At the age of 15, Hana Tabata has already made peace with the idea of never experiencing an unforgettable high school romance. Although she likes shoujo manga, flowers, and anything cute, Tabata considers herself a mere background character; she is a little bit chubby, with a round face, glasses, and freckles—all things that would make her conventionally unattractive. But when Tabata accidentally befriends Yousuke Ueno, a warm and charming classmate, things start to change. While she grapples with conflicting feelings about her unexpected new relationship with Ueno, Tabata has yet to realize that the love story she has been dreaming of has already begun.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
5iv3_
I had no intention of watching this originally, but as one of my favorite KPOP groups did the OP for this, I gave it a shot and it was a surprisingly good watch! I won't deny that it's like your typical rom-com but, I think it's a little different. We normally see these situations with characters viewed as conventionally attractive by both themselves and the audience, but what if that weren't the case? Well that's we have here! It does fall into some common tropes as it progresses but they all resolve well so there's no harm (and honestly i like tropes hehe). Ifound myself rooting for these characters and it was a lot of fun! I really thought I wasn't gonna enjoy this from the PVs and posters, but I'm glad I was proven wrong!
Animation on this ain't the best but it definitely ain't bad at all. It doesn't need flashy animation for it to be this charming <3
Overall, It's quite good! I almost cried at the end it was so sweet. So i'm satisfied and happy with this! (this lowkey turned into me rambling about how cute it is hahaha).
Chuy_diazz
One of the sweetest and most tender romances of the season. If you rush me, it'll end up being the best. It's an anime that takes appearances very seriously. In other anime, they tell you one of the protagonists is ugly, and when they show you the design, well, it's sculpted by angels. Here, when they show you the protagonist's design, if you don't have any context, you might even mistake her for an NPC. That's where the magic of the anime lies. Since the protagonist doesn't have a pretty design, they have to work hard to make her charismatic. Which they achieved, and Saori Hayamiis responsible for most of the work. The protagonist is very solid in her role. She knows how to play her main role but also knows how to step aside when secondary stories need to be told. She's a very useful character for the story because she knows how to tell stories, but she can also be a support for others to tell theirs. She brings comedy, she brings romance, she brings a bit of drama, and she's the backbone of the series. Without her, this anime couldn't be told simply by replacing her with another girl. The protagonist has complexes, but she doesn't give in to them and always tries to be a better version of herself. She has an enormous kindness that she tries to share with all her classmates. For this reason, she's a protagonist you don't have to have on screen all the time for to work. Her development can be done in a short amount of time, so you can use the extra time to develop other characters or couples.
The male protagonist, at first, may not be convincing. He seems like the typical cliché of the protagonist with a savior complex who eventually fulfills a fantasy. Surprisingly, this wasn't the case. What we get is an ordinary teenager who is quite naive, awkward, and doesn't know how to communicate properly. With these characteristics, a balance is created between the protagonists. They complement each other, and it's easy to see. This makes each of their insecurities more intense, making the fact that a confession lasts until the end make narrative sense. It's a bit of a stretch, but not too heavy-handed, because the story has many resources beyond the main romance.
This is where the supporting characters come in. They're so good that they're capable of carrying the spotlight for a couple of episodes. As I mentioned, the main character doesn't need much space to develop. So, the anime takes the liberty of having two other couples who develop to a greater or lesser extent. The supporting couple of Uguisudani and Gotanda is a couple that emerges very naturally. While the main couple is one whose personalities complement each other, the supporting characters are relatable because they can be themselves when they're together. They can take off their masks, speak naturally, and enjoy things they wouldn't in public. Their solo scenes are very beautiful because they're two people who are very direct with each other, letting it be known that there's something between them, but maybe it's not the right time to express it.
