Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru.

Now I'll admit the first time I saw the sypnosis for this anime I thought Oregairu would be a stereotypical romcom anime. Just think about it. There are two female main characters and a male character. Male character is an outcast. One of the female characters is the school's most beautiful girl. How original. But when I finished the first episode of this anime. I realized that this was something else. Something that manages to stray away from the norm and become something really special.

Story- Now the story centers around Hikigaya Hachiman. A high school student who is shunned by pretty much the whole school.Luckily ... this suits him perfectly as he prefers to be a loner and doesn't want to make friends. But his "happy" life soon crumbles as his teacher forces him to join a club which is supposed to help people with their problems.Even worse, the club also has the smart and beautiful "ice-cold Beauty" Yukino Yukinoshita.(nicknamed that for her cold personality). Hilarity ensues.
Now the story basically revolves on the club helping out on peoples' requests and problems. Although the problem's are simple the way the main characters solve the problem isn't. The comedy usually revolves around Hachiman and Yukino's witty dialogue and sarcasm.(which is really funny btw).

Art- The art was good most of the time. Backgrounds were filled with radiant colors and were nicely drawn.Character designs were also done well and fit well with the personalities of the characters. There was an episode or two where there was a small drop in animation. But all in all it's pretty good.

Sound- The sound was quite impressive. The soundtrack fits in really well with the anime. The opening "Yukitoki", is a really catchy song and I had myself humming to it in the shower for days after I listened to it. The ending, I'm afraid. Wasn't as well but is adequate for an ending.

Character-Now this is where Oregairu excels the most.
Let's begin with Hikigaya Hachiman. Hachiman's twisted view of life and society are definitely one of the most captivating view's of life that i've ever seen. His views of life actually affected my way of viewing life. His monologues are also enjoyable and show off a bit more of his personality.

Yuki Yukinoshita is almost the complete opposite of Hachiman. She is smart, beautiful, and rich.But the interesting thing is. She doesn't have friends either. But unlike Hachiman her reason for not having friends is her icy demeanor and being too perfect. She unlike Hachiman believes that change is a good thing. Her smart remarks are funny and her quarrels with Hachiman are hilarious. Over all she is also a nice character.

Yui Yuigahama at the start would seem to be a completely stereotypical character.Although I couldn't say I loved her as much as I loved the other two main characters I would have to admit that without her in this anime this anime wouldn't be as good. She serves as the glue that keeps the club together. Her character does develop to be more independent and helpful.

In the end Oregairu really did turn out to be a good series. What I thought would be a stereotypical romcom anime turned out to be something more than that. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who watches anime.

Yahari Ore isn't the first anime to tackle the anti-social protagonist, but it certainly captures it perfectly with its characters and deadpan writing. Like others have said before, you may go into this expecting a typical rom-com but will instead come out of it lashed by the harsh views of our characters. This however, is why this anime stands out from so many in the genre. It's charming, funny and yet bluntly realistic. Far too often rom-coms get stuck in the fairy tale realm of romance stories, or get too wrapped up in the emotional drama/turmoil that can be present in youthful romance. Those ... elements are fine. But what about the bitter, and rejected? Or those that aren't allowed to fit in, or who choose not to fit in.

Not everyone of course has had this experience, but it's certainly something that people experience. And so this is what Yahari Ore does best, it gives us a perspective of those in school who have been rejected so much, they decide to play by their own rules, and that of course is excluding everyone else from the game. Afterall, it's much easier to get on by when you only have yourself to rely on.

This anime doesn't preach to the audience. And certainly, the view points of these characters are sometimes flawed. But it's an interesting look at how some people deal with their failure to connect to others (or rather, what can happens to someone when people reject and shut them out). Yahari Ore also looks at it from the other perspective, and isn't trying to paint one side as the victim/aggressor. We get a look at how mean and cruel we can be to each other when trying to fend for ourselves by fitting to the status quo. But this is true of both the rejected and those that reject.

At its core this show is very funny. The MC's biting sense of humor and harsh views of the world is hilarious (even if it always has an underlining seriousness to it). And to be clear, this isn't a serious drama. However, my praise focuses so much on the serious elements of the show, because I think that is what elevates this to a truly great Anime vs. a typical comedy. There is a lot of truth to this show, and it feels very realistic. Through the lens of the MC's harsh view on the world, we get a deep look at social behaviors and how often everyone is just trying to be something that won't be shunned from the pack.

If you are someone looking for a romance anime to watch, this might not be it. The romance in this anime isn't non-existent, it's actually well written in a realistic manner (it doesn't fall into the typical tropes). However, if you are looking for romance with a lot of action, then you might be let down. The romance in this anime is more about feelings, and how they can grow towards others. This is to say, the romance feels like something special here, but you will not get any closure or sweeping action between specific characters (maybe later in the LN or if we get a season 2). Although I don't think that's what this anime is about, as ultimately its focus is more on how people internally deal with their emotions, and the fear of sharing them with others.

Yahari Ore is an example of why comedy is such a great asset to art. Comedy allows us to look at aspects of life that aren't always good and allows us to examine the darker aspect of our humanity, and laugh while also getting a better understanding of it. Yes, this is a comedy that is for the most part, snarky, sarcastic and deadpan. But it's also a very interesting perspective on how we treat other people, and how those that don't fit in, (or those that choose not to play the game and try to fit in), deal with a world that heavily relies on being social.

"Some walks you have to take alone."

Somewhere along the way, I read that quote. The source is unknown to me, but I found that it struck key point in life. Well, I guess I can't generalize and say everyone's life, but I would say most people have had times they felt they couldn't count on anyone. Life is full of things that make us want to isolate people we don't understand and make us want to quit life. High school is full of those moments, those "emotional roller coaster" kind of moments. Basically, it can be related to my understanding of Oregairu, I'll kind ... of explain...kinda later on. Maybe.

Story - Meet Hikigaya Hachiman, pessimistic protagonist. Alliteration wins the day. Just kidding. Basically, this romantic comedy is centered around this social outcast. Along with Yuigahama and Yukinoshita, these three characters make up the main cast. Of course it's easy to start assuming and stereotype this as the "usual" romcom. I beg to differ. The premise for the story isn't super original. I'll admit that. But again, most things aren't. What might have been another generic and boring romcom with mediocre ratings actually was just a disguise. After watching the first episode, I began looking forward to the next week. As I sat myself down each week to watch Oregairu, I realized just how well done the entire story was. Pacing-wise, I thought it was perfectly fine. There are minor issues, but none that truly sparks any debate.

Characters: Here was the biggest "fuck yeah" moments I've ever had. The characters in this show were phenomenal. Let me explain: from start to finish, how they started off as, how they developed, and the amazing interaction between the characters, especially Hikki and Yukinoshita, were just amazingly done. There really isn't a show I enjoyed more than this based solely on character development. Gotta love the bantering back and forth.

Truly, there are some gems of knowledge we can all learn from. Hikki, pessimistic and messed as he may be, truly understands the world far better than most of the other characters in the show. Despite his twisted views on life, he tries his best to help others. Not always in the nicest way, but definitely in a way that is effective. Throughout the show, there was nothing more captivating than listening to Hikki's thought process and views on life.

I won't go into too much details about the others, but know this: the premise for each character is nicely brought out and it truly was the highlight of the entire show. The characters I mean. Interactions were perfectly portrayed and drew us in. How nice of them. I laughed my ass - pardon my language - off so many different times throughout the show just because of how well the interaction of the characters. Truly a masterpiece.

Art - Ah, I really was a little turned off by the art. Throughout the entire show, there was some episodes where it just didn't look great. But it isn't so bad to the point I wouldn't watch it. Somehow, as I watched more and more, I cared less and less. It was quite colorful, I'll admit. All in all, it wasn't something bad, I just thought they could have done better. But really now, who cares about some subjective views of a random young adult? Probably not you.

Sound - Well, I must admit that the opening was something I never skipped. I really enjoyed listening to it. And throughout the show, the soundtrack really fit well for the mood. I have nothing bad to say about it. Though I must confess I never stayed for the ending.

