Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru.

Going by the number of positive reviews this series has received so far here on MAL, you would expect to get into a good/decent show that maybe has some original ideas going for it or at the very least something something that keeps it apart from the rest of the crowd.

What most people agree on is the anti-social protagonist,about how the series deserves praise for tackling this type of character instead of having the usual bland boring lead most rom-coms have.
Lets get one thing straight out of the way : many other series had anti-social or depressed lead character (Welcome to the NHK, Sayonara ... Zetsubou Sensei...) that have been handled much,much better.The closest thing explaining Hikigaya's behavior was him breaking his leg in a car accident and getting turned down of a few times in some very insignificant situations like changing phone numbers or practicing during Physical Education class while being in elementary school,that's it.

Secondly he isnt really anti-social, he is just a self centered ,overly cynical and downright hipster of a character,with the "im above all these sheep who get together and form friendships" that kind of self indulging superior way of thinking, all while totally contradicting himself by staying in same damn club ,which he was completely against being dragged into (only in the first episode of course) in the first place.It doesn't even cross his mind to leave the club because how else would the producers make a high school related anime without including this very tired and unoriginal trait?
Call this the Kyon from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya syndrome of constantly complaining and trying way to hard to be ironic about every little thing just for the hell of it.Because that's funny and in no way gets repetitive almost instantly right? right? ....


Yahari Ore no Seishun has almost no romantic elements ,which would be ok instead of forcing one down our throats,but it briefly tries having one mid series that gets completely forgotten by the next episode,like nothing has ever happened.Which is ever worse than having a bad romance in the first place.
And the comedy is mild to non existent ,this depends on your subjective taste of course.I can only remember 2-3 moments where the show got a smile out of me,most of the time it felt like a total drag despite being only 13 episodes.

The "story" ,if you can call it that, is just the usual high school slice of life with all the usual situations and locations you've seen a million times: the fireworks festival,going to the mall shopping,the school festival....
It had a episodic nature where it introduced new character each episode alongside their petty problems in order to resolve them,no that all fine and dandy but surprisingly almost no of the issues really get resolved,they are either forgotten or just handled in the most .In some cases it goes into complete nonchalant territory such as :"Hey you're sad and lonely,stop being sad and lonely" - "well ok if you it that way" , "Hey you need money to provide your family.Why don't you get a scholarship?" - "Oh ok,ill get one right away".

That's when the writing was just abysmally bad,it also didn't help that everything was brushed away under the rug after each episode ended with no future mentioning.


I've touched upon the main character ,but what about the other 2 female characters? Are they well developed or interesting in some way?
Nope ,Yukino is a condescending ,overly direct ,perfect in all she does type of character .You could have literally replaced her with a robot with no understanding of human nature of emotions and it would have been exactly the same.
Yui is the typical air-head ,overly cheerful character that is pretty much mandatory in any high school related anime nowadays.Not much to say about her.


You only need to take a brief look at the cover for this anime to guess what kind of characters they are, its that simple.Character development is non-existent ,nothing has changed about them during the events the show presented.


The rest of the side characters are completely one note and extremely forgettable ,such as a the girl who likes guy on guy "action",the boy who looks like a girl and is mistaken for one everytime,the cute little sister who constantly repeats "onii chan" over and over again .
Notable mentions goes to the useless ,short tempered teacher who punches students and constantly smokes around them ,because that's funny and in no way gets you instantly fired in real life right ?.....


Overall its a very mediocre and forgettable anime that didn't even try bringing anything new on to the table ,it just rehashed the usual anime tropes.The high school setting has been easily the lowest common denominator for a very long time now,and this series does nothing but to reaffirm how tedious and uninteresting it has become.
Mediocre animation that takes you back to early 2000's series ,not something made 2013,decent VA,almost no story or character progression,bland and one note character ,that's Yahari Ore no Seishun in a nutshell.
Oh and just to make matters worse ,of course there has to be a sequel to this.Because every shitty ,unoriginal,mediocre series warrants a sequel nowadays.

Bueno, time to make my review, muchachos, ok, so what we have here is an anime which is "My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU," btw for those of you who don't know the acronym "SANFU" it means "Situation Normal All F***k up". I'd probably describe the acronym as befitting on this anime but the other phrase, hummmm not so much, it doesn't fit well with this anime's genre....I'll explain later, so far this anime's genre is compose of; Slice of life, romance, social psychology and some comedy and gender bender (EEEEWWW) element that are bonded on the main character's philosophy in life. Now, I find this ... anime's story good, since there is that polar extremes and dichotomy that exist on the 3 main character's namely Hachiman Hikigaya, Yukino Yukinoshita and Yui Yuigahama where at one point you'll be irritated by their way of thinking and on the other you'll like them for their compassion. You might say that the main character's themselves are the slice of life and the support character's are the social psychology where the MC's are the ones who influences their presence. Ok, enough of the BS, here are my ratings for each of this anime's category:

Story, Character, Enjoyment and Overall: Good 7.

Story- I was basically more on the slice of life and social psychology that are binded on the main character's which gives this anime's story its body, though it also has a romance genre it only plays a trivial role since there is that ambiguity if the main character's themselves do have feeling for each other. Let's face it the main male character is simply a rock in a hard place either way it was really never clear if such romance has such sincerity whether in a hetero or homo kind of way, so for this category its a 7.

Character- I think we better go over with some of the character's in this anime, and discuss their polar extremes and dichotomies:

Hachiman Hikigaya- better known as Hikki,first of all I won't describe him as "anti-social" that definition is only reserve for bullies, what he is, is either a self defeating loner whose life philosophy is extremely pragmatic to the point that he detaches himself from everyone co'z those everyone are hypocrites or an asshole who can't seem to do bad things and ended up doing good instead.

Yukino Yukinoshita or Yukinon- according to info she is rich smart and beautiful. Just like Hikki either she is this pompous bitch who pretends to be "Ice Cold Beauty" or a pompous bitch with such high stature and even though she is a rude personality towards the so called "Lost Lambs", she would take a constructive proactive stance instead of looking down on so called "Lost Lambs" BAAAAAA.

