Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun

So while scrolling through Netflix during the ungodly hours of the early morning, I came across Tonari no Kaibutsu-Kun. The premise seemed interesting; a studious, no nonsense, anti-social girl named Shizuku finds a friend in a hostile boy Haru.
While not an entirely unique story nor complex, I still found it entertaining.

The story is quite simplistic, but I didn't really mind that much. (I just finished Noragami yesterday and that one was very complex.)

I will say that I almost clicked out on the first episode due to pacing issues. However, I'm glad I didn't, because it turned out to be quite enjoyable. The said ... pacing issues were non-existent due to a scene that happens at the end of the first episode that surprised and intrigued me, but I won't spoil it here.

It was listed under the comedy section, so I figured I'd give it a shot, to break it up from all the serious anime I've been watching lately.Needless to say, the comedy did not disappoint. On multiple occasions I found myself laughing out loud, I even almost squirted milk up my nose.

The art while nice and clean, is nothing special, however there are aspects and moments that are really beautiful. The animation during any of the sunset scenes are absolutely stunning. In the second episode I believe it's raining and the shot holds on the rain and the puddle. It looked incredibly realistic. Though not as stunning as others, I also love the eye designs, especially Shizuku and Haru's.

The opening song is pretty average for the Shouju genre (or at least the ones I've seen), and I admittedly don't think that much for the ending song either. I will say I adore the soundtrack though, it's really mellow, and I could probably listen to it whilst going to sleep.

The characters, I found were all very unique and distinct from one another, yet still maintain their personality as they developed. That being said, I feel as if it could have used a few more episodes to further develop the characters, as it ended fairly ambiguously in regards to said characters.

When I started this early this morning, (like at one or two am) I didn't want to stop. But after watching four episodes I figured I should go to sleep. The first thing I did when I woke up this morning, you ask? I watched more. I definitely had me hooked, and I really wanted to know what was going to happen. I was a touch disappointed at the ending however the journey paid off, more so than the destination.

This anime is good, is not the typical rom com and the main character is interesting, it was really one of the few interesting characters i have seen in a while and i realated to him, well most of him, if it wasnt for the fact that he is almost like a sociopath.

Story
The story could seem generic, boy meets girl, he falls for her, they start a romance, well is nothing like that, is about this boy Haru Yoshida who doesn't like to go to school because he can't make friends which prompts to one of his classmate, namely, Shizuku to be sent the homework ... to him, they meet and she starts to like him and even feeling love (?) but he rejects her because in that moment he didn't saw her like that, and as the days go by she loses interest on him but he starts to love (?) her, she rejects him, she finds out that he is the best student of the school and starts studying even more to beat him, she starts to be indiferent with him, like if he was nothing to her, but Haru still loves (?) her and gets jealous to the point he could be considered a Yandere. Both of them are a rollercoaster of indecisions and this can be annoying as f**k, their relationship goes nowhere, i screamed WHYYYY! for f**k sake and the ending was just FUUUUU*K! it was so freaking open and you will be mad.

Art & Sound
They both were great, there are some flaws but nothing big, the voice acting choice was great, i can't imagine the characters with other voices and Shizuku's voice made her really likeable.

Character
They were very good for the most part, the thing is they weren't very well developed and Shizuku and Haru relationship was annoying to the point of being too realistic and we don't know the background of anyone and i wanted to see why Haru hates his brother, and why his brother hated Haru when they were kids.

Still, for some reason i enjoyed it but i might rewatch it in the future.

First off, I'd like to say that this review will be short considering I am in the middle of doing homework and we're are only 4 episodes into Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun.

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun is about a girl named Mizutani, Shizuka who spends most of her day studying and planning for the future. She is a bright, young, brown headed teenager who only knows the world of textbooks.

Everyone's favourite character in the show, Haru, is a dark-headed male teenager who lacks social skills who at first look appears to be just another delinquent.Being the delinquent that Haru is, he regularly skips classes making his ... teacher send homework to his place of residence.

The story of the show starts off when Shizuka delivers Haru's homework to him. They have a "weird" first meeting and she slowly develops an interest in Haru overtime. As time passes the viewer learns that Haru is actually a genius, good-looking, well mannered teenager that is 2nd to best Usui, Takami from Kaichou-Wa Maid Sama.

If you like comedy romanced animes, I suggest this to everyone. Think Kaichou-Wa Maid Sama + Toradora with great visuals and an amazing soundtrack. I have high expectations for this anime. Cheers!

Ok, so I wanted to wait for the anime to finish before writing a review because I wanted to have all my facts straight. Let me be a bit frank here:

I am going to make a lot of people mad with this review

Please keep in mind that I rate a lot of anime highly on the premise of entertainment. If I enjoy something and finish it then I rate it highly. However, enjoying something and thinking that a series was well done can be two completely different things.

