After witnessing his mother's death at a young age, Uryuu Kamihate grew up disillusioned with the gods, dismissing faith in them as utter nonsense. Due to his beliefs, he aims to become a doctor, spending most of his time studying to enter the prestigious Kyoto University.
To further his studies, Uryuu searches for a new place to take him in and get away from the noisy environment of the orphanage where he grew up. Chidori Amagami, head priest of the Amagami Shrine, allows him to stay at the Amagami residence. However, Uryuu has to live there with Chidori's three granddaughters—Yae, Yuna, and Asahi—who serve as shrine maidens. Moreover, Chidori has another condition for Uryuu: he has to marry one of the sisters to ensure the shrine's future and one day inherit it. But with Uryuu's goals and outlook naturally clashing against the sisters' beliefs, this already daunting ordeal seems outright impossible.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Comentários
BeetleR19d
When I first binged 70 odd chapters of 'Amagami-san Chi no Enmusubi' manga back in October 2022, I was almost sure of two things—first, it was a good find and I might come back to check the new chapters every 2-3 months or so. (I binge read manga, so that's normal for me.) Second, sooner or later, this manga will get an anime adaptation. And fortunately , I was right for both cases. Cliched yet interesting start, great character design, perfect amount of fan service for a harem manga, unique implication of supernatural elements—all of these hinted that 'Amagami-san Chi no Enmusubi' anime would bemore than a decent anime of its genre. And it has turned out to be just as good as I expected it to be.
Art and Animation(8/10):
As I stated in the 'Intro' of this review, 'Amagami-san Chi no Enmusubi' manga is visually striking. Consequently, the anime's character designs are equally attractive. The animation quality was also respectable. I have little to criticize, especially when a competing series in the same genre this season exhibited, to put it mildly, substandard animation (yes, I'm referring to 'Kuroiwa Medaka ni Watashi no Kawaii ga Tsuujinai'). 'Amagami-san Chi no Enmusubi,' on the other hand, maintained excellent background art throughout its 24-episode duration. The direction of certain pivotal scenes was also superb. Thus, animation is certainly not among this show's shortcomings.
Plot and Characters(7/10) :
At first, 'Amagami-san Chi no Enmusubi' looks like your standard harem anime. A guy ends up living with three girls, and he's gotta pick one to marry. You might think it's like a mix of 'Gotoubun' and 'Tenpuru' at that point. But 'Amagami-san Chi no Enmusubi' throws in something extra: supernatural stuff. This really gives it a unique identity that it wouldn't have had otherwise. The supernatural events actually reminded me of 'Kokoro Connect,' which I really liked. Body swaps, time loops, alternate realities—those tropes have been used in big animes like 'The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya' or 'Bunny Girl Senpai.' But putting all of them into a harem anime? That's pretty unique. And none of the arcs felt out of place or rushed. So, the story's progression was actually pretty good.
The characters in 'Amagami-san Chi no Enmusubi' aren't bland, nor are they so extremely fleshed out that you'd imagine them as real people. Uryu Kamihate, as his name suggests (with 'Kami' and 'Hate' separated), is supposed to hate gods. This initial god-hating premise resolves quicker than I expected. While a decent logic is given for his hatred, it feels somewhat unnoticeable compared to Yae's, who I think has the most intriguing backstory. And personally, Shirahi's (childhood friend) arc was more interesting than Asahi and Yuna's. Though, I won't say any of the character arcs are boring. The characters themselves are close to being termed generic, each representing prominent archetypes. The interactions between the main character and the female leads aren't extraordinary either. The author uses common tropes to trigger fan-service scenes, which is kind of inevitable in this genre. So, I'd say this anime has okay-ish characters, just as good as any decent harem anime, nothing fancy going on.
Audio and Soundtracks(7/10):
I was actually surprised by the anime's voice cast announcement. I had watched the manga PV a while back, and was really impressed with that cast. They had Sora Amamiya, Ai Kayano, and Ayane Sakura voicing the Amagami sisters, all of whom are super popular and felt like perfect fits for the characters. So, I kinda already had a picture in my head of how they'd sound. But then the anime announced a completely different team of voice actors. And they definitely weren't bad! Especially Kaede Hondo, who did a great job as Yuna, who's mostly a tsundere. I don't remember her doing that many tsundere roles. The others were fine too.