After finishing the show, that quote really hit me. Not so much about what it meant, but that quote truly was something that describes Hikki so very well. He truly understands the meaning of "walking alone" and just doing what needs to be done.

Basically, I gave this show a 9/10. I couldn't part to give it anything higher because despite how much I liked it, there were some parts that I couldn't enjoy (like my subjective views on the art and stuff but anyway). Despite all that, and minor details, it was a show I thoroughly enjoyed. Don't let the long name fool you, Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru, or "My youth romantic comedy is wrong as I expected", or Oregairu. Whatever you may call it, this show truly is one worth watching.

Recommended. Highly. Yeah. Now go watch.

My youth romantic comedy is wrong as I expected. But my expectations were not.
Spring “blesses” us with yet another highschool anime about a guy who comes into contact with a bunch of girls in a school club.

What started out generic also ended generic and nothing of value has been gained.
It’s not only sad for the industry but also sad for Brains Base to produce such a subpar work, when in the past they were responsible for great shows like Baccano and Mawaru Penguindrum.

Story/Content:

“Yahari” has no overall story, it’s just about a boy named Hikigaya and his school life. The show goes in no direction, builds ... up no goal to aim for, no romance no drama, no big lesson. While other slice of life school romcoms have at least something to aim for like, graduation, a romantic relationship or a different goal in life, Yahari stays true to slice of life and just shows us character interactions and some events.

If it doesn't have a story, does it have anything else to offer?
Yes and no.
While shows without story have normally things like, great artwork, soundtrack, interesting characters, settings or concepts. None of this was found in Yahari, the jokes were sometimes funny and sometimes you didn’t care. I was wondering why I am even watching this anymore as it was clear nothing was going on. It revolved around the same thing the entire time without any clear path to go. Stumbling from one boring school event to the next it felt so dragged out and couldn't keep me interested.

Even for its genre it did nothing new or groundbreaking. There are a lot of better shows similar to Yahari that were at least enjoyable to watch.

Characters:

It all boils down to Hachiman, the anti-social protagonist with witty comments on the insignificance of school life and school friends. While at first I liked his cynical view on his surroundings as it reminded me of my own view on school life, it became very dry at some point as it was the same thing over and over.
He showed no real progression and he alone is not enough to save this anime.

Yukino was the other half decent character, she also had a very cynical outlook on life but was a more honorable student than Hachiman. Her personality though stagnated and became boring after a while. Besides being cruel and insulting she had nothing else to offer.

Yui was a possible love interest for the MC but the show decided to just leave that alone and make absolutely nothing with it. She is just a naive girl and totally bland and boring. Like the rest of the support characters.

Saika was the only one who had an entertaining interaction with the MC but only because of the homosexual tension. Besides that he was a personality less trap just for fan-service.

You know, if you have no story to offer then please offer an interesting cast. Yahari has only one interesting character and that is not enough to keep me interested and entertained for 13 boring episodes.

Art and Animation:

You know how well Baccano was animated? The surreal art style Mawaru Penguindrum had? Or the pretty colors in Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun?
Well Yahari had absolutely nothing like that.
It looked so cheap, the character designs were pretty generic and bad executed. The surrounding were so boring to look at, it had no special effects or interesting artistic treats for the eye.

Yahari looked just really really generic to borderline bad. I’m confused how Brains Base could produce such a cheap looking show.

Really it fails already in 3 categories, no story, boring character and cheap look...

Sound:

But it doesn't stop there. The overall soundtrack in Yahari is so forgettable, even bad at points. It’s just such run of the mill music that plays in the background without sticking out for a second.

The voice acting is good as usual, I would have face palmed if they would have fucked that up as well.

The opening is terrible and I always skipped it, the ending song is just as bad.

Four Strikes... Yahari what are you doing?

Enjoyment:

As you’d guess from my previous sections, yahari couldn't keep me enjoyed through the course of 13 episode.
While I didn't hate it (because then I’d have dropped it without a second thought). I just felt really bored at some point and just finished it so I had it finished.
Here and there it was funny and even entertaining. The start was pretty okay as well, but around the middle it just dropped deeper and deeper into insignificance. Such a boring show, it didn't even had potential it wasted, it was wasted right from the start.

Scores:

(Story) Content 3/10

Premise and Setting -1 (highschool boy with highschool girls in a club...)
Genre Execution 0 (sometimes funny but mostly boring)
Dialogues and Cleverness 0 (some good dialogues but overall too mundane)
Interest Keeping -1 (nothing was happening!)

Characters 3/10

Personality 0 (weren't too bad)
Behavior and Chemistry 0 (very generic)
Development and Progression -1 (absolutely none)
Motivation and Backdrop 0 (simple)
Likability -1 (even tough 8man was good everyone else as terrible)

Art and Animation 5/10

Artstyle 0 (generic and boring)
Quality 0 (not impressive)
Background 0 (boring backgrounds)
Character Designs 0 (bad executed and bland looking)
Visual Effects 0 (simple)

Sound 3/10

Voice Acting 0 (normal)
Opening and Ending -1 (terrible)
Soundtrack -1 (unengaging)
Sound Effects 0 (normal)

Enjoyment 0/10

Art and Animation -1 (bad)
Sound -1 (bad as well)
Story and Content -1 (boring)
Characters -1 (annoying)
Value -1 (an anime without any significance)

Conclusion:

Yahari does nothing new or good in the romcom genre. it’s yet another school anime with an antisocial main character forced to interact with a bunch of girls. The events were mundane, the side characters annoying, art and sound below average. Truly a show not worth of any ones time.
If you want to watch an enjoyable RomCom try Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun made by the same studio last year. It’s not really great or anything, but by far better than Yahari.
Or why not try out really good ones like ToraDora or Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojou by JC Staff. Even Kyoto Animations Hyouka has more to offer and a similar cool main character.

3,4/10
~3/10 (Very Bad)

How do you feel / How did you feel when you enter(ed) your high-school every morning? Were you greeted by an accumulation of friends? Did the girls all swarm you and fawn over what you did? Were you always the "popular" kid?... No? Me neither, and that's why I enjoy this anime.

The anime revolves around protagonist Hikigaya Hachiman who is a entirely rejected and remarked as "gross" by those who know him. His goal in his high-school life is to remain a loner and to avoid making friends. He does what he can to make himself unnoticeable by his classmates and he doesn't draw ... attention towards himself.

However you can only remain a loner so long before some event comes around and forces you to end up stuck with other people. In a normal high-school, that would probably be a group project, which ends shortly and you can return to your loner style of life, but Hikigaya isn't so lucky, as he is forced into a club in which his goal along within the female protagonist is to fulfill people's requests.

The anime is a great slice-of-life. It portrays perfectly how a loner feels and acts in a school environment, and it's hilarious to watch the protagonist attempt to fit in with the club he's stuck in. The comedic aspect of the anime focuses highly on the use of sarcasm, so if you're a fan of sarcastic comedy then I definitely suggest you give this anime a watch.

The character progression lacks a little, but I can't say too much as I have only seen a few episodes so far, and there is hints that it will reveal more about the how the characters turned out the way they did. Aside from progression however, the way the characters act serves for a great laugh and if you're a loner yourself you'll find yourself really relating to the protagonist.

The sound does a great job of fitting the mood of each scene, and there are even some moments where it can express the sarcastic remorse within a scene of constant sarcastic dialogue, so that no scene gets stale even if there is continued dialogue.

The art is beautiful, the characters look great and the scenery is always well drawn. They don't move much out of the school, but when they do venture out (such as to the mall in an episode) you can see just how fantastic the art is.

I really enjoy this anime, and if you enjoy slice-of-life comedies I feel you would too, so check it out!

- Shane M

School.

What do you think of when you hear that 6 letter word? Some people think it's a place for education to secure a future. Some people think it's a place to hang out, make friends, and enjoy the experiences there. Then, there are some people who absolutely loathe school and think it's like prison, a place for people who are forced to go there because their parents told them something along the line of “it's for your own good!” Well, I'm not sure what category I belong to along those options but for a certain young man by the name of Hikigaya Hachiman, he ... takes distortion to a whole new level.

