Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Zoku

I don’t know about you, but my high school years were… not very exciting. I spent a lot of time by myself, reading in the corner of the classroom or somewhere quiet in the library at lunch. I had a group of friends, yeah, but there were only a few that I’d ever really talk to. Even then, I’d always decline if they ever asked me to go out somewhere, telling them about how busy I was or how I “had other plans”.

I never said much. I remember a few of my classmates sometimes asking why I was so quiet all the time, why ... I only tried to just sit there and read. I never knew how to answer. That was just how I was, I guess – I didn’t like talking, and I wasn’t very comfortable around most people. Why? I’d tell you I was shy, but I wouldn’t be saying very much. And it’s not like I was bullied or anything – no one picked on me or hated me in particular. I might’ve preferred being by myself, sure, but I still had a few friends – it wasn’t like I hated being around people. I think someone called me mute once.

It’s been almost a year since I graduated and I’ve… moved on… since then, but I’d be lying if I said it’s all just in the past. When we graduated, that was that – some of us went to the same university, some didn’t. I ended up cutting ties with most of those who didn’t, and I still don’t find myself talking a whole lot with those who did. But, hey, at the very least I’ve come to realise how silly I used to be, trying to stay away from people like the plague – it’s all just a natural part of growing up, and only now did I get the chance to finally join the club.

OreGairu understands this. All of it. Everything. You see it in the slight furrow of Hikigaya’s brow as his head rests on his palm, eyes brooding over to the noisiest parts of the classroom. You see it in the droop of his shoulders, hands finding solace where his trouser pockets were, as his bag bounces in perfect rhythm to each of his slow, dreary steps. OreGairu knows what it’s like to sit in that corner of the classroom, by yourself, never talking, with you finding your mouth a little stale when it’s time to leave because it’s been closed for so long. It’s just that OreGairu… does not think these things are silly.

People are weird. We say one thing when we mean the opposite, we’re quick to find flaws but we’re not quick to trust. We’re nasty for the sake of nastiness, and we’re still all sorts of vicious to others even when we don’t know it. People are complex and hard to understand, incredibly strange and all sorts of unpredictable – no one plays by exactly the same rules, and we will never reach a perfect understanding of each other no matter how hard we try. I’m with Hikigaya on this one: why do we still keep trying to get caught up in this mess when we know it’ll just cause us all sorts of problems later?

…Or that’s what I’d be saying a year ago, at least. Because to someone like Hikigaya – someone like me, in the past – we can’t explain why people find themselves inevitably drawn to each other anyway.

Because to OreGairu, you don’t need to.

It’s how when you strip away all of his self-defeating cynicism and hateful snark, Hikigaya is actually a pretty ordinary teenage boy, with all the same desire, jealousy, and fear as any other. We see it when he’s with Komachi: he’s not with the outside world anymore, he’s with someone he knows. He’s calm, he’s open, and she listens while he lets out all of his deepest wounds, all of his most buried secrets. It’s no surprise, of course, when they’re family – they’ve been there for each other for fifteen years, and they’ll be there for another fifteen more. Hikigaya says he lives the way he does because he has no other choice, but that’s not true – he lives the way he does because he doesn’t trust the world enough to share himself with it, to share the Hikigaya that banters so naturally and playfully with his little sister.

But it’s a slow process. OreGairu only manages to give us a vague eventuality, a “one day he’ll change” kind of thing, because it takes actually spending time with your closest friends to realise how far you’ve managed to distance yourself from them in the first place. Hikigaya’s finally starting to open himself up to the world, even if just a little, and through OreGairu we see how that can have profound effects on other people. Even then, he still doesn’t get anything more from those who aren’t close to him than a “you’ve kinda changed”, with them finding him only slightly less boring to look at. Because… that’s how it is. Because it’s the small things like that that show how, someday, maybe when he’s dusting off one of his old yearbooks he found in his garage, he’ll be able to look back on this moment as just an embarrassing memory – when he could say he was more open, honest, and true to himself than ever before.

My birthday’s coming up in a few weeks. I’ve never been to many parties, but maybe I’ll invite a few people to a movie or something. I know I won’t change in a week, and I certainly won’t change tomorrow, but in a year, maybe two, I might not be saying the same. OreGairu gave me a chance, and I’m not letting it go. But I can thank it later. For now, it’s time to turn OreGairu off – I have some old friends to catch up on.

"What the hell is with everyone telling me to change? I don't want other people telling me who I am" - Hachiman Hikigaya

A sequel to any anime always presents a challenge to both the creators and viewers of the show simply because the creators have to produce something better then what it started with in order to satisfy the majority of people that wished for that second season and the viewers have to decide whether or not the sequel lives up to the expectations that they wished for (In this case 2 years ago).

Let me start by saying this... Yahari Ore no Seishun ... Love Comedy wa Machiatteiru. Zoku is by far absolutely brilliant in what it brings to a "typical" high school anime combining elements of drama, comedy, and romance into show that screams to be watched by the masses.

Story: While most high school anime focus primarily on romance, drama, or comedy, Zoku balances the 3 elements and incorporate each to make a show that isn't over saturated with love triangles or clueless airheads that can't take a hint. What is also phenomenal about the show is the realism that it portrays as we take the perspective of Hikigaya and dive into his life as a ordinary high school student who just wishes to be alone. The story focuses primarily on the troubles and tribulations of high school life whether it be helping a friend with social anxieties or assisting the student council president in daily activities. It takes these everyday problems that students have to deal with and creates these situations where Hikigaya is forced to cooperate. What grasped my attention the most is how Hikigaya deals with these situations that he is presented with and what he does to resolve these problems through is own personal beliefs and the experience he has gained by observing society and the fake attitudes that people conceal behind a mask of popularity and social status. What drives the show and makes it worthwhile is to see how Hikigaya handles these situations along with his fellow club members and the sudden shifts, turns, and drops this emotional roller coaster of a show throws at you as you try to discover the "Real Things' this show truly offer.

Characters: At the time you're reading this I can safely assume that you watched the first season of the show and have a general understanding of how our 3 main characters act and behave so I can make this short and simple. Let's start with our main protagonist Hikigaya Hachiman, If you haven't seen the first season then I advise you to go to that now because Hikigaya can be described in one word and that is Pragmatic. Hikigaya always takes things at face value and honestly doesn't care about what people think. He's anti social in a way that he wishes to be alone because he knows this would not only benefit himself but the people around him. It creates this awkward tension that makes Hikigaya either loved or hated by some but personally I see Hikigaya as a character that should be respected because of how he analyzes the world around him which to some respect is cruel but 100% true. Then we have Yukino Yukinoshita, Yukino can be described as an "Ice Queen" and will literally never "let it go" if you ever cross her bad side. She's smart and beautiful in way that is both cute and deadly at the same time. She has this "Royal" essence that makes her a force to be reckoned with and her snide remarks towards those she finds inferior make Yukino a beautiful nightmare you wish you can witness. Lastly we have Yui Yuigahama who is our cheerful little ball of sunshine that brightness up everyone's day whenever they are feeling down. She is the type of girl that needs support and friends to keep her company and will do anything to keep that friendship lasting until the very end.

Art/Sound: The animation of this season compared to last is a enormous improvement beyond many levels of quality. They switched to Feel Productions and I applaud the overall animation quality knowing how hard it must of been to make Hikigaya's eyes seem more dead then usual along with the cast being improved drastically in only a 2 year gap. The backdrops were stunning, The art style fit the theme well, and by far it was the best animation they could have possibly created. The opening was fantastic as I believe it was a better opening then it's predecessor and the ending was also catchy as sung by the voice actresses themselves just as last season did. The OST's of the anime were good as it fit the show nicely at just the right times and I have no complaints at all for it was simply put, better then last season.

Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Zoku did everything it was set out to do and more. It provided a story that made me want to watch over and over and left me depressed as I waited each weak for each episode to release. It brought back that sense of nostalgia 2 years ago when I was watching the first season and it reminded me how much I love Hikigaya. If you like an anime that revolves around a school setting where the premise of the story is everyday problems that have to be solved by someone who really doesn't wish to be part of society then please watch this show. I can't recommend this show enough and you won't be disappointed. The novels are the main source material where this anime is adapted from and I wait for the day that maybe... and just maybe... a season 3 will be announced.

Hahahaha! Been a long time since I have last wrote a review. This is going to be a little weird. Let me start off by saying that this series is definitely not for everyone. The people who should not watch this anime is...

-People who have tons of friends and have never been hurt by them
-People who have been happy constantly and have never experience loneliness
-People are optimistic to the point of delusion
-Basically, people who have the head ten feet up their a**es
-Or people who only enjoy anime for battle shounen

Also by the way,
SOL-Slice of Life
... RomCom-Romantic Comedy
*I'm going to be using those abbreviations A LOT!

Story:8
One of the the many good points of this series. My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU is very contrary to its name. Instead of acting as most ordinary SOL RomCom (Harem galore, Idiot Protagonist, generic females, et cetera), it acts more like a deconstruction of the genre instead. It's a story that while on paper is mundane, is told from an interesting point of view of a pessessmistic but kind loner. That is what makes the story good and better then the average RomCom. We recieve various monologue from the protagonist, Hachiman Hikigaya(8man) so while the story itself is somewhat mundane, the actions that Hachiman takes and the thoughts he thinks make the story compelling and intriguing to watch. The story continues from the first season, as Hachiman continues to solve problems that are brought to the Service Club. However unlike the first season the second is much less comedic and more heavily invested on the complex emotions of the multiple characters that the show presents. Despite being a “romance” anime, it isn’t the shows full focus. There are a lot of that, and many teasing of characters being liking each other, but it is a secondary concern below just simple friendship and character interaction.

Art:9
The art from this season is a large step-up from the original one. The character designs being the biggest change. At first, I actively disliked it at first, but as I continue to watched the character designs began to not only grow on me, but grew to the point where I like it more the original. Their looks now allow for more emotions and are less stiff. Studio Feels also manage to create great animation that allow you to be able to understand character thoughts just through their movements. All and all, the art and animation for the second season was fantastic, and while not as flashy or pretty as some of the action series as of late, but it is quite stunning in its own right.

