Lovely★Complex

I very nearly dropped this anime after the first episode. The animation style threw me off, the characters and story didn't seem interesting and I didn't really like it. I decided to watch one more episode and if I didn't like it, I would move on to something else. Well I did watch that 1 episode after... and the one after that... and the one after that... and the one after that... until I had stayed up to 4 in the morning to get to episode 20. Yeah, boy how wrong was I.

The story centers around a girl who is 170 cm tall and a ... boy who is 156 cm tall. This dynamic is directly contrasting the typical formula where a man is taller than a woman. The "lovely complex" is the complex both of them have about their height, both tall and short. As Risa is taller than most of the boys, she considers herself unattractive and undesirable. This belief is reinforced when the guy she falls for happens to fall for her friend who is much shorter. Conversely, Otani falls for that same girl... but she doesn't see him as a potential romance because... and I quote... "Otani is easy to talk to, its probably because he is the same height as me that I don't see him as a guy." Ouch. So its clear where both of them get their issues from.

The thing about this anime that I was confused by, as much as I did end up liking it, was just how many times Risa went back and forth. "I like him... now I'm giving up on him... now I like him again... now I'm giving up again... now I like him... now I'm giving up again... now I like him... now I'm giving up again... now I like him..." Its like GEEZUS, make us your mind. That aside, it does lead to some pretty funny scenes.

Overall, this anime is spectacular and definitely worth a watch. It is hilarious and at times very moving. Nothing too deep here, no tragedy or huge depressing thing... I'm looking at you Clannad... >__>
Its just a fun romantic comedy that manages to hit all its notes well with a cast of characters that while, mostly forgettable past the blonde girl, are still very likable.

Due to the lessons learned about not giving up on an anime and the amazing nature of this series. Virtus Signum gives this a 10/10. Watch it.

Disclaimer: Spoilers. Lots and lots of spoilers.

Lovely Complex Review:

The story centers around Atsushi Otani and Koizumi Risa, two classmates and good friends who are renowned around the school as 'All-Hanshin Kyojin" (or something like that) due to their constant arguing and bantering, and their circle of friends. Risa is tall for her age, while Otani is rather short for his. The show follows their last two years of high school, and ends with their foray into the world beyond it.

The animation is well, nothing to write home about. It's not bad and I've definitely seen a lot worse, but it's not up to the quality ... of the likes of Toradora, Death Note, Naruto or other high end anime. It's good, but not amazing. As an aside, it rather reminded me of the early One Piece seasons.

One would think that is a bad thing, but it's really not. I think it works well with the style that lovecom goes for. Speaking of style, lovecom is distinctive for its animation, in that characters are often distorted/animated differently in ways regarding their emotions, conversations, etc for comedic effect. I'm not sure how to describe the technique, but all you need is to watch the first episode and you'll know what I mean. I think this style works well with the light show that is lovecom. However, others might not be of the same mind. If you see the first episode and don't like the style, then know that it doesn't change.

The show is rather light-hearted, in that there is no deeper source of conflict. No one dies, no one loses their house, no one's long lost thought-dead twin reappears to seek vengeance, or anything equally dramatic.
The main plot for majority of the show revolved around Koizumi's attempts to win over Otani in a romantic way(more on this later).
Some might not like this, but to me it's what made the show. It's a romcom, and it does have drama, but nothing eye-rolling like anime tends to do. All drama that pops up is resolved realistically and quickly. All those 'if only he/she got to tell him/her just this one thing' don't happen, because characters on this show do the realistic thing and talk about what's relevant.

As an extension of the above, what really made this show great to me was how smoothly things went. Not in the 'easy' way. I mean that the two protagonists felt like real people, and while anime behavior can't really be avoided, I was pleasantly surprised by how realistically everyone acted. Nothing felt forced. I could see everyone thinking and acting like that.

As for the characters, I liked Otani and Risa. They had real chemistry, and their (eventual) pairing did not feel forced. They had distinctive personalities, different yet similar in many ways and it is obvious how an attraction between them could (and did) develop.

On the other hand, the supporting cast was rather ... not quite bland. Forgettable? Not really given much development? Something along those lines.There is an argument to be made that shows some times take the supporting cast too far, but still, lovecom kind of fell flat there. It didn't bother me, since my interest lay firmly with Otani and Risa, but this could have been better.

Something that I put firmly on the 'Pros' side of the argument, is how the whole plot was handled. To expand on what I mentioned earlier, early on in the show Risa realizes that she has feelings for Atsushi (who is always referred to as Otani by everyone, me included), and for the middle part of it tries to win him over, while the last part is with them as a couple.

The show is interesting because the two of them had been good friends already, and Otani is caught completely off-guard by her feelings. It's classic drama, yes, but I loved how it was handled. Otani just did not see Risa that way. For the longest time he could not transition her from 'best friend' to 'girlfriend' in his mind. It avoided most (if not all) of the cliche drama pitfalls and kept drama to a minimum, while still keeping the situation like that. The show remains positive and uplifting, even when it seems that Risa's efforts are in vain.
For the amount of episodes where it seemed like Otani really could not see her that way, I enjoyed it a lot. Otani tried, he gave it a lot of thought, etc but he just could not see her that way. That's something that I honestly haven't seen before.
Eventually and over the course of a year and a half (or so) Otani does come around to loving her, but the transition is slow and very well handled.

Another good thing was that almost no episode felt filler-ish. The balance of slice-of-life shows is delicate, but lovecom nailed it. Each episode had its own charm, and none were of the 'unique arc that will have no further impact once complete' kind. Each led into the next, and the show progressed at a decent pace.

Having said that, there were some points in the story that just outright did not work. The whole thing with the substitute teacher (whatshisface) comes to mind. That was simply a disaster.

