Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun

An extremely disappointing series that had a lot of potential with vibrant characters that goes absolutely no where

At first glance, TNKK seems like a cute and different kind of story. The female lead, Shizuku Mizutani, is top of her class but not without a price. She's cold and emotionless, only caring about studying and becoming successful, very much the anti-shoujo stereotype of being obsessed with love. She meets Haru, an intimidating boy with natural smarts that outmatch hers, a vivid outlook on life and an extremely wild, aggressive streak. The two are natural opposites - id and ego - who are destined to fall in ... love and grow together, to better themselves, right?

Nah.

TNKK falls short of being a slice-of-life type of romcom, with half-hearted life lessons and story arcs that don't lead to actual character growth. Beyond the first episode or two, the story isn't exactly "touching" either. There is this back-and-forth love story for the majority of the 13-episode anime which was extremely tiresome all too soon. Characters are introduced, such as 3rd party love interests or the main characters' relatives, that are irrelevant to the plot, get no character depth, or are rarely seen or heard from even though they are engaging and exciting. No plot lines get resolved and there is next to no character development. If anything, Haru and Shizuku regress into their 1-dimensional roles and become side-characters to others, such as Yamaken or Natsume (who, unfortunately, do not get their stories resolved either). It ends up being a chore to care about the two main characters.

All in all, I just wouldn't recommend this series unless you REALLY have nothing better to watch. It has a few cute or sweet moments, but don't expect another Toradora or Chuunibyou. Having not read the manga, I can't be sure as to how well it goes along, but as a stand-alone anime, 13 episodes have left me wondering why I even bothered watching this show. And the fact that it can't hold its own, to me, is a mark of a bad show.

Too many times have I seen the redundant case in anime where a show will conclude at what feels like the midpoint of the series. Although providing quality artwork, animation, and satiating my thirst for lighthearted romantic-comedy, Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun (My Little Monster) falls victim under this unfortunate plague.

The plot of My Little Monster resides mainly in the perspective of the two main characters, Shizuku and Haru; both are social outcasts and have no friends at the beginning of the series due to their own respective personalities not meeting the standards of the social norm. They are both very weird characters, but maybe that's ... why they were so entertaining to watch. I enjoyed the first half of My Little Monster a little more than the second because the characters were so forward with their emotions in the beginning and they really did voice what was on their mind unlike many other extremely passive rom-coms. The second half seemed to be a bit lacking for me in terms of development overall.

The chemistry between the two main characters would be best described with a quote many of us have probably heard before in our lifetime, "Opposites attract." Shizuku is a study enthusiast whose main goal is to get good grades, while Haru is a semi-delinquent that does whatever he thinks is entertaining and often is seen getting into fights. Both become each other's first real friend. As they get to know each other Shizuku and Haru slowly begin to understand themselves as individuals and what they want from themselves and each other. They are able to make friends and assemble their own group of oddballs to form their own little niche.

The core of the group consists of Shizuku, Haru, Natsume, and Sasahara and I liked all of them collectively. Since we know Shizuku and Haru are the romantic duo, where does that leave Natsume and Sasahara? Natsume is typically seen 'third-wheeling' with Shizuku and Haru and often tags along with them to go places because she doesn't have friends either; she isn't very smart, is athletic, and is quite attractive to many guys in the show, leading her to be shunned by almost every other girl as a result. Sasahara is a baseball player that pops in every now and again, and though he's part of the core group he isn't there as much as Natsume is due to being in baseball and having other friends. He seems to be the most normal of the group. I loved this group of weirdos because they each brought something interesting to the table and truly delivered on the comedy portion of the rom-com.

There are many times in My Little Monster that you will sadly forget the show is in fact a 'romantic' comedy since the romantic bits of the show are extremely lacking. In fact, I would go so far as to deem it underwhelming. It was such a nice change up for the main characters to admit they were in love with each other within the first three episodes that I developed higher expectations thinking the series would be one of the best rom-coms around. Unfortunately, the romantic progress seemed to work backwards and the main characters went from knowing they were in love to becoming extremely passive, both unsure what they wanted from the relationship. Though this saddened me greatly, it does not ruin the show in the slightest.

The artwork/animation and sound were spot on. I enjoyed everything the show had to offer for this portion. The artwork was unique and refreshing, there was clean animation, and the OP/ED were actually pretty good. There was the tingle of piano at dramatic moments, and upbeat silly music when things were getting fun, I couldn't ask for more. I also enjoyed the dialogue of My Little Monster very much. The subtle comments and word choices used really made for some quality comedic entertainment.

Last but not least, the ending. As I mentioned in my introduction, the show seems to end at what seems to the the mid point in the series; it feels like it got halfway through a 24 episode run and got scrapped. A second season would do this series so much justice, but alas it may never come.

Overall, if you plan to watch My Little Monster, don't have any expectations of a grand love story because there isn't one. As a romantic-comedy there should be a balance between romance and comedy, but this one leans more on the comedic side than the romantic one. It is a very feel good anime, and if you can ignore the lack of romantic development the show excels in giving you laughs and will leave you feeling genuinely happy.

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun is a romance anime that tries and ever so slightly succeeds at setting itself apart from the standard mass of harem anime that's out there, but inevitably stumbles and falls on its own flaws.

Its first and most obvious flaw is that it progresses too fast. It is determined to set itself apart by portraying an attraction (of sorts) that's there and out in the open nearly from the get-go, but fails to recognize that this makes little actual sense when the characters hardly know each other. What is an attempt to portray, perhaps, a sense of naiveté or cute clumsiness from the ... male lead - both at this junction and elsewhere in the series - comes across as silly rather than profound. The way the female lead falls for the male lead and the attraction she experiences feels rather out of tune with the character established in the beginning, creating dissonance rather than actual development. The subsequent challenges they face versus each other and those next to them tend to feel forced and this is both a result of the unsteady premise and the fact that, well, it doesn't set itself that much apart in the end. The end is a little better, especially if you overlook the last twelve-and-a-half episodes, but just... no.

