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EP. REVIEW: My First Girlfriend is a Gal


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Snakebit1995



Joined: 25 Apr 2015
Posts: 842
PostPosted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 10:24 am Reply with quote
I'm looking forward to the anime, I like the manga and I honestly hope the anime doesn't shed the really interesting character development in favor of more fanservice.

Also I can confirm Nene is super off model in terms of height, actually all the heights are a little screwy, in the manga Nene reached Yukana's chin whereas in the anime she barely reaches Yukana's breasts. Also Yukana's dark skinned friend is drawn a little taller, her and Yukana are supposed to be basically the same height but for some reason in the promotional materials she looks like she has almost a head and a half on her.

This series is honestly good, I know a lot of people who got turned off early by the Three friends (From what I've seen both anime watchers and manga readers agree that they're the worst characters in the series.). I hope people will give it a chance because there is some honestly really good themes and honest takes on high school students learning about dating, love and growing as people.

One thing I always see people dock Junichi points for is being this sex crazed pervert who when presented with real opportunities sometimes clams up...but that's most highschool guys, they talk all this nonsense about how they'd do this that and the other thing to this girl and then when the opportunity presents itself, they don't do any of that stuff.

It's a good series with plenty of potential and I hope it can make an impression on some people outside of just fanservice. Also with this and Gal Gohan getting popular there's a weird trend in Japan with sweet Gyaru gals and dark skinned girls getting really popular, I'm personally a fan of this. People even think Nintendo is getting in on the trend.
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TasteyCookie



Joined: 19 Jan 2017
Posts: 423
PostPosted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 10:56 am Reply with quote
I really like the manga and hopefully the anime follows the same route, as Yukana really does have a lot more to her than the standard harem fair. Plus her trolling is hilarious Razz

It's sad the production values aren't better, but hey at least the budget went to the fanservice scenes, because they look fantastic. Agreed that Nene looks so bizarre in the anime... Don't know who thought that was a good idea lol. Even Hestia's bust was about half that size.
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kinghumanity



Joined: 03 Nov 2014
Posts: 365
PostPosted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 11:24 am Reply with quote
"One can never get enough boobs and panties shows. I will take them all." -Theron Martin Laughing

Last edited by kinghumanity on Thu Jul 20, 2017 2:35 pm; edited 1 time in total
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mangamuscle



Joined: 23 Apr 2006
Posts: 2658
Location: Mexico
PostPosted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 11:46 am Reply with quote
Quote:
Yukana in isolation indicate that she's neither a ditz nor quite as raunchy as she comes across. In fact, she appears to be a very confident, self-possessed girl who knows what she wants and isn't going to let anyone else dictate otherwise


In my opinion Yukana is also very innocent (although her wits and confidence make her look more mature) and quick to trust, that is the only reading I can get from her sending him that sexy photo, less morally inclined males would upload said photo to facebook, instagram, tweeter, etc. and gloat being a hunk since he has such a hot girlfriend.

Also, I think that the three stooges perform the function of making clear for all to see how uncool their behavior is, the series is not an apology for the worst of otakudom.

Also, a reminder that Junichi's fantasies this episode too have Yukana on top.
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Melicans



Joined: 01 Feb 2012
Posts: 627
Location: Canada
PostPosted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 2:39 pm Reply with quote
I'm honestly getting a few vibes of a gender-swapped B Gata H Kei in parts. I'd be amazed if this show comes anywhere close to Yamada's heights, but the character of Ms. Gal seems to be heading in a positive direction so far at least. Hopefully Nene will also develop, as well as the quiet class girl in green. I hope I'm wrong in suspecting that they will make her a closet pervert, and Yukana's gyaru friend a jealous clinger.

The three friends are annoying as hell, but nothing that we haven't seen in so many anime before. Issei's friends in High School DxD, the friends in KissxSis, Sawamura in To Love-Ru, Hopefully they quickly fade from relevance as they so often do in other series...
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DuskyPredator



Joined: 10 Mar 2009
Posts: 15571
Location: Brisbane, Australia
PostPosted: Thu Jul 20, 2017 8:04 pm Reply with quote
I am not familiar with the manga or anything, but from the outright I can feel an undercurrent of acceptance that stands against expectations of what gyaru is, that there is this sort of expectations of them being loose and dumb, but from what I understand some of it is rooted in a sort of self-empowerment. That it is a sin of a lot of people to put on the thoughts that they just be "bimbos", when really they are still people with as much depth as anyone. A series I am familiar with is Please Tell Me Galko-chan, which is pretty highly respected for having a very respectful representation with the sweet main character, which would hope that something similar will be here.

The kind of problem is that while indeed I don't think the show is glorifying aspects represented by his gross friends, that part has kind of been at the front of the narrative so far. With the OP looking full harem, which feels counter to setting her up as a character that should not be judged by her cover, that she is more than just some piece of meat. The narrative is still there in places, like how the second episode it looks fairly clear that she saw that he was kind of down from his friends, so she took him to karaoke to cheer him up and encourage him to do what he thinks is fun. That she is not putting on any expectations of sex, and seems much better than his friends as just a person.
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zrnzle500



Joined: 04 Oct 2014
Posts: 3768
PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2017 12:49 am Reply with quote
mangamuscle wrote:
Also, a reminder that Junichi's fantasies this episode too have Yukana on top.