I guess the main negative is that while I enjoyed the show, there wasn't much impact to it. I mentioned previously that the lack of ridiculous drama was a positive. It is. Still, LoveCom never had me on the edge of my seat, never truly inspired strong emotion in me. Its realism, while refreshing, was a double edged sword. We watch the lives of two people over a period of two years, and by the end of it we are smiling, but there wasn't much that stuck out in such a way that I will remember it months/years from now.


tl;dr: LoveCom is a light-hearted, refreshingly realistic romcom with a distinctive style that will probably be hit or miss with most. Very entertaining show, but not groundbreaking. I rate it 7/10.



If you're a fan of slice-of-life and/or romcoms, watch Lovely Complex.

If you haven't noticed by now, one of my favorite genres of anime is the high school rom-com, behind slice-of-life and quite possibly incest. Given that Lovely[star]Complex was one of those rom-com shows, I was excited to watch another rom-com that seems to have reached universal acclaim amongst fans and skeptical viewers alike. Having seen Kaichou wa Maid-sama, Toradora!, and a whole mess of other shows that have always delivered without the action, the fan service, or all those other anime elements that average anime addicts tend to fangirl about, Lovely[star]Complex seemed to meet those exact same conditions. Plus, I was way behind when it ... came time to watch it on classic anime shows as they call them, so it wouldn't hurt to throw Lovely[star]Complex in the mix of shows I'm currently watching.

With that said, let me try my best to say something nice for once.

"OMGG!! LOVELY COMPLEX IS SO AWSUM!!! I GAVE IT 15/10-"

Fuck this. Never mind.

If I could say just how excited I was to see this show, a friend of mine who was NEVER wrong about recommending anime shows to me told me to watch it. Every single show he recommended to me, I've enjoyed. Working!!, Kore wa Zombie Desu Ka?, Psycho-Pass, and a good number of others. But if our friendship hangs off the balance of one show (and thank your deity of choice it doesn't), then we would've unfriended each other on Facebook over disagreeing about Lovely[star]Complex.

Only Facebook. We'd still be friends.

Your first impression of Lovely[star]Complex might be "just another rom-com", the average animated filler to leave yet another dull impression on the anime market, back in 2007. And if you initially thought that, I'll tell you right now....

....that you are probably not mistaken. Lovely[star]Complex is the average high school shoujo anime and the only real difference is the boy is shorter than the girl, that's about it. You could technically switch one thing to make it seem different and more appealing, but to be honest, it really doesn't make that much of a difference. This leaves Lovely[star]Complex, middle-of-the-road, and not purposed to surprise.

But if it were up to me to point out any one instance in which Lovely[star]Complex had any highlights that gave it a "head" above the normal crowd, I'd have to cite it for being a little too excessive. Overexaggerated, overhyped, overrated. You know what happens when a comedy act gets to be, "too much", right? It's the only reason Jeff Dunham landed a job as a comedian, and that's not the only reason; I'd have a hard time too getting Muppet rejects onto Sesame Street. Lovely[star]Complex is the same way in that respect. Don't agree with me? Please continue reading.

Story: A King Kong-sized high school girl falls in love with Jeremy Lin, the shortest basketball player in existence who can miraculously drive balls deep behind "enemy lines" and somehow manage to get it in, and to clarify on that, horny ladies and gentlemen, Jeremy Lin, who for the purpose of this story will be renamed "Otani", is just a really talented basketball player.

While self-acclaimed critics and public conformers ask for certain elements added into a show to make it all the more "unique" and therefore "better", Lovely[star]Complex overdoes it. As a result, Lovely[star]Complex delivers a plain-Jane romance between a shaven Star Wars Ewok and the girl in elementary school who always stood next to the teachers because she was just too damn tall to fit in the bleachers.

See, a lot of people think that Lovely[star]Complex has been a terrific show for its "inspirational story about how we must overcome our differences and come together as one", but I for one don't believe that's the case. It's just a height problem, people outside of scripted lines and animation work around it all the time. It's really nothing special. Just get some stilts and end the show in half the time.

But setting aside all of the height complaints, Lovely[star]Complex delivers too many complications and too many ridiculous situations in 24 episodes. One moment, Risa falls in love with a guy that is ACTUALLY HER HEIGHT, and in the same episode, she decides to herself that she is in love with Otani. I know, it's completely possible, because prostitution services require that you MUST share your affection with other men, but instead of cheering her on as the protagonist, a quick jump like that makes me think, "is there something wrong with her?" I'd definitely think so. That's what I thought when I was getting stalked by a girl in high school who easily changed her mind after finding out I was already dating someone, after writing my name all over her notebook which I found out about in due time (yeah, creepy shit. I speak from experience).

The complications do NOT stop. It's always the tragic story of "we fight, we make up" with this show, and it happens very, VERY often. Before they begin dating (because we know where this is going already), the show takes on the vicious cycle of fighting one episode, making up at the end. They fight another episode, they make up at the end. Does it get tiring for you to watch? I'm sure it does, but if that was what fans were looking for back then, I think everyone should reconsider their decision, or get their heads bolted on properly at their local clinic (because it spawned eight episodes of the same shit from the 2nd season of Haruhi Suzumiya).

Art: I think this was the worst discovery I had when I first saw this show: the animator was Toei Animation. That's the studio that brought us Air Gear.

You're wondering, "why is that even relevant?" I'm pretty sure I've made it well-known that I thought Air Gear was a big disappointment, and one thing that made it horrible was the mismatched comedy which is usually delivered in the worst possible situation or when it's generally uncalled for. Lovely[star]Complex, in my personal opinion, is the exact same way. Emotional sequence? Go ahead and laugh because they made Risa's face look funny. Supposed to be a serious scene? Sure, it doesn't make a difference whether or not Otani's teeth are jagged or not and his mouth is now opening like a dysfunctional 10-year-old on coffee, we can be serious and have fun at the same time. I really disliked the comedy because I felt like the animators placed the comedy in every scene they see fit. Not that it really matters, but how hard is it to laugh at the same joke being delivered in multiple different ways, and recurring every single time you hit the "Play" button? If you do laugh, though, I don't blame you. At one point in our lives, we do end up kissing someone's ass so I suppose we can start now.

