Streaming: Crunchyroll
Episodes: 12
Source: Light Novel
Story Summary: Haru has fallen in love with the beautiful, talented, and smart Kachi-san. He’s even managed to develop a sort of rapport with her, after confessing to reading her published work. But just as he’s building up the courage to ask her out officially at the end of the cultural festival, he learns that she’s already dating someone – Abe, a handsome fellow student who’s just made his acting debut. How can Haru compete with that? He takes some solace in the arms of his childhood friend Kuroha, a spitfire with an older-sister personality at odds with her small stature. Kuroha has always loved Haru, and to help him deal with his troubles she proposes that they pretend to date in order to make Kachi jealous. But Haru might also have feelings for Kuroha that he can’t reconcile with this situation. And he’s also holding on to a trump card of his own.
Impressions: One of the primary things I look for in romance-focused anime is the quality of the chemistry between the romantic leads. I think two characters who play off of one-another well and who are able to create the illusion of a potential relationship can make even the corniest story feel like it has romantic potential. I’m sorry to have to say this, but the characters introduced in this episode have such a terrible lack of chemistry with one-another that this first episode bounced between being boring and uncomfortable, with the “Com” portion of “Romcom” especially seeming like nothing more than a cruel lie.
That may seem a little overdramatic, but I would have a really difficult time trying to articulate how much of a slog this episode was in any other way. I had a grimace on my face for most of the second half of the episode, once Kuroha really started to make her moves on Haru. I’m going to get a little psychoanalytical here, but I think, unfortunately, part of the reason for my feelings in that regard is that I see a lot of my prior bad behavior reflected in her actions. Kuroha seems to exude confidence, but I get the impression that it’s a ruse. I suspect it’s a mask to hide the fact that she doesn’t have a lot of self-esteem, and to overcompensate for feeling rejected by Haru she feels she has to pretend that love is just a game; one that she really doesn’t mind playing at for a while in the guise of helping Haru get back at another girl. I’ve done things like this to hide my hurt feelings, and it sucks. Bad feelings get worse when you refuse to work through them. And jealousy is an especially bad (and destructive) look.
Lest I inadvertently imply that there’s a level of depth to this episode it doesn’t deserve, I’ll also be sure to mention how severely unlikeable all the characters are. Unlikeable actually may not be the correct word; I think the problem is more that all three of the leads are what I’d describe as “nothing characters.” They’re like hollow ghosts playing prescribed roles, one-dimensional in their feelings and actions. Haru is just an insufferable ding-dong who doesn’t seem to know what he wants or if he actually wants it. I want to allow some leeway toward characters who don’t have a good grasp on what they really feel because that kind of situation leaves room for character growth, but Haru just feels to me like a sniveling and hapless dork and I’m not in a place where I can tolerate very much of that from a character for whom I’m supposed to be rooting.
To put it in the nicest way I can, this episode feels very basic; an average rom-com with characters playing their roles as required. But there’s a cynicism to it that irritates me. Following a season where I had the privilege to enjoy series like Horimiya, with its charming central couple and decently-realized peripheral relationships, and Bottom-Tier Character Tomozaki, where I felt like the titular character really grew from the person he was at the outset, I don’t have a lot of mental energy for stuff like this.
Pros: There’s a twist at the end of the first episode that’s honestly pretty contrived (I’ll leave it to folks to find out on their own if they so choose), but which did make me laugh. It kind of comes out of left field but it definitely adds at least another bit of dimension to the narrative, I’ll give it that.
Cons: There’s a mean-spiritedness to Kuroha’s behavior that reads as sort of creepy. She tries to force a kiss on Haru when he clearly doesn’t want to do that and it made me really uncomfortable. There’s not even a bit of nuance to add dimension to her actions, it just feels especially gross.
Content Warnings: Non-consensual near-kissing. Mild fanservice.
Would I Watch More? – Nope, I just wasn’t impressed by this episode.