The other characters it portrays tend to be more of the same; unlikely and odd combinations that do not create interesting contrasts; rather, they left me dumbfounded at times with inane character interaction and stupid attempts at jokes. It felt... dumb. Simple and unclever. Few of the jokes really worked and their internal issues were driven by and challenged with equally plain methods. The ending was insufficient on many, many levels, failing to close some important knots and like so many other romance series, leaving the relationship itself a little too open.

Animation-wise it does not offer a lot. Character designs are probably its strongest suit and they appear rather average, with often-out of place body structure and simple shading (yet at other times especially shading and vividness is done quite well). The backgrounds don't mix well with the character designs and are often very simple, as are the camera angles and shots used. The soundtrack offers some nice string and piano tracks, but for the most part it is your run-of-the-mill romcom soundtrack with a mix of comedy and romance themes. The opening theme is a very average school/romance theme with the usual colourful backgrounds and animations we've seen a thousand times before. The ending theme is more flowery but equally bland in terms of originality.

Let this be said though. It avoids several common pit traps and clichés of romance anime, lacking both a distinct harem and many of the common episode settings that are so common. All in all however, Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun is an anime that tries to set itself apart, succeeds a little but eventually stumbles and falls face-first into the mud, void of any real sense of clever and intriguing writing. I did not like it at all and struggled watching through it. Maybe you have more luck with it, but I would not personally recommend it.

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun [My Little Monster] is a Rom-Com that fails to deliver. It continues to go in circles while not coming forth and facing its problems. At the same time showing us meaningless love interest with the side characters. Will they? Won't they? Why haven't they?

It's a decent at most. I just fail to see, why others give it such high praise. If you enjoy, ‘Rom-Com; than this is for you. Be warned 'Abuse' and 'Odd' situations ahead. I’m a bit dumbfounded how I wasn’t able to enjoy. I love Romances but when watching this one, I found myself struggling at times and leaving ... briefly hoping I'd enjoy it later. The first episode was a great step forward towards on establishing a relationship but only took more steps back if anything. Never doing anything.

A bit of spoilers a head. Gomensai. Read at your own risk.

Story: 6

The show is centered on Haru and Shizuku as they form a peculiar friendship of their own. From episode one, we're told Haru has a thing for Shizuku. Insisting to her that he ‘Loves’ her. Only to get rejected right there and then. There was no establishment that they were even good friends before hand but it was promising start nonetheless. As we got to see how their bond and relationship beginnings to form and unfold before our eyes. Both of them are stubborn as they try to come out their shells while making friendships with their classmates mainly Masahiro and Sasahara. I'm left at awe at times how some of the side characters fall in love with others just because of a simple action or meaningless small talk.

When others try to give advice to Shizuku and Haru, I fail to see where they’re coming. Feels forced, in hopes of only advancing the main love interest. There were cringe worthy moments, that could be questioned as abusive. Just a heads up.

Art & Sound: 7 | 6

The animation does have it's drop in qualities but it isn't too apparent. I like the characters designs for just about everyone, giving them all a distinct look. It's music does fit the tone at times during it's more dramatic situations which I found to be pleasant. However, the Opening and Ending OST aren’t really all that great in my opinion.

Characters: 5

Haru is the most intriguing character from the start and the driving force of the show. Lively, hot-headed, with a full head of steam. It's surprising how they don't address the fact that he enjoys, beating and wealing on others. That should have been more of focus rather than comedic relief. I didn't find it that funny, when he wailed on some people, which included his love interest at times.

Furthermore, Haru can be so dense and gullible. It blows my mind how a prodigy when it comes to exams can be like that. He’s always seems to make act without giving it much thought on how it might affect others.

Shizuku is the studyholic placing it above anything or anyone else. Let it be family or friends, studying comes first. Through the progression of the show, she opens up to others but has great difficulty when it comes to Haru. She can’t seem to figure him like her homework problems; they’re are simple while he’s a complex problem to her.

Sadly, I didn't find the side characters all that appealing. None then did anything to stick out. All were bland and poorly written. We have Natsume who the ‘Baka’ and the annoyance of the show. Due to her poor choices of posting on internet forums. Sasahara is just their to give advice if anything else while being a comedy relief. The show didn’t let the side characters develop at all that much.

Enjoyment: 5

I found myself trying to watch this anime but had myself struggling often at times. The most I got out of it were from Haru goofy actions and behavior.

Final Thoughts/Overall: 5

If you want an unfinished Anime than this is the one for you. It a poor adaption which was made for watchers to read the Manga. It only rose questions like, "Will those two end up together?". Nothing was ever adress through the series. It set itself up for a Season 2 that won't likely come.

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun: It's Not My Little Monster

I'm actually somewhat speechless at how underwhelming this series is. Skin deep, it's a pretty decent series with an interesting cast of characters, a somewhat intriguing plot in regards to Haru's back story, and has some rather amusing character interaction. However, I'd be lying to myself if I didn't call Tonari a disappointment. This series reminded me of a teenager going through puberty. It's so full of potential but it's just so damn awkward in quite a few ways.

The story of Tonari revolves around Shizuku, a rather studious girl that does nothing but study so that she gets ... the best grades. She has no friends and has no interest in friends until one day, her teacher asks her to drop off some worksheets for Haru, a rebellious boy in her class that is serving a suspension for getting into a fight at school. However, as soon as the two meet, Haru becomes obsessed with Shizuku, essentially falling in love with her almost as soon as they meet. Hijinx ensue as the two of them have "difficulties" bonding, although still maintain a friendship/relationship throughout the series as well as make new friends.