Character: Why is it a common anime element to fill the protagonist's head with air? The only reason you'd want to is if you wanted to take a ride in him (or on), or if he really angered you that much (and at times, he really did). People are not THAT stupid. You can be the biggest moron on the face of this planet (literally and figuratively) and you'd still be able to pick up ALL of those hints. Think about it. A girl wants to get close to you, she does, and she becomes your friend, now she's your best friend, and suddenly you get a confession from her. If you act surprised, or if you haven't taken a hint by then, either you have amnesia, you've been dropped on your head, or you've been hit by a bus.

Otani probably had all three.

Come to think of it, I really don't get Risa either. I remember one instance where Risa was really serious about giving up on Otani for being a complete blockhead within those first few episodes (and it drags on into later episodes as well), but if that were the case, she'd have given up her pursuit of him and chased after someone else, preferrably of her same height. She fell in love with him in two episodes, without any proper backing aside from touching him. If true love worked that way, all the 40-year-old virgin neckbeards in the world would do their best to touch every ten-year-old girl they saw as a part of their strange little harem they've got going on. In their world, it's quite possible that it did happen, so I'm not too surprised.

I think I went a little off-topic. What I'm trying to say is, in reference to the "OOH IM LIEK SOOO OVARR OTANI-BAKA-SAN" (however you Japanglish majors say it), I think there's too much unnecessary drama. Yes, it's a rom-com, and they tend to have drama, but don't you think the drama the type you see in a soap opera, where a poor sucker scratches his $1,000 shoes and throws a fit about not having them cleaned? Hopefully you see where I'm going with this.

Wait, that's a reality show. Oh well, there's really no difference.

Enjoyment: I did laugh somewhere at the end, the last episode where the "All Hanshin Kyojin" were supposed to deliver a speech and ended up tearing the paper, but that was about it. The rest of the comedy was like watching a 12-year-old desperately try to make an 18-year-old Internet troll crack up. Let's be real, that will never happen unless he fell flat on his face so that the troll could make a meme about it.

Unfortunately, in this case, Lovely[star]Complex didn't quite do that. I'm a bit mad about it.

For the rest of the show, I was counting the minutes that passed by as I watched with a straight face the show that didn't seem to live up to its expectations. I was sidetracked from time-to-time and I would wake up discouraged, keeping in mind I still had to complete Lovely[star]Complex, but I managed to finish it within two weeks.

For reference, I finished all three seasons and the OVA's for Shakugan no Shana in a week.

Overall: I really wonder how this show managed to get an 8.35/10. I have to say, I'm authentically surprised that a show with an appearance this awful, from storyline down to characters, has managed to deceive the majority of its viewership into thinking they stumbled over the next best thing. There's really nothing special I can see about Lovely Complex, aside from being an overhyped animated sitcom with nothing to offer. And over time, I had hopes that it would turn into a show like Lucky Star, which is an acquired taste and will only appear humorous to fans of the show who have had it grow on them. Unlike Lucky Star, Lovely[star]Complex took no time to grow, now time to develop, and in the end, nothing was left. There's no taste to acquire here. It is what it is; terrible.

Maybe it's a recurring thing for me to rant on anime shows that are generally popular and well-received, but if that were the case, I authentically dislike Lovely[star]Complex. I respect that others like this show, and by others, I mean, most of the people here. But it didn't grow on me, and it won't be anytime soon.

I usually do not write many reviews but felt the need to pen my thoughts on this anime. Lovely complex deals with the relationship between the tallest girl and the shortest guy in the class. The two are perfect for each other and everyone know it except the two main characters.

The good:
- The characters themselves, both Koizumi and Otani are pretty good and avoid the conventions found in other romcom animes. The chemistry is clearly present between them.
- The humour is pretty good.
- The story for the most part avoids classic cliches and annoying "what did he/she mean ... when he/she said this" found in other animes. That said this is still present to a small degree.
- The animation is kinda old school. Reminded me of some old 90 animes.

The bad:
- For an anime with complex in the title, it spends about 2 episodes dealing with said complex and then forgets about it altogether.
- The supporting cast are essentially one dimensional cut-outs with noone being particularly memorable. We have a silent guy 1, silent, gentle, caring guy 2, bossy girl and a silent girl. None of them get any character development. Some semblance of a story is cobbled together towards the last two episodes but for the most part they are nothing more than comic relief.
- Multiple triangle love situations are teased but nothing ever happens. New characters are introduced 20 episodes in as potential love interests and it feel shoehorned.
- One big issue I have is with its length. Nothing really happens between episodes 7-17 and we see the same thing get repeated over and over again. While funny at first, get very annoying after a couple of episodes and characters never move on.

Overall rate it 6/10. Would have given it more if the anime was of a shorter length or if some of the side characters were developed better.

I noticed there were quite a lot of high rated reviews and some others that had a very similar reaction to what I did, I think it's important to conclude that your enjoyment of this series will depend on what you're looking for in an anime. Please remember to check out the genres of this series as well as the intend age group before starting.

--

I saw the first episode of lovely complex and was completely jaw to the floor. This is EXACTLY what I didn't want in an anime. Fast paced, no subtleties, annoying main characters. Humor which takes away from the development of the ... show. I understand the humor was supposed to be funny but I didn't really laugh as the jokes were bare-faced and flat. Nothing smart and cunning or carved out.

It's an extremely typical shoujo, all the 'friends' were hollow and just for show. The rivals are there for the sake of jealousy--and let's be real we've seen this done way too many times. It's not healthy, and it needs to stop. The development of 'love' relies on the friends pushing the two main love interests along. The writing forces the plot along only with these events, sports festival, fire works festival, christmas, valentines, birthday and THREE love rivals all withing the first 7 episodes. No regular, healthy progression of love plays forth. None of the characters developed at all, not even the main ones. I imagine this style was newly emerging and 'good for it's time' but it's definitely nothing special now.