Yui Yuigahama- hummmm, either she is a kind hearten bimbo or a stupid bimbo who knows how to value kind people.

What make these character to have a 7 rating, was their oxymoron characteristics that makes them say one thing and do the other in a nice way, I only limit it to such score though seeing them in such way was entertaining there are their other features that makes one be irritated as I've mentioned.

Enjoyment- it is good to a certain point of seeing the main character's oxymoron attitude and I can't offer anymore explanation for such score.

Overall- It is good, and that's where the buck stops, I did mentioned about this anime's title " My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU" and I did mentioned as how ill-fitted the title is to this anime. That's because, as I've mentioned the romance part was ambiguous, the comedy part is very trivial, the acronym "SNAFU"....hummm, maybe, but really this anime's title suits well with the other anime called "Haganai" or "I don have that many friends" co'z obviously 2 of the main character's really don't have a lot of friends or considers friendships as a nuisance, while "Hganai" for the most part has a lot of romance that ends up in smokes, but I ain't going further since this isn't the place for me to discuss it.


Art: Mediocre 5

Nothing much for me to say since the anime's arts is just plain and there isn't much fanservice going on.

Sound: Fair 6.

As in fair enough for me to like the opening and the closing themes as well as the VA who did Yui's voice.

Peace Amigos

Not sure what makes this a rom-com considering there's no major romantic developments or implications that take place throughout the course of A Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU. I'd more consider this a mix of comedy and social psychology which explores the differing mentalities of high school students having differing social cliques, interactions and expectations that they wish to get out of their years in high school, the latter making for the more interesting bits in this series for me as the comedy is rather hit-or-miss here otherwise. SNAFU's main focus is on a trio of students who make up a school club called the Service ... Club who provide some sort of aid to members of their school student body. All three are social outcasts in some form due to their mentalities on high school life and/or personal flaws and develop unique chemistry with one another as they better understand one another.

This makes SNAFU unique from other high school rom-coms because it doesn't portray a happy and optimistic feel with its story, make the main characters popular or play up any shipping teases. Relationships with the major characters start off awkward due to their differing mentalities and expectations, yet gradually develop to a point where they would consider each other acquaintances. Differing social cliques are established in the high school setting of the series as well by having several outcasts beyond our three leads, Yui trying to fit in with her group of friends and a few characters shown to be opportunists trying to raise their social standing within the school. Hachiman's character gets prominent focus throughout much of the series as we are shown what led him to adopt his cynical mentality on adolescence and the self-harm he will inflict on his social image in order to mend situations that he and the Service Club become involved in. Much of what SNAFU has to tell on the high school experience isn't explored much in many titles and makes it a nice breath of fresh air in recent years as many high school-themed titles tend to pander to otaku audiences with more conventional premises. About the only issue I have with the approach that SNAFU does with telling its story is that it lacks a proper resolution as the Service Club members have yet to fully establish a close relationship with one another and come to an understanding with their experiences in high school. But I'm sure more of this will be addressed in the show's upcoming second season.

In terms of presentation, there is nothing that really sticks out with SNAFU. Visuals are standard quality with smooth lining and vivid color on character designs, which have a decent amount of detail though not too much out of the ordinary. The soundtrack consists of energetic and light music pieces that do their part at enhancing serious and comical moments within the series, though nothing sticks out too prominently with the music to the series.

Overall, SNAFU made for an engaging watch thanks to its solid and engaging focus on social psychology with its high school aged-characters and setting. I'm definitely looking forward to the upcoming second season of this one.

First of all, I would probably include some spoilers. As in many of my forthcoming entries, you have my WARNING of SPOILERS ALERT.

Comparing to your standard Harem/Sci-Fi/Action/Love Comedy/Comedy /Youth Drama shows, you have the biggest freak show in town.

The show "My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU" could be simply put as a nerd called Hikigaya desperately trying to avoid making friends. For some unknown reasons or even past histories that I still don't understand/get it, he is desperately trying to OBJECT the idea of having friends or joining a club. He might have a better life if he would just act and join a ... random club and showed up once in a while, He refuses to.

He is not rejected by the society. It is just himself quitting the crowd. Like what I did.

You've also got a girl called Yukinoshita. There are almost too many "TOO" to describe this girl: she is too good at her studies; too honest when she speaks; too stupid to speak so blunt; too strong that doesn’t even need to rely on the others; and probably too good to be true. And I too, had such "friend" surrounding me. He is my English literature teacher. A good friend of mine, an ass at times.

The second girl called Yui also applies with a few "too". Quote from Frank Ocean, "Too many white lies and white lines". She is too weak. Too good of a girl. One thing that she is not "TOO" is her social skills. Just the right fit to survive.

I don't know who she is at my life. Hell knows.

You've also got a Chuunibyou Otaku called Yoshiteru. He, like many, is fascinated with the idea of writing light novels. He had a dream. A Dream of becoming the top selling light novel writer in Japan. The thing he doesn't know is that he could not write: his writings are sloppy and full of grammatical mistakes. But well, who cares?

to surprise you, this is not a slice-of-life show.

You never had a otaku friend that would write like this and still doesn't get his, or her literature/language teacher beating him up; You never will find anyone as useless as Hikigaya to win a tennis match against the Ace of tennis club; You might heard some, but you might never find anyone struggling with their tutorial fees, (or you might not even found one in the US, but it is something easy to found in Hong Kong). And you might probably be able to find anyone as stupid as Hikigaya trying to avoid a relationship. You might never find a woman trying to seek advice from a man on how to bake cookies (Instead of searching YouTube) that is trying to please a guy - usually man does that.

At times, this is not a slice-of-life show. While the solutions are raised, problems are not instantly solved (like the scholarship case), but they move on. The show does a good job of discovering solutions, not at actually helping to solve them. Scholarship case was one of the more abrupt endings of the show: the idea of Scholarship was raised, but the difficulties of getting a scholarship were ignored. It was, at times, making me feeling incomplete and quite empty.