That leads me to the characters, which were probably the strongest part of this series. Besides the two leads, we're introduced to Natsume, a beautiful troubled girl that struggles with interpersonal interaction but loves social networking, Sasayama, an eccentric baseball loving friend of Haru's from middle school, Chizuru, a shy girl that develops a crush for Haru after he stands up for her, and Kenji, a rather arrogant boy who associates himself with Haru but has his own clique of friends as well as develops an attraction for Shizuku. For the most part, there are many supporting characters in this series, each with their own groups. There are several other supporting characters such as Mitsuyoshi, Haru's uncle and Yuuzan, Haru's brother. While I found the characters to be strong in their presentation, I found the development of those characters to be lacking...severely. As this series progressed, I wanted to know more about the troubled relationship between Haru, Yuuzan, and their father. I wanted to know how Mitsuyoshi and Kyouko (not spoiling this) played a role in that. I wanted to know more about Shizuku's own rather odd family situation. Hell, I just wanted to know more about the entire supporting cast in general. However, instead of focusing on these things, the writers brush it off for more odd character interactions that mostly lead to nothing.

Another issue I had with this series was just how awkward it was with it's character interaction. While I know I said it was one of the strengths of the series, it was also one of the weaknesses. The relationship between Haru and Shizuku is just bizarre, mostly because they often change their minds about how they feel about each other. While I'm aware that considering they are both awkward individuals in the first place, it was rather confusing how both would tell each other how much they love each other during the series, but then nothing would happen and they'd act like they would break up. Honestly, it was hard to follow where the series was going with it. If nothing else, it made things kind of frustrating.

While I have complained about the characters development, I think where the series falls short with it was how it was paced. The pacing was just awful and a lot of the situations the characters would get into were quite forgettable. For example, I barely remember anything actually happening in the final three episodes. There were stretches during this series that were just so bland and so forgettable it makes me wonder why the writers didn't even try to delve into the character back stories. That's what was weird about this series. You could sort of feel how the characters felt toward each other when they interacted, but what was even happening in the story was forgettable. It seemed like it was essentially leading to nothing.

Overall, I can't say Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun is a bad series. The characters were a lot of fun to watch and some of the interactions were downright hilarious. However, this series fell very short in it's story progression and character development...it showed. This series was downright awkward because it wasn't very strong for a comedy, it had dramatic elements that it seemed it barely wanted to touch upon, and the romance is very passive. This series essentially had a genre identity crisis, even though it tried to make it obvious that this was a romance series. It has me at a loss for who I'd recommend it to. If you like a mild romance with a couple that has a unique chemistry about them, I guess I'd recommend this. Unfortunately, while I want to say this would be an interesting series to watch, I cannot give it the strongest of recommendations. This is a series that is setup for a 2nd season and it badly needs one. I feel that if this series does have a 2nd season that cleans up what the 1st season left behind, it's worth a watch. However, until then, I'd say wait on watching this series until a 2nd season is released if you do plan on eventually watching this.

Bad boy meets lonely girl rom-coms are nothing new--they occasionally make for good comfort food, but having been done to death the way they have it's rare to find a series that's willing to look at its characters honestly rather than just putting an attractive loner on display to get the fawning fangirls a-squealin'. Thankfully, My Little Monster not only averts many of the stale stereotypes associated with its tired premise, it manages to make its leads some of the most believably lonely and isolated characters I've ever seen in a good long time. Love them or hate them, but we've all known kids like ... Shizuku and Haru. Some of us probably were those kids. Better still, they complement one another remarkably well, each filling in the other's deficiencies in surprisingly clever ways. This little gem of a series really does go to surprising lengths to set itself apart.

If there's one word to describe the visuals of this series, it's colorful. The backgrounds and character designs are bright and lively, and yet they never stray so far from reality that it becomes a barrier against seeing these characters as real people. The animation itself isn't particularly high-end, presumably because it's adapted from a relatively little-known source manga, but it's good enough to get the job done. On a whole the show has a charming, playful aesthetic that's still earthy enough that it doesn't detract from the show's dramatic moments.

The music is one of this show's high points. It can dive into over-the-top territory with rowdy and energized blaring trumpets, only to turn around and perfectly accent a sentimental, contemplative moment with soft strings, hitting just the right level of sensitivity without ever coming across as corny. It's a tough task to pull off, made no less difficult by the dichotomous nature of the content. Suffice it to say that there's not a second in this show that doesn't deliver musically. On a side note, am I the only one who got a Peanuts vibe from a few of the show's quirkier pieces, because I swear the resemblance is uncanny.

Bad news for the dub lovers out there, this show is currently unlicensed, but I'm pleased to say that the Japanese track will fill your needs just fine. I have to give the voice actors credit for managing to bounce between over-the-top silliness and grounded drama without a hitch, often managing to carry their characters with surprising subtlety. I have a hard time critiquing a language I don't speak, but I still find Tatsuhisa Suzuki as Haru to be a pretty impressive stand-out performance. From his aggressive side to his silly blunt honesty to his thoughtful, serious side, Suzuki manages to tie them all together into one memorable main character and make it sound like the most natural thing in the world.

Speaking of Haru, he's definitely not your typical male rom-com lead. Rather than the brooding, stone-faced rocks we're used to, he actively fawns over Shizuku to the point of obsession. Naturally, this makes him an enormous pain-in-the-ass to Shizuku, who's used to being left alone and doesn't know how to cope with the attention. Actually, Shizuku herself is much nearer the stereotypical male lead I just described, but she still carries just a hint of suppressed femininity. She's much more grounded in conventional sensibilities than Haru, but just as unsure of how to act in social situations. She keeps her head down and is more interested in grades than guys (or so she tells herself), and it irritates her to no end that Haru, who seems like a complete buffoon, tops her test scores effortlessly. Haru, by contrast, wants to make friends with all his heart, but his brash nature scares people away, and those who do choose to hang around him tend to have ulterior motives, furthering his general mistrust for those around him. He generally gets into fights for the right reasons, but that's not how the people around him see it. Both characters are plagued by loneliness, but for completely different reasons.