Long story short:
The show doesn't take itself seriously, and so it's difficult for the viewer to sympathize with characters emotions when it's clear the viewership was intended for those of a younger audience.

* If you're a teenager with little to no love experience, who enjoys characters with no real motives and no development in an over-arching story, you'll enjoy Lovely Complex.

*If you're seeking something more well thought out, detailed and deep love story, I would not recommend this anime.

I really didnt like this anime. It was painstaking to go through. I mean, compare it with other anime, and this is absolute crap. I was like, COME ON, give me one of those OMG CUTE moments, but it didnt. Please... This was the 1st anime Ive seen and this set my expectations 4 anime to be very low and so I stopped watching anime until december 2010.
please dont watch this. the live-action one is sooo much better (which is why I watched the anime) but, I didnt like it. Please don't watch it if ure looking for something that you wont be bored to ... death from.

Ah, Lovely Complex, you sneaky little gem! This 2007 anime is a masterclass in storytelling, character development, and music - it's like a time capsule of feels that still resonates in 2024.

Risa and Ootani's unlikely romance had me hooked from the start. Their height difference (172 cm vs 156 cm) becomes a hilarious recurring joke, but it's their genuine connection that makes my heart skip a beat. Who wouldn't root for a couple that starts as best friends and blossoms into something more?

The anime's portrayal of relationships is refreshingly real - the awkward moments, the misunderstandings, the butterflies... it's all so beautifully relatable. And the ... humor? Top-notch! I snorted my coffee out my nose more than once.

What truly sets Lovely Complex apart is its character growth. Risa and Ootani evolve from quirky teens to confident, vulnerable, and lovable individuals. The supporting cast is just as well-crafted, with Risa's friends stealing the show with their sass and wit.

That soundtrack, though? The opening theme song is still stuck in my head, and I'm not even mad about it.

In short, Lovely Complex is a must-watch rom-com that deserves a solid 9/10. If you haven't experienced it yet, grab some snacks, get cozy, and prepare for a feels fest like no other!

IMPORTANT INFO for 2024! See dubbing part!
This is for english dubbing version.

I absolutely love Lovely Complex.
Starting with the title that is a nice wordplay. The show is a perfect blend of rom and com.
I will really try not to spoil anything, so you could have the most fun watching. I'd say after 2 first episodes you'll get the vibe of the show.

In Lovely Complex there is no
-toilet humor
-ridiculous boobs, boob jokes etc
... -upskirt stuff
-pervert stuff
-violence (like real one, not slapstick humor)
-foul language (I think ep1 has the single one beeped word and that's it)
-sex
-pushed agenda (*there is one character and it's handled gracefully, no complaints)
-forced life threatening accidents

They made it without those things and it works. There is alot of name calling but it's like a good roasting rather than shooting blindly. There is just a little of meta humor ("come on this is not an anime") but only a little. Looking back, I have to give credit to the creators to not resort to shoving that stuff in to fill time or try to make the show more "entertaining" and create more drama.

Characters. We follow Risa and Otani as they go through high school. Their height (the titular complex) connects them, they constantly mock each other in a good, organic way and each other can count for an equal comeback. But we also see they have real feelings and they sometime hold back, reflect and change. This is what caught me the most I think (just 2 first eps shows this well). There is the whole range of emotions, the charaters switch fluently between fun and serious.
I especially like Risa. She is a good, sensitive person (she sometimes cries when happy) that I emphatized with and cared for throughout the show. If she was sad, I was sad.
Otani I left to the viewer to make an opinion about, his actions can be interpreted differently by everyone and we don't get an insight into this thoughts.
Supporting characters are okay though they don't have very much to do outside of the main arch. There are Big plus for Nobuko.
Honorable mention for the teacher that steals the show every (seldom) time he appears - he reminds me of Thomas Hayden Church in Easy A.

Now, the dubbing, good stuff. The show aired in 2007 and dubbing was done 2023/2024, 15 years later ?? Like, who does that ?! It's a miracle! And it was done soooo, soooo good I can't express that enough. I compared Japanese dub and English dub and it just doesn't compare. It's a whole new show, that's why I emphasized that in the beginning. I wouldn't be writing this review if it wasn't dubbed, I wouldn't feel it the same way. I am European and English is just closer to my heart and easier in reception but that's not all. With the dubbing, characters got new souls, new depth. English dub to me is a major point of the show, greatly contributing to my love of it.
Risas voice actor did a tremendous job, her voice being one with Risa. She gave her some quirks here and there, her voice was always unique to the scene. Never did I felt she's just reading the lines. She could really convey emotions in a way that I can feel, making the character fuller. It's not childish, irritating or squeaky. It's perfect even when she's shouting.
With the eng dub, the conversations became richer and more engaging. Something mundane can be elevated to a new level. Let me give some examples :
First a gem - last episode around 10min mark. They added and rearranged sentences to create something that wasn't there originally.
Other scene:
"wanna get slapped?" and "no need to shout, fine i'll leave"
alternately (seems there are 2 versions of eng sub)
"You looking for a fight?!" and "There's no need to be so aggressive. I get it"
That's pretty boring right? But in dub it becomes
"you wanna knuckle sandwich?!" and "no I do not, I have dinner plans".
Other:
"You lie!" "Not lying" became "Whould I lie to you?" "Uh.. yeah!" (yes it's rearranged)
I could go on and on but.. How cool is that ? (it's also possible that this is standard and I'm just overreacting)
I think the (main) voice cast had a blast making it, shouting at eachother and arguing. The chemistry is palpable, dialogues are not stiff, jokes land well.

I know there were some controversies with translators taking too much liberty and altering the story but I didn't find anything evil there when watching eng dub + eng subtitles (subs being for japan dub). I think it was checked thoroughly.