Since it's a 24-episode anime, we got four different opening and ending songs. The songs were... okay. To be honest, I skipped them most of the time, except maybe once or twice. They just weren't catchy enough to make me add them to my Spotify. But hey, music taste is super subjective, so I'm not gonna judge anyone who enjoyed all of them.
Overall(7.3/10):
"Amagami-san Chi no Enmusubi" isn't particularly special, or a must-watch, if you judge it as just another romance anime with supernatural elements. There are a lot of superior animes that contain those tags. But, as soon as you consider judging this anime keeping that harem tag in mind, then it becomes kinda hard to ignore.
Regardless, the anime itself was nice. The plot is good enough that sometimes it can hook you up. The animation was really good for this genre as well. So, I don't see any reason anyone who likes harem anime skipping this one. Even if I compare it to something well-regarded like "Gotoubun," it doesn't lack that much at all.
So the bottom line is that—if you have watched harem animes before and liked at least some of them, there is a chance that you will also like this anime, so give this one a try. But if you are someone who doesn't like the harem tag and also don't prefer anything that has fan-service, you should avoid this one.
Thank you for reading :)
Tharr
Hmmmm. This is a tough one. Mostly because of the supernatural stuff. Kinda simple but I'll say meh, with some good ideas. This is one of those anime that you wanna love but something is amiss and you can't really tell what. So, this might be a problem of adaptation. I don't know the sauce, I don't care about sauce. This is a review for this media, spoiler free. The visuals are good. Except for the MC (dunno why, I don't really like it), the designs are nice/really good. Good color palette. Extremely beautiful landscapes/background. Same for VFX. Animation on par. The audio is good. Decent soundtrack, goodlevels. Good OP and ED (and their visuals), VAs do a good job.
High production value, good mix, the cinematography is very good.
Yes, I'm rushing through all this because everyone can notice the high level.
Now, the tricky part. Like I said, this anime has some integral supernatural parts. Every time you deviate from the norm your project becomes harder to master. And thats because you need to carefully balance said elements or the world-building will suffer. A simpler example is the fantasy genre. Lets say you get some nice characters and an interesting story, but you feel like you want to add magic. As in magic spells, not pizzazz. Well, if your magic system doesn't have some strong rules, your story will have plothole after plothole. I'm sure any of us can come up with some anime title where this happened. The same goes for supernatural. You can have a little more freedom, but some rules MUST exist. If someone asks "how the fk did that happen?" and your answer is "'cause its magic/supernatural", then you're doing it wrong. And now back to our stuff. This anime's approach to said elements is mostly ok. A couple of iffy parts, but thats ok, its supernatural ( :) ) The main issue is with the characters. And their relationship with the supernatural parts. The MC has a character arc, good or bad, thats not the problem here. What I'm talking about is him being dumb or quick-witted by how the plot dictates. And thats mixed-in with some supernatural elements. And yes, there are more examples/situations, but he's the main element that lowers this anime.
Spoiler free, so I won't say much. The story is kinda interesting in the beginning. After a while it kinda becomes something like mini-arcs for each girl: 3 episodes for developing his romance with this girl 3 for the next one, and so on, and so on. Not a bad thing per se, but makes you raise an eyebrow. Again, probably this is because of the sauce, maybe a volume had chapters of one girl only. Dunno. While it does its job, of characters' development and relationship advancement, after a while this kind of storytelling becomes boring. Do keep in mind this is a 24-episodes season, so if people want to know how it ends, it feels too long. Oh, also: the comedy is meh, the romantic angle is ok-ish. A personal note, this anime would've gotten a lot better if MORE fan service was added. Something shiny to distract you. More so when you have such lovely visuals. But then again, the MC is a wuss, so maybe its ok as it is. Another personal note, I like the way the title and the last episode ties up ( I'm sorry, I had to do it...).
Thats about it. A good-looking anime, with good ideas, but meh story and elements. Probably very enjoyable if you can turn off your brain. I'd say no return value, because there's is nothing to make you wish rewatching it.
I'm giving this a 7 ( it really should be a 6, but ok) for the extremely nice backgrounds, some nice ideas, some character development.
Have a lovely evening.
