Tomoya Aki, an otaku, has been obsessed with collecting anime and light novels for years, attaching himself to various series with captivating stories and characters. Now, he wants to have a chance of providing the same experience for others by creating his own game, but unfortunately, Tomoya cannot do this task by himself.
He successfully recruits childhood friend Eriri Spencer Sawamura to illustrate and literary elitist Utaha Kasumigaoka to write the script for his visual novel, while he directs. Super-group now in hand, Tomoya only needs an inspiration to base his project on, and luckily meets the beautiful, docile Megumi Katou, who he then models his main character after.
Using what knowledge he has, Tomoya creates a new doujin circle with hopes to touch the hearts of those who play their game. What he does not realize, is that to invoke these emotions, the creators have had to experience the same feelings in their own lives.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
HaXXspetten
Here's a show with an interesting theme About an otaku with a dream: To create a new game That puts all else to shame And produced by the girls from his team One day he met a girl dressed in white It was a case of love at first sight Except instead of love It was rather kind ofLike he wanted her soul's copyright
She would model for the female lead
For the game; he made sure she agreed
But despite interests joint
To just get to that point
There was one more thing that they would need
So he then asked with all of his heart
If his tsundere friend could take part
Since under a fake name
She'd gotten tons of fame
For her professional hentai art
Lastly the top student of his grade
With the plotline, he asked for her aid
But as he came to see
What she wrote up was the
Most ridiculous script ever made
So at last the circle was created
Which made the protag oh so elated
However although he
Did not care 'bout 3D
All the girls thought of him as their fated
So they did everything that they could
To ensure that the game would be good
And when there was a chance
At him they'd steal a glance
Whilst pretending to work as they should
Overall it was touching and cute
But there's more where that came from to boot
If you thought that was it
Please calm down for a bit
That was still just the very first route!
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is Saekano; quite possibly the most positively surprising show of the season.
First of all I would like to say that despite the ecchi tag; the fanservice in this show is very light (other than episode 00). In reality, Saekano is much more similar to shows like Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai, OreImo and Outbreak Company as it has a character cast mainly consisting of otakus, and it consistently parodies and makes fun of today's anime industry as well as the eroge market as a whole.
In case that wasn't clear, the story is about your typical high-school otaku named Tomoya who has a dream of creating "the ultimate galge" that can touch the hearts and souls of everyone playing it. In order to do so he seeks the help of his tsundere childhood friend Eriri who secretly works as a hentai doujinshi artist on her spare time, as well as the so-called "smartest girl in school" Utaha who is a famous romance light novel author. Together they form a doujin circle and seek to create a homemade galge in order to fulfill Tomoya's dream. As the icing on the cake however, Tomoya also recruits his completely plain and emotionless classmate Megumi to join the circle, with the intention of "training" her into becoming the model for the game's main heroine. It's a very silly concept that doesn't take itself seriously whatsoever, but as a result it's surprisingly entertaining.
If you're well-versed in today's anime industry, along with all the moe and ecchi shows that come out these days, then you'll probably like this show a lot because the endless references and parodies of it are absolutely hilarious. If you also happen to play visual novels, then it'll be even better still. I familiarized myself a lot with this anime, and as a result it almost never failed to put a smile on my face.
Over time, there are some moments when the show gets a bit more serious on the romance/drama front but it still keeps it fairly light and doesn't go past the point where it starts feeling cliché. This pleased me a lot, because Saekano is truly at its best when it's being non-serious, light-hearted and just plain fun.
All-in-all, out of all the various comedies, harems and other simplistic shows of that nature from the Winter 2015 season, I'd definitely have to say this is the best one. This is mainly because a) it actually feels fresh and not overused by any means, and b) it's actually extremely funny.
If you like moe and/or ecchi shows, play visual novels or just like to have a good laugh, then I'd recommend giving Saekano a shot. You probably won't regret it.
deepbluejeer
Saekano is the most frustrating kind of bad show: the kind which could have been legitimately good if it tried. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hyped for Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata (Saekano for short) at the start of winter 2015. It’s a shiny new adaptation of Fumiaki Maruto’s light novel series – the same Fumiaki Maruto who wrote White Album 2, which got an anime around a year and a half ago. He also wrote Parfait and Sekai de Ichiban NG na Koi – both of which I’ve seen glowing reviews of. Naturally, I’d expect Saekano to be something close to his workin eroge.
I probably should’ve listened to the warning signs. Certain Maruto fans on Twitter had already panned the show and the LN for being self-gratifying otaku humor. People who have watched the first two episodes called the show obnoxious for having snarky commentary on its clichés while also indulging in them.
But let’s give credit where it’s due: Saekano isn’t complete trash. I would probably be more forgiving of the show if it were: it’s easier to let go of a show that’s a total failure than a show that flubbed with its great ideas. There are two things that Saekano did well in portraying: the relationship between consumer and creator, and the character of Katou Megumi. Let’s start with the former.
Episode 6 of Saekano is the first episode where I thought the show was being genuine. The episode frames Utaha as the creator and Tomoya the consumer, and the show asks: how far should an author go to in trying to please their readers? And I feel that the show gave a good answer to the question: fans want something that the creator wrote, not something that would go with their expectations. The framing of the scene was even reminiscent of White Album 2: two high school kids throwing their emotions at each other under the snow might be a clichéd scene, but if there’s anyone who can make it work, it’s Fumiaki Maruto.
Episode 9 is another good episode that gave Eriri much-needed characterization past her generic tsundere shtick. This time, the show asks why a creator, well, creates works for fans – for whose sake are they putting out content? Again, the show frames this question with Tomoya as the consumer and Eriri as the creator: does Eriri draw so she can get better for her fans, or does she just draw to satisfy herself and stay where she is? Eriri finds her foot forward when she decides to get better at drawing to win over Tomoya and satisfy her fans. The show doesn’t give a complete answer, but it gave her character a push forward.
Ultimately, I think Saekano’s best point was Katou Megumi’s character: the deadpan non-otaku who joins the group as the “main heroine”. There’s no mistaking that the title’s “boring heroine” refers to Katou: the show keeps referring to her as having “no character” and a “half-assed personality”. On the contrary, her character doesn’t conform to the show’s pre-established archetypes: even though she doesn’t stand out within the show, Katou is perhaps the most memorable character because she’s not a generic archetype. And this is what I think the show was trying to accomplish with Katou: characters should be people, and not just generic archetypes.
Unfortunately that's where the show’s good points stop. The conversation between Eriri and Tomoya from the start of episode 5 exemplifies what exactly makes the show so frustrating:
“But I just want to always be myself.”
“That’s impossible. Everyone has a secret side to them.”
“But… Katou doesn’t, does she?”
“She’s a non-otaku, but even when mixed up with us otaku, she stayed exactly the same as she was, right?”
It's an insightful conversation, only to be cut short by Eriri acting like the stock tsundere archetype. Saekano knows that Katou stands out the most among the characters, and it knows that characters that follow archetypes like Eriri need to have more than their shallow character traits. The show demonstrates a degree of awareness of its clichés – it knows that its characters are generic archetypes, and Katou serves as a direct contrast to them. But that’s where it stops – it’s satisfied at being aware of its clichés, but never does anything to rise up above them. Even worse, the show’s title and all of the show’s characters want Katou to become one of them: a generic character who talks and responds to situations with nothing but stock phrases. It’s hypocritical and obnoxious – in short, it’s a show that gives advice and chooses not to follow it.
But I would’ve been okay with the show if it had stopped there. Instead, Episode 10 onwards indulges in all the trashy tropes that it comments on. Episode 10 throws all subtlety out of the window and pours male gaze all over the show, not to mention indulging in classy humor such as flashing a girl. It’s not even the more sensual kind of fanservice like episode 6’s Utaha scene where she puts on her stockings. It’s the point where the show stops trying and just revels in all the trashy LN tropes we all love and “cleverly” comments on all of them. This show is completely in love with itself and all of the trashy things that it comments on.
The bottom line: if you’re watching this because you heard it was by White Album 2’s author, don’t bother. If you’re watching this expecting a trashy, fanservice-y show, you’re better off watching an actual trashy, fanservice-y show, because shows like those don’t bother pretending that they’re not trashy, fanservice-y crap. Saekano is obnoxious, hypocritical, and pretentious. Avoid it like the big, stinky turd that it is.
(Full review with images here: https://oneofepisodes.wordpress.com/2015/04/17/saekano-how-to-write-a-stinking-pile-of-crap/)
Candangz
Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata, or Saekano for reduce, is an anime where the protagonist is an otaku who wants to fulfill his dream of creating a galgame, after meeting his beautiful heroine in a captivating scene in which his hat flies downhill, stopping near of protagonist, who is shocked to see a girl with such beauty. To follow his dream of creating a game, he forms your harem... I mean, your team, with qualified people in various areas which are needed to create a game, but with unique personalities, which consequently develops a bit of humor on the series thanks to this factor, and thenfrom there the story begins to unfold. Obviously what will be written from here is my opinion on the series. I'm available to discuss the show with anyone who's interested, regardless of have or not agreed with the content of the review.
To be quite honest, the story isn't entirely creative, but so doesn't cease to be fun. The protagonist's idea do everything to chase his dream is very common, including in reality, to be exact. But the situations created in the course of the series are funny, somewhat pleasant, and usually force a smile of who is watching. Are jokes that fit well with the situation that is happening on moment. At certain times these jokes or funny moments, mix a little with fanservice, and to be honest, it doesn't bother me much, since the series doesn't use just this artifice in your episodes. In my opinion is a quantity dosed, if I may say so. Watch the reaction of the protagonist in these moments is funny, but at certain times he just exaggerating with screams and unique reactions. Anyway, to sum up, the story is quite normal, but the situations created at certain times are funny, which to my view, gives a positive point for the series.
