Dec 14, 2015
Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata is one of the best shows I've seen in a long time and let me tell you why.
(Make sure you watch Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata: Ai to Seishun no Service Kai before watching the series. Keep in mind that when you do, the episode is literally titled "The fanservice episode of love and youth", so the episode is not a representation of the amount of fanservice in the actual show (which is almost none))
Story: 9/10
The title of the show translates roughly to "How to Raise a Boring Heroine", and that's effectively what the show is about. Aki Tomoya, a
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hardcore otaku and our protagonist, one day comes face to face with his destiny. He encounters a spectacular girl, and this inspires him to make a galge or romantic visual novel based on this encounter.
He manages to convince Kasumigaoka Utaha, his senpai and a well renowned light novel author who is an ideal image of a moe character, black hair, big breasts, and black stockings, as well as Sawamura Spencer Eriri, his childhood friend and ero-doujin artist with blonde twintails and knee socks, another moe heroine archetype, to join him on his crusade to create the galge of his dreams.
However, as it turns out, the girl in question, Megumi Katou, the subject of Tomoya's enounter, is entirely lacking in individuality and minimal notable character traits.
The story was refreshing and enjoyable.
Character: 10/10
This is where Saekano stands out exceptionally. Through the concept of making Megumi Katou a more interesting heroine in the game, you get to know her character and chances are that by the end of the show, she will be your favourite heroine. However, none of her boring character is compromised in doing this. Rather than changing the minimal heroine into an archetype that you love, Saekano makes you love the lack of individuality in the main heroine, which his far more impressive. This show truly raises the boring heroine.
Although I stated that Katou will likely be your favourite heroine by the end of the show, this is not to speak against the other heroines, for they too are beautifully done.
Each of the other heroines, in great contrast against Katou, the boring heroine, embodies a prominent moe heroine archetype, and is far from lacking in presence. You have the black haired senpai with large breasts and black stockings, the tsundere childhood friend with blonde twintails, the younger girl who refers to the protagonist as "Onii-chan" (as you do), and the busty sporty character who is into music. Saekano takes all of these common archetypes, which all contrast against the boring character, then, puts its own unique spin on those archetypes you've all seen so many times, making you love them so much.
The character development in Saekano is exceptional, and it is enforced greatly by several subtle touches. A great example of this would be the cafe scene in episode 2 when Megumi is never the focus of the shot, enforcing her minimal character nicely.
Art: 9/10
The art of Saekano was nice, and worked well with the refreshing mood of the show. Although it's nothing exceptional, it was still good to look at, and did nothing to undermine the quality. Like a lot of other aspects of the show, it contained a few subtle touches which were really nice to see.
Sound: 8/10
Honestly, I took no notice of the OST the first time I watched Saekano, and only really payed it mind when I rewatched it. It was nothing exceptional, but it did a good job of enforcing the mood of various scenes, and the op and ed were great.
Enjoyment: 10/10
I loved the show, and I found myself frequently getting excited over small details that I noticed when I watched it. I would happily watch it again, and would definitely recommend it to anyone who has seen a good amount of anime or enjoys shows without much action. However, it might not be the best show for people who are only just getting into anime as it is riddled with references and puts its own unique twists on cliches, which would be less fun if you didn't get the cliches to begin with.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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