But, as someone who is a huge fan of romantic comedies, who hasn’t read the manga ... and has re-watched certain scenes, I feel the need to mention a few things regarding this anime: Both what’s great about it and what’s wrong with it.

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun (or The Monster seated Next to Me) tells the story of Shizuku Mizutani, a very serious student who only cares about her grades. One day, Shizuku is tasked with delivering class printouts to the home of a boy named Haru Yoshida, a delinquent who rarely attends school. Upon meeting Shizu, Haru immediately considers her his friend and a new relationship sparks between the two as they begin to experience things that neither of them have felt before such as friendship and love.

The series itself is very episodic and appears to be well paced. Every episode contains at least one moment that will make you laugh and at least one moment that will make you go “awwww, isn’t that cute”.

Brains Base did a great job with the animation for this show. Such amazing detail went not only into the main characters overall design, but even the side characters appeared to stand out. The backgrounds and lighting were also well done. Combine this with the animators bright color choices makes for the series to have an overall relaxing and cute atmosphere that most will enjoy.

Now at this point you’re probably saying “Well, this anime seems interesting so far, why would you make people angry with these positive remarks?”

Let me explain (spoilers). After the first episode of the series, the premise of the story was presented to us in a way that made us think that for once, the female lead would be the one being chased rather than the one doing the chasing. I, personally, as a fan of Shojo, was happy with this because Shizu, while being extremely stoic, seemed to be a rational thinker while Haru was presented as………well…….. a possessive delinquent. The fact that Shizu WOULDN’T be interested in Haru makes sense to us.

Then the third episode happened and this premise does a complete 180 with Shizu doing the chasing more or less out of nowhere.

This, I’m sorry to say is one of the main problems with this series. While the premise and characters seemed good at the beginning, as the series goes on, you begin to realize how scattered and poorly structured the overall series actually is. You expect for the characters to move the overall story in a slice of life romantic comedy which has such a simple setting. But here, stuff happens almost at random and the characters actions at times seem to completely contradict what their characters SHOULD be doing.

You could argue that the characters are growing and are trying to adjust to an environment that their not use to. After all, this series is about how two socially awkward people make friends and fall in love. But if that were the case, then we wouldn’t see them break out of character one moment, but then immediately regress to the way they were at the beginning. This makes everything done seem very forced and unnatural when there were maybe a dozen different ways the story could have been done right. By the end of the series, it’s really hard to claim that the main leads really changed between the first and last episode.

If this were like say School Rumble were the series revolves around randomness and contradictions for the sake of comedy, then this would all be ok. But the producers are making the characters do this for the sake of unnecessarily expanding a series, making it longer and more complicated than it needs to be.

“So if the series has such cookie cutter story progression like you claim, then why does this series get such unreal praise?”

Simple: Gimmicks and quirks sell more than story.

While one might THINK that the story is interesting and engaging, what’s REALLY interesting and engaging are the non-perverted comedic moments as well as the cute confessions which are done so well that I almost get a nose bleed from a cuteness overload. Who cares who confessed first, they’re cute together. Who cares if Haru’s not well put together, he looks adorable.

Again, I don’t think this is a bad anime at all. If you are a fan of Shojo and or romantic comedies then it’s defiantly worth a look at least till the third episode. But it is a little……..misguided and manipulative to not be a little upset by it.

This was the first romantic-comedy series I watched when I started watching anime a while back, it was great. Apparently this anime is shoujo, I didn't know what it was, but now I know. The setup or the premise instantly grabs you. The show is certainly enjoyable, greatly assisted by colorful range of expressions, and some genuinely funny lines. There were way too many still scenes , but we can use them. The scenes that were set up had such memetic potential.

This series is bold, colorful, using varied, solid strokes with full color. The character designs are gorgeous and really appealing. The comedic sense ... was simply pitch perfect for me. Gags and expressions were timed long enough for the chuckle, while being short enough so it does not overstays its welcome. The comedy remained consistent, deriving from characters taking advantage of humor, rather than utilizing gag-based jokes. The drama presented itself very well, intersecting with humor and not going into melodrama. The drama carefully presents multiple explorations and perspectives of relationship. Any episode does not end with a cliffhanger and was good. This anime was by far one of the straightforward I have seen.

I can safely say that I enjoyed watching Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun.It has a great love story, cute and funny. The characters are great as they carry the show and make sit memorable. The series is an excellent show that is easy to watch whilst enjoying. It has great moments of comedy and emotion. Highly recommended for people who are searching for a slice-of-life or romantic-comedy series. Or for people who love a romantic comedy about two opposites that greatly attract, you'll love this series.

The series balances drama and comedy in a really good way, skillfully, very fun, quirky, with good characters and decent romantic-comedy.