At times, the show does feel shallow, sometimes circling around. There is an excessive amount of irrelevant scenes, such as maid café scenes. Shopping scenes. Useless talking scene. At times, it even attempts to preach: Episode 1’s did have a debate on the definition of youth and try. It is a good effort of including such ideas in an anime, but it is poorly presented in the dialogue form: there are many talks but no walks. It might be a right choice in a novel, but it would not apporiate for something like this to happen in an anime: Visual-wise, the animation at that time was considerablely boring, consisting only two guys speaking and switching position. Plus, It leaves the audience unsatisfied as they never do what they claimed they would do.

At times, freaks do shine. Hikigaya was the best character of all times: he is just like me and I hate myself. He's able to come up with some great solutions at times, like the tennis game. But he's trying very hard to do a useless escape. Stupidity has no boundaries, but I love him. At least I am not a good student as he does. Yoshiteru is a freak and he shines. Yukino was the genius of the group but she wasn’t the one to be shining. Freaks, Nerds, genius, or just even some normal person working for their love ones, deserves to have a chance to shine.

Freaks do deserve a chance to shine. So as the show.

6.5

I initially liked this show because it had a brutally honest male lead that was also a loner despite the fact that he was intelligent. *Sighs* Its called a rom com, but honestly I have seen way better shows than this that did not just finish so open ended or BLEH that I wanted my time back. Really some parts were ok, but the absurdity weighed heavier.

There was massive potential for growth and REAL closure concerning the unique personalities of the main characters and how they interacted, yet t'would nae be so. This show could have stood to be longer to finish things ... up, perhaps a 2nd season is in store, who knows?

Basically:

Loner guy who has good points about things seems negative for his honesty and insight and is relegated to a position he had at the show start. The rest of the characters in the long run remained absolutely indifferent to the social issues that trickle down to school age youth in our society. Perhaps it is the fault of our experiences in school, or it is in fact the world that makes life so, but to me, I just wanted a less pathetic male character in a highly enjoyable rom com again. C'est la vie

I will start by saying that my expectations for Yahari Ore No Seishun were not high. I picked up the show to pass time while I wait for the new Titants episode. However, this show was a pleasant surprise, it is not a typical harem show, though some of the plot are recycled and the animation not too unique, this show brings in something that too many anime fails to bring, this is a relatable main character.

Story:

You can read the synopsis for full detail, but the show is about Hachiman Hikigaya, who is a pessimist high school student. He has no friends, and has been ... rejected by all the girls that he has confessed to. He is a good looking person, and even book smart...but for some reason, his views on life, and his "dead fish" eyes makes him inattractable to the opposite mate. One day however, after writing a paper on the monotony of high school ( which I thought was pretty insightful), his guidance counselors forces him to join the Volunteer club lead lead by Yukino Yukinoshita. They instantly connect and have great chemistry, and with that, they start their adventure in which they help local students overcome their little petty problems.

Art:

The art is okay, nothing special, but not terrible either. Hachiman looks very like the main character of the bakatomogatari series, and even has the same strand of hair that sticks out of the top of his head. Yukino also looks like Hitagi, and has similar manners and attitude.

Besides those very common art, there's really nothing too special to note here.

Sound:

Decent soundtrack that matches the emotions of the scene well. I really enjoyed the first bg music that played when Hachiman was delving about the hoax that we call youth, it made the scene even more impactful.

Not a bad soundtrack, I will probably get ost when it comes out (if it hasn't already)

Character:

This is when the show really separates from the pack, Hachiman's perception and his cunning observances makes this show I think a must watch for people of the genre.

If you have ever been a loner in high school, college, camp, work, or any social place, I think you will be able to relate with Hachiman. I have always been a semi loner, ever since the fourth grade (this is due to many reasons) and I never really fit in. I always thought I was looked down on because I wasn't the extroverted happy go lucky person that I looked like I should be. I felt disgusted with the monotonous non-deep, trivial conversations that people got into everyday. The same thing, but a different day.

I put myself out and isolated myself. I had no real friends.

Eventually I realized that to achieve my goals in life, unlike Hachiman, I am not a pessimist, I need to be able to deal with people and accept them for who they are, and in turn, there may be a chance that they may understand and accept me.

It hasn't been easy but I have been able to have a balance between real friends and "social" friends that I know how to deal with.

Hachiman reminds me of how I was back in high school when I isolated myself, I also delved into the mediocrity of the popularity class, but obviously my observations weren't as funny as Hachiman. He is hilarious but makes you relate to him at the same time.

He basically carries the shows by himself, any episode where Hachiman isn't on top of his game, makes that episode weak and vice versa.

Overall:

It is a quick series, and I enjoyed it fully. I do wish romance would have been more serious but that's just a personal preference. Maybe a second will be coming, and if it is, then I will definitely be checking it out.

I give the show an 8.

Was searching for some High School RomCom kind of Anime and was very glad that I found Oregairu. When I watched the first episode, the first few parts gave me an impression of those typical kind of genre I was finding. However that impression I had change when Hikigaya, the main protagonist said many truthful quotes and his views on people/society which really makes me think about life even in reality. He's not the average kind of whiner but had certain experiences in life which changed him. So that was what grabbed my attention which kept me on watching. To add on, this Anime portrays ... a few characters whom really gives a good impact on it. We have Yukino Yukinoshita who is hardworking, smart, kind-hearted and straightforward(in a blunt way though). Then we have Hayama Hayato who is good in almost everything and also a goody good person. Hayama in fact, pleases others and will always avoid fights/argues. Each character have their pros and cons & only watching the Anime itself will let you understand more when they interact among themselves. Overall, I give this Anime a 8.5/10. Definitely worth watching.

Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru, or My Teen romantic Comedy SNAFU, is one of the more popular series of 2013 Spring season. Even though the premise and setting - high school slice of life romance show - may not seem appealing to many, Oregairu does a lot of things very good, especially in being unique, good and refreshing.

Story: 8/10
Set in high school, the story revolves around the loner Hikky, a person devoted to being alone who created a lot of theories of the human mind, loneliness and the thought process of human in society. While being kinda generic, the actual plotline ... of Oregairu is a bit special and puts it above other high school romcoms. You will encounter many interesting situations and especially good conversations in this show.

Art: 9/10
Produced by Sentai Filmworks, the Art is just what you expect it to be. Its not generic and well done. You might argue that Hikky's face is very simple and seems to just have been ignored, but I think its simplicity just adds to his character, putting focus on his personality and especially his eyes. The girls are cute and well animated, I especially appreciate the effort in animating non important background characters.

Sound: 8/10
The voices are fitting, especially Hikkys. Damn I've never heard someone that realistically pissed and annoyed. While I found the OP just decent, I loved the ED - so awesome.

Character: 10/10
This is where this show shines. The other characters are just exactly what you would find in your everyday school and reflect their social status and personality extremely well. Hikky and Jukino however are extremely special in their refusal to join the norms of social interactions. Like stated multiple times throughout the show, their conversations feel strange to others and refreshing to themselves, hinting a romance that sadly doesnt come true (yet?). Their character type also appeals to everyone who feels a bit like a loner or someone who just doesnt have 1000 "friends" around him.

Enjoyment: 9/10
Combining special and unique niche characters with great comedy mixed with subtle hints at the flaws of society and the concept of friends, this series does everything right to entertain and motivate its viewer to think and reflect. The story is a bit generic but manages to bring out interesting twists and parts of the characters.

Overall: 9/10
A great show. A must watch for every lover of classic romcoms and comedy shows with high school settings. I've enjoyed every single episode, the execution is just too good. It shows why comedy can make or break a show centered around it, and in this case, it makes it awesome. I cant wait for the 2nd season airing soon!

At first i thought it would be kind of romance where you will watch like any other romance anime. but its not what i thought it is I dont take hate on me for this anime but its just my opinion XD. BTW big fan of romance anime though.
so here is my review about it.

Story : 4
When i first watched the anime i was like oh this is going to be a great anime
what make me gave this rating is mostly the character development in this story
i feel kinda down about the story because there is not much a development and after more episodes ... it gets kinda annoying and gets really boring. There were little romance in it but its only for few seconds. i was like WHUT? Thats it?. I thought they would change and develop
The anime is about Friendship, Society and etc. If you plan on watching anime about everyday life watch this. Its not much of romance and comedy though. or i would say it DOESNT EXIST.

Art/Sound : 4
The sound in this anime is just lazy doesn't give me much interest in it and the art is decent though. Well until they changed the art in Season 2.

Character : 3
God why does everyone the main two characters have to be so rude and negative feelings except for Yui what i dont like about the MC that is he is lazy as fk. Only cares about himself doesnt care much of the people around him. He sees every scene as Negative and all that shiz. And as for Yukino its like she thinks highly of herself which gives me a thumbs down for her. cold too. Doesnt think much people around her. or doesnt care.

Enjoyment/Overall : 3
Its boring for me idk for you Its funny how it is Romance and Comedy when it doesnt exist in the story all the characters are boring for me. Overall the anime is Poor as hell boring though.

But for those people who wants a romance anime that is different not like the common romance story anime. Watch this.

There's a lot to say about puberty. You are constantly tripping on your ego, justified on your brand of pessimism and self-interest. Here is an anime following the perspectives of teenagers with limited worldviews. A Service Club is formed, for them to assist their fellow classmates with individual dilemmas. By doing this, they learn the proper means of communication, more or less, and secure the rules of friendship. Everyone's helped, at the end of the day.

I applaud this show's attempt for their unique approach to the trials and tribulations of teenage hood, and can even relate to the show's stoic MCs, but overall ... this show lacks soul and the mediocre art got in the way of me caring for any of the characters. The expressions were lackluster and didn't match the pace as the plot developed.

story- easy to follow, very unique, enjoyable

art- simple SoL style, no over-size boobs (ty), cute, fitting
sound- fitting VA, didn't pay too much attention to sound tracks was too busy enjoying hikigaya's relatable philosophy

character- extremely unique, strong protagonist, still many mysteries to yukinoshita but not typical at all (i've been waiting for something like this for a very long time), i don't like their names but i'm sure there's some meaning behind them

enjoyment- very, would rewatch/recommend

*lots of light fanservice for yaoi lovers (ignorable for yaoi haters)
... *i strongly relate to ebina and hikigaya

Despite the series' low popularity, "My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU" really caught me by surprise. I didn't expect for this anime to be so enjoyable to watch, and expected it to all be over by the time the season ended. Thankfully, there is another season coming out and I can't wait for it. Why am I so hyped-up about this show? Let me tell you why.

The story evolves around a lone-wolf named Hachiman Hikigaya, who doesn't put much effort into school or really anything at all. To make up for his marks, he is forced to join the Service Club which currently only has one ... member: Yukino Yukinoshita. She happens to be just like Hachiman; a person with very few friends, yet one of the more mature characters at their school. What's so different about her is that she's considered to be the most attractive person at the school and has a tendency to compare her "perfect" self to everyone else.

Sounds like a basic set-up for your typical anime rom-com, but what makes this one so unique is how much it focuses on the morals of each character instead of becoming a complete harem like "Clannad".

Each character has their own way of looking at things; the world, others, and even themselves. One of the main reasons I enjoyed this series so much is that the characters are intelligent, and don't make decisions you usually see characters in typical rom-coms make.

The series takes it's time with character development. Overall, you get to love each character because you get to fully understand them the more you watch. I especially enjoyed Hikigaya's monologues and how much you can connect to him.

