Megami no Café Terrace

After his grandmother Sachiko passes away, Hayato Kasukabe returns from Tokyo and inherits her cafe—Familia Café Terrace. He aims to demolish the cafe and convert it into a parking lot, only to discover that his grandmother had taken in five girls prior to her death.

The girls—Ouka Makuzawa, Akane Hououji, Riho Tsukishima, Shiragiku Ono, and Ami Tsuruga—evidently shared a deep bond with Sachiko, and they naturally refuse to give up the place they call home. They convince Hayato to change his mind, albeit reluctantly. Through this encounter, Hayato eventually remembers his past with his grandmother as well as his love for the cafe.

Now resolved to carry on his grandmother's legacy, Hayato enlists the girls to act as the "goddesses" that will ensure the preservation of this precious abode.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Hououji, Akane Main

Seto, Asami Japanese

Tsukishima, Riho Main

Yamane, Aya Japanese

Makuzawa, Ouka Main

Aoki, Ruriko Japanese

Ono, Shiragiku Main

Waki, Azumi Japanese

Tsuruga, Ami Main

Suzushiro, Sayumi Japanese

Kasukabe, Hayato Main

Mizunaka, Masaaki Japanese

Confectionery Seller Supporting

Takeuchi, Emiko Japanese

Kasukabe, Sachiko Supporting

Ikura, Kazue Japanese

Makuzawa, Kikka Supporting

Uesaka, Sumire Japanese

Aoi, Hiroyuki Producer

Udagawa, Sumio Producer

Akita, Tadayuki Producer

Yamazaki, Hiroaki Producer

Reviews

May 1, 2024

remetallized

Recommended

I went into this show with very little expectation, expecting another typical harem rom-com where it seems there's very little reason for any of the female leads to fall for the male lead and (obviously) lacks maturity (RaG comes to mind). To my pleasant surprise, this was not the case, despite some (predictable) instances of fan service and the clichéd beginning to the story involving Hayato's deceased grandmother and the café she left behind which provides the setting. Very much in the vein of The Quintessential Quintuplets with a competitive edge, but with a nice dash of slice-of-life minus the high school tropes that have ... been seen time and time again thanks to the maturity of the cast.

To cover the characters, the male MC is *gasp* actually someone who I could see having people attracted to him. Sure, being tall with reasonable looks doesn't hurt, but he's also successful, motivated, and isn't afraid to push back when he feels its necessary. He knows when to be supportive and knows when it's time to get serious. Hayato might be one of the first harem protagonists that I wouldn't mind grabbing a beer and shooting some pool with.

As for Hayato's surrounding cast of multi hair-colored girls, while some tend to fall into the typical tropes associated with the genre – Ouka being the tsundere, Ami being the goofy athletic (Yotsuba Nakano type), Shiragiku being the childhood friend dandere – I must give a shoutout to Akane and Riho. The former is an artistic tomboy type with a notable streak of confidence, but has a girlish shy streak when approached with anything regarding her personal life that is actually adorable. The latter first appears as somewhat of a tsundere, but later is revealed to be the hardest working of the bunch, continually trying to find new ways to support the rest of the girls and Hayato. These two rise to become (in my opinion) the stars of the first season, and make for interesting competition.

The primary obstacle towards enjoyment of the series will be undoubtedly getting through the first few episodes. Without spoiling it, you will probably immediately dislike most of the girls at the start, but they quickly – one-by-one – improve. Another downfall would be that the comedic aspects of the show are rather rough around the edges and repetitive, but I'm not sure this show is structured to really lean on the comedic aspects in the first place. The aforementioned ecchi content is definitely there – some may lament some of the censorship choices – but they are not overdone to the point of saying "ok what's the point of that"? The romantic subplots are actually enjoyable to watch develop (although they are somewhat limited in the first season) and tease the potential of something better – much like the first season of Quintessential. Overall I'd say that the show is on the higher end of harem animes overall, is generally well animated (excellent character designs) and does well to exploit some of the genre's tropes while toppling others. Will be awaiting eagerly to see what kind of new messes that Hayato and the girls get in season 2 this upcoming summer.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by remetallized (2)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Jan 28, 2024

enriquelirac

Mixed Feelings

My experience with The Café Terrace and Its Goddesses was very strange. I expected a lot from the fan service. I expected very little from the story. Ironically, everything was the opposite.