The design in overall is very good. In this regard, the studio did a great job on show, because characters and scenary interact well, making the characters more interesting to observe, and in compensation the series becomes more enjoyable to watch. Those traits help the spectator to identify or admire some specific character. I don't have a lot to talk about this aspect of design, since, in my opinion, it's quite satisfactory.
The anime soundtrack is pretty interesting, because I really liked the music and sound effects produced in the series. About the dubbing of characters, most of the dubbers have adapted well to the characters, with the exception of the protagonist. I mean, it's not that don't fit well, because it was actually done an interesting job here, but in my opinion the "Kirito's voice" is already a bit saturated, appearing in many recent anime. Nothing against the dubber's work, only in my view, he could at the same trying to change the voice in different characters. I'm not saying that's easy, since I have no experience in the subject, but over time the viewers can get tired of it. The other characters, have gained many good voice, and in my view, fit well with their appearances and personalities. The Utaha's dubber helped to define your firm and unforgiving personality. The Eriri's dubber combined very well with the style of tsundere character, and the Katou's dubber, in my opinion, was perfect. I loved watching the anime and accompany the Katou expressing his style confused and distant in their various moments in the series.
The characters themselves are unusual, because according to Katou, all three beyond are big figures in school where they study, once otakus, in several other stories tend to be despised. It is normal to think that the Eriri and Utaha are famous for their physical appearance and the way you act different with other people, I just don't really understand why the Tomoya is an important figure there inside. Since this isn't the focus, end up not being so important think much about it. Utaha is an interesting character, because in addition to having a beauty that highlights, has a job, or hobby, unusual to a student, and has a very interesting personality, what makes it endearing. Eriri is a typical tsundere of serie, and that prides itself (although she can't admit) be a childhood friend of Tomoya. Usually is the one that is paying attention on Tomoya, and gets annoyed with the jokes and approaches which Utaha makes to induce Tomoya, one since most of them are quite bold. Michiru appeared at the last moment, but ended up being really cool and provided funny moments, being the main, but not unique, base of the fanservice. Katou is the most interesting of all, in my opinion, because it can be one of the more normal characters I've ever seen in anime. Has weak presence and sometimes the other characters don't notice her in around. Your reactions are unexpectedly normal when it addresses an unknown subject or that it's not in your best interest, and it ends up becoming one of its charms. She's so normal that it's a very different character compared to several others. Tomoya is a standard otaku, with strong personality, which eventually can be annoying, but is the center of history and ensures the laughter in series, once your reactions towards the other girls are typical and funny.
The series itself in general is quite satisfactory, can please diverse audiences. Maybe just disappoint people hoping for a serious romance, since you shouldn't expect that in anime with the harem genre. Who likes a mild romcom, Saekano is a very interesting show to watch, because hours have comedies, dramas and pinches of fanservice. Has a common storyline, but enjoyable. Was well on several counts. It's a great entertainment and fun guaranteed.
poormeate
What does it take to create a dating SIM which will cause people to laugh and cry, but also touch their hearts? This was a question our main character asked himself, which sparked the beginning of the roller-coaster of laughs we call Saekano. I’m sure when we were younger you’ve all had dreams and goals you wanted to achieve when you get older. The anime tells the epic adventure it took our MC, Tomoya Aki, to achieve his goal of creating a game, complete with all the girl problems, and sexual harassments he receives each day from his devious co-workers. While I was scrolling through thenotoriously long new anime section of an unnamed website “how to raise a boring girlfriend” caught my eye, then I thought to myself “better take some notes.” At first glance Saekano looks like an average rom-com anime, and being your normal rom-com lover I decided to give it a try, and let me tell you I was definitely in for a treat. Saekano is one of those anime’s that you just can't get enough of, not a single episode has left me without tears rolling down my face from laughter.
[Story]
The story kicks off on a sunny spring day in which the wind blows the hat off of a fair maiden, which of course Tomoya was there to pick it up for her, and give it back. That event was what inspired Tomoya to make a dating SIM, he also envisioned that, that exact event would serve to be a flawless opening scene with the maiden as the main character. And as far as we know the “perfect girl” doesn’t exist, because Tomoya later finds out that in reality the maiden wasn't very “fair,” in fact, apart from her beauty, she’s just about the most ordinary girl ever. She was so ordinary that Tomoya didn't realize that she was in his class. The plot is centered on our protagonist Tomoya Aki and his associates, the busty, but intelligent Utaha senpai, the flat but ill-mannered Eriri Spencer, and of course the ordinary girl, Katou Megumi. Saekano takes a slow start, as it takes several episodes for Mr. Aki to convince his unwilling companions to aid him in making his game. But after that the pacing of the anime is quite steady. It’s sad that this anime is limited only to 12 episodes, which for me is definite con, because there could’ve been so much more character, and plot development.
[Characters]
The characters are definitely where the anime excels the most at. Each of the female protagonists, with the exception of Katou, have an ornate, and well developed backstory with Tomoya. Throughout the plot the author slowly elaborates more on the characters as if slowly giving us puzzle pieces to give us the better picture. But due to the anime only having 12 episodes, we never really get to see the full potential character development from all the characters.
[Art]
In my opinion, the A-1 pictures did a great job animating this anime. They used vibrant colors that really brought out carefree, and cheerful tone of the show. The animation style reminds me of Nisekoi another successful harem anime. The character designs to me were great, they followed the generic character designs of many harem, and romance animes.Don’t really see much cons of this art style unless you dislike the uniqueness of the art style. One thing that stood out to me was the insanely stubby fingers the characters have sometimes, especially while Utaha is typing.
[Sound]
The show had a solid, and well-built soundtrack, with dramatic sounding dramatic scenes, and cheerful music for happy scenes. Not much I can say but the soundtracks were sufficient for the show. Great choices in the voice actor department, what could go wrong Ai Kayano, and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as 2 of your main characters? The OPs and EDs were lighthearted songs that complemented the show’s tone. They were not especially stunning but definitely not crappy.
[Negatives]
As a mentioned before several times, my biggest problem with this anime is that it only has 12 episodes, and because of this, we didn’t get to see the full potential of character development the show could’ve given us. Nor get to see a more complete full picture. But with the anime leaving off like this I’m sure that there would be second, or even a third season.
The second thing I had a problem while watching the anime was the pacing of the, which i mentioned before was a bit too slow in the beginning. But towards the end of the show the pacing sped up again.
[Enjoyment/ Overall]
Q-What would you happen if you added together an eccentric rich girl, a beautiful female writer, a hardcore otaku, his musically blessed cousin, and an ordinary girl?
A-You get Blessing Software, as well as one of the most well-made and hilarious rom-coms ever.
After watching Oregairu, I fell in love with the rom-com genre. But it’s hard to find a well-made rom-com these days but this anime definitely didn’t disappoint me. I enjoyed everything in this show from Eriri’s hilarious tsundere personality to Utaha’s constant sexual harassments. I know some people criticize this show’s unrealistic plot, but honestly who watches an anime for its realism? Anime’s aren’t meant to be rated for its realistic elements but for its ability to entertain the viewer. And this is an anime that does exactly that. It’s an anime that focuses in on its characters, I’m definitely not saying that the plot is bad I’m just saying that the characters of the anime are the focal point, and make it worth watching. But just remember if you plan to watch Saekano, as their game progresses, hilarity ensues not far behind.
Story-7
Art-10
Sound-8
Character-8
Enjoyment-9
Overall-8
illuminatima
It's kinda difficult to express my dislike for Saakeno, without sounding like a total snob, but I will try. So, here it comes. BEING SELF-AWARE DOES NOT MAKE YOU A GOOD PARODY OR SATIRE. Yeah, Saekano is one of those. The kind of work that pokes at some over-used trope or cliché and then loudly proclaims "Isn't that totally a cliché, huh, guys?!". Yeah, it is, but so what? Are you going to expand on that? Maybe in some way subvert that trope and bring about something new? You just poke at it. Okay. And that's the main problem with Saekano. It tries to be a parodysimply by being self-aware. It keeps saying that characters are "Tsunderes" and "Yanderes" without even trying to expand on them. It keeps saying how given situation is "Totally out of some harem anime" and then proceed to play it out exactly like that. Nothing is expanded upon or subverted, just acknowledged.
And that's the root of the problem. Well, that and the protagonist, who was made by combining all the annoying traits from other romance protagonists. He's oblivious, obnoxious, doesn't have any talents except "HIS FORCE OF WILL!", has only two voice settings (boring and YELLS RIGHT IN YOUR FACE) and for some reason all of "The most popular girls in the school" are hopelessly in love with him.
I'd say the only redeeming quality the show has is Megumi Katou, the "Boring Girlfriend". She is stated to be incredibly boring, bland and generic. And she is. She genuinely is, but precisely because of that she is the most interesting character in the entire show, because she manages to be original in the sea of over-used tropes and generic characters.