The series is called My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU in English terms. The SNAFU part is an abbreviation for “situation normal: all fucked up”. No, I didn't make that up. On the other hand, the Japanese title is Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru that can also be abbreviated simply as Oregairu for easier writing. Regardless though, the series is adapted from the light novel of the same name written by Wataru Watari.

I have to admit, this series took me by quite a surprise. The first episode took off with a rather blend start from my point of view as the series seemed to follow more of a slice of lifish style of narrative. As mentioned before, the series stars a cynical and anti-social young man by the name of Hachiman Hikigaya. He is in his second year at high school but unlike most people who thinks about sports, girls, or academics, he seemingly rejects reality so much that he wishes his existence was never present. He maintains his life as typical with no friends, associates, or a girlfriend. This could be a understandable given his past with how he is often made fun of by his classmates and peers. Even the teacher never stood up to him when the time calls. Poor kid...

However, this is about to change because Hikigaya meets a girl who by the name of Yukino Yukinoshita. Unlike him, this girl is completely out of his league. (typical for him huh?) Yukino is seen as a girl who is admired for her beauty, academics, but also with a cold personality. Thus, she earns the title of “Ice-cold beauty”. At the same time, she plays the role of the president of a club known as the “service club”, a club created to help others in need. But of course, a club is difficult to run with just two people right? Well, that's where Yuigahama Yui comes in. On a completely obstacle scale, Yui is cheerful and often puts on a smile while enjoying the times of her life at school. Together, these three forms the trio of this series in a romantic comedy that's depicted as a complete “illusion” under Hikigaya's eyes.

In this series, I find perhaps the character interactions to be one of the strongest points of the show. In fact, our three main characters gets seemingly gets off to a rocky start in the beginning. Hikigaya stands isolated at many occasions in events while voicing out thoughts in his own mind. He seems to detest romance and likely reality itself. His 'deadfish eyes' represents a physical side of this because in essence, fishes have no personality. In other words, Hikigaya plays the role of a cynical man. Yukino on to other hand seems to have a similar personality and at the same time often makes sarcastic remarks to Hikigaya's responses. Her way of speech mannerisms shows why she earned the nickname “Ice-cold beauty”. This side of herself is further illustrated through her brutal honesty. In fact, Yukino is someone who goes against lies and speaks the truth at times no matter how forceful it may be. However, Yukino and Hikigaya does occasionally interact in agreement with various people. This usually relates to their 'love life' where the either of them immediately declares themselves as 'nothing more than friends'. Finally, in my view, Yui represents the middle girl of the trio. She is neither cold or cynical. Instead, she is cheerful and often brings a bright smile to the gloom and doom of the club.

The pacing of this series seemingly becomes a problem at first but then, I realized it's not about romance but rather the way these three characters live out their lives through young in their school lives. I'm sure some of us felt this way one point or another in our lives as life seemingly moves way too slow. For Hachiman though, he just wants it to be all over. At the same time however, Hachiman does seem to have some interest in his life. He does seem to find both Yukino and Yui to be attractive in physical terms. However, he doesn't seem to actually want to date them because from his perspective, romance is a false reality; a lie.

The romance in this series is actually presented in a different way; no random fan service or breast groping. Rather, there's more of a slice of life pacing that depicts our three main characters' daily lives around others and around school as well as other places in later episodes. I personally find the romance in this series to be unique and even at times realistic. Although there's some obvious hints, it's rather presented in a conceptual style through its dialogues. Rather, the dialogues of this series also remains one of the strongest points in all of its episodes. Hachiman reflects them in his mind with his thoughts on the world and those around him. At one point, he goes over a long monologues that depicts his way of thinking against a certain type of girl. It's realistic because it can be related to anyone at school. Yes, I do mean ANYONE.

Throughout the series, there's also seemingly development with all three of our characters. Hachiman seems to change outlooks on himself while also influencing others. Yukino's cold heart also seems to melt at various points as she reveals more of her vulnerable self. Additionally, Yui shows more of her fragile self as well. The dynamic trio plays out their roles in a recognizable way that depicts their characters throughout each episode.

Of course, high school always has to drama to complete the formula right? The drama sometimes comes from the trio of our main characters. At other times, they are influenced by outside parties such as Yumiko Miura, a popular student at school. She and Yukino are like oil and water as the two never seems to get along. Among other factors, there's also drama involving Hachiman and his interactions with others that seemingly puts others in an uncomfortable zone. It's a zone of drama and in this series, it's definitely there.

Perhaps one of the strongest points I enjoyed in this series is Hachiman's character. His personality is the type of “I don't give a damn” about anything, whether it's himself, others, or even the world around him. At the same time, he has strong opinions about the world. Like I mentioned before, this is usually expressed through his monologues. They have a reflexive sense of language that is philosophical, deep, but at the same time to the point. It illustrates the fact that Hachiman is cynical and at times even mean as demonstrated in one of the conversations he has with Yui. His view on his family also seems to be indifferent as shown through her interactions with his sister. The way Hachiman describes her as “brat” and “annoying” again reflects his personality. However, I find this to be very well done because it is realistic. It is how siblings act in real life because who am I kidding, no brothers and sisters can get along perfectly. Don't believe me, just take look at Oremio.

Throughout the series, there's also a visual sense on how lonely people behave. The interactions that Hachiman goes through seems to be forced by himself as often or not, he is unwilling to participate unless asked for. Even then, he concedes in a reluctant way. It's not always easy to relate to him but there at many times I find his personality to be refreshing, realistic, and in the way of how his character is portrayed right. He isn't the typical harem protagonist who can't decide on what's right or wrong. Rather, Hachiman is an opinionated young man with his own views on the world. Those views are in the words of his dialogues that makes up the humor and personality of his character. (oh and who am I kidding here, who can ignore those deadfish eyes and antenna like hair?)

The series does fall under some common themes though despite its refreshment. The concept of 'students forming a club' is not a new idea. Anime series such as Medaka Box, Haganai, and Okami-San and Her Seven Companions has this idea of students coming together at school to form a club to help others or for their own purposes. It's been done before. At the same time, there's also the common sister trope used in this series. Furthermore, this series doesn't avoid some fan service or the 'festival' mood. Although the fan service is toned down, it's still there with the swimsuits, cos-play, and even maid outfits. There's even a trap in this series that distract the viewers and who am I kidding, Hachiman as well with his thoughts. The poor kid sees everything as an illusion and almost at times can't tell differences between fiction and reality.

As regarding artwork, this series has some generic visuals. However, I find it to fit within the themes of the series by the way it's drawn to be simple and to the point. The most obvious that stands out is Hachiman and his deadfish eyes. In fact, his eyes are never portrayed as normal but rather as the type that stands out the entire show. Am I surprised? Of course not. It fits him perfectly with his cynical personality. Then, there's cold beauty Yukino who is drawn with electric blue eyes and long hair; a true beauty indeed. It's definitely memorable because of how they look so differently from others in the series. It's also important to note that because of their looks, they are different in general. I felt that the mood of this series was achieved with this portrayal of visual artwork. It sets the realism and style of our main characters that are easy to be told apart. It's appealing and this series pulled it off right. There's no stupid deformed characters or inconsistency. It's down to the point and I'm grateful for that.

The soundtrack of the series has a light touch to its themes. I felt that the voice actors and actresses did an outstanding job with their performances in their roles. Hachiman's tone is completely straight forward with no hesitation on what's on his mind. His monologues are from his personal thoughts and I felt that Eguchi Takuya did a great performance. The cold tone and brutal honesty is also reflected in the voice of Hayami Saori. Finally, Yui's voice actress protrays the cheerful voice to balance out the trio. The atmosphere of the show is lighthearted and thus the OST remains so as well. It's orchestrated with slow pace and connects everything well. There's that sense of realism to go along with it with that pacing and soundtrack makes it match. The OP song, "Yukitoki" by Nagi Yanagi shows montages of the characters and how they come together as the Service Club. Similarly the ED song, “Hello Alone” shows more of a bonding that is memorable at heart.

