Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru.

Story: 7 - Generally episodic and extremely character-driven, might feel like it makes little forward progress.
Characters: 10 - Dynamic and extremely well-realized main cast, with a mostly fleshed-out and enjoyable supporting cast.
Art: 7 - Serviceable, but rarely outstanding. Evocative cinematography.
Sound: 7 - OST is mostly forgettable, but used effectively. Solid vocal performances. Solid OP and ED.
Enjoyment: 10 - Intelligent and insightful without being dry. Effortlessly breezy with endlessly likable characters.

Full Review:

Despite the overwhelmingly positive impression of this show from the vast majority of fans and critics alike, it was really hard not to be skeptical about this. A romantic comedy LN adaptation with ... an overly long title? That's not generally the realm of timeless literature. Fortunately, as everyone assured me, my expectations were blown away in no time at all.

It's apparent right from the opening monologue that this show really gets its characters, and empathizes with them, but it doesn't make excuses for them. And that is quite impressive considering the actual nature of the characters. Our hero Hachiman is a cynical and abrasive black hole of smug indifference. He's internalized his own isolation and built a fortress out of it, but hell if he isn't still a likable character! Not even in the sad or pitiable way that misanthropic loner nerd characters tend to be in anime. Hachiman has a certain charm and charisma all his own. It doesn't really surprise me at all to see younger fans latch on to his various "Hachimanisms" as some kind of gospel. His worldview is the distillation of the introverted intellectual teenager experience. I can definitely remember feeling like the only sane man in an insane world when I was his age. I think everyone probably has a little bit of Hachiman inside them, and that makes him a broadly relatable character despite how much of a huge pompous jerkass he is. Our main heroine is similarly despicable, though in very different ways. Yukino barricades herself in a perfectionist facade. Her willingness to help others and her drive to succeed are as much a crutch as her frigidly standoffish personality. Her biting sarcasm and massive superiority complex belies what may be an even more fundamentally broken person than Hachiman. Hachiman's problems are clearly nothing but demons of his own design, while Yukino's seem to be related to more external factors. Her home situation is never explored in-depth, but is hinted at being a major source of her anxieties. Their interactions(or non-interactions) are the backbone of this whole show, and would be more than enough to carry the entire show just on their own.

The characters aren't the only things keeping the show afloat, though. This is a romantic comedy after all, and OreGairu has a great sense of comedic timing. The jokes flow freely from the characters' base personalities, and the show avoids most of the silly reaction faces and manzai gag set-ups that plague the host of its contemporaries. The music and animation are mostly just serviceable and don't have many stand-out moments to make either of them particularly memorable. Thankfully, the cinematography is generally quite good. The shot framing easily evokes the sense of loneliness and mistrust that the characters wallow in, but also gracefully illustrates the cracking of their proverbial shells over the course of the series. Though it doesn't ever look or sound bad, OreGairu's technical merits are definitely taking a backseat to the script.

OreGairu's one big stumbling point is that in order to continually punch holes in Hachiman's defenses, it has to keep forcing him into situations that challenge them. And "force" is kinda the key word there. As smart as this show is, there's really no avoiding how wish-fulfillmenty the base foundation is. Awkward loner kid is unwillingly thrown into a club with two beautiful, and comparatively lonely girls by his equally young and attractive female teacher. Geez show, there had to be a better way to do this. Making the Main Character an ineffectual harem lead is still kinda transparently pandering, no matter how incredibly bad at it he is. Regardless of how well-written these characters are, and they are fantastic characters, the show can't really rise above the tropes it constantly seems to be sneering at. And that's incredibly unfortunate. This show has so many smart things to say and wonderfully articulated characters, but it just can't escape its own inherent ~anime~ness. Characters like Saika just bog down the story and serve as blatant reminders that, oh yeah, this is an anime romcom(Even though I am quite found of him, personally). He was still a pretty likable character, and I think he actually had decent chemistry with Hachiman, but yeah, he mostly exists just to make hurr-durr trap jokes. And he's not alone in the one-joke supporting character department. The lack of actual romance in this romantic comedy might be another possible sticking-point. I understand that issue is supposed to be the whole joke; Throwing some hapless dude into Anime Harem 101 and not having anything happen because they're all emotionally-stunted jerk-faces cloistered within their own defensive facades, clever! But that doesn't make it any less frustrating to sit through. The show is carefully trying to balance what it wants to say about its characters and having their relationships actually move forward. I'm not sure it quite succeeds.

Still, it is undeniably fun just to see these characters faffing about. They're all just so well-constructed that it's fascinating to simply watch them bounce off each other. However, this show's greatest feat is probably just being such a breezy watch. As weighty and melancholy as the character-drama is, I still blew through this show in what felt like no time at all. I'm not sure I'd call OreGairu a timeless masterpiece, but I'm absolutely glad that it exists. And simultaneously angry that so few shows ever actually strive quite as hard.

girl: You are worthless as a human being, no even less than that, you are a bug
boy: bugs are useful too you know!

repeat that for 13 episode and ladies and gentlemen we have Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru (*clapping and cheers of the audience)

3 main characters:
1) Hikigaya
a loner, he is an antisocial teenager with a fetish to be humiliated for 13 episode and it's quite scary to see how many people favorited this character bc it shows how many people are F**ed up!

2) Yui:
... a happy idiot, maybe loves MC, she tries to please everyone

3) Yukino:
i always thought i hated Jason from tokyo ghoul but after seeing this character i realized how much respect i have for Jason, literally a bitch, she tells everyone to go fuck themselves.
the rudest piece of shit I've ever seen, a full blown self hating narcissistic Tsundere!

story:
the show revolves around Hikigaya and as you can see there is gay in his name and he is being humiliated for that as well, it's about his relationship with other characters and how being a pushover sucks, he constantly struggles with loneliness and constantly says there is nothing wrong with being lonely.
he finds Yukino attractive because she thinks he is absolutely worthless, he even tries to start a relationship with her, it was painfully funny how fast she told him to not even think about it.

soundtracks and openings are awful, nothing memorable

stupid anime with the most annoying female characters ever, i went through hell and shook hand with devil and came back with my ass on fire!, it didn't worth it, i regret watching this anime it was painful

OreGairu at first glance makes you think of the harem stereotype: MC initially has 2 girls and will increase as story goes on, or one of those stories where MC is initially a sore loser but rises up in the social ladder. (Well, that's my first impression at the very least) But looks are deceiving: there's more than meets the eye.

OreGairu is more of a slice of life and POV (point of view) than a romance story.

MC is a loner, has corrupt beliefs, is anti-social, has a bad reputation, and a heart of steel, yet holds a strong self-awareness and is rather smart. Those ... 108 skills he is proud of isn't for show. His intelligent monologues, ability to read beyond a person's words and actions, and deep thinking continue to amaze me.

The characters are all very good. Each one of them has a representation in today's society, hence making the anime all the more realistic. How the MC deals with them (and their problems) is basically what the series is about.

If were talking about the anime per se, OreGairu definitely gets 10. The anime was able to get the storyline intact, and is enjoyable as it is. It's a good anime to recommend to others.

However, it lacked character development compared to the novel, and some events were omitted. With that, it is not surprising why the anime is underrated. This one should be enjoying a 9+ rating, IMO.

Looking at the synopsis, it is difficult not to inwardly groan at the premise that has been frankly done to death (and then some). So how does this "cliché" anime still manage to feel moderately fresh? In addition to a strong main cast and interesting dialogue, I believe the long and short of it is that Oregairu does not attempt to be anything more than it is. It rids itself of some of the annoying elements that other such shows tend to shoehorn in. That said, it is still by no means overly spectacular; it is merely a solid anime that depending on your tastes ... may very well be worth checking out.

After the initial premise, Oregairu is a typical school comedy that as of yet does nothing to try and weave a narrative. This is unsurprising and generally expected of slice of life type anime, though in this particular case it kind of works to Oregairu's benefit. It allows focus to be drawn to character interactions without the distraction of a potentially haphazard plot. The show also lacks much in the way of drama, which is objectively neither a strength nor a fault; it honestly depends on your personal preferences. Personally, I tend to enjoy (well-crafted) melodrama in such slice of life shows, but interestingly did not miss it at all with this particular anime.