Stark700
You know, anime has been long enough in Japan that the presence of shrine maidens is considered a common norm. Maybe they're not always prominently featured in Japanese anime and not all of them are created equal. Yet, we should tell ourselves that shrine maidens represents a sense of pride in the anime industry. The Amagami Sisters in this anime proves just that. Based on the manga of the same name, the 24-episode adaptation follows a young man named Uryu Kamihate as he follows his dream to become a doctor. Easier said than done, his journey takes him to the Shinto shrine where in this timeline,he meets the Amagami sisters composed of Yae, Yuna, and Asahi. The first episodes tries to establish a boundary between him and the sisters. Let's say, he gave a rather rocky impression and is misunderstood by the sisters. But something else emerges within the plot when we are introduced to its supernatural elements, including dreams where Uryu is destined to be with someone.
We have a fair share of rom-coms already this year and this show has an additional context involving the supernatural. The cryptic dream sequences that pops up every now and then brings curiousity. Yet, we don't know truly know who Uryu will be linked to in those dreams. We might think it's one of the Amagami sisters but it's more complex than that. Before their relationship deepens, we have need to understand these characters beyond the surface level. Uyru for instance focuses on more realistic goals in life and initially dismisses the idea of supernatural. This changes as more and more unnatural events unfold in the show but to put it simply, he takes on life with a practical approach.
With the amount of character focus, the Amagami sisters are the central focus each distinct with their personalities. The elder sister Yae, middle sister Yuna, and youngest Asahi makes a balanced trio. As a rom-com, Uryu gets the chance to understand and bond with each of them. It's not complex writing but still important to get the picture clear about these bonds. After all, Uryu's character personality does undergo changes over time the more he spends at Shinto Shrine. His character change doesn't happen over night but there's obvious influence from the sisters. While his goals remains the same in life, he also grows to appreciate the sisters that in later episodes, he boldly proclaims it in public. It's a character growth that is synonymous to rom-com relationships. While this anime's romance feels forced at times, it stays honest to itself. The sisters may sometimes deny it themselves (most noticably Yuna), but the more he spends with them, the more obvious it becomes to the audience.
To be fair, rom-coms these days should shake things up, and to do that, what better way than to use an alternate reality as a plot device? This becomes reality when Uryu's childhood friend evokes a timeline that alters the course of the show altogether. The story plays out in a more complex, and darker theme although retains its lighthearted nature. Nonetheless, it's a risky move to pull off but satisfying to see how Uryu reacts to those changes. The Amagami sisters collectively also reacts to Uryu and it's their relationship that ties them together, almost like fate. It's through their bond that stands as the heart of this show.
It doesn't take a lot of budget to animate characters dressed up as shrine maidens. Admittingly, this show's animation quality has a delicate and soft look, but nothing really complicated. The character designs, or specifically, the Amagami sisters look elegant and represents virtue. They have a feminine look and although, there's fan service at times, it doesn't solely rely on that for the show to do its talking. Character expressions also range from a variety of emotions to protray them as human as they can be.
Watching Tying the Knot with an Amagami Sister is an experience that has shown me shrine maidens can still fit into rom-coms in today's industry. When it's the mainstay of a show, it needed to define those characters, and make the audience feel accepting of them. This anime did just that and a lot more.
AnimeExplorer21
When the trailer for Tying the Knot with an Amagami Sister dropped, I don’t know why, but I instantly felt this odd mix of curiosity and excitement. I thought, okay, here comes another harem anime where the guy stumbles into a house full of beautiful girls and somehow they all fall for him—typical stuff, right? But wow, I was wrong in the best way. The story really surprised me. It isn't just about romance or girls fighting over a guy. There’s a layer of science-fiction-ish stuff going on—parallel timelines, déjà vu, alternate paths—and it’s done in such an accessible, light way that it never feels overwhelming.Actually, that twist gave it a fresh vibe compared to the usual predictable romantic comedies.
Now about the girls—each one is genuinely charming in her own way. I personally found myself smiling a lot whenever Asahi was on screen. There’s something so sweet and innocent about her, trying to act like the big sister even though she’s the youngest. Yae, on the other hand, has this calm, mature aura that really draws you in. And Yuna, classic tsundere with a soft heart, brought some nice spice to the mix. The way their hair knots carry symbolic meaning throughout the story is such a cool detail—I didn’t even notice it at first, but once I connected the dots... it hit hard.
As for Uryuu, I liked that he wasn't just some clueless pushover like in many other harem shows. He had his own backstory, struggles, and goals. His chemistry with the girls felt believable, and honestly, by the end, it’s pretty clear who he’s meant to be with—if you're paying attention. (Don’t worry, no spoilers here!)