All in all, My Romantic Comedy SNAFU was a refreshing show for me. It's like taking a deep breath and thinking back about youth and school life. It can also be related to many of us who has gone through the high school years along with those experiences of youth. Whether you were the popular kid, the loner, or somewhere the middle, there's always something you can dig out from this series related to school. The main character Hachiman is one of my favorites from the Spring 2013 lineup with his personality. Whether it's his character, his dialogues, or just himself, I loved the way he is portrayed in this series. Of course, I do feel a bit sorry for him as well at various occasions.

Regardless, this series stands out as something that definitely in my estimation to spent time on. Even if you don't like the idea of the typical school life setting where a group of kids are in a club doing stuff to help others, I think this series right here may change your mind a bit. It may start off slow paced but that's also how life is. For Hachiman, youth is an illusion. For me, this series' illusion is reality that has been quite an enjoyable experience. After all, we all been through youth with a different outlook, no?

This is an average highschool romance story. The twist? The main character is repulsive, and intends to stay this way. Otherwise, the series is quite lackluster, and frankly did nothing that stands out in my mind to make it very enjoyable.

Story (7/10):
Hikigaya is a die-hard introvert who enters high school that is 100% uninterested in forming a relationship. The plot revolves around him joining the Volunteer Service Club and meeting it's two members, Yui and Yukino. A love interest develops between both, but doesn't get very far due to Hikigaya's nature.

His adventures constantly involve him being the bad guy, and while there were a ... few good moments, they were never very outstanding.

Art (6/10):
The animation was not an eyesore, but it was frankly rather mediocre. It's a bit clear that not too much attention was given to the illustration, although the viewer (probably) won't be bothered too much by this.

Sound (7/10):
If I take anything from this series, it's the opening track. I loved that song. Otherwise, the soundtrack isn't anything to brag about.

Character (5/10):
The characters are the very definition of flat; they stuck to their natures 100% of the time and each fulfilled a trite, overdone archetype: the outcast, the floozy girl, the ice-queen, etc. I felt like there could have been more to Yukino's character that lie underneath her surface, but the series did little to explore this.

The decision to make Hikigaya an unlikable outcast was not the most original choice, and it certainly wasn't the best. He constantly makes a deliberate attempt to make people hate him, and while I recognize this fact, it still bothers me to the point where I cannot care for him.

Enjoyment (5/10):
It calls itself a romantic comedy, but I didn't find myself laughing very much. On top of this, at no point would I consider this series' attempt at humor outstanding of another. I also didn't care much for the romantic part, or at least what passed for it since Hikigaya rejects all notion of it.

Overall (5/10):
I came out of this series with few fond memories for it. While opinions may differ on its humorous and light-hearted nature, few can deny that it is rather shallow. If you enjoy a simple, shits-and-giggles anime to watch, you may consider this. If you're looking for something with depth, continue your search.

have you ever been rejected by society?. So much that you already know how people will react to you before you even fully know them?

this anime is about there students in highschool with different personalities that you would relate to when you watch it.

I know this is suppose to be a review but just to make it short and simple
its a really a slice of life anime. You would really feel the things in real life
that are happening in this series. Its amazing how the directors of this anime
did so well in making the story well written.

So Basically its not just your Simple,Boring,Crappy, Rom/Com ... anime
its unique and beautiful in its own way :)

Thanks for reading
-CrapSmack™

In the minds of many, High School is the time of happy moments and strong memories. People tend to make friends and get involved in many activities, from sports to clubs. And despite the noteworthy drama and hardships that take place in High Schools, High School life is under the spirit that some would call "youth."

(Un)fortunately for Hachiman Hikigaya, he doesn't think so, and he demonstrates that all of that sass about "youth" is a mere fabrication to deceive oneself with a false sense of happiness. So our dear fish-eyed and "gross" protagonist aspires to conduct his life like a bear-- one that hibernates to ... cause no trouble nor get into trouble.

So what makes this anime featuring a dispassionate and social-apathetic loner so interesting? It is the mere fact that this protagonist gives his audience a wild crazy taste on his state of mind!

But that is what keeps the story from being one of the higher points of this anime. This anime has no ongoing central goal nor plot whatsoever because we've got a very stubborn character who seems immune to character development and brushes everyone off.

Nevertheless, Hachiman is forced into the Public Service Club by his teacher, Shizuka Hiratsuka, who wishes to correct his corrupted behavior. Alongside him, is the beautiful ice queen, Yukino Yukinoshita, who was also "contained" in this club for the same intentions, courtesy of Shizuka. We can only imagine what these two misfits can do to make society crumble before their feet.

Thus, the club's activities in helping others is what drives the "plot" of this anime, but even the most mundane tasks can be made to be rather amusing.

And that's where the characters come in to make things worthwhile. They feature a very colorful cast here with matching personalities. We all seen this before. The busty girl. The trap. The fat otaku. The ojou. The nice guy. The fujoshi. The christmas cake. Etc.

But when you throw in a nonchalant, social pessimist and an intelligent, sharp-tongued ice queen... hilarity ensues. Or rather, you get amusing and witty dialogue. We see cooking, tennis, and shopping between the wide cast and every word said is like getting hit by a marshmallow or a dagger to the face multiple times.

The chemistry between characters is great, where snark and criticism is passed on like a hot potato. The most happiest characters will fall down to size by the bitterness and scorn of the two main protagonists as they offer their services, unless the other main heroine, Yui Yuigahama, is there to cheer the victim up.

From an anime that relies on dialogue and character development to advance the plot, character development does not actually fall too far behind despite stubborn characters.

We get to see a more insightful and justified side behind Hachiman's deadpan demeanor. And a more gentle and vulnerable side behind that icy exterior of Yukino's. Albeit, it is not that much. But that surely counts. And you can't exactly detest even the most horrible characters because of the level of understanding and empathy that you get from them.

What I'm also trying to get across is that you see why every (almost every) important character acts the way that he or she does. Expect some important backstories and implications between conversations. The emphasis on these corrupted personas is to get you to see things from their perspective, whether their values are acceptable or hard to swallow.

The few things that clue you in on how deep the characters are, especially Hachiman and Yukino, are found in their conversations. While that should be prominent in every anime, this one seems to stress two different and important personas that everyone can identify with.

According to the first episode, it seems that...

Hachiman is a person that stays true to himself. He sees change as a running away from your own self.

Yukino is a person that wants to start things anew. Instead she views change as a redemption.

And when you place these two opposing types of mentality into socially hazardous minds, you will get some pretty deep insightful **** as I've said before. (As far as how long the anime will cover the light novels, I am pretty optimistic). I can't emphasize enough, but this anime follows through beyond what I am expecting here. So much that it is unexpected.

I was expecting humor and problems with romance the first time I laid eyes on the title, but this anime isn't supposed to show the traditional means of romance and comedy. It's supposed to show a deeper aspect here behind the subtle use of fanservice and comedy, and that's what I admire in this anime. It's going about a pace to show why the characters are what they are, and it leaves you hoping that somehow things will get better for every characters' sake.

The question whether or not the two most stubborn characters in this anime will change for the better or change for the worse is very interesting to watch.

I found this anime very enjoyable and laughed at the countless moments of Hachiman's remarks (and references!) to the many quirks of the other characters. The banter between the characters is always amusing with the snarkiness and scorn bouncing about through and over the heads of the friendlier characters. And the monologues are very noteworthy in displaying a character's personality and are especially identified with the viewers.

The dialogue is also backed with very fitting music that sounds like something from a well-done visual novel ranging from expressive piano notes to bass grooves. The sound has a whimsical expression that superbly matches character tones and the clean defined atmosphere touched by the art. Furthermore, the music goes hand-in-hand with Hachiman's monologues and serious recollections. At times, the music and sound will also remind you of the sad and bitter undertones that lie beneath the character's happy expression called "youth."