The soundtrack here is unobtrusive yet not terribly remarkable. It gets the job done and you barely notice it, which can actually be a positive. The OP and ED in my opinion are mediocre: listenable but half of me feels like skipping them. Concerning sound design, I really do not have any complaints. In my estimation, the voice acting is the strongest point of this category. Every main character brings a fitting aura to their particular character, and combined with the fast-moving script it is certainly a job well done.

The characters are where Oregairu really shines. You have Hikigaya Hachiman as the ironically apathetic and pessimistic loner of a main character, the silent and independent heroine portrayed by Yukinoshita Yukino, along with the ever cheerful and buoyant Yuigahama Yui as the second heroine. Although each of these character archetypes are easily recognizable, they all somehow feel fresh and charming as new, independent characters. This is mostly in thanks to the enjoyable fast-paced dialogue that the show offers.

The aforementioned dialogue script is honestly the biggest strength of the anime in my opinion. It makes character interactions fun and engaging to witness and can usually bring a smile to your face. While nowhere near the wittiness of a show like Spice & Wolf, the script is a rank above a lot of the norm. The occasional dipping into analysis on societal norms with added focus to the loner syndrome is also a nice touch and easily relatable. Jokes are amusing and refreshingly downplayed; they are not overly obnoxious like many in anime are oft to be. That said, the series lacks much in the way of "burst-out-laughing-while-holding-your-sides" type moments, but that can certainly be forgiven.

In summation, Oregairu is a surprisingly fresh and mildly enjoyable school comedy with strong characters and a good script. I recommend giving it at least a try, especially if you have a liking for toned down slice of life type series.

Hardly ever does one come across a masterpiece; a well-burnished piece of art that sets an impression on the viewer. To me, Oregairu filled every aspect of such an anime. The story, style and personality were the most precise of any anime I have watched up till now.

The story is mostly of the 'slice-of-life' genre. It progresses at an enjoyable, yet understandable, pace. What interested me most about the storyline was that it was not clichéd in anyway. It was an original and innovative personality blended into the main protagonist and not once did that intimate personality cease to entertain.

The art and sound were great ... like any other well-developed series. There were no flaws that I could point out.

All in all, It was an excellent season that made me want to watch more. This anime has reached the top of my personal list and I would recommend everyone who read this review to watch it. And if you don't like it, You don't know anime.

Every once and a while, a show comes along that challenges the conventional aspects of its genre in a way that has never been done before. Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru (Translated into English as "My youth romantic comedy is wrong as I expected") is this show. Where most romantic comedies generally lean away from reality, Oregairu embraces it in a way that is virtually unparalleled in any other series. The relationships between the three main characters attain a level of realism that is seldom captured in the anime medium. This isn't some revolutionary show that will change your outlook on life ... or thrust you into some sort of existential quandary. Oregairu is simply a show about people.

Story 8/10:
As funny as it may seem, the most appealing aspect of the story to me is just how cliché it is. Oregairu mocks the standard romantic comedy structure in a way that it almost could be classified as a parody. It employs the classic concepts of a love triangle, a club setting, the tsundere character type, and the mandatory pool/beach/camping episode. Honestly, it seems to me that the series' creators intentionally do this in order to completely deconstruct and ridicule the genre while providing something unique and refreshing to viewers. Don't watch this series if you are expecting a story that has never been done before. Watch this series if you want a fresh and exciting spin on anime stereotypes that will leave you bawling in laughter.

Art 7/10:
Art is not something that stands out to me in a series unless it is extremely good or extremely terrible. The art of Oregairu is neither. The character designs are attractive and the backgrounds are made with the perfect amount of detail. If you are expecting the art to rival that of a high budget movie, you will be disappointed. One thing that really caught my eye from the lackluster art was the expansive variety utilized in the facial expressions of characters. This adds a human level of emotion to the characters and contributes to both the realism and deliverance of their lines.

Sound 8/10:
I will not for a second pretend that I am some sort of expert in regards to the use of sound in anime. All I can say is that sound was used well in moderation in Oregairu. The soundtrack did not play as often as I anticipated, but its sparse usage really added to the drama and emotions of the characters. The opening was also very pleasant to the ear and I never skipped it even once while watching this anime.

Character 10/10:
Where do I begin? The characters of Oregairu were undoubtably some of the best that I have seen in any show.

Hikigaya Hachiman, the cynical and somewhat pessimistic lead male character, was hilarious in his dissections of everyday occurrences and his appreciation for the little things in life. Hachiman rebels against conventional wisdom and sees the world in the way it is, without the glamour and aspirations most of us enjoy. His monologues are shockingly insightful and though provoking, challenging me to rethink the way I view certain facets of my daily life. Hachiman is perhaps the most developed character I have seen in any anime as well. The way he thinks and acts changes drastically throughout the course of the show as he meets new people and learns more about how to be a friend. This development allowed me to empathize with Hachiman, allowing him to become one of my favorite characters in any show.

Yuigahama Yui, the air-headed and inexplicably nice member of the main trio, grew on me throughout the series. At first, I hated her. She appears to represent all the stereotypes and conceptions about a female lead in a romantic comedy series. I often wondered why she did what she did, not because she was mysterious in any way, but because there didn't appear to be any reason. Once her backstory was revealed however, I began to appreciate her character and the environment that shaped her into who she is. Yui served as the glue that stuck the main trio together with her much needed comical outbreaks and genuine emotions.

Yukinoshita Yukino, the incredibly cunning and calculative tsundere, at first appeared as the other stereotypical female character type of a romantic comedy series. She sharply criticizes Hachiman for what she sees as his pathetic outlook on life and refuses to admit that she in fact is in the same boat as he. Where Hachiman lacks friends for his mistrust of others and cynical behavior, she lacks them for her perceived perfection and elitist attitude. They both grow on each other in a way that is not as predictable as it may at first seem. Yukino's clever remarks never fail to make me laugh and her emotions are so strong when she allows them to show. Her backstory is also extremely well done, allowing me to sympathize with her and feel her pain. Yukino, like Hachiman, develops greatly as the story progresses and learns the happiness the comes with having a relationship with friends.

Enjoyment 10/10:
To say that I greatly enjoyed this anime would be the single greatest understatement in the long history of humankind. Every week I hotly anticipated Oregairu and the comedic brilliance that it entailed. I rarely laugh at loud to anime. This show was the exception. I found myself on the brink of tears as I witnessed Hachiman's internal dialogue and Yukino's blunt statements. At this point it is scary to me just how close I was to missing out on this absolute gem of the romantic comedy genre. If you are to watch this superb anime, put all preconceptions, predictions, and expectations aside. They won't be needed with this show.

Overall 9/10:
The only reasoning I have for not giving this show a perfect score is that it wasn't a perfect show. Really though... what is? Oregairu allowed me to greater appreciate the imperfections of the world around me in a way that I had never done before watching it. This show is a must watch for all, regardless of whether they are a fan of the genre or not. As I close I would like to quote the wonderful Hikigaya Hachiman:

"Question: The world will not change, but you can change yourself. So then, how will you change?

Answer: You become the god of a new world."

To be honest I don't even know how to begin, I've had really great expectations for this anime, everybody talked about it like it was the best anime ever made but I can't even finish it, I mean I started it in 2015 and after a year I thought "okay let's continue" but now I understand that I shouldn't have done that. It's the most boring and generic anime I've ever seen.

story 1/10
I can't find any other words besides "pathetic". Since I started it last year I don't even remember what it is about, I got so bored that I wanted to drop it and ... forget everything as soon as possible. I guess a nihilistic teen is forced (basically everything he does is because he's forced to) to join a group with two other girls and he gets more and more bored and disgusted by humanity each day. It still could have been a nice anime if there was any character development or even some puns I don't know. It's so boring I couldn't even manage to finish an episode. I promised to myself that I'll finish it but I don't think I will be able to, since I still have a bit of self-love.

Art 9/10
ah the art! The only good thing about this series. I enjoyed it a lot, it's probably the only thing that got me through it. It's well-done and probably the best one so far. I like Hikigaya's style because it reflects his personality and how little is his will to live, really nice. I also like how the characters' hair is never a natural color.