So why not a perfect 10? Well, I felt like the school setting could’ve been used a bit more—it kind of faded into the background. Also, while the fanservice was never overwhelming, there were moments where it felt a bit too much, especially when the story itself was already strong enough to stand without it. And Shirahi—man, I wish they had introduced her earlier. She had so much potential but didn’t get enough time to shine.
Still, I’d happily give it a solid 9/10. It had heart, a bit of mystery, some light humor, and characters that stayed with me even after it ended. Definitely worth watching, especially if you're looking for a romance with more depth than you’d expect.
CGD
If you haven't watched a lot of harem stuff: Recommended If not: NOT Recommended *small spoilers ahead* Disappointment. I expected a lot from this anime mainly because of the high rating and reviews, but after forcing myself to watch 24 episodes of it, I was so wrong. There are only so few parts I would say are "decent," and that says a lot. Positive stuffs: The main character. I like how they didn't make him a generic harem main character with black hair, forgettable design, and plain personality. It's just refreshing to watch a harem anime without the boring MC. Plot The plot made it a little easier for me to watch.Some plot points are unoriginal and generic, but that's okay. They definitely should've done a better job with it, though.
Negative stuffs:
Messy story.
First of all, the story is a little too out of place, and the author tried too hard to make this a "supernatural" anime. The majority of the supernatural plot points literally contribute nothing to the story.
An example would be when Uryu and Asahi got stuck in a time loop. The climax of it was so pointless and unrewarding, it was obvious that they couldn't think of a better way to progress the relationship of Uryu and Asahi in a "supernatural way."
Characters.
The 3 heroines are so annoyingly and generically written. The 3 of them being generic and copy-pasted from other shows is fine. But did they have to make all 3 of them so annoying? Like, Jesus Christ, they can't go a single episode without constant yelling and misunderstanding each other when they're supposed to be 14–21 years old.
And of course, the author had to introduce a childhood friend who's INFINITELY better than the 3 heroines, even though she will never have a chance with the main character. Plus, does the author not know that you don't have to make 99% of the side characters female in order to make it a harem story?
I wanna rant about other bad/good stuff but I don't wanna make this too long.
Chaeju
"Tying the Knot with an Amagami Sister" mixes the usual harem stuff with cool supernatural twists. The art and animation look great, with smooth scenes and nice character designs. Things like body swaps and time loops make the story more exciting and different from other harem shows. Some of the characters' ages might feel a bit weird, but the funny moments and fun interactions keep things interesting. The voice actors do a good job, making the characters feel real. If you want a chill show with a unique twist, this one's a fun pick. This anime is perfect for relaxing after a long day. It's easyto watch and focuses on the characters having fun together. The supernatural stuff adds some mystery and keeps you guessing. Even though it uses some common stereotypes, the show knows it and plays around with them in a funny way. The animation stays good all the way through, and the voice actors make the characters even better.
The story follows a guy who ends up living with three sisters at a shrine. He's got to pick one to marry, which is pretty typical for harem anime. But the supernatural elements make it more interesting. You never know when the characters might swap bodies or get stuck in a time loop. It keeps things fresh and stops the show from getting boring.
The characters are fun to watch, even if they fit into some common types. The show doesn't take itself too seriously, which makes it easier to enjoy. The sisters all have different personalities, and their interactions with the main guy are often funny. There's a lot of teasing and silly moments that keep the mood light.
One thing that might bug some people is the age of the youngest sister. She's only 15, and some of the stuff she does feels a bit off. But if you can look past that, there's still a lot to like about the show. The other sisters are older, and their stories are more interesting.
The voice acting is a big plus. The actors do a great job bringing the characters to life. They make the funny moments even funnier and the sweet moments even sweeter. It really helps you connect with the characters and enjoy the show more.
The animation is another strong point. The characters look good, and the scenes are smooth and well-done. The backgrounds are nice, too, especially the shrine setting. It all adds up to make the show easy on the eyes.
In the end, "Tying the Knot with an Amagami Sister" is a fun mix of comfort and excitement. It might not have a super deep story, but the cool twists and entertaining characters make it worth watching if you like harem anime. It's a great choice if you want something easy to watch that still keeps you entertained with its unique elements.