Story:
Well it's a romantic comedy, so really there is no "plot". Like all rom-coms, the interest here is the character development, romance, and comedy

Character development: Not much. I'd like to say I'm kidding but the characters really didn't develop much in the course of the show. They remain the same archetypal characters throughout the course of the show. They get over their "trust issues", but then act the same as they did before. Also it's worth nothing that the show really just ends on them being "friendly" and not close friends.

Romance: NONE. I mean fucking nothing. No dating, no kissing, not even really any ... hinting tbh. This show ends on a note of fucking nothing happening between him and his "love interest". The most "blushing" moments in the show are thanks to the trap Saika.

Comedy: It's not funny. The jokes are limited, not really tasteful, and there isn't any good "ridiculous scenarios". It's probably the most unfunny rom-com I've ever seen. I cannot stress this enough, there is no comedy in this romantic comedy.


NOTE: This anime did nothing new in the romantic comedy genre as far as plot or themes. Everything that has been done here has been done before and better.
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Animation:

I love animation. This show looks awful. It's got animation from pre-2007, any action scenes are done horribly, and every character shows practically no emotion throughout the show. Not only that, i'm utterly surprised how lazy it all looks. I mean there is "we didn't have a budget" and then there is "we didn't care".

Note: Romantic comedies are generally of highest animation quality, however this is below average for any genre.
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Soundtrack: The soundtrack is just like the animation: Lazy, below-average, and not good.
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Characters:
(Note: I had to look up most of their names because I honestly didn't care for any of them by the end of 13 episodes).

Hikigaya, Hachiman: A fucking asshole who is negative about everything for really pathetic reasons. Of course pessimism in any situation will have some truth to it, but being anti-anything for the sake of it gets old really fast. I thought in the start he was kinda interesting, but it turns out the guy is just a fucking asshole. I cannot stress how ridiculously pessimistic and pathetic the MC is of this show, so here are some examples:
-Calls Yui a bitch before the audience has but 30 seconds to know her.
-Is an asshole to a guy who really doesn't deserve it(tennis scene).
-Constantly rejects everyone on everything "just because".(note: this does not change.)
-Is pessimistic beyond rationality. Like he's a walking trope of "how can you look at this scenario in a negative light."
-Remains the same archetype(pessimist) throughout the show and acts accordingly to any situation.


Yuigahama, Yui: The only one who actively showed interest in the main character. Airhead.
-Not much else to say, that's her archetype and that's all she does/is.

Yukinoshita, Yukino: The perfect girl. Pretty, athletic, smart. Talks down to everyone, blames people who are envious of her on why she joined the club, and is really kind of a bitch tbh.
-Again, archetype.

Totsuka, Saika: Honestly the only character that I liked. But....really all they did was take a cute/moe girl and call her a guy. That's all she is.

Saki: Unimportant side character who's only point is a subplot of her job to support her family
-Nothing to say, she only really exist for but one episode

The Teacher: Another lazy archetype/trope, nothing to see here, move along.
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Conclusion: This anime is awful in all regards.
-There is no comedy, no romance, and all the characters are boring
-The animation and sound are both incredibly lazy/poor.

ONE GOOD THING: If I had to state one good thing about this show would be that it caught me by surprise. Every romance anime I have ever seen tries to deviate from the normal/average highschool-romance in some way, even if by a little. But this show made no attempts at that, leaving me surprised that a show would actually run from start to finish with nothing surprising happening along the way.

I do not recommend this anime to anyone.

I can think of at least 2 things wrong with that title.

It’s not funny and there’s nothing romantic about it.

The writters aimed for deadpan sarcastic comedy title, yet they didn’t do their work investigating how successful deadpan comedy Works. You need to have a serious guy and a funny guy to make the comebacks, this doesn’t work if both guys are dead inside.

Lest start with the characters shall we?
There’s nothing wrong with an outcast pessimistic boring character, but it becomes terribly wrong if this character has only one face to show up to the audience and shows no growth at all during the whole series. ... Yes we’re talking about Hachiman, the dead inside “all I do is right or at least is the easy/fast way to do kind of guy”. I still haven’t figured out how did I manage to watch all 12 episodes and not die of an aneurysm on his inside monologues. A 2 x 4 wooden plank with a serious face painted on it would have been funnier and even more charismatic than this carácter.


Now lets talk about Yukino the Ice Queen. At least she shows up some progress at the last episodes of the showing some gratitude and trying hard to strengthen the bonds between her and Yui. But she’s still awfully boring and hard to relate or like at all. Flawless characters aren’t funny at all, there’s no room for improvement. It was so annoying to see her to point out Hiki’s flaws with no retort at all, watch her play tennis better than Serena Williams, up to doing all the planning for the culture festival and also become some rockstar on stage by playing a guitar and singing with no premise to us the viewers. And lets not forget about her sister being some sort top class director a la Fletcher from Whiplash.

Yui is probably the most down to earth character from the main cast. She’s fun, thoughtful and a bit of a door mat by trying to fit in with the cool guys, but eventually she’ll make the choice of sticking with the people who atcually care for her.


Story?
There’s really no story in it. It’s a stale slice of life trying to stay under the radar throughout highschool days. The writters tried to add some kind of sub-plot on the whole Hikki/Yui backstory about her dog being run-over by a mysterious black limo, but the lazy writters just didn’t care to follow up the story.

Artsyle is just above everage, nothing to be amazed about it, guess it suits the average boring characters.

The animation is just bare minimum, since most of the shots are just panning stills of Hikki doing his mindboring monologues. There are a few action scenes with more movement involved, but those are quite rare.

I don’t know why there are so many people calling this series “realistic”. There’s nothing real about this one, being a pessimistic guy who makes no effort whatsoever to come out of his confort zone always comes back to punish him/her wheter is at work places or among family/friends.

To be fair, the only times I had some laughs were from the Fujoshi jokes from Ebina. At least the wirtters know the basics of slapstick humor.

Don't waste your time on this one, there are tons of deadpan humor series out there that know how to make memorable characters, like Hare nochi Guu, Seitokai Yakuindomo, or Konosuba to name some series that vary a lot in terms of background and story.

A shining example of an anime with a premise that has much potential, yet is wasted in favor of the same anime cliches we see in every other show as well as characters too inorganic to care about.

Story: 5

I'm willing to go out on a limb here and give the story a 5, because I can see what the writers wanted to achieve in this anime, and near the end, some literary substance came into the light in a way that made me start to care about the MC, but you have to slog through the first 10~ episodes of boring cliches and annoying characters ... to get to that point. The overarching theme that I took away from this show was how social nuances and the individual's role in the social hierarchy play an important part in the balance of social harmony, and how even the social outcast, the one who sees through the veil and rejects its grasp, cannot escape the important part they play in this social environment. I get the feeling that if this premise was put in the hands of a studio more focused on creative writing then it could transform into something very remarkable in more ways than one, but of course, this is not the case with this anime. Instead, we are treated with a slice-of-life styled episodic progression with only little bits and pieces of character internalization sprinkled here and there in a couple episodes. Not enough to make me think highly of the story.


Characters: 2

If I had one suggestion to the writers on how to improve the anime, it would be to combine Hachiman Hikigaya and Yukino Yukinoshita into a character called Hachiman Hikigaya. Yukino anchors the show from reaching any real literary merit by being the most pretentious and annoying character charged with being "the smart one". You KNOW the writers tried shoehorning her into the story: a beautiful looking girl who is very intelligent and in very athletic shape and is perfect in every way imaginable, yet during middle school, some jealous students would frequently hide her shoes, which is why she is *somehow* a bigger recluse than Hachiman. And Hachiman's reaction to her telling him all this? Something along the lines of: "Wow, you must've had a hard life." No. Not in the slightest. This is downright lazy character design. Her flawless personality is only half of what makes her so annoying. The other half comes up whenever she "analyzes" a person or a situation, creating these abhorrently false presumptions based on absolutely no evidence or prior knowledge. She is always "right" in everything she says or does because the writers just make all the characters agree with her regardless of their personality or disposition towards her, or even just how stupid and incoherent she is. If you would take just one moment to step back and actually listen to what she says, it's borderline comical at how dumb these scenes are. I could go in-depth with all the side characters, but all you really need to know is that their social problems, much like the whole show in general, has a lot of potential to be good writing on social life in the emotionally charged environment of a high school, yet is bogged down by bad anime tropes.