In terms of ecchi, it is an anime, for experts in the genre, without much merit. Of course, the girls are cute, but nothing remarkable. Average ecchi level, leaning towards low. The strange thing is that, even though these girls don't show much skin, the animation quality makes them look gorgeous. Wow! These girls are beautiful! And the fan service scenes are well-received.

In terms of story, while it is not a new work by ... Shakespeare, it is above an average ecchi-harem comedy anime of recent years (for example, Renai Flops, or Immoral Guild). What makes it enjoyable is the past of each girl. Understanding why each one acts, thinks, and feels that way.

It is something quite pleasant. There is not a single girl who does not have an interesting past and that challenges the protagonist in some way.

Of course, it is nothing out of this world, but if you decide to watch this anime, and you like simple anime. You will like this story.

Finally, I like the protagonist. He is not a fool or insecure. He is a respectful guy, but when he gets the opportunity, even though he is not a shameless person, he is not afraid to show his desire for the girls. More protagonists like this!

In conclusion, The Café Terrace and Its Goddesses, is one of those average animes, that by whims of the industry have great success (the second season has already been announced when there are a thousand better animes that will never have one). It will not bore you, but it does not leave you with anything relevant.

THE GOOD. Good development of the female characters with a great focus on their past.

THE BAD. The fan service had potential and never explodes.

THE WORST. That there is no uncensored version

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by enriquelirac (32)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Feb 14, 2024

TrainerOfLegend

Not Recommended

You don’t need to watch this and I would honestly recommend you don’t. If you’ve seen any harem show at all, you’ve seen this; hell, you’ll be able to predict beat-by-beat where it goes. The only “edge” I would give this show is its adult cast. Everything else about it is bland.

This is Seo Kouji, the mangaka, at his worst. His first hit, Suzuka, touched on relevant topics that few mangaka dare touch on—I appreciated it. His next hit, A Town Where You Live, was a slogging melodrama that nonetheless hit the right notes at the right time to keep audiences engaged. His third hit, ... Fuuka, was… controversial but ultimately brave.

In contrast, this work is so by-the-numbers that I can only assume he wanted to produce a hit big enough that he could retire. Five women work at the café that our MC inherited. They all have a vested interest in seeing the café succeed and the women, like bowling pins, fall over as he helps them solve their longstanding childhood traumas that inevitably involve a terrible parent.

Theres romance but don’t expect it to move very far in twelve episodes. There’s “comedy” but it’s really just that each character has the same joke repeated for infinity (did anyone ever laugh?).

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

What did you think of this review?

Nice 0

Love it 0

Funny 0

Confusing 0

Informative 0

Well-written 0

Creative 0

More reviews by TrainerOfLegend (2)

Show all

Read more

Show less

Open

Gift

Report

Anime with guitar

by MadanielFL

24 Entries · 46 Restacks

Civilization Building

by OrkusReOrca

28 Entries · 54 Restacks

A Taste Of Everything New You Missed From 2023 Anime

by Theannoy3rd1

47 Entries · 181 Restacks

'Megami no Café Terrace' Second Season Announced for 2024

The 12th and final episode of the Megami no Café Terrace (The Café Terrace and Its Goddesses) television anime announced a second season on Saturday. ...read more

Jun 23, 2023 11:04 AM by Hyperion_PS | Discuss (11 comments)

Spring 2023 Simulcast List [Update 5/19]

In this thread, you'll find a comprehensive list of television anime acquired for simulcast release during the Spring 2023 season. Anime series licensed for hom...read more

Mar 29, 2023 5:59 AM by Snow | Discuss (60 comments)

	Just curious - will the MC choose someone in the end? Baltshot - Apr 15, 2023	17 replies	by Enigma-kun »» May 15, 10:18 PM
	Poll: Best girl. CheliosX - Oct 22, 2023	24 replies	by Enigma-kun »» May 15, 7:00 PM
	Poll: Megami no Café Terrace Episode 12 Discussion ( 1 2 3 ) Stark700 - Jun 23, 2023	123 replies	by Thyriad-oPPailov »» Apr 23, 7:48 PM
	Poll: Megami no Café Terrace Episode 11 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Stark700 - Jun 16, 2023	63 replies	by Thyriad-oPPailov »» Apr 23, 6:58 PM
	Poll: Megami no Café Terrace Episode 10 Discussion Stark700 - Jun 9, 2023	40 replies	by Thyriad-oPPailov »» Apr 23, 5:30 PM