Sound 1/10
boring, I hated both the opening and the ending

character 2/10
I decided to give it 2 because hikigaya reminds me of L (for the way he walks), and I like his nihilistic personality but I couldn'y stand his internal monologues, he seems to be so tired of life, I'm like him too however I'm not an anime character, what I want to say is that an anime with a character like him would be inevitably boring. I didn't like anyone but hikigaya (although he's rather tedious and dull the others are even worse) and saika. Yui is exaggeratedly cheerful while Yukino is the exact opposite, always cold (not by chance Yuki 雪 means snow), nonchalant and indifferent, I couldn't stand a person like her in my life. I don't know if there is any character development but I haven't seen it yet, and I just finished the 10th episode.

enjoyment 1/10
It's so hard to even complete an episode let alone finishing the whole series. I regret starting it.

I know that it's a really spiteful review but I don't even know how to put into words how bad I've been disappointed by this anime

Warning: Spoilers, if you haven't seen it just read the last paragraph

Some anime have a main character that starts out completely ordinary and throughout the show shows that he is anything but. Other anime have a main character with something different about him that sets him aside from everyone else, this is the type of main character found in yahari ore. The only problem I have with anime that contain these types of main characters is that they usually cause the characters' special trait to seem like an after thought that was tossed in to spice up a story that mirrors every other generic ... plot found in whatever genre it is ( in this case romantic comedy). As I delved further into yahari ore I was surprised to discover that this anime was a diamond in the rough, it doesn't have a generic plot and it does everything right.

The first aspect of yahari ore that makes it stand out is as mentioned, the main character's special trait, he voluntarily isolates himself from everyone because he believes they are not truly happy and are only conforming to what is considered "normal" in hope of becoming happy. This sounds very harsh at first, especially the way it is presented, we are lead to believe that hikigaya is wrong and that we will see his views change over the course of the anime. Before I mentioned that some anime make the MC's special trait seem like an after thought, in yahari ore this trait is made the main theme of the anime and a majority of the plot revolves around it, as it should. Hikigaya sticks to his views throughout the anime and continually makes very valid arguments on why he is the way he is, he doesn't hate himself and never apologizes doing what he does. All in all he is a very solid main character that remains consistent throughout the show, he understands himself better than most people and he is very interesting to watch.

Next I'd like to focus on how the plot follows a realistic order and stays away from arcs. Many romantic comedies get too eager to put the romance in and practically come out and say who the MC will end up with. In the first few episodes it will get to the point where they would be dating but a series of ridiculous events keeps them from doing so. In yahari ore we have 2 main love interests (3 if you count saika) and at the end of episode 13 the romance remains subtle and who hikigaya will end up with is still unclear. He's been on a "date" with both girls and they both have forces driving them towards dating hikigaya. Yukino is a fellow loner, she gives out subtle tsundere vibes but it is unclear if she likes hikigaya (if she does she probably doesn't fully recognize it yet) or that is her true personality, and she has a sister that is pushing the two to date. Yui already shows signs of liking hikiaya and is taking the initiative when it comes to going on dates, the only thing holding her back is that she won't confess. The direction the story is going in is unclear which makes it interesting, we don't know where it's going but we want to.

I said the story stays away from arcs, which is a quality I have come to appreciate in anime. I dislike painfully clear arcs because it feels like the story is being written with 1 challenge being overcome at a time and that is unrealistic. Life throws multiple challenges at people at all different times, it won't wait for you to overcome one challenge before it throws another at you. Some challenges never go away and remain constant while others may pop up repeatedly. The only arcs in the story are the requests the club helps with, but while they work on the requests the main problems in the story continue to develop. We want to know more about the accident hikigaya was in, we want to know who hikigaya will go out with, and we want to know more about the main characters, throughout the show we learn more about these things but they continue to raise more questions and cause more problems.

The last thing I want to point out about this anime is that is doesn't rely on cheap overused tricks for the comedy aspects. One of the funniest parts of the show are the scenes with saika totsuka who is a guy that looks and talks like a girl, it is something you don't see in too many romcoms and is pulled off very well. The anime also ridicules the whole romcom genre by pointing out that whats going on is the opposite of what would be happening in a typical romcom. Then when it comes to romance aspects it remains subtle and slow. The writter isn't afraid of putting more than just romance and comedy into the story, the plot is important and the characters are well developed.

If you enjoy romantic comedies but are tired of cliche's than I would definitely recommend this anime. I personally will start reading the light novels since they are further ahead story-wise. This anime is a romantic comedy done right and has unique aspects they aren't afraid to highlight.

"They say that if you change yourself, you'll change the world, but that's a complete lie."

Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru. Phew. I'll shorten it to Oregairu for future reference. I was just introduced to this anime by a good friend and wasn't sure what to think about it. I just jumped into it without looking at the synopsis or anything, not knowing what to expect. Once I got in, I was hooked.

How many of you were super popular in school, or in other parts of life? With friends all around? Did you feel like you had someone to rely on? I wasn't, ... and it was part of what attracted me to this show. Alright, lets get into the review.

Story: If you just read the synopsis, it seems like a regular slice of life. The loner guy gets put into a situation that brings him together with a beautiful girl. Not the most original premise, but as they say, there is no bad idea, but bad execution. And this anime was done incredibly well, imho. Meet Hachiman Hikigaya, a anti-social to the extreme in high school who is content with the way he is, having no friends or real acquaintances of any kind. He is made the join the Volunteers Club with the beautiful and well known "ice queen" type, Yukino Yukinoshita, for the purposes of helping others. The two have conflicting personalities and wits, and their interaction with each other make for many hilarious moments along the way as they help out other with their problems.

Characters: The strongest point of Oregairu was its characters, which are paramount to any anime. This show had some of the best characters I have seen. From the beginning, I was hooked into Hachiman's monologue, reminiscent of how I was hooked into the Haruhi Suzumiya franchise by Kyon's beginning monologue. From then on I knew there had to be potential in the MC, and oh boy, there was. Hachiman is full of pragmatism and wit, whose attitude reminds me of Keima from the World God Only Knows. His opinion of the world is quite less low, to say the least, and his lack of social interactions with others stem from his low perception of life and people in general. My favorite thing about him is his ability to justify his views, however warped they may seem to other. He has his reasons for being the way he is. Yukino Yukinoshita on the other hand, is so "perfect" (rich, beautiful, smart) that she seems so different in comparison, yet they both share the fact that they are both alone, in this case people are turned away by her sort of untouchable aura. The two have different perceptions of life, and their banter between one another is a huge strength of the series. The last main character is Yui Yuigahama (btw this series has many names that seem to have similar first/last names for whatever reason), a happy, cheerful girl who is the first to get help from the club. While her personality isn't as deeply developed as the aforementioned two, she rounds out the two and acts as a bond between all of them. Her personality growth is also well done also. The supporting cast is full of different personalities that I find realistic and they all represent different types. Well done again.

Art: The art is well suited to the series. While it isn't too sharp and detailed, it is smooth and colorful, and works fine as a whole. It could have been better, but it was fine. I was happy with it, and I felt it worked for the overall theme.

Sound: The soundtrack for the show was good and worked for the themes in which they were in. I liked the opening a lot and actually watched it every time, but I can't say as much about the ending theme. Overall, solid.

For voicing, I thought the voice actors were good, especially for Hachiman and Yukino. Hachiman's voice actor really captured the tone of Hachiman's character in my opinion, with good intonation and tone. The others were all fine, nothing bad to say but nothing too praise worthy either.

Overall, I thought this was a very enjoyable slice of life. I really loved the main characters' personalities and their interaction with each other were smooth and well done. I related to Hachiman's plight, and I think many of us can. I thought it captured many parts of life well, and sometimes the stark reality that we don't really want to talk about. Life isn't always filled with sunshine and rainbows. There are tough moments, and sometimes its difficult to get through. Maybe we all feel a bit like Hachiman at times.

I thoroughly enjoyed this series and would highly recommend it to others. Solid 9/10 overall from me.

