does Lovely Complex do just that, it's touching, the comedy is genuinely hysterical and the romance is real. There's none of that "lucky" guy who's surrounded by lots of girls who adore him. None of that "hotter-than-the-sun" kind of girl who compels some guy to chase after her. What you get here is a realistic presentation of a developing relationship out of a friendship. One that is easy to relate to, fun to watch and cheer on, and will leave you with a lasting impression.
As for the art and sound, they only work to enhance and improve upon the wonders of the story and characters. Tense scenes seem to always have the perfect music playing. Touching scenes have that beautiful, heart-tugging melody playing quietly in the background. Throughout the 24 episodes, a common rag-time kind of theme is played that becomes very catchy and enjoyable - it seems to capture the nature of the characters and their struggles.
Art, while being rather unique, is fairly detailed and clearly defines what is being presented. Often times, expressions are exaggerated (quite comically, I might add), and some scenes are taken over by "floating flowers" or "swirling angry purple haze" effects. While these may be distracting at times, they lend to improve the mood and feeling of each scene they appear. (Think lots of XD expressions going on).
All in all, Lovely Complex is both a touching and hilarious storyline that is definitely worth checking out. After 3 times watching through this show, I still laugh and cry, ending up with a feeling that I don't really get from any other anime I've watched (or re-watch). The ending seems to tie up a perfect package with an even more beautiful bow. Who knows? Perhaps LoveCom will ease its way into your heart as a masterpiece.
*****************************************************************
I rate animes I have seen based upon the categories of Story, Art, Sound, Character, and Personal Enjoyment, each worth 10 points (1 being terrible, 10 being incredible). The overall score is then multiplied by 2 to get a score out of 100.
**STORY** 9.9/10
I give the story a 9.9 out of 10 simply because I can't get enough of it. There never seems to be a filler episode, everything seems both relevant and interesting. The story is both compelling and moving. Comedy, Romance, Slice-of-Life, a bit of Drama. Now, why isn't it a 10/10? Simply because it's a somewhat generic story - girl and guy are friends, would make perfect couple but don't see it that way, one side falls for the other, but other side has reservations. You can probably guess what happens in the end. BUT, there's more to a story than just WHAT it is, there's the HOW it's told that really makes a difference. Which brings me to
**CHARACTERS** 10/10
This category I don't even hesitate to give a perfect score. Every character, from the lovable, dynamic duo of Risa and Otani, down to even the minor characters (Umibozu) and the somewhat detestable/annoying Mimi and Haruka are given such a wonderful personality. They all seem real, you can identify with them, you can love/hate them, cheer them on. Each of the characters are memorable in their own right and will leave some kind of impression on you.
**ART** 9.8/10
As for art, I can't give it a full score just because it didn't blow me away. But, what it did do, is present the story without distracting me, give life and love to each of the characters and clearly convey the mood being set up. I'm personally not one to really care what the anime looks like, as long as it's not... weird... and flows smoothly, doesn't deviate from what it set out to do, and makes changes when change would be expected. (i.e. 3 years go by, from 15-18, I better expect to see some changes in the characters). Thus, I gave it 9.8.
**SOUND** 10/10
Rarely do I ever look for the soundtrack from an anime, but this has become one of them (Cowboy Bebop, Welcome to the NHK some of the others). When the music is so good that you want to listen to it separately, without the scene and other things going on, you know that's a good music soundtrack.
But beyond the soundtrack, the noises, the voices, every other sound is clear, crisp and beautiful. In that aspect, the sound is just like the art to me; as long as it's not weird or distracting, it's pretty good. But LoveCom had that amazing soundtrack (Risa's theme is so catchy), a great vocal cast and plenty of authentic sounding noises.
**PERSONAL ENJOYMENT** 10/10
Obviously, if you noticed that I'm effectively giving this anime two reviews, you should know that I would give this category a 10. I have watched this 3 times and I wouldn't mind watching it again in a few months. Just like that movie of which you never seem to tire, LoveCom grows on you and makes you want to see it again and again. This anime has changed me, too, by inspiring me to have an attitude like that of Koizumi or Otani - never give up and fight hard for what you want.