Sound:9
The opening was actually pretty average for the most part, and in to be quite honest I prefer the opening of the first one. However, the anime counters that by making the ending fantastic and much better than the one from the first season (again, in my opinion). But the background soundtrack and voice acting is where this anime truely shines. Its subtle and minimalist tracks helps build up suspense, and allow for emotions to come naturally. The music will never overtake what is happening and will never be the star of the show. But it never needed to be, it being a minimalist type soundtrack. It purpose is to enhanced the show and what is going on, it tracks help amplify suspense when need, it also builds sadness or joy when it is played. A lot of people I know and probably a large portion of music-lovers out there dislike minimalist music so this track probably isn’t something you can listen to over and over. That being said, a few out there will find this enjoyable to constantly listen to, and some of you might even find it among your favorite music tracks. Regardless, few can argue that the music got what needed to be done, and did it with flying colors. The voice acting make the already realistic characters seem more real, and makes for what they say actual conversations that could happen instead of just characters in a fictional setting, talking.

Character:10
Oh boy, the character is where this truely surpassed my expectations. Being a RomCom, I went into this show expecting s***. As mention above RomComs usually follow a very generic formula. One of the ingriedients would be generic as hell characters, Idiotic and nice protagonist along with girls to fit every fetish and tropes to fall in love with said protagonist. This show does almost a complete reverse, with a highly realistic(pessimisstic) and intelligent protagonist with only two fully fleshed out and developed female protagonist. Let’s talked about Hachiman(8man) first, as well as talking about how much I love it when a show implements catharticism correctly. This could range from when Hachiman puts down other people with his superior rationality, or when he solves problems by commiting social suicide only to realized later on that it was a TSPP(tempory solution permanent problem). His way of thinking and morales in life resonates with me on a personal level. Which is a large reason why Hachiman is a character that is not for everyone. If you could relate to him through life experiences or you’re able to understand and realize his viewpoints on life then he may very well be one of your favorite main character in any series, SOL RomCom or otherwise as he was for me. If you’re one of the people mention on the list of people who would hate this anime, Hachiman is probably the biggest reason why. He is negative, and cynical, which is great as now their is a main protagonist that is similar to me and millions of other people out their who aren’t optimistic as soceity tells us we should be. Now on to the female leads, which we have two of. Yukino being the first one we are introduced to, and like Hachiman, is a loner and has been bullied in her younger years. Unlike Hachiman however, she is far more successful and thus, sometimes have a superiority complex. She faces many of the same problem that faces Hachiman, but many of the times these problems require different solutions and are caused by different causes for the two characters. So it makes the two characters, while similar, also distinctively different. This causes many opportunities for the the. Final, but definitely not last of the main characters, is Yui. She is the bubbly, happy, social type. And she is absolutely and one hundred percent necessary for the show to work. She acts as a foil to the two other main characters, but in some odd way is still as completely relatable as the other two. Her interaction and chemistry with the other two is at times comedic, and at other time emotional brings along a whole entire other sets of problems. Her character brings to light an entire different view point and to put it simply, without Yui, the entire show would be completely different and more than likely, no where near as good. The most important thing about the supporting cast is each supporting member is that each one is a fully fleshed out character and anyone who is named would likely show up more then once. They are each filled with their owned personalities that are not just generic tropes, each often having problems that can watchers can relate to. Each are realistic, such as Hayama who despite at first seems like a Gary Stu, later turn out to be just as troubled and filled with problems as everyone else in the show, or Komachi who (for the first time in forever not a love interest), actually act as a simply would to the main character. Having fights with him, giving advice, understanding, apologizing for mistake, et cetera. All this combined with the emotionally broken and trouble main characters each being rejected by society in some way make this show have the most diverse set of characters and one of the most realistic and relatable group I have ever seen from not only anime, but from a story in general.

Enjoyment:10
Like all my other reviews, the enjoyment is not factored into the final review, so this long section is completely skippable. What else is there needed to be said, everything that praises and critics (to which there are few) have already been said in the moderately long review. So lets talk about why this anime means so much for me (which again, if it is boring then is completely skippable), and while it rank at number two in my list of favorite animes. The reason is simple, I have never in my entire life relate to an anime as much as this one, and even more than that I have never relate to a character as much as Hachiman. Like him I have tried to reach out to make friend in the past, only to be left in severe disappointment. It didn’t take long after that to just simply stop caring, and since then I have always been more pessimistic than an optimistic. And with every telling me that is an terrible way of living and that would lead to wrong to thing negative thoughts, only enhanced my pessimism, as using optimism to “help” a pessimist really doesn’t work. I could fully imagine what it would be like to be in his shoes and often could see the world through his eyes. From him getting rejected without much thought by a crush. From being despised from a trait that was gained at birth, and from spending hours simply doing nothing looking at others doing things that required more then a single person. I could also imagine myself in his shoes, when he was trying to do the right thing, but not being able find a method that would not involve hurting and most likely more then likely others. As a result even now, I only have a small group of friend and even a smaller group in which I can freely talked and express my problems. My advice for anyone who meets a Hachiman in their life and want to become friends with them would be to never talk about celebrities with them, but more importantly be patient. Just be patient and stick around and never try to “fix” them. My advice for people like me or Hachiman (which can be taken with a grain of salt) would be to stop thinking that your way of living is wrong, it just different. Don’t try to make friends for the sake of making friends, but make friends who you would help you when ask, and you would help if they ask. That got a little heavy and I also didn’t imagine it would go on a mini therapy (though I don’t think I made a great therapist) session. Well that is the reason why this show recieve a perfect ten in the enjoyment catagory, that and because even though the show isn’t gear towards everyone, I felt like one of the people that is was gear towards. From it storytelling, to its art, to it beautifully constructed minimalist soundtrack that I could listen to over and over again, and it splendid and beautifully constructed cast of main characters. Since this is skippable, let’s talk about the romance to which I can quickly sumarized up with imagery. You see there are two gigantic battleship which have said and are fighting each other. There is also a ship for a cute underclassmate, but that one is more like a wooden conoe. Anyway, I currently being told to walked the plank on both ships multiple times because of how much I like the characters. What I’m trying to say is I have literally no idea what side I am on, and would be happy and sadden by any choice the author picks for the main character. Which is kind of a lose-lose and win-win senario. Confused. So am I about how I feel.

Final Verdict:9
Like all show, it has its flaws such as the title. And as all shows, it is not for everybody. But if you have ever been outcasted of soceity either it only have been a while or for your entire dang life, I would urge you greatly to watch the show. It shows that your way of living, no matter what, is not right nor is it wrong. It shows the pros and cons to living like Hachiman, and living like someone like Hayama. I have already rambled enough out the shows good and bad points in the review sections, and have already said how much I like the show in my enjoyment section. There really isn’t much else to say besides me saying that if you don’t consider yourself to be part of these people...

-People who have tons of friends and have never been hurt by them
-People who have been happy constantly and have never experience loneliness
-People are optimistic to the point of delusion
-Basically, people who have the head ten feet up their a**es
-Or people who only enjoy anime for battle shounen

Then go watch the f***ing show. I’ll end it here, just so you can so watch it, heck, I’ll even include a link to the show on Crunchyroll.

-http://www.crunchyroll.com/my-teen-romantic-comedy-snafu

Yeah, I like it that much, and writing this review kind of made me appreciate it more. Not sure if it will have the same effect on you, but hey, there’s only one way to find out.

Ah, Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Also known as My Romantic Comedy SNAFU, this series is not your typical romantic comedy or what you may expect from it. It may seem like misleading sometimes but the foundation of this series is heavily built on our main characters rather than romantic relationships. Anyone familiar with the first season will realize that social commentary and analysis is a key part of why the series succeeded in capturing its unique dynamics. With the way the first season left off, there’s more from where that came from.

It should be obvious but watching the first season is ... imperative to understand the second season, Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Zoku. While a good portion of the franchise follows a slice of life style way of storytelling, the characterization of the characters heavily focuses on their insight and what they perceive with themselves to the world. Take Hachiman Hikigaya for example. This guy is what many could describe as a straight outcast. He has build a social barrier with a personality that makes him the alpha loner. His signature dead fish eyes has become a trademark of the series. His facial expressions is the epitome of being apathetic. The things he does, the things he says, and the way he behaves around is an antithesis of what most people are like. According to Hachiman himself, he believes that “youth is simply an illusion created by hypocrites, for hypocrites are born from the ashes of past failures.” A self-proclaimed statement and like this with many others define what Hachiman is like throughout the first season. And in this sequel, we see even more of his social analysis of others and the world around him.

I find it rather interesting though in regards with Hachiman’s role in this second season. Early on, there are some rather memorable things he mentions that perhaps labels himself as a villain. However, there’s also that sort of idea where he is building an illusion around himself to be friendly and caring towards others. Then, there’s Yukino Yukinoshita, the cold beauty of the Service Club. Nicknamed the “Ice Queen”, we can see her as being both a bit haughty and blunt. Throughout this season, there’s a peculiar connection that she builds with both Yui and Hachiman. Our dynamic trio of the Service Club, there’s a lot to go on about these three characters. Yukino’s particular insistence on Hachiman to become a better person seems to further their friendship apart. Her own insecurity also shows throughout the season in particular with an election that she reluctantly takes part of. In fact, the election arc brings out quite a bit with the main characters. Yukino’s desperation to protect her own self-image (furthered from the involvement of her sister’s words and testimony) brings out a vulnerable side. On the other hand, we have Yui, who truly shows her own personality during conversations she has with Hachiman. Those magical moments brings out a sincere image that really shows selflessness. Speaking of Hachiman though, we can see that his actions speaks a bit louder than words. The election story shows what he desires for and wishes to maintain to create a stable life for himself. Take it as a grain of salt even if he shows a bit of hypocrisy of his own. That’s youth for ya.

Another prominent character that makes her presence quite well known is Iroha Isshiki. I label her as much of a sheep in disguise. This is because of the way she acts and speaks despite trying to maintain an innocent image in front of others. Unlike Yukino though, she has a deep caring about her character. There’s also an interesting factor to note about her relationship with Hachiman. Unlike many others, she seems to enjoy hanging out with him; perhaps not necessarily as genuine friends but rather someone she can rely on. I think it’s evident that Hachiman is perhaps the only person she can be comfortable with as her true self. This is suggested by the fact that Hachiman has built this social barrier around him that prevents himself to change her anyways. This is perhaps suggested that they have similar personalities so in a way, Hachiman sees himself when conversing with her. It may all seem odd but the show’s dynamic always plays around with these stereotypes. It’s actually what makes this series self-aware and realize the importance of finding someone you can relate with.

