Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun

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

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.

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.

Girl with a bad attitude meets an immature controlling psycho and they fall in love and have an extremely toxic relationship. Not cute. I think this anime would have been many times better with a different male lead. Blond guy is way way way better in every imaginable way and isn't actively violent and horrible. Taming a habitually violent person (who hurts and threatens FL several times) with major emotional and psychological problems is so far not romantic, it's insane and dangerous. ML here should not be in a relationship, but in therapy.

I think you can have one half of a couple in a ... romance who has a bad attitude or major problem, but not both. FL is barely mature enough for a relationship, but ML is not in any way, shape, or form and a relationship with him would be abusive because he doesn't know how to control himself or his emotions. He is the kind of romantic partner who needs fixing, which is a sign of toxicity. The drama is high in this one and I would say it's 75:25 probability of her getting killed because of him vs. them having a happily ever after. I watch this kind of thing for romance, not drama rooted in violence and toxicity. Everything about this anime that doesn't involve him, though, is actually good. I just cannot stand characters like him.

A lot of people have a problem with the FL, but she is similar to a lot of romance heroines (bad at communication, bookworm, etc.) but the emphasis is more on her negatives. She needed a kindhearted ML who could draw her out and help her realize her misconceptions and flaws, but instead she gets an incipient criminal and wife beater who leads her to rationalize, minimize, and accept violent abuse and stalking. I would say this is one of the rare romance anime where the main couple ending up separated forever at the end would be a good thing. Why watch a romance with such a terrible ill-suited couple at its heart?

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 :)

Usually I really don't like Shoujo anime since it either is boring or too focused on the male characters and a boring female lead but Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun is an exception to that. It definitely isn't your everday run of the mill shoujo anime.

Storyline-wise the anime tells us about a study-focused girl meeting with a kind-hearted yet violence prone guy and their everyday encounters with other characters that are also put in the spotlight. The story progression is slow but this is just the right pacing for the story. It sadly ends in a cliffhanger though.

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun has clasiccal stunning shoujo backgrounds and ... characters. The artwork is unique and probably reminiscent to Bokura ga Ita. It is so colorful as expected for a shoujo anime. Its opening and ending themes animation is really catchy and colorful.

The Opening and Ending themes of the show is worth remembering and also could easily become a favourite to many anime fans. The Background music during conversations and events really suit the background and also elevates the mood.

Each of the Characters of the story are notable. Shizuku's personality matched with Haru's is quite funny. Natsume's typical popular cheerful girl and also Sasayan's friendly guy personality added to the mix. Even the other characters that are part of the story could become your favorite. Character development is well presented that it does force the audience to watch a series of flashbacks but provides the right amount for the viewers to enjoy.

Even if you're not a fan of shoujo anime, this anime is definitely worth the watch especially if you like romance/comedy/slice of life. It nice mix of romance and comedy which are realistic although some are over edge but the hell it ain't interesting if you don't add some wouldn't it. I give this anime a rating of 9 in the enjoyment department.

Overall, the anime is a good rom-com show and definitely deserves a lot of praise and a season 2.

My Little Monster is an amazing anime that started off with great potential, but finished with a very open and ambiguous conclusion.

What makes the show so effective is its realism. Each character has very distinct personalities. Shizuku is strong-willed, independent, and very blunt and cold at times. This clashes with Haru's eccentric, open, and clingy personality. The show gets its charm in the beginning, by showing two characters with clashing personalities learning and growing from one another. Shizuku teaches Haru how to control his emotions. She teaches him to smile, to stop picking fights (or at least try), and to restrain his constant need ... for her affection. In turn, Shizuku learns that there is enjoyment beyond studying. Haru's loyalty, lighthearted nature, and unconditional care for Shizuku opens her to feelings of affection.

At the beginning there are some truly wonderful moments: when Haru professes his love for Shizuku, when he kisses her by surprise, when Shizuku awakes on Haruku's lap and enjoys the moment instead of going to class, and when Shizuku professes her love for Haru again. These are incredibly moving moments, but the fire dies down as the two become lost in opposing expectations.