The series manages to establish a good school environment. When you see these kids, you really see them for what they are: teenagers. These aren't adult speeches from 16-year-old characters. They're dumb, they're clumsy, they have complexes, and regardless of their appearance, they have self-esteem issues. Everyone carries their own problems, but the beautiful thing is seeing how, despite them, they can face them in order to be with the person they love.
sylargbrl
An anime where the “ugly” girl ends up with the popular guy? YES. Could the character designs have been way better? Hell yeah. Busu ni Hanataba wo is an anime with pretty innocent characters (they’re teenagers, so of course they act that way when it comes to love, right?). Tabata is the ugly duckling who’s never had friends and, as a result, looks down on herself. On the other hand, Ueno is the popular guy who seems to have had everything come easily to him just for being handsome. After that quick intro, here are my personal pros and cons: (+) · Little by little we’re seeing more anime wherethe “average” or “unattractive” MC ends up with the popular ones. I love this. I had enough with only showing attractive characters with no self-esteem issues.
· Tabata and Ueno are just perfect for each other. TOO CUTE.
(-)
· The character designs could have been so much better. They are really basic.
· I think they introduced too many characters for just 12 episodes, leaving several relationships unfinished and way too many questions.
Disclaimer: This is by no means the standout anime of the season, so unless it particularly interests you, it may not be a top priority on your watchlist.
KANLen09
April Showers Brings May Flowers — The flowery version of similar rom-coms done before, but hiding under a facade that feels all too much the same? Throughout the age of humanity, what seems like the usual rhetoric of human relationships that universally spiral in 1001 ways, where no two relationship phases feel the same, remains to be said of how such a simple attraction, like the interests between a boy and girl that's penned out over time, continues to be quite the mystery that often ends up with assumptions and speculations in mind. This is especially for the myriad of authors writing rom-coms in their ownunique and respective ways; until you've seen one and felt an inkling for one, yet see another and feel like it's "too similar" to the point of "inspiration." And in this summer season, there's a "copycat" show that's close to its older contemporaries: mangaka Roku Sakura's Busu ni Hanataba wo a.k.a. A Bouquet for an Ugly Girl, though the series' official English translation is a bit more nuanced in yet another name: April Showers Bring May Flowers.
So, get this right out of the gate: a girl who's rather quiet is someone who's a shoujo manga fanatic but who calls herself ugly due to her poor eyesight and slightly overweight body, as well as the people around her who bully her for who she is. One might think that she's insufferable for going around in this negative mindset if she still so chooses to "label" herself as just that. Still, the one benefit of the Shoujo fanatic is that through her favourite manga, to the point of admiration, she grows in her interest in flowers and becomes a member of her school's horticulture (a la beautification, but it doesn't sound quite right) committee. That's where a boy comes in, who's the school idol when it comes to young, Ikemen-style guys, being the central figure around his class with males flocking to him for some guys' time and the females of the school hoping to confess and date him altogether. However, it's that one moment of worry, where his concern for the flowers in his class begins to reveal a flower that he has not yet noticed, and that begins the rather unlikely relationship between the central couple of Hana Tabata and Yosuke Ueno.
First things first, going back to the whole "other name" symbolism, it's history that's excerpted from the English poet Thomas Tusser, who wrote the famous phrase in his 1557 poem "A Hundred Good Points of Husbandry," where the saying reflects the observation that the rain in April provides the necessary moisture for flowers to bloom in May. Its metaphorical meaning that changes over the course of time, that positive outcomes can follow negative periods, certainly is a better choice against a rather not-so-generic but not-so-good hearing connotation to be associated with a work like this. And I think that the series truly benefitted from taking inspiration from a famous saying that, for one, is not just symbolic to the main couple figuring out their unusual relationship — that, as the saying goes, "The month of April, traditionally a rainy period, gives way to May, when flowers will bloom because of the water provided to them by the April rains"— but by extension, as both Hana and Ueno slowly open up to each other from having a common interest in flowers, also slowly develop the relationship through "a period of discomfort or hardship, providing the basis for a period of happiness and joy."