Despite the majority of the season focusing on characterization, we do get a lot of plot emphasis as well. Romance has never been a true intention of this series but the second season does start off with such a theme. From an indirect point, we still have Kaori Orimoto. Remember that girl Hachiman mentioned in flashbacks when he was rejected before? Yeah, that girl. Her role in this season is to get involved with others to get what she wants. I think Hachiman is well aware of this with his previous experience but nonetheless gets involved. Also, it doesn’t seem like her perception of Hachiman has changed from her younger days. Needless to say, there is no connection between the two other than the fact that he can become part of a bigger game plan for her. On the other hand, we have Shizuka, the teacher and adviser of the Service Club. I can honestly say that she is a role model with her own ideologies. Despite her small role in this season, there are moments when she shines more than the others. The most prominent of this relates to making Hachiman realize the motivations of his actions. She opens his eyes to reality and I guess in some ways makes Hachiman think about the social barrier he has constructed around himself. The apex of the season makes Hachiman realizes what he has been doing and perhaps for the first time in the series shows human emotions; something that seemed inconceivable in the beginning. Honestly, human emotion is a prestige and I think this series highlights that in a lot of ways. For the way the story is crafted with the building up, purposes, ideologies, and whatever youth comes to suggest, it’s a very realistic way to portray such emotions.

Despite all the heavy stuff from season 2, there are also lighthearted moments. In particular, I find the sibling relationship between Hachiman and his sister Komachi to bring out the humor. I think she is perhaps one of the only characters that he behaves casually around with like normal siblings should. There’s also the Hachiman and Isshiki moments where she often misunderstands his words as “pick-up lines”. Dialogues work in a lot of way in fact for this show. When it comes to comedy, this series isn’t shy to deliver that as well. Oh and did I forget that Hachiman always wants to protect Saika’s smile?

If there’s a major change in this season, it would be the artwork. Production studio Feels is now in charge with the producing this season so the difference compared to the first season is a bit obvious. It will take a little time to get used to but I’d say that the quality actually improved. It also seems to be metaphoric in a way with our characters’ development too when it comes to their expressions. Now we have more dynamic facial features, body language with emotional signs, and in general the way this series should be handled – to clarify youth. Character designs also has slight changes although Hachiman still retains his signature dead-fish eyes, Yukino retaining her youthful beauty, Saika retaining his trap-like appearance, and the list goes so on.

As a heavy as the emotions are, the soundtrack remains just as evidently strong. The melancholic tune shows is portrayed many times appropriately when it needs to and all the time reminds us what this series is about. Similarly, the OP theme song "Harumodoki” by Nagi Yanagi has a very smooth way with its lyrics to illustrate the mood of the show. However, the most prominent feature still relies on its character voice casting. Like I mentioned before, SNAFU is a rather talky show so character voice mannerism is exceptionally important to get the message across. Thankfully, we got Hachiman for that with his inner thoughts. In fact, all character voice mannerisms does a wonderful job at portraying their characters.

In a way, I think of this series as both a lighthearted and dark driven work. It’s never afraid to pull out stunts that may or may shock the audience. And in fact, there are moments this season when I thought characters go to a place where they can never come back. It keep you at the edge of your seat to see how our characters change or what will happen next. Rather than going with a cliché romantic angle, SNAFU delivers performance with a magnetic appeal to human emotions. Director Kei Oikawa always seems to be able to appeal to these emotions to really sink the audience in. In essence, it captures the very idea of youth and what the first season has built itself around with. Just do be aware that this adaptation does rush some events and omit a few parts of the light novel elements to fit the show into a single cour. But yet, the second season still lives up to its hype in storytelling, characterization, comedy, and in general all-around portrayal of what I had expected to be.

MOD EDIT -*The review contains spoilers*-



Oregairu has really built up quite a reputation ever since it first aired didn’t it? Whilst the reaction to it was a mixed bag of “Haganai if it was actually good” and “ugh, this is pretentious garbage” back in 2013, two years of steadily increasing attention from the light novel community and such have turned it into the only post-Spice and Wolf light novel adaptation that people can say is actually good with a straight face. The fact that Studio feel was attached to the new season did make some people moo a bit, but not enough to prevent it ... from reaching the top 100 on MAL upon airing of the first episode. And of course, with huge popularity comes a huge and quite frankly f*cking awful fanbase that I’m going to swiftly ignore because I have it on good authority that reading their comments actually causes eye cancer and it shouldn’t really affect any personal judgments about the show anyways.

As for my own personal judgment, I remember being really harsh against this show back when it first aired, but I honestly can’t remember why. In fact, I barely remember what happened in the first season beyond Hachiman joining a club with two troubled girls named Yui and Yukino who may or may not have a crush on him, and helping people out in his own cynical self-defeating way. I remember the visual design being kinda meh because Brains Base hasn’t done a good job at offering anything more than stale colors for years, but they were still a better alternative than feel’s usual output. So discovering that the animation and direction in this season actually put Sankarea’s Shaft-like surprise presentation to shame was more of a pleasant surprise than Nintendo finally releasing a new IP. Third-person shooter, you say? Wonder how long it’ll take for them to milk that into oblivion.

I do remember the first season feeling like a load of build-up for a climax we never got though. Things happened, but the only real contribution to the story was some characters going through minor realizations that they had yet to use. I’m fully aware that conclusions aren’t the final judgment of quality and that buildup is important too, but you’ve got to use that buildup for something or else you’d just be like the anime version of Destiny: always on grind. So does the second season of Yahari fix that? Sure...in some alternate universe where good anime is more plentiful.

The anime continues from the conclusion of the school festival arc in the first season when Hachiman is confronted about his self-defeating personality and how it can be really troublesome to people around him. But that doesn’t stop him from putting it to use in order to break up a confession surrounding one of his male companions and a girl he likes, which causes a rift to form between him and his fellow club members, who agree with him about as much as I agree with anybody who continues to deny the existence of global warming (how blind can you be to not notice our abnormal weather, you idiots?). This rift starts to grow wider when some girls from his middle school life, including one that he confessed to, show up around the same time a student council election occurs and the club is asked to help one of the students bail from it by nominating themselves. From there, Hachiman is put through the ringer regarding his own personal demons and if he can’t get past them, he’ll lose the few people in his life who actually do care for him.

A good drama in theory, but the show enters Spice and Wolf territory in that it has a weak base conflict and it doesn’t even really follow up on its potential. Imagine if you were watching a drama and the base conflict for much of the story was about some dude refusing to admit that he hated bananas. You may be thinking “wait, that sounds f*cking stupid”, and that’s what I said with the majority of the season minus the f-word. It was impossible for me to hold student council elections on the same level as the highschool version of Jesus’s sacrifice because A) it didn’t work when Degrassi* did it B) you can still hang out with each other and stuff if the club doesn’t exist anymore. There isn’t any sacrificing schoolwork and your future for the club with no guarantee that you’ll succeed. It’s just really personal conflicts that aren’t given enough grounding to make any sense, and it dragged out far longer than it should have.

I wouldn’t call the conflicts as bad as Spice and Wolf’s because there’s more to Oregairu that makes it one of the better LN adaptations than furthering relationships - or as much you can nail relationships in regards to LN-like characters. Unlike Lawrence, and Holo to a lesser extent, these characters have some ghosts in their life and the relationships are a means to exploring them, even if it still doesn’t do as much with them as it should have. One way to fix that would have been to reveal what Yukino’s problems actually are. Yeah, we know she’s bad at socializing, not helped by an annoying older sister who acts like a cocktease boyfriend stealer from a crappy doujin or an even crappier gross-out comedy, but the show is as fast to reveal useful information as video game companies are to release actual reasons to get hyped for their products. The name is there and it looks nice, but how about some actual gameplay, huh?

So there were multiple times when the show just kind of lost me, mired in the very idea of its self-loathing that it forgets to really develop it beyond its base premise and goes into Catching Fire-levels of “holding out but have faith in us” right down to having a very similar style of ending. And it annoyed me here just as much as it annoyed me in that movie, because it looked like it was finally going to get interesting regarding the relationships and inner-problems that the characters have been going through in its last two episodes. The characters make up and come to realizations about their current situation, but the future is still vague and you need to take more than the small steps you just went through in order to achieve real personal growth.

But nope, the show ends at what seemed like the middle of a story that has had too much devoted to its buildup and we’re not going to be getting another season anytime soon given how many of the light novels there are at the time this review goes out. It frustrates me to no end to see what anime could have been, only to come off as unfinished. Maybe you could say that the realization that the characters love their life and their friends and are even capable of romance is enough for you, but that feels kinda weak to me. There are plenty of shows on the Disney Channel that say the same thing, and being better executed isn’t enough to really make Oregairu any different from them. Sure I wouldn’t have been comfortable with sitting through love triangle drama, especially if it involves a man named Armani, but sometimes you’ve just got to rip off that bandage rather than peel it slowly and prolong the pain by 10x the amount it would have taken otherwise.

*I never actually watched Degrassi so I don’t know if it overdramatized student council stuff, but it wouldn’t surprise me either way given how much else it overdramatizes.

Eh, so this is my first time writing a review cause I felt like I needed to review this anime. Sadly it will have to be on a bad note.

And here's the thing where you give scores and write very long paragraphs for different aspects.
I judge every category according to how it affected the enjoyment of the anime perceived by me.

Story:

The story is essentially nonexistent, or moves at the pace of a crippled snail. This is truly frustrating to watch because of the lack of plot progression, and the lack of change in character or character relationships. The show mainly consists of ... uneventful student council meeting scenes that Hikigaya attends and teenage edgy emotional melodrama(Drama is great, but this can't be considered drama. It's more like drama between teen girls who repress their feelings and refuse to share them, causing some awkwardly tense moments). Nearly every episode ends up forgettable and unexciting as I always have to search up on wikipedia what happened in the last episode to remind myself of it. It's that forgettable. Since the story gets nowhere I end up having to drag my feet to watch this, which really isn't a good thing if this anime is meant to be enjoyed.

It feels like the author of the novels, or at least the novels adapted this season, chickened out of trying to create some meaningful form of romance which was not blushing, because that doesn't count. There is a lot of ambiguity surrounding who the male MC is likely to have romance with, which is annoying because this is categorized under romance, so I expect to see romance. The author also forgot about the comedy tag as well, because there is little to none. You might as well rip off the comedy and romance tag on this show, because they've completely left it behind for some meaningless melodrama which I did not enjoy.