For me Saekano is an example of great wasted potential. There were so many instances where I hoped it'd go to a different, more original direction and become something more. I was hoping Kato would get fed up with Aki's obnoxiousness after he forbade her to go out with her cousin, because majority of rational people would draw a line there.. I was hoping Eriri would accept other circle proposition, because it appreciated her talents, unlike Aki. I was hoping it would go deeper with Utaha's backstory to explain why would she fall in love with Aki to such a degree, that she was willing to compromise her career and artistic integrity for his sake. I was hoping it would expand more on girls' relationship with each other, probably even showing that they don't really need Aki to fulfill their own ambitions. But no. That didn't happen and all we got was some self-referential humor and a creepy camera operator who kept focusing on girls' different body parts for no reason during casual conversations.
reaganomics
This series commits to nothing. Great coloring, animation, camera angles and alternative color palettes. A pleasant viewing experience that delivers fan service in spades. You will get several self aware character archetypes and a very superficial look at visual novel game creating. Closeups of female body parts and flustered faces. Other than that its not really much of anything. It is not quite slice of life, not quite character drama, not quite comedy, not quite romance. It seems to try to be all, but not really committing to either of them.
Lancehot
(Reposting because apparently it fell foul of rules about previews :/ ) How to write a boring parody Don't you just love it when a show knows it's a show? When characters find themselves in a situation that only occurs in fiction & they know it? How pretty much every new series nominally set in the real world has someone say “This would only happen in manga” or “This isn't anime” at least once? Well I hope you do, because Saekano is basically an entire series made up of such oh so witty observations & self-referential jabs at the genre it is set in. Too bad itsucks.
Our main character is one Tomoyo Aki, a super otaku with a popular blog & a reputation for being the nerdiest nerd in nerdom, which apparently is a good thing. Basically he's Keima Katsuragi from The World God Only Knows, except instead of finding himself tasked by a demon to put his otaku skills to use date raping his schoolmates, he instead has the type of only in fiction encounter with a mysterious girl that inspires him to create the greatest dating sim ever made.
There's just one problem with this plan, he can't write. Or draw. Or indeed do anything beyond feel inspired. Luckily for him, he knows the two most popular girls in the school, hot headed Eriri Spencer Sawamura & aloof Kasumigaoka Utaha have secret otaku identities as a mangaka & LN author respectively, & so he sets about convincing them to make his dream game come true. Even better, he soon encounters the mysterious girl whose chance encounter began this whole affair. However, unlike in his fantasy, she turns out to be the utterly unassuming Megumi Kato, & so not only does our MC set out to make the greatest game ever, but also shape the real miss Kato to be more like the heroine he thinks of her as. Cue hijinks.
I'm going to get straight to the point. I do not much care for Saekano. Tomoyo is a generic main character, oblivious to the feelings & emotions of everyone around him & yet feels compelled to do everything he can to, to use the unfortunate parlance of the genre, raise the flags of every girl he comes into contact with. With the exception of Kato, the rest of the cast are similarly cliche. Would you believe that Eriri & Kasumigaoka both have deeply held feelings for Tomoyo? Well no, you wouldn't, because he's an un-likeable brat of a person, & yet they most certainly do. Of course they can't just share those feelings with him (but they certainly can share them with the audience) because then there wouldn't be a show. Ho hum.
Speaking of being a brat, it's quite stunning just what a brat Tomoyo is. As seems to be the way for men in anime, he is incapable of expressing his emotions without shouting. He shouts a lot, usually at other people, usually telling them why what they're doing is wrong. Be it shouting at Megumi for being too boring or shouting at Kasumigaoka for not writing his story for him just the way he wants it, Tomoyo seems incapable of expressing himself any other way but loudly. & when he's not shouting, he's usually smugly proselyting about how great otaku culture is & by implication how great he is for being one. It's like if Madarame from Genshiken was giving his 2D girls speech for an entire series. Of course everyone puts up with it because this is a romance anime & tolerating the main character's foibles & failings, even seeing how they are in fact ultimately correct about everything, is what makes a good girlfriend.
Now because this is apparently satire, one must assume that those parts which appear obviously cliche (ie the whole show) are intentionally so. By that logic, the characters go through the harem routines we've seen their character types go through a hundred times before precisely because it's what they're expected to do.The obnoxious fan service, & it really is at times, is so because
boob & crotch shots are so ubiquitous in this genre that it has to be so over the top just to stand out. Saekano isn't trying to change anything, merely point out how silly it is once you start to notice it, which it certainly does.
Here's my problem with that. For one, I don't think there's a fan among harem viewers who isn't already aware that in every respect the harem story type is stupid & unrealistic. We already know it's dumb, so simply smugly pointing out how dumb it is while not offering any ways to change it for the better makes Saekano the equivalent of at best a comedy fandub & at worst an annoying guy sitting next to you while you try to watch, pointing out all the silly cliches & unrealistic situations but throwing up his hands & saying "don't ask me" when asked what he'd do better.
For another, a lot of the witty observations it makes have already been made, better, by other shows. Genshiken was joking about the power of childhood friendship over ten years ago, & it didn't feel the need to labour the point by repeating said joke every episode. Haganai had the female characters be the ones who got into male aimed dating sims, joking that while they might be porn games for girls they're also as close as they get to a friendship sim. Making your titillating fan service that extra bit more in your face might serve to illustrate how ubiquitous it is within the genre, but any point Saekano might be trying to make with it is pretty well hidden behind Utaha's stockings & Michiru's tits.
Finally, all of the things Saekano apparently does differently are pointless because none of them have any effect on the overall story, which continues down the well trodden path of everyone ultimately working to achieve the main characters goals while the various relationships are kept in an stasis until the author decides they can't be bothered to keep writing & wraps everything up in the final book. Kato might be the nominally "normal" girl in the group, but for a normal girl she has an abnormal tolerance for Tomoe's bull & ultimately ends up wanting to be more involved in the group, even going as far as to find things for herself to do since Tomoe is too busy with his shenanigans with the other girls to notice.
Eriri has a big outburst & falling out with Tomoe, which briefly makes it look like Saekano might actually shake things up. But no, in the end all that happens is she shouts at him because she feel's he's not paying her enough attention, he shouts at her about how crap her latest doujin was, & instead of doing what you might expect, tell Tomoe where to stick his dating sim & go back to her more lucrative mangaka work, she declares that she'll make him notice her & everything goes back to normal. It ends up just like Hatako's outburst in Inou Battle, a last, desperate expression of rebellion before she falls back in line with how harem girls are meant to behave. The point is that despite ample opportunity, nothing stops the plot train from traveling to cliche harem town which renders Saekano's attempts at "satire" pointless, in my opinion; nothing more than self-satisfied jokes about how clever it is for noticing all these things.
I'd like to be able to say that there's something beyond the main character that redeems Saekano, but there isn't. The notion making a dating sim on the whim of an otaku seems straight out of Welcome to the NHK, but Saekano lacks a character even remotely on the level of Yamazaki or Sato, nor does it seem interested in using its set-up for any kind of commentary or satire, instead just going through the motions of contriving situations that get the main character alone with each of the girls where they all learn something about each other that somehow makes the episode not feel like a complete waste of time. The art, in particular the character designs, are generic as you can get without falling into the realm of outright plagiarism. They also noticeably suffer from anime's push to remove any bone structure from characters faces. The animation is fine for the most part, although the use of CG for some character movements stands out like a sore thumb at times. Oh, & the music ranges from forgettable to I wish I could forget it.
In short, Saekano is the worst kind of parody. It recognizes the clichés, tropes etc. of what constitutes a bad harem romance, but instead of using that knowledge to make a good one it just contents itself with being bad but self aware. Maybe that's enough for some people, & it does have its moments, I'll grant it. However, to me there is a world of difference between being a good show about a bad one (Extras or Garth Marenghi's Darkplace
come to mind) & a bad show that thinks repeatedly saying how bad it is makes up for it. It doesn't.
crxinfinite
Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata is to me, a breathe of fresh air in anime. At first, I looked at it and said, "Oh no, another harem anime, i'll wait a bit to watch it..." Boy am I happy I gave it a chance. Saekano is the story of how Aki Tomoya finds his passion to create a new game after he meets a girl named Katou Megumi. He considers her to be his perfect "heroine" when trying to talk to his friends about her. However, when he actually gets a chance to talk to her, she is monotone, isn't actually interested in the things heis, and just seems plain boring. However, that is probably the greatest part about her character. Her being that way, actually makes her probably the most interesting characters in the anime.
Tomoya also has two other friends who help him on his journey to make his "perfect" game after convincing them. These two other characters are a lot more generic, but they also make the anime very enjoyable and fun to watch. In my opinion, it's kind of like Nisekoi where every girl can be considered "best girl" because they all are pretty awesome.
Anyways, the story of the anime is very easy to follow and very enjoyable. There are a few fan service parts (especially episode 0), but it's not too often and often unnoticeable in later episodes. The art style is also something that I love in this anime, especially when it transitions into the style where it outlines everything into a certain color (i don't know how to explain it but you'll see :)).
All in all, Saekano is very enjoyable to watch, you have character development with unique stories to everyone, catchy op and ed and just an over all fun and likable story.
Flawfinder
I’ve never really been an A-1 Pictures fan, but it’s like they used up all their goodwill with the people who do consider themselves a part of that fanbase after making Your Lie In April, because 2015 has been a bad bad BAD year for them. So bad in fact that prior to my decision to watch this, I have yet finish any of their output, and half of them have already been forgotten by the mainstream crowd as of this writing. From an Aldnoah Zero second half that failed to live up to the promise of its predecessor to some Spring anime that Ialready forgotten the names of to this, I think it’s safe to say that “A-1” and “quality” will be antonyms for at least the remainder of this year and most likely many more to come. At least until they learn about a little business practice I’d like to call quality control.