Chaeju said: Approved
bentleys
Amagami-san Chi no Enmusubi takes a bit of time to get going, but once it finds its rhythm, it becomes a really enjoyable and worthwhile watch. The first few episodes are exactly what you’d expect from a harem/romance/comedy: typical jokes, character introductions, nothing too exciting. It starts off slow. The usual “three-episode rule” doesn’t really apply here, you’ll need to stick around a bit longer to see what it truly has to offer. But give it about a third of the season, and that’s when it starts to show its uniqueness. Little by little, the twists start kicking in, and it really gets interesting. Visually, it looksgreat. The backgrounds and cinematography are super well done, and the whole vibe is warm and comforting. The three shrine maidens each have fun personalities and get good character development, which makes the whole experience even more enjoyable. The side characters are nice too, and while most of them don’t get much focus yet, some do get their time to shine.
And of course, there’s Uryu, the MC. He actually deserves the love he gets. We’re not dealing with the usual clueless harem protagonist who somehow has every girl falling for him for no reason, he’s way better than that. It’s really rewarding to see how the characters grow over time.
If you’re into romance/harem anime, you should definitely give this one a shot. It might not be anime of the year, but it’s still a solid and enjoyable watch. If you make it past the early episodes, you’ll be fully on board and ready to enjoy the ride, hopefully into future seasons too.
Raiusu
This show has it all ups downs fun stories that don’t drag and it’s 24EP so it lasts a while!! On the premise it seems like a generic romcom harem anime which it is for the first few episodes then the twists and turns come in. They’re welcomed of course it’s what makes this show so unique, I’ve never seen anything like this story and twists before!!. I really don’t want to say much to avoid spoilers and twists to make the show less impactful but honestly this anime season hasn’t been incredibly strong but this one tops it no doubt. Could I see a season2 absolutely purely because they’re not married yet but the knot has technically been tied so it’s a happy ending but would always love to see more from this
I really do recommend it
9/10 almost 10/10 nothing needs changing it just didn’t have that 10/10 feel but very close
Rating
9.5/10
ATP_Synthase
Easily one of my top 10 favorite animes ever! This is basically a combination of Gotoubun (I heard the writer used to work for the creator of Gotoubun, but don’t quote me on that) and Bunny Girl Senpai, but with traditional Japanese shrine folklore and a sprinkle of Kyoto! It starts off like any other harem anime with a crazy plot, where the MC has to live with the heroines. However, the story goes deeper, with each arc exploring the MC’s interactions with the heroines’ emotions, motivations, and past experiences while solving a mystical twist caused by a god. In Japanese folklore, this is also knownas 神様のいたずら (kami-sama no itazura—"God’s prank"), as the Japanese often see gods as mischievous.
Another thing I love about this anime is the Kyoto scenery! I have been to Kyoto, and this anime reminded me of its beautiful locations, such as Fushimi Inari Taisha, the Arashiyama mountains, Kyoto Tower, etc. Each heroine has a unique personality and motivation. They aren’t just placed there to be cute and flirt with the MC like in some harems.
patkarunungan
'Tying the Knot with an Amagami Sister' was initially seen as autumn and winter's trashy, gooner-bait series. After all, its mangaka Naito Marcey worked as assistant for Haruba Negi, the mangaka of The Quintessential Quintuplets. This seems likely to follow QQ just like 'The Café Terrace and Its Goddesses' is a poor imitation of QQ. But after watching so many episodes of Amagami, you will realise that it is different. It has so much substance. § Overview Kamihate Uryuu grew up to be an atheist because of how disappointed he was from an unanswered prayer. Looking for a place to study, he got into the Amagami Shrine wherehe meets the head priest Amagami Chidori as well as his granddaughters — Yae, Yuna, and Asahi. The catch? Uryuu has to inherit the shrine and marry one of these Amagami sisters.
§ Notes
1. There is a degree of fanservice all throughout, the most notorious of it is in the beginning. In the first episode, rather than have them at appropriate occasions, it felt that the anime was speedrunning the usual tropes such as entering the bathroom with a lady already there. At first, it felt tacky but in retrospect, they were probably there to hook people. As you watch the anime, you barely even remember the fanservice as the highlights of the series, and what stays with you is good stuff.
2. There's a spiritual vibe in this anime as well as supernatural stuff. This is especially pronounced in the second cour where each sister as well as Uryuu's childhood friend has some episodes for their respective arcs and involve a god's unpleasant intervention.
