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If you want to get out of the usual romcom tropes for a bit, you'll want to give Aharen-san a watch. Keep in mind though, romance takes a while to make an appearance, so this may be better classified as... a friendcom?

Aharen-san is a very sweet character, at first we're led to believe she's similar to Komi-san, but that's a stretch. Aharen-san CAN communicate, but her voice is usually so low she can't be heard by other people. Honestly, that's endearing and if you think that's way too specific, it's an issue that's way more common in real life for many girls than what you ... may think.

Raido, our chad for this romance story, does not have much of a personality and we're not shown much of his backstory. We come to know him strictly through his interactions with other people. I liked him but his recurring joke of overthinking the situation, though extremely relatable for me, can get a bit tiring because it always has the same conclusion. Beyond that, we barely see him struggle as a person, so I think he's overdue some development.

Our cast of side characters are mostly there to move our characters around, so I can't say I loved them, and some suffer from the same issue of having a recurring joke that's run to the ground. Yet it's not really ever that bad, just a matter of setting the right expectations.

The closest comparison I can make is to Pseudo Harem, as both are mostly shows with some gags here and there, situational episodes with not much going on as far an overarching story goes, though both have unlimited wholesome moments, and are very light-hearted and free of drama. Both can be repetitive at times, but Aharen-san gets the short end of that stick, mostly because the gags don't evolve much.

This comparison does not apply much to the romance, though, because it really takes a while to get going. I mean, you kind of always know how they feel for each other because of what's expected from the genre, but the realization of love for our characters comes out of nowhere, for me at least. Anyways there are more than enough doki-doki moments all over the anime, so don't worry too much.

OPENING: The song is nice, but just like the animation featured here, is not that memorable, though it does have some moments that will live rent free in my mind. I quite like how they incorporated whispers to it, very good!
ENDING: Daijobu, daijobu! The Daijobu song is lovely, and features some more whispers to it. I was wondering just how would they incorporate the elements featured in the ending throughout the season, so it's weird to look back on it lol. I think I like the opening a bit more.

Ah, more Spy x Family bliss. And it gives me exactly what I wanted almost right away. I had thought before we wouldn't get to see much from Yor's side life outside of her retelling some of it. Then this season introduces me to an arc that showcases this side of her first hand and I think to myself "took you long enough!"

But I'm glad that was the case, as this build-up allowed her character to shine more than ever when her adventures grew out of the merely anecdotal realm. Yor is the star of the season through and through.

I have to say, some of ... the situations presented in this series overall can get a little ridiculous, which can be a difficult comparison to overcome against some of the more realistically portrayed, dark moments. I don't mean comedy moments, more like the out there solutions and overpowered abilities our heroes can have.

But it's in comedy where, once again, it's Spy x Family biggest strength, though I'm aware the reason why I have so much fun with it it's because of the charisma these characters ooze. I'm confident to say, however, there were great, hilarious moments throughout the season.

What I'm getting addicted to is to see this family grow closer and share sweet time together. I thought to myself while watching, sometimes I just wish this was a happy show all of the time. No stakes, no big fights, just the blissful feeling of watching some hardened hearts soften because of a sweet, little child.

Oh, but the action sequences are incredible, a sight to behold, always highly dynamic in the way they're presented and with interesting camera movements, with an animation that has no point to keep prasing it, we all know it's stellar.

OPENING: The least memorable opening out of the three, with an animation sequence that's just as good as the two before. Just look at Loid and Yor do the SpongeBob walk.
ENDING: Artistically, nothing short of a masterpiece. Musically, another banger ending. Let's not lose the tradition of having the most wholesome moments in these endings, please.

I'm shook to my core. I thought I couldn't enjoy this type of humor anymore. I thought this humor was kind of dated, that it had a sort of limit that had already been reached. It was all lies.

You honestly wonder how do they come up with the premise of each one of these. Was the mangaka that traumatized from high school? When you think it can't get any more bizarre, well, it does, and it does it specifically for you. Except for the final episode, it does feel softer with its blows.

Every technical element in this anime is in perfect harmony with one another. ... They knew how to balance it perfectly in order to give the biggest punch to each of the jokes and gags presented. When the moment requires it, the animation will shine to burst you into maniacal laughter. In time, voice acting will be superb to emphasize the ridiculousness you're witnessing.

I still have the OVA and the specials left, which brings me a sense of relief, as I've grown dependant of this nonsense, but forever I'll be hurt the whole manga hasn't been adapted yet.

Overall, the single, most hilarious piece of media I've ever engaged with.

OPENING: Throughout history, there are only a few works that are as unproportionally misleading as this audiovisual piece. Anyway, it's really sweet when looking at it, it's kind of shot as a music video, and the music is pop enough to make it fit the vibe.
ENDING: Now this is more like it. It turns the Opening joke into a whole, so both work better when in tandem, and that's an unusual sight to behold. And some proper hard music is always appreciated in my OP/ED. I just love the art style here.