But let’s not bash on A-1’s retarded “let’s release five anime a season and hope that one of them will strike gold” policies and focus on the actual anime, shall we? Some of you may recall that I didn’t give the main series much of a chance during the season it aired because that prologue that supposedly takes place just before the first season’s (and there will be a sequel apparently) conclusion had some of the worst usage of smug, fan-wanking meta-dialogue this side of Vampire Diaries, which might have been tolerable if the entire plot of said prologue didn’t revolve around the dialogue entirely. However, a bunch of people assured me since that said prologue was a poor representation of the show and that the actual series was a genuinely heart-warming tale of friendship and anime fandom with no more irritating meta-dialogue giving me an aneurism. Although it turned out that there was a miscommunication regarding the latter (and the former too for that matter).
“No more meta-dialogue, Mr. Flawfinder?” they said after I downloaded the thing. “Oh I’m sorry. I thought you said LOTS more meta-dialogue!” Oh and just so you know, you can't prove anything, so don't even try calling the cops on me regarding some recent hospitalizations of known anime fans.
Saekano’s premise is basically a non-pornographic version of Eroge H Game wa Blablabla, in that it focuses on a group of four girls and one guy trying to make a quality visual novel/porn game without the women drawing art in their underwear 24/7 or practicing the sex moves they want to implement whilst wearing a gimp suit and rope. It also shares similarities in that it takes place in some shitty fantasy world where despite the characters being fully aware of these terrible tropes, it doesn’t stop their entire characterizations being defined by said tropes right up to indulging in them willingly in order to get the right amount of detail into the final product. I mean a half-British blonde highschool girl who is considered an idol by many and yet happens to be a very popular underground doujin artist and childhood friends with the main lead? You’d see less overstuffed details in a song lyric written by Train.
Our main hero is Tomoya Aki, a stereotypical nerd who has a very similar name to Tomoya Okazaki from Clannad, looks like a polished version of Yamazaki from Welcome to the NHK, will also probably be voiced by Greg Ayres in the dub for this too, and is - to put it lightly - a massive fuck. He gets motivated to follow his dreams upon seeing a girl named Megumi Kato on a hill like in his visual novels, but once he finds out that she's in the same class as him, he ropes her into being his model for the project on the condition that she act exactly like the quiet pure maiden he imagined her to be before he actually got to know her - except she has to play video games like he does. What's that noise you ask? Why yes, that is the sexism train going over the speed limit, why do you ask?
Since he's an untalented cock who talks big on dreams without actually putting much effort into realizing them himself, he needs someone to do the job of actually making the visual novel for him. Luckily, he happens to know two beautiful girls who have secret lives as a well-renowned ero artist and a best-selling light novel author and convinces them to join because they secretly crave untalented cock for breakfast. Fucking hell, this sexism train is nearly breaking the speed of light isn't it? You can talk about him being the director all you want, but the only directing he ever really does is make the girls sacrifice their personal lives to satisfy his own. Which is true to life, but I'm pretty sure Stanley Kubrick's desire for perfection didn't involve him getting humped by his own cousin.
As part of the show's insistence that being ironic equals being satire, the entire structure of Saekano is pretty reminiscent of your standard visual novel adaptation beats. The first few episodes are dedicated to introducing the girls and setting things up. The next few are spent on giving the girls individual focus and explaining why Tomoya is important to them whilst setting up their roles in events to come. The final few episodes introduces a completely new girl and sets up her role in all this...actually, it never really goes past the setup phase. Fuck all actually happens in this anime aside from establishing things, which isn't a story at all. It's a power point presentation with a poor sense of humor, not helped by the fact that the show desperately wants to ride on Monogatari's coattails with so many of the animation tricks being blatant rip-offs of Shaft's cost-cutting techniques whilst spouting dialogue that isn't the least bit as clever as it thinks it is, nor does it progress things in any significant way.
Not that the show doesn't have moments of actual deliverance. They're just few and botched really badly to boot. There's one dramatic shout-fest between Tomoya and Eriri three-quarters of the way through the show regarding their badly damaged friendship back in their elementary days due to the former's refusal to stand down as an anime geek and the latter having outside pride to maintain. Good of you to know I was getting bored Saekano, but this was like inter-splicing the climax of Pride and Prejudice into Adam Sandler's Jack and Jill - and it doesn't help that the only thing resulting from said drama was more "Jesus make it stop"-setup.
Oh and do you want to know how much time is spent on actually making the goddamn visual novel? We never even get to see the tools they use. They just show results at convenient times, the most egregious being the final few minutes that try desperately to have some kind of closure to the whole mess by suddenly revealing the characters created one route without so much as a montage of them doing it. As far as I'm concerned, that's the equivalent of putting the celebration party in Return of the Jedi right after the final climax of The Empire Strikes Back.
But where Saekano fails the most for me is that there's no urgency to anything going on. The show loves to indulge Tomoya's constant rants regarding his dreams, but it never really gives me a reason regarding why I’m supposed to care about 'em. To bring up Welcome to the NHK again, remember how the main thrust of that show was also about the leads wanting to make a visual novel because it turns out you can make money from it and Satou kinda needed it because he was a NEET that was in danger of being evicted? Aside from just being a huge anime geek since elementary school, Tomoya doesn’t have any real reason for why this dream is important to life, let alone seem to have any personal problems related to it.
It never conflicts with his school stuff, he doesn’t seem to be suffering any money problems, and the show barely focuses on its romantic aspects to begin with, so saying “it’s so he can be with the main heroine” doesn’t hold water even if you do try to utilize that weak excuse. And since the girls still get to live their secret lives consequence-free by helping him in their spare time, they aren't really sacrificing anything to help him either apart from the safeties on that sexism train, which stops just short of going so fast that it breaks into another dimension at this point in the article. As far as actual thrust goes, it has about as much conflict and tension as a gang leader forcing you at gunpoint to play Monopoly with him because his family is on vacation. And said gun is a Super Soaker with no water in it.
Struggling to see the point of its existence beyond fan wank, I read the surprisingly large number of positive reviews for clarification and they didn't help one jot. A bunch of fans like the character dynamics, which is fine if you do, but you cannot base an entire show on interactions alone unless it's really really funny ala Seinfeld. And I didn't laugh once watching this, unless you count that time when I broke down after realizing the show was going to conclude on the personal problems of a girl that was thrown in at the last minute with little connection to the overarching story. Some people praise its relatability, but not only do I not see how I can possibly relate to these pricks, it's also completely contradictory to these same people praising that it's a meta-commentary on harem situations. Is it true to life or is it a satire of fictional life, guys? You can't be both.
And if it's meant to be a satire that raises questions regarding the otaku lifestyle, the foregrounds and backgrounds of visual novels, and why these harem anime are everywhere, then why is it so unchallenging to the mind and creatively bankrupt, like a high-concept sci-fi premise by way of a self-indulgent Disney writer? Combine those problems with garbage animation and zero plot progression that focuses too much on the build-up at the expense of payoff, and Saekano ends up being nothing more than an irritating pile of gimmicks that leaves you with an empty feeling inside, poorly drawn females trying to arouse you, and a crappy cover of the Gurren Lagann opening that made me go from being indifferent to the song to absolutely hating it.
SalvatoreDoni
Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata is one of the best shows I've seen in a long time and let me tell you why. (Make sure you watch Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata: Ai to Seishun no Service Kai before watching the series. Keep in mind that when you do, the episode is literally titled "The fanservice episode of love and youth", so the episode is not a representation of the amount of fanservice in the actual show (which is almost none)) Story: 9/10 The title of the show translates roughly to "How to Raise a Boring Heroine", and that's effectively what the show is about. Aki Tomoya, ahardcore otaku and our protagonist, one day comes face to face with his destiny. He encounters a spectacular girl, and this inspires him to make a galge or romantic visual novel based on this encounter.
He manages to convince Kasumigaoka Utaha, his senpai and a well renowned light novel author who is an ideal image of a moe character, black hair, big breasts, and black stockings, as well as Sawamura Spencer Eriri, his childhood friend and ero-doujin artist with blonde twintails and knee socks, another moe heroine archetype, to join him on his crusade to create the galge of his dreams.
However, as it turns out, the girl in question, Megumi Katou, the subject of Tomoya's enounter, is entirely lacking in individuality and minimal notable character traits.
The story was refreshing and enjoyable.
Character: 10/10
This is where Saekano stands out exceptionally. Through the concept of making Megumi Katou a more interesting heroine in the game, you get to know her character and chances are that by the end of the show, she will be your favourite heroine. However, none of her boring character is compromised in doing this. Rather than changing the minimal heroine into an archetype that you love, Saekano makes you love the lack of individuality in the main heroine, which his far more impressive. This show truly raises the boring heroine.
Although I stated that Katou will likely be your favourite heroine by the end of the show, this is not to speak against the other heroines, for they too are beautifully done.
Each of the other heroines, in great contrast against Katou, the boring heroine, embodies a prominent moe heroine archetype, and is far from lacking in presence. You have the black haired senpai with large breasts and black stockings, the tsundere childhood friend with blonde twintails, the younger girl who refers to the protagonist as "Onii-chan" (as you do), and the busty sporty character who is into music. Saekano takes all of these common archetypes, which all contrast against the boring character, then, puts its own unique spin on those archetypes you've all seen so many times, making you love them so much.