Art/Sound: 4

The art is slightly decent in comparison to other shows in the genre, though I'm not sure if that's really saying much. Thus music is flat and uninteresting, much like the show itself.


Enjoyment: 3

I obviously don't like it, though I stuck around till the end just to see if they could make any last ditch effort to expand on its themes. To a small extent, it did, but not nearly enough to compensate for the rest of the anime. for those wanting a decent story, this show leaves much to be desired.


Conclusion:

Just once, just ONCE I would like to see an anime made in the 2010's that isn't marred by all of today's cut-and-paste cliches and extremely used character archetypes and instead focusing on telling an actual, gripping story that involves organic and believable characters. When looking up this anime for the first time, it looked like your everyday cookie-cutter anime, which it was. Yet there was a little something there that made me wish this particular anime was in the hand of a different studio, in the hopes that they would've polished and improved the story, centered around a story that involves real human problems, carried by real human characters.

"They say that if you change yourself, you'll change the world, but that's a complete lie. When people judge somebody, it becomes a fixed idea and an impression that lasts. A loner is forced to stay a loner. If you do your best at something and stand out, that'll only get used as fodder for criticism. Those are the rotten rules of the Kingdom of Children.
Question: The world will not change, but you can change yourself. So then, how will you change?
Answer: You become the god of a new world."

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(Note: This review is SPOILER FREE. Also, for a quick summary refer to the FINAL THOUGHTS ... section at the end.)

Society. Social beings. Human beings.
We are social creatures. We are supposed to interact, we are supposed to communicate, we are supposed to be -for a serious lack of a better term- "social". We are supposed to hold back things we want to say even if it is the truth; heck, we even have to lie if that is what society expects of us and if that is what's necessary to maintain the status quo. However, it is hard to do that and more harder to keep it up (which I'm sure all of us can attest).
It is harder for those who have been labeled by society with a particular tag; who are forced to behave as society expects them to. A loner is forced to stay a loner. A "weirdo" is expected (thus forced) to be a weirdo. A "stupid" person is expected to say something stupid, and even if he says something sensible, he is still jeered. The funny thing is: the other guys are also expected/(slightly forced) to jeer him. Quicksand is what comes to mind to describe this tag; the more you struggle to get out, the more you are dragged in. Is that how human relations are ? It seems as though, they are not formed as we want them to, they are formed and maintained as they are expected to. Is that how society works? Through expectations?

Expectations: This word is more dangerous than I thought.
As a testament to it's power, let me make it clear that I didn't EXPECT a "romcom" like Oregairu to provoke thoughts such as the aforementioned ones to creep into my little mind. Well, I guess it is important for unexpected things to happen, how else are we gonna escape from the quicksand!!

STORY:
High school. The perfect model of the overall human society. In fact, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that the high school experience of our adolescent years are what prepares us for the complex and intricate world we call society.
Enter Hikigaya Hachiman, a high school student whose existence doesn't matter to this model society. He has tried and failed in his attempts to become a "normal" part of society. So now he is a loner-by-choice without any friends at all. Certain circumstances (mostly his teacher), forces him to join the "volunteers" club which exists to help people to solve their problems. However, the catch is that the club happens to currently have as a sole member -> the most popular (and rightly so) girl in school: Yukinoshita Yukino. Add to that the sweet and exuberant Yuigahama Yui to complete the club and what you get is 100% enjoyment.
The plot (on a general note) thus consists of this club helping different people with various problems on request.

ART:
It was fine. Yes, some episodes had drops in the quality, but it wasn't bad enough to be a distraction. In fact, as I'm not the fastidious type, I only barely noticed.

SOUND:
Average here too. Liked the opening as well as the ending. Certainly not great ones but still enjoyable.

CHARACTERS:
Simply awesome.

The male lead: Hachiman/"Hikki" has to be one of the most badass character without a gun, or superpowers or magical powers.... ec cetera. He probably couldn't take out one young man, forget a gang of villains.... but still he is awesome.
His antisocial lifestyle combined with a pessimistic view has created in him, an ability to understand our society, world and hence our life which is intriguing, almost creepy. He is able to do so only because he is an observer: he is not really a part of society. Being outside it's realm permits him a unique viewpoint that others lack. Truly an admirable character.
"You say you admire me. I think what you probably admire is how I speak out things as I see them and not care about others, and how I'm unaffected by the people around me. But isn't that because you can emphasize with me, a loner? In that sense, we are the same. That means you are a loner like me. However, your admiration leads me to believe that you are still trying to fit in: you are still affected by other people's views about you. And the cruel fact is you hate yourself for it. Isn't that so?"
That is probably how he would respond to my last statement and the creepy thing is that, despite the twisted nature of his views, he is usually spot on.
The way he handles the problems is also fun to watch as he uses his twisted ideologies to think of unorthodox solutions which are usually quite cruel and in-your-face but effective nontheless.

The first of the female lead Yukino: She is smart and witty and is not afraid to speak her mind. She is similar to Hikki in that sense. Plus, she is also a loner. However, in her case, it is not by choice. Her perfection (and probably the cold demeanour) is the cause for her circumstances.

The second of the female leads Yui: She is probably a stereotype of the "cheerful and bubbly" type of character, but still her presence is quite important. Without her, the club and probably the anime wouldn't be the same.

The rest of the characters are also important in the sense that they represent the normal views of normal humans. So, they serve to emphasize the contrast between Hachiman's view and that of his peers.

What makes this show tick..
1. Hachiman: his views, monologues and staight-to-the-point methods. In fact, one could make an hour long video with his monologues alone and it would still be highly enjoyable.
2. The interactions between the characters. This is also the highlight of the show. The interactions between the main three characters is top notch. These interactions seemed to develop along with the characters themselves which was great as well. Especially, the conversations between Hachiman and Yukino are highly enjoyable and of course funny as well.

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SO,
The FINAL THOUGHTS
cons:
*Cannot really think of anything significant. The setting is a normal high school, nothing fancy; that might be a turn off for those inclined to fantasy/supernatural settings.
*Maybe the art/animation? for the really observant ones.

Pros:
Oregairu stands out from the rest of the romcoms because of...
*The male lead: Usually, the male lead is "kind", sweet and (for god's sake!) dense too. Here, he is Hikigaya Hachiman. Period.
*The melodrama(i.e the lack of it): Also something I liked. Had it in as small amounts as possible. So, the plot and setting seemed almost able to occur in real life.
*The monologues: Seriously. I recommend printing them and sticking them on the bedroom walls or something. Pure gold.

Score:
Entertainment: 9.5
Everything else: 8
So, OVERALL: 8.75 = 9

Capable of changing how we perceive the society and human nature in general. But hilarious at the same time.
Highly recommended to any anime viewer. Especially recommended for the ones who love romcoms (because they are the most likely to be pleasantly surprised ).

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{P.S; This is my very first review. So, feedbacks and comments (both +ve and -ve) would be highly appreciated.}

Note: This is my first review. The sole reason I am writing this is because I felt that this anime is over evaluted, and it's probably the worst rating I've given.

First of all, let's talk about the characters.
-Hikigaya Hachiman - the main character. There is no doubt that this anime has some pretty badass monologues, making you wonder about the possibilities and choices you do in your life. Hikigaya brings joy to this anime, being this "lone wolf" who never depends on anyone and never wants trouble.

-Yukinoshita Yukino - the other main character. This girl is very similiar to the Hikigaya, since just ... like him, she'd rather be alone than with someone else. She's a famous cute girl who everyone in the school knows, specially because of her sister and successful family well know all over the country or atleast the town.