(I can't judge the story in full however, cause it isn't completed.)

Character:

The character with the most screen time was Hikigaya as always, with his ever famous pessimistic monologues. It's a pity that they didn't give up more time to explore what other characters are thinking such as the cold Yukino and semi-happy Yui.

They all seek the mystical "real thing", like true friendship with each other or something. Their relationships are all broken and superficial. The characters always talk and talk, very vaguely about the "real thing" and it's BORING. Heck, they barely change until the ending, where I still don't feel that anything has been truly resolved. This leaves space for a 3rd season, which I hope brings more meaningful development so I can actually like the characters and enjoy the dang show.

A lot of the other comedic purposed characters we don't see much of, the nerd white haired fat dude, tennis gender ambiguous dude and stuff. Those guys were funny...

Art:
Art doesn't really play a role in this anime in terms of enjoyment, but it was good nonetheless as terrible art would make watching this more unbearable.

Sound:
Nothing bad to say here either.

Other Comments:
At the end of every episode, there was always this bitter and tense atmosphere left behind and it felt like it was getting nowhere. I really hoped there would be romance. I really did. The author probably chickened out because he was too afraid for there to be a love interest which would cause some backlash of dissapointed fans.

How it should have been:
(There's no point complaining if you can't suggest a way to make it better.)

The first season was a good season that drew many people in and introduced the characters, which some of the comedic characters should have reappeared in S2 to balance the always tense atmosphere of the anime. The second season had actual romance, keeping the mood of the first season. Despite causing fans to rage, the author should make some romance build up between Hikigaya and one of the girls about halfway. The other half could have been the other girl trying to win his heart, which brings about some proper drama, but eventually accepting it.

Overall:
If you like melodrama with vague conversations on self discovery and fixing broken relationships that get absolutely nowhere, this anime is for you.

If none of the above, don't watch it. But do watch the first season, I think I enjoyed it.

Wow! What a total let down this second season of SNAFU is!

I moderately enjoyed the first season due to its many genuinely funny moments involving amusing characters like Hiratsuka, Totsuka and Zaimokuza. While completely devoid of romance, at least that season lived up to the "comedy" in the title of the show. Hikigaya, the lead character, is a refreshingly bitter loner whose observations most people can relate to. The bleakness of his worldview is amusingly contrasted with some very silly situational comedy. Personally I find the funniest character to be Hiratsuka, the home room teacher and club counselor who throws a mean punch, but ... can't seem to land a husband.

The second season has been absolutely dreadful though. Gone is all the comedy from season one. Gone is the silliness of the supporting characters, many of whom hardly even make an appearance. It's like an entirely different show. Where it was once a relatively lighthearted and amusing watch, it's now a slow-paced drag with endless vague blabbing about things that largely go unmentioned and unspecified. It practically grinds to a halt mid-season when we're suddenly supposed to care about a new character and endless meetings about some pointless Christmas show they're putting up with another school.

This is like a crash course in bad writing. Characters reacting to things that are left unsaid. Lots and lots of pseudo-philosophical nonsense and observations that don't match what we actually see on screen. Reactions and character motivations that make zero sense and seem to come out of the blue. Conflicts that are never properly explained or resolved. Throughout most of the second season, Hikigaya and Yukinoshita are apparently having a falling out, but only God knows why. The writers don't bother explaining it, but it serves as the dramatic focal point of their relationship regardless. Now that I've watched the whole thing, I'm honestly not sure why I didn't drop it all mid-season.

It's an agonizing and depressing slog to sit through, but hey if you enjoy watching hours of emotionally crippled characters not being able to communicate with each other and yet having seemingly profound experiences without ever really involving the viewer into the why and how and what and where and when of it all, this is the show for you. There's no romance and no comedy though, so if there was an award for most misleading title, this would surely win it.

I'm not going to spoil anything, except to warn potential new viewers that the ending is unresolved and unsatisfying and makes you curse yourself for wasting so much time on the 13 excruciatingly boring episodes of this frustratingly terrible season.

When Hideaki Anno, the creator of Evangelion said that Anime will die within the next 5 years, I would disagree with his statement. However, the only thing I would agree is that anime will lose its quality in the next 5 years. Everything has been rehashed and repeated from previous anime,

I thought Winter Season was awful season for anime, but Spring 2015 proved me wrong. One example would be Vampire Holmes & Ame-iro Cocoa. Although I didn't see Ame-iro Cocoa. Spring 2015 has no interesting anime for me to review, especially Knights of Sidonia season 2. If you are wondering why I am not active ... in MAL is because I already lost interest in anime. And now, Oregairu Season 2 is one of the most disappointing anime that I have watched alongside with Death Parade.

STORY (5):

As I have said, this is a continuation to season 1 of Oregairu. The 1st season was great and enjoyable and it is one of my favourite anime of all time. The 2nd season however is a boring and dull show to watch. I was waiting for the story to end and I wa not engaged in this anime at all.

The only thing that I appreciated about the story is how the girls like Yukino, Yui & Haruno tried to understand Hikigaya's situation and how they learn how to understand one another. But I have seen anime that have done a better job in that area than compared to Oregairu 2. For example, "Your Lie in April", "Golden Time".

The comedy was very weak and this anime to me felt more like a drama. The drama was weak as well.

ART (6):

The animation is decent. Although the characters do not look like their personality in the past season.

SOUND (6):

The music and the opening and ending theme are standard.

CHARACTER (4):

Hachiman Hikigaya is one of my favourite character. The reason why is that he has witty dialogues and he understands the society better than anyone else. I always believe in him and his situation in life even though he has been through rejections and rough times. Everyone might say he is one of the best character. However, in season 2, he has no witty dialogues and he just gives too much exposition. In some situations, he easily solves problems by himself, although I also understand that Yukino didn't like the way how he does things in episode 3. He became like a wish-fulfilment character with no depth whatsoever. Just like Shiba Tatsuya, Kirito.

Yukino became more uninteresting as a character. Saori Hayami voiced characters that are cool and serious. However, her charm was completely gone. In the 1st season Yukino's voice had charm.

Yui & Haruno are the only good characters in the show. However, they were not good enough to carry the show on their own.

I also did like the way Hayato tried to be understanding towards Hachiman and I appreciated his development.

The rest of the characters became more dull and bland as individuals.

CONCLUSION (5):

I was not convinced that this season really offered anything new. I give this anime a 5 out of 10. I'm sorry. I wanted to say I enjoyed this anime, but I can't.

I don't say that this is a bad anime. But if you enjoy this season, that's fantastic. I won't judge you.

Just like Death Parade, this anime offered nothing to me.

I found this series particularly frustrating watch, primarily due to what I felt was a fantastic lead character wasted on lackluster storytelling, vague writing, and uninteresting, underdeveloped love interests.

Hachiman is a good, solid character. His lines are witty and entertaining, and he has just the right balance of flaws and redeeming qualities. The relationship dynamic between he and his younger sister is especially endearing. However, most importantly, his character is relatable. In comparison, I found Yui and Yukino to be dull. Their characters display little growth throughout the series; Yukino is especially poorly developed. I found there to be little or unsatisfactory explanation given ... to the relationship between her, her sister, and her mother. Yui remains a cheerful people-pleaser throughout both seasons and is given little personality other than 'nice' and 'happy'.

The plot was weak and meandering, even for a slice of life. The plot point of the 'contest' between the club members to see who can help the most people is introduced once in the pilot and then seemingly forgotten, only to be brought up twice more at random parts of the series. The conflict between Yukino and her family, which seems to me deserving greater - even central - prominence is barely explored and left unresolved. The arch involving the joint student-council Christmas event was unnecessarily long, and ultimately anti-climactic and boring.

Above all else, the writing bothered me. I found the conversations to be maddeningly, infuriatingly vague and loosely-defined: essentially running around in circles saying fancy words, getting nowhere and meaning nothing. (Ironically, the anime pokes fun at the Student Council President of the neighbouring high-school for doing the exact same thing.)

I feel that this anime had the potential to be emotionally poignant and extremely memorable if only it had been delivered better, with clearer writing and stronger character development. A shame.

Minor spoilers.

A truly beautiful series. Definitely one of the best shows that has premiered so far this year for me.

The first season sets up the premise of the story. Our main character, Hikigaya Hachiman, is dragged into the Service Club by his meddling teacher. There he meets the school's "Ice Queen", Yukino Yukinoshita. The first season introduces us to the main characters, their strengths, and above all, the dynamics they have with each other. It is a melodramatic, typical romcom, with no twists and turns. Though I have to admit the dialogue and pessemism the main character shares with the viewers is quite interesting to ... listen to.

If the first season is the set up, the second season is the ideological and emotional fallout that results from the mixing and melding of such contrasting personalities. We, as viewers, get a front row seat as the fascades set up in season 1 fall off and expose a flawed, yet strangely relatable, cast. Compared to the perfect personas we were used to in season 1, season 2 exposes viewers to a cast as flawed as they are genuine. Self-centered and rotten to the core, these main characters struggle, writhe, and suffer with their own desires as they try to keep the friendship they have with each other alive.

Each episode appears to be relatively shallow on first glance; however, upon further inspection, there are deeper meanings in each dialogue between the characters. Initially coming off as small-talk on the surface, such conversations actually reveal more about the selfish motives each person has. Never are these selfish desires spelled out in their entirety. Instead they are presented to the viewers piece by piece, as if pieces of a puzzle, and even when all the pieces are out in the open, the answer is still vague. I believe that these characters and the dialogue they share is the high point of Oregairu and the sole driving force behind it. The authenticity and realness of the conversations they talk about--love, struggle, and friendship, isn't in black and white, unlike many other shows. That's why the conclusion to the show at the end of season 2 is as fitting as it gets. Not all problems reach a conclusion. In fact, we choose to ignore many of the ones we face in hope that they just "disappear". This is yet another beautiful thing Oregairu presents to its viewers. It shows that although you make an attempt to hide a problem, all it does is become more obscure behind a layer of superficiality. Superficiality never lasts forever, and thus you are doomed to face the problem you worked so hard to conceal--oftentimes with exponentially worse repercussions.