The later episodes are interesting and fun, but there is no real progression in story. This is an excellent representation of Haru and Shizuku's relationship, but can become dull for the viewer. The two are lost, as most young lovers are. Shizuku truly loves Haru, but expects a quiet laid-back relationship, but Haru's dependency issues make him clingy and obnoxious. Haru, also lost as to what it means to be in a relationship expects Shizuku to be more attentive and responsive to him, instead feeling ignored by Shizuku's studying.

The anime has excellent art, music, characters, and story. It is one of my favorite shows because of its realism, comedy, and heart-touching moments. However, by the end the audience feels unfulfilled, much like the characters. Shizuku summarizes their relationship by saying "Why? Why do we keep clashing? I'm guessing that we're out of sync somehow, but I don't know how to fix it. I don't know the right answer." Like her practice problems, she expects a simple answer, but is lost when she can't find one.

Overall, I would highly recommend this anime, although you may feel unfulfilled toward the end. I doubt there will be a second season because I believe the producers want to leave the future open for viewer interpretation. In the real world, the two would have good moments and bad. they would learn and grow through their relationship, but more than likely their differences will put a strain on their love and they'll drift apart. I was honestly hoping to see Haru profess his love for Oshima to make Shizuku upset, or to crush her academically to provoke her. This is how I think the characters would at in real life, especially over time. But by leaving the ending open and vague, viewers can interpret the characters and their motivations and growth for themselves, leaving the possibility for a happy ending for all.

This is a really sweet and yet down to earth romantic comedy.While in other anime the protagonists are actively seeking out love, be it in a subtle or extreme manner, the romance in Tonari comes naturally. Mizutani is an interesting lead due to her apathetic attitude towards most things, including romance (which may come off tsunderish to some, but I'd argue against that). She cares more about her academic life than her almost-boyfriend, but not to an exaggerated degree, making her refreshing in comparison to the typical horny teenager protagonist that only thinks about getting laid. As for the second half of the couple, there ... isn't much to say about him in comparison. Haru is a run-of-the-mill anime delinquent (that turns out to be the smartest student in school somehow), but he still remains fun to watch and his interactions with Mizutani are the highlight of the series, as you'd expect. All the side characters are very amusing to watch and provide a lot of the show's comedy which is genuinely funny and made me laugh out loud more times than I had anticipated from a RomCom.

A noteworthy aspect of the series that absolutely amazed me was the fact that I found myself rooting for the side characters in the multiple love triangles that appear throughout the series even though they directly obstruct the main couple. Take that as a testament to the character's likeability.

A point that could be viewed as a downside is the fact that the show stays lighthearted for all of its duration and never gets heavy with the drama like most romances. I personally think that made the anime better, but viewers expecting something more intense might get disappointed.

The anime is the standard 12 episode length so there isn't much reason not to watch it, even if the ending is inconclusive and begs for a second season that I would most certainly love to see. If you want a serious, drama-filled romance then look for something else, but otherwise Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun has my recommendation.

I would really recommend this anime, but if you want to see the story all the way through then read the manga. Personally I like the manga more, but this is a very funny and overall enjoyable anime. It's got a lot of romance if you someone who's into that.

The main girl (Shizuku Mizutani) can be very dislikeable at times, but the overall romance is some of the best I've seen in my opinion. I REALLY love Haru Yoshida, he has the best personality throughout the whole anime. He's a huge mystery and it makes you wanna know what happened in his past. He ... also acts so stupid, its funny.

I really enjoyed this anime, but I think they did kind of a bad job on the end, considering I read the manga and they chose to end the series like that.

I must admit this anime was a bit of disappointment for me.

They started out really well, with a good dose of humor and a little bit of seriousness. And while relationship development was somewhat back and forth, it was still interesting.

Up until they abruptly ended it. Without any premise or conclusion. Just, 'Oh, well, let's make this episode the last one, whatever'.

It was a nice idea. Not terribly original, but still good. The story line was a little wonky, with all the "I love you, wait no I don't", but I didn't really notice it until after. It was funny and sometimes beautifully ... romantic. Really ruined only by the ending that wasn't there. At last for me.

That is not to say I disregard all the rest. No matter the ending, the show was really enjoyable and brought a smile to my face all the time.