I think they are going for guys that prefer it that way. Can't say I'm not amenable.

I'm not keen on some of the designs, but I've liked it so far. I do hope we see more of Yukana's perspective and so far it has done more than many such shows have. Hopefully he can learn to see her as a person and not just a lay. I'll be happy if they can accomplish that. That and the teasing.
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3JapanJ



Joined: 21 Jul 2017
Posts: 1
PostPosted: Fri Jul 21, 2017 8:46 pm Reply with quote
The latter half of episode two aside, if it weren't for the fact that I basically made myself give this anime a chance, I'd relegate it to my do not watch list after the first episode. I was cringing very hard at the big fat loser's comments about 4th & 5th graders.

Nene on the other hand, looks disturbing. Very goddamn disturbing. It makes me wonder what was going through the animator's head putting boobs the size of King Kong's testicles on a middle schooler. Then again, maybe not.

That aside, I think there's good potential for this series.
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Galap
Moderator


Joined: 07 Apr 2012
Posts: 2354
PostPosted: Sat Jul 22, 2017 2:09 am Reply with quote
I like the interactions of the main couple, but too bad that's not a majority of the show.

Man the main character interacting with his friends is almost impossible to sit through. God, none of the things the blue haired guy with glasses says are funny at all. And the fat kid is literally a pedophile.

Yeah, I think I'm dropping this. The moments of clarity aren't worth the frustration I feel during the majority of it.
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Northlander



Joined: 10 Feb 2009
Posts: 911
PostPosted: Sun Jul 23, 2017 3:15 pm Reply with quote
Ditto on being on the verge on dropping this due to the trio. Honestly, I think the representation of the boys in Please Tell Me! Galko-chan was much better and more accurate, and there's also Daily Lives of High School Boys. (Though to be fair, the trio is also the only male characters we've really gotten to know as of yet -- hopefully some better ones will drop by later.)

Our gal protagonist seems alright, though. I did like that she teased the lead male idiot in a rather non-malicious way, though I'm stumped as to why she'd actually accept his proposal, even if she's got her own reason for doing so. (Presumably.)
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Snakebit1995



Joined: 25 Apr 2015
Posts: 842
PostPosted: Thu Jul 27, 2017 10:48 am Reply with quote
I just want to point something out, this isn't a Harem, at least not in the traditional sense. It uses harem elements but they're always used to push the main relationship of Junichi and Yame.

It's not like a traditional harem with an MC who can't make up his mind and essentially dates multiple women, Junichi knows what he wants, only has eyes for Yukana, and if anything frequently gets frustrated when other girls try and interfere with his relationship with Yukana.

The closest comparison would be something like Yamada and the Seven Witches, Yamada only likes Shirashi, everyone else is just in the way or used to advance their relationship.

Other note, pacing is all over the place, in the manga Junichi doubts Yame much more at the start of their relationship, thinking that she's just trying to embarrass or make fun of him before having an awakening about her thanks to Ranko trying to basically rape him. It's accelerated here likely do to time constraints and wanting to fit in Nene and Kashi's arcs.
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mangamuscle



Joined: 23 Apr 2006
Posts: 2658
Location: Mexico
PostPosted: Thu Jul 27, 2017 1:04 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
, since a flashback implies that Ranko has always been that tan. (She either started her ganguro look very young or the series is assuming that the gals just look that way naturally.)


I do not think that there is such a thing as a elementary school ganguro girl, so either Ranko is of okinawan descent (like Umiko from New Game!) or she is a half (probably from african american descent, remember even today there are USA military bases in japan). Now if discrimination due to skin color exists in places where people with different skin color are common, let's imagine how would bad it would be in Tokyo where different skin color is rare (or very rare). Last but not least, the daisy flower in the flashback can mean (in the language of flowers) "a new beginning" which probably means Yame was Ranko's first friend (and I would not be surprised if she is even now her only friend).
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IKKIsama



Joined: 12 Mar 2011
Posts: 90
Location: France
PostPosted: Thu Jul 27, 2017 2:56 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
, since a flashback implies that Ranko has always been that tan. (She either started her ganguro look very young or the series is assuming that the gals just look that way naturally.)


I thought this was just the staff being lazy.

And it's time for me to drop the series... but I'll be back for the inevitable beach episode.
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Snakebit1995



Joined: 25 Apr 2015
Posts: 842
PostPosted: Thu Jul 27, 2017 4:39 pm Reply with quote
IKKIsama wrote:
Quote:
, since a flashback implies that Ranko has always been that tan. (She either started her ganguro look very young or the series is assuming that the gals just look that way naturally.)


I thought this was just the staff being lazy.


No she was tanned was tanned as a kid in the manga too

http://img.bato.to/comics/2017/01/18/h/read587fcc642f1b5/img000025.jpg
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mangamuscle



Joined: 23 Apr 2006
Posts: 2658
Location: Mexico
PostPosted: Thu Aug 03, 2017 1:32 pm Reply with quote
No comment about the "public service announcement" that good kids should not secretly take photos of their schoolmates nor secretly record their conversations? The last time I saw one of those was in TWGOK asking people to not use taser guns as shown Laughing

I suppose the Boa pseudonym comes from the Boa Constrictor snake, "Watch out boy she'll chew you up (Oh here she comes) She's a maneater" Cool
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