Animation is okay. Sometimes better, sometimes worse. Sometimes I felt like it could use a few more frames. Sometimes Otani looks weird like they couldn't decide how exactly he's supposed to look. Risa is made nicely. She has a wide range of clothes, changes hairstyle and I'd risk to say she changes with time. That's a nice touch. Humor scenes are fine. Greatly exagerrated, wide range of different weird faces, slapstick etc but it's not overdone and not overly dragged. Most humor comes from what they say and how.
Overall, I'd very much like it better but it doesn't bother me that much to affect the experience. It's not about looks here.

Music is rather pleasant. There are a few orchestra pieces, main motif is played with different styles, when needed, it creates a proper mood. I advise to check out the OST, it can be found on YT. I was surprised of how nice the music was for a rom-rom only listening outside of the show (example: Premier Amour). It definetely connects with me, bringing emotions from the show while listening.

I know some may say it dragged at points and was repetitive. I got it too. A bit. But then forgot about it. The timeframe is too wide at points with too much time between the events seemingly without any character development (they supposed to see eachother dozens of times). But that's nothing unseen, right ? Every high school drama tries to cover some key events (summer holidays, christmas, new year, valentine's day, birthdays etc), so it needs to span months. This will always look unrealistic.
I'm glad they didn't force in too much of sudden events to push. I'm talking about accidents, tripping and falling on eachother, being forced to live with eachother etc.
A good property of LC is that it doesn't stay in one mood for too long. Too cutesy scenes (I can't endure it for too long) are interrupted in time with a joke, humorous scenes sometimes turn to serious. It's never one note and boring.
My review may be a bit skewed, as I may have looked over some flaws. The most important thing is, they didn't stop me from going on, I never felt the need to skip forward or drop out. I accept it with all good and bad sides and love it as is.

The show left me with feelings of joy, happiness and satisfaction. Also sadness that it's over and longing for more. But also a feeling that it is good the way it is, it's complete. No need to forcefully squeeze more to get some diluted crap. It's fine, it's good work, well done, creators!
The last episode is my favourite. I think it's carried elegantly, not overdone, not dragged.
I haven't shelved or forgot it either, I return to it every now and then.
I think that's the best recommendation. I love it.

ABSOLUTELY HILARIOUS!

This is a very good rom-com anime, the characters are really funny. The main duo sometimes might feel dumb that's because they are LOL. Watch this show for a good laugh and the chemistry that the characters have in between themselves. Also if u somehow enjoy Kansai-dialect then also this show is for you.

I have a short story to share. This is probably one of the most interesting ways I've been introduced to an anime. The way I came across this anime was - i liked the way the miya twins from haikyu talked and banter. So whilst watching "Miya twins funny moments" ... on YT, some guy on the comments section said "if u enjoy the way they talk its called kansai dialect and if you're looking for more such anime u should try Lovely Complex". So i gave it a shot and man i had a good laughter.

Definitely give it a try if u enjoy slice of life, rom-com anime.

Lovely complex is mainly a romantic drama that takes itself quite seriously. The setting is that of a high school in which the main characters have to deal with typical adolescent issues mostly related to love: understanding and accepting their feelings and others', dealing with peer pressure, expressing their emotions, and becoming committed to their relationships. The comedic element is a second-class citizen, a natural byproduct of high schoolers not knowing how to express their feelings and how to react in more delicate situations.

The seriousness is pervasive from the first moment thanks to the character designs - high schoolers DO look like actual high schoolers: ... there's no oversexualization and no pink hair. I have to give big props to making characters truly look different without relying just on hairstyles and eye color. The backgrounds have just enough detail, generally using colors with mid to low saturation--what you'd call "soft" or “toned-down” colors. There are very few lighting effects and the shading is very sublte making it so that there’s nothing to distract from the characters' feelings and thoughts. Characters are slightly stylized and this makes for a great looking anime when it comes to the few fluid movements that get animated. It’s a sad fact that the animation is rather clunky. The design however is refreshing compared to what I consider the overly-colorful (saturated), overly-detailed design used nowadays, Your Lie in April being an example of this. Detailed backgrounds with bright color palettes such as in shows like 5cm/sec or Garden of Words would be other examples so this trend is no news, it’s just more frequent now.

Its main problems come as a consequence of misusing characters. They’re good in the sense that you can’t just box them inside an archetype, they’re all realistic and complex, but aside from the two main characters none get actually explored. Although it’s somewhat at the cost of the side characters, it’s good that much of the exploration of the protagonists, Risa and Otani, is done through friends and teachers helping them fix their issues. It’s a common romance anime mistake to shoehorn in explanations through exaggerated reactions, obtrusive self-talk or over-the-top visuals or story. Another issue is that for part of the duration Otani is so dense that he manages to keep the plot looping and breaks any suspension of disbelief.

A nice plus that probably doesn't get noticed that much is the soundtrack. It's never in the foreground with its rather low volume and the more ambiental style, but one can tell many of the 35 tracks were specially created for dramatic timing of specific scenes. Very fitting, but not particularly memorable.

Most of the issues I have with LoveCom are related to the plot. The anime is slow to start, as we find Risa being rejected time and time again. Couple that with the fact that it will skip from Valentines to Christmas, New Year and Birthdays and you’ll end up thinking each day is a holiday in which Risa is living the same nightmare. There are cases when repetition can be used as a trope, but in this case it will only make you care less and less, or simply get frustrated. If you look at it from a troll’s perspective it’s almost funny, but the anime presents it from the victim’s perspective. If you bear through that you’ll get to the best part. That’s simlpy because it reaches great variety and a good pacing. In fact it goes through almost anything that can happen in a normal relationship.
However, when the focus suddenly switches to the side characters everything feels off. They were forgotten for too long . Adding to that comes the fact that their arcs are poorly dealt with: rushed and with awkward transitions. All this is on the background of college exams and choosing their path in life which manage to keep tension up so the anime ending gets to save face with a cathartic ending about the main characters and their life choices.

