Think it's bad now? Try sitting through the rest of the episodes, complete with lolis, loli nudity, brocon, traps and what amounts to a sparkly-eyed romanticized rape fantasy.
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Episode Summary: Hasegawa Kodaka's first day as a transfer student was disastrous. He missed the bus, was late to class, and the combination of his naturally blonde hair (from being half-English) with his demeanor gave his entire class the impression that he was an angry, violent delinquent. The experience left him with the inability to make friends, since the rumors of his temperament (however false) spread like wildfire and the other students avoid him like the plague. One day after school he sees one of his classmates, Mikazuki Yozora, talking to and laughing with someone in an empty classroom. He soon discovers that she's speaking to an imaginary friend (an "air friend," sort of like an air guitar, she explains), and that she too can't connect with anyone. She gets the bright idea to start a club for people who share their problem, and makes posters to advertise it. Their first recruit is someone entirely unexpected; Kashiwazaki Sena, daughter of one of their school's big-wigs. She's popular with the boys in her class, but doesn't have any real friends to speak of. She and Yozora come to blows almost immediately, and Kodaka wonders whether the club was a wise idea. Thoughts: There are times where I can tell that an author had his or her heart in the right place when writing a story. Take this one, for example; there are plenty of tales about misfits and unpopular people attaining glory in some way, but I can't really think of another one off the top of my head where the story is about those misfits taking action and trying to remedy their lack of social interaction in such a direct, real-world manner. Somewhere along the line, though, the story became less about a group of people undergoing some social growth, and more about one guy being shut in a club room with multiple cute girls. This isn't surprising (*sigh*), but it's always a disappointment when I can see the potential of a series to discuss some meaty subject matter but it then decides to waste its time on meatiness of a different sort (you know, the chesty sort. I'm looking at you also, Baka to Test). I was browsing the ANN forum posts about this Autumn's new anime series, and one of the editors asked with exasperation why this series in particular was getting a lot of buzz and seemed to be anticipated amongst anime fans. One fan answered that the light novels are popular and the character designs are drawn by a popular artist ( , who also designed the characters of the recent Denpa Onna series). I obviously can't speak for anyone else, but I have to say that it kind of bothers me to know that something of this caliber - and I'll come right out and say that I don't find the show to be particularly high-caliber, unique, compelling, or interesting - can be popular based on a set of very shaky factors that have little to do with the actual quality of its writing. I realize that this is an old quibble and that anime fandom on either side of the Pacific isn't likely to change its mind based on my frequent protests, but doesn't it seem a little bit unjust that something so phoned-in plot wise can make so much money? Putting away the soap box now. I mentioned earlier that it's sad to see plot potential wasted. While this is true in any instance, I'm finding myself especially frustrated in this case because I spent a lot of my young life feeling like a misfit. Despite having some friends I didn't really know anyone to whom I could really relate until I left high school and made it to college. To see something make such a complete farce out of what was a painful situation for me is rather off-putting. I don't think that every anime (or even most anime) should try to tackle society's big issues; on the contrary, it's nice to watch something light since life can be heavy enough as it is. However, it's frustrating to see a series that's in the perfect position to inject some meaning into an otherwise comedic situation just ignore the possibility and wallow in its own shallowness while also being insulting to people who are probably members of its target audience. And then there are the boob jokes. One of my anime pet peeves has always been the tendency for conflicts between female characters to degenerate into arguments centered around their respective chest sizes, or for other characters to insult girls and women for not being well-endowed. I call this sort of thing , and to me it's the same as telling a man that he has a small penis; it's uncalled for in any situation and has absolutely nothing to do with the content of the person's character. The second that Yozora and Sena began to trade insults (the terms "cow udders" and "washboard" made their appearances), I began to tune out entirely; it's just grotesque to think about. More broadly, the idea that girls so commonly harbor these weird rivalries, that they're all snippy and petty and that their conversations degrade into base insults at the drop of a hat is pretty insulting. The icing in the cake, though, is the shallowness of the characters, which makes them unsympathetic even when insults are being flung their way. Sena is strangely sadistic if what's said about the way she treats her male entourage has any truth to it, and Yozora is haughty in her weirdness and yanks Kodaka along like her dog. If I were him, I'd leave while I still had the chance. I suppose I should probably touch upon the character designs for a bit, since they appear to be a major deciding factor in some people's decision to enjoy the series. I've seen Buriki's artwork previously, in relation to the aforementioned Denpa Onna. I don't find it that different from that of other artists' work, save for the emphasis on shiny lips and the tendency for some characters to slide a little too close to the loli-zone (while half-dressed and looking kind-of drugged). As much of an anime fan that I am, you'd still be hard-pressed to get me to invest in an anime series based only on the strength of a certain artist's work (an artist who has little if any impact on the actual story, I might add). So consider this an aspect of anime culture of which I don't really have a good understanding or appreciation. I found this first episode underwhelming to say the least. I think that a show about misfits finding friendship could be great, but in this case the premise is yet another mechanic developed to get one male character in contact with a whole group of female characters. And we all know how desperately we need another harem anime. Pros: The subject matter seems to have at least come from a place of inspiration, even if the execution really wasn't. Cons: In the end, this is just another harem anime. Jokes about breast size are really uncalled-for. Recommended? I wish I could say that this series was better, but it's not. It's a slightly nicer-looking version of every other harem anime, a genre which has never gotten much love from me. More:
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai (Haganai/I Don't Have Many Friends) Number of Episodes: TBA Production Company: AIC Build Brief Overview: Hasegawa Kodaka has transferred schools and is having trouble making friends, a fact which isn't helped by the fact that he looks like a delinquent. One day he joins forces with a similarly-afflicted female classmate, and the two form a club for all the misfits who don't know how to form friendships.
By Jessi on November 9, 2011 7:43 PM
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai–First Episode Review
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai–First Episode Review - Season 1 Episode 1
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