It’s ok. I get it. Oregairu is NOT for everybody. It’s not the type of slice of life that makes you want to turn your brain off, or the type of romantic comedy that probably ends in a ‘happily ever after’. Oregairu is a reserved experience for you, the viewer, to identify yourself with Hikigaya Hachiman, or with whatever pretentious slipslop he says. Everything else is just a bonus. But at which point is that forgiveable?

The story spins around Hikigaya Hachiman - an absurdly nihilistic, depressingly hopeless, and abnormally apathic teenager. Yes, a teenager - that goes to highschool. The entire script doesn’t mind being ... defined as an eternal monologue inside Hikigaya’s head. After all, the point is to make the viewer, one way or another, identify itself with this abnormal protagonist.

Here’s the problem – if you, the viewer, doesn’t have or had a problematic high school like Hikigaya has – without friends, full of rejections, hated by the majority of your colleagues – you’re probably not going to identify yourself with him. Each episode is only going to make you wanna die.

Full of pretentious and absurd monologues – of course at the courtesy of Hikigayas edgy mentality – Oregairu initially locks you into the thought that youth is rubbish, that making friends is useless, and that being sociable is a waste of time. If that isn’t enough, Hikigaya is an incomparably stubborn character, who rejects abandoning these depressing ideals even after being proven wrong so many times throughout the show.

Hikigaya avoids, at all costs, the work of maintaining a relationship. If one day there was a saying – “a relationship is like a plant that needs to be watered”, Hikigaya responds with – “when this plant dies, I’ll just buy another one like it”. This kind of egoistic behaviour does NOT match one of a teenager with a ‘tragic backstory’ that consists of a leg-breaking accident and some romantic dumps here and there.

Even if Hikigaya is part of a helping group, it’s difficult to understand how far he can be described as a good person. The majority of the problems he solves, although efficiently, HAVE to cause the most chaos and conflicts possible. In the words of Hayama Hayato – “Why do you always act this way?” (as a piece of shit?). In fact, this problematic highschool Hikigaya experiences is, at minimum, consequence of Hikigayas own actions.

Yuigahama Yui has her little moments at the spotlight, mainly at Hikigayas side. Maybe these moments could be described as pathetic simulations of romance – but at least there WAS romance. When Hikigaya is put at Yukinoshita Yukinos side, however, it’s like Hikigaya was put in front of a mirror. The passive-aggressive dialogue, although entertaining, show how incredibly frustrating it is when there’s little to no development between these two apathic characters – both that avoid, at all costs, talking about their mutual problems and watering their relationships.

After everything Hikigaya and Yukino went through together, they can’t even accept the idea they’re friends - and that is a damn shame because this relationship is, by far, the highest point of the show.

Oregairu disguises itself as a romantic comedy, but the truth is – in this first season, romance is casually brushed off to give space to many character introductions and standalone clichéd scenarios.

Oregairu is not innovative, but it’s certainly different. It has a few stand-out moments, but nothing incredible. It’s mainly just another rom-com – this time, without romance, and with a strangely particular protagonist. For this reason and the ones described befored, I just can’t identify myself or like Hikigaya – and this removes all the entertaining value this show could ever offer me.

It's doesn't matter how the sound is, or the quality is in an anime. What matters is how the anime impacted on the viewers. How it leaves an impression for its viewers. And how it leaves the mind lingering in a positive way.

"Sigh, another romcom... Why not lets give it a shot." and was it the best shot I have ever gave. I never really watched romcom's. But this one definitely is one of the best ones i've seen. Not your typical kind, but it's amazing! definitely makes you more perceptive in life.

Their are quite a few characters that revolves around the three characters. But ... I'll let you be the judge. Considering this is not your common romcom. It's definitely a great anime in it's own unique way that strays from the common expectant ones.

Summary:
This somewhat, not exactly your daily romcom revolves around an antisocial high school student named Hikigaya Hachiman. A teacher forces Hachiman to join the volunteer service club, which happens to have the school's prettiest girl, Yukinoshita Yukino. Through the series is a spurs of moment, and an intellectual conversation/bickering and sarcasm between Hachiman, and Yukino. Those spurs of moment would mainly be Yui Yuigahama. It would seem like your common romcom, and it's not. But bear with me. It's very much worth it. The clubs activities are to solve people's problems. The problems are simple. But they take it more in depth.

Characters:
Hachiman Hikigaya, the story's main protagonist. Friendless, isolated, and yet is at fault and pushed away from society. He believes that youth is a creation by hypocrites. He joined the service club, because of his adviser. Her ultimate goal/hope is that his exposure to the world would change him to become a better person. What Hachiman, himself believe is that he is insignificant, if anything, a nobody. Which means that whatever makes people happy. He is willing to take the blame for it, no matter what people thinks of him. Though his action does give the best results.

Yukino Yukinoshita, the leader of the service club and the only member of the club. Until Hachiman was forcibly put into the club. She's your beautiful, smart, rich kind of girl. She's also envied by most girls, and is disgusted by the fact that they admire her instead of improving themselves. Her personality usually leads her to be disgusted by many. In ways, she is kind of like Hachiman. She still doesn't recognize him as a friend, but more of an acquaintance.

Yui Yuigahama, she's in the same class as Hachiman. Yui is your common cheerful kind of girl who's problem lie with her inability to express herself because of her fear of losing friends, Her personality just covers it. She greatly admires Yukino and Hachiman because they are able to express their true feelings with no problem, and is disirous to be like others. Until Yukino changed her, which is a good thing. She is formerly a member of Hayato's clique but has no say in anything whatsoever because Yumiko overwhelms her.

Though most anime's do play a role of friendship. I'd say Yahari Ore no Seishun plays a big role in friendship. Since it really is all about understanding each other, and oneself. You need friends to point out your flaws, to improve yourself and to better understand each other as friends. Overall I love this anime. I definitely recommend it to everyone. I thought it would be those common romcom anime's, and it turns out to be way more than that.

For those who don't want to read the entire drivel;

Pros:

+Good dialogues, well written script
+A plethora of interesting and deliciously real characters
+Consistency in ideals and believable character development
+Great banter, witty conversations and well placed references
+Dialogue oriented comedy delivered with a slightly nihilistic edge, perfect for those who want to indulge in the feeling of watching an intelligent work without being bored to death
+Understands the flaws of various characters and exposes them, never glorifies a reclusive lifestyle despite the nature of the main characters
+Impressive social commentary and a very insightful take on the nuances of social hierarchy, in a group environment and with regard to ... individual perceptions
+Subtle and heart warming development of relationships, does not treat the concept of 'friendship' lightly
+Healthy and adorable sibling relationship that is not incestuous
+Visual cues that contribute to the themes of the work, art style used to contrast the occasionally heavy atmosphere and reflective character designs
+Good OP and ED, well placed music

Cons:

-Romantic development is minimal and might be unsatisfactory for some
-Crudely drawn faces and awful animation rears its unwanted head every now and then
-A couple of episodes in the beginning felt unwanted, in spite of them being crucial in setting the mood
-Few side characters are there to establish its rom-com origins and nothing more
-A very cliché set up that can be a turn off to potential viewers

Recommended for: All teens, those who are past their high school years and feel like watching a different high school rom com. Fans of Bakemonogatary-esque repartee and artful humour

I know a lot of people, both on this site and in reality, that have some sort of negative bias towards this show. Maybe it's the admittedly generic setup (loner/non-energetic guy goes to club with beautiful girls) or the fact that is has "ore no" in the title, which is typically a red flag that tips off generic romance comedies or ecchi shows. Either way, I am here to put all of those misconceptions to rest:

Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru (*breathe*) is far from generic. In fact, it's one of the most original and charming romance comedies I've had the pleasure of ... watching in a while.

The story revolves around Hikigaya Hachiman, a high school student made loner after entering high school months after everyone else because of a traffic accident. His antisocial nature is noticed by his guidance counselor, who forces him to join the similarly antisocial beauty Yukinoshita Yukino in the Volunteers' Club, which accepts requests for help from the student body and fulfills them. Sounds pretty standard, right? Well, it is. The actual plot of the story is fairly basic when it comes to the events the characters find themselves in, with the exception of a few episodes (such as the summer camp episodes). But where this anime really excels is the characters, the lot of which I'll get to very soon.