Maybe we will have the second season that will put everything into place.

Aaaahh the feels for this anime, I remember first starting it and was eh about it but once
I picked it up again I instantly fell in love with it.

I love the main character's personalities and the relationship every person has with another. Though it's a romance, it's not one of those romances where everyone is fighting with one another for this guy or this girl. Though, of course, there are characters that have feelings for others it's not like a whole dramatic scene that takes place.

The feels I have for Natsume and Misawa though <333 I ended up falling for a side character relationship ... rather than the main one itself xD

I really wish they would have made a second season though, I was really looking forward to one would happen after everything but sadly they left it at that :(

But I still enjoyed this anime and it was full of heart strings and cute moments :3

In Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun you can enjoy a good joke, a witticism, an unexpected twist or a good “snapper,” but it’s not all, you can even anticipate many dramatic twists and turns as the plot marches on!

It's not your typical high school romance like “lovely Complex” or “School rumble”, nor it is as deep as Clanned/Clanned after story. It’s an interesting love story of two unique people. Who came to know each other by fated “assignation”(teacher’s request to pass printouts).

What I like in these anime is that both lead figures have different personalities and don't play submissive roles while falling in love.
Female ... protagonist maintenance her strong attitude and is as dedicated in her studies as she was from beginning. While Male lead still continues to cause troubles and lucks any charming manners.

I don't want to tire people out by writing long review 1 episode is enough to determine if it's your material or not.

Great story somewhat realistic, great art and sound, spectacular characters and guarantee 100% enjoyment if you are keen on this genre. Overall it's an anime which makes you improve your mood and makes you laugh.

It isn’t very often I can watch a rom-com and genuinely believe the romance between the two main characters, then for the comedy to also not be on the ecchi side and still make me laugh. That’s a pretty good rom-com.

The Short Version:
(+)They get that kissing shit out in the first episode.
(+)The comedy is pretty alright.
(+)The main character actually thinks like a teenager. (You’ll get what I mean when you watch the show)
(-)Standard rom-com bullshit (Does she like me? Doesn’t he like me?)
(-)The soundtrack is very forgettable.

The Story (6/10): The story behind this show is an age-old classic. Girls like guy, guy likes ... girl, and then we have to sit and watch them run around in a circle for the entire runtime and maybe just MAYBE get to see them kiss in the last episode. Not this show however they get that kiss out-of-the-way in the first episode, but you still have to deal with the endless running around in circles. As annoying as that is this show somehow manages it, and the relentless back and forth isn’t as exhausting as something like Kimi no Todoke (BOOM!) and this is due to the story actually acting like it’s placed in a high school setting, example; A girl says, “I want to touch you.” What the first thing that runs through your brain, it’s that exactly thought that the protagonist thinks in the show and he shows it, so when the girl just puts her hand on his cheek he thinks, “Oh that’s what she meant.” See what I mean, the show acts like it’s actually real. Making the back and forth, as I’ve said a couple of times already, a lot more tolerable. In the latter half of the show however there’s an entire sequence of events involving the relationships of a few side character and I can’t help but feel like that’s only there to fill time. The ending, sucks. There’s no sort of romance conclusion with the two leads apart from, “Yeah we believe we love each other.” Yeah didn’t figure that out back at episode 7.

The Characters (7/10): The characters are pretty important considering the genre of the show and I can say that for all intents and purposes the characters fit their roles remarkably well, if differing only a bit from the standard clichés.

Haru Yoshida: Intimidating bastard when you look at him wrong and a bit of a bro-con (hehe).

Shizuku Mizutani: Egghead and bleeder of the nose.

There are about three or four other characters that are important to the show (But because MAL doesn’t list them as Main, I’m not going to talk about them individually) and they also serve their purpose well within the show. One thing I did like about Haru is that, while not immediately clear, is that the dude isn’t at all adjusted to school, and because of that you get some pretty good comedy moments, like when he brings a chicken to school by hiding it in his shirt. That’s about the level of the comedy, especially when Haru is invovled.

The Art & Sound (6/10) & (5/10): The art of the show is solid, exceptionally solid, for a three-year old show it could’ve been a lot worse. Apart from that there’s not a lot at all about the art to say, is good, that’s all I can really tell you.