**OVERALL**
99.4/100
If you like any kind of romantic comedy, give this a shot. You'll know if you'll like it after the first episode. XD
Zanarkandian
True chemistry is something hard to find. Is it acceptable to dwell on things like..height difference and being comedy partners to ignore it? I watched this show after a person with similar taste suggested it. The first impression I got was that it was going to be..a romance/comedy show, with the oxymoron of having the roles reversed, height-wise. Risa, our female lead, is really tall for a girl. This is often exaggerated, with her really slim members, to make her look like a giantess from time to time. Our guy, Otani, is good looking, a basketball star, but..he's really short for a guy. Can these twoovercome these facts, and start to see each other as more than friends, even though they've been making others laugh forever, getting nicknamed as the All Hanshin Kyoujin comedy duo?
So, I expected this to be about the sweet heartache of having to wonder whether he/she likes you or not. Having to deal with rivals appearing. Trying to deny true chemistry. After a few episodes, I asked myself. Is Lovely Complex what I expected? Well, partly yes, but not exactly...Is this a bad thing? Well, not necessarily...
Personally, I found this show to have a higher comedy value than romance value. I've laughed through out this. I've been disappointed with several aspects of the romance though. It's all a matter of personal aesthetics, of course, but for me, this was too one sided a romance for far too long to move me.
I just don't like it when someone is taken for granted forever. Some might argue that this was realistic at first, you can't change your feelings and stop seeing someone as a friend in the blink of an eye. But if it drags on for too long, like it does here, you're just being spoiled. Beyond that, persistance can be admirable, and having to work for love is something that happens often, sure. It is because it happens often that I'm more interested in things that happen -naturally- . To me, something more rare is more special, more worthy of being told as a story. And then...Whatever happened to privacy, people?!
Sometimes, you have to give your friends a little push. But here..Everyone is butting in the whole time, I can't understand this. Even in moments that really should be private, it is presented as natural to have another four guys join. Then, it's more than just a light push; isn't it awkward, to have everyone forcing one onto the other, having to apologize for not wanting to be with someone, like you owe it to people? And then, what's with lecturing your rival about how she shouldn't give up on your boyfriend ?! Seriously now?
Yes, it is supposed to be funny. But the female lead gets ridiculed too much for me. Watching that second kiss hurts my eyes. Risa's been saying this "I'm through with liking you" a thousand times. But then again, who's been a teenager and hasn't done that? And their feelings do develop through out the series. Risa is the driving force; her actions and persistance lead, while Otani's reactions to them are the catalyst. These guys deserve each other, and they do look good together. The part with Risa going to that concert seriously annoyed me, but I guess it was the creator's idea of outgrowing the forementioned one sided phase. Oh, Nobu-chan is a star.
The graphics remind me of a lot of other shows. The characters are quite fashionable, changing attires often. The music was nothing special, but I rather liked the voice acting. I think it made the characters memorable, the All Hanshin Kyoujin duo with their "Kimoi!" 's, Nobu-chan with her "dah-ling", and uh..that giant going "Moo".
Lovely Complex has been quite funny, and it did have its cute moments. It's just my personal belief that a better balance between these two aspects is achievable.
AnimeExplorer21
Ah, Lovely Complex, you sneaky little gem! This 2007 anime is a masterclass in storytelling, character development, and music - it's like a time capsule of feels that still resonates in 2024. Risa and Ootani's unlikely romance had me hooked from the start. Their height difference (172 cm vs 156 cm) becomes a hilarious recurring joke, but it's their genuine connection that makes my heart skip a beat. Who wouldn't root for a couple that starts as best friends and blossoms into something more? The anime's portrayal of relationships is refreshingly real - the awkward moments, the misunderstandings, the butterflies... it's all so beautifully relatable. And thehumor? Top-notch! I snorted my coffee out my nose more than once.
What truly sets Lovely Complex apart is its character growth. Risa and Ootani evolve from quirky teens to confident, vulnerable, and lovable individuals. The supporting cast is just as well-crafted, with Risa's friends stealing the show with their sass and wit.
That soundtrack, though? The opening theme song is still stuck in my head, and I'm not even mad about it.