When I first started watching My Little Monster, I was already following Say 'I Love You' and I must admit, the initial impression I was left after three or four episodes with was mixed. One of the strengths of this show - and this is already strikingly clear from its first episode which was a very strong start - is the amount of content and fun it can cram into 20 minutes. However, I was a little bemused at the first-glance appearance of the relationship.

Haru's casual rape threat in the first episode, and repeated use of his physical strength to have his way made me ... wary, given Shizuku's remaining at his side without much objection. The relationship definitely has some interesting moments and eventually becomes much more appealing and less tasteless than it seemed at first - both are very interesting, flawed characters (especially Haru, whom you might not even end up liking much) and their differences certainly enrich the experience. Shizuku is by no means a weak lead character.

However the underlying truth is that, despite all of the teenage turbulence, ups and downs etc. their relationship hasn't really gone anywhere throughout the one cour of MLM that we'll (probably) ever get. Shizuku can't be straightforward and sees the distribution of her energy between Haru and studying as a zero-sum game in which the latter is more important. Haru is alarmingly frank about his feelings but is repeatedly self-sabotaging in his attempts to unravel her defences and by the end, since the first episode, we feel that he has in a way made as many steps backwards as he has forwards in pursuing her. At this point, much of our attention is captivated by the other characters.

Normally, a romantic primary plot that doesn't really get anywhere wouldn't be too much of a problem, but it actually becomes fairly noticeable in this show simply because of how pumped full of content and activity each episode is - a fact that the very exciting first episode only exacerbates. Sure, quite a lot can go on in a single episode and this is definitely, overall, a forte in terms of fun, laughs and subtle developments. However, the big problem is that the fact that there is such a limited sprinkling of the dramatic over this whirlpool, and the fact that our character's stories only change very gradually somewhat trivializes most of the content and makes it less deliberate or meaningful, as you would get from some of the other great rom-coms. I consider myself a fairly patient viewer, but by the end I was really hoping for some zest, some drama, some passion, which I think would really add completion to MLM and bump it up to a 5-star rating, but which never really surfaced in these 13 episodes. This isn't really a big deal though, the high-school setting managing to overcome the absence of feels quite passably and charmingly. Besides, MLM is quite full of laughs and it isn't a dull show. You will be enjoying yourself.

As for the secondary characters and their relationships: Surprisingly, these are the hidden strength of the series. You can relate to MLM's secondaries quite strongly. They emerge gradually in line with the show's "fast but actually slow" pacing and as I said before, at the end they have somewhat forced their way onto the centre stage alongside the primary relationship. Jaded romance-viewers might find the character line-up a little standard, but I think they were overall well-handled and endearing. Things weren't particularly predictable to me. Despite this, the sluggish progression of significant events means that we haven't really seen much more movement with the secondaries than we have with the primaries, even though they are all well fleshed-out. It seems that this season has been a big preparation - ie. gradual introduction of characters etc. which will precede the crescendo. But then as I said, that crescendo will probably never come as this may have just been a big advert for the manga.

Last but not least, on the technical side it's very solid. The art is superb and sometimes the movements are quite impressive. Character designs are good and quite unconventional in this day and age, supported by plenty of fun expressions. No complaints here. The music is also great, with a fantastic OP and ED to wrap each episode in.

Overall, MLM has some great moments hidden within. It's highly entertaining, and seems destined to become even better if it's ever given a second cour. The lack of both potent drama and a more determined linear progression in the relationship dynamics have been the main weaknesses of this season, but they are not significant. It's a solid and fun watch and deserves its recognition.

7.5/10

It's hard to find a romance/comedy/slice of life that really leaves a good impression. Tonari no Kaibutsu-Kun does exactly that and for those of you who have already seen Lovely Complex and/or Honey and Clover it gives you some traits from each of those shows and adds it's own flavor into the mix as well.

Story- This is the weakest point of the series, however it's not so weak that it provides no interest or doesn't evoke any emotion from you. It's simple and laid out right in front of your eyes within the first two episodes essentially. That being said though, there ... are a few kinks in the story along the way that give you something to think about. So while it is the weakest point of the series, it also has it's strong point, and does enough with the core plot to move things along nicely at a solid pace.

Art- The art was a hair away from a ten, but I just couldn't do it so it wasn't meant to be i guess. Anyway, it really was my favorite part of the show and I've only thought this about maybe three anime I've ever watched. For the art to really have such an impact on the characters and story is really special I think. The pleasant background ambiance and bright, sometimes exotic colors give the scenery personality and a location as simple as their popular spot "the batting cages" suddenly becomes unique and colorful because of it.

