High Score Girl

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Alternative Titles

Japanese: ハイスコアガール

Information

Type: TV

Episodes: 12

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Jul 14, 2018 to Sep 28, 2018

Premiered: Summer 2018

Broadcast: Saturdays at 00:30 (JST)

Producers: Warner Bros. Japan

Licensors: None found, add some

Studios: J.C.Staff

Source: Manga

Genres: Comedy, Romance, School, Seinen

Duration: 24 min. per ep.

Rating: PG-13 - Teens 13 or older

Statistics

Score: 8.09¹ (scored by 23,063 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score. Please note that 'Not yet aired' titles are excluded.

Ranked: #453²

² based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #1482

Members: 60,753

Favorites: 658

8.09

Ranked #453Popularity #1482Members 60,753

Summer 2018TVJ.C.Staff

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Episodes: /12

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Synopsis

The year is 1991, and arcade video games are the latest craze. Becoming a professional gamer is a far-fetched dream in an industry that has yet to spread its influence. Yet, that is the path sixth-grader Haruo Yaguchi wants to pursue. His aptitude for video games has earned him respect in local arcades and bestowed him with confidence and pride, both of which are shattered when fellow classmate Akira Oono easily defeats him in Street Fighter 2.

Akira is rich, pretty, and smart—as close as can be to a perfect girl. But Haruo had never cared about these things as, despite his multiple shortcomings as a person, his supremacy in video games was, in his mind, undisputed. So, now that someone has appeared who can rival him, part of Haruo cannot help but loathe her. Another part, however, itches for somebody who can compete with him on equal terms, and Akira is more than capable.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Related Anime

Adaptation:	High Score Girl
Sequel:	High Score Girl: Extra Stage

More characters
Characters & Voice Actors

Oono, Akira

Main

Suzushiro, Sayumi
Japanese

Hidaka, Koharu

Main

Hirose, Yuuki
Japanese

Yaguchi, Haruo

Main

Amasaki, Kouhei
Japanese

Yaguchi, Namie

Supporting

Arai, Satomi
Japanese

Miyao, Koutarou

Supporting

Jiiya

Supporting

Onizuka, Chihiro

Supporting

Oono, Makoto

Supporting

Toono

Supporting

Hidaka, Father

Supporting

More staff
Staff

Yamakawa, Yoshiki

Director

Aketagawa, Jin

Sound Director

Yakushimaru, Etsuko

Theme Song Performance

sora tob sakana

Theme Song Performance

Edit Opening Theme

"New Stranger" by sora tob sakana

Edit Ending Theme

"Houkago Di(e)stra(u)ction (放課後ディストラクション)" by Etsuko Yakushimaru

More reviewsReviews

Sep 28, 2018

12 of 12 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

Shirokuza (All reviews)

62 people found this review helpful

Video games are games that use interaction with the user interface through images produced by video devices. Video games generally provide a reward system such as a score calculated based on the level of success achieved in completing tasks in the game.

The word "video" in "video games" initially refers to a raster display device. But with the use of the term "video game", now the word video game can be used to refer to games on any display device. The electronic systems used to run video games are called platforms, for example personal computers and game consoles.

taking the theme in the year one thousand nine hundred and ninety one in that year the video game is still experiencing its popularity, a child named "Haruo Yaguchi" spends his days playing video games regardless of how his future destiny is as if the world is just a link between himself and video games .

The manga composed by "Oshikiri Rensuke" has made JC Staff studios make this series as an anime series. JC Staff made this series feel good and have a big impact (to be honest this studio has adapted some good manga / light novels for example Shokugeki no Souma and of course Shakugan no Shana which was adapted by three seassons).

no part of the voice is like eating without a drink, it doesn't feel complete if an anime doesn't have a supportive voice. For this series of voice actors, "Suzushiro Sayumi" acts as Oono Akira (although Oono's character rarely speaks) "Hirose Yuuki" acts as Hidaka Koharu and "Amasaki Kouhei" act as Haruo Yaguchi.

from the song theme section, it might be quite fitting and well, the opening song "New stranger" which was sung by Sora Tob Sakana was so good even though I don't know who he was, but what made me like the series this time for the closing theme song could be a favorite " Houkago die strauction "which was sung by Etsuko Yakushimaru.

in this series maybe at the beginning of the episode Haruo Yaguchi was an academic fool and only liked video games after the meeting with Oono Akira Yaguchi began to regard him as a rival but after a while Oono left Japan for a reason. When Oono left we got or the appearance of playing the third character, Hidaka Koharu, acts as an encouragement even though she also has feelings with Yaguchi.