-Yuigahama Yui - Your regular semi-popular girl who ends up liking (and I enforce the idea of LIKE) the two "weirdos". Unlike Hikigaya and Yukinoshita, she prefers being in a group and fit in perfectly within society.

About the sound, not much I can say, I don't take too many notes about it, since it is completely personal.

The story.

The thing that made me dislike this anime was the fact that Hikigaya, who second to his dialogues, loves himself, and tries to step away from trouble and unpleasure. However, his teacher forces him to join a club in order to be an accepted person in this "all looks" society. He ends up meeting Yukinoshita.
I will not spoil, but I think people should atleast know that this anime pretty much envolves Hikigaya being led around and actually doing stuff, work, that he hates the most. The two girls in the club, Yukinoshita and Yuigahama (Yui entered later) treat him poorly. As far as Yukinoshita goes, she demonstrates hatred towards Hikigaya. In my opinion, his characteristics would make him instantly leave the club but he ends up tolerating all the bullshit put upon him.

As far as enjoyment goes, I have to say the anime gets pretty dull after the first few episodes. I was expectant and ended up watching the whole anime, and I'm not sure if I regret it or not. It is indeed a great anime when it comes to monologues and dialogues between the two main characters (Hiki and Yukino) but I do not believe the story to be fit of the characters.
Another thing that is quite bothering is the fact that the characters join the club to change their personalities but they end up staying completely the same, so as far as character development goes, I'd say it's pretty weak.

Overall, I do believe it's worth is between 6-7, and I wish the story had been better developed. People should definitely give it a try, but do not expect romance or any adventure at all.

If you disagree on any point I've made, please send me a personal message as I am looking forward to improve my reviews. Any type of critiques would help, hope you guys have a good time with the anime and fully apreciate it unlike me :)

"My Romantic Youth Comedy Is Wrong As Expected" is quite an attention grasping title wouldn't you agree? Most romance stories are non-realistic times a thousand. True love rarely exists and people don't always end up (usually don't end up) with the person they think they love. In real life, a hot girl doesn't suddenly like the main character because he's "weak, innocent and kind" like a lot of shows seem to portray. Life in school seems to be so great and wondrous in anime when at times it really isn't in reality. This show takes full advantage of taking a different route than most romance ... comedy stories do by adding more realism and pessimism into the characters/story.

The story follows the most pessimistic, cynical and biggest misanthrope anime character I've ever seen in anime named Hachiman Hikigaya and his life in school. He is a loner and he doesn't have any friends, not that he wants to have friends to begin with. He believes that everything in the world is made of lies and he doesn't want to take part in anything related to the world (wtf right?...) But he ends up being forced to join a club - Volunteer Service Club - and it all goes from there. The story isn't your usual romance-comedy since it doesn't focus primarily on romance but more on the main characters view of life and the world - which is something along the lines of "This world sucks". An intriguing aspect of the series is it's themes of life: its important not to always tackle every problem with a kind attitude as Hikki's foil (every character is a foil for each other really) the extremely kind Hayato Hayama finds out. When he enters the club meets the club's single member, a girl named Yukino (more somewhat foils). The two immediately dislike each other yet it is clear even at the start that they are very similar in attitude but go about their problems in entirely different ways. The conflict between Hayato, Yukino and Hiki is clever and well constructed as they both foiling roles as they always take different paths to solving problems. Hiki being the cynical and lonely person that he is slowly discovers that there's more to life than just being alone... Or maybe not. Anyways blah blah blah Hiki's (and others) portrayal of life is basically the story.

A lot of anime characters fall into stereotypes, especially in a high school setting. The main character is usually some innocent pure guy who is loved by 2 girls. He has that one chill or crazy best friend who joins in on the love square. The 2 girls, one is usually some mean girl who'll end up with the main character because they "complete" each other since one is mean and other is nice. Then the nice, kind girl will never convey her feelings to main character, and eventually end up with the main characters best friend or something... However, the characters here are different. Hachiman Hikigaya, is a lead that is one of the most interesting and realistic. He is a pessimist, he sees the worst in people, he hates life and is the true definition of a loner/misanthrope. He has no interest in others and for the most part ignores everyone. How wonderful right? What really makes this series is Hikigaya as we see the world through his eyes. One of my favorite aspects of his character is that he's genuinely kind on the inside, sort of. He'll sometimes purposely make himself the bad guy or take the fall for everyone else despite not caring. There are some characters that know about this so it's not all annoying that he does this for no reason kind of thing. The other female characters foil him perfectly. Beautiful chemistry between the characters. There's like a new character introduced every episode, and each one is pretty unique but... I'll leave it at that.

The art and sound of the anime were decent. The voicing cast was decent and the openings were decent. There really was no music in the show though so meh... And the art was definitely high quality for a rom-com show. But the characters all look decent but the lack of details make them very plain. And compared to other high-quality rom-com shows like Sakurasou, this wasn't as colorful and bright but I didn't mind it because it was a pretty dark, pessimistic story for a rom-com. Hiki's dead fish-eyes were funny though, they fit his character well~ ^o^

I really enjoyed watching this anime, to the point where I watched it all in one day (sad I know). It really had my attention primarily because I could sort of relate to the protagonist (in the sense that sometimes although I'm not depressed or cynical , I think about how pointless life can be and annoying/disgusting some human beings can be) which is really rare in an anime. The other characters are all enjoyable, the comedy is funny for the visuals is worth looking at (yes, there are beautiful females). Despite having beautiful girls and being a modern-day romance comedy, there is no fan service which really was refreshing to see. This story is a great watch for romance-comedy lovers and cynical people in general.

'Fake people have an image to maintain, real people just don't care!', TRUE indeed.

Basically, this show is centered about a loner called Hikigaya Hachiman, NOT a very attractive name or looks for the protagonist, BUT then again those are the points about which the whole story of this show rotates. It is the personality and the 'real' image of this guy that makes this story one of the most unique things ever!!

Then we have the heroin - 'the-ice-cold-beauty', Yukino Yukinoshita, another loner. The 'self made' Miss perfectionist, the healer of anyone's problems. The rebellion against the society. Although behind all the facade and beauty covers, ... even this young woman has her own problems, problems which no one is aware of, nor does she want anyone to be aware of because according to her - 'relying on people is a weakness'.

They are later joined by the happy-go-lucky-always-friendly Yui Yuigahama, who is having her own problems.

All in all, this is by far one of the best anime I've ever seen. The first thing that fits this show right is that it's totally unique. And of course as the name itself, suggests - not your usual teen romantic comedy!, and indeed it isn't the usual sappy teen romance story, the kind of love at first sight or other idiotic themes like that.

The show probes into more deep and realistic themes. The philosophy of the main character is something that everyone is aware of in their day-to-day lives, but they never have enough courage or understanding to speak it out loud. Hikigaya Hachiman may very well become, the favorite character of any individual watching this show. His realistic+pessimistic take on life, BANG ON ! potraits everything about life. The truth of relationships, the number of masks that people go around wearing, and the time to time loner 101.

The show has it's HILARIOUS moments, Romantic moments and seriously making-you-reflective-on-life moments. With awesome art ( although season does even better in that section), music and amazing story, this si one to watch before you die. NO, let me rephrase it - ' You HAVE to watch it before you die!'.

Selfish and egocentric characters, making us question, "Why do they have to be like this?" The worst part is that the story seems stagnant, as if it will never progress, even though it has potential and some interesting plots here and there that could drive the plot forward. However, the author chooses not to move forward, and when making an effort to develop something, they end up creating simplistic topics that contribute little to the progression of the story. The characters become extremely monotonous and repetitive: the protagonist carries a constant philosophy that he maintains throughout the entire anime, as if it were an absolute ... truth; the character Yukino seems to have an algorithm for insults; and Yui, in turn, seems to be just another generic character. The problem is that, no matter the moment or context, these characters maintain the same characteristics and reactions from the beginning, creating a monotonous and repetitive experience. In the end, you are left questioning why you watched all of this.

