You are welcome to look at the talkback but please consider that this article is over 1 month old before posting.
Forum - View topicThis Week in Anime - Anime Speed Dating
|
Note: this is the discussion thread for this article |
| Author | Message | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Akcoll99
Posts: 451 |
|
|||
|
I thought I had maxxed out on shows and here you guys go and give me four new ones to try and see what I think of them.
I enjoy anime romcoms, though I'll admit I can be quick to pull the plug on watching it if the romance isn't sparking any interest or if the show just keeps pissing me off with its inability to commit (looking at you "You Can't Be in a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends!") That said, I have absolutely loved I Made Friends With The Second Prettiest Girl and Gals Can't Be Kind To Otaku?! Maybe I just enjoy "nerd x gyaru" romances more than the columnists. With "Second Prettiest Girl," I find myself enjoying the cozy, low stakes elements of their romance. We're still early in the story, but we'll get more of Umi's back story and you'll see why someone like Maki appealed to her. My only qualm with the anime adaption so far is that they left out my favorite moment of the manga. When Umi brings Maki to her house the first time, he looks around for her dad and she responds with "He's at work. You can meet him next time." and her mom pops up behind her with "Next time? There will be a next time?" The anime did a good job of portraying mom's teasing of her daughter, but I liked that moment for the confirmation that Umi sees Maki as a regular part of her life now, either as a friend or as more. I was sorry it got cut. With Gals Can't Be Kind To Otaku?!, there's a lot to be said about the fun way they've animated smaller moments in the series. Like when Otaku-kun feels uncomfortable in one scene and morphs into a Picasso painting. Or when Amane gives the cold shoulder to some pick-up artists and an actual snow storm develops around them. I've loved that. I've only read the first volume of that manga, so I don't know how the story will progress as far as us getting more with Otaku-kun's background, but the burgeoning love story has been entertaining enough for me. I also give it equal part credit and blame for going the route of teasing a threesome/throuple route already with our main leads. It may or may not go that route, but that is some peak fan pandering right there. And I am here for it! Last edited by Akcoll99 on Thu Apr 23, 2026 11:13 am; edited 1 time in total |
||||
|
||||
PilotPayback
 Posts: 137 |
|
|||
|
out of all the shows i'm watching that are romance-based (kanan-sama, tada-oja, kamiina-san, yowayowa sensei and otagal), i think the one i'm vibing with is kanan and tada-oja the most.
i've always kinda been into tv shows that are a bit silly and kanan-sama is like prime that. the animation is good (thanks kai for that) and i think kanan is really adorable. tada-oja is also pretty good. like, the second i watched the show, i thought..."this is the most shojo show to ever shojo" and it's just goofy fun. kanan-sama is already like...#2 on my list for show of the season for me, only being beaten out by ichijyoma mankitsu gurashi. ...i know i'm not really the best at complimenting or praising stuff, so i apologize for that. but it's hard to describe the fun i'm having with this season (even if i'm busy with college). |
||||
|
||||
|
Amuro1X
Posts: 278 |
|
|||
|
I will not stand for the OtaGal slander. That show (and the manga it's based on) are great, and Amane and Ichiji are both wonderful characters that actually uplift one another instead of the trite competition of the supposed friends in 2nd Prettiest Girl.
What I like about OtaGal is how the two lead girls contrast one another. Amane Kei is a secret otaku and bonds with Otaku-kun over a shared interest while doing the worst job ever of pretending she's not into it to preserve her normie status she works hard to maintain, while Kotoko is just the type of person to reach out to other people and appreciate their passions. Anyway, I legit think it's one of the best shows of the season and it's not getting a fair shake. |
||||
|
||||
|
Eilavel
Posts: 481 |
|
|||
|
Kirio Fan Club is great so far, though I'd say thats as a comedy thats nominally romance related rather than a romcom.
It did make me think about the harem genre though. Its not one I've ever really appreciated (its not the fantasy for me), but I seem to remember earlier entries were somewhat more like Kirio. The appeal was absurd competitive behaviour from the members among/against each other as primarily a comedy, and the guy really was an empty prop to drive that fowards. It could at least be amusing. Modern instances seem to focus more on who is the best girl, a more sincere pure love romance approach and on cycling through one-to-one romantic moments between the male lead and various girls, in ways that lead me to just total disdain for the male lead (hi, Rent-a-Girlfriend!). I guess I feel like the presentation has shifted from musical comedy to Les Mis, and my interest has consequently decreased from little to none. Kirio takes all the advantages of the core concept, but reframes it away from the male fantasy entirely through the shift in perspective. I think its pretty effective. I would say the Warrior Princess and the Barbaric King is pretty much a romcom and could fit here, but given how stacked things are doing it in the Fantasy round up made sense. |
||||
|
||||
|
FilthyCasual
Posts: 2715 |
|
|||
|
I like Second Cutest. Umi and Maki have a fun rapport and it's sweet how they're at peace around each other without pretense or fear of inadequacy.
Literally what on earth are you talking about? This isn't a thing. It's never been a thing. |
||||
|
||||
|
Amuro1X
Posts: 278 |
|
|||
Perhaps competition isn't the right word, but Umi's inferiority complex with her golden retriever friend is definitely real. And I like 2nd Prettiest Girl, just fine, but I prefer OtaGal. |
||||
|
||||
PotatoGirl
 Posts: 113 |
|
|||
Oh thank god someone is finally talking about this! It's not only plaguing romcom anime, if you compare shows airing today to ones that aired ten years ago you'd discover that the average color palette for most anime has become aggressively pastel. Combined with the thinning lineart and flat coloring, everything now looks super cheap (at least to me). We still get striking gems like Klutzy Class Monitor every now and again (which I need to check out, it sounds great!), but 20s anime are defined by this washed-out, almost lineless, style. |
||||
|
||||
Kilgamayan
 Posts: 276 Location: Location, Location. |
|
|||
|
I am probably biased from enjoying the manga, but Mistress Kanan has been a delight hidden by being a "the main girl is a high school succubus with boobs that are at least 50% of her total body weight" romcom. The show manages to be both sweet and funny whenever it wants to be, the main guy works in a very similar manner to the way Extremely Straightforward Boyfriend and Girlfriend works, and Aoi Koga is doing the Lord's work innovating in the inhuman-noises space.
|
||||
|
||||
yurayurari
 Posts: 42 |
|
|||
|
Did I miss something or there's really no mention of Ramparts of Ice?
Anyway, just tried Mankitsu Gurashi since I tend to enjoy Kirara titles, but didn't expect it to be ecchi-ish? which for a Kirara character design, I find problematic. As someone who are into cgcdt and sometimes ecchi when it's stylish enough (and surely with adult looking character design), ecchi Kirara cgcdt is so off-putting to me. And since I watched it on the official youtube channel "It's Anime powered by Remow", looking at the comments of people thirsting on such scenes doesn't feel right. Just here to rant my surprise, while it's still cute (in a way that an ace guy feels something cute), I don't really know if I want to continue watching this. |
||||
|
||||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group