The sound on the other hand is entirely forgettable I just finished the show not even an hour ago and I can’t remember shit is terms of sound, the characters VA are good I was convinced that these were in fact the character’s voices. Everything other part of the sound, excluding the OST, was alright.

What do you think of this show?

Better than average rom-com that’s for sure.

Would you recommend this show?

Yep. If you’re looking for a better than average rom-com sure.

Goodbye my brethren, see you in the next one.

THE STAFF
- Animated by Brain’s Base, a studio with very good production values and a mostly mediocre roster. Their best works to date are Baccano and Penguindrum and even them were just lively and colorful but not exactly masterpieces.
- Directed by Kaburaki Hiro, who has experience with the romance genre but didn’t produce anything amazing.
- Based on a manga by someone whose this is the only work adapted.

PROPER MINDSET
My Little Monster is in a way like Kare Kano, one of the most memorable school life anime of the 90’s. It has characters that are pretending to be someone else, or even to actively not enjoining ... their teen lives. All that for the sake of being likable to others and to increase their chances of success in their goals. It is a very commonplace and reasonable thing most teenagers do and it’s nice to see how they would deal with the psychological pressure such issues create.

CAST
The comedy factor of the show is very high though, so most of the conflict is presented in a comical and light way. They address them but don’t expect a realistic handling of them. Take the main two characters for example.
- Shizuku, the heroine, cares only for her studies, until she meets Haru who completely messes her organized life.
- Haru, the co-protagonist, is a crazy teenager with extremely anti-social behavior, violent, vulgar, never takes something seriously, and acts as he likes without thinking much. He comes to the conclusion Shizuku is in love with him, just because she cared a bit about him and never leaves her side thereafter.

A thing you must accept right away is Haru’s behavior. He does some really horrible things from time to time, such as threatening to rape Shizuku, punches her hard to the point of bleeding, undresses in public, and constantly gets into fights for close to no reason. Normally such problematic people would not be allowed in typical schools, but since the show is mostly comedy whatever he does never has negative consequences. You must also accept Shizuku’s passive acceptance to all that. You would expect she would be devastated and would hate Haru for all the terrible things he constantly does to her. But instead she just becomes his best friend (and possible sweetheart) without much of consideration.

SCRIPT
There isn’t much of a plot; it’s basically the small daily problems teenagers face while trying to socialize or get good grades. There is close to no continuity and character development is close to zero. So in case you are watching this just to see the two main characters getting all serious in their relationship, don’t expect anything to happen. The characters are eccentric and full of emotional angst for you to like them right away but they are otherwise bricks when it comes to simply saying “I love you” or the more expected “let’s mate like rabbits, since we are crazy”. It is questionable how far they can remain interesting without developing their relationship or something actually important happening in their lives. I for example lost interest in 4 episodes before the lack of serious handling of its themes and the commonplace setting made me lose interest. This didn’t happen with Kare Kano, thanks to its weird animation (or lack of it).

PRODUCTION VALUES
Ok in terms of colors and character figures, but don’t go looking for anything special in them. They still have lots of choppy animation and the setting is just another typical high school with typical teenagers. Voice acting is very good for the roles each one of them has and the songs are ok for this sort of show, but still overall nothing memorable.

LEGACY
Just like all romances, it’s a good time waster for the slice of life or comedy fans but nothing that will be remembered in a few years from now.

And now for some excused scorings.
ART SECTION: 6/10
General Artwork 1/2 (generic)
Character Figures 1/2 (generic)
Backgrounds 2/2 (basic but fitting with the feeling of the series)
Animation 1/2 (basic)
Visual Effects 1/2 (basic)

SOUND SECTION: 6/10
Voice Acting 2/3 (corny but fitting with the feeling of the series)
Music Themes 2/4 (average)
Sound Effects 2/3 (ok I guess)

STORY SECTION: 2/10
Premise 1/2 (simple)
Pacing 0/2 (loose)
Complexity 1/2 (not much)
Plausibility 0/2 (none)
Conclusion 0/2 (doesn’t exist)