Sounds- The OP is one of my favorites and the full length version of it is an extremely catchy song, not to mention a solid ED. There's a somewhat surreal feel to the background sounds i only mentioned in the "art" section of the review and immediately provide you with an engrossing feel that sucks you into what's going on. Every sounds seems to fit just right and because of this it all flows so naturally. Finally, the voice actors (or seiyuu) do a fantastic job portraying their character's attitude and feeling in various situation be it good or bad ones.

Character- At first they may seem like typical rom/com cookie cutter type characters but you'll be quickly proven wrong in that regard. It's not as though we haven't ever seen these characters before in this genre, but the way they're executed is what makes them so enthralling to watch. Haru is best compared to a wilder Morita (if that's believable for those who've watched Honey and Clover) he's more violent and protective you could say. That said, he's extremely passionate in everything he does as well as having nothing but pure intentions. He's very funny and extremely intelligent, and just an overall interesting character that is well designed based on who he is as well. Shizuku is a character that takes a little bit of developing for her to break out of her shell, and it works for the setting and story. You really get to see her grow with Haru and the other supporting characters slowly but it never truly gets tiresome as it's not your typical whiny self-conscious high school girl questioning her life/love every few minutes.

Enjoyment- Needless to say I rather enjoyed this, and I'll be sure to re-watch it eventually. I higly recommend this to anyone who enjoyed the anime I mentioned above, as well as anyone interested in a good romance told in a slightly different yet charming way.

Overall- It's a 9/10 like above the only reason it doesn't get 10/10 is because I believe you need to really go far above and beyond your genre and all other genres for that matter. This is definitely one of the best rom/com/slice of life iIve seen. This is also a perfect type of anime to get those who are just starting to pique their interest in this genre. At only 13 episodes it progresses nicely, and it doesn't have those cringe-worthy overly dramatic moments some romances have, so it's easier for someone new to the genre to dived in without worries.

Merry Christmas everybody, so I've just finished this 13 ep anime, so without further adieu, here's my rating.


Story: Good 7.

The execution of this anime's genre especially on the romance side is to me a well executed. You really can relate to the, I really like how this anime's romance being combine with a little bit of comedy was done. Basically it is a reverse thing where bad boy comes into normal high school girl's life and turns it upside down and along the way bad boy's relationship seem threaten when he sees possible competition trying to win normal high school girl's affection.


Art: Poor 3.

This probably ... the only time, where I's gonna criticized this anime's art.........it's generally terrible. For the female protagonist, I'd probabaly say that she looks better in a school uniform than in plain clothes, which she looks like a grandma. As for the boy's uniform where the main character's were studying I find it soooooo 70's, I will never understand the illustrator's PV as to why the boy's have to wear plaint pants co'z the last time I saw those kinds of pants is when my grandpa was young and part of the hippie movement in 1973.


Sound: Mediocre 5.

I just have nothing much to say about this category.


Character: Good 7.

Ok, the character's involved in this anime are somewhat you'll be irritated on one side but will most appreciated in another, ok, so about Haru, he's probably a guy whom you'll wanna do a ground and pound thing on him co'z he's more like this poster boy for a spouse abuser and he's also too reckless, but on the other hand you'll admire him that eventhough he's a delinquent, he's a delinquent who has both brains (in studying), brawn and certain level of dedication to the people close to him. Shizuka, is one ordinary mind my own business type of study bug whom you'll wish that she go for Yamaken instead of going for Haru, but you'll be a bit irritated by her seemly cold attitude towards the people around her. There is also that part where you wish that a romantic arc develops between Sasayan and Asako, but unfortunately it don't look like that it's gonna happen, however I also see a potential for a Sasayan X Chizuru arc, then again like that's gonna happen.
Going back to Haru, so he does provide the comedy aspect of this anime, but for him to be in a relationship with either Shizuka or Chizuru.......I kinda hate seeing it, to me I find him a someone who should be in a correction facility than having a romantic relationship. I wonder what the hell was that chicken doing in this anime? Cluck! Cluck!

Enjoyment and Overall: Good 7.

the enjoyment part of this anime revolves around as to what will Haru do next or what crazy thing does Haru up to order to satisfy his insecurity with his relationship with Shizuka. Overall, this anime is a combination of one irritation with Haru for being an insecure asshole and the ice cold study bug Shizuka. However it is good that their opposites attract one another.


Well, It's time for dinner, I'll be having fried chicken tonight. CLUCK! CLUCK!

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun

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Story:

Mizutani Shizuku is the main character, She is only focused on her studies and nothing else should get in the way of her learning, Some might say a book worm or teachers pet, Her attitude is very harsh and times and leads you to think she doesn't understand nor care for other peoples emotions.

Yoshida Haru changes this, He is a troublemaker at school, when he turns up, and also beats people up, Has anger problems and friends who only use him.

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... Art/Sound

Both really nice, For me this seems a hybrid of styles and not focused on the stereotypical "Shoujo" looks, Although they are their in the art in a subtle manner.

