The Spring 2026 Anime Preview Guide

Gals Can't Be Kind to Otaku!?

Takuya Seo is an otaku who sits behind the popular gals in class, Ijichi and Amane. As people from different "castes," you wouldn't expect them to have much in common. But when their worlds collide over a borrowed eraser, Takuya slips up about his favorite anime, and Amane is rather quick to correct him. She says she's not a fan, but her familiarity with the series suggests otherwise.

Gals Can’t Be Kind to Otaku!? is based on the manga series by writer Norishiro-chan and artist Sakana Uozumi. The anime series is streaming on Crunchyroll on Wednesdays.

Forget novelty! Let's hear it for the fundamentals! Gals Can’t Be Kind to Otaku!? is the latest data point in my growing theory that gimmicky originality is for the birds, and what we really need is more series that execute a basic idea with strong direction and writing and, above all else, confidence. No more self-conscious poking fun at oneself about how hackneyed an idea is! No more tossing in some kuh-razy twist to keep things “fresh.” We're out here hooting and hollering over characters written like human beings, connecting over a common interest.

Suffice it to say, I enjoyed Gals Can’t Be Kind to Otaku!?, even though otaku x gal romances are a tough sell for me. It goes a long way that the titular gals are written as people first and figures within a social pyramid second; “fan service vehicle” barely enters the picture, other than a single shot of them that pans from their chests up to their faces. Amane, the cool beauty, loves the same kodomo/shojo Pokémon-like as our protagonist Takuya, but pretends to only know about it through her sister for yet-unspecified reasons. Despite her insistence that she doesn't care, she can't help getting excited over rare merchandise and being visibly emotional over a characters' death the next day. I've never been the sort to hide my interests, sometimes to my detriment, but I definitely understand the feeling of having to hold back when, say, a kid I teach comes to school wearing a Soul Eater shirt. Ijichi, on the other hand, is only mildly curious about the anime but aggressively flirts with Takuya. Why is she interested? Unclear, but the act of flirting is written in a believable way: half teasing, half showing interest, all designed to get and keep his attention.

I was shocked to see how few credits director Arata Mita has to his name: a couple episodes of High Card and an episode of Sentenced to Be a Hero. I'm wondering if this is an alternate name, because the direction in Gals Can’t Be Kind to Otaku!? is, as I said earlier, supremely confident. There aren't a lot of flashy shots, but the camerawork flows in such a natural way that you barely even notice it—without it becoming stolid or dull! The animation is quite nice as well: fluid, expressive, and translates manga's distinctive art style to the new medium without losing its character.

I didn't buy the hype for Gals Can’t Be Kind to Otaku!? but then I saw her face, and now I'm a believer. There's not a trace of doubt in my mind: this is a solidly good series.

Recently, I bounced off of I Made Friends with the Second-Prettiest Girl in my Class because it didn't seem to have a whole lot to offer outside of the usual romance setup where the hapless protagonist makes the shocking discovery that girls are, in fact, human beings who are capable of liking cool shit like horror movies and video games. Gals Can’t Be Kind to Otaku!? is also a show about a hapless protagonist who makes the shocking discovery that gals (as in, girls who engage in the gyaru subculture) are, in fact, human beings who are capable of liking cool shit like anime and video games. You might assume that I'd have the same exact reaction to Gals Can’t Be Kind to Otaku!?, but I actually enjoyed this premiere quite a bit. So, what gives? Am I just a shameless hypocrite who can't articulate a consistent opinion to save his life?

Jeez, I hope not. There's actually a fairly easy explanation for what makes Gals Can’t Be Kind to Otaku!? so much more successful than other, similar anime: Character. Take our protagonist Takuya, for example. Yes, he starts off as an antisocial nerd who definitely is a hypocrite for the way he wallows in self pity while also making snap judgements about the cute girls in his class that must obviously be stuck-up jerks who hate his guts. It's maybe not the most immediately likeable position for Takuya to be spouting off from the first minute of the premiere, but you know what? He actually has personality traits, and flaws, and all of the realistic, messy complexity of an anxious teenager with an embarrassing hobby. This means that he is capable of developing in interesting and endearing ways as the story goes forward. These are all of the traits that a protagonist is supposed to have. It's funny how many series just plain ignore the basics of decent writing, but this show has its bases covered.

Kei and Kotoko also stand out as strong, compelling personalities in their own rights. Obviously, the show is indulging in some wish-fulfillment fantasy in having these two hot and fashionable ladies drop into Takuya's life and make him the protagonist of an anime comedy. The thing is, wish-fulfillment fantasies are easy to forgive (or even get swept up in!) when the story fulfilling all those wishes is good. In the case of Gals Can’t Be Kind to Otaku!?, being “good” means ensuring that the “gals” in question are just fleshed out and believable as our hero is. While they slot just fine into typical comedy archetypes - Kotoko is the boisterous blonde who comes across as a bit of an airhead; Kei is the reserved brunette who is harder to pin down, at first - our leading ladies have plenty of opportunities to grow beyond their most basic characteristics. Chemistry of any kind, not just romantic, is an incredibly difficult element to get right in animation, and these girls honestly have chemistry to spare. This goes for how they play as new friends to Takuya as well as for the easy rapport they share with one another.