In short, Lovely Complex is a must-watch rom-com that deserves a solid 9/10. If you haven't experienced it yet, grab some snacks, get cozy, and prepare for a feels fest like no other!
YorouzoyaHouse
Looking at the "Romance" under genre must make you think something like "...ah! Lemme guess. Another highschool RomCom". But I will be there saying "Yes. But no." You see Lovely Complex IS a highschool RomCom but it is quite different from your usual usual RomCom. I will explain why as I go on. The setting is the usual -- Highschool, one boy, one girl, they fall in love. But you will see the difference right away from episode one as the characters are introduced to you. See, unlike a normal love story where the guy is always taller than the girl, here, the roles are reversed. Thegirl is much taller than the boy. This unconventional match-up brings a new factor to the table --- the complexes that the characters experience because of their height. For example, a girlfriend taller than you might hurt your "manly pride" (Bullshit! I know) or tall girls aren't usually cute or it is awkward if you're trying to kiss your girl and you can't even reach her. These complexes do play a certain role as the love story progresses and are dealt with nicely which is good to watch.
So on their first day, Risa and Otani are branded as the "All-Hanshin Kyoujin" because they are always acting like a comedy duo, always fighting. They're always bickering and clawing at each other. At one time Risa even punches Otani in the face. They don't hold back to include the height difference in the name calling. All this goes on for a while until Risa realises that she has fallen for Otani. But Otani is really dense, he doesn't really see her that way and thinks its just part of their usual comedy routine. The chase from here on out is a nice ride.
Almost all the humour from the show comes from the two main characters as they call each other names while making weird faces. This makes this show overflowing with energy as the voice actors have done a great job with the timing. This is complimented by the art style as the faces those two make while fighting are pretty weird-looking but at the same time, hilarious. The soundtrack keeps up with the energy of the show and I liked the first opening sequence. Also, the energetic openings are complimented by the subtle endings. The show really made me laugh hard at times, so even if you don't like the romance, I am sure this will leave you laughing your ass off.
Unlike your usual boy meets girl, they both fall madly in love, there is a confession, the end ; its a nice chase here which doesn't end at the first confession as the girl gets rejected at first (it happens early on) but she doesn't give up till the end as there is little to no romantic response from the guy most of the time (he is THAT dense). Hell, the guy thought she was joking when she confessed the first time. This dense character of his really annoyed me at times and I wanted to punch him in the face. But all is forgotten when the story concludes itself as there isn't a sudden realisation of the love but it grows nice and slow.
All in all, this was a one of a kind love comedy show and I had a good time laughing my ass off at the comedy scenes all the while enjoying some cute moments as Risa tries to woo Otani. The show does not go deep into the "feels" side and I like that they kept it that way.
It left its own little print in my heart.
Enjoy!
flyingdolphin
Koizumi Risa. ‘Nuff said. While she really is all the reason a person should need to go watch this show, I’ll explain what more makes this one of the most enjoyable romantic comedies I’ve seen. When I sat down to watch (more like marathon) Lovely Complex, I really wasn’t expecting anything special; the beginning of the show even had me a tad worried as I could see it easily going in a clichéd direction. Thankfully, I was wrong (well, for the most part). After witnessing the explosive chemistry between Koizumi and Ootani, before there was even a flicker of romance between the two, any suspicion of thembeing cliché was blown clear out of the water. Now, I won’t say that their relationship developing further was unpredictable in itself- but that’s not really the point. It’s all about how the show brings these two together.
This is not your typical romance duo- anime or otherwise. Sure, the girl is taller than average and the guy is shorter, but those details take the backseat to these two’s eccentricities and meteoric charm. As lovable as they are, Koizumi and Ootani still have more to them than their comical quirkiness; both have insecurities and show vulnerability throughout the show’s progression. When things do get romantic, it’s always tender and believable.
Now, as much as I do love this series, I’d be lying if I said it was perfect.
The criticisms worth mentioning are few, but still they are enough to make me feel that this show could have been markedly better. Really, it’s just the matter of the side characters; even those that were there from the beginning don’t get nearly as much fleshing out as Koizumi and Ootani. Aside from Nobu (ultimately I felt she was a fairly solid character), everyone else comes off pretty flat. When the show does focus on them, the drama that takes place feels terribly contrived.