Sound is really good, All characters styles and how they present themselves and suits by the voice acting work, Fond of Haru's voice really suited him.

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Final Views:

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun was a lot of fun for me, I enjoyed watching most episodes, and enjoyed the array of characters, Some points i thought this would be a very high contender, But this isn't the case, Don't get me wrong this is good series, but it could of been better.

Some of the "Comedy" aspects and hit or miss, Sometimes his silly behavior is laughable, sometimes just annoying, and usually is a core part of an episode. The development of their relationship from Friend to an "Item" was really good, but after then it somewhat didn't progress at all, and even by the end i feel both characters were roughly the same development wise as from early on.

Another thing that bugged me was how they would start little "Side" stories with the sub characters, but for the most part they didn't go no where, and even one of the key ones involving Asako Natsume was just left without anything happening to it.
This just feels to me a little rushed, and even the ending, I had to look at this site to know their was 13 Episodes, It left me wanting more, But not in the good way, Felt like we missed out on a lot. Not sure if thats because they might of pushed for a S2? Who knows.

Overal, I liked the series and enjoyed it alot, But the reasons i've stated, it just felt a little rushed and story somewhat took a back seat.

Would recommend it if you like Toradora, or a series like that, The whole Comedy/Romance in this series is good.

From the first episode you might think that its another shoujo about a CRAZY delinquent boy getting dropped into a studious girl's lap, and might lose interest. However I think Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun is unique in that it doesn't try to make it's lead male into this delinquent boy who happens to be percieved wrong by all of his classmates, and is actually deep down a sweetheart who is a hero with all of his morals in the right place. In Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun Haru (the male lead) is literally an almost sociopath, minus the fact that he hasn't actually killed anyone, yet, and all ... of his classmates have had the time to acknowledge this. Although there are plenty of shonen that have made comedic use of following an "evil" delinquent boy who has messed up morals like beelzebub and kyou kara ore wa, its quite rare in shoujo and I think the story of Shizuku (the female lead) reaching out to this troubled boy (out of obligation at first) is sweet and also hilarious and worth watching.
Often art in shoujo has a particular style that is hard to transfer to anime successfully. However I think its obvious that this anime had the funds to make their art work properly and there weren't as many "chibi" + flowers scenes which are generally often present in shoujo, so it made this anime more realistic and watchable for me.
I gave sound a high score because there are these "classy" characters that go to an expensive all boys school, and every time they show up/mess up/ do something silly it plays this public domain classical music and its hilarious. (they make use of the public domain music because of the lack of funding, it was correctly placed and super funny).
Character wise Haru and maybe also his brother are the most in depth more 3 dimensional characters, who get tens because its hard to write an manga/anime character that is 3-D. The rest of the characters are more two dimensional, however some of them are 2-D for a reason. Shizuku is a girl that does nothing but study, which is unrealistic, however it probably reminds many girls with maybe good but not perfect grades of themselves in high school, who might regret being too serious. Although if there's no crazy delinquent beau around too force you into a less serious strain of activities, there is no crazy delinquent beau around. (There wasn't for me, and I happen to be attending a good college, but like most girls I like to watch anime in which characters, who are either very similar too me, or only have one trait because they are 2-D and thus easy to relate to, get to experience something more romantic.)
I really like anime and manga that are humorous and I tend to not like a shoujo unless it's stupid funny in a good way, I enjoyed this anime a lot and would recommend it to other people.

The anime is about a girl named Shizuku Mizutani who has grew up without any friends. Instead of making friends, this girl would rather study and try to be the smartest girl in class. She would act cold towards people and she doesn’t really care for most things. She is so extreme that people started calling her “Dry Ice”. One day, Shizuku was asked to deliver some homework to a classmate named Haru Yoshida. Haru is a troublemaker and he loves getting into fights. Shizuku was shocked to discover one of the school’s toughest guys to actually be desperate for friends and he has gained ... a strange liking towards Shizuku. So now, a girl with very little experience about making friends is suddenly being befriended by a guy who would scare people away just by glaring at them. Shizuku has a tough front but it would seem Haru caught her attention. What’s a girl to do when Haru suddenly started saying declaring his love for you? For Dry Ice, it was a new experience but this love thing isn’t exactly one sided. Or is it?

The premise of the anime instantly grabs you. There is a girl who has no care for anything except her studies and a guy who is a brute but a gentle misunderstood soul. Their interaction was pretty fun to watch since the girl is the only person that can get close to the guy and the guy is annoying the hell out of the girl. Little by little though, the relationship of the two gradually grows into something that is really adorable. The anime is pretty straight forward pretty much focusing on this story alone. That’s right. There are no other love stories in the anime. Or rather, the anime was still building up one but it was surely not as important as the main love story. This was great thing because the story of the two characters is really fun to watch and their story might seem straight forward at first, but it eventually reveals some surprises you never expected the show to do.