There’s also some storytelling issues such as the overuse of flashbacks in order to explain some of Risa’s emotions. Most of the times the respective feelings are obvious anyway so the flashabacks duration becomes even more of a problem. Luckily they aren’t used that often.

It’s worth it to mention what type of comedy LoveCom has. The jokes come as a byproduct of the characters’ silly but believeabale personalities or in the form of a funny plot twist having a well timed comedic setup. This secondary role comedy gets makes it that if it doesn’t hit the spot for you it won’t take anything away from the value of the show.

In the end you’re left with a fine anime that repeats the same note before remembering the rest of the song. It’s not a beautifully complex song but it’s catchy and simple and it might just be that one song that makes you understand romance a bit better or at least reminds you of your funny teenage love experiences.

Okayyy I finally gave LoveCom a try, after being suggested it a billion times. I've exhausted about every romance anime out there, and thought it was time. Well...I was not impressed! Keeping in mind this anime is quite old, I'll try and formulate a review to reflect that.

Story
I will say, the show did make me chuckle at a few scenes, which rarely happens, so that was pleasant. I liked the premise of tall girl/short guy, you don't see that very often at all, it's refreshing! Even if that might not be your style. The two main characters are a "comedic duo" that banter and bicker ... a ton. If you're not into "screamy" anime, as I call it, you won't like this one. It has A LOT of that.

Wellll girl eventually falls for guy, and guy is MEGA dense. Lots of misinterpretations, stubbornness, density, sobfests to be had. You're going to be sitting around for a long time waiting for any kind of progression, sorry.

I did skip over a bunch of scenes, either the screaming was getting annoying or I simply didn't care for what was going on, especially in the later episodes.

I will say, if you make it that far, the ending is satisfactory, THANK GOD. The kiss scenes are pretty decent and there's a handful of them.

Characters
Most of the characters were unlikable. Especially the two main characters :/ I found them to be extremely annoying. Especially in contrast to their best friends who seemed to have their lives more put together and were in healthy relationships with each other.

A ton of characters were brought in and never fleshed out. Which I was pretty thankful for or I would've definitely skipped over them. Examples being the cringe-ass blonde girl/boy and the teacher. I don't know why they even wanted to bring in a teacher love interest for the HIGH SCHOOL main character. I know it's pretty typical with anime and I find complaining about it to be useless but come on. The main characters weren't even fleshed out aside from they both have height complexes and one likes basketball.

Sound & Art
I didn't care much for the music, some of it was very repetitive. Probably because I binged it, though. I didn't like the OP&EDs, they were forgettable. HOWEVER, I actually really liked the art style. I don't normally like "old style" art in anime especially because it's 2022, but I didn't mind it one bit. It worked very well.

Overall
Overall I would never re watch it, but I'm happy I finally gave it a shot. I wouldn't recommend it to someone looking for a romance anime, though!

"Similar to ToraDora! - Lovely Complex"
That's how i found out about Lovely Complex. I fell in love with ToraDora! (TD) right on the first episode, and i am still planning on re-watching it. Hearing a lot of good thing and the compatibility of these two anime, i decided to watch Lovely Complex (LC) . I can honestly say that TD and LC have similarities and both are very enjoyable.

The female protagonist (Risa) and the male protagonist (Otani) don't hate each other, they just find each other irritating since the whole school call them the comedy duo, and their height difference is just an extra thing ... for other students to laugh at. Guess which one of them is 172 cm tall and which is 156 cm ? 99% got it wrong. What happens when Risa falls in love with Otani, a stupid guy who is too dense to realize it ?

My ratings of LC are as below,

STORY - 10

I have been on serious anime trips and i needed to watch something light but heartwarming and funny. Call it cheesy young romance or typical high school life , but to me, LC is very unique in its own kind of way. I was hooked right on the first episode. The story line was not once boring and i was very entertained. I laughed way too hard so many times, i lost count. The jokes, the humor, the comedy, whatever you call it, they keep playing in my head even when i have moved on to the next scene, i ended up pausing the episode just to laugh all over again. You might think that it's just like other high school based anime and you might be right, but LC has its own charm and attraction

ART - 10

Did i really just give it a 10 ? even though it was released in 2007 and the quality isn't as good as others ? Yes, i just did. I give it a 10 because the art is one the reasons why Love Complex is very entertaining. The face the characters make when they're making jokes, mad, shocked and feeling gloomy, they look almost inhuman. If i get a dollar every time i chuckled just by looking at their faces, i'd be really rich by now. The art isn't flawless and that's what i love about it, it makes delivering the comedy more effective.

SOUND - 10

The voice actors ? Perfect. Nothing i can complain about.

CHARACTERS - 10

I'm in love with the characters, especially Risa, Otani, Haruka and Nobu. Risa and Otani are both stubborn, love to annoy each other, but Risa is more open about her feelings while Otani is more dense and shy to wear his heart on his sleeves, and together, they're indeed the comedy duo. Haruka is a cool guy in other girls' eyes but he gets weak when it comes to Risa. He felt irritated every time Risa and Otani hang out together and his reactions are always priceless. Nobu is a tough girl who always motivates Risa to confess to Otani, and she becomes Risa's love sensei.

ENJOYMENT - 10

After all the positive reviews, i couldn't possibly give it an 8. I have a stupid smile on my face every time i watch an episode, and there were times i laughed way too hard i can't make a sound, i ended up clapping like a sea lion. i do enjoy Lovely Complex as much as i enjoy ToraDora!, the similarities are there, the only thing is, ToraDora! is more depressing but of course, in a beautiful way.

I couldn't say this is everyone's cup of tea, but would i recommend others to watch Lovely Complex ? DEFINITELY.

“If you’re going to say something that nice to me, I don’t mind even if we break up a hundred times.”