In short, these felt like real kids who would honestly become fast friends with each other out here in 3-D World. The show's bright colors and detailed linework also give the world a sense of meaningful heft and clarity. It is difficult to explain other than to simply say that I just really enjoying spending time with this cast, and I'm looking forward to our next opportunity to hang out.

I'm sure I'm not the only person who can relate to Takuya. It's always a little awkward being a fan of something you're not “supposed” to like, and his adoration for an in-world anime aimed at little girls is definitely analogous to being a Precure fan well past the age of eight. (I feel like Pokémon gets a bit more leeway, but I could be wrong.) Just look at the whole Bronie situation from about ten years ago. And being in high school isn't helping Takuya any, because he's convinced that if the popular kids in class find out about his love for Glittermon, his goose will be well and truly cooked. So when outgoing gyaru Kotoko discovers his beloved Glittermon eraser, he figures that's it for him.

Except – and I know this is shocking – Kotoko doesn't care. She's not judgmental. She just thinks it's kind of neat that he's so clearly into this thing she's never heard of, and she (gasp) wants to know more because she's…a nice person. It defies all known dynamics of high school power structures. And then when her gyaru friend Kei is also a fan of Glittermon? It's like hierarchies are just totally made up and don't actually matter in the grand scheme of things! Mind blowing!

We've all seen this sort of thing before, both this season with I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class and in past ones; My Dress-Up Darling is a variation on the theme. They're perennially popular because they're both wish-fulfillment and a reminder that people aren't typically one-note. This backfires a bit, because Takuya is very much presented precisely that way; his entire personality appears to be loving Glittermon and not wanting other people to make fun of him for it. But I'm willing to excuse it because this is only episode one. There's time to expand his range as he gets to know the girls better.

Still, this episode has its heart in the right place. Kei is much pricklier than Kotoko, tsundere about her beloved series rather than towards people, while Kotoko is just a bouncy ball of sunshine. Takuya doesn't know what to do with either of them, but he's still not a wilting wallflower; he makes a real, concerted effort to interact with them once he realizes they're nice while still trying not to make himself obnoxious. Kotoko clearly has no problem talking to him at school, while Kei's reticence has, I suspect, more to do with herself than anything. She's clearly not a fan of romantic male attention, as she makes cutting remarks about it at least twice in this episode. There's room for the three to grow and bond.

With its peppy ending theme and good use of color (you have to love how the girls match their nails to their eyes), this is a pleasant viewing experience. It may not be doing too much to stand out from the crowd, but I could see getting together with these three being a mid-week oasis.

I see a lot of my younger self in Takuya, our otaku protagonist. I was absolutely the kid who would talk for hours about anime and games at the slightest provocation. I would fight not to do so, I'd know that whoever I was talking to probably didn't care, but I just couldn't help myself. Hell, who am I kidding? I am still that way. The only difference is I've turned it into a job and found people who actually care about anime as much as I do—namely you, dear reader.

Of course, as a teen, I also “found my people” so to speak. Friends who, like me, loved holing up for a weekend in front of the TV and binge-watching a full series—and, importantly to this conversation, they weren't your stereotypical nerds either. From theater kids and track stars to musicians and graffiti artists, there was a steady stream of people who'd join me—even if just once in a while. This is the basic journey that Takuya is finding himself on in this anime.

Like many people, Takuya has the problem of overcorrecting. In the past, it looks like he overshared too much to the wrong crowd and ended up being made fun of because of it. So now, he doesn't talk about his passions with anyone—expecting anyone who is not an out-and-pround otaku to reject him if he does.

There are two main things he doesn't realize. The first is that there are others like him who hide their passions from all but their closest friends—i.e., Amane. The second is that passion respects passion, even if it's another variety entirely. While Takuya is a “magical girl anime otaku,” it could be argued that Ijichi is a “gal fashion otaku.” She may not understand his anime love but she understands the feelings behind it. To make fun of that would be to make fun of herself and her likes (not to mention she's also just a generally bright and kind person).

All in all, I found this first episode of Gals Can’t Be Kind to Otaku!? both relatable and enjoyable. It presents its message (i.e., looks can be deceiving/don't judge a book by its cover) well and it's nice to just watch good people being nice to each other. I'm on the fence about whether or not I'll watch this week-to-week or not, but I'd be more than happy to review it once the season ends.