This anime is not perfect and one of the reasons is because the primary focus of the show is the love story yet it was thinly spread out throughout the anime. There is a decent progression but the relationship of the characters are often dreadfully dragged that nothing satisfactory comes out of it. Majority of the episodes have the relationship on stand still going absolutely nowhere and you wait for a decent resolution only to be sorely disappointed. It was cute but thirteen episodes are too long for something cute that doesn’t have much to tell. Towards the second half, the pace died down and the focus was shift towards something else. At first I was glad that there is only one love story in the anime so it can develop the story some more but towards the end, the show fizzled out. The love story that grabbed you halted midway and snail paced its way to the ending. The characters stopped developing to compensate the immediate halt of the story and the focus was shifted to another thing. This is sadly, a typical Shoujo thing. I swear to God the whole anime is a manga lure. These are anime that stops the story so blatantly that it urges you to read the manga. It’s not really bad because anime fans are now familiar with the medium. The problem is that the anime had no decent ending. It basically slammed the door in your face with the sign hanging on it that said: read the manga.

I really like this anime. I personally rate shows based on how successful they are for what they are marketed as. Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun pretty much masters what it is supposed to be a shoujo rom-com slice of life.

The characters act like high schoolers. The love is awkward at times because, that's exactly what's it's supposed to be, awkward love between awkward members of society. The main characters are social misfits with social ineptitude. What ensues make sense. This is where the comedy aspect comes in. The take this awkward approach to love to showcase the hilarity of how out of norm ... the characters are and used to poke fun at cliches. It definitely kept me laughing. But the slice of life aspect remains strong; the characters continue living on as normal. Rather than showcasing secret illicit romance rendezvous to hot springs, or other unbelievable likewise situations, like so many other high school romance animes do, they showcase the characters doing things like studying or just hanging out with one another. There are moments that make you laugh, that tug at your heart, that make you say "aw", just like real life.

For technical aspects the art is very good, and smooth flowing. I personally really favor the soundtrack of this anime. The main song has just a beautiful nostalgic feel to it.

Hey! I've never written a review before, and I thought this would be a great place to start! Ikuzo!

To be absolutely blunt, what initially drew me in was the OP, in all honesty it's one of the best OP's for a series, it fits the story perfectly and is cheerful, catchy and upbeat, I'm listening to it right now actually xD.

Aaaanyways, back my opinion, it takes a little bit of a while to pick up speed but around episode 3, the storyline becomes a little more interesting, personally I like really like Mizutani's character and feel a great many of us can relate to her ... (myself included) given the nature of most students (especially in Japan) which makes it easy to understand what she's going through.

I give it 8/10 because I don't personally like rom-com's as much as I do psychological dramas but this particular story stood out from the rest, so I gave it the rating I feel it best deserves.

Really have no clue what else to write (yes I'm a noob) I'd recommend it to people who like rom-coms or "studybugs" kekeke

So, I have somewhat weird routines in the morning. I need to yotube-surfs for at least one hour before start my day. It is when I found an interesting anime scene in someone amv. It's when a black-haired guy lick his girl's hands in stairs. This scene succesfully make me do some research in Google. And I found it, an awesome romcom anime named Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun.

Story - 5/10
Sorry... but i can't find anything new in this whole series. A violent guy who got tamed by a shy girl. Too focus girl on studying who defeated by a "never-studying boy". A girl who didn't come ... to class in her first week and end up having no friends. There's too much cliché in this series. But, I don't take it seriously because it's romcom anime. It doesn't really annoying because what makes romcom anime fun and hilarious is the characters.

But again, this series storyflow is too classic for me. Let's say Strangers > Be friend > Vague relationship > Rival show up > Jealousy > Clash between them. Ugh, i have watch too much romance story looks like this. And for me, it's boring. One aspect which makes me finish this series beside dropping is, i love the characters. Shizuku and Haru saves this show for me.

Oh yeah, there are so many scene that makes me giggle and laugh. I just can't forget how they meet for the first time. xD

Characters - 9/10
Characters is what makes this show entertaining. Our 2 main characters, Haru and Shizuku, have unique personality. And as this show has a strong start, it makes the characters well-developed. How Haru and Shizuku changed from "socially awkward" to person who understand others is simply beautiful. I love how they complement each other.

One more aspect, the consistency of the characters. Even after all the teenage problems, they still be who they are. Shizuku with her score-on-top-of-everything, and Haru with his violence personality. I found it cool how the author makes his/her characters realistic. After all, natural behaviour isn't something easily changed in short span of time.