High school is probably the definition of hell for every teenager. It is a place where kids are told they're stupid, are admired only for their looks, whose grades tell them that they won't amount to anything, are bullied by jocks, and are laughed at for what they wear or say. High school is shit. It is a place filled with ignorant condescending pricks who isolate individuals based on how they look, what they wear, or what they do. Rarely do these "jocks" (in other words, the kings and queens of the pricks) come to know someone before they judge. Make a mistake around them ... and you're permanently excluded from anything and everything "exciting" or "cool" that happens. Rarely do you find a friend in high school that likes you for you, and not because of your wealth, social circle, or looks. Oregairu is a show that dives deep into these interactions and friendships. A show whose dialogue will leave you speechless, and whose characters are so real and likeable that you just can't stop watching it.

Oh well, that was my rant on the school system. On to the review!

Art:
Oregairu was animated by a studio called Brains Base, a company known for producing shows like Spice and Wolf II, Baccano, and Durarara. Needless to say, the animation was great. Fluid graphics, complete with palatable character designs and simple backgrounds easily score the show an 8/10. The sound in this show was great. Piano music, along with an amazing OP (that is bound to get stuck in your head) makes me award this show with an 8/10 there too.

Story:
There isn't much of a definite plot line here. It's really just a slice of life show. My biggest complaint here is that they mislabeled the show as a romance. If you're thinking of watching this show because you expect there to be romance, look elsewhere. Aside from implied romantic interests, nothing,not even the slightest bit of development, happens here. 9/10

Characters:
The characters are realistic and unique. None of that stereotypical crap you find in countless other shows in the genre. 10/10

Conclusion:
And thus, I end this brief review by saying that Oregairu paints a deep and dark portrait of the truth behind today's high schools. The interactions and dialogue between Hachiman and the other characters hit home, which is why this show is one of my favorite shows of all time. (Enjoyment 10/10, Overall: 9/10)


* Written by a current high school student.

This one hits me a little on the emotional side, because being an expat I see these turmoils in life (not fitting in), which is a slight reason I give this anime more importance and I may have a sight bias towards it. But anyhow,

Hachiman isn't your average main character, unlike NHK's MC he isn't trying to overcome his predicament of not fitting in, he is aware of it though. Unlike Log Horizon's MC he isn't gifted with wits, though they both have a commonality in giving someone else the credit for all they have done, because the other person is more charismatic and thus ... fits what society believes. What this MC has is practicality, he is realistic, and defines the world as a pessimistic world. Although for some reason I feel like he has great faith in it, but I can't back this.

Throughout the story he will tackle problems (social) and provide solutions and what is annoying is that in real life that is how it would go down. You won't get action from this anime nor will it get you jumping out of your seat, but you will enjoy it because of how well it flows and makes you think.

In terms of romance, even though it is tagged with it and has it in its name, it is very slight, if it is even there. And when it will come it might turn this whole anime around as it may interfere with some friendships, this is no harem that is for sure, so there must be conflict, so that might be interesting to watch too.

The other MC is Yukino, she is smart, beautiful and pretty much perfect and thus ostracized by society and again is aware of her situation and thus just mocks human society openly, for its cruelty.

The third MC (Yui) is a direct contrast to both of them. She is normal, in all ways. And that is her role. I don't exactly know how else to describe her.

This anime will be far from boring, it might not be a favorite for everyone, but it is definitely worth a shot. It has content.

When you first see the cover or synopsis of this anime, most people would probably think it's the typical romantic comedy with the main guy character being surrounded by typical, beautiful two female characters. You'll probably expect some love sequence to pop up now and then and for some confessions to take place. I just want to clear this up to the people who are thinking of watching this anime that this is not your typical "romantic" slice of life anime.

It's going to be very difficult for me to try and explain without having to spoil anything so please try to bear with me. ...

Story - I don't understand why this is labeled under romance and comedy. Despite all the little jokes that happen now and then, this anime does not make humor nor romance ever an objective. Typical romantic comedy animes (like Toradora, Sakurasou no pet na kanajo, and Clannad) always cling onto the typical cliche "boy meets girl" and "boy and girl get to know each other and fall in love". Although this anime doesn't seem to make an effort to try and diverge from the set up of this cliche, what's different about this anime is that it's actually realistic. This anime pulls a middle finger to all of those frustrating dramatic scenes and all the heart-wrenching confusion by simply not letting any of those situations occur at all. Have you ever been so angry at the characters for making stupid choices? Have you ever been frustrated at how some characters just won't confess? Or have you ever been annoyed at how stupid and pointless most of the confusion occurs from? If you answered yes to all these, then this is definitely an anime that will satisfy you by eliminating all of those annoying elements (even though it's fun to watch sometimes).

The reason, however, I gave the Story a 7 is because there really is no story. This is an anime about a high school club called the Service Club with only three members, a loner named Hachiman, a beautiful perfectionist named Yukino, and an awkwardly pathetic girl named Yui, trying to help people at their school "change". For those who have not watched this anime yet, all I'm going to say is that "do not let the synopsis fool you". What may happen will not happen and what may not happen will happen. It was awkward for me the first time I watched it, but after seven episodes, I realized "this definitely is not your typical anime".

Characters - This is the strongest thing that makes up a big portion of this anime. The main characters are very realistic and surprising in their own way. This is one of the first animes I have ever seen in which the "social outcast" cliche has actually been nailed spot on. There is no other character as cynnical, pessimistic, yet so intelligent as Hachiman Hikigaya. Though his indifference to a wide number of things tend to be disinteresting the first few episodes, as each episode goes by you get to truly understand why he acts the way he is and how his mind works. He may just be one of my favorite slice-of-life animes just because I've never watched a character so honest and realistic as him. Everything he says is either painfully true or painfully wise either way there's a sad kind of pain that comes with it. It's entertaining to say when the other main character, Yukino, always argues with him since they're both so intelligent. What's even more fascinating is that even though Yukino and Hachiman are so wise in their different ways, Yui is the only one with friends and a regard for true friendship. It is these kinds of values each character has that differentiates the quality of the story and teaches a painful lesson about the way society works. In short, realistic characters tell a realistic story.

Art - The art isn't as different as you expect. It's not marvelous and it's not boring. What is somewhat different is the way they do the character's eyes and I find it impressive how it totally signifies how each character looks. Hachiman has got this dead eyes and oftentimes was thought of as a ghost or "dead" frequently in the anime. It shows how indifferent and observant he is to the things around him. Yukino's eyes are that of determination and somewhat overbearing cockiness. She knows she's perfect and talented and never had her eyes showed a sense of weakness (or have we?). Yui's eyes are big and round and symbolize her optimism and cheerfulness in the world. She tends to always be the one having fun when Yukino and Hachiman aren't. The banner itself is what's also interesting to me. Hachiman is the only one facing the other way as definition of his lonely nature, whereas Yukino takes up half of the poster with her overbearing confident look, while finally there's Yui, keeping up her cheerful look. Even though the art is not perfect, I truly feel that the artists kept in mind more of an objective approach rather than an aesthetic one.

Sound - I didn't really pay much attention to the sound effects or anything, but as for the voice actors, I think each character did a good job in playing their roles perfectly. The intro song is pretty good and catchy, yet the lyrics doesn't seem to encapsulate the anime's theme or synopsis (I could be wrong).

Enjoyment - As for the enjoyment, I guess you could say it was good watch. In all honesty, I zoomed by these 13 episodes real fast and I don't really have a reason as to why that is. It could be the quirkiness or the characters that just tend to entertain me. I really enjoyed Hachiman and Yukino as characters because they're so unconventionally different and progress the story by just being themselves. Hachiman has his badass moments and when you watch this anime you'll know what I'm talking about. Another thing I really enjoyed were the various scenarios the Service Club had to go through to meet and help new people. As much as I want to say I really really enjoyed this, as you can tell, I can't really give one solid reason. You just got to watch it yourself and take what you think was very enjoyable.

Overall I give it an 8.
Awesome characters, super unique, and totally changes your views on what you expect of a romantic comedy anime, even if it may be a misnomer.

Hope this review was helpful to you guys and gives you a sense of what kind of anime "Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru" is!