Not that this show is all sentimental and serious all the time. Far from it, most of the show is actually really lighthearted and silly, built around Haru's antics getting on Shizuku's nerves, their friend Natsume overreacting and panicking when things get out-of-hand, etc. Thanks to the show's charming direction it's almost never too dark or uncomfortable (notice I said almost, but we'll get to that later). The style of humor, like many other things about this show, is refreshingly grounded, like the kind of silliness that happens between real friends bouncing off of each other naturally, while still injecting a little extra silliness as only anime can. Much like Princess Jellyfish, a lot of effort was put into making this show warm and welcoming, and even the secondary characters have some genuine effort put into them, particularly their new friend Natsume and Haru's old friend Kenji, both of whom start out as borderline stereotypes but grow into complex, flawed yet strong characters in their own rights over the course of the story.

If there's one problem with creating truly believably flawed characters, it's that it becomes very hard to give such characters proper catharsis and making such an ending feel deserved. Haru in particular is a daunting character to work with, constantly straddling the line between a misguided but good-natured boy... and a borderline psycho-path. In the first episode he actually threatened to rape Shizuku, but it was so thoroughly tongue-in-cheek and he said it with such barefaced innocence that I couldn't help but wonder if he even knew how to insert Tab A into Slot B. Later that same episode he accidentally hurt Shizuku in a moment of passion while trying to come to her rescue, but she gave him a firm scolding for it and it seemed like he'd learned his lesson. And yet as the story progresses and we dig deeper into his pit of problems, he becomes progressively harder to sympathize with because by the end it's unclear whether he's made any progress from who he was at the start of the series.

I have a no-spoilers policy, and I think it's worked pretty well for me up to this point, but for this review it's hard to explain just how badly the show messes up his character arc without giving away a detail that comes up later in the story. Let's just say that there's one moment, you'll know it when you see it, where Haru comes dangerously close to crossing a moral event horizon. It was creepy and disturbing (heck, I'd actually related to his character up to that point), and then they never bring it up again. Once again, we're plagued with the problem of a series that's adapted from ongoing source material. Maybe they address it later on in the manga, maybe they don't, but either way it wasn't addressed in the show and that's what I'm reviewing. Shizuku's character arc is somewhat more refined in execution, but still a little too open-ended for comfort, especially in the context of her relationship with Haru, which constantly waffles about in typical will they or won't they fashion. By the end Natsume felt more like the heart of the story than either of them, she had a much stronger grasp on what's important in life. The conclusion was inconclusive and open-ended, saved only by the show's strong direction, which somehow managed to remain consistently charming from start to finish.

One of the most frustrating things a story can do is to reach for greatness and then stop halfway, and that's exactly what My Little Monster does. After putting so much effort into building up a realistically screwed up character, the show falls into the "crap, I'm an adaptation" pitfall and stops before it can help him out of the pit he's in. Still, its strong characterization cannot be ignored, and coupled with its strong atmosphere I think the show has enough going for it to merit a watch and hope for a second season.

tl dr no spoiler- these two dudes play cat and mouse and nobody wins

Im always suprised at how much the producers can fit into 13 episodes of an anime. This show was NOT one of them. After setting quite generic pretext with rebellious-badboy and goodygoody-nerdgirl these two cats pick the petals off daisys in the most generic will they/ wont they battle. It was probably as frustrating to watch as swimming behind the fat guy in the swimming lane when your you trying to show off to your gurl in the next lane.

I really thought they would have a huge climactic ending with emotion ... and more confessions, but there wasnt.
I really thought Haru's conflicting past with his family and background would be expanded upon, but it wasnt.
I really thought the supporting characters struggles and conflicts introduced would be expanded upon and given closure, but it wasnt. Side characters come and go having focal time but dissapearing just as quickly as they arrived.

I didnt find the show parrticularly funny. I found the main characters to be quite 1 dimensional and particularly difficult to relate to and to like in general. There simply wasnt much to each character. As a result i found myself quite bored watching through the episodes. It wasnt a relationship i particularly wanted to happen because i simply wasnt interested.
I found myself dual screening with the highlights of boku no pico on my second, cum splattered screen whilst trying to concentrate on TnK

This review came out far more negative than i thought it would even though didnt find TnK to be a bad show. it was just rather bland and a bit weird.
If i had to describe it, it would be like a hippy eating a slice of pizza without any cheese on top with a knife and fork or a an italian man eating grandma chows special friend rice with a straw. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I can only describe Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun in two words-Wasted potential. Tonari no kaibutsu-kun is an anime that i initially had high hopes for with its impressive 1st episode. It seemed promising considering how much depth and impact was put into its 1st episode and i was entranced and immediately drawn into this anime. However, what had drawn me in had eventually been abandoned in its subsequent episodes and it turned into a mediocre romance-shoujo anime.

In romance animes, i'd usually want to learn more about how the characters and their romance develop. Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun's romance story does not even move an inch as the ... MCs engage in pointless back-and-forth romances. Why do these back-and-forth romances happen? Because of our dear MCs.

Mizutani Shizuku: Mizutani Shizuku is the female protagonist of this show and is "addicted" to studying. She does not to care about pointless things such as romance and friendship and only works hard for her academic grades.

Yoshida Haru: Yoshida Haru takes on the role of the male protagonist of this show. Foolish, socially inept and oblivious, Haru constantly creates trouble and is ostracized by society. Only the apathetic Shizuku does not ostracize him, making Haru fall in love with Shizuku.

So, the MCs seem interesting don't they? Well, that all goes to waste when the producers decide to embrace their personalities in the wrong way. Haru's oblivion provides him an inaccurate view of what love is, and Shizuku's addiction to studying makes her "on-and-off" about romance. I'm not gonna spoil but their "romance" unfolds in the most unpleasant way and is rather depressing to viewers like me.