3. The 'tying the knot' part usually means marriage and the story involves Uryuu trying to pick and choose who among the three should he marry. A much deeper meaning of the phrase is explored in the final episode of the season, which reinforces my conviction that it has so much substance despite having a trashy premise.
4. The animation is consistently good. I don't know why some of the people were complaining that the animation quality dropped in this episode or that. As far as I'm concerned, it has remained good, especially compared to other anime.
5. The musick can be catchy, both OP and ED.
§ Conclusion
This is an anime where you were initially hooked by the trashy premise but ended up liking it for the characters, the depth of their relationships, and the spiritual vibe that you barely remember the fanservice.
I am scoring it an 8 for the spiritual vibe as well as the nice visuals.
Sidarif
Amagami-san Chi no Enmusubi turned out to be a hidden gem for me. It started off great, maintained a strong emotional core throughout, and even though I had some mixed feelings about the final few episodes, it left a lasting impression. The art style is absolutely gorgeous. From the soft lighting to the character designs and background details, everything felt warm and alive. There were so many beautifully composed scenes that I ended up taking screenshots just to use as wallpapers. Visually, it’s one of the prettiest slice-of-life shows I’ve seen in a while. Character development was handled with care. The anime spends all 24 episodes slowlybut steadily fleshing out the cast, and by the end, I felt truly connected to them. Even though I personally didn’t enjoy the last 3 episodes as much—they felt a bit off compared to the rest—I understand they were necessary to wrap up the arcs and bring everything full circle.
What stood out most was the balance of romance, family, and emotional growth, all wrapped in a wholesome, relaxing tone. It’s not the most fast-paced or dramatic series, but it doesn’t need to be. It tells a story about love, support, and growing together—and it does so with a lot of heart.
Final thoughts: If you're a fan of emotional slice-of-life anime with beautiful visuals and well-paced character development, this is definitely worth watching. I give it a solid 9/10 for the overall experience.
ThaiAn
As of 2025, Amagami-san Chi no Enmusubi is a unique work in the Harem, supernatural genre that you should try. The movie has sweet moments. The female character is charming and has her own personality, besides the male lead is a smart and quite sophisticated person. The sweet moments will make you smile, the character connection through each episode shows us the emotional development journey! For me, anime is for experience, I am quite picky in choosing the anime that I should spend time on, when you have read this review I recommend you to experience anime because it is great! Viewer Rating: 9/10
darth_kaiser_x
At first it even seems like another harem anime... in fact it is, but it has its differences. To begin with, the protagonist is not the "vegan" type who drops meat on the plate and gets fussy, but he also tries to keep a certain distance in order to be respectful. I don't understand why in several romance animes they always insist on putting that "competitor" who we all know that he or she has no chance and will be left aside by the protagonist. We know that it is to "teach that you can't have everything, accept frustration and then overcome it to moveon" but this is getting boring. The harem girls have very different personalities and different ages and this could have been worked on a little more, but even so they have their charm. The other characters are basically there to complete the script and the paranormal elements to make the story flow and break expectations a little. The animation is good and fluid, although they put in a good amount of static scenes. Are there any elements that make the anime stand out? yes but overall it is pretty standard for what those who like the genre and are used to, if you like a slow romance that focuses more on slice of life, lore of the characters it might be interesting to give it a chance and if you have time and are willing to follow the 24 episodes because the story progresses gradually
KANLen09
Tying the Knot with an Amagami Sister — Hoo boy, can I sign up to be a nun so that I cannot just take over a temple but also tie the knot with a beauty? Pure sanity and forward-thinking are its requirements, though. In the world of fictionalized storytelling, anything and everything done, from tropes and cliches, is created with a purpose to show that formulas, when attached to the right values, can create "winning" equations that, for good or bad, or as repetitious as they can be, work the long milestone that's just like its predecessors. This is especially important in the case of Amagami-sanChi no Enmusubi a.k.a Tying the Knot with an Amagami Sister, where something seems familiar to play out the same rhythm once again.
If you're wondering why Amagami displays the tried-and-true trope of "guy gets roped into a situation where countless girls stick around and fall in love with him," much ado like Seo Kouji's Megami no Café Terrace a.k.a The Café Terrace and Its Goddesses, you can thank its particular author, Marcey Naito, who's not just a nobody but a former assistant to the man who redefined how we see this trope today in the modern age: Negi Haruba of Gotoubun no Hanayome a.k.a The Quintessential Quintuplets. Interestingly enough, Amagami started from a published one-shot in Kodansha's Weekly Shonen Magazine (the same magazine that once released Quintuplets), competing amongst a few others to see which would be serialized by readers' votes in December 2020, only to unsurprisingly come out with a win, which began its serialization in April 2021. So much for being endorsed with the previous Sensei's work in mind to create a similar effect and for a good reason of why the source material is a good follow-up to begin with.