The animation is average; there's nothing really striking to be seen. The art and character designs, though, are excellent, as they help to lend insight into each character: Yukino's harsh blue eyes and formal looking black hair give an impression of solitude and defense; Hikigaya's fish like eyes help to illustrate his loner-y personality; and Yui's bright orange hair and casual style of dress help to portray her as what she is, friendly and easily approachable. The side characters are also designed well.

The sound is nothing to sneeze at, but it won't amaze you. The voice acting is done well, especially Hachiman and Yui, who are portrayed in a way that, once again, reflects their personalities. I've never listened to the ED, sadly, so I can't make a judgement on that, but the OP "Yuki Toki" sung by Yanagi Nagi is fantastic and mirrors the theme of the story in ways that aren't always immediately visible.

Now here comes this anime's largest strength by far: the characters. Going into this anime, I had very low expectations for the characters; they were most likely going to be cardboard cut-outs with one or two personality traits and (in the case of the female leads) an incredulous affection for the main character. Never have I been so pleasantly surprised. Hikigaya Hachiman, the main character, is one of the most relatable characters I have ever seen; his experiences with other people have hardened him into an extreme pessimist, but he's not completely ignorant of the inner ramifications of social interaction. In fact, he's quite the opposite, displaying extremely in depth knowledge of the ways in which people interact with one another, as well as their true intentions. This is used frequently for both comedy and drama, and it works well in both. Yukinoshita Yukino is standoffish and frequently prickly, and these characteristics allow an excellent dynamic to grow between her and Hachiman; leading to a trading of insults between the two that is always entertaining to watch and reminds me of two skilled fencers attacking each other, searching for their opponent's weak point or blind spot. Yui is also a very well-developed character, with a large portion of the early episodes dedicated to helping her work through her problems with giving in to other people.

If Evangelion was a deconstruction of the mech genre, then Y.O.S.L.C.M is a deconstruction of the romance comedy genre; taking all the cliché cardboard cutouts other romance comedies call characters, and replacing them with actual characters that make the viewer empathize and sympathize with them. It either does away with common tropes or uses them in extremely funny new ways. Sure, it's not a masterpiece: there are other romance comedies that were just a bit higher in overall quality (for example, Toradora), but for me, Yahari stands as a testament to what the romance comedy genre can do, and what it can still bring to viewers.

And yes, I did compare it to Evangelion. Deal with it.

High school sucks. But I bet that's puberty talking.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:
I haven't put out a review for some time so I guess I'm glad to be back. Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru (aka Oregairu) was an anime that was recommended to me as one of 2013's better romance/comedy/slice of life genre. Of course, I was instantly turned off just by the genre, but I've caught up with my weekly animes so I took my chance to run with it. First, I browsed through the reviews which were filled with praise as being a very clever, comedic anime about life, youth, and pessimistic analysis ... of high school life. Sounds enticing. Since I've just finished the anime, I will attempt to analyze this anime and give you the reason why it deserved the rating.

STORY (6/10):
Being a greenhorn to romcom/slice of life animes, I've come to a point where I will predict a vague, boring storyline, as the genre tends to stray far away from it. Actually, I was quite surprised how unpredictable it was. But that doesn't mean it will be a good storyline. In fact, due to its confusing and sudden change in character development, do we have a mess of an anime like Oregairu. Let's elaborate. At first, we see a underdeveloped and a quite negative character brooding in the shadows that defines high school as despicable and fake. With such a perverse attitude, his teacher introduces him to the Volunteer Club which only consist of another anti-social, in order to straighten his behavior. Hilarity ensues as the two students that refuses any social interaction, work together to help their fellow peers with issue that are questionable, and sometimes, completely unrelated to the plot. Another character decide to join in the fun and also becomes part of the club. The anime focuses on the trio as they live out their boring, lonely, and quite depressing lives as high school students. But wait a minute...when did the characters change their personalities so suddenly? What was the intervention? The cause and effect? During most of the anime, we see our main hero whining about how he's against society, then spontaneously, he has a change of heart in his own philosophy. Our main heroine(s) never get any chance to enhance their development until the last couple of episodes. It feels like the characters are doing whatever they want as the audiences sits there, thinking to themselves: I thought this was an anime about growing up so why is it so stagnant? In addition, the social and psychological concept behind the main character is quite elementary, nevertheless challenging. Social psychology? Nay, we are dealing with a self-conscious high school brat who decided to put walls around himself because of a few bad experiences.

Art (7/10):
Coming from Brains Base, whose producers have created imaginative animations in the past, the background and character designs are impressive. Each character has their own unique characteristics and it's not hard to tell who's who. But I can't ignore the obvious laziness within the drawings in some scenes that do require the extra-boost.

And their noses. No matter how detailed the creators have tried to make for each character, EVERYBODY HAS THE SAME, NON-EXISTING, FLAT NOSE.

SOUND (6/10):
"Yukitoki" by Yagi Yanagi is the OP and the EP is "Hello Alone" by Saori Hayami and Nao Tōyama. Both songs have a J-pop feel which is fluffy and positive. But to tell you the truth, I've heard them from the first episode and since then, I've just skipped them and went straight to the show. The vibes were not tantalizing enough for me to sit there and listen to the whole song(s).

CHARACTERS (7/10):
As many romcom/slice of life animes should provide, the characters are the most outstanding and prevalent. But with so many characters introduced in the anime, it was quite hard to really follow through which character development was the most powerful. I've sat and meditated on the characters and I've come to realize that within Oregairu, all of the characters are quite stationary, to the point where I question the past reviewers how they managed to give this anime a "10" or a "9". I will focus on the trios, as they are the main characters in the anime.

Hachiman Hikigaya is the ultra-straight man with a pessimistic personality. His aptitude as a social outcast allows him to be a cowardice figure that can only be pitied...so why is he complaining when his peers do? He loves to fly solo, bragging about his spirit animal: the bear, a solitary animal within the animal kingdom. He justifies his actions as someone who refuses to function in a society that wears masks, when in reality, his real intentions lie in helping others. Sorry, Hachiman: you can't help others if you can't help yourself. I just destroyed your flawed logic. At first, I was quite fond of his character, as he reflected me while I was in high school. But then, looking at him only reminded of how I acted and began to annoy me to a great extent. I really wanted to punch Hachiman (me) in the face. You see, I've been in Hachiman's shoes, literally. But as I grew older, I've learned that if you act in such a manner, you are not only destroying the relationships around you, but you're also destroying yourself. It is impossible for humans to survive alone. But to have sparked such a realization and emotion towards the audience, Hachiman can or cannot be one's favorite character in the anime.

Yukino Yukinoshita is our "Ice Queen" and the condescending beautiful tsundere. Quick with the tongue, Yukino's dialogue between Hachiman has a few hilarious moments, although the jokes quickly grows stale by each passing episode. Her personality is quite easy to identify: a self-conscious girl who has a inferiority complex and believes in hard work, rather than raw talent. Though I beg to differ, as Yukino seems to excel on everything that gets in her way. Many of her interpersonal problems syncs with Hachiman though she changes herself for the better. In my opinion, Yukino's character development was the strongest as her complex was triggered within her family, but gradually learns how to depend on others to solve her problems.

Yui Yuigahama is our typical fluffy, energetic heroine that annoyed me ever since she was introduced. Slow-witted and the clown of the trio, Yui is usually left out in the cold whenever Hachiman and Yukino battle out with words. Thinking carefully, Yui is the borderline between Yukino and Hachiman, the one who rides the fence. While assimilating into society, Yui is attracted by the solitude that her friends (?) share, as she gains more affection and trust from them. Ultimately, Yui is a third-party character that attempts to wiggle her way in a world (the loner world...) where they won't accept her.

OVERALL (6/10):
I'm serious. This anime is not a head-turner at all, and I could not make myself more clear. I flew past the episodes, surviving off the comedic standoffs alone. If the comedy was not there, I would not have recommended this anime since most of the characters have a strange knack for clinging onto cliches. The supporting characters do not reinforce the characters whatsoever, and I felt like I was watching a rip-off of the popular anime, "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya". If you really want to know what this anime is about, I suggest you recall your high school days and think about those social outcast, who thought that the world was against them. Now imagine their pea-sized brains that cannot comprehend macro-societal issues and then imagine whining about how life sucks. Now proceed to the watch the anime. Maybe it will spice up the comedy effect. And to the person who recommended me this anime: "Ehh..."