The character development in Saekano is exceptional, and it is enforced greatly by several subtle touches. A great example of this would be the cafe scene in episode 2 when Megumi is never the focus of the shot, enforcing her minimal character nicely.
Art: 9/10
The art of Saekano was nice, and worked well with the refreshing mood of the show. Although it's nothing exceptional, it was still good to look at, and did nothing to undermine the quality. Like a lot of other aspects of the show, it contained a few subtle touches which were really nice to see.
Sound: 8/10
Honestly, I took no notice of the OST the first time I watched Saekano, and only really payed it mind when I rewatched it. It was nothing exceptional, but it did a good job of enforcing the mood of various scenes, and the op and ed were great.
Enjoyment: 10/10
I loved the show, and I found myself frequently getting excited over small details that I noticed when I watched it. I would happily watch it again, and would definitely recommend it to anyone who has seen a good amount of anime or enjoys shows without much action. However, it might not be the best show for people who are only just getting into anime as it is riddled with references and puts its own unique twists on cliches, which would be less fun if you didn't get the cliches to begin with.
eririri
Harem-ridden and trope-driven as anime nowadays is, many a disillusioned fan don’t hesitate to call out the medium as fallen. Indeed, though Miyazaki may not actually have uttered the words “anime was a mistake.” (only not in public, mind you) the wide circulation of the phrase is nonetheless a reflection of the sentiments of our oh-so-critical generation. Along comes Saekano, or How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend, the latest entry of the harem genre’s self-critique and introspection. Tomoya is, well, your ordinary harem lead who is seemingly unremarkable but whose charm is so irresistible yet so subtle, that the girls around him cannot but fallfor him, much to the frustration of some viewers who cannot see any logic to these affections (as they’ve surely through logic and reasoning discerned the inner workings of love, but I digress). By means of insistence and unconscious emotional manipulation, he has gathered a crew of contrastingly remarkable people to develop a dating sim. There’s Utaha the prodigy writer who has written several acclaimed novels, the famed doujin artist Eriri, and Katou who’s, uh, not particularly special save for being kind of cute and somehow managing to seduce our protagonist on first his first sight of her.
Huh? But she’s a perfectly normal person no matter which way you look at it; where are the special traits or encounters which should precede such an affection? There needs be none, Saekano tries to tell us; love is a complex and illogical phenomenon which requires no extrinsic justification. Isn’t the very engendering of this sensation, among the flames and naiveté of youth, reason enough to love?
Saekano is a self-aware and self-referencing work. It points out the flaws and implausibilities which often plague its genre, yet offers no alternative. Instead, it toys around with harem tropes subverts it its usual formula using Katou who acts completely normally to foil the others. There is an inherent absurdity in having one ordinary girl among a cast of characters who are necessarily quirky a la harem shows. Katou is paradoxically special simply because she's a normal girl among sexy prodigies. Though criticized for conforming to its genre without innovation, composing the rest of the cast with typical harem characters is essential in achieving what Saekano wants to do. While it does highlight the unrealistic characters and tropes of harems, it also serves to illustrate the irrationality of passion and infatuation, which is shown in Katou’s and Tomaya’s feelings for each other but reflective of the other characters as well. In contrast to most similar commentaries, Saekano simultaneously subverts and justifies the harem genre, without ever stepping out of its boundaries.
Being cast of game producers, the characters elucidate the conflicts of aestheticism behind the creation of such works. The team is aware of the flaws and tropes in their work, but artistic integrity has to be weighed against the harsh market. Even so, no creator wishes to make hollow trash like “critics” so often may think. Behind these stories are genuine emotions, far more so than half-assed criticisms by blind followers of objectivism. The creators of Saekano, and the characters in Saekano, all put great effort into making human beings with deeply personal motivations despite their being in a necessarily trope-ridden show. Eririri’s falling out with Tomoya isn’t simply a release of her repressed exasperations or an expression of her individuality and desire for attention; she is a window through which we see the creators’ wish to move their audience, as well as frustrations at the vessels of these emotions being ignored or enjoyed as “low art”.
A veritable work of its time, Saekano is an author’s input on the contemporary attitude so critical of harems that they’re often not given a chance at all. Yet, much of its commentary is perhaps too implicit and overshadowed by its overt remarks on the genre which may be brushed off as unsubstantial. For the actively dismissive (or consciously undiscerning, if I may) it will hardly make much of an impression other than being an ordinary harem with a cheap attempt at critiquing the harem genre. For others with willing ears and eyes to match, it can be a novel take on the values and motivations surrounding the genre.
PyraXadon
Creating something is an act that a lot of people take pride in. A good piece of work in a world such as ours doesn't go unnoticed all too often and at the very least, gets some recognition. With successful shows like Shirobako and Bakuman explaining and detailing the basis of how anime and manga are made perspectively, what about things like Doujinshi or games? Well, thankfully we have Saenai Heroine no Sodetekata, or "How to raise a boring girlfriend" to remedy that debacle. Let's begin. Story (7.45/10): The story of Saenai Heroine or Saekano as the shorter version is,begins on one single faithful day. Tomoya Aki is our main protagonist, a proud Otaku who appreciates the finer things of Otaku creation. One day when returning back home, with the cherry blossoms blowing through the wind, Tomoya on top of a hill, meets a girl who stands on top of the hill behind him, creating that signature galge moment of the characters meeting their "fated" one. It is here that he meets a girl named Kato Megumi, the girl that he chooses to be the star of a game that he, in the spur of the moment, wants to make. And soon, his journey of starting a doujin game circle begins.
Saekano is one of those anime that utilizes a very underused way of storytelling, genre parodying, being an anime that utilizes generic scenes that are featured in the genre that it's affiliated with (in this case, harem), and pokes fun at it by having characters or situations similar to what they were based off, but with a slight twist that makes it more comedic and overall more enjoyable. Because of this, the show differs from a general harem, making it a more different than what one would normally expect from a show tagged "Harem."
As for actual story, the show follows the progress of how to make a Visual Novel as the characters featured in this show progress through episode to episode, making more progress with the game that they are developing. At least, that's one part of it. In addition to that, the show also develops the characters alongside the game, giving us, the audience, raised flags with the girls featured in the series, each with their own "route" that usually ends with some degree of hilarity. It is with this that Saenai Heroine distinguishes itself from a lot of other harem, providing a different and more enjoyable experience.
However, there are a couple flaws that I find with the story. Some...bugs, if you may. One of the biggest problems I have with Saekano is the fact that the series doesn't really end on what I would consider to be a satisfying end. The show doesn't necessarily finish the game that the characters are developing, meaning that there is most likely more material after the show's 12 episode runtime. In addition, the buildup towards the actual gamemaking was extremely slow. A good chunk of the show itself was simply just the characters bantering over whether making a game was a good idea or not really felt like a hinderance because not a lot really happened during the slow beginning and without the character banter, it probably wouldn't have been as enjoyable as it was.
Overall though, Saekano had a very interesting story idea as its basis. It played off of the idea of harem without truly having a genuine harem, the show was funny on account of it poking fun at the harem genre, and it brought in the process of serious doujinshi making, something that I don't think before this has been done in animated form. While it did have a slow start and has an unfinished story, the show by itself is enjoyable and well worth the watch.
Overview:
+ Pokes fun at the harem genre
+ Talks about a different medium of otaku culture
- Slow buildup for main plot
- Unsatisfying ending
Characters (8.21/10): Similar to the story, Saekano manages to do the same degree of genre parodying, with practically every character being a parody version of the character troupe that they were based off of.
First off, we have Tomoya Aki, the main protagonist of Saekano. As a character played by Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, channeling more of a Sora/Arata sort of character, Tomoya is a character who is very focused and passionate about his tastes. As an Otaku, any form of work that he sees that appeals to him is something that he will defend with his night. Over the course of the series, we see Tomoya as a character driving towards his goal of creating a game, putting in time and effort, even helping his circle members with their other projects, just so he can create the game that he wants to bring to the world based on a 3-D girl that he wants to turn into a heroine. As far as development goes, Tomoya more or less gets his from the experience as a circle leader, but personality-wise, he doesn't really change all that much.
Then we have the two main girls in the series. First, we have Eriri Spencer Sawamura, the blond twin-tailed girl who represents the tsundere childhood friend troupe. Contributing to the group as the artist (as well as being an 18+ doujin author whose works belong on Fakku), Eriri is a girl that sort of breaks the troupe by really not being all that tsundere while turning her twintail hairstyle into two very effective whips. And then, there's Utaha Kasumigaoka, the LN author who is the girl who serves as the long, black haired senpai with a cool, levelheaded attitude who speaks in a harsher manner while also possessing slight yandere undertones when jealous. Over the course of the series, you get to understand a little more about these two characters, thus providing their development and some explanation as to why they associate themselves with someone like Tomoya.
And then we have who I think by far is the most interesting character in this series, Megumi Kato. As the girl that Tomoya wishes to base his game off of, Kato is a girl that is rather interesting in anime period. Compared to the rest of the girls in this series, and female characters overall, Kato's personality comes off as rather plain, passive, easily accepting, and albeit somewhat boring. She doesn't have a defined character troupe to tie her to, and I think that's what makes her such an interesting character. By breaking the bounds of character archtypes and having Kato be a character who is like her, the show really draws in this idea because of the sheer irony of her being the "main heroine" while not having any sort of heroine qualities that make up any given romcom.