Something I highly enjoy from anime, or maybe even from Japanese media in general, is they don't let genres define their works. Or it may be more of a thing from us consumers, simplifying art to mere tags.

More than many, DEDEDEDE truly defies these preconceptions. To simply call it a "science fiction" or a "slice of life" anime doesn't do it justice. It isn't one more than the other. But let's not get lost into meaningless definitions.

There are constant, deep character explorations with meaningful dialogue, that's always made believable to fit each character, avoiding to feel shoehorned or unnecessarily philosophical for the situation.

A conversation can ... be as superfluous as discussing an everyday occurrence, but the delivery of the lines, the current setting, their expressions. It may feel as if everything is always at a boiling point, and for many of them, that's exactly the case.

We're shown many perspectives from different characters to really get a grasp of the current events happening in this world, and that makes it incredibly engaging.

Character designs are so out there, very peculiar and contrasting of the highly detailed, realistic-focused background, but they don't look out of place as they incorporate plenty of details themselves.

Some of the great works out there in any media may be defined as a mix of two different genres, and how that makes them great. For me, DEDEDE takes it further than that, and it feels more like a fully-fledged world because of it. It is an impressive execution for what was already an interesting concept from the beginning. I don't feel completely satisfied with the ending, but I may just need more time to digest it fully.

OPENING: Oh. My god. I can't take it out of my head. Apparently it was written by the mangaka, who also worked closely in this adaptation, that's amazing. It is very striking and I quite like the idea of mixing real-life shoots with animation. We got double the treat in 2024 with this and the first Too Many Losing Heroines! ending.
ENDING 1: This one makes such an impact. Music could only bang harder if it was fired from a missile launcher. An interesting visual concept of having a fixed perspective and having things move around which serves as an abstract interpretation of this whole anime's premise. Reminds me of the second ending of Komi-san, similar idea, different execution.
ENDING 2: Has the same visual foundation as the first, but it probably only represents a small part of Kadode, or probably more specifically, Ouran's journey, so it's just not as impactful. Music wise, it's pretty nostalgic for some reason.

There are better romance anime out there, there's no shortage of them. And most of them will look better than Murai in Love, without much effort.

This anime sometimes runs out of things to say, and starts throwing random things at you. Yet this tantrum is always entertaining. The back and forth that goes between any set of characters doesn't lack wit, and is never superfluous, I'd rewatch it for this alone, as there were times I felt some things were over my head, though the dialogue can get kind of weird and sort of robotic.

You've read the premise and the story only goes a little ... further than that, but it manages to surprise in the end and have meaningful character development. What we learn from the characters by the final episodes is also impactful and recontextualizes the narrative. Still, it can be argued this part of the show takes too long to get going.

All characters are likable, but you'll be left wanting to get to know anyone better apart from Murai and the teacher, it took me too long to even be able to tell the friends apart. I just want to mention, I thought I wouldn't be convinced of Murai's love in the end, so I'm glad to say I'm converted.

The most controversial part of this anime, of course, is the absolute lack of animation. It manages to feel almost like an artistic choice, which is so surprising to me. Like a series you'd find on YouTube, or a fan animation. It's not jarring, most of the time that is, and at least I got used to the techniques used to get around it, and it kind of added to the unusual charm of it all.

OPENING: Kind of good, musically, and very representative of the overall vibe of the anime visually.
ENDING: Kind of a bop, musically, and I can barely even remember it visually, even though I just watched the final episode yesterday!

I was a non-believer. I thought the first season was too much soap-opera type drama, and only kept on watching because I could see the promise of the premise. Season 2 retains the essence of the first, so why do I feel way more positive towards it?

For starters, the overall tone has slightly changed. It's all a little more somber and serious, but there's still plenty of fun moments and situations. Characters aren't so self-centered this time around, and I think that helped me sympathize with them in a different way. I guess this is what they call "character progression"?

In all seriousness, the biggest difference ... comes from the new characters introduced for this season's main arc, having entire episodes centered around some of them or their issues. I found it incredibly jarring at first, particularly when compared to the previous season' comparable reality show story, but it's very much earned. Learning their personal journey and each of them's motivations put this whole arc into perspective, kind of like looking at it as a whole instead of just our heroes' perspective. I'm sad we probably won't see much from these new characters in the future, if at all.

For me this is a declaration from the writers or mangaka as to what Oshi No Ko is meant to represent. I mean, we had our very own "endless anime fight" this season! What I mean is, I know I'm not the only one to come to this conclusion, but this shows Oshi No Ko is about showbiz and what happens behind it, as much as it is Aqua and Ruby's story.

About them, I finally get to say I enjoyed Aqua as a character. Last season I found him so annoying and selfish. Getting to understand him better is probably why this change happened to me. You'll be missing Ruby for a while during this new season though, but her journey is the most intriguing by the end of it.