Oregairu is the only show I’ve watched where I’ve felt entitled to write a review, if only to justify my time spent watching the anime.

The story is set in a high school, beginning with the misanthropic main character Hachiman being forced into a club by his teacher in order for him to interact with other people. He is introduced to the club’s founder, a girl by the name of Yukino who’s too patronizing for her own good. Rounding out the trio is Yui, an energetic girl who acts as the foil to the other two. The club’s purpose is to help people with their problems, ... and the episodes generally revolve around the threesome doing just that.

There’s no issue with the general premise of the show, other than it being rather generic. The content however is another story. If you judge the anime by its title(“My Teenage Romcom is Wrong as Expected”), you could make a reasonable assumption that the show is a satire on the anime romcom. What you get instead is a tedious and joyless character study of Hikigaya Hachiman.

What viewers may find most distasteful about Hachiman are not his flaws (unfriendly, tactless, lacking in self-worth) but rather what author believes are his strengths. Hachiman’s observations on the social dynamics of high-school life, although honest, come off as petty, immature, and narrow-minded. During the early few episodes this could be taken as satire on the type of anti-social loser that Hachiman embodies, and set-up for future character development. As the story progresses though, it becomes increasingly clear that Hachiman’s observations are meant to be taken at face value. The audience are supposed to agree with him, for it isn’t Hachiman who is making these observations, but rather the author through Hachiman. Characters do call him out for being too pessimistic, but they don’t directly refute what is being said. Which is strange, because as stated previously, Hachiman’s observations are flawed, and therefore agonizing to listen to because there’s no one to keep him in check.

The anime is far less engaging to watch once you find out that Hachiman is a self-insert and nothing more than a mouthpiece for the author to spew his beliefs. Hachiman is therefore protected from any hard truths or meaningful character development because the author isn’t self-aware enough to criticise his own beliefs. By extension, this mean that the people who project themselves onto Hachiman are not forced to self-reflect on the problematic parts of his character that they find relatable. The show instead criticises Hachiman’s methods of helping people as a way of developing his character, rather than the flaws of the character himself, which lacks the same emotional punch.

Throughout the show, Hachiman often concocts solutions to help people by setting himself up as the fall guy to achieve the client’s desired outcome. This comes back to bite him in the end, which kick-starts the process for him to start to wonder whether its worth sacrificing his reputation if it hurts the people who care about him. While this is interesting to analyse in a vacuum, what Hachiman is being criticised for is rather tame. It’s a missed opportunity in a show whose main character is a narcissistic misanthropist. There are dozens of other ways to improve Hachiman in areas that are more emotionally resonant to the viewer. Being too selfless though, isn’t really a flaw. Sure, you can consider it a character flaw, if you’re the type of person who when asked for their flaws in a job interview, reply that their only flaw is that they work too hard.

Hachiman’s character at least goes somewhere. Yui and Yukino on the other hand, go nowhere at all. Yukino’s whole schtick is that she’s mean to Hachiman and that they don’t get along at first, and that’s about as far as the first season takes their relationship. Yui’s relationship with Hachiman has a little more development, but the reasons for why Yui develops a crush on Hachiman are somewhat vague, and their conversations together are awkward to watch.

Watching this show at times feels like a chore, because you never get a sense that the plot is progressing anywhere, or that the show is building up to something greater. When a major story beat does occur, it simply appears without much preamble and leaves the viewer thinking “well, what was that all about?”. You could chalk this up to the source material being underwritten, but the adaptation certainly doesn't help things.

The animation by Brain’s Base is passable, as are the character designs. In the few “action” scenes there are in the show, the animation is noticeably sparse, but other than that, it does its job. I don’t feel as if much passion was put into the animation compared to the studio's previous works. The one exception though is the OP.

The ED though, is nothing special, and the same can be said for the soundtrack. Most of the songs played throughout are bland and forgettable. They neither heightened nor dampened my enjoyment for the show as a whole. Not that there is all that much to enjoy in the first place.

If you fundamentally disagree with the author’s viewpoint and mindset, as told through Hachiman, its difficult to find enjoyment in Oregairu. The romantic side plot is underwritten. The side characters do offer a brief respite from Hachiman’s constant whinging, but the author’s own short-sightedness scuppers any potential interest you may have in some of them. There are a few character interactions that are enjoyable to watch. Hachiman’s conversations with his sister were brief but entertaining. Hachiman’s gay crush on the silver-haired trap, while not even being all that funny, is an oasis of humour in a desert of dour dialogue.

The only high point in the show is the ending. Although it is hard to relate to him considering his punishment is self-inflicted, you really feel a sense of pity for Hachiman in the events of the final episode. It makes you curious enough to watch the second season.

Overall, if I were to categorise the way I view Oregairu, I’ll put it like this. If you hated high school, you’ll love this anime. If you did hate your high school experience, a point in your life will come where you will view the experience for the better and accept it as part of your life and move on. When that happens, Oregairu ceases to have any emotional potency. That’s for the better, for Oregairu can only be enjoyed by people as bitter and full of resentment as Hachiman.

Hey Guys, this is my first review on MAL. I'm actually going to write more of a character based review. I'm going to talk about how I think these characters came to be and a little bit about myself as well. It might be a little weird but bear with me. I'll do the rest of the stuff like art and sound at the end.

This was a good anime that captivated my interest from the very beginning. I was intrigued by how different the main characters were and their reactions to their surroundings are understandable as well.

Hiki was, well... an interesting character. His views on ... the world are quite negative yet true at the same time. He sees the ugly side of the world because he has been exposed to it for most of his life. Hiki was pretty much abandoned by the rest of his classmates because he didn't fit in and had to learn how to cope by himself. All of these tough events have cause him to become a strong, smart, and mature person. But unfortunately, he still has yet to learn about how others feel and what their motives may be.

Yukino, is yet another mature person in a un-mature community. She is unfashionable, cold, but helpful towards others. Yukino is pretty but her blizzard- like personality keeps away most people; by pushing them away and never opening up to anybody at all, at least until she meets Hiki and Yui. She is still delicate about some matters; after all, she is human. She teaches others, but in a high and mighty kind of way. Yukino believes that the more mature people should teach others of lesser mental strength. She also is not good at communication, but this is because her past classmates pushed her out from any sort of group she would try to join. Almost nobody can break into her shell, until she meets...

Yui! Yui is the most naive and emotionally underdeveloped of all the characters. But she is also the strongest at fitting into a groups and communication. Yui is also very delicate, and clings onto her relationships with others tightly, even to the point of simply being their underdog just to be able to talk with them. She changes her opinion just so others might view her in a better light. But she becomes aware of her weaknesses as she begins to talk with Hiki and Yukino. Yui also recognizes Hiki and Yukino's maturity and aspires to be able to be more similar to them. She grows the most during this anime.

As you guys can probably tell, I like these characters a whole lot. I like them because they connect to me realistically. I see myself in each of them. I used to be like Yui, where I would just do favors for others just to gain a higher friendship status. I used to be like Hiki, where I would have a negative connatation of the whole world and be used to being alone. I would sit around just reading books to keep myself company, saying, "I don't need anybody else, I just need to be myself". I am like Yukino too, where I help out others, yet judging them instantly. I have my own faults and strengths like many of these characters.

I watch these animes and enjoy them at the same time because they help teach me life lessons as well. Clannad: After story told me the importance of family, Nisemonogatari showed me to never impose my opinion upon others and Spice and Wolf taught me a little about romance. All of my anime viewing experiences have shown me little pieces of the world, and it was up to me to jigsaw it together. This anime in particular, kind of awakened this feeling of growing up faster than anybody else and simply just waiting for others to catch up and leave their old ways. All of the sadness and pain that Hiki and Yukino had to go through, made them alone and without friends. But in return, it gave them mental strength and the ability to fight back. It might sound corny, but since they lived so much in the shadows of others, they became aware of the shadows within them and others. No pain without gain, right?