There is so much more i can criticize about this anime but I'd end up making this an essay. Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun laid the premise for an outstanding anime with great depth and interesting MC romance development, but all of this was tossed away for god knows what reason, what a shame.

This story absolutely drew me in. I was hooked. However it ended horribly. It was a total let down. They ended the series way to soon and never went into depth on the characters or story line. It had so much potential that I am horrified that they allowed this to happen!

My Little Monster is a show about two high school students (Shizuku and Haru) who meet each other and change each other’s lives; which, you know, big deal. Haru has been absent from class for a long time now because of his past bad behavior, and Shizuku gets tasked with bringing him back to class. The series then concerns him their relationship to each other, and how each of them grows from that.

Haru is seen as a scary, impulsive thug who glares at everyone. Shizuku is the serious, responsible type who always studies. But they each have hidden sides to them that the series then ... explores. Part of the fun of the show is finding out about those hidden sides to their personalities. My main focus here will be the main relationship between these two characters, and their general attitudes toward not only each other, but toward the world. Most of the comedy of the series comes from the clash between their viewpoints, and also a clash between their desires and the constraints of the “normal” world.

Arguably the most interesting thing about the Haru character is his enthusiasm. At the beginning of the series, he’s hiding out from school. He beat up some upper classmen and got suspected; but his suspension had been lifted, and he simply refused to go. When he meets Shizuku, he escapes by jumping out a window. But later on, he accosts her and stops her from leaving. The truth is: he’s curious, he’s anxious about school; he wants to go. His tough exterior actually hides a soft, rather inquisitive nature. He wonders out loud that since Shizuku brought him his school papers, it must be because they’re friends; and he later asks her school was. His knowledge of friendship, of school, of all sorts of things, seems to be derived from media; he yearns to experience it for himself. Shizuku is the excuse he gives himself to attend school, but soon enough we see how important going and being there is for Haru. He earnestly believes in the significance of the rituals of youth; he wants to make friends so they can all hang out together after school, wants to meet them in the weekend, wants to live out his high school life the way it’s supposed to be done. But, again, he’s too weird, a little too intense, to get along with other people; in the end, only Shizuku seems to be able to handle him.

Shizuku, on the other hand, is a loner by choice. She comes across as cold, unfeeling, and stuff like that. But really she’s also as intense as Haru is. She focuses all her energy on her studies. She’s not interested in what happens around her, or what other people say, or that she might be missing out on some better life. For her, high school is just a thing she has get through, make good grades in, and get an amazing job later on. Which, fine; that’s actually a pretty great way to look at it. But immediately the show takes great care to show another side to her. Although she tries not to get involved in Haru’s problems, she cares too much to let things pass. She’s blunt and says what she wants, sometimes without thinking of the consequences, as when she calls out Haru’s friends for not treating him right; her truth-telling can be brutal. But Haru’s presence radically changes how she perceives her life. There’s a beautiful moment in the school rooftop (where else?) where she falls asleep. When she wakes up, Haru’s there watching her; it’s the first time she’s ever skipped class. She allows herself to relax, to feel the moment around her, to know why it might be an important experience, “my world is growing.”

What’s refreshing about these two characters is how these characters aren’t tortured souls without any clue about their real feelings. In the first two episodes, both characters have confessed to each other. Just like any good old-fashioned romantic comedy, a bunch of complications pop up; romantic rivals, past wounds, etc., just to put off what is inevitable. But I loved how sure they all were of their feelings. I’ve seen so many shows where the characters are completely clueless or never have the courage to say anything about what they feel that it becomes annoying. Haru and Shizuku may be clueless as to how to navigate the world and deal with people, but they are remarkably sure about their feelings; and honestly it’s thanks to that that the series remains solid and engaging. Haru and Shizuku are characters who are weird, too intense, to fit in “normally” with everybody else. They’re people who can’t turn off their personality just to fit in. The show, almost imperceptibly, allows them to build a world for themselves. By the final episodes, our main characters have found people who care about them, even though they themselves remain as stubborn and as weird as they started.

It’s a shame that we’ll probably have to wait for a sequel to find out what happens in the romantic lives of these characters, but that’s okay. The show has the confidence to basically end on a totally filler episode because we’ve already learned to love the characters and love to spend time with them. Perhaps a second season will introduce more drama into their life, perhaps not. The series allows our main characters to feel some new emotions, have their lives be changed, all without too much angst or anything like that. Haru and Shizuku have learned to enjoy themselves.