The artwork is unique in every sense of the word. Because of the studio switch, fans were scared; after all, FEEL isn't really the most high budget, top of the line animation studio. However, I personally feel that, although reluctant at first, I prefer the second series's animation over the first. It's more detailed, fluid, and compliments the second series's dramatic tone. Had it been the other way around, however, I probably wouldn't have rated it so highly.

Sound is beautiful, break taking, and outstanding. The OPs and EDs (of both series) are amazing, but the one that takes the crown is definitely "Hello Hello Alone" (Yui Ballade). People who watched season 2 will agree with me in that it's a truly beautiful song, and the way it was executed/placed in episode 13 was well done.

All in all, if you want a genuine, down to earth romcom that successfully avoids the cliches usually found in many shows in that genre, look no further. I wouldn't say its sole focus is romance (or anywhere close for that matter). Rather, it's a coming of age tale of an antisocial loner as he meets new friends, experiences new things, and ultimately, finds love. Though the real question here is: what happens next?

Overall (10/10)
Before I really break into anything, let me give you a short quote from the afterword of the light novel's first volume. (translated by frog-kun)

"This may seem sudden, but the "youth" that is commonly referred to by the world at large is a mistaken notion. It's a downright lie. Going on a date at Lalaport in your uniforms with a cute girl, getting invited by a friend to another school to eat lunch with a girl... those things just don't exist. Those things were works of complete fiction....

... In other words, that youth romantic comedy was filled with lies. And everyone is getting tricked.

Real ... youth was getting off school with just a guy friend, parking yourself at a Saizeriya and squatting there until night while surviving on only on drinks and focaccia. And all you do with him is say bad things about your classmates and complain about school. That was the true picture of youth. I'm speaking from experience here, so I'm pretty sure about it.

But at the same time, I don't really hate that kind of youth.

Getting excited about mixing together melon soda and orange juice and calling it "melage"... going on a field trip and playing mahjong with three other guys in the midst of that savage environment... falling into silence after seeing that girl I liked flirting with her boyfriend... now that I think back on those times, I could call each and every one of those fond memories.

Sorry, that was a lie. I hated that kind of youth. I wanted to go on a date with a girl in my uniform too. Hell, I still want to."

Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru is about those feelings, what reality is like versus the dreams of the version we wish we had. And it leads into my favorite story of all time.

However, I feel obliged to warn you, Season 1 captured the "comedy" portion of the title, with rather minimal (but a still existent) focus on the "romantic" part. Zoku is the opposite, it has comedy, but it takes a back seat to the romance.
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Story (10/10)
Zoku picks up right after Season 1. I'm not going to talk about plot here, rather how the story adds to this masterpiece, so don't worry about spoilers here.

The story of Zoku is at a rather difference pace than Oregairu's season 1. The first season focused on issues that were solved quickly. One request was covered an episode, or at most, two episodes. The pacing of Zoku is much slower, and in my opinion better.

But that pacing has a purpose (other than the fact that they wanted to get a second season out with less material). Hikigaya Hachiman kept making little sacrifices in the first season, ones that don't seem to have much significance, but over a number of them they build into one conflict that isn't so easy to solve.

These conflicts have solutions, and that's where the beauty of this anime starts to form. Almost every scene is seen from the perspective of Hachiman, When he understands something, you will understand it, If he doesn't understand it, you won't either, unless you have a keen eye. When he figures out the solution, you'll get it too.

And this adds so much to the re-watchability of this anime. Rewatch it once and you start to notice small little details that lead into the plot later on. Rewatch it twice and you start even more things that help you understand the characters (but that little facet is for later).
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Art: (10/10)
If you are like me, the art of season 1 was great. For its time it was pretty good, and it was a bit higher quality of the light novel art, it tried mimicking the style and it succeeded. Well the light novel art did evolve over time into something nicer and the anime didn't just keep up, it outdid the work it was adapted from.

The detail of the characters, the backdrops, the sunsets, each of them have a beauty rivaled by very few other anime series. In some cases, there are flashbacks to season 1, so you have to go back to that style from the new seasons art which would break the flow and feeling of the scenes, right?

Nope! Every flashback was redrawn with Zoku's style so you feel even more absorbed. This is a nice touch that I wish more anime did when they make a season 2 with a larger budget and more time. It was always awkward when they switched back and forth, and that little bit of extra work was worth it.

The animation is beautiful, most of you guys reading subs may miss it, but while the lips sync, there are like 3 to 4 shapes that the animators just run in a circle. It works, but it still feels awkward. Well this anime adds another 3-4 shapes which definitely helps. But when it comes down to important scenes, that's when the animation shines, and becomes strange at the same time.

Imagine drawing out the mouth so it changes shape and moves in a way that perfectly matches the shape of the mouth in real life. I have a scene from this anime sticking out it my mind it has that big of an impact. (suki... nano....) But that's isn't where this ends.

Most drawn animations try to avoid lots of rotations outside of the opening, its a lot more work. So when you find an anime that does it a lot (take Oregairu. Zoku) it shows how much effort these animators make. You cant just slide things around and have the program manipulate a few small changes, the artist must draw. a lot.

But that does mean some awkward moments exist, because those things are drawn and chained together a smooth flow is broken. It's not bad, but its noticeable (like playing a game at 60fps then cap it at 30, it doesn't look bad, just strange and unfamiliar.)
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Sound: (10/10)
I'm going to cut this short because it will just turn into a fandom.

The OP (Harumodoki) is sung once again by Yanagi Nagi, my favorite singer. Her voice is hauntingly beautiful anyway she sings, throw that together with some amazing composing and that OP is wonderful.

The ED (Everday World) is sung by Touyama Nao and Hayami Saori. Nao impressed me with the ballad version of Hello Alone back in season one (she plays Yuigahama Yui) and Hayami Saori's singing voice makes me want to cry.

Well its worth saying that I ordered the CD version of the OP and ED's from the past season imported from Japan, I love these songs that much, and the lyrics are just as touching.

The OST itself is very beautiful and not only matches, but enhances the mood of the show. Rests in the music are timed at key points with the dialogue and the tension of a conversation that seems friendly on top but has a lot of aggression underneath is enhanced thanks to the soundtrack.

As you can probably guess, two of my favorite voice actors are Touyama Nao and Hayami Saori. In all their other works they've done such a great job. But we can't just focus on the heroines.

Enter Eguchi Takuya. His voice acting is something else. Cold, dead, emotionless, perfect for Hikigaya, but when he needs to he can speak in a way that makes you want to laugh out loud (remember the "guys don't only think about obscene stuff" line from season 1, episode 1) He controls the flow and feel of the anime wonderfully, and he can play a full range of emotions.

There is one more person worth talking about here Sakura Ayane, she plays a new character introduced later (Isshiki Iroha). Her character is very difficult to play because she has a wide range of emotions that doesn't always match with what she's saying, and Sakura-san does her job exceedingly well. (I want to go into it more, but I can't because spoilers, lets just say Iroha has to sound fake and authentic at the same time)
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Characters: (10/10)
Oh where to begin. The biggest and best part of this series of the characters, so I intend to spend some time here. I'll give an overview of what makes all the characters as a whole amazing and give a non-spoiler in depth rundown of each of the four major characters.

What makes Oregairu special is that it is a story from the heart of Wataru Watari and his dreams of how his childhood went. He spent time thinking about the life he wished he had vs the life actually had. And what this leads to are smart, witty, realistic characters that the main viewing demographic (the otaku) can relate so much. I can pretty much all aspects of myself represented in each of these characters, although a little bit hyperbolized. (wait hyperbolized is a word?!?!?)

And these characters develop and change in a way that seems so insanely natural. You finish this and you rewatch season 1, your first thought is "was yukinoshita really this much of a bitch [that word was used in the anime, I reserve the right to keep this up even though it uses that word because it was used in the anime], Its not that her personality did a 180, its that you just never noticed it change that much because it felt so natural.

There is a point in this series when an unnamed character says one line. 5 seconds that completely destroys your perception of them, but it doesn't feel wrong, in fact it matches that character so well for being the exact opposite of what they have been acting like its scary. These kinds of characters are special.

Hikigaya Hachiman:
If you are expecting the heroic 8man here from season one, well too bad. He's starting to change, he still has his pessimistic outlook, but there are positives mixed it now too. He's the side of your mind that wants to give up when something, but pushes through because you have to. not because you want to. No one cares about him (or so he thinks) so he sacrifices himself, seeing no problem with it because the only people who would be hurt would be the nonexistent people that care about him. He's a loner and he can sacrifice himself, make himself the villain for others, because he's a loner. But oh boy that character development. (It's such a shame I cant spoil)

Yukinoshita Yukino:
She's the exact same as Hikigaya, but at the exact time the perfect opposite. Also a loner, she has the pain of someone who has. While hikigaya's existence faded out and was ignored, Yukinoshita was troubled because she was amazing and people were jealous. She could do anything she tried, she was smart, and she was pretty. Girls, prepare the torture tools. (I'm not jealous, no really I swear I'm not jealous). Yukinoshita instead of pushing through challenges she dislikes because she has to, pushes through those challenges because she feels she can change the outcome. You either give in to change, or you change the world so you don't have to. She hasn't really lived up to the classic image of a Tsundere. Shes more tsuntsun (hate) than deredere (love) for the sake of a description lets call her a tsuntsuntsuntsuntsuntsundere. And eventually all Tsunderes must change, right? right? there are stories that don't end that way, though. (I'm net telling you because I like you or anything, I'm just obliged as the guy writing the review *blush*)

Yuigahama Yui:
She acts as the oddgirl out, and the bridge at the same time. Yukinoshita and Hikigaya are so similar that Yuigahama's character doesn't belong in their relationship, she feels out of place, she's that different. But Yukinoshita and Hikigaya are also complete opposites, so you need someone completely social and outgoing to break them both open and act as a bridge. She may seem confident, but she has the problem of having to fit in. She always puts on this face to fit in with her friends, she's gotten quite good at it. In terms of development, you she may seem like the happy-go-lucky type, but Yuigahama is actually pretty amazing. And scary as hell. No seriously she is the only character that I have such a hard time reading, I'm terrified. I noticed it with some small details in season 1 and throughout season 2, but really she's scary. (hold me Totsuka, you tennis captain you, you can make me feel safe. Oh wait, he's a guy like me. God is an idiot.)