Okay now onto the 'regular' aspect of rating an anime.
Story: the story flowed naturally. There wasn't anything special, but there wasn't anything bad either. It was just a good plotline that was believable and realistic. It's realism is what really connects the dots.

Art: Nothing to really say here. It looks like the same as many other animes. It's producer, brains base has nice visuals and fluid animation. It's just simply okay.

Sound: I really liked it's opening, really nice and it felt right in place. it wasn't all loud and in your face. It's tune was nice and I still find myself humming it occasionally. It's closing was just as good, but more forgettable. The seiyuu were really nice and fit into the characters smoothly. (Hiki's laugh is pretty funny)

Character: All ready did it. Just scroll back up. I like to do it first since I consider the characters the most important part of the anime.

Enjoyment: I hated this anime so much. It didn't make sense. It was so dumb. I can't believe it was even aired all the way. This is the worst anime I've ever seen. (seriously, if you think ^ is true, you haven't been reading my review)

Overall: Muy bueno. Me gusta mucho!

Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru really has served its purpose in the world of a teenagers social life.
It would really be a shame if people even regards it as a typical romcom in which the boy gets the affection of the girl by going through unexpected events and helping her and all that crap. Yahari Ore seems to be a RomCom but at the same time it isnt. It deals with pointing out the sociological and psychological behavior of teenagers. And pretty much most of the facts in the story seems to be true till the very end. A rather ... different plot ever made and its not surprising that you may learn a thing or two from this. But the only problem is that , like the usual romcom's this one can't be suitable for all. Unlike other's Yahari Ore seems to have integrated a few allusions and philosophy and it needs complete attention.

Story:9\10
The story seems to progress with a great stability and every character gets to be introduced perfectly. And as i said it before, this is not for everyone. Some might feel it to be plain-and -dry if not understood properly.

Art:10\10
The atmosphere generated by it seems to give a calm environment along with some hard dialogues. And to me it seems to be the perfect combination.

Character:10\10
About 90% of the characters are normal teenagers and the remaining are our main protagonist and a few others who share his sense of judgement. So as a result the MC has got a lot of teens to discuss about.

And just for the record. This anime seems to strike the viewers with a hard hammer, the same thing they did as a student in their life.

But anyways, those who are interested in Yahari Ore can have its delight all you want and this wont be a disappointing one as it can grip your interest.

Alright, let me preface this by saying that because I have such a deeply embedded aversion to High school anime it took me a while to actually Get It, about 5 or 6 episodes at least, but once I got over my own preconceptions I realized that My Light Novel Adaptation Title is Long as I Expected actually has a surprising amount of depth, and here's why:

The Story: Normally I'd start with a brief explanation on the story, but seeing as it's situated in anime high school you can pretty much expect the characters to do anime high school things, albeit with snappy dialogue and ... clever trope sub-versions, so I'll just substitute it with a double helping of character analysis. I will however, warn a few of you ahead of time; this is not wish fulfillment. It may wear the veneer of wish fulfillment: an outcast [Hikigaya Hachiman] gets put in a club with the school's prettiest girl [Yukino Yukinoshita], who presumably teaches him the meaning of friendship or something along those lines, while meeting a sweet pink-haired girl [Yui Yuigahama] along the way, but that just isn't the case; despite the fact that Hachiman makes all of two friends during the entirety of the show, you can rest assured that the show begins and ends with it's [hilarious] pessimism in tact.

Now, for The Characters: while the main cast is seemingly constructed entirely of stereotypes [a social piranha, a silent beauty, and a genki girl who acts like she's been streamlined meth and red bull to contrast the previous two], each character, and the stereotypes that they represent, is either played around with or creatively expanded upon. For instance, I really like how they take your stereotypical misanthropic introvert MC [found in every other high school anime ever] and actually flesh it out with Hikigaya. His pessimistic mentality and self-effacing method of handling others was really refreshing in that his actions were so consistent with his character; every time that he had an opportunity to play The Good Guy and earn a little societal redemption he wouldn't, instead opting to react in a way that was consistent with his social ineptitude and yet still cutting and to the point. I found it particularly interesting that his solution to most problems was to cast himself as The Enemy, effectively throwing himself under the bus so that everyone else could band together [oftentimes against him], and yet never receiving thanks. Honestly, he was a surprisingly unique character, and one that was both painful and endearing to watch. Yui and Yukino were likewise entertaining [Yukino especially], the former wearing her emotions on her sleeve and the latter an immutable mask [much like Hachiman in that regard], but I have comparatively little to say about either. Yui pokes a few holes in your typical "happy" girl archetype, providing interesting insight into the insecurities that stem from trying to be liked by everyone, whereas Yukino can easily be summed up by saying that she gives off strong Senjougahara vibes; by the way, for those of you who haven't seen Bakemonogatari, that is A Good Thing.

That said, I would like to say that the show contained a wealth of character growth, but it really didn't. I mean, there was certainly an interesting revelation or two, but precious few actually went through any meaningful change. Yukino had a bit of growth I suppose, having begun with a superiority complex that spawned from the duress of living up to her family history and ending more resolute in her individuality [Yui arrives at a similar conclusion]; but on the other hand, you have Hikigaya, who started out as a somewhat watered down Nietzsche wannabe and ended much the same way, except with two friends [and potential romantic prospects] who calmly accept his frequent bouts of Nihilism. Now, normally I would peg such a stark lack of change as A Bad Thing, but I think that in this case it was The Point, as the driving theme of the show seemed to be "the rejection of conformity." Hikigaya, and to a lesser extent, Yukino, both found themselves forced [though forced is a bit strong, it was more gradual] into their solitary lifestyles by misconceptions of the social hierarchy, but the thing that set them apart from all the other similar characters is that, instead of whinging, they simply accepted their circumstances and the resulting solidarity. Even took solace in it, in Hikigaya's case. The thing is, this show doesn't take the usual stance of viewing reclusiveness as something to be fixed, but rather as something to be understood, which is what really sets it apart for me.
They also have a few interesting side characters, like Hayama, who subverts the Crouching Nice Guy, Hidden Douche trope quite nicely by actually perpetuating his nice words with genuine sincerity. He, unlike most, understands Hikigaya's reasoning for his scathing critique of society, but instead chooses to overlook them and hope for the best in people, wholeheartedly embracing the charming falsities that are required to maintain the public facade. He contrasts with our MC so perfectly that I'd go so far as to say that if Hikigaya is the harsh truth, then Hayama is the beautiful lie.

At any rate, for fear of getting too DEEP, I'm going to wrap this up by saying that My Teen Romantic Comedy is hilarious. I mean it. Seldom have I seen such snappy dialogue and smoothly incorporated references ["just like stand users attract other stand users, loners likewise attract other loners."], alongside characters that manage to subvert your expectations in such funny and unique ways. For instance, Hikigaya's attraction to Saika [IT'S A TRAP]; I can honestly say that I've never seen a character fall for the trap while knowing that it was a trap beforehand. Really though, there's a hefty amount of comedy in this show that just works: Hikigaya making heterosexually questionable observations each and every time Saika is around ["I wish I could throw water on Saika."]; watching Hachiman's token imouto [moe fang and all] who he's not attracted to in any way [pick up your jaws, I'm serious] trying her best to compromise his peaceful solidarity; Yukino and Hikigaya weaving verbal minefields to each other and those around them; Hikigaya's morally unsound internal monologues and cheap, dirty tactics that invariably pop up when he's confronted with sensitive choices; etc.
These are but of few of the things that all come together to make this one of the funniest, most surprisingly thoughtful, and enjoyable anime that I've had the pleasure of watching this year. "Source: Me"

"And this is how our fucked up teenage life begins."

Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatteiru (My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU; I'll just refer to it as RomCom) hit home for me on multiple occasions. I was never the most outgoing of people, generally keeping to myself while being somewhat bitter that others were having a social life without compare. The series' main character, Hachiman Hikigaya ("Hikki") is someone who goes beyond a normal social outlier. A self-proclaimed "bear" (in that he prefers the solo life and avoid being social) he is confronted about his behavior in his second year of high school. At ... the whim of one of his teachers, he is forced into a the Volunteer's Club where social life is forced upon him through the help of the only other member in that club: Yukino Yukinoshita. Dubbed the "Queen of Ice" by Hachiman, she shares a similar disposition but has a different outlook on it, providing fodder for arguments between then. It also allows for even more relatable circumstances among viewers. Two people, both with twisted views on society, are forced to work together and hilarity ensues.