I also enjoyed how they hint the characters' emotions towards each other. Not every character is the same as in you can read them like an open book, but most of the characters subtly express their feelings. This series isn't overwhelming in dramatic moments, which makes is actually enjoyable instead of tedious.

Of course, this anime isn't called a rom-com for no reason. This series also had it's fair share of laughs and good humor, but again not overly dramatic or raunchy like most romantic comedies so that it's enjoyable.

What I didn't like about this series is how slow some of the episodes are. I said earlier how this series does take it's time with character development, so when new characters are introduced or there are new mixes of characters together, you know that a big chunk of the episode will be spent focusing on the character(s).

In conclusion, this anime was surprisingly enjoyable to watch and it really made you think about the morals represented in the series. If you like shows that are psychological, but want something away from the genre of "paranormal" or "gore", then this will be the perfect anime for you.

THE VERDICT:
+ Good Animation
+ Loveable Characters
+ Excellent Character Development
+ Good Comedy
- Slow-Paced At Times

SCORE: 9/10

WATCH IT

Oregairu is a romcom school anime. And it is one of my favorite anime. I've seen it three times. So, what makes it so special from other school romcom anime; Less romance, clever dialogue comedy, closer to reality, epic quotes.

Story:
Firstly, there is little to no romance in this anime. The comedy is there, but it is not situational rather it is more dialogue based. Characters give clever answers to questions and the conversation is rather intriguing.

The main protagonist, Hikigaya Hachiman, is an anti social loner in high school. He has experienced school life's harsh realities like groupings, rejections etc. So, he now has a mature ... view of life. The female protagonist, Yukino Yukinoshita has a similar view. And when both of them meet up in the Volunteer's club, which they are the only members of, things get interesting. I say again, there is no romance. But what makes it interesting is how close to reality this anime is. Both the characters have mature viewpoints and there words are meant to be taken seriously.

This anime is filled with intelligent conversations of the two characters. You can't help but be astounded by the truth in their dialogues. In other romcom anime when a girl is "acting" helpless, the others will help her. But in this anime, the truth is unveiled as to why she is acting like that. The protagonists's are absolutely amazing.

There is not much story in this anime. It just shows how these "mature" characters spend their high school lives.

Characters:
Hikigaya Hachiman: Anti social loner in high school. But really cool and the most clever things are said by him. You'll come to love him. He's not a delinquent.
Yukino Yukinoshita: Beautiful, intelligent girl in the same club as Hikigaya. Has a similar viewpoint of life but it is of less "evil" magnitude as compared to Hikigaya's.
Yui Yuigahama: 3rd member of the club. A normal hyped up high school girl who lives her life like an average cute girl would in any other romcom anime.

Art:
I like the art. Really nice work on the characters. It may be quite different from what we usually see but it's quite nice for this anime.

Sound:
Both the opening and endings are really nice.
Yukitoki is the opening.
Hello Alone is the first ending.

Enjoyment:
I've watched it thrice. Of course I enjoy it. Mostly because I've seen a lot of the cliche romcom series. This one stands out. The clever conversations, close to reality situations, everything amazes me. There is a slight hint of a romance in the series but it's not developed. But, I still favor YukinoXHikki.

The second season is coming out in Spring '15 so I'd recommend to watch this anime. It's sequel is one I'm looking forward to a lot.

"Those who don't work hard have no right to envy those with talent."
- Yukino Yukinoshita

Before Reading - We all have different opinions, but it won't hurt to give it a try.

Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru, what a beautiful anime. I was very wary of starting this first, but I said hey lets give it a try and it was definitely worth it.

"I hate nice girls. Just by exchanging greetings with them will get them on your mind. Start texting each other, and your heart will be set a flutter. If they call you, you're done for. Enjoy staring at your logs and grinning like a fool. However, I won't be fooled again. That's what your kind ... calls kindness. If you are nice to me, you're also nice to others. I always end up nearly forgetting that. Reality is cruel, so I'm sure lies are a form of kindness. Thus, I say kindness itself is also a lie. I always ended up with these expectations. And I always ended up with these misunderstandings. And before I knew it, I stopped hoping. A highly-trained loner is once bitten, twice shy. As a veteran on this battlefield of life, I've gotten used to losing. That's why I will always… hate nice girls."

This got me instantly intrigued to the story, this might appeal to some people this might not. However this is just one of the amazing quotes our main character Hachiman Hikigaya says.

Story - It was meh, don't go into the anime raising your standards for a beautiful well written heart warming story. I am going to be straight up it isn't.

Art - The character designs were very nice, except for the main character don't drop the show from the main characters looks.

Sound - It was meh, I don't really ever pay attention to the sound too concentrated on the show itself.

Character - This is where Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru shines the most.

Hachiman Hikigaya - Is this normal kid who views the world in a pessimistic way, and gets stuff done even if it isn't the most likable way.

Yukino Yukinoshita - A beautiful, smart girl who is envied by the girls and has all the guys attention. Her personality is unique and you will learn as you watch the show.

That is about all the interesting characters in the story, but these to make one hell of a good show.

Enjoyment - I enjoyed this a lot, mainly because I am a rom/com fan, I was kinda disappointed because the romance doesn't really get anywhere, if this is a turn off than I have no idea what to say.

Overall - This was a great anime, with likable characters. I suggest mature viewers to watch the young ones might no understand.

