Nov 11, 2014
A cute teenage girl (who knows it, too) who dreams of sleeping with 100 guys, but worries about what she looks like naked and is hopelessly awkward when it comes to displaying affection? Count me the hell in.
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"B Gata H Kei," or "Yamada's First Time" is one of those shows that I initially went into not expecting much from, but emerged pleasantly surprised. I came across it on Netflix one day and decided to queue it up with some friends, fully expecting to laugh at copious panty shots and anime boob physics. What I got (along with the surprisingly minimal fanservice) was
...
an incredibly heartfelt, but still funny, story about teenage sexuality and the desire to be loved.
Story: 7/10
The premise itself isn't too hard to understand. Yamada's goal has always been to sleep with 100 guys upon entering high school, but she wants he first time to be with another virgin. She finds a totally plain guy (who she assumes is a virgin due to his plainness) and settles on him. In the process f trying to seduce him, the two actually end up falling in love with each other. This is undoubtably a storyline thats been done before, but with the roles reversed. Seeing a teenage girl who is totally unapologetic about her sexuality is so, so rare. It's unique as well as wonderfully empowering.
Art: 7/10
I'm not sure how to describe it other than "very 2010." The style and colors all match up very closely with other 2010 anime. It didn't really bring anything new to the table in those regards, but it definitely isn't bad, either. The colors can be pretty bright and hard on the eyes at times, though.
Sound: 6/10
While not bad, the sound is one of the weaker point of the show. The opening and ending themes are quite generic and forgettable. The background music, which is bubbly and upbeat most of the time, fits the series but is nothing noteworthy. Netflix has the dubbed version, which I had no problem with, so I can't say I know much about the original voice acting.
Character: 9/10
Definitely the strongest point of the series. Each character is very memorable, including the sideliest of side characters (shoutout to my main girl Misato). Even Kosuda, who is the epitome of unimpressive anime guy, becomes interesting when he interacts with other characters.
Our titular character is definitely the strongest, with a firm personality, set of values, and goals. Yamada is a great lead to the show, and wildly entertaining to follow.
Enjoyment: 9/10
Even with such a simple and frankly juvenile concept, it's incredibly well-written and even though I often don't "get" Japanese humor, I found myself laughing out loud usually several times each episode. I have a really hard to marathoning anime in one sitting, but if I was able to, this is one of those shows that I definitely would. It's a fun and overall very sweet ride.
Overall: 8/10
I can understand why people would be wary of this show. The cover art and description make it sound like a disgustingly sexualized story about a teenage girl. The fanservice is definitely there (you get a full boob shot at one point), but it's always relevant in the context of what's happening and isn't distracting. With a character we don't see much of in other anime, it's unique and refreshing. If you're not squeamish about the topic of sex, then this is a show that I would definitely recommend.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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