While the main cast of characters really do shine in their own right as far as the show goes, the side cast of Saekano really leaves something to be desired. More importantly are the characters Izumi and Michiru, characters representing the little sister and cousin troupes. What really bugs me about these characters is the fact that the show makes them out to be more important than they actually are. By featuring them on the same level as the other girls, one can assume that their character importance would be near or at the same level, correct? Wrong. The show doesn't really utilize these last two members of the so-called "harem" (since Saekano really doesn't capitalize on that idea.) and are really just booted to the last couple episodes with Michiru getting a similar treatment to Eriri and Utaha via a condensed version. It kinda bugs me more on the fact that the conversations that go on between these characters really are golden moments in this show, and having more players to the mix really would've made this show a little bit better.
That being said, there are also other side characters in this show that really play little to no importance. Because for the most part you'll be watching the ones listed above, there really isn't much to say about the side cast.
Overview:
+ Interesting troupe-breaking characters
+ Good development for main characters
- Side cast really isn't interesting or used much
- Some characters could've been handled better
Art and Sound (7.45/10): The art for this Saekano is a very...interesting pick for A-1. The art is very light colored and bright, giving off a sort of slice of life feel to anyone who is watching it. That being said though, it looks to me that several other animation studios seemed to influence the animation, which I find somewhat odd.
In addition to just general animation, the show hosts a very odd form of visual imagery, utilizing a colored sheen over a character or body. In addition, the show also uses odd angles and closeups on certain areas which for some reason reminds me of Akiyuki Shinbou's work (no head tilts though). While this isn't bad per say, it's just something I wanted to mention because I didn't expect something like that to come out from this show.
As for flaws though, the animation does have a couple choice moments and things that don't sit well with me. For one thing, the designs of the girls. Similar to the girls in La Fruit de grisaia, every female in this anime features a red highlight around their eyelashes, thus giving them a strange rash look. This is really more of a personal complaint because I just find it odd to see a random red line around a girl's eyes. In addition, there's one specific scene that doesn't sit well with me, which is mostly due to the fact that Tomoya's hair isn't colored in, leaving him with white hair for about a minute. Yeah, that's not normal.
As for sound, the music for the anime isn't really something that I would call incredible. The OP and ED are good tracks and can become memorable as they feature a happy-go-lucky tune to them, but I can't in good conscience say that they deserve more credit than what I give them.
Overview:
+ Good art
+ Decent music stylings
- Couple mistakes with the art
Personal Enjoyment (8.39/10): While Saekano wasn't as stellar as it could've been, it was still a great show nonetheless. With its use of genre parodying and storyline, the show managed to keep me hooked in week after week with laughter spent at the characters own point outs on any given cliche scenario.
What did I like about this anime?
For one thing, I liked the characters of this series a lot. They were all likable in their own way, and their interactions with one another were something that I enjoyed seeing with every passing minute. In addition, the fact that they played off on the troupes that they were based off of was funny enough for me to enjoy laughing along with whatever was going on. The story while wasn't complete, did give insight into doujinshi and Comiket (for those who didn't know), and overall, made the show an enjoyable experience. They also reference other anime in it in Tomoya's soom such as SAO figmas, an Amaburi LN, and an Oreimo poster just to name a few.
What didn't I like about this anime?
The slow start in conjunction with some underused characters really put me in a bit of a sour mood. A lot of good could've come from just having the characters come in a little earlier and a little bit faster beginning few episodes because quite a few areas in the later parts of the series felt rushed, leading to a very glaring art issue.
Would I recommend this anime?
If you're looking for a casual watch that pokes fun at harem, watch either this, or Noucome. If you don't want fanservice, then just watch this. Saekano is an enjoyable series that doesn't really takes itself too too seriously, diving headfirst into the world of doujinshi whilst making fun of the harem genre altogether. It really is an enjoyable experience because not a lot of anime poke fun at the cliches and troupes that do exist in anime, so personally, I feel like anything that's like this really deserves to be watched. Plus, you get to see awesome characters banter with each other, what's not to love?
Overall Score: 7.49/10
Stark700
A series like Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata (Saekano) doesn’t really need much of an explanation judging by the cover content. There are at least four girls and a guy in the far background. Anime logic dictates that the show is more or less a harem. And if you’ve come to that conclusion, you’re not wrong. The series is indeed a harem with some generic romance tropes thrown in. However, there are some clever angles to approach the series as more of a social commentary. What I mean is that the show has far more dialogues than skin showing and indeed, it strives to accomplish thatwith its set premise – to create a visual novel based on a girl that our main protagonist met during Spring vacation.
Based off a light novel of the same name, the show has a rather dexterous title. Translated as ‘How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend’, the series plays around with itself quite a bit. With its many jokes in multilayer form and never ending generic tropes, initial impression of the series could be a downer. Indeed, my expectations weren’t very high especially after the lascivious prequel that debuted before the main series. Although the series follows a lot of the trends with typical harem series with no specialty, Saekano does pull out a few tricks out of its hat that can be exciting.
The premise of the show is actually pretty straightforward. We have this normal guy named Tomoya who is a self-proclaimed otaku complete with the nerdy glasses and average looks. During a Spring vacation, he encounters a beautiful girl named Megumi who he later realizes is his classmate. With a mindset goal set to create a visual novel based on her, he creates a doujin (look this up on Google if you don’t know what it is) circle called ‘Blessing Software’. Essentially, the series introduces our main male protagonist Tomoya and his room gives viewers the impression that he is quite a hardcore otaku. Just look at his room! He’s got anime posters from popular anime TV series, collectible figures, and stashes on top of stashes of manga/light novel laying around the room. It gives us enough judgement to see that he is unpopular with his classmates, a sharp contrast to his childhood friend Eriri Spencer Sawamura. As a Japanese/British student, she joins Tomoya as an illustrator. Then, there’s ice beauty Utaha Kasumigaoka who also becomes part of Blessing Software. Viewed as an intelligent and haughty girl, we have this weird combination of characters mixed together to craft this piece of artistic work. And who can forget Megumi? Without her, their project would be dead because she is literally their model and mascot. Unlike Eriri or Utaha, she is easily a normal girl who hardly stands out in class. Not so different from Tomoya right? Later on, we also get an athletic girl with a music talent joining the series named Michiru. Because without music, their project would also be deaf to ears.
Now that we have a general mindset of the characters, there’s an understanding that probably formulated in your mind. The collective cast of our characters are from the oldest tricks in the book. We have Eriri, the twin-tailed tsundere, the cold collective beauty Utaha, the average all around (except for looks) Megumi, and music talent Michiru. This is the pretty much the basic ingredients to make a harem. But fortunately, the show also has an intention to make a visual novel based on a ‘boring girlfriend’. It mixes humor and peril in almost a same category as some scenes become dangerously absurd while others can be surprisingly funny. Regardless, the show adapts the concept of visual novel making and actually makes this the main part of the story. While romance becomes involved as well, most of it is subtle where Tomoya remains oblivious to the girls’ advances. For the story itself, a large part comes from the members’ roles. Eriri is the illustrator of their project so she is in charge of the artwork. Several episode shows her as a dedicated worker who really does embrace her role as an artist. Some of her flashbacks with Tomoya also shows their relationship as the classic childhood type where they seem to be on good terms. Except for one thing, she is prone to emotional outbursts in the present. One particular episode focuses on her and Tomoya’s rebuilding of their relationship where she promises to make Tomoya see the good side of her. While this relationship focus is important, it also becomes catering to watch with how much the show goes into diehard mode to flesh out her personality. This doesn’t strive far with Utaha either as her relationship with Tomoya also gets insightful focus in some particular episodes. Playing the role of a writer, she is in charge of the scripts which is pivotal for their project’s storyline. Unfortunately, her role sells mostly as an attractive girl with some insecurities similar to Eriri. Unlike her though, she is more confident in her abilities and looks as she has sometimes tries to seduce Tomoya passively. What does this all mean? Literally, she is more like the classic Yamato Nadeshiko but with a more aggressive personality. It doesn’t help with the fact that Tomoya seems constantly distracted by her sex appeal or her own “strategies”. (See this cell phone picture for a general idea: http://imgur.com/0qvIvl7)
Now, here’s a roadblock to Tomoya’s relationship: Megumi. She is portrayed as a normal girl with a straightforward personality but very kind to her friends. Unlike the rest of their group, she doesn’t have knowledge of the otaku world until Tomoya influences her with his eroge game collection. While the series often plays around with the generic tropes, Megumi and Tomoya’s relationship has a surprisingly amount of delicate connection. Both of them doesn’t stand out much in class but they seem to relate to each other as the series goes on. As a dialogue heavy show like this with a lot of talk, she also fleshes out Tomoya’s character the most. This is demonstrated during their date in one particular episode as well as how Tomoya uses her as a model for their game. It shows a more honest side of the series with her in because she is also the most normal, someone that others can relate to. Furthermore, she evokes jealousy with other girls in the case of Eriri or Utaha where we see that they aren’t perfect as their classmates are disillusioned by. Unfortunately, the show has a pacing problem being a 1 cour. I honestly believe a series like this would be more suitable for a 2-cour (22 episodes). This is because Michiru, our music-athlete hybrid isn’t present until much later in the series. Although she is heavily advertised in the promotional videos, key visuals, and prologue, there’s little room for her part until the very end. At one point, I’m sure that some people may question if she will even appear at all. To put it simply, the way the show is directed to fit her role is both underwhelming and almost in a way, irrelevant. Thankfully, she does bring out a more different side of the series as well with her tomboyish personality.