Story:
Like all of the "High School" themed animes it starts pretty normal. Though after a few minutes into it you start to see the uniqeness in this serie.Our mc "Hikigaya Hachiman" the lone wolf, a guy who has no friends but unlike the other animes this guy has no trouble with it instead he is proud the fact that he is alone. He doesn't involve himself with others, other than when it is necessary,he is a pretty slick guy with brains and a uniqe outlook at the society, his home room teacher seeing this and worrying that he will not blend in with the ... society makes him join the so called "Volunteer's Club". There he starts to make some friends and founds love ? (it might seem like cliché but the characters take that away and make you see the picture from our mc,how he sees the others and the fact that how he sees the life.) (10/10)

Art: Is pretty neat, eye friendly and somehow i really liked the eyes of the characters (10/10)

Sound: It wasn't really that good but still does its job (9/10)

Characters: Pretty well made the confict between Yukino Yukinoshita and Hikigaya Hachiman makes you smile, and the dialog among the characters really end up well. And i really liked how he braged about his "failure" life experiences.(10/10)


Enjoyment: Yeah you will most likely enjoy this serie. Not only it shows you how loneliness can be in a funny way but also the happiness of having friends, sharing and laughing together. There are also touchy moments that make you wonder about his idealogy about people, how he "solves" the others problems
(10/10)

Overall: It is a pretty fun anime that will make you think and from time to time empathize with our MC. I really liked how they portraited the "school hierarchy", his thoughts about it, how he approached people and how he "solved" their problems (10/10)

Wow. Just wow.
From the beginning this was initially just supposed to be a random romcom to pass the time in between my regular shows, but it became so much more than that. The way I could [somewhat unfortunately] relate to Hikitani--Hikigaya on soo many aspects was just a thrilling experience rather than having to just pretend or wish I was like the female/male lead.

Every episode was filled with great meaning, Hiki quotes, and a fair share of laughs [half the time more sarcastic and sad when you look back on it].

Story- 10
Giving that there is 13 episodes, I don't feel like the relationship ... is rushed at all. That being said, I can only assume this is also why there is a second season, as the pace of development is very subtle and slow, however very appropriate.

Art- 7
Other than Hikigaya, there is nothing super special about the art. Everyone is designed very well and I like the style and colours. But its also nothing that makes me bend-up-side-down just for the art.

Sound- 8
I actually quite like the choice of voice actors they used here. I couldn't imagine anyone better for Hikigaya, or any of the other characters. It was all very fitting. The OP was also very catchy and one I actually took the time to watch every episode.

Character- 9
Nothing is perfect--But in this anime it cuts it quite close! Hikigaya is a very believable and relatable character which from the get-go gets him 1000 more points than the usual romcom character. I'm not go to indepths but the rest of the cast also sticks to character very well and have very realistic aspects to them when looking back on the social society of school.
The only reason I would think to bring down this from 10 to a 9 is due to my confusion on the slight character perception change of Miura Yumiko. Although it does make her seem more real by not just being a complete bxtch but due to the lack of development between the charas and her I was a tad confused at their slight relationship improvement.

Enjoyment- 10
^~^

Overall- 9

After seeing so much hype and praise for this series as a classic of the romantic comedy genre I am left flabbergasted as to how this consensus came about. Is it from the lens of nostalgia? Are future seasons that much better than this first one? Is the original light novel significantly better? I am genuinely confused. This anime certainly wants people to believe it is a deep and serious show... except for all the times it devolves into unfunny unrealistic comedy.

The entire point of mixing romance and comedy together is to balance each other to improve the experience for the viewer. Comedy can ... serve as an emotional release valve to the drama of romance and the romantic situations can serve as comedic fodder given the situations the characters will be put in. This is the basic formula for every romcom. Even series that are purely dramatic romance, as opposed to romantic comedies, will add some humor to them for that very same reason. A show doesn't need to be called a comedy to have humor in it. Unfortunately for Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Comedy wa Machigatteiru (SNAFU), this show was both not funny in its humor, AND had zero romantic development for the entire season. Never mind having a balance, this show had neither element at all!

So, what is left in a romantic comedy show that I found not funny and had no romantic development? Not much...

Story/Plot

There is no overarching plot beyond what the synopsis states. The 3 main characters are part of a volunteer service club, and the story follows them around as they help with the requests of other people in their school. It can be summarized as an episodic slice of school life. Since it calls itself a romantic comedy there is romantic tension in the show, and it makes it very obvious to the viewer, but due to the protagonist's "trauma" from past misunderstandings he is too cowardly to even acknowledge the obvious, let alone consider if he should pursue romance with another character, leaving us with little more than unresolved romantic tension and zero romantic development. As is typical of most light novel adaptations the narration comes from the protagonist's perspective so most of our understanding of other characters comes from what he sees and his interpretation of events.

My 3 biggest issues with this story are that it is a romcom that I found neither funny nor romantic, the main character is poorly written, and that the resolution within the "climax" of the ending was largely unbelievable because of cognitive dissonance within the show.

As I stated previously, there is no romantic development, just tension, so there is no character progression with romance. Heck, there is very little character progression or growth overall either! Additionally, I didn't find much of the humor to be believable, let alone funny, given the serious setting the story takes place in. As an example, I can believe that characters will hit each other in a series like Ranma 1/2 because it takes place in a setting that isn't serious and the show itself has martial arts fighting as a major part of the show. Akane hitting Ranma when she catches him in a compromising position, and him letting himself get hit as a form of "atonement" when he could easily avoid being hit, is believable in a series that doesn't take itself seriously. There are no police lingering around to arrest characters for assault, battery, etc. because the show isn't supposed to be taken seriously. Contrast that to SNAFU, in which a teacher not only threatens the protagonist with violence, but follows through and hits him while in school, because he points out that she is single in a conversation about classwork related to group behavior. This is treated as comedy in the show but falls flat because in the setting of the show a teacher hitting a student in this situation would likely result in them being fired. This happens throughout the show in the beginning, with Ebina and Yoshiteru being the worst offenders, but thankfully it is toned down some in the 2nd half. Maybe the creator belatedly realized the humor wasn't working and changed it up later, but it makes getting through the 1st half that much more difficult.

The author also went out of his way to write a smart MC that is good at reading people. Unfortunately, this doesn't make sense in the context of the story. How did the most antisocial character in the show become better at reading people and persuasion than the more socially experienced characters? Magic! You think I'm joking, but that's honestly my best guess. He was terrible at it in middle school, as the show repeatedly demonstrates through flashbacks, he is also shown failing at it in high school too, but through the power of not showing any development to the contrary, he magically became amazing at it! Isn't that how it always is supposed to work in story telling? Snarky sarcasm aside, this ruins the story being told, as the basis for resolution for a lot of the random requests the club gets are based on the MC successfully analyzing social situations and providing a solution for them.