The series adapted by JC Staff this time is more prominent on the impression of romance and honesty, I as an audience are very enthusiastic about this series and can't wait for the story to continue where a child who often goes to the place of video games begins to have feelings for his rival and his meeting with Oono Akira grow the seeds of love are very good to watch for teenagers and adults.

in the end we as humans also have a sense where we want to relieve stress from our daily busyness with the existence of video game games which are now very sophisticated and this series reminds us that we do not fall into a world that is only temporary.

if you expect a happy life forever then fight from now on because of the future what we do today.

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Sep 28, 2018

12 of 12 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 8

Stark700 (All reviews)

40 people found this review helpful

There’s often times when I feel a bit of nostalgia in life. Who doesn’t really? The 1990s may not be technological advanced compared to our current modern times but it had great music, a more relaxing atmosphere, and moments that we’ll never forget. I remember the days when people actually went to places like Blockbuster to rent home videos rather than binge watching Netflix. People weren't on their phones half the day. Nowadays, everything is just too convenient and people operate at their homes through the digital web. Why do I mention this?

It’s because High Score Girl made me feel a bit of that nostalgia.

Don’t get me wrong though. I love the convenience of our current times and everything being so simple. However, watching High Score Girl gave me the impression of old school video gaming nostalgia. I was never too big about retro games or playing at the arcades. However, the contemporary times of this show made it feel like it’s both realistic and inspiring. As a series about video games, it takes an approach at decorating its story with a 1990s sensation.

We meet 6th grader Haruo Yaguchi from the start and he is not exactly someone I’d describe as popular at school. He’s a video game addict who spends his time playing games than studying or doing anything else. In many ways, Haruo doesn’t really have a goal in life other than to be the best gamer. His favorite genre seems to be fighting games such as Street Fighter II. He even earned a self-proclaimed title by calling himself “Beastly Fingers Haruo”. His life seems to be unchanging until meeting a rich girl named Akira Oono. After getting curb stomped by her at video gaming, it became obvious that he is no longer the best. This sets the main story as we see the relationship between the two and how they develop.

Jumping into this series felt unusual at first. It felt like a coming of age story that mixes in drama, comedy, and even some romance. The last part isn’t noticeable at first so I’ll get to it later. Rather, the story chronicles about how Haruo’s character changes throughout the series. In the beginning, he is more of a brat who tends to get angry when things don’t go his way. You ever seen a kid rage at video games because he lost like a sore loser? That’s the sort of imagery you can imagine coming from Haruo. However, meeting Oono changes his character as he matures and becomes a more tolerable person. I think it’s rather ironic that he offers to be friends with Oono as the two are more like rivals in the beginning. However, the show makes it clear that there’s a skill difference between the two though so perhaps it isn’t really a close rivalry. I think it’s important to address the friendship between Haruo and Oono as it develops into perhaps something more than just a bond. In later episodes, Oono seems to show feelings towards Haruo while the boy remains oblivious. It’s more of an innocent affection than anything else since the series doesn’t truly commit to romance. Despite this, I think it goes to show how far these two bonded together. Because let’s face it, Oono is a character with a quiet nature. No one besides Haruo seems to be able to get close to her. Even with her popularity, she is shy and throughout the show, we never once hear her speak directly to a character. She is able to open herself more thanks to Haruo’s influence and we see her show more emotions rather than being aloof all the time. There seems to be even feelings of jealousy coming from the girl in later episodes.