By the same extension, we've had other rom-coms that have filled this gap over the last 2 decades, with well-known examples like the classic Kimi ni Todoke: From Me to You and the rather unkempt series of Spring 2015's Ore Monogatari!! a.k.a. My Love Story!!, delving into the quiet and unconventional phases, respectively, and if you're just too young and growing in anime, the most recent classic Shoujo romance series of Winter's Honey Lemon Soda is a great example of this. That's not to say that the anime is a bad series, though it is clearly a "copycat" knock-off of the series I've mentioned, along with its rather dated source material that came out after all 3 series did. Yes, there can be a prejudice when something is made "too similar," to the point that the show makes no effort to not hide them in plain sight, to the detriment of rom-com fans thinking that they're going to get something different.
But yet again, in the same vein as Honey Lemon Soda, of which the series anchors pretty much an exact rhetoric and setting where the unpopular or unattractive girl gets noticed by the popular guy enough for him to take notice of her, despite the misunderstandings of the others around the female MC and her worries of stepping out of her comfort zone, stories like this are cookie-cutter, but what makes Busu Hanataba work is in its characters and how they make the series work as it is (putting aside much of the copy-paste feel).
Basically put, Busu Hanataba's strength is truly in the differentiation of its character cast, which is built upon the stereotypical friendships, love-hate jealousies, and lots AND LOTS of misunderstandings that somehow make you feel hatred but also have a hope for things to come, just like the saying itself. If Hana and Ueno's relationship is strange to begin with, let alone why he would pay close attention to a girl that clearly no one fancies to the point of meek adoration and jealousy when other guys go near her, the clique around these two is an interesting bunch of fascinations. Ueno's best friend, Tetsuo Gotanda, from the outside, shows his stern appearance and unchanging expression, but from the inside, he's rather gentle and considerate to the friends around him, like the guy who always struggles with his low self-esteem: Tsutomu Shinbashi. Him being part of Ueno's popular guys group serves as his area of presence to try and get on everyone's good side and hold his rather perfect playful-joker facade altogether in order to try and entice girls, like the most beautiful girl in the class, Sumire Uguisudani. Similar to the popular and caring blonde-haired guy himself, she too is the envy of the guys, being in a similar position to Ueno, but will be someone to try and disrupt her crush's feelings for any other girl, even if that is the unpopular girl like Hana. And if there's any solid indication of a girl being a good partner to Ueno, look no further than his equally handsome and yoked younger brother, Keisuke, who displays maturity for his elementary school age and is someone who can judge his older brother from the sidelines to see if his future partner will be a blessing or a curse to him. So...what goes around comes around, I guess...?
Still, this anime is not a show where you'd gape at quality like all 3 of CloverWorks' romance shows this season (that's a league above all of the others) or the quantity that feels as if the series is overstretching itself at repeating cliches and tropes well-known by now. And for what it's worth, Silver Link and in-house director Mirai Minato did the best they could to at least make the show look somewhat pretty and compelling to begin with...much like other typical average-to-good rom-coms of the modern age.
Even with Yuki Hayashi on the music composition side, this, again, is not an anime where you can find anything that truly stands out, being a (re)hashed rom-com that just serves its purpose to tell a similar story under a different branch of leaves and flowers. And while I can say that K-Pop groups have gotten a better hold on anime (at least on the romance side of things) with their good and poppy songs for at least a few years now, as is the case with TWS feat. Ayumu Imazu's OP, it's a different story with Glasgow's ED, where it's just there for the sake of participation. Not bad, but not something to remember by.
Even with all of its faults and "unique" properties, Busu ni Hanataba wo a.k.a. April Showers Bring May Flowers, is a decent to good rom-com series that doesn't try its hardest to be something different but yet has its own distinction that, love it or hate it, is here to stay. The series is everything you want out of a typical rom-com: the jealousies, moments of feelings and emotions gone to anguish, and a love that, as uncomfortable as it is, proves that this saying is the best way to sum up the show alright: Opposites attract.
bossunhimeswitch
I really enjoyed this anime. I looked forward to each episode every week. The characters were cute and the situation was relatable because I grew up the ugly girl at my school. And that was part of the appeal of the series, much like Kimi ni Todoke where it becomes a slice of life fantasy in many ways. The story also had a good sense of humor which is part of what made it enjoyable. I wouldn't mind watching more of it but the ending also was a good wrap up if we never see more too which is always a plus with the sliceof life genre especially.