Ishiki Iroha: NEW CHARACTER!
I can't talk much about her. I have to say something insightful about her personality though. Iroha is the flattest character you will ever meet. She's so 2D her character seems fake. Well that's because it is, she's putting on a façade to hide her true self. She doesn't want to be hated, and she's pretty sure her true self will be, so she puts on a face. And we all know those are never perfect, they don't have the depth a real personality has. Go behind her cover, and all of a sudden you see this deep hole with an infinite depth. A little hint as to what to look out for if you want to understand her character, keep an eye out for her appearance vs her tone of voice, he small glances, and how she acts with just Hikigaya vs with others, how she hands bags around with just Hikigaya vs with others. The insight! The details here rival the literature you break down in high school English Literature (maybe an advanced course, but not AP)

These characters are beautiful, the lack depth in a way that actually adds insight and builds depth to their characters, they arnt static, they change in ways you don't even notice, and small facets in their personality and actions can be read into to help understand them. Honestly, I think these are some of the most perfected characters I've ever seen.
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Enjoyment: (10/10)
This is my favorite series ever. The calendar when I write this marks 2 days after Zoku's finale has come out. I've already rewatched the series already twice. I watched through season 1 in time for season 2, then season 2 weekly, then between the week of the second to last episode and last episode I rewatched the entire series from season 1, episode 1 through season 2, episode 12 in time for episode 13. Watched episode 13 at 2:00AM local time the second it got put up. Then I rewatched from season 1, episode 1 through season 2, episode 13. I love this thing that much. I own all the LN's including vol 11 which has been out for 4 days (at this point it time) (and I don't read/speak Japanese). Its an obsession. (Wataru Watari isn't bullying me into saying this, no seriously I'm really not being bullied, believe me, please.)

It's not for everyone, but Oregairu definitely captures a magical spark unrivaled by any other story for those that its pacing and style matches. And for the otaku, who lets face it in general happens to be the loner, it speaks to the heart. So, as I wait and hope Wataru Watari will continue writing past vol 14 so there will be enough material for a season 3 in two to three years, have a picture. It's taken from the Japanese art site Pixiv, but because that is loaded with R-18 stuff, I'm not going to link it there. Have my reupload instead- note this also contains all characters from BOTH season 1 and 2 minus one - from season 2) http://i.imgur.com/vnR7fdw.jpg The artist is IoNamichi (https://twitter.com/IoNaomichi)

If there's anything to take away from Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru, it's that people can be very fickle, confusing beings. People are different, and that is somewhat to be expected. Some people are more extroverted than others, and some are more introverted. Some people are more perceptive and can read social situations better than others. Some people have grown weary of the strings of social stigmas and expectations that come attached when interacting with others. However, it doesn't really matter which type of social personality that one identifies with or how different you might think you are from your peers. Humans ... are social beings and we instinctively desire contact with others. We desire to be praised and acknowledged. We desire our opinions and actions to be noticed and heard. We desire love and companionship. We desire compassion and mutual understanding. However deep down inside, we also desire something more. It's something that we're often unsure if we already have or whether we can obtain it. Sometimes, it's easier to be satisfied by the blissful facade than having the real thing. Nonetheless, we still desire that little extra something. Something genuine.

The second season of Oregairu takes a step — or a few steps rather — away from the hook that grabbed the attention of many in the first season; it shies away from the anti-social protagonist point-of-view and begins to crunch down on the development of the cast, rather than the snarky humor, sarcastic tone, and dark knight approach that was prevalent in the first season. Though still apparent, along with Hachiman's inner monologues, they are not utilized to quite the same scale as the first season. If you came for solely those things, you'll likely be disappointed with what the second season of Oregairu has to offer.

Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru Zoku attributes most of it's focus onto the growth of the series' characters, rather than events where Hachiman commits social suicide for the benefit of others. This character growth extends past the service club, as we're given a little more insight into Hayama and his clique throughout the season. We're also introduced to Hachiman's underclassman Iroha, who adds a bit more audacity and flare to the character lineup. Along with the new addition of Iroha, the second season of Oregairu attempts to really push the romance sub-genre onto the stage. Whether you enjoy shipping characters and partaking in waifu wars is left to your own discretion.

In spite of the supporting cast getting their turn in the spotlight, the headliner is still Hachiman, as he resumes his pivotal role of the leading male protagonist of the series. One of the greatest aspects about this series was, and still is, Hachiman as a character. Simply put, his character is well-written, likeable, and refreshing. Hachiman's character as gone a long way from the start of the first season to the end of the second season, and it's interesting to see how his experiences have sparked his gradual change from social outcast to someone acknowledged by his peers. In addition to Hachiman, Yukino also undergoes a considerable amount of changes. Unfortunately, her family issues are only lightly touched upon near the end of this season, acting as the cliffhanger for the later light novels, and possibly a potential third season.

Despite having a substantially different feel (pun intended) than its preceding season, I did find that Zoku had both merits and flaws. One of the biggest changes in the series, besides the change in studios, was the change in both content quality and pacing. As the series descends into more of a drama than romantic comedy, one would expect the pacing to slow down substantially. Oregairu has always been a very character-driven series, but with the extra emphasis on the supporting characters, there didn't seem to be enough screen time allotted to making sure key events and important monologues were executed coherently. As a result, many scenes felt like a contest of who could spill the most spaghetti. If you've read the light novels, the show will likely come off as disappointing, as the anime tends to look far more melodramatic due to less content. On the flip side, I do believe that Studio Feel did an adequate job with the series, all things considered. I thought the art and animation were actually quite good, though some designs from the first season seemed a bit better to me personally. I'm not one to nitpick about OP's and ED's, given that I usually skip them, and there wasn't anything noteworthy here.

One of my biggest gripes with Oregairu, the anime in particular, is that it is praised far too often for things that it doesn't really deserve that much praise for. Many people watch Oregairu and self-insert into Hachiman, which is perfectly fine since you can do whatever you want, but that emotional connection detracts from one's perspective of how well a story is actually written. I find Oregairu to be a pretty good series, but that doesn't mean it's time to sweep all the negative aspects under the rug simply because it's a little different. A lot of the issues and events in this series are excessively melodramatic. From the perspective of any adult, or mature individual, watching this series, many of the problems that plague the characters are quite petty. They are problems that should realistically be resolved by sitting everyone down and talking things through instead of having everyone play connect the dots. But that wouldn't be interesting, right?

The goal of many anime series is to promote the source material. In this case, it's to coerce viewers to read the Light Novels. To get the full experience, while also filling in the missing gaps from the show, I would recommend doing so.

So every so often there comes an anime so good that you'll start digging through all of the forums you can find to hopefully find information on the elusive second season. Oregairu was one such show for me. The cool dark philosophical attitude of Hachiman with great supporting characters including two compelling heroines and superb writing all-around kept me laughing and intent from beginning to end. So naturally I was overjoyed to hear about Oregairu TOO!

Between seasons control of the show switched studios, which always gives me pause, and this time those worries were justified. The new studio's art was very pretty and certainly ... acceptable, although the first season's art was more expressive and had some very fun exaggerated faces that were nowhere to be seen in season 2. And the difference in art can be seen throughout all aspects of the show.

The tone of the anime had changed completely. Season 1 was predominately a slice of life comedy with some great character drama to bring out all sides of the well-developed cast. The second season gets rid of almost the entirety of the comedy aspect of the show. From the more realistic and less deformed art to a much more serious (and quite frankly slower) story, this show seemed to let out all of the lightning the first season had captured.

Worst of all were the changes in writing and plot-developement. It's clear to see the show was trying to build off of the fairly epic and dramatic finale of the previous season by bringing 8man, Yukino, and Yui closer together and then throwing some serious questions into their relationships. BUT, in doing so all of the fantastic witty banter between Hachiman and Yukino was lost as well as all of the comedic tone from the service club's activities.

The show does feel much more like a real high school story, but in the worst way. Season 1's charm was mostly felt in showcasing Hachiman's cynical twisted view of the world, and both finding humor in and solving realistic problems from such an unconventional point of view. In season 2 Hachiman still tries to take on the dark world of the high school social experience, but gone is his devil may care attitude. Suddenly every problem 8man encounters is treated like the end of the world. The extreme gravity placed on every single plot point of Oregairu TOO! does a total disservice to the actual situations encountered throughout. This attitude stretches to Yukino and Yui as well who become completely distraught over 8man's attempts to sacrifice himself for the greater good. The big problem is the none of the actions 8man takes warrant this kind of melodramatic attitude at all. None of 8man's actions even come close to his outburst at the festival committee or dismantling of the committee chairman of season 1's finale, and with so few comedic elements and such little romantic progression, there's nothing to balance out season 2's overwhelming melodrama.

The only redemption in this season is in the new character Iroha, and the further explored Hayama. Iroha is a very interesting new character who seems to really bring out the best in 8man. The moments and conversations those two share are surely the highlight of the season. Hayama showed hints of his analytic mind and worldviews that were surprisingly similar to 8man's last season, and this season goes even more in depth into his mind. He becomes even more cool (if that's possible) and shows some flaws that weren't there before to make him much more relatable and human. These two certainly try to support their hearts out (along with Haruno), but they can only do so much.

The season finally ends on some sort of compromise between 8man, Yui, and Yukino. While it's nice to see them being friendly again, the ending is very bland and leaves such little impact on the characters as a whole. The entire theme of the season "compromise and stay the course" seems to be the antithesis of last season's "be true to yourself no matter what". What we're left with is a Hachiman who shows much more emotion, but has less heroism and has lost his comedic cynical side completely. I still give this show a 6 on the merit of how much of the character's personalities held through from season 1, but all in all Oregairu TOO! was a huge disappointment.

Fingers crossed for a redeeming season 3!

TL;DR: While the first season of Oregairu was superficial and perfunctory, the second season taught us that using words like superficial and perfunctory makes us sound pretty smart. It took me so long to write this review because I've been reading through the numerous analytical theses of the characters and apparently this show has a deeper meaning than any of us can begin to understand so obviously I'm just too dumb to get it.


I had high hopes for a season 2 of Oregairu. The first season captivated me with it's light-hearted comedy that could be serious when necessary, with some especially memorable moments. After watching ... season 2, it's hard to believe they are the same anime. I guess it was because the studio switch, but I wouldn't know. What basically happened was the anime became very.... realistic.

To start, the art style changed from a unique, goofy, full-of-character style to, in my opinion, generic. Sure, perhaps the 'quality' of the art went up with a larger budget, but the characters ended up looking uninspired. This is most evident in comparing Yukino's design changes; she lost her ice-cold stare and attitude with it. Even Hachiman's iconic green hair is gone.