copied/pasted from my blog: thenextthingblog.wordpress.com

Love is spontaneous, love is unexpected: it has no pattern and cannot be forecast. It is that very nature of romance, that makes it exciting, disconsolate, and serene in an unlikely combination, whose variety makes it irrefutably the spice of life. Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun (My little monster) is a charming slice of life drama, that emphasizes the atypical strangeness surrounding love and romance- and if you let it- can take your breath away. My little monster is a show blessed with a great cast of interesting characters, a beautifully composed soundtrack, well drawn art and animation - and unlike a great many romcoms- a ... supporting cast that has it's own interesting conflicts and struggles; however, despite all those positives, the show still somehow disappointed me, ultimately leaving me winded, a screeching voice at the back of my mind saying, “is that-- it?!?”.
Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun’s biggest issue lies in it’s plot. Before I really begin to hammer this story with my abusive comments, I have to establish the fact that I hold the Manga in the highest esteem, and my disappointment solely lies in what could have been. My little monster, despite all its’ resources, suffers from hollowness. Every good story has a heart- a central message that the plot runs on. For Tonari no kaibutsu-kun, the story was forcibly skinned from the body, leaving a hollow imitation of the original plot. It runs in the same order as the source, but is missing its limbs. It laughs and cries, despite the fact that it does not feel. The story was all in all disturbing to me, like seeing an uncomfortably life-like humanoid in the place of a human being. As disappointing as this was however, it was not a surprise. The mistranslation of a book to video is a trend in film work, so this was only natural from that perspective; although, it was unexpected for an anime adaption of a manga, as traditionally- in my experience- very little is lost in translation from the two mediums. The case here was very different, as I have made clear, as the anime managed to lose the entire purpose and central idea of the story: which, in turn, has caused a fair amount of rust to set into a piece of work that originally shined with brilliance.
A corroded plot aside, Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun excels in its characters and their relationships. Despite a rather light-hearted and trepid plot, due to missing elements from the manga, My Little Monster’s characters are still lovable, interesting, and relatable to the viewer. Their awkwardness and irregular behavior add depth and allow what would have been a typical, simplistic, slice of life love comedy to hold the viewer’s attention and keep them interested despite of a seemingly motionless plot. From Shizuku’s anti-social, emotionless attitude and unwavering intent on studying, to Haru’s rambunctious mood swings and social awkwardness; My Little Monster has two very strange “monsters” at the helm of the story. The captivating ups and downs of two people opening their hearts for the first time manages to redeem a directionless plot, and capture the audience’s attention in the moment.
The spotlight of this show however, belongs to a well composed score that perfectly parallels the emotions and mood of the story. Where the music really shines in My Little Monster, is in the pretty moments, when it gets to express a quiet and gentle romance in the serene sounds the score provides: whether it be on the stairs overlooking the sunset over the city, or on a bright afternoon sitting atop the school rooftop gazing up at the sky, our protagonists are given beautiful backdrops of sound to match the feelings in their hearts. It is able to draw the audience much closer into the feelings of Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun’s characters, and allow us to associate with its individuals through more than just sympathetic thoughts, but through empathetic feelings. The music does have its flaws though, much of which is not the fault of the composer but rather the editor. The introduction of suspenseful music in encounters are misused due to the show’s failure to visualize it, leaving the viewers feeling the tension from the score, then feeling confused due to not actually seeing any conflict to match the mood created by the soundtrack. This is caused by some lousy arrangements which cut short much of the material needed to detail the conflict that this music was originally made for.
The art for Tonari no Kaibutsu kun isn’t especially new or unique, nor is it ridiculously high quality animation like what you would expect from a Kyoto animation project, but still manages to be perfect without trying too hard. The characters look precisely as they should, reflective of their respective personalities and look distinct but not ridiculous (I’m terribly happy to see them avoid rainbow colored hairstyles), all of which add to the realism of the work, which was honestly a good decision. A show’s art can either make it serious and grim, or light hearted and cheerful. Much like Director Hayao Miyazaki (as he stated once in an interview regarding the anime industry suffering from otaku), I personally believe that unrealistic portrayals of the characters that make up our lives in anime are hard to relate to and generally meaningless. So every little detail and effort that goes toward making a story more realistic and relatable is a good effort. So, despite a lack of extravagance and showiness, My Little Monster’s art is still the best it can be for the story of life it wishes to tell.
Overall, Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun (the anime) has a lot going for it: a nice source to draw the plot from, a good array of characters, superb music, and art that is suitable and nice to look at. However, because of bad overall editing, and a failure by the director to understand the central message of the original work, it is nothing but a pretty face concealing a bland interior. This show, despite how lost it is, will make you feel happiness, anger, and sadness, but will leave you disappointed with all the questions you still need answered by the end. It will make you love the characters that star in its story, but won’t manage to give them a satisfying send-off. What would have been a hugely successful, two seasons long anime with twenty five episodes per season, became one thirteen episode long chunk of the manga that would fail to have a clear reason and conclusion. Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun is not dreadful, it is by all means a lovely appetizer, an antipasti to spark our appetite and get us ready for the main course. That big meal being the manga written by author Robico, which concludes the story of the characters viewers will grow to feel attached to by the end of this slice of life, shoujo anime. Lets just say that TNKK is going to disappoint you: no viewer ever wants to watch something full of potential fall onto its back, there is nothing to be disappointed about if you never get your hopes up, so in a way, because of Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun’s beautiful music, art, general concept, and how much it got me to care about its characters, I was far more disappointed than I would have been had I not cared at all. So despite it lacking the criteria of a great story as a standalone TV show, it still deserves to be recognized as a good stepping stone to the source content, and appreciated for what it does do well as the appetizer that it is.

Story: The first episode to the anime is very interesting. There's a girl named Shizuku Mizutani who is basically your "wants to be on top of everyone when it comes to grades in her school" type of chick. Everything seems to go according to her plans until the day she has to drop off homework for a student who's new to the school but hasn't shown up to classes yet named Haru Yoshida. He was known for his violent behavior in his younger years, but as soon as he meets Shizuku, he just turns out to be flat out weird. In fact, he starts cherishing ... her for being different from everyone else. Then, when he kisses her, Shizuku ends up on a coming of age journey of a lifetime. And what I basically just explained was the first episode. The rest of the series is just "There's a problem, the couple fights, and there may or may not be a resolution to it." To me, that formula is boring. Where are the getting closer moments? There are barely any, and that's disappointing for a romance anime. If you're into that whole thing, I won't stop you from watching, but if you're not, you'll be pretty disappointed. Score: 5/10

Art: I guess the only thing the anime has going is the animation. It's basically it's own staple, and that's what makes My Little Monster unique. It's cute, and it's also very clean. It has this stenciled touch that matches the stenciled world that Shizuku thinks she belongs in, and I believe that the anime should tell the story in the main character's point of view and how the main character views the world. 10/10 successful.