The side characters are where the worst of the clichés come in; childhood friend, foreigner, ex, neighbor girl, and coworker all essentially exist for the sole purpose of initiating jealousy/competition for the leading pair.
This show really shines where the focus has been all along- on Koizumi and Ootani. Enough time passes in the show that we get to see the two starting to figure out who they are and who they are to each other. With all the sensitivity and hilarity added on board to that roller coaster, Lovely Complex is a delight to watch.
Raspeyer
Lovely Complex in all honesty is going to be boring for anyone who's ever seen at least one romance comedy series before. Or anyone who ever had a crush on the opposite cootie-infested gender in elementary school. You know what's going to happen right from the first couple of episodes. Even the characters height differences couldn't add much to these two very bland characters. The comedy was all slap stick and you can already tell by the anime's description the jokes mostly revolve around short stack and giant similies. Seiko's introduction kicked up the story for a couple of episodes and there were a couple ofsure-to-be heartwarming moments thrown in.
Don't fret if you've passed up the chance to watch this anime. If you've got other shoujo RomComs in your collection then it'll be easy to cut and past the storyline of LovCom together.
BanjoTheBear
(This has been adapted from my reddit thread) There's a common phrase when it comes to love, "opposites attract." What does this mean exactly? Men fall for women? Innocent girls go for the bad boys? An outgoing person finds the quiet, reserved type attractive? Whatever the case, these types of relationships form all the time. And with the Lovely Complex, it is no different. But as an anime, the show is not as good as people make it out to be. STORY Lovely Complex stars Ootani, the short (and short-tempered) guy, and Koizumi, the tall (and equally short-tempered) girl. Due to their antics, they are usually seen asa comedy duo. But as their time together increases, Koizumi begins seeing Ootani in a new light.
The show itself is comprised of about four separate arcs: All-Hanshin Kyojin (their nickname in school) acting as friends, Koizumi realizing her feelings for Ootani, pursuing him, and the conflicts that arise between them. The show starts off strong but by the halfway point, it devolves into repetition and ultimately weakens.
The first arc helps to demonstrate the comedy of the show. Relying mostly on funny reactions and gags between Ootani and Koizumi, it worked to get a laugh out of me every now and then. Their relationship was filled with "idiots" and other relevant names. They seemed more like brother and sister with the way they acted towards one another; hostile yet you know that they care about each other. At this point, it is also becomes apparent how fast the shows pacing is. It should not be taken lightly when I say that the show progresses very quickly through events and time. By the end of the show, it has covered the entirety of their high school lives, meaning about one year per eight episodes. This doesn't necessarily hurt the show, but it does leave many details either left to narration or skipped over.
The second arc deals with Koizumi coming to terms with her feelings for Ootani. This was the strongest part of the show for its sense of realism. The show doesn't have the couple come together immediately. Instead, it plays off the relationship they have currently and sets up a believable situation in which Koizumi learns that falling in love and having that person love you back are not the easiest things to have at the same time.
The third arc consists mostly of Koizumi attempting to woo Ootani. However, it is at this point that the show starts to degrade. Where it had a nice sense of realism beforehand, it throws this out of the window in place of illogical choices and repetition. As stated before, the pacing of the show is quick. Therefore, Koizumi's advances actually last for quite a while. So long, in fact, it goes against sanity. I can believe having a crush on someone for a long period of time, but when that person doesn't reciprocate your feelings after having yours known for an extensive period of time, it starts to become a little ridiculous on the part of the confessor. Going back to repetition, much of this arc consists of the same thing over and over: Koizumi loving Ootani, attempting to sway him, her failing, her wanting to give up, then her realizing she can't. It gets rather annoying quickly that she comes to the same conclusion constantly while still holding out hope.
The final part of the show involves many complications that arise between Ootani and Koizumi's relationship. By this point, I was getting perturbed at their sometimes stupid choices that they were making, and this portion was no exception. A lot of the comedy had been removed and was replaced by their high school romance drama. A part of me wanted to like the romance that was happening but their was just something about the relationship that just never really felt as if the two really cared about one another. Whether that is Ootani's apprehensiveness or Koizumi's baffling decision making, whatever it is, I never felt myself rooting for them to finally end up together.