As opposed to the setting of a cafe or a school, Amagami opted to go the route of how Grand Blue illustrator-turned-mangaka Kimitake Yoshioka did with his first individual story series, Temple a.k.a TenPuru: No One Can Live on Loneliness, by incorporating the same temple setting of a young man who's working hard in his life to enter the one place he oh-so-desired: Kyoto University's medical school. However, life took a beating out of him to stay at the supposed Amagami Shrine, where he was told by the head priest that other than him needing to be succeeded as the next head priest, he's also given one of 3 granddaughters as a viable marriage partner on top of it. But he doesn't want it, stating that faith and religion didn't help him at his most vulnerable times (which marks him as an atheist) and he would do anything to shake that off of his mind. This is the story of Uryu Kamihate and the 3 Amagami sisters of Yae, Yuna, and Asahi, but a word of caution: don't go with the assumption to label the show "generic" as of yet.
At first, Uryu and the Amagami sisters compare generically to the rest of the contemporaries we've seen before for shows/works of this nature, because the very essence of a harem rom-com is just that. All the gimmicks and features of a pseudo-perverse young man trying to peep on the girls intentionally (or not) until he makes a word for himself that he's not all that a wolf in sheep's clothing but an angel in a priest robe's tabernacle that he works for the greater good because he's suffered quite a lot in his life. And being an orphan, only to be taken in after the death of his family (being his mother), Uryu has lived there ever since with dormitory mother Mahiru Anekoji and childhood friend Shirahi Tsuruyama for a time, until the sudden shift to Amagami Shrine to meet the chief priest Chidori Amagami alongside his 3 precious granddaughters, who certainly have varied expectations of him upon his arrival.
Starting with the eldest sister of Yae, her having an art major is impressive, though it comes with the caveat that she can be a handful to deal with, given her playful personality that can be bothersome at times. She has more of a willing heart to abide by whatever benefits her, but it's the bond between her and the other 2 sisters that makes her the mother character of the 3. Continuing onto the 2nd sister, Yuna, she's clearly the Tsundere archetype and will not hesitate to show it, like throwing salt onto Uryu when she senses sexual "attacks" upon her but otherwise acts like a girl that is in need of help when she least tells you to. Last but not least, the youngest sister of Asahi is also impressive, just like Yae. A track-and-field club sprinter, she's surprisingly mature given her middle-school age, other than the fact that her body complexity does make her stand out as the least developed (when compared to Yae and Yuna).
Together, I would argue that the Amagami sisters have the maturity of Quintuplets' Nakano sisters (while incorporating some already known personalities), and despite having a lesser number than the rest in its fleet, it truly packs a punch when considering Marcey Naito's standpoint on how to utilize each Amagami sister to help advance their relationship with Uryu in not just the usual lovey-dovey way, but one that makes them grow fonder: the plot pointer aspect. As mentioned, that Uryu is an atheist by choice, and Amagami Shrine is not so religion-inclined, so that makes a good compromise for him to stay in the shrine without any issue. But it soon becomes clear that plot pointers come into play, forcing Uryu and the Amagami sisters to act prudently, but also sensitively, taking into aspect their future with the Shrine as well, so that they all can progress together, leaving no one behind, in spirit and in bonding love. That's truly the mark of someone who despite has not much experience in storytelling, manages to learn from someone his senior and make the same tactic work understandably.
Amagami may be studio Drive's 2nd consecutive 2-cour series, but in recent years, the studio really came off on its own with vibrant artwork, beautiful (yet gorgeous) backgrounds, and some nice animation to boot. I'd go as far as to say that despite the studio being in transition trying to find out what works for their signature production, Amagami's got to be it with consistent animation and never a dip in quality at any stage of the anime.