As for the story.... dear god I could not care any less. With the majority of anime taking place in some kind of high school setting, there should be something that makes it stand out, whether it be something supernatural or something just plain funny. But Oregairu 2 is just plain high school drama. Nothing to supplement it. Just teenagers LARPing as adults. I can tell you right now, as realistic as the show was trying to be, no modern high schooler has the social or communication skills to act like an Oregairu character. It feels like a live action drama, not an anime. What I hate is how the show tried to hang on to the idea that Hachiman is some loser loner so poeple watching could still "ReLate" to him, yet he somehow has leagues of friends and people who rely on him and is able to convey his emotions through speech effortlessly. No loser can do that, but if we said the MC was a chad nobody could relate to him!!!11 There are also no rom-com elements. There's maybe a few hamfisted 'romance' scenes to egg on the viewers but we all get blue-balled as nothing ever comes out of them. Not to mention that no sane person would put up with the sheer animosity the characters have for each other. The show tries so hard to be realistic that it ends up feeling faker than it's goofy over the top first season.

In an attempt to part ways with the 'shallowness' of season 1, Zoku ends up becoming some pseudo-deep petty drama that anime-loving, "hachiman-is-so-relatable", pretentious high schoolers can write their grade 11 English class analytical thesis to feel superior to their small brain classmates who could never understand the deepness of why hachiman cried a lot.

As for art, sound, etc, it was completely adequate. Nothing memorable.

Overall, if you can tolerate the slow pacing, banal characters and story, then... there you go. A sequel to Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru.

The girl asked: what do you have to do to keep going. And her brain answered: choose a number of things that will make you feel half-alive, half-useful...Yukinoshita did.

Why do people feel pain, why do people cause pain...the world is fun, can't we just laugh. The world is beautiful, can't we just look...Humans are capable of kindness and feeling good when receiving it, can't they just be kind...Humans are capable of hate and ill behavior, can't they just not hate...Yuigahama wondered.

And Hikigaya was the person who took great pride in the value of his word. For he would literally rather turning into a villain in ... the eyes of everyone he knew, in order to confirm the effectiveness of his predisposition and accuracy towards life, than having to confront the consent of those people in case his process of thinking proved inefficient. And as noble as his first notion and manner of conduct struck out, his second eliminated all nobility his character could ever emit.
Breaking out from ill, long established notions such as this one however, the individual would have to shatter down every belief and principle that led him to foster it, all the way to the foundation, and then reconstruct it properly and accordingly, so that no vacancy would be left behind. Although, managing such dainty deeds would demand the abetment of a life changing experience.
Yahari, narrates the way Hikigaya is running towards such an experience. The way Yukino and Yui find answers to their long-life questions...


The second season starts from where it was left, and once again it shows nothing more than simple high school days, without the plot being different or more revealing than the prequel, and of course not any less pleasant. In fact, Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Zoku might be considered a lot better and improved. Every shoujo anime, more or less, recycles the cultural festival, the traditional Japanese festival, the episode in the beach, the field trip and the valentine's day, without it being noted as something negative, especially for Yahari who presents its cliche in its own well executed and unique manner. However, second season's development is much more original than the average, consequently more intriguing. Yahari, which is characterized by that fluffy, light, butterfly like aura, maintains it and elaborates it further. The adjectives sweet, cute and soaked in sunset are fit to describe the vibe Yahari gives off.
Although the plot doesn't change, the development of the characters does. Everyone will be surprised by how much deep the author can understand and exhibit human relationships. Through daily routine and everyday dialogue, Yahari makes you sink into psychological states, that aside being everyday and normal, their representation impresses you so much. While seeming like an easy thing to do, Wataru Watari (the author) does not only show aspects of the human character but also is capable enough to analyze them. After all, that is all that differentiates Yahari from every other shoujo anime and places it in a league of its own. Aside our three protagonists, this time we get a better and effective picture of the support characters too along with an utterly new one. Unfortunately, the screen time for the best girlish male character of all, Saika Totsuka is considerably reduced. We lose Hikigaya's incredible monologue that showed his messed up but still notable way of thinking by expanding it in lengths of the entire anime than to a single person. Whoever found Yukinoshita annoying will change his mind, since she found some sort of stability her personality and agile process of thinking soothes, to a point where it comforts you along with her. And lastly, Yuigahama finally reveals the first hints of the nasty parts of her character, which even though being flaws remain cute, same as everything that has to do with her.
The art is as good as ever, and due to the fact that the studio changes or that it is newer we have brighter colors. The buildings and landscapes become more unique and distinguish from other anime that have about the same pavements or houses or school corridors. Moreover, a number of mesmerizing scenes have been added, incredibly pleasant to the eye, like scenes covered in sunset or snow. The character drawings, pretty much remain the same, except to an information addressed mostly to the girls, is that their clothes are quite fashionable. It's rare and pleasant to see anime characters with a sense of fashion except cuteness.
The opening and ending is at the same level as the first season, therefore really good. Especially the ending that Yuigahama lends her voice to. As for the music during the main part, even though it isn't anything particularly notable it adds perfectly to the sweet atmosphere that characterizes Yahari.
If you don't find the second season better you will sure find it worthy to be watched. Also it may surprise you in some certain parts when occasions unfit to its slow progress happen. You will enjoy the noticeable difference in the atmosphere and the growth of the characters, however you may dislike the fact that it doesn't draw to a conclusion. It seems as if there will be a third season, but if not, you can always finish it in the manga.

"I want something genuine" -HH

THIS MAY CONTAIN SPOILER

Slightly different from the 1st season who more focused to the Volunteer Club to "help" each other. The 2nd season are much more focused to Hachiman's character development and tp the people around him. Depend on audience taste, it can reduce the interest to watch. Imo, it makes the anime much more interesting because, for character who doesn't looked important finally had a development at this season.

"Too much drama"
Sometimes, it can make you happy, sad, angry, make you wanna smash your screen, but first, Welcome to Oregairu where your emotion gone up and down like a roller coaster. ... Some scene is pretty unpredictable, for example, that scene when Hayato "restore" Hachiman's name after he being abused by his middle "friend". MUCH BROMANCE. The most interesting drama is when Hachiman's resolve a problem by sacrificed himself, causing further conflict. Very interesting to watch.

"Hardly To Understand Dialog"
Oregairu is filled by a dialog who doesn't seem important, maybe the audience who likes a comedy anime can feel bored. But believe me, the dialog, all of them, even who doesn't seem important, are the core of the anime, and maybe you must really pay attention from the 1st episode until the end. The problem is, the dialog are literally spoken, so you really need to use your brain to really understand the story. For example, Haruno who being nice to Yukino and Hachiman, but it can turn to the opposite of it as the story unfolds, and led to speculation. But hey, it's woman, full of code and puzzle.

"The Cliffhanger"
Well, maybe this the most obnoxious part of the anime where the ending, can't be said as ending. It's because the anime doesn't have the material from the LN anymore. So, you need to wait for the Volume 12 release, or just wait for the season 3. But the ending had the plus points like it can make so much speculation i.e "What's the point of this anime?". Why? because, as I said before, the last dialog between Hachiman, Yui, Yukino, not literally spoken. So, don't be confused if a confession can takes a 1/4 episode with a "hardly understand" words.

Verdict:
For those who already watched the 1st season, to watch the 2nd is a MUST. And for those who haven't really watch this anime, whether the 1st or 2nd season, I recommend to watch the 1st season first. Oregairu can offer a really deep story who need to use your brain to understand. If you don't like this sort of anime, with a complex storyline and so much feels, this may not for you. But if you love an anime who have so much drama and so focused the storyline, this is for you.
There is so much lesson from this anime, i.e, "Be a loner, if you lucky, there will be 2 moe girls who fight just for yourself" Btw, ignore that. Even though you hated, hurt yourself, there are still people who care with you, Believe it.
Even though this is a romance anime, Oregairu still offered more drama between Hachiman, and the people around him, but after all that, we know that Hachiman is just a human, like we all. 'My Romantic Comedy is Wrong as I expected' isn't it?

Anyway, this is my first review, so I'm sorry if my english is broken, or you're hardly understand my review.

Well I just finished both seasons of snafu and read all the light novels( sadly bakatsuki is down) and I can safely say that without a doubt this is one of the best love comedies ever.

It does not do anything different from your ordinary Rom com yet it's in the delivery that Snafu shines.

Seriously how do they pull it off? No magic, no monster, no guns and no hot springs episodes. How can an anime like that survive in this day and age? I'll tell you why! The show has character , it understands the importance dramatic timing. Season 1 was more on the ... light hearted side introducing us to our lovable characters but still have several poignant scenes underneath.

Season 2 was when things really started kicking into high gear, already well develop characters get even better while against high tension drama. What a snafu succeeds in whether you like it or not is subtlety.

It's doesn't like to tell what a characters true intentions are outright. It's like a puzzle, you are meant to pick out and piece together bits of it. From the Audio clues to visual clues and even so much of it is still a mystery. There are times when you feel like you got it then the show throws another curveball at you again. You are forced to pick up the pieces and start again.

I can understand how this kind of story telling can piss someone off but bear with me here the show is more than just pretentious. It's a rarity that a show can be heart warming by doing so little.

All in all, read watch and play all snafu material if there's one series that won't overstay it's welcome it's this one. The story is not over and I look forward for more to come.

I first started watching the first season of Oregairu at the same time that the second season was airing, as I was seeing immense amounts of praise for the show and I wanted to catch up in time for the finale so that I could do my best to decipher it along with everyone else while it was still hot on the platter. As I watched the majority of the show back-to-back on my first run, I was able to form an immediate impression of the difference between the first and second seasons, and as I assume anyone that would be thinking of watching this ... has already seen the first season I can tell you what you're going to find in relation to what you've already seen. If you haven't seen either season and you're checking this out because you want to see if the show is worth investing time in (aka it gets better as it progresses) then the short answer is yes, Oregairu does nothing but get better over time and watching the first season is well worth it to be able to see this one as well. Let's take a look into why.

Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru, otherwise known as Oregairu, otherwise known as "SNAFU!" (but not really. Please, no one let that actually catch on) at first glance will appear to be your typical slice-of-life high school romance focusing on a male protagonist and the various females that inevitably flock around him as he struggles to mature and find his place in the world. The first season is set apart from the fold not by its plot but by its incredibly well-written central cast and the well-designed drama that evolved from their relatable shortcomings. It's a show that rewards rewatching, as many character's thought processes and personalities are displayed not through blatant dialogue but through small moments, whether it be body language or some cryptic utterance, and the show is reluctant to ever lay out all its cards on the table for the lazy: from the beginning, Oregairu rewards attention and investment, giving more to those that are more willing to pick apart the show. The show is predictable in a good way: everything derives from the slow-moving yet powerful arcs of its characters, and the most powerful moments are often painful as not all of these kids have yet figured out what is best for them or the people around them.

The first season was definitely notable: the protagonist, Hikigaya Hachiman aka "Hiki" stands a cut above the fold in regards to male MCs, acting not only as a window into the lives of the other characters but as an engaging and compelling narrator with a plethora of internal dialogue and a unique set of clearly-spoken beliefs about high school life. Hachiman's own development is probably one of the best parts of the show, as he struggles with his fear of non-genuine relationships and tries to understand the vast diversity of ways in which people's feelings manifest, and his character alone is really enough to make twelve episodes of content engaging and enjoyable. The other two lead characters, two girls named Yui and Yukino, are vastly different people and act as effective foils to Hikki, pushing and pulling to try and help him have a healthier outlook while also struggling with their own problems and trying to work out their relationships with him. As a trio the three are definitely memorable, and are a good enough reason to watch any show.

However, the first season also had a lot of things I had issues with. For starters, the art was extremely bland: neither particularly pretty nor interesting, and though it was usually passable and rarely got in the way of the experience it never enhanced it either. The way in which a scene is portrayed: small details, lighting, character expressions, ect. can have a huge impact on how effective that scene is, and the first season of Oregairu did not really have this going for it. Even its most powerful moments were usually portrayed in a pretty cut-and-dry way, something that was at times irksome. The second and far more major issue I had with the show was its reliance on shitty formulaic slice-of-life contrivances, especially when it came to humor. There was a fair amount of tiresome slapstick and obviously unrealistic scenarios that clashed horribly with the show's amazing writing and characters, sometimes breaking the immersion experience. The plot as well was essentially just the characters meandering through your usual slice-of-life occurrences, with a camping trip, a school fair, a sports episode and more, and even worse these events felt very episodic rather than a constantly-flowing story. The show's supporting cast had some strong members: most notably Hayama, the model kindly alpha male with more than just a surface layer, but many of them seemed simply to be gag characters like "yaoi girl" and "trap character" where the majority of their interactions seemed to be defined by these single, overblown character traits. In all, it was a fun and intelligent experience but it was nothing I could call a masterpiece. Definitely worth a watch even on its own, but relying almost exclusively on its phenomenally written main three characters to carry a show that was otherwise generic and boring.

That was season 1.

I'll never forget the first ten minutes of the first episode of season two. If it hadn't been for the presence of the characters I was familiar with I would have assumed I was watching a different show. As I mentioned earlier, I watched the first season for the first time straight into the second season, so I had only finished the first season minutes before diving into Oregairu S2. It was the same show, yes: the same characters, their same personalities, the same crisp dialogue and subtle moments and complex emotions. It even picked up directly where the first season had left off, so we were in the middle of the same events. But it was also something entirely different. Oregairu season 2 impressed me from the very first moment and every moment afterwards as it quickly solidified the fact that it was essentially a dream sequel. Why? Well, let's look into what you can expect.

The first thing to jump out at you is the art. There is nothing more obviously different between the first and second seasons than the visuals. Where once characters were drawn roughly, backgrounds were bland and lighting was non-existent, now everything is brought to life with some of the most outstanding visuals and direction I've seen. The show becomes GORGEOUS: everything from the suns setting through the windows of the club room to the eerie glow of a bamboo forest at twilight to watching fireworks explode over the river at night, everything is outstandingly drawn and displayed. Rather than having to have to infer the atmosphere through the character's reactions to it, now you can feel it right there with them. The mood practically seeps out of the screen, filling your heart with the reborn world of Oregairu. The characters now have far more detailed designs, allowing for much more to be told using brief shots of their complicated expressions or body language, and this is something the show puts to incredible use. I can't get over how amazing it was to see the characters I cared about brought to life in this way, freed from their cut-out shackles and rendered in full illustrious beauty as they were always meant to be.

As for the characters themselves, the show has an entire season of development to build off of and it puts this to DAMN GOOD USE. Not only does it give incredible focus to the main three but a plethora of other characters get a much more dynamic focus, especially Hayama, the teacher and Yukino and Hikki's sisters. Rather than dividing these into separate and enclosed stories, season two connects the dots in the ways that everyone's actions and development affect the rest of the cast, and many characters that before seemed to exist more as isolated incidents now feel as though they are a cohesive and important part of a living, breathing world. Even the gag characters are now regarded far more as people, possessing complexity and involvement in the story beyond simply their tagline, which REALLY helped with the immersion. This is not to say that the main three get any less of the spotlight: the best parts of the first season were the ones that were most intense, the drama that would surface briefly before characters tried to bury it and return to the status quo. Season two features characters that are no longer content with the status quo, though. They have recognized that they want to be more than they are right now, that they want more, and that they are slowly willing to risk what they have for what they might be able to achieve. People learn to be more honest about how they feel, and become willing to speak up about that. Sparks fly, people fall in love and make enemies and lose things they care about. It's good stuff.

Finally, the story: Oregairu season one layered phenomenal characters on top of trite formula, and witty exchanges on top of dismally dull humor. I can say with joy and exuberance that season two is done with that. The presence of slice-of-life fluff humor is almost entirely gone, and rather than breaking the story down into episodic events that drive the characters along the characters themselves drive the events, choosing where they go and what they do and not confining arcs of the story to the events of the highschool. For example, the student council election plays a part in the story, but it is not as if the actual election and the culmination of the character's feelings regarding it coincide: the election is merely something that happens, and the effects of it are seen long after the event itself has passed. In this way the story feels natural and as if we are following the lives of the characters rather than the events of the school. What you will get in season two is a pure, chocolaty flow of rich character interactions unburdened by cliches and nonsense and jarring humor. There is a solid balance of funny moments, touching moments, difficult moments and depressing moments, but all of them are handled tactfully and intelligently so that when there IS humor is feels more like something funny is actually happening in the world rather than the show creating something funny for the audience to laugh at. I had a stupid grin on my face on many occasions, and I was glued to the scene by visceral dread on many others.

I will say, however, that even this second season will not fulfill the wishes of everyone. I got to see very satisfying and defining character development executed with immaculate grace with brilliant writing, and I was perfectly thrilled with that. However, although the characters could definitely be considered to have undergone full arcs, anyone seeking a conclusion to the story itself will likely not find a satisfying version of that in this season. I will be perfectly happy if we never get anything else, but I can't deny that a sequel of some sort, whether it be a third season, a movie, or an OVA series would be appreciated in really giving the story a fully completed feel. In addition, the convoluted nature of the way that character's thoughts and emotions are portrayed has been ramped up even more in this season and the show is oftentimes difficult to follow without paying close attention. It's not always an easy show to decipher, and it can definitely feel sometimes as though it is getting bogged down in convoluted melodrama more than telling an actual story. Personally, I found it to be delightful, but I can't promise the same experience for everyone, especially if you're someone who enjoyed the more light--hearted atmosphere of the first season.

All in all though, season two of Oregairu is an outstanding continuation of the franchise that exceeds all expectations and brings the show to a new level. I highly recommend it to anyone that enjoyed the first season, and I would recommend the franchise as a whole to anyone who enjoys good drama, relatable characters and good writing, and who isn't opposed to giving just one more high-school rom-com a shot. Oregairu may be in many ways just like all the others, but it does everything so much better that it's not even in the same league.

I feel like this series has been thrown into google translate three times. It's trying so hard to be #deep that it's a whole lot of nothing.

So slow. So much talking. Characters don't act like real people at all. The majority of this series is extremely low stakes talking back and forth. Every episode drags. I enjoy slice of life. I don't mind a series that is slow and thoughtful. This series wants to be those things but just winds up blathering on about a whole lot of nothing and thinking that's somehow profound. ...

The first season had some of the same issues, but it was balanced with comedy and Hachiman's accurate, if pessimistic rants. This series doesn't have either of those things. It's pretentious. It's painfully dull. I kept asking myself, am I just not listening? That's a whole lot of words to say a whole lot of nothing. It's almost parody as this is a theme in the show. Being too afraid to actually say anything and make decisions so you use a whole lot of words that are ambiguous and functionally meaningless and nothing happens. Well, that's the show.

Let's start with the good. Oregairu has some great, believable characters. From the beginning of the series, I've always thought Hachiman was one of the best main characters ever spawned in anime, with his hyper-realistic and negative outlook on the world and human relations. He takes everything we expect out of an anime protagonist; naivety, loved by all characters, attractiveness; and turns it on its head. He is looked down on as a creep by all of his classmates, he seems to have come to terms with this. Yukino and Yui are really the first two real friends he ever has, but due to his ... reputation and his bitterness, none of them are really willing to admit it. It only stands to reason that this would create some complicated drama between them but....

I felt like I was watching a daytime soap opera or some other generic drama-filled pedantic depressing romp through the lives of a bunch of people who just can't seem to get it together. Every episode spiraled further downward into a depressing confusing mess of emotions that just didn't seem to go anywhere and were never properly explained. Where the first season had some decent comedy mixed in with the drama, the second season had more drama, like frosting on pudding. It was convoluted, thick and heavy, and it always left a bitter taste in my mouth when the episode was over.

Even the last episode, despite its fun, cute, and otherwise enjoyable moments just devolved into meaningless babble about "the real thing" and how something-or-the-other is ending or something-or-the-other would never be the same, and then the credits rolled, like if George Carlin were to end his routine with a Laffy Taffy joke and proudly bow and leave the stage.

Everyone seemed to love the second season of Oragairu. I did not. I kept watching, hoping to see some kind of development, but it just flat-lined at that deadpan, semi-intellectual woe-is-me drama after a few episodes and stayed there until the end.

If you're looking for more clever Hachiman antics, more comedy, more cute tension between the main characters, or any kind of mix of ups and downs, you might just have to wait for the third season. If you liked the first season, statistically you will probably (unlike me) like the second season, but prepare for constant debilitating, depressing drama.