ANIMATION
Watching Lovely Complex is somewhat rough. The art style for the show makes it look as if it was created in the mid-90s, despite being created in 2007. The environments and locations are pretty average and the character designs are pretty plain if not forgettable.
In terms of animation, the show is also pretty bad. For the animation that is present, it is not executed properly and usually pretty choppy. Furthermore, the show loves to employ repetition even in its frames; it constantly uses previously aired material through flashbacks. Again, this starts to happen more in the second half where the show begins to go downhill.
The show could get detailed when it wanted to, especially when drawing the character's faces during key moments, but for the most part this never occurred. Instead, the show mainly stuck to drawing the characters in joke poses or ways.
CHARACTERS
Something interesting I found about the Lovely Complex was that I actually preferred the side cast to the main cast throughout much of the show.
Koizumi starts off being a rather loud and abrasive girl looking for love. And this is pretty much the extent of her character. Yes, her feelings for Ootani change over time, but beyond that, nothing else does. Having so much time elapse, there should have been more development on her part outside of "I can't live without him." It's sad because she is quite unique when it comes to main female leads; she isn't super nice and pretty. She's pretty much the atypical lead girl, both in personality and growth.
The same argument can be had for Ootani. He begins as the hot-headed shorty but outside of coming to terms with his own feelings, he doesn't grow either. This is a big problem when you are the star of a show.
While I found Koizumi and Ootani to at least be okay characters, I actually quite liked the rest of the cast. Characters such as Nobuko, Seiko, and Haruka not only provided more laughs than All-Hanshin Kyojin did, but they also were the ones to provide us with plot points and character insight. And while they may also have only one trait attributed to each of them, that's fine; being side characters, I wasn't expecting huge progress from them. But even so, the show does look at each of them, if only for a bit.
And this was the issue with them; outside of Nobuko, the character was usually introduced, used for a few episodes, then discarded. He or she might make a cameo later on, but for the most part, he or she was forgotten.
SOUND
The first OP is at least okay. It sounds older than it probably intends to be, but it is fun and fits with the first half of the show nicely. The second OP, however, is not good. It has a mix of rap and pop to it that doesn't feel appropriate for the show. The first ED is actually pretty good. It has a jazzy and mellow feel to it that complements nicely with the antics that take place before it. But like the second OP, the second ED is just bad. It sounds like it came from a boy band; its too much pop and does not go with the shows feeling at all.
The rest of the soundtrack is pretty bad as well. There is nothing memorable from it or even anything worth mentioning.
As for the voice acting, Akemi Okamura's role as Koizumi and Akira Nagata's role as Ootani were nicely done on their end. Their voices sounded pretty unique and the different tones and inflections they used throughout the series were done well.
ENJOYMENT
You will be hard pressed to find another guy who likes romance in anime as much as I do. But as I said previously, I just could not get fully invested into this one. Perhaps I just did not like Koizumi and Ootani's characters enough to care about them getting together. The romance elements are definitely there but it just never felt as if they really had feelings that complemented each other. Koizumi would always let us know due to her narration but Ootani seemed as disinterested with everything as I did with the show.
The comedy itself is good during the first half, as said previously. A lot of the jokes fall flat during the second half, and I distinctly remembering shaking my head at the "Grandma joke" for how completely unfunny it was, despite the characters thinking so. I think that may have been the problem that the show created for itself. By focusing so much on comedy to begin with, it becomes harder to appreciate the romance introduced later down the road.
In the end, Lovely Complex's appeal comes from its characters, simply because it is lacking in almost every other department. But since I didn't particularly enjoy All-Hanshin Kyojin, my experience with the show was just not as enjoyable as it should have been.
SUMMARY
Story: Fine, experiences a harsh half-life
Animation: Bad, art style is old and the animation is lacking
Characters: Fine, weak main cast but strong side cast
Sound: Fine, split on OPs and EDs, bad soundtrack but good VAs
Enjoyment: Fine, better comedy than romance
Final Score: 4/10