CHARACTER SECTION: 4/10
Presence 1/2 (generic)
Personality 2/2 (eccentric)
Backdrop 1/2 (generic and simplistic but it’s there)
Development 0/2 (none)
Catharsis 0/2 (none)

VALUE SECTION: 2/10
Historical Value 0/3 (none)
Rewatchability 0/3 (no reason to rewatch)
Memorability 2/4 (the main duo make it slightly memorable)

ENJOYMENT SECTION: 2/10
Art 0/1 (looks typical)
Sound 0/2 (sounds meh)
Story 0/3 (what story?)
Characters 2/4 (eccentric but don’t develop)

VERDICT: 3.5/10

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun was unexpectedly good. I mean, I read the synopsis and thought it might be "OK" but it was actually very fun to watch. With only 13 episodes it's an easy watch, and it's filled with a lot of great little moments.

I'll start with the basic stuff. It had good artwork and animation. It had good music and sound. It had great characters, and an ok story... blah blah blah. It's not perfect, it's not horrible, it's average to great in most categories so it comes down to taste and preference. It's definitely not bad at all, and it has some intangible elements ... that make it very "likeable."

This is really a great character love story. Each of the cast has a slightly over exaggerated but common social disorder, and it's their grouping together that creates a really interesting and entertaining dynamic to watch. The focus isn't just the two main characters, they have a pretty interesting entourage as well. The general anime stereotypes are included, but they are not dominant factors in the delivery. There are plenty of refreshing moments and a few little surprises that make this anime series shine.

The thing I loved most about this series is that it was very relatable to my teen years. I connected with a couple of the characters, and there were others that reminded me of people I have known or at least had observed. They each were unique and they never really acted out of character. The level of irrational teen behavior was never over exaggerated. In fact, it was pretty accurately done. Teens struggling with how they feel and how they think they should feel is a major theme of this story. I have to say that element was really well done, and they definitely get kudos on that point.

The highlight of this series really is the main story (the only real story for that matter). The love story/relationship between Shizuku and Haru is comedic without being too slapstick, and it's so wonderfully dysfunctional that I couldn't help but enjoy every moment of it. They complimented each other in such an interesting way that I couldn't get enough. It's definitely one of my favorite love stories now that I've seen it. I am not normally big on romantic comedies, but this was a good one.

My only real complaint is the open ending. I normally don't mind open endings, but it felt like there was going to be more. I don't want to spoil anything, but the only indication it was the end was Shizuku's inner monologue during the final scene (oh and do watch the short clip after the credits of the last episode, it's not an ending either but it's a little funny). I guess this is yet another teaser anime series that introduces you to a manga series, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

This is a great series, and if you're not sure about it because it's a romantic comedy then you should still give it a shot. It's a good "comedy" and the romance is very light. In fact, it's more of a weird relationship story than a romantic comedy. Thumbs up!

A beautiful story about unpopular people, friendless people, lonely people, people who hate other people, people who can't get along with other people, and so on. And somehow they all happen to be good looking. Makes one wonder how are they not popular.

Anyway, as I said, the story with its light romance is so beautiful. Good comedy, great character stories, but pretty typical characters. Normal music and average animation.

Okay so these are not spoilers, remember. Basically the story's course is that the girl doesn't want to be attracted to Haru because it works like a distraction in her studies and she can't make her grades ... suffer more. What? I know. But she's not a complete bitch. You'll love her.

The romance takes a pretty realistic path. It seems that they're being unrealistically honest but the turns their relationship takes is very realistic. It's not based around a fairy tale setting or a romantic dream. It's much closer to real life where you're sure and unsure of things at the same time. Where you're in love but you're not displaying that. And everything isn't so smooth with all the fights and difference of opinions. It's a real and fun love story.

But after half a dozen episodes pass, you would sense they're overdoing things. Dude, that's enough time to reach a conclusion about whether it's a deal or not, especially when you got no other stuff or problem in the whole story. But it's overly stretched. At episode 8 sharp, I felt like "Why is he even trying? Just throw that bitch aside and get another girl."

I would say My Little Monster is an enjoyable anime you can pick up anytime, especially after you've braced some Clannad sort of stuff. It's got great comedy, a sweet romance, and beautiful characters.