The social outlier focus of the main characters allows for a special aspect of this show to shine - an outside look in on how high school students function (albeit in anime form). It's a viewpoint not often used and RomCom delivers with it. I greatly enjoyed watching how the characters dealt with daily life when faced with not just other people, but themselves as well. Their development may feel slow at first, but I take it as a more realistic way of getting to know them. When you meet people, rarely do they spill everything about themselves. Time and experiences open the doors to finding out about people. It appropriately follows how people who would be considered social outcasts (but not necessarily to an extreme) would be hesitant to get to know others and works very well with the story.

A comedic slice-of-life anime, the story focuses on how a socially awkward guy deals with being forced into interacting with others, especially girls. It delves into the world that many people do not see, and for obvious reasons - those people purposefully keep themselves hidden from the masses. Alongside the loneliness usually comes intellect, which sparks confrontations and promotes snarky humor. RomCom's story is well structured, appealing, and successfully avoid falling into the trap of being a generic high school romance. However, to me, it felt a bit derailed in the final two episodes, with very little happening. The last episode was a bit of a let down, actually.

Sarcasm and witty remarks are the major components of the show's humor and provides consistent entertainment. This is coupled with idealistic arguments and agitated banter between Hachiman and Yukino as well as with classmates. As would be expected, a counter-balance character to their hilarious debates is presented: Yui Yuigahama, the third main character.

As expected from a 2013 anime, the art and sound are great. The character designs are not overly-flashy or revealing (something common in high school romances) which allows for more appreciation of the story itself. Background music is consistently appropriate and enhances the mood of scenes and even the humor.

Overall RomCom is a highly entertaining show that not only provides effective humor, but relatable characters that enhance the quality of the show. With a believable story, people who have been through high school or are in it at the time can place themselves somewhere in the show. The show successfully avoids falling into the cast-iron romance mold and holds true to the comedy aspect with wonderful use of wit and sarcasm.

Haven't wrote any review in such a long time, but after seeing "Yahari Ore", this is a must. Before getting to any details on the ratings, this anime is based quite on the realistic side. It's so realistic sometime to the point where it's irritable. That's exactly why I love this anime, and maybe some of you loner may like it too, because it will, or might, remind you of yourself in the past. Believe it or not, but this anime is probably one of the closest there is to reality. Although some part may seem too great to be true. Certainly people will disagree, ... but the problem with that is because they have never experienced some of the obstacles that were laid down for the characters. Certainly I have experienced some of them, which really brings out the emotions of how the characters were feeling into reality. This is why the story was great and amazingly crafted.

Story: 9
The reactions people may get as they progresses through the first episode is, "What is going on? Who are these characters? Or, What is he saying?" While some anime just go along the plot and missed some explanation, "Yahari Ore" clearly explained everything from past to present as the plot goes on. With such fine details on the characters' life, the rating for this anime being high is normal. Unfortunately, good anime can't have such perfect route, which is why there has to be some part where they "purposely" made viewers hate a certain scene, as in plot twist, because unless they do that, people will act like Keima and say, "I can already see the ending" (Katsuragi). Unlike other anime, some people could really relate themselves to the characters in "Yahari Ore," because it took realistic view and put it into an anime. This is why the plot twists may seem plain to some, and very twisted to others. The story deserved nothing less than 8/10 but another thing could be said for the art, for some may pay attention to it carefully than others.

Art: 7
Most people, or otaku, probably wouldn't care much for the art than the story in a "TV" type anime, but if you reverse that, you have yourself a Hentai watcher. Anyway, the art was nice. It was good, and not disturbing to watch in any way. That is only for how the characters, or the background were drawn. Although I'm one of those who barely pay much attention to the art, there were some scene in "Yahari Ore" that have an obvious mistakes. My rating for art is low for that reason. Other than some missing lines, nothing could be complained about. If the director or editor put on too much shadow highlights to make it more reality like, it would be a bit painful to watch sometime. That is why the amount of shadows, the lighting, and the textures of the backgrounds and characters were very well done. Besides seeing the cover photo and saying, "Oh! This look like a good romance anime!," the sound is another theme which really got my attentions.

Sound: 9
Why did I first started this? Is it because I read the Synopsis? Nope. It is because I saw the famous Yanagi Nagi! That's right, Yanagi-sama herself got to sing with her beautiful voice for "Yahari Ore." This is another situation, which some otaku may have in their,"How to find new anime," list. Some will look at the director, script writer, Character Designer, etc., but others may also look at the theme song performers. Certainly Beautiful. Anyway, getting back to the "real" sound, the OST is quite amusing. Everyone should be able to tell what kind of mood the characters are in just by listening to the anime's background music. Another key to a great anime is certainly the matching OST in the right place at the right time. Some of the time, however, it seems as if they turned the mood upside down too abruptly, making it seems a bit out of place. Other than a slight bit of non-perfection, the characters surely brings out the light and dark or the plot.

Character: 8
There are anime out there, which otaku could relate themselves to a certain character. "Yahari Ore" took this into a deeper level of emotion. The ideology of many humans differs but there are many people out there, including myself, that took a look at humanity and thought the exact same thing as Hachiman. In character part, this is mostly based on opinions. Since Hachiman could be related to very easily, predicting the future is like a piece of cake. Although, no anime which I have consumed so far have a character that follows the exact same idea in terms of how we think. Hachiman is probably the only character that actually did what I wanted him to do, which is great! Again, the is opinion. Those who believed that friends are everything may not see Hachiman eye to eye, but that's too bad, for the characters made "Yahari Ore" much more enjoyable that I have expected. Sadly, every anime has to have the annoying character, which for this anime, they made her the main character. If you don't know who I'm talking about, I'll make it clear. Yui. Nice name, but bad characteristic, in my opinion. But without her, there would be no such thing as a plot twist in "Yahari Ore," which is why my enjoyment is near the limiter.

Enjoyment: 9
Most of this was discussed on the earlier topic but this should be repeated. Enjoyment is solely based on personal preference on the type of anime. No matter how good it is, if one simply doesn't like a theme, they will rate it bad. As for me, I love romance. I would say it certainly lacked on that area, but I suppose they can't be extremely romantic, since it's suppose to be romantic comedy. Very successful indeed in terms of that, because viewers will certainly get a nice giggles off of each episodes, and see some romance in each of them. More importantly, my reason being for a 9/10 enjoyment is because of the connection between me and the character. This is why my overall is also high.

Overall: 9
No one can denied that "Yahari Ore" is a great anime. It's a great anime when you can actually connect to it, and willingly enjoy it. It's very good when you like how cute the characters are to each other, the way they act, or just how cute Saika is. It's a good anime when you don't like how cute Saika, a boy, can be. It's fair, if you can't understand the words that are coming out of Hachiman's mouth. It's Mediocre for those lacking in the field of watching a realistic view on society. It's Decent for people that have many friends and never experienced anything like Hachiman before. It's poor when people just watch anime without even wanting to watch it, or they don't even like this theme to begin with, so they quit at the first episode and say it's bad just because they are who they are and we can never change a mortal in how they think or react, unless we have a specialist. It's dreadful if you seriously can't accept the facts that everything Hachiman and Yukino had said was true, and you shut the certain and put ear plugs on, not viewing what is really going on in this harsh world. The world full of hatred where humans will only think of themselves in times of emergencies, and the world where there are actually people out there without any real friends, like me for example. Last and certainly least, those who think this anime deserves the word Pathetic, please. What the heck are you even doing here? A 0/10? There's no such thing. Every single anime deserves at least a 1 out of 10, because there's no such anime where it's that bad. In fact, if it's really 0/10, that would be like killing yourself right after watching it. This is the conclusion. I rated "Yahari Ore' as a 9/10. Certainly there will be a variety of ratings but I just wish there would be none who rated this below at least a 7/10. Thank you for reading, if you made it this far. :3