Additionally, the resolutions to the issues presented to the volunteer group become unrealistic as the show progresses. We go from teaching someone how to bake, and helping someone keep their tennis club going, to believing that an "apathetic high school student with narcissistic and semi-nihilistic tendencies" would go out of their way to make themselves hated by nearly everyone around him in school for a trifling reason. It would have been interesting if Hachiman recognized the dissonance between his stated "philosophy" of life in contrast to his actions, but alas, even that metaphorical layup is missed in favor of pretending that his character defects are just "part of who he is" as opposed to the reality of it being little more than the emotional baggage of middle school. C'est la vie.

Art/Animation

The art is average. The animation is minimal overall since the show is mostly focused on dialogue. Overall, the production quality is lacking, but the backgrounds were pretty decent, and I liked most of the character designs themselves. Not much more to say.

Sound

The VAs themselves did a decent job with their characters. There is only so much emotional range you can show in a character that is flat or 1 dimensional so the weakness of the characters weakens the VA performances too. The OP has a cute upbeat sounding track that shows the characters in the series. The ED is very well done. A nice combination of music and slide show style visuals to close the show focused on the 2 erstwhile love interests for Hachiman. It feels like they went all out on making these parts as visually appealing as possible. They weren't memorable enough for me to remember them fondly long after watching it or anything but were still enjoyable to watch when I felt like doing so. The rest of the sound was average. They accurately matched the sound to the tone of the scene, but nothing stood out as particularly noteworthy either positively or negatively.

Character

The focus of the story is on the 3 main characters, so they receive most of the characterization and development. Unfortunately, Hachiman doesn't really grow as a character as part of his "philosophy" regarding school life and changing himself, so we are left with only some character development for Yui and then later Yukino towards the end of the season. While Hachiman and Yukino are interesting characters, far more interesting than the average romcom couple or love interests, the lack of growth makes their characters grow stale over time, particularly for Hachiman, so we are left with the temptation for potential greater character growth later in the show that is only partially realized. This leaves the viewer wanting more, but also exasperates them when it fails to deliver.

Frankly speaking, Hachiman is such an unlikeable character that he wouldn't even be rated in the top 5 of my favorite characters for the series despite him being the protagonist and that is a major issue for the show. In fact, I liked Hayato Hayama, the generic popular nice guy character, more, even though he is used as a foil to Hachiman, because he felt like a realistic character. Hachiman doesn't behave the way he describes himself, or is characterized as in the show, and this contradiction is never addressed directly, so we are left with a self-insert vessel for loners/losers to relate to that never breaks out of that state. While some may believe Hachiman is noble to stay "true to himself", to me, this is just the result of poor writing that inhibits any progression in the series. The show wants the viewer to believe that it is okay for Hachiman to behave the way he does, because he is being "true to himself" despite society saying otherwise, but the unresolved contradiction in his character results in major plot holes throughout the story.

Yukino is your typical perfect female tsundere/ice queen idol with a dash of Hachiman's broader antisocialism due to bullying she received from other jealous girls in middle school (more unresolved middle school baggage!) and Yui is the cheerful outgoing girl that serves to bridge the gap between the antisocial natures of Yukino and Hachiman. Yukino and Hachiman are both needlessly cruel assholes in the beginning but mellow out somewhat after spending more time together with Yui in the club. I guess that is supposed to count as character growth??? I liked Yui the best of the 3 main characters because she was the most believable of the 3. Even if her character is simple and straightforward, she fulfills her role successfully in the show, and her attempts to grow and change the things she dislikes about herself, in contrast to Yukino and Hachiman, were often heartwarming and enjoyable to watch.

The last thing on the main characters I will note is that there is no resolution of the "love polygon" for this season, but it seems destined to be predictable given how it is set up. I would be pleasantly surprised to be wrong about that.

Outside of Hachiman's little sister Komachi, Yukino's older sister Haruno, and Saika, the remaining characters are either boring and/or 1 dimensional cardboard cut outs. I will note that despite being 1 dimensional, Saika provided the only actual humor in the show I found comical with his interactions with Hachiman. Ebina and Yoshiteru actively make the show worse for existing at all. Every time they appeared on screen I wanted to skip ahead. More examples of ruining the supposed seriousness of the show with unfunny over-the-top ridiculousness. I refuse to believe anyone seriously considers anything resembling these characters would appear in real life as the story itself pretends to. The rest of the characters aren't worth mentioning as I don't even remember their names without looking them up.

Enjoyment

Going back to my original question of what is left in a romcom show that I found not funny and had no romantic development I am left with this conclusion: Based on the title of the show, the creator purposefully created a romcom with no romance, while also failing as a comedy, to subvert expectations.

It's as if the author thought up the title first, then decided to create a series based around that subversion, to be different from other series in the genre and stand out. It's like taking the energy from an "It Was Me, Dio!" meme and inserting it into a romcom. Unfortunately for the creator, much like Erina, when I want Jonathan Joestar, and I instead get nothing but Dio Brando the whole time, I'm going to be disappointed, because what I wanted was Jonathan (a good romcom) not Dio (a mostly boring slice of school life that blue balls any romantic development and isn't funny).

If I had watched this show on a lark without any preconceived notions prior to starting it, I would of probably dropped it on the first episode. I would probably of also dropped it after the 2nd and 3rd episodes too, but the praise I saw for the show prior to starting it left me hoping it would improve with time. While it did improve, ultimately, I was still left very dissatisfied with what remained. I wouldn't recommend this show to anyone that wants romance and comedy in their romcoms, since there essentially is none, so who can I recommend this show to? Maybe frustrated lonely adolescents that want to feel validated, but if you don't fit that demographic, you will probably feel as disappointed as I was.

Thank you for reading.