Visual - 7/10
For me, there's a huge gap between visual for action anime and visual for romcom anime. In romcom, we don't need battle scene or fluid movement. As long as it can helps building emotion, it will pass my criteria. That's why I have different parameter for this two genres. Okay, just forget my bullshit. I just pretending to be smart. xD

Visual is something who support from the background, something who support build up emotion. In this show, it was nicely done. The character designs are great. And the art is impressive. There are so many funny faces in this show which makes me laugh, lol.

Music - 7/10
I must admit that the opening song are typical shoujo anime (I don't watch it that much, though) and it's pretty average. And for the ending... ugh, I'm the type who close-before-ending-song person. But before I make this review, i watch it once and my thoughts are the same. Like the opening, it is an average ending song.

Last but not least, I appreciate the soundtrack. I love how it makes funny scene funnier, and romantic scene more romantic. It helps build-up emotion in an elegant way.

Okay that's it! Thank you for your time and attention. See you in my next review. ;p

I have an interesting story of how I came up with with this anime. I have actually seen a screenshot posted on a social networking with a boy holding a girl and covering his mouth saying "One peek and I rape you".

In short I became curious and asked what anime was it taken from. And they answered Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun. As I began watching it, the anime is far from what I expected! (I expected it to be somewhat ecchi because of the screenshot.). But no, it was not ecchi and yet I fell in love with it making it the top anime of last ... season.

The story is about a socially challenged girl who cares nothing about but her grades and she is paired with an innocent troublemaker(ironic indeed). But the pairing worked out. The story may not be unique but the way the author develops the plot is really refreshing and is what you should look out for. The combination of comedy and romance without nudity and harem is exceptional.

Character design were also great! The quality may not standout at first but upon continuous watching, you will definitely fall in love with them especially Shizuku and Natsume.

The sound, how can I describe it, it is awesome and near perfect. The sound is appropriate for the scenes. And it comes with different versions, at one scene they will play a piano version and on the next episode a guitar version of the same wondeful song plays. The soundtrack in the beginning of episode 3 is my personal favorite.

Enjoyment. Do I need to say more? Yes, I super enjoyed watching this anime. This made me a fan of the Rom Com genre. The plot progression is superb and I never failed to watch it upon release.

Yes. It is a perfect ten, from the story down to enjoyment. It seems like everything went perfect for this anime. Truly amazing.

As finish watching this 13 episode anime, I really can help but relate such thing that happened to me once.....btw, we are no longer in a relationship after I wooped his ass badly, co'z I'm not the type who would allow a man to tell me what to do, nuf said. I really find the whole anime amusing especially when it involves an opposites attract kind of thing. Though I do admit that I'm probably one of those who share the same dislike for Haru, but then again he kinda carries the overall performance of this anime. However there was still that situation that we ... would have wish that the character's would have been paired off with the right combination. Bueno, I think it's time that I present my ratings:

GOOD 7:

Story- I like the opposite attract thing the evolves tow unlikely character between a bad boy like Haru and a serious study bug like Shizuka. Though most of the scenario always involves Haru's insecurities and Shizuka's cold demeanor it does provide the direction that this anime was going.

Enjoyment- what makes it enjoyable is the even-thought the relationship between Haru and Shizuka is somewhat you would love to break it apart, it was still something that one will appreciate that the two seemly do go together as perfect opposites. But there was also the part where I wish that Sasayan would have also had a relationship with Asako.

Overall- Studio Brain's Base really did focus on the opposites attract genre, and director Hiro Kaburaki gave it more emphasis that it could have been much better if the supporting character's Sasayan and Asako could have been a good love team, but alas more focus was given on the conflicts that happens between Haru, Shizuka and Yamaken, then again no romance would be complete with out some party interfering which overall this anime deserves a seven.

POOR 3:

Art- I really hated the illustrator's sense of fashion when it comes to the boy's uniform, though I would have forgiven the upper garment, it was the trousers that I hate, kinda have the retro 60's look. As for Shizuka, I would never understand as to why she was made to look dorky in plain clothes but cool in a school uniform, overall I really don't like how the illustrator's art for this anime.

Sound- I be really honest, I like the VA's who did the character's but the songs whether it's the opening or the closing- I just hate it.


FAIR 6:

Character- at one point one would hate both Haru and Shizuka, Haru strikes me a bad boy who has the potential to be a boyfriend from hell, which if he'll be in a relationship with me I'll make sure that I give him more than hell so much so that his grandchildren would feel it, beside like I said I'm not the type who allows a man to tell me what to do. Shizuka, is somewhat a kind of character that you'll admire for taking her studies seriously but there is one point that I would have wanted to whack her on the head with a hard paper fan for being too cold and inconsiderate. Asako, if I where her mom I would have confiscated her devices and smashed them in front of her. Now, since there are character's here that I admire like Sasayan, Yamaken, Chizuru and Mitsuyoshi so even if the previously mentioned characters are somewhat you'll hate at one point but like in another point the , it was the after mentioned characters that made me give this category a rating of six.