That was just an instance in the series which goes to show just how much love there is rooted into it. This has been, in my opinion, the best shoujo series I’ve ever watched and I’m sure most people who have would hesitate to disagree (hopefully!).

[STORY: 8/10]
It is a pretty relatable issue in the real world which has been introduced as the initial driver of this series. There are many factors which can contribute to feelings of love and to some, height is definitely ... one of them. I mean, no short dude would want to be with a tall girl, would he? Well, this series breaks the duck in trying to bring such a couple closer together. Obviously it’s always going to be hard, but did they succeed in the end? WATCH to find out! :D

[ART: 7/10]
Well, considering this series aired in 2007 and here I am watching it at the end of 2013, I did not let this bother me that much. The series is so good that you can afford to forgo this bit, I assure you. Besides, it isn’t that bad to be fair, the girls looked pretty good and the guys were… well, standard I guess…

[CHARACTER: 9/10]
Superb character development done for the female protagonist, as expected of any shoujo franchise. Through the three years of high school illustrated within this 24-episode series, we get to see how the characters grow as they learn to overcome hurdles in relationships as well as acknowledging their own feelings. Another pointer to touch on would be the supporting characters. The supporting characters in this series were really well made and thought of to integrate into the plot itself. Unlike certain series where supporting characters are created merely for the sake of doing so, they actually played vital roles in this series and I can’t think of any support which had no meaningful purpose.

[ENJOYMENT: 9/10]
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this series throughout. A very good mix of romance and comedy, which is integral for creating an ideal RomCom. For all those facing relationship problems or are having issues regarding love, this series would provide some respite for you and maybe even inspire you to do things you’ve not done before. I’ve experienced it and I approve of this message! (;

[OVERALL: 10/10]
Normally I would give this a 9, but because it’s SO good, I think it absolutely deserves to be overrated one more level. For those who haven’t watched it yet, I recommend that you start now and be immersed into the lovely romantic world of Lovely Complex! A must-watch for any shoujo fan!

I can completely relate.

I've been 5' 10" (178cm) since middle school and finding love was always difficult. I wanted to be that cute, average-sized girl instead of an awkward amazon and few guys I met really thought of me as "girlfriend material."

At first the story gives an almost impossible hurtle to overcome, when a tall girl and a short guy with height complexes end up falling in love. You almost think it's impossible, it can't happen (or at least I thought that). But once the characters develop into more honest humans, you realize that height doesn't HAVE to matter. You can't choose who you fall ... in love with, so nothing should stand in your way of accepting those feelings.

I learned a lot from this simple anime when all I was looking for was a lighthearted show to watch just for fun. Height DOESN'T matter. I think I can finally accept that look more openly for love.

I have to begin with saying that Lovely Complex is my favourite anime of all time EVER, but I'll try my best to make this a 'fair' review and not too biased.

First off, the characters - probably my favourite part about this anime. The two main characters both have 'height complexes' - the guy is way too short and the girl is way too tall. They're both very self conscious about this, causing them to always fight with each other but in a friendly kind of way. Risa then realises she is in love with Otani, and the anime basically revolves around her trying ... her best to get him to recognise her feelings. But it's not that simple. Otani, is completely and utterly oblivious to Risa's feelings even if she comes out and says it bluntly.

Risa is a great character - she's hilarious, stubborn, always throwing tantrums and getting angry at Otani because he is so dumb. But she's also really cheerful and talkative, and her and Otani get on really well as friends because they share the same interests e.g in music.

Otani is also a fantastic character - he's also funny, arrogant (he always acts like he's really cool when everyone disagrees), defensive of his height, he gets embarrased easily but this is just him on the surface. Underneath this, he's really really sweet and a genuine, caring person - and I think I like him so much because he reminds me of myself (???)

This anime is seriously so funny, I've rewatched it many times and from the first episode it has you laughing and smiling and you never want to stop watching.

The chemistry between the two main characters is really, really interesting for me. They hate eachother one second then the next second they're best friends. And when they finally get together (not really a spoiler, you knew it was coming) they're such a cute couple in their own way!

To just add on - some people don't like the art, and I can see why, because at times its not amazing, but I find the characters are cute and I actually love the soft, natural colours used. The facial expressions are so over the top making them hilarious. The opening and ending songs are catchy and I loved them, having said, they're nothing special to be honest - but the lyrics relate to the anime so it's cute.

I seriously doubt you'll find an anime like this one - the characters, the story, the jokes, the romance, the EVERYTHING is unique and just great. I enjoyed every second of it. If you're looking for an anime like this - look no further! You have to watch this one!

I watched a bit of the first episode a while back and put it down... I'm so glad I came back to it, it is literally one of my favorite Anime now. Right up there beside Itazura na kiss. I don't know what it is about Anime with unrequited love, but I definitely love them and wish there were more out there!! 10/10

WARNING, MAY CONTAIN MINOR SPOILERS!

Lovely Complex

Review By: John Fragglepuss Evans

Lovely Complex shows how complicated love can be for kids. There are heartfelt moments, but there are also heart-breaking times. Distorted facial expressions and imaginative situations are used to express how these poor high schoolers feel at times. For example, during one heart breaking moment, a battleship appears with the person’s face on it, and a cannonball is fired to sink the ship. This is the type of comedy used throughout the anime, so if that is the type that you enjoy, check it out.

Fun for high school/slice of life/romance fans.

You might enjoy this if: You ... want a love story that takes the scenic route. Will they date each other and end up together? Who knows…

You might not like it if: You want a storyline that constantly progresses. They could have completed the season in 12 episodes instead of 24.

Note to the Viewer: Be prepared for Risa to be all over the place emotionally.

EXPANDED REVIEW:

SLC Anime reviewed Lovely Complex this month. There was a general consensus that it was a good anime with more pros than cons.

It was mentioned by several people that it is an enjoyable slice of life anime, even for those people that do not particularly enjoy slice of life. The characters were believable. The way that they acted made sense for kids in high school. There was distorted faces when someone would go right or wrong, or when a character was feeling particularly emotional. The way their faces would distort made sense for the situations and helped portray how they really felt. The characters were cute and sweet, while they still had there flaws. This helped make them more believable as well.