If you enjoy anime where the weird kid gets to learn something about self-esteem while falling in love then you'll likely enjoy this anime. If characters with low self-esteem frustrate you, you might want to try another anime.
tenntenn
I honestly started this show thinking it was going to be just 6/10. The animation looks cheap — very plain, almost like a mid-budget romcom — and the early plot felt wildly unrealistic. Episodes 1–9 were mostly “meh”: the idea that a cute, sweet guy would suddenly fall in love with a plainly drawn, socially awkward, unpopular girl felt like pure wish fulfilment. Then the last three episodes happened… and my rating jumped to about 9/10. Why my view changed: 1) At first I was annoyed by how idealised the romance felt. But as the show went on, it became clear that Tabata (the heroine) knows she’s unattractive.The story never tries to pretend otherwise or secretly glam her up. The art stays consistent — she’s genuinely plainer and slightly chubbier than everyone else, unlike so many anime where “ugly” just means thicker eyebrows or glasses.
Her internal monologue about feeling inferior felt sympathetic – the show didn’t sugarcoat the social experience of being “less attractive”, and that’s something anime rarely does well.
2) I ended up loving Uguisudani. She’s trying so hard to get the boy’s attention, her confession near the end was touching, and her evolving dynamic with Tabata was great — rivals at first, but it slowly softens into something like respect and reluctant friendship. She can’t bring herself to truly hate Tabata.
3) The male MC is still a bit plot-conveniently sweet and forgiving, but he’s written kindly enough that I could buy it by the end. It felt less like “perfect boy falls for ugly girl” and more like “sweet guy sees something genuine and sticks with it.”
Episodes 1–9 feel like a 6/10: cheap production, slow, and kind of unbelievable. But episodes 10–12 are a solid 9/10: emotional, sincere, and surprisingly well-executed. Mathematically that’s around 6.8/10, but because the ending recontextualises a lot and leaves such a warm, human impression, I’d personally round it up to 7 or even 7.5/10.
SnackO
IT'S DONE! I'M DONE! AND I'M SATISFIED~BUT NOT ENOUGH!! (I also want to thank everyone so far for having read my previous review of this wonderful anime! The support this anime is getting is so positive that the RATING ITSELF HAS GONE UP FROM AROUND 6.50 to 7.05!! Previous review I posted was late August so 1 month later and this improvement?!) *claps excitedly(☆▽☆)* Viewpoint from previously to now: My view of this anime has honestly not changed! I still love this despite the low rating back then and every episode of the anime kept me going and smiling! I can't believe how fast I watched it...imagine ifit wasn't airing...I'd have binged it...!
The pacing was brilliant. It was neither too fast nor too slow (and I'm so glad I got to pace myself well whilst it was airing because I think it would've tested my patience severely). Not only that, it is a slice of life romance where it did not need to continue from the last episode as much but it definitely made sure I wanted more, so the 'next' button HAD to be there for my urges!
Random Note (which can be skipped to the last para):
I see that this anime has not been tagged with a 'shoujo' tag but I feel this could easily fall into one. Shoujo's always show some kind of complex/weakness when it comes to the FL and in this case, the FL is "ugly" and round (and the 'round' part is the sole reason why I started watching this in its airing stage also due to the VERY low rating score). FL thinks lowly of herself, lacking both self-esteem and confidence which is totally fine cause the ML totally ensures he is there by her side (why not).
Overall review:
So what if the ending is predictable? That's the whole point of romance genres no?