One thing I love about Amagami is the OST composed by Tomoyuki Kono and Ryo Kawasaki, because it helps elevate significant manga scenes and be faithfully transitioned to the anime so seamlessly. I guess if you have someone working on the music department for Fumetsu no Anata e a.k.a To Your Eternity, there is a standard to be met, and I'm happy to report that it has kept that standard. Between the 2 sets of OP/ED music, while the 2nd Cour certainly is more upbeat with its tones with the Amagami sisters' OP and ≠Me's ED songs, I love the 1st Cour with Momoiro Clover Z's OP and the sisters' ED songs much more for the introductory vibes they bring that better fit into the series' narrative.
Not gonna lie, while there are many series with the same harem rom-com bootlicking formula that now stagnates the AniManga industry, it's even harder to find those that stand out for reasons that are better than expected. We've definitely seen this in Gotoubun no Hanayome a.k.a The Quintessential Quintuplets, and more of the same with Megami no Café Terrace a.k.a The Café Terrace and Its Goddesses, so if you're wondering if Amagami-san Chi no Enmusubi a.k.a Tying the Knot with an Amagami Sister does the job just as well, I'd go so far as to say that it's a solid show that, while it doesn't try to break the bank in its reflective genres, makes for a good watch all the more that is definitely on the radar of decent to good.
I quite enjoyed my time with this, and so should you, considering that you'd give quality rom-coms a second chance to shine.
Marinate1016
I came into Amagami-san Chi no Enmusubi with pretty low expectations. Totally thought this would be another generic wish-fulfilment harem where a loser MC shows up at a temple, the girls fall in love, fanservice, screaming and yelling, rinse and repeat. *cough cough tenpuru* Years of seasonal anime consumption have made me jaded. This show caught me by surprise with how well written it is, how interesting the characters are and how the MC actually acts like a normal dude who deserves a harem. Yea, it’s still got its goonbait moments, but the focus of Amagami is the growth of the girls, MCand unraveling the supernatural mystery in the background. It’s one of the best harem anime I’ve ever seen frankly and manages to balance fanservice with genuinely emotional and gut wrenching story beats, romance, comedy and wholesome vibes. One of the best shows of the year in my opinion and it was a pleasure to watch for the last 6 months. I became so attached to this cast and I’ll miss them!
To stay interesting as a harem anime you need variety and progression. It can’t just be the usual confession bait, panty shots and other cringe repetitive tropes. The best way to keep me engaged is with an interesting story, characters that don’t feel like cardboard cutouts and actually service a purpose, have motivations and personality etc., and an MC that you can support. Amagami’s author got that assignment and has excelled at it. All of the girls get multiple character arcs allowing them to feel fleshed out and the audience to connect with them. Uryu’s motivations and development feel believable and the guy is so intelligent, compassionate and reliable that him having all these girls fall in love with him makes sense. Even with that though, he grows substantially over the course of the show going from someone who’s skeptical of the supernatural and of opening up to others because of past trauma, to someone who’s accepts the things he doesn’t understand and is at peace with the more mysterious aspects of the world. Everything in the story is earned and the progression is very satisfying to watch thanks to the well written story arcs.
For me personally, I only see 2 of the 3 amagami sisters as actual real romance options for Uryu because of the age gap with the third and her being in middle school. BUT, all 3 girls are sweet, loveable and I can understand why people would like any one of them. They might seem like just easygoing girls on the outside, but all of their backstory arcs left me emotional and made me appreciate the smiles they have in present day that much more. Every character in this show is dealing with some sort of past trauma and that makes this shared living situation equal parts fun as it is therapeutic. The sisters help Uryu grow and overcome the pain of losing his mother and he helps them move forward from their respective tragedies and the collective grief of losing their adoptive mother. When you see Uryu do that, you come to understand why the girls fell for him.
The seiyuu line up in this show is immense and they all put in amazing jobs, every character feels so alive and it’s thanks in large part of the voice acting staff! I was left emotional during the climax of basically every arc in the show because of a great performance whether it was from Sumipe or one of the other seiyuu, they were great. The show looks really good, the animation is very solid. It’s a well put together production all around.
I could drone on forever about Amagami, but I think I got the gist of what makes it special across in this review. The girls are great, the MC is smart, reliable and you can see why he’s attractive, the story is well written with a nice mix of character development and supernatural Japanese mythological mystery and it looks great. If you like harems, romcoms or just want a wholesome and rewarding story, this is a watch you won’t regret. It was one of my favourite shows of the year and I will definitely be reading the manga to see where it goes from here.
Amagami-san chi no Enmusubi gets 9 out of 10.