I don't get it? Am I missing something here? There must be something wrong with me because I found this anime not good at all. I gave this anime a chance since I've heard good reviews about it, but I was wrong to the point that I stop watching it around 4-6 episodes (was really trying to understand how plenty of people find this an excellent series.)

Story and Character

Average hair strands falling a day is probably around 100 but watching this anime probably made me lose hair as twice as normal. A guy who hates humanity? Oh cool, just make him stay that way ... along with the other characters without further development. They may successfully combat the trust issue format but the next setting felt like they haven't changed at all. What? The storyline just gets boring. Additionally, I kept waiting for funny moments to tickle me to the bones but I ended up getting bored and confused throughout the 6 episodes. I must be very fun in parties. Great! Also, if you are looking for a romance you might be shocked that there is none in this series. On the other hand, if you considered a character blushing as romance then this might be up your alley. Anyway, I wanted to give it 1 but for the apathetic MC guy, I'll give it a two. The rest of the characters, meh. 2/10

Enjoyment and Overall shenanigans

I dunno! Beats me! I don't understand anymore. I am so drained. Guess, I'm part of the so-called "haters" at this point.

This series follows Hachiman a loner boy who doesn't want anything to do with people and wants people to just ignore him because of his embarrassment of past engagements with people so he doesn't get hurt. One day his teacher Shizuka makes him join a club after his depressing writings he will submit for his class work. This Club is called the Volunteer Service Club where he meets a girl named Yukino and later on another girl Yui who end up making him change at least a little. Hachiman stays in this club throughout this series helping fellow people of his school get through certain ... things they are struggling with. Basically this club doesn't do these things for them they teach them how they can do it themselves. This club helps anyone who sends in a request for help if they are able to help them. Throughout this series you see Hachiman start opening up more and getting closer with people thanks to everyone from the Volunteer Service Club. Can he end up making friends and change his attitude towards people and school make sure you check this series out and find out. I really enjoyed this series with the awesome story line and the great artwork, the characters are awesome you sort of cling to them throughout this series and hope things work out. Also Yui is just way too cute so that it a plus!

TL;DR?

Overall, this is a very deep, enjoyable, relatable, subtle, show that takes a new outlook on the whole teenage romantic comedy like how most shows portray it. I recommend watchings this show whenever, I feel like no matter what mood you are in you will enjoy this show, and it definitely has rewatch value. But foremost, I would recommend this show if you are tired of the generic romantic comedies.

Actual Review:

This show will make you surprised in more ways than one. It's 544 AM and I am so tired to add nice words so Ima just get straight to the point the best ... I can.

This anime is much more interesting, deeper, and creative than you might think. It takes a different perspective on the (you guessed it) romantic comedic youth of teenagers that you always see in anime. This anime is about a loner, to be frank, if you've felt this pain in your life you can relate to this anime which makes it much better and much more enjoyable at first sight.

When I had first watched this show a few years back I never really appreciated how deep and different it was. At that time I just wanted Senpai confessions and kiss scenes on top of rooftops. Basically saying, you might enjoy this more with a mature mind and some lonely experiences under your belt. You gotta pay attention to the subtle and yet deep details for this show to appeal to you. Turn that brain on 'cus this show is much more enticing than you might think.

What I loved most about this show is it never out rightly says things in a manner as most rom com animes do. For example, when a character is being flustered this show doesn't go on for 2 minutes explaining that they're flustered among 3 different characters. Instead it shows his/her face turning a BIT red (to show a flustered emotion rather than a flushed feeling) and then say for the girl/guy ends up just asking that person a question their face turns back to normal. If you've ever gone through high school, I am 98% sure you have experienced this feeling. This show manages to find relatable subjects into the matter which is also why this show is much more enjoyable if you are a loner. You can connect with the Main Characters thoughts (I am sad to say I do not know his name) and contrast them with your own thoughts and emotions as you've lived your life.

With that said, I would like to quickly relook on the topic that this show takes another outlook onto the high schoolers life 'cus lets be honest. Shows like Sakurasou, Toradora, are never going to happen to most of us avid anime watchers. Why is that true for most of us? Cus lets be honest you wouldn't be up in the AMs if you actually had something better to do. :/

This anime also sends a lot of deep, profound, and subtle messages throughout the show if you pay close enough attention. This is probably another reason I could not appreciate this show as much as I did when I had watched it sooner. With this said, please try to refrain from just simply marathoning this anime. I know us avid anime watchers want to just gobble up these 13 episode animes like it was a buffet but I honestly recommend after a few moments each few episodes to take a break and truly let that episode sink in a little.

Along with the legitimately thought provoking things this show can prevent, it also has some light humor and entertainment that fills in those gaps from the show. It puts this show into a comedic setting, but at the same time slips in a few thought provoking ideas. It sets a nice setting when shows do this, as the show doesn't get boring, but then again it's not absolutely pointless either.

Now, as much as I hate to talk about this segment, I gotta. This show honestly feels like it doesn't have a main direction. No real conflict, just, dealing with problems. But somehow it draws you into the story and yes every now and then it'll get serious but quickly it ends up being quickly resolved. You can somehow ignore this fact and press on enjoying this show thoroughly. The openings and endings also provide a very good image for what you're about to dive into. And the characters feel very unique and flourished, they feel like they're truly fleshed out without telling their childhood story of how (fill in traumatic moment like how most animes do it... lets be honest...).

That sort of feeling you can put into the show without having to outrightly describe it shows great writing skills (or whoever the hell wrote this story). You can put into the characters what you want to convey, and by doing so, helps to liven up the story. Making them feel more realistic and putting a new dynamic into it.

Overall, this is a very deep, enjoyable, relatable, subtle, show that takes a new outlook on the whole teenage romantic comedy like how most shows portray it. I recommend watchings this show whenever, I feel like no matter what mood you are in you will enjoy this show, and it definitely has rewatch value. But foremost, I would recommend this show if you are tired of the generic romantic comedies.