In the case that anyone is wondering whether this is a good watch, I'm telling you to give it a go. Why?? Because~~
Tired of cringey moments? Tired of annoying rivals/antagonists? Tired of endless drama with misunderstanding that just never ends? THEN YOU'VE COME TO THE PLACE THAT DOES NOT HAVE THESE! If you want something relaxing, with a teeny bit of drama, rivals - who you will not hate - and something that will get you by on a busy day to day life, I HIGHLY recommend this! They're clumsy when it comes to love, figuring out how they should communicate with each other but I think that's just what makes them so sweet~
They are honestly so cute, and I hope there will be more of this anime (?) but if not, no worries! I'll just read the rest!!
Lots & lots of love! I will come back again and again for sure to rewatch this for the chill, steady, and KYUUUUNN~ vibe this anime brings!
Quoting my last review of this anime "I'm not here for a sob, I'm here for a smile/heart throb."
I hope you guys can relate too~
ZayRecoverist
It's not perfect but it sure is sweet. What I really like about this series is that the protagonist (Tabata) has a pretty realistic physique and personality, she isn't "ugly" at all-instead she just looks like what every awkward teen looks like around that age. I also like how both love interests are unapologetically awkward, as that's how a lot of teen romances are supposed to feel. In fact, I think the series hits a lot those notes in terms of how a young teenage romance feels. It's a huge strength to the series that gets you to click every episode and question: "will theyconfess yet?" "will he tell her this?" "will she tell him that?"-as those are things the characters themselves think too. We really get a feel for that because we all have thought of those things at some point in our lives. The series really gets you to relate to those moments and I think that's what works best about it.
The thing is when it comes Shoujo tropes, as the series aims to deconstruct, you have the typical "awkward introverted unpopular girl, falls in love with the brightly highly praised popular boy" which may set a lot of people off at first when watching but it's different with having a reasonably awkward protagonist like Tabata and a boy like Ueno who clearly doesn't get his own feelings or how to handle them, nor have either of them been in love before and I like how much it leans into that. The series takes the fundamentals of Shoujo tropes to redefine them in a nice-subtly nuanced way that you can't help but actually want to root for these characters to get together. A lot of what happens between them feels earnest and genuinely sweet, yet the main thing that's in the way is their awkwardness and trouble of understanding their feelings. It's a romance anime that's about "how do you romance?" LOL and the way it's delivered feels pretty poetic.
(!!!SLIGHT SPOILERS HERE!!!)
Sure the series does lean into some clichés but they still attempt to subvert them, even though I feel like the cliché moments could've been better executed in the efforts to subvert them yet I still get the effort they go for in those moments. However, there are other things like Uguisudani who's purpose in my opinion-was to mostly force drama in the narrative yet I appreciated the effort they gave to try developing her but a lot of that characterization could've also been written outside of her rivalry with Tabata. I definitely think series deserves a second season to flesh itself out more in general, Uguisudani though is a main example of that. But I am not too sure if it will-considering the ending seemed to lean in for getting more to read the Manga, which I might do just because I want to see if Ueno and Tabata do make their relationship public and to see if the rest of the cast would be given proper character arcs. As I feel like there's definitely lots of potential to have the whole cast connect to the main themes of the series in a way that feels as nuanced as Ueno and Tabata's characters.
But aside from all of that, the flaws of the series doesn't distract from the main takeaway of the romance because everything does end up pretty satisfactory yet the ending does leave you in questions that feels open-ended and curious enough for more people to read the Manga or wanting a second season LOL.
At best I think it's a good series that is pretty sweet and relatable, at the other end there's definitely a lot more to be wanted out of it but the experience you get from watching this gets your heartstrings pulling and smiling. It definitely brought April Showers with beautiful May Flowers LOL.
xBlueBird
PLEASE GIVE THIS ONE A TRY! This is the best romance anime of the season, and I'm annoyed it's not getting the attention it deserves. Yes, I've seen the other ones, and this one is STILL better. It's got the better story, and the better dialogue. But most importantly, it's got the best character development. While other shows will waste your time with scenes where all they do is thank each other repeatedly, or constantly apologize over the smallest of things, this one actually has people talking to one another with MEANINGFUL DIALOGUE! This was my biggest deciding factor when putting it over the rest. Thereisn't a single boring scene, or one that you feel drags on for way too long. This isn't something I can say about the others. For example, you don't have characters meeting up just so they can apologize to each other, or say thank you.