With our characters, the story is something I describe as less dynamic compared to the focus of our characters. Occupied by the task to complete their project, every episode depends strictly on characters’ roles with their actions. Comedy seems to play a decent amount of time throughout the series as well although it can feel like simple guilty pleasure; especially in one episode with allusions to heavy sexual metaphors. There may also seem to be a displeasure with some of the rivalry throughout the series as Tomoya faces later on. It honestly feels cringe worthy with the setup as the series even chooses to focus on a minor character with little influence. Taking that aside, this show’s originality isn’t exactly something new. Others with otaku-based characters have been portrayed in the anime industry such as the TWGOK franchise. And unfortunately, I have to say once again that the story’s pacing feels dreadful at times. It will definitely divert viewers but with deflated themes that people may have seem over and over. Even some references later on can be bothersome to indulge while the amusing self-awareness of the prologue is largely absent.
Artwork visuals plays some key roles in the show as one of our main characters is an inspiring artist herself. However, A-1 Pictures doesn’t exactly carry the show’s visual quality to their fullest potential with the character designs. With some CGI-like style animation and muggy backgrounds, the show doesn’t relieve a strong impression on the surface. However, character designs does have some credibility that holds in queue with our characters’ personalities. For fan service, the series fleshes out more and more of it; in particular in some of the final episodes. When portrayed, it’s mostly suggestive camera angles rather than going full commando. But largely coming off as average, this show’s visual quality is hardly anything to write home about.
Soundtrack actually has a less of an important role but does have its key moments in some episodes. This is inspired by the character interactions with a variety of emotions that can only be made possible through the effective timing of its OST. Fortunately, it does pull it off despite how average it sounds. The OP and ED songs also has an upbeat and noticeable amount of creativity with its coordination. Michiru, the music talent of the group also demonstrates her ability in the music department with a fluid degree. The key part of the show is still character voices as that hits the ace in the hole. Every main female character plays their role with solid motivations and truthful to the show’s intentions. Perhaps sometimes, it’s almost too evident by their interactions with Tomoya. Unfortunately, there’s nothing really good to comment on Tomoya’s voice. He’s the typical otaku with a dull voice mannerism that I think people would find hard to make friends with.
So what else to say? The show isn’t by anything special although does have some clever ways to entertain its audience. Whether it’s the character relationships or their storyline project, Saekano is still a harem show with the usual generics. Despite this though, there’s a sense of creativity when we see characters’ role play out throughout the show that is hard to take eyes off of. With the amount of jokes, references, and almost never ending comedy, the show is a mixed bag. And that's just the first route.
aqing0601
Rest in Peace : the fourth wall. Normally you would have a 'dense' male character in some harem anime but Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata (Saekano for short) is an anime that is ironic to itself so much that you can call this whole show 'dense'. It is original and yet cliché and I felt that this show had more potential if it wasn't rushed. I thoroughly enjoyed this show and I was watching it while it was airing. Every week I was excited for another episode of Saekano and I was staffed with every episode. Story:8/10 This anime's story is realistic, light yet humorous. I liked thefact that they make reference to other shows but in moderation so the show does not feel like a Parody anime, it made me feel like that somewhere, in Japan, the event is happening as I am watching it. It all seemed achievable.
However, we then have the cliché side of Saekano, the one where at the beginning of the episode you can already guess the end kind, the paper cut-out character personalities and the dense yet loved protagonist.But this is where it shines, as you see, Saekano is about a group of otakus and fujoshis trying to make the 'best game ever'.
And this is when they starts to break the fourth wall, shatter it, crush it, destroy it, mash it and completely decimate it.
This show makes a lot of reference to itself and the otaku culture in real life whilst not being aware of themselves falling in to the same category (The blond, twin-tailed, tsundere; the cool and composed senpai or The love rivalry from the protagonist's childhood friend.) as it seems at first. But the developers intended to make reference to itself with it not being aware to create this sense of humour, this sense of realism and make the show relatable. Ask yourself, 'How many times have you think of your own life and think that it is very cliché?'
None?
Okay...Anyway, this anime turned out to be an anime about a group of otakus making references to other anime whilst being in an anime themselves. It is very cleverly approached and I would love to have more episodes of this fourth-wall goodness.
But as always, a show always have to come to an end (unless you are called One Piece) and Saekano's ending was very rushed or brief. It did not give us a decent conclusion of the story and left me surprised that the last episode was already gone.
Which made me happy about the coming of second season.
Art:9/10
Apart from the realism that the story tries to give, this anime also sets it apart from our mundane world by using the more anime-looking art style instead of taking a more realistic approach. This is to tell the watchers that although the story may seem realistic, at the end of the day, this is still just an anime. Which is good as if the anime was overly detailed and made realistic, I would probably go watch some Japanese television series instead.
The graphics are well rendered and I personally did not see any flaws in animation when I was watching the anime.
Sound:7/10
Saekano's sound is not unique or catching to me. It adds to the 'Cliché' feel of a romance comedy to the anime instead. And just as I was saying, I believe it is enough for the story to become realistic, there is no need for any other aspect to try and compete for originality.This isn't to say that the sound is bad though, as I have certainly seen worse and I wouldn't mind if they made a second season with the same style of music as this season.
The background track blends in well with the dialogue and the V.As are definitely giving their best here.
Character: 8/10
How funny that an anime about making the 'best game' have characters that is so cliché that I would use this show as a guideline to tell people how different type of characters would act. But we have a more realistic side to the character, the one that cannot be found anywhere else.
I am going to split the character into cliché and original so you can see what I mean by them having 'another side' to them:
Main male protagonist: Tomoya Aki
Cliché:
He is a harem protagonist so he is dense about his surroundings.
Had a 'fateful encounter'
Original:
He is an otaku who appears to have a dream of creating the 'best game' and he does not like 3D girls,in oppose to many other harem protagonists.
Utaha Kasumigaoka
Cliché:
She's is the mature,cool and perfect senpai kind.
Original:
She is a famous light-novel writer and Tomoya is a great fan of her novels.
Eriri Spencer Sawamura
Cliché:
Blonde, twin-tail, tsundere, childhood friend, half Japanese, half British,genius.
Original:
She's is secretly a doujinshi artist and often shows the fujoshi side of her.
Cliché? Definitely. Original? Most certainly. It is a puzzle how the maker of Saekano manages to balance these all at once, but it did work and we were given the character of Saekano to enjoy.
Overall: 8/10
I would recommend this show to any people who have decent knowledge of the otaku culture as this show breaks all expectations as otakus meanwhile keeping them as generic cardboard characters.
SkyNoHoshi
Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata is a nice surprise of the Winter season. It is one of these anime that always made me lose my patience when an episode finishes its airing. It is something that I want more. So far, I could not find a translated manga or light novel source, so it remains a mystery after the anime unless I bought its non-translated ones and find a translator. The anime has its ‘special’ episode aired a week before the anime series started airing. It contains fan-service galore, so if you do not want to ruin your experience in watching, I suggest you watch it afterthe anime. But if you do not mind, watch it before, both works for different people.
We all have dreams that we want to pursue. At least, that is how the protagonist Tomoya wants to. He is a typical high-school otaku who works part-time jobs to pay for anime merchandises. One day, he gazed at a beautiful ‘heroine’ on top of a hill. He realised that she was actually a classmate in his class, Katou, but from then on he wants to achieve something - making a visual novel with Katou being as the heroine. He had several connections such as childhood friend Eriri, who secretly makes H-doujins and Utaha, who writes well-sold novels. They formed up a doujin circle for the purpose of making this light novel Tomoya wanted.
Now, this is not an ordinary anime where you will see a group of people making progress, and in the end they finished it and sell it in the event they chose. No, that is too boring to watch. I would say that the developing of the visual novel is not the main focus in anime, but rather how Tomoya is going to get his own circle to work without any conflicts. From time to time, there is a situation that a character gets quite emotional and Tomoya approaches to be with her for a while. Indeed, one episode by another, the visual novel is being developed but it is not direct to show the viewers.
What makes the anime interesting is the funny comedy. Generally, the anime plays a number of tropes from the Japanese pop culture like visual novels and manga. They were never forced as the comedy coming from the characters’ interactions flow by. At least, the anime knows how to separate funny and emotional moments. Yes, sometimes there are a few emotional moments which are not rushed at all.
I do not really spot any problems in the story, but the ending towards the anime is too open, making the story quite incomplete. Overall, the story has nice pacing and development without any hiccups. It is relatively easy to understand the story and characters, since the story has not pull ‘deep symbolisms’ behind, so it is a good story for everyone of different interests to watch.
The characters, despite having similar characteristics from your everyday harem anime, are interesting to look at after a while. For starters, they do not really force themselves to act like the counterparts. There are times when they feel differently of their personalities as well. So far, we got the tsundere Eriri who was a childhood friend with Tomoya for quite a long time, a cold-headed Utaha who just speaks so maturely in front of him, and a plain Katou that has no outstanding qualities yet win the hearts of a large part of the audience.
There are some character development in most of them, generally on the times when Tomoya is with a certain character. Even Tomoya has some as he learns more about the girls. But eventually, I would love to see more since the ending was too open. The story also shows the characters’ pasts and how they are being influenced into their personalities now.
The animation has been quite a charm in this anime. It may sure seem normal to you, but there is a finer detail that the studio has given to make the anime more real and beautiful. The sceneries are nice-looking and great for settling the mood. I love the vibrant colourful palette they use to show a bright and happy feeling. There is one place that I like to mention which is Tomoya’s room, where there are a lot of real references through posters, novels and figurines. The character designs are very gorgeous, like they stand out a lot from the rest of this anime season. Quite a number of details have been added to the designs to make it real. Also, the facial expressions are well-done, whether on comic relief or not.