Sound: The in-show soundtrack is pretty bland except for the love theme between Shizuku and Haru. It's pretty cute when it comes to their personalities clashing together. The other scores seem either out of place or they're just not what I imagined for this anime at all. However, when it comes to the opening and ending, I just think they're not catchy in the slightest. They're just generic in general, and I can't stand it at all. Pretty disappointing I guess. Score: 3/10

Character: This is one of the first times since beginning to watch anime again that I cannot stand the main character at all. Shizuku is the stereotypical studious girl but done to the maximum degree with makes her extremely boring as hell. She even gets to the point where she's angry because she can't study, but you know she wants to express her feelings to Haru. God, I can't stand people like that! Then, you have her new friends. Natsume is the girl who does not have many real friends because she claims her real home is the Internet. She also gets low grades...but she's cute? I appreciate her supportive nature at times, but she could just be annoying mostly. Sasahara is the kind baseball player, but he doesn't really deliver much character into the group of friends. I think he's cute, but there's nothing much that'll make me say, "Why should I care about you?" Yamaken becomes a main side character for no reason whatsoever. If his only purpose is to break the couple up, then that makes this like any other generic romance shoujo ever. If there are only two characters I like they are, of course, Haru and Mitsuyoshi. Haru is your innocent weirdo who has a tragic past and wants to do right in the world. Plus, he has a pet rooster that he hid in his shirt in the second episode. How do you not? Mitsuyoshi is Haru's guardian and everyone else's guide. He's where the purest humor comes from. However, I can't say that those characters are the saving grace though. Score: 6/10

Enjoyment: The factors that I just explained do play a major factor when it comes to enjoying the show. There are moments though when the show is funny, but the more you get into the series, the more the jokes start to get old, and it's just not that fun anymore. The characters are your tropes and don't really bring much to the table, and the couple is a little deadpan, making you feel bad for Haru nonetheless. My enjoyment rate would have to be 5/10.

Overall: Well, I pretty much said what there is to be said here. Story: pretty much goes in useless circles. Art style is the best thing. Sound needs major creativity improvement. Character needs to be more broad. And all of that would make better enjoyment for the audience. Last score: rounded 6/10

Hello!

Today I finished watching Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun(My Little Monster).
I liked the art, the music was okay, I guess? Didn't pay any attention to that, since it wasn't so important. But the story..

When I started watching the first episode I fell in love with it, but as I continued watching the episodes they got more boring to me, the story was slow paced, tbh it didn't make almost any progress at all.They got to the same point where they started.But the weirdest thing is that usually in romance animes the kiss comes in the last episodes, but in Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun it was the other ... way around. And that was probably the main reason why I fell in love with the first episode, but the other episodes were a total let down for me.

I hope this helped. Thanks for reading! :)

One thing that I have not yet noticed in other reviews or comments left about this anime is the abusive nature of Haru in this anime. It's definitely one of the most important points that seems to be left out. Having said that, I'll start from the beginning.

The character I least liked in this anime was Haru. This anime made me cringe and feel uncomfortable at times because of how many times stuff pointed to an abusive relationship, and it all came from Haru. Haru has the personality of a sociopath/psychopath and that can be seen many times throughout the anime. He is possessive ... of Shizuku even though they aren't dating, hits her several times without apologizing, follows her everywhere she goes, tries to tell her what she can/can't do, and threatens to beat up anyone that comes near her. He also doesn't know how to properly behave in public and Shizuku tells him in an episode that if he behaves meanwhile she is at cram lessons, they'll go on a picnic. Shizuku also questions her love for Haru because of his weird personality and wonders if she can actually get over that. She even states that they seem to clash a lot and wonders why. In another episode, he licks her hand out of nowhere and Shizuku lectures him on personal boundaries and consent. She tells him the touch of a man that is not warranted by her first is repulsive. He then proceeds to get mad. He also threatens to beat up anyone that comes near her.

Quotes by Haru:
"One peep out of you and I'll rape you."
"Shizuku's the one who keeps changing. I can only wonder if she's going to leave me behind one of these days. Makes me consider ripping off her arms and legs."

Quotes by Shizuku: "We won't get anywhere if I'm the only one doing the right thing."

This anime wasn't the typical rom-com I was expecting. I won't spoil the ending, but the ending isn't actually an ending; it is just another episode that can be continued in a second season or by reading the manga. The only thing I liked about this anime is that Shizuku finally found friends but other than that Haru's personality ruined it for me.

----Might Have Spoilers----
This is probably not a review, but a personal rampaging comments of mine.

I decided to watch this anime because of the recommendations, where people always compared this anime with Toradora and Chuu-2 Byo. Well, I could say that this anime doesn't live up to the expectation as I hope. Why? Here's the reasons why I personally did not like this anime.

1. The closure/ending
At least Toradora! and Chuu-2 Byo have proper closure for their story, where at least they did not leave the plot hanging at an unsatisfying point. Both main character has actually made their resolution and at least we can see where ... their relationship can go on. But in Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun, it is unfortunately a no. The relationship between Haru and Shizuku didn't meet up my expectation. I can't be sure that I can see where their relationship is going, as it did not progress at all!..

2.The plot
As I said before, I can't see any clear progress that they made. Maybe it is my mistake because I'm comparing this anime with Toradora!. What's more, even the last few episodes didn't stress out anything between them at all, instead showing how Shizuku is getting more familiar with Yamaken and how Yamaken had developed special feelings towards Shizuku. Somehow, I even forgot about the relationship between Haru and Shizuku and actually rooting for Yamaken instead. Fuck me right?

I only dislike this anime because of these reasons. Other aspects are acceptable by me. The art is good, and the comedy and humor always made me burst out of laughter. The side characters also play their role well in the story as I can see their significance in the plot.

Last but not least, those who expect to watch a storyline similar to Toradora! or Chuu-2 Byo will probably will get disappointed. Or maybe not? I don't know. Watch it yourself, and judge it yourself. This is only my opinion.