CARAMBA Y ARIBA!!!!!!!!!!

it was a hella great anime until ((spoiler?)) my blondie home boy got rejected and my heart could not handle the stress lmao
watch it if you feel like hating the world
if u do feel free to pm me i will console u for the cheap price of $9.99 per minute

Romantic comedy is one of the most sought after genres of modern day. Tonari is a great example of this genre. Filled with enjoyment, hilarious laugh out loud moments and a good story, this anime does not disappoint.

Shizuku, a hard working student has her complete focus on her studies. She doesn't care for socializing and is content with getting the highest grades. Haru, on the other hand is a guy most feared in the school. His violent tendencies and domineering expression terrorize people and so he is deemed a loner. When Shizuku's teacher asks her to deliver an assignment to Haru, he thinks he ... has made a freind in Shizuku. And then, surprising to all those watching, he confesses his love for her.

As their relationship developes, Shizuku's cold and uptight personality begins to change and Haru finds himself among friends who can look past his scary exterior and witness the purity of his heart.

Tonari is a very enjoyable anime. This is not a lovestory in which the main protogonists spend hours pining over the other. There aren't 'love me -love me not' insecure moments plundering all common sense in their minds. No, the straight forward nature of the characters is very refreshing. If they have something to share, they are quick to tell the other and so there is no room for frustrating misunderstandings.

This anime unlike most romance animes has granted it's characters with proper character development. They all have a background story and a reason for how they act the way they do. The main hero and heroine are not completely obsessed with each other, instead they have a sound relationship with other people too.

Haru is a very lovable character. He is very stubborn and persistent in what he wants and in this case he wants Shizuku. His genuine love for her is so adorable that numerous times I found my self unable to stop the involuntary 'awws' slipping from my mouth.
Shizuku, a smart and highly independent girl is also a pleasant change from the shoujo heroines of the norm. Her mind isn't subdued with indecision and she doesn't let petty matters ruffle her, ofcourse the matter of Haru is different. She finds herself wanting to be in his company and caring for him.

Even though, the love confessions our sprung quiet early in the anime, the love story is not rushed. Haru and Shizuku clash multiple times and yet they find their way back to each other.
The art is good and the characters are easy on the eyes. The opening song is a typical shoujo anime opening song but the main background song is really good. It has a bittersweet feel to it that gives you a sense of nostalgia.

Overall, I think it is a fairly enjoyable anime, perfect for fans of romantic-comedy.

okey, be patient with me. this is my first review so i dont think i will be very good.
tonari no kaibutsu its a really really really funny anime. i mean really. not a single anime i had watch had made me laugh out loud like tonari did. the story isnt very special, i mean its like the tipical story about the tipical "responsable" girl and the "trouble" guy.
to be honest when i start watching this show i didnt expect very much on it. but, man, i really got surprised.
the art is completely beutiful ( i cant stand low quality and old anime drawings) ... and the sound is perfect , on the perfect times.
but whats really got on Tonari are the characters.
Haru is my favorite; he always gets into fights and gets angry all the time but is sweet and heartwarming on his way. he made me laugh all the time and sometimes i get pitty on him. he is completely different from all the characters we had seem but it kind of remainds me like Morita from Honey and Clover.
Shizuku; everyone thinks she is cold and smart (slightly autistic) but she´s not. she is sweet and funny in her way, mostly when she is angry or when Haru saids something sweet to her.
if you are looking for an anime to keep you happy , heartwarming and entretained.
TONARI NO KAIBUTSU IS PERFECT FOR YOU

Sometimes you watch an anime, and you have to watch the first few episodes to get into it, and then it gets good. This one is different. You watch the first episode, and you're just like--what the freaking crap was that. It almost feels like you're watching the final episode instead of the first one. Granted, it made me want to watch the rest of the anime, but it kind of made the rest of it anti-climatic.

Story: 7
The story was definitely different from your normal shoujo. The reason I only gave it a seven is because like I said, it felt like the climax was ... the beginning. The plot kind of deteriorated throughout and became more cliche.

Art: 9
This is just personal opinion, but I really like this type of art, and it fits the anime well.

Sound: 7
Nothing particularly fantastic or horrible about it. None of it really stood out.

Character: 9
This is one of the strong points of this anime. Both main characters are not your stereotypical protagonists. The girl is not particularly attractive, and the guy, well, is insane. But both go through major development.

Enjoyment: 7
I started this anime and I really liked it, enough to give it at least a 9. But you can't put a climax at the beginning and expect it to work out. It raises your expectations too high.

I recommend this if you like the shoujo genre. I appreciate any feedback :)