My favorite part is that the focus isn't only on the two main characters. You have a bunch of characters, all interacting with each other, and it all helps to impact the final outcome of the story. You even end up caring about some of the characters that you thought wouldn't be all that important, and it's just great to see it all comes together. They're ALL important, even the ones you think might be annoying or mean.
As usual, I wouldn't be praising this so highly if it didn't actually come with a PROPER ENDING (something they seem to be allergic to whenever it comes to writing romance these days). And while the ending might not have happened the way some people might hoped, it's still a very sweet ending.
Anyway, I'll address the elephant in the room now - the animation and characters aren't the prettiest. This is my biggest guess as to why it's not doing as well. I'm not saying it's BAD. It's just not "flashy" in the same way as what you'll get when looking at the other shows this season. But please don't let this put you off. Yes, the main character isn't this pretty, amazing girl that you'll love to stare at. Except that's the whole point of the story - she's not pretty, but she still manages to grab the attention of people around her.
That's about everything I wanted to say. It's not the best romance ever or anything, but definitely something that everyone who enjoys watching romance should check out.
thedrmgrlscrpbok
This anime was a really cute watch! It has some pretty funny moments and is really sweet. Like some people mentioned the side characters are kind of more interesting than the main characters. Hana can be a bit annoying and sometimes the misunderstandings seem really forced but they always work it out pretty quickly so it doesn't end up feeling overdrawn. If you like the "he falls in love first" trope and a shy, sweet, funny vibe, I would definitely recommend this! It's definitely light years better than the fragrant flower blooms with dignity, which is the other romance anime of the season that I'veheard a lot about.
Hebi-Mikazuchi
Let’s kick things off with the technical nitty-gritty. The animation? Decent. Not jaw-dropping, but steady enough to keep you immersed without any jarring hiccups. The voice acting, though, is where this anime truly flexes. Tabata and Uguisudani absolutely steal the spotlight with their delivery. It’s so good you almost want to replay certain scenes just to hear their timing again. Character designs, on the other hand, left me wishing for a bit more flair. Not terrible, but definitely “could’ve been better” territory. Now, onto the meat of it: the story. At its core, this is a humble tale of a plain-looking girl navigating love while wrestlingwith her self-esteem issues. Sounds ordinary? That’s exactly the point, and honestly, it’s this simplicity that gives the show its quiet charm. The plot doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel, but it polishes the wheel until it gleams.
What really makes this anime shine is its comedic heartbeat. The comic timing and reactions are spot-on, never forced, always fresh. You’ll find yourself grinning, chuckling, and maybe even belly-laughing at moments that could’ve easily been cliché in lesser hands. And when the heartwarming moments do hit, they land with a sincerity that makes you go, “Ah, that’s nice.”
The supporting cast deserves a standing ovation too. Side characters here aren’t just background props, they’re actual gears turning the story forward. And among them, Uguisudani pops out as a standout, delivering moments that are as memorable as they are meaningful.
As for the leads, Ueno plays the classic popular guy archetype to a tee: bright, reliable, maybe a little safe, but solid. His chemistry with our heroine grows slowly, like tea steeping in hot water. It takes its time, but it never feels like filler. The romance stays tender while the comedy weaves in seamlessly, never derailing the flow, but enhancing it. That balance is rare in rom-com anime, and this series nails it.
Final Verdict: If you’re craving a lighthearted, cozy romance with equal parts laughter and warmth, this anime is well worth your time. It’s not groundbreaking, but it leaves you smiling, and sometimes, that’s all you need. I’m giving it a solid 7/10.