I personally did not like the anime due to the fact that it was really slow and had no real ending. I mean she is not even sure she loves him! It was good until she confessed. Then it all went downhill. FAST! The art, sound, and characters were all really great. Outstanding even! But the ending, story, and the overall progression were poor to mediocre. Sorry to say but I would not watch it again.

I don't have much time to write a review so I'm gonna write a quick one-

This is a romcom about a boy who fell in love with a girl and the girl likes him back. But it's not exactly that (spoilers ahead) - What I feel is that this series is full of back and forth and there have been times when I get so frustrated with the main girl character. There's no character development in her. Maybe just a little.

My point is that, upon watching this anime I was looking forward to seeing the development at the ending and hopefully she would ... be with the guy. But it didn't happen. No progress.

aside from those two, others were charming.

However, aside from the storyline, i was pleased with the artwork. The animation is a quality you would like to see.

overall, if you want to watch an anime with romantic development where the couple get together or apart, steer clear of this anime. But I would recommend this to those who like to see a light hearted romcom.

I'm giving this show a lower rating because I was really upset with the ending. Haru was so cute and super sweet to Shizuku and he tried to get her to hang out with him but all she cared about was her studies. I thought that throughout the anime she would learn that school isn't everything and that it's okay to miss some answers on tests, but she didn't. There were some instances where she would let loose but then her final grade would be one point less then what she wanted it to be and she would bury herself back in books and shut ... Haru and everyone else out. I just felt like the anime ended very abruptly. For instance, I was happy when one of the side characters finally confessed her love to another, but it never showed what happened after that. I was waiting so long for her to confess her love and when she finally did, I didn't get to see his response. I would have enjoyed this show a little more if there was more romance and less complaining. The creators didn't go wrong with the comedy though. I was laughing through the entire show. 

I respect animes that try to do things differently, but only when it works. My little monster tries to use love differently. The characters in the anime don"t know what love is and are trying to figure it out themselves. Add in a female main who only cares about her grades and a guy main character who is a thug with a good heart in the inside. The story is very sloppy and very repetitious as it keeps back peddling every episode. I understood that you are trying to be unique but i mean come on, i want development and progress. The art was standard ... and the music was OK. I actually really enjoyed all the characters a lot ass they were unique and refreshing. However their lack of development was the only thing bothering me with the character. In general i see what they were trying to get at with this anime, but due to the sloppy story and the lack of character development it wasn't as good. Even though i have been bashing the anime, there are people that think that the story was well done in a sense. So all i can say is try it out and see if you like it.

(Mild-spoilers discusses romance between the main two characters - but that should be obvious from the synopsis)

SUMMARY
The series starts out well for the first 5 episodes but soon falls apart, as the male lead reveals himself to be an insensitve and somewhat abusive character, with no personal development or redeeming himself as the show goes on. This is despite the female lead becoming a more developed charcter in contrast. The series is not helped by the fact that after episode 13 the manga still continues on, leaving no room for closure in the show. It would've been great if things could've been completely wrapped up ... but as it I wouldn't recommend this anime.

REVIEW
Firstly, the show starts off really well. Both leads are presented as interesting characters. Shizuku Mizutani is a headstrong, academic and competitive girl - focussing on her studies more than anything else around her, including even friends. Haru Yoshida on the other hand is a deeply troubled young man, who although smart himself, seems to have very deep rooted social and behavioural issues and has isolated himself from others. As the two spend time together viewers are treated to moments of charm and sweet supporting interactions between the two, where two socially inept characters become closer. Surprisingly for a shoujo anime the main charcters often talk very open and honestly about how they feel towards each other and their own thoughts. The first 2 episodes are great examples of this, with virtually little misunderstadning, mumblings or cliches. Though in stark contrast there are moments of violent and threatening outbursts from Haru that really throw things off later on.

Haru's verbal threats to others are quite shocking, as well the threats of violence - they are extreme given the contexts. At times Haru is fighting to stick up for others being bullied which is an endearing trait, and at other times he is fighting and threatening others with harm as he becomes possessive over Shizuku. The switch in behaviour would be great if the narrative decided to follow a really sinister plotline, or a comedic romance plotline - but as it jumps between the two it becomes really jarring.

Shizuku ends up falling for Haru, and the devlopment of the attraction is well presented from her perspective. At no point do you feel this is contrived by overt gestures or tropes. As the story progresses you soon realise the two really don't have a clue as to what a "healthy" relationship should be. However as things develop Shizuku find's herself having to manage Haru's jealousy and anger (and violent outbursts) - it gets to point where she ends up having to bargain with him often("If you behave and promise not to fight, I'll go out on a date with you"), as well as dealing with his forced physical approaches.

Over the 13 episodes Shizuku is the only one that really show's some personal growth, while Haru remains the same as always - never seeming to be able to redeem himself or improve his behaviour, which is a shame. Maybe this could be addressed if there was ever a season 2 (note the manga goes further from where the anime ends).

Special mention should go the supporting characters - especially the ditsy Asako Natsume and likeable Souhei Sasahara. All are well realised, and display their own want's and desires. Asako's arc towards the end is worth special mention - and lightens the mood on the rest of Shizuku-Haru's relationship. You also can't help but feel there is a deep secret that would explain Haru's behaviour - and the screen time given to Haru's brother, Yuuzan Yoshida, hints at that but sadly not explored. This ends making it very difficult to empathise with Haru for most of his behaviour.

Animation wise the quality is good, no over excessive use of still screens and the sound is fair with a good slection os supporting music that sets the moods for scenes really well.

CONCLUSION
On the whole, I would've really liked the idea of two socially awkard people that are not sure what a healthy relationship looks, but end up with one being in an abusive and controlling relationship. Unfortuantely, Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun really misses the boat on this. What could've been a great exploration of two people finding love, lust, jealously, friendship, romance, fear, anger... is instead just a bit of a narrative mess with only Shizuku ever "trying", and the male lead being insufferable throughout. I would avoid this one.