The anime focuses a lot on the height difference of the main short guy and tall girl, and the tall girls in the SLC Anime group said that they could relate to that feeling of towering over a boy in high school and how rough that could be to the high school mentality.

Another positive to the anime’s credit is how they break from Japanese norms for anime by having a transgender character that is accepted as an actual character instead of being a comedic side character that gets made fun of.

The last positive note was how Lovely Complex struck a chord with one of the SLC Anime group members because they mentioned how the relationship of the two main characters in the anime reminded them of their high school relationship with their now-wife. One of them was chasing the other throughout high school while the other had no idea, and then they ended up together at the end of high school. I know, very sweet story indeed.

The down side to Lovely Complex was the slow progression of the storyline. There were several episodes that would pass and feel like filler episodes. There were several episodes that felt like the same episode, only set in a different location. There were several episodes where Risa would confess her love to Otani, and then in the next episode it would be like the confession never happened. It felt like they could have made this 24 episode anime in 12 episodes.

Overall, SLC Anime enjoyed and approved of Lovely Complex.

Story: Lovely Complex's story had many twist and turns through out the show with no end until the very last episode. The begining of the story didnt seem much but once you start to see more and more you will start to see the briliance of the show that i loved and im sure many other people did as the drama of the show was quite realistic and is one that many people can relate to. The story's romance was great as well as its comedy.

Art: The art for this show was not as out standing and as animated as other show's but still good ... enough to enjoy the show

Sound: The voice actors chosen for the roles i thought fitted the characters perfectly

Character: There was a huge character development between Otani and Risa by far one of the best i think, it also focuses on the other two couples as well as other characters.

Enjoyment: I enjoyed watching Lovely Complex because of its great story and one of the best character developement there ever has been

Overall: overall i loved this show to bits and is one of my fave's anime but still not perfect as there were some parts that i hated.

Lovely Complex is about a girl(Risa) whose height is above average and a boy(Otani) whose height is below average. These two have always been friends and are often mistaken as a comedy duo. That is until one day Risa start's to look at Otani in a different eye.

It's story sounds very simply, which it is. However it is executed extremely well. The height difference is handled with care and is never made really awkward. The story itself is a romantic comedy and it holds up to it's name. This has to be one of the funniest anime's I have seen. From the bickering between Otani ... and Risa to the amazing sarcastic nature of the their friends. I have never laughed so hard at something before in my life. Comedy however isn't the only thing that this anime brings to the table. No it brings some very well done drama into the mix. There will be several moments that will have you reaching for the tissue boxes.

Lovely Complex's characters make the series. Koizumi Risa is someone you can't help but love and cheer for her throughout the series as she try's to get her love across. Her perseverance throughout the series is truly inspiring, she overcomes many obstacles and no matter what she always keep's pushing forward. We can't forget our main male lead Otani Atsushi. Otani come's off as incredibly stupid, and I mean incredibly stupid. But he isn't in the least bit, he is just really innocent. He is just your average high school boy who has yet to realize his feelings and thus causes him to act the way he does. The series is more of Otani trying to find himself, and while it is a long bumpy road it is definitely worth the wait.

Lovely Complex's art isn't something extraordinary or ground breaking. The character designs are really well done and there is a lot of attention to detail in the environment. But the main success of it's art is just that it is easy to look at. You have a lot of great color's that come out and support the characters well. Nothing new, but it's done well.

The sound track in Lovely Complex is simply amazing. It's songs like the art isn't something really new or anything along those line's. But it just highlights the scene's and adds so much more emotion to the each and every single detail. I honestly don't believe I would've enjoyed this series as much as I did without the soundtrack.

Overall Lovely Complex is a great anime. It's a prefect balance of Comedy and Drama, it will have you falling out of your seat laughing while at the same time jerking at your heart strings. Lovely Complex may have some faults throughout the series, but they do not stop this series from being truly enjoyable.

And i thank you for reading my first review. I am sorry that you had to struggle with my awful grammatical errors. If you notice any mistakes or ways i can improve please send me a message and again thank you.

Lovely Complex Review

Story : Koizumi Risa, a 170cm taller-than-the-average-girl, asks for the help of Atsushi Otani, a 150cm shorter-than-the-average-boy for help with her love affairs, and vice versa. Unfortunately, and quite predictably, this is a disaster, especially when, horror of horrors, Risa realises she's falling in love with Otani! What follows is Risa's heartwarming quest to get the guy of her dreams to fall in love with her.

Art : The art is brilliant. I love Risa's changing hairstyles and the little touches and changes that showing them growing up, but so slightly that it's only when you're presented with flashbacks you can actually tell.

Sound ... : I loved the soundtrack. My favourite was the piano/strings in 'World's End' and also 'Dry Tears', a piano track. Even the opening and ending music was mirroring the feel of the anime itself.

Character : Each character, even the rivals, are likable. Watch out for Haruka and Nobu-chan as two hysterical characters you won't be able to stop laughing at. Risa is a brilliant heroine and Otani is the type of guy you'd want on your arm. Brilliant heartwarming characters who you will love and miss once you've finished the anime.

Overall : I couldn't pull myself away from this anime for even a minute. It starts off with 170cm taller-than-average girl, Koizumi Risa, joining forces with a 152cm shorter-than-average guy, Atsushi Otani, to get the girl and guy they like.
What happens in the next 24 episodes will have you laughing, crying, and clutching at your chest as you watch them, and their friends (watch out for Nobuko, Risa's best friend, and Haruka as golden characters) grow up and fall in love. You can't help but love every last character, even the rivals like Mimi-chan. Each episode is well worth watching and the whole anime wastes no time in trivial matters, throwing itself into each minute with abandon. And you, as you watch it, will probably do the same.