Definitely recommended for a short, fun, heartwarming watch!
Juwuhart
I honestly loved watching this anime! It’s incredibly cute, the characters are charming, and the romance develops in such a natural way. Sure, it might seem like another “generic school romance about an unpopular girl,” but I really don’t think it deserves that dull label. The story never disappoints — in fact, it’s a genuinely great romance anime that easily made its way into my list of all-time favorites. What I loved the most is how well the story is put together. Everything feels connected and flows naturally from one episode to the next. There weren’t any dull or disappointing parts — each episode was funand engaging to watch. I honestly enjoyed all of them, which is rare for me, since there are usually a few episodes I tend to dislike in other shows.
The ending was also very satisfying, which doesn’t happen often. So many animes have rushed or disappointing conclusions, but this one wrapped up beautifully, leaving that warm and fulfilling feeling when the credits roll.
It really gave me the same cozy and emotional vibe as Kimi ni Todoke or Skip and Loafer. If you’re into that kind of anime, definitely give it a try — it’s wholesome, sweet, and full of heart.
kiyo_seibah
Actually exceed my expectations! It's ur typical popular guy x unpopular girl trope but thank god this time the guy is a whole green flag and yes quite similar to skip and loafer! The story pretty cliche actually, but still enjoyable. Very light too with no too heavy drama. Characters writing are pretty simple tbh, lack of depth. But the friendship story are decent, and romance picking up nicely. Oh the romance part can be annoying because so many misunderstanding, the girl is really insecure and the guy is blunt, but still the ending is what u expected. So if u like light romcom anime orlooking for anime similar to skip and loafer, try this one, it was pretty nice.
L01MK
This is the sweetest show I have ever seen and it’s not even close. This romcom centers on Hana Tabata, who is the ugly, shy (and socially anxious?) MC. She is pretty much invisible to others at school, until a certain boy notices her before class and starts talking to her. From here on out, their relationship slowly starts to blossom. I love how (at least in my opinion) the show realistically portrays the struggles that the MC faces in a realistic way. Tabata is Literally Me. Well, not exactly (like the gender), but close enough XD. Anyone who suffers from social anxiety will recognizethese traits; the constant overthinking and stressing over the smallest stuff you did that doesn’t even really matter, the self-doubt whenever you do stuff in public, seeing people around you act normally while you need to try your hardest to achieve that level, people taking advantage of you due to your willingness to help others so they will like you... it really f's you up. I think she is a quite good (although obviously exaggerated) portrayal of how people like us struggle in this world and I love this show for putting the spotlight on a character like her.
Ueno is an absolute sweetheart who doesn’t allow his friends to be disrespected. He stands up for Tabata and Shinbashi multiple times in the series and it warmed my heart every time it happened. He’s a person that more people should strive to be like.
Shinbashi is a very interesting character, as he is more of a middle ground between Tabata on one side and Ueno on the other. He is a bit weird, but still relatively well-adjusted socially. His friendship with Tabata and them helping eachother out was nice to see.
Sumire started the show as an absolute seething bitch and it was hilarious to have her plans constantly backfire on her and have the no-BS Tetsuo see through the facade she tried to create around herself. At some point in the series they made her mellow out and she became a somewhat boring side character which the show focused a bit too much on.
The art is perfectly serviceable but nothing special. I do like Tabatas design. It’s definitely very different from how girls are normally drawn in anime, but I still find it very cute. I did enjoy the OP, but the rest of the soundtrack is nothing special. Tabata’s VA also deserves some praise for her portrayal of the character.
My only real gripe with the series is that they spent too much time near the end focusing on side characters. This probably wouldn’t’ve been as much of a problem if I had watched it at my own pace, but having the main plot stall for two weeks as the show was nearing its end was pretty frustrating.
I am very glad that this show exists. It brought me close to tears multiple times until it finally did at the end of the series. What more can you ask for in a story like this? Despite my gripe, it is very deserving of praise and I hope we get some more of it.
