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---*** CONTAINS SPOILERS ***---

Contrary to a lot of the other top reviews, I found Senpai ga Uzai Kouhai no Hanashi to be quite... unremarkable?

Comedy/Romance/Slice of Life are a genre combination that has been done so, so many times by now, it's hard to even keep track. This has the effect of new shows having to be especially memorable in some way or another, or they will just fade away as the next season comes with a new (possible multiple) Comedy/Romance/Slice of Life anime.

Senpai ga Uzai Kouhai no Hanashi does nothing remarkable in terms of the plot. They just threw us into the world of a ... cute junior saleswoman and her senior who is comically large compared to her, and then just left viewers to watch the largely predictable plotlines play out. If you know the slightest bit about Japanese working norms, or have watched any slice of life anime that has adult characters living in Japan, you won't ever get surprised by the plotlines or settings that are supposed to drive the story.

The characters are nothing to write home about.
Futaba is a pretty generic, fiesty loli-type that is secretly caring and kind, we've seen that archetype countless of times over the years.
Takeda is a gentle but protective giant that is also pretty clueless, and he has to be those things, because if he were not, the show would not be able to play on the dynamic between him and Futaba at every chance they get. Very stuck in his archetype with little room to be anything else.
Sakurai is a basic flawless pretty girl that all the guys have a crush on.
Kazama is a basic introverted but capable guy.

The most endearing character in this show, to me, is actually Futaba's grandfather. The interactions between him and his granddaughter are some of the most wholesome and heartwarming in the show. It would be a lie to say that it doesn't put a smile on my face when he fawns over her or reminisces about when she was an even smaller girl. The interpersonal issues he has with her are also very believable, understandable and as relatable as a 60 year olds' problems can be to a 20-something guy with no kids.

The characters don't have any actual backstory. We get too much context as to why they are the way they are, how their experiences form their choices, how they arrived at where they are in life. The characters just conform to their archetype and don't really get a much of a story.
It's really a shame, because to me, complex and imaginative characters are really what drive these sort of anime onto the next level, but it's just not present here.

Now, I've made it sound bad, but honestly this is not better or worse than any average, seasonal anime with the same genres. You go in, get your fix of a little bit of cute, predictable lovey-dovey stuff and get out after a quick 12 episodes. Nothing horrible, confusing or deplorable about it, even if it is unoriginal.

At best, you get attached to the cute looking characters, the well made art (nicely done, studio), and the quirky dynamic between the two main characters.
At worst, you get pretty bored with strict archetypes and unoriginal content.

---*** CONTAINS SPOILERS ***---

Part of what made the first season pretty good entertainment, was getting to know the main characters and what led them to work at a restaurant as unique as Nekoya. I enjoyed seeing their love for the place grow as I got further into the season, but it settled down towards the end when the focus became more on the stories of the new customers that got introduced every episode, and less on everything else.

The second season continues this trend of introducing new characters every episode, and focusing the majority of the screentime on them, only to rinse and repeat with new ... ones the episode after, while every other character sort of gets left behind.

The main characters who we see every episode really get reduced to roughly the same lines every episode of just servicing whoever ends up entering through the door, and it is actually really frustrating.
With the format of storytelling this anime has, there simply just isn't any (and i mean that literally) room for character development, since every episode is roughly the same every time. The few stable customers from season 1 that still get screentime have also just ended up being screentime waste, making the same comments on their favourite dishes.

It's so difficult to get attached to or interested in any character or their story when you know they are not gonna be expanded upon in any meaningful way after that episode.

If you sit down with the intention of just relaxing and watching a bit of wholesomeness, this isn't a bad shout to get your fix for that. It's pretty innocent, non-offensive and relaxing, but not much beyond that. There is never any lasting conflict that the protagonists have to overcome, there is never any eccentric storywriting that breaks off from expectation, and if you want anything more than 20 minutes of harmless relaxation, this is just not for you.

The basis of the show is not bad at all, and I understand the purpose of it. It's not meant to be anything super serious, but it ends up just being very unsatisfying to watch after a while, because it never strays from the very strict format.

I'll be watching the entire show and any additional content they might release in the hopes of things changing, but I'm not optimistic.