What's to say about the production value here. Animation goes all out in some points, it's amazing, and goes to very visually unique, incredibly exciting moments. It looks and sounds so good all of the time, yet the stand out moments truly stand out.

OPENING: Thought it was the downgrade of the millennium at first. Why are the first openings always so iconic? Anyways, now I can safely say I adore this song. What I don't adore is how Aqua and Ruby's relationship is portrayed here? Like, we have never seen them that close at all.
ENDING: Absolute fire! Nostalgic grunge-y masterpiece to shatter my heart. Animation wise not so interesting, though it makes sense knowing what they were going for.

I, as many, wasn't especially drawn to this series. I was consuming any romcom I'd come across that had at least decent reviews, but the description and art wasn't captivating for me. But I was hungry, and just starting dipping my toes into this anime thing. Oh my, I'm so glad I did. I'll be choosing some words to define my favorite aspects of this anime:

Natural!
The story flows. The characters react to one another. Nothing is too extravagant, no personality is over the top, they're teenagers learning how to deal with their feelings and new situations. They all care for each other. They make mistakes, ... yet they're able to reflect on them.

Friends!
Tomo and her friend group, Misuzu and Carol, talk about their problems and how they, feel all of the time. They're always clear, they care about what the other has to say, and they talk like actual people! It's the most endearing thing to see how they get along, they probably are my favorite friend group, I have to say.

Tomo!
She's a fantastic character, and she's a girl! The charisma she has it's so unique, and it's just a joy to listen to her, to get to know how she feels about things. This is mostly a show about talking, about the girls' thoughts. Her seiyu does the craziest, most impressive job as well.

Top-tier anime romcoms. Jun, our com in our rom, is the main issue for many, myself inclouded. He's not bad at all, but comes off as... a little slow, not very perceptive. His best self is in the end, so the journey is worth it.

OPENING: You may think at first "yeah, sounds like an opening!". But it has this cathartic feel to it, and the visuals are so fun to watch, it matches the whole anime vibe so well.
ENDING: Having our main trio sing to us is a delight. Not much happening with the animation, but it's more than enough for the concept of the song. Imagine Takagi-san singing in this voice, so impressive. And the special ending in one of the episodes is *chef's kiss*, love a twist song like that.

Suspension of disbelief. That's it, that's my review.
No, no. Let me add something else: not a romcom. Please stop recommending this as a romcom, you guys!

I quite liked the overall structure of the story, having episodes focused on a puberty syndrome, to then move on to another story. My favorite thing was the build-up to the final arc, and how it wrapped up the most important part of the narrative, making me feel that characters' story was what this anime was all about.

Some of these characters have a particular way of talking to one another, their dialogue exchange feels very distinctive to this anime, and ... I quite like that. Specifically, I mean Sakuta, Mai Sakurajima, and Rio Futaba. They bounce off each other in a way that's always, at the very least, interesting to listen to.

Unfortunately, that brings me to the explanations given to each case of the puberty syndrome, which tries to associate a supernatural occurence with real-life science phenomena or theories. I don't have something against this approach, but the way they do it just doesn't cut it for me, and always takes me out of the narrative. It's not like I'm an expert or anything, they just didn't develop this part of the narrative that much. If you think about it for more than a moment, it falls flat most of the time, even more so when you remember high-schoolers came to the conclusion right away.

So it's only a good thing this story has very well-rounded characters as a foundation, and the animation is up to snuff as well. Many usually recommend this anime as a romcom but these vibes are short-lived, so don't come in expecting to get much romance. It's a story that reminds me of anime I watched as a teenager, with an out-there story, with out-there justifications.

OPENING: Very 2000's I'd say! Sounds like a movie scene.
ENDING. This anime made me notice it seems to be thing to make your seiyu sing the ending in your romance anime. But this is not a romcom, production committee! Anyway, I think it's a genius implementation of the concept, because the ending evolves along with the story. Also, it's quite nostalgic from the very first moment.

After watching several, erm, couple-based romcoms (sounds like a nice term for it), one after the other, I decided to take a small break, by watching a romcom involving a group!

It was a smart decision, and I got it easy feeling right at home with this one. Gaming has been my main hobby for over a decade, and only in the last 3 or 4 months I've been watching tons of anime, so this felt like the perfect bridge for me.

I did not read or know anything about Gamers! really, only thought it looked interesting enough. My biggest caveat with the whole thing is just ... how convoluted, or more like ridiculous, things get past about the half point of the season, with plenty of misunderstandings and coincidences all around, all the time.

So it didn't feel organic anymore, and the narrative started to resemble more of that of an american sitcom. Anyway, characters, as plain as they are, are charismatic enough to endure the watch, and the gaming references kept me entertained enough.

The first part of the season just has more charm to it, it's fun to discover the characters and their motivations. It has a nice way of showing us how their relationships come to be, and how they feel about their current situation. Things devolve into a conflict after the other, and it loses its charm.