The fan-service is classy. For once, I do not think that it was not forced to ruin the story. I had started to realise that there were more of it towards the second half of the anime, but I must say that the scenes are perfectly done and have made a lot of the audience feel happy.
Yet again this anime has proven to have awesome songs. I definitely loved the opening and ending songs which are one of my favourites this season. Luna Haruna sings Kimiiro Signal in the opening to portray a more cheerful feeling the anime has, while Miku Sawai sings Colorful. that has a more emotional but positive mindset. They have a meaning behind, I swear. The background music is great, I like how different varieties of tracks are used to bring effect of the mood in the scenes. Voice acting is well-done, since I love how they try to match the characters’ personalities well.
Saekano is one anime that everyone should totally watch because it is has a great story, great characters and nice animation. I have certainly enjoyed the anime from start to end, and I really hope there is a second season.
LeFlower-kun
Saekano, at first glance, may seem like a typical harem/fanservice filled series where the main otaku character can flourish himself in. However, it honestly took me by surprise and vastly exceeded my expectations, especially how the show knows how to subtly and implicitly convey its awareness of the current anime industry and its current clichéd trends. The characters of the show is one of its most entertaining aspects. In a mere 12 episodes, the show is able to characterise its characters and develop them to a satisfactory extent, In particular the girls, and their distinct personalities are the foundation of the show itself. There isEriri, the hotblooded tsundere blonde twin-tailed girl who manifests the clichéd childhood friend troupe. She is the doujinshi artist of the group, and can't let her pride lose. Then there is the seductive (potential fanservice ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)) girl who is considered a master at scenario/story writing called Utaha. Michiru, the purple-haired tomboy musician-like girl who also is mainly there to aid fanservice, is also another childhood friend of Tomoya...since birth. Its ironic because she only did really appear in the final few episodes (lol~). There is also the unique monotonous cute girl, Kato, who is just so clueless a lot of the time, but in a hilarious and original way. Her voice acting is also worth noting as it is one of the best monotoned voices for a female character in recent times, and its not boring in anyway, but compelling. She may have trouble being expressive, but she is one of the girls who understands Tomoya well, the main central protagonist. Finally, you have Tomoya, the otaku with a strong enthusiastic personality and passion for producing his dating sim with his circle of friends (haremm). His drive to successfully produce a dating sim allows the story to progress and its his determination to create a great one that makes him entertaining to be with. All the voice acting for the characters undoubtedly aid the characters personalities and their traits, and make them not only a great interacted cast, but one with synergy.
The art is definitely, a great addition to the show's substance and makes it visually pleasing to look at in contrast to most shows of the similar genre. A-1 without a doubt made Saekano a hit, rather than a miss with the stellar, standing-out artwork and visuals. The character designs as well is a major plus as the females of the show all look different from one another, and are ineffably, just nice to look at. The near-shaft level art carries the show if you don't really enjoy the characters, but as the cast is so diverse with each unique girl, you probably will have one "best girl" (team kato??? team utaha? no? no?).
The soundtrack isn't really that unique or stellar, its just there to suit appropriate scenes and juxtapose the silence. The OP song however, I found it quite suiting visually as it depicts each character in the works, and the song itself 'Kimiiro Signal' by Luna Haruna sounds pretty nice and is addicting for me personally.
Overall, Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata was without a doubt, a very fascinating and entertaining show to sit down, and watch. Although the story wasn't anything spectacular or original, the melange of characters with their varied personalities is what makes the show truly enjoyable, and along with their thrive to successfully construct a dating sim, the audience is able to connect to the cast and feel their ecstasies, and struggles. The fanservice is not the main focus, the characters are, and if you can get past that major intervening obstacle, you will certainly enjoy this show for what it is.
SadIverson
When i first started watching this anime ,i really didn't know what to expect from it and it surprised me at first. Saenai is not like your average romance comedy anime. Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata gives a really refreshing new and unique plot that keeps its viewers wanting more at the end of every episode. The name of the anime "Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata" itself means how to train a girl to be a herione. Right away you would see that Saenai has a really unique plot which very little anime can relate to out there. The story starts of with Tomoya Aki, a high schoolteenage boy who is a major otaku/shut-in ,who doesn't know much besides video games and dating sims. On one faithful day he meets the girl of his dreams. He later finds out that the girl goes to the same school as him. With the help of his childhood friend Sawamura Eriri Spencer and his senpai Kasumigaoka Utaha. He decides to make a dating sim based off of the girl he met that day.
Alright first of all i want to give mad props to A-1 Pictures for the amazing art in the anime. There was never a part in the anime where the art was lacking, everything in this anime was drawn beautifully, the colors to represent the mood, the special details for different characters , simply amazing.
The opening and ending soundtrack are also amazing , it sets the tone for the anime and it is just right. A big thing worth mentioning , Matsuoka Yoshitsugu and Kayano Ai are 2 of the voice actors in the anime. They're one of the best ones around imo and you might remember the duo in other animes such as Sakurasou and no game no life where they were both also voicing the main characters.
The characters in this anime are all made quite well.Every character fills their role perfectly and are all unique in their own way. The girls in the anime can melt your heart away making you want fall in love with them. The only problem i had with the characters is that there wasn't enough character development, Which is understandable considering the fact that it was a 12 episode series
This anime overall is very good and it was made exceptionally well, the only thing that i did not like was the fact that it was only a 12 episode series, but other then that this anime was very refreshing with its interesting plot and unique characters.
KamiKurayomi
Saenai Heronine no Sodatekata, for me, started out promising. The storyline had the potential to be a really good anime and would really connect with the viewers who would obviously share the same interests conveyed in the characters such as anime, manga and so on. However the title of "How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend" soon became known to me as "How to Make a Boring Anime." At times, I found the show to be very dialogue heavy, which I usually don't mind however it was often just waffling on. I was always waiting for something to happen when i watched the newly released episodeeach week, but I always felt like there wasn't too much development, and if there was, it was too predictable.
Watching this anime series quickly became a chore rather than for my own enjoyment, as I was really trying hard to like this anime but couldn't. I would sometimes become so bored during the episodes towards the end of the series that I actually skipped through scenes as I found them to be excruciatingly long. Of course, I went back to re-watch the episodes, just to ensure that I felt the same as when i first watched it, and my view has not changed.
I feel bad that i didn't like this anime as I've seen many great reviews and many of my friends have said they enjoyed the series but, alas, I found the series was lacking and I was overall disappointed with this series. I'm not a massive fan of Harem anime to begin with but i don't feel my dislike of Harem skewed my view of the anime, because even I felt like the Harem in this anime could have been done a whole lot better.
I could go into further detail about what I don't like about this anime but I just wanted to cover the main points.
As for what i did like, even though she was labelled as "The Boring Girlfriend", Megumi was my favourite character and I liked the connection she and Tomoya had. (Although i wish it did focus a little more on them)
If you've watched the anime and you feel the same as me, or at least have a similar view, please let me know, as i feel like the only one who didn't enjoy Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata.
fodderchara18
Saekano is easily one of the best harem romcom anime that i've watched in years. From the creator of the very good White Album 2 (which also needs a second season badly), this is one of those shows that keeps on surprising you with every episode. Even now that i've finished it, i still feel that i didn't give it enough credit. Almost as if the show is begging me to rewatch it because it has some hidden layers that i ended up missing on my first watch. It's kinda hard to explain, but i always get the feeling that Saekano manipulates the viewer intoliking it more than what you expected to.
In a way the show is a lot like its main heroine - paradoxical as it may be, there's an innocent, almost childlike attempt at manipulating the viewer, almost as if it's hiding its true nature, teasing and baiting us to make wrong assumptions about it. You know how kids cry to make us do what they want? I feel the same way towards this series. It's actually a very puzzling yet interesting feeling.
It's very meta, with lots of otaku references and humor. Even in the way the plot progresses, there's always a huge awareness regarding romcom tropes and even the haremettes (aside from the main heroine, which is truly something else, something that i have never seen in this genre yet, that's how special she is) start off as complete (at least apparently) walking tropes. Hell, even without watching you can tell the own premise is meta as f*ck. But it really works here because the writer is completely aware of all that! The thing is, Saekano really knows how to work through what is cliché and formulaic. And what's really great about the show is that it is able to transform said tropes/clichés into something rather good and almost unique. The pacing is also very good for a LN adaptation and both the direction and animation is also excellent, with a lot of attention put into little details that make the series all the more enjoyable. I must say that A-1 did a really good job here.
The bottomline is, it's actually easy to dismiss this as just one more silly harem anime that you see in every season, especially if you take the first episode (which was full of fanservice and generic harem antics) at face value. But it's certainly not that kind of show, and of that i assure you. Or better yet, it is that kind of show without not actually being that kind of show. Confusing, right?
But it will definitely make sense by the time you finish watching it. Moreover, it must also be said that Saekano, in its usual 4th wall-breaking scenes, often drops some very important, plot-related bombs, so once again, with that bizarre, feigned innocence of his, almost as if it's asking you not to take it too seriously, ends up surprising you and urging you to pay attention to the tiniest pieces of dialogue, mainly because amidst all the silliness, there's always a clear intention or hidden seriousness that you probably won't even notice if you let the show fool you.
If you want to watch a clever harem romcom, with lots of great humor and genuinely likable cast and plot, this show is for you.