We eventually meet a girl named Koharu Hidata. Unlike Oono, she is more outspoken and easily fits with the crowd. Despite not being a child prodigy, Hidata is a much more sociable person as she is able to converse with anyone. Hidata’s relationship with Haruo in the show is pretty typical that transforms from being normal friends to her developing a crush towards him. In terms of technical skills, she isn’t as talented as Haruo or Oono when it comes to video games. However, the creators establishes her as a determined girl who wants to prove herself, and most importantly to Haruo. I’d say that she is more of a tsundere after observing her behavior. You be the judge but Hidata does add a different side of the series. She fills the role of being a character that Haruo doesn’t feel inferior to and can get along normally. Still, the series doesn’t do a well job at building their relationship because as usual, Haruo is oblivious to romance like a stone cold rock.

There’s a lot of emphasis on these three characters so you’re probably asking yourself if there are any others to worth mention. Unfortunately, most of the side characters in the series can be easily forgettable. Characters like Miyao (the chick magnet) hardly influences the story. The adult characters also makes little impact such as Oono’s butler or Haruo’s parents. It feels like these characters are just there and nothing more. Nonetheless, this really shouldn’t sway your attention as the heart of the show is about how characters changes through common interests and how they understand each other. There’s a good amount of heartwarming moments and clever comedy if you're into that too.

It’s almost impossible to not talk about the art style of this series. When it comes down to it, the show feels like a mixture of old school aesthetic blending with video game graphics. Even the theme songs is crafted with its peculiar video game style. Thankfully, it’s very faithful to the manga especially in terms of character design. And on most parts, I think they did a phenomenal job at portraying Oono. Despite not speaking at all in the show, she is able to express herself with body language and facial expressions. It’s important to also realize Oono’s change in those expressions that represent her development. Meanwhile, I’m also grateful for the realistic 1990s setting the series takes place in with the arcade games. Retro games like Street Fighter is shown with clever creativity while the graphic style represents the old school ways of playing. However, I wish the series presented more variety. Besides Street Fighter, there’s hardly any other games that are worth mentioning.

The 1990s really was a time that I missed. Everything just felt so simple and while I’m not as dedicated to retro games as the characters in this show, it still made me want to play them. That is to say, they still exist in our modern times but playing them now just feels different. Nonetheless, this series isn’t just about gaming but also how characters change. The creators really wanted us to get attached to the main characters and it worked. High Score Girl is a show that I recommend to anyone even if you’re not a video game fanatic. It has enough of a story with themes and main characters that will get your attention.

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Sep 28, 2018

12 of 12 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

VileKurata (All reviews)

37 people found this review helpful

High Score Girl is one of the theses seasonal shows that quietly snuck up on me at the of the Summer 18 season. It was a manga series done by Oshikiri, Rensuke and until mid August where it Netflix announced they will be streaming the series in December 2018 the show least for a short while was hanging around in obscure vile and even after that Netflix announced the series is still pretty obscure compared to almost every other anime from this summer season.

Fast forward to late September where I was done watching throwaway seasonal anime from this season like Angel Of Death, How to read more

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Oct 2, 2018

12 of 12 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

Pipe (All reviews)

34 people found this review helpful

Summer 2018 will pass as one of the most mediocre seasons for me, but it was saved by High Score Girl.

The video game story concept is one of the most popular but also one of the most difficult to create. It requires an unusual plot to satisfy a difficult and demanding audience. Gladly, High Score Girl does a marvelous job and delivers one of the most amusement stories in this field. The series mixes the historical video game developing (the 90s) with an amazing plot where the memories of any gamer will have some empathy. In this world, we are all experts but also we are ignorant, and sooner or later our talents will meet challengers as happens in this fascinating story. But what can I tell you about the 90s? This decade is one of the most important technologically speaking. The internet was born on 1990, the CPU (first Pentium) and GPU (shading and rendering) appeared as we know them today. The video games transcended thanks to those hardware advances, Google appeared in 1995 and many other tech stuff that we use day after day saw the light in the 90s. We need to thank the 90s for our actual technology, and this anime is a tribute to all those developers that shaped our world. High Score Girl is one of the best gaming anime representations that follow a real historical timeline.

The story is straightforward and very easy to follow. It creates relationships from usual clichés such as video game challenges. The plot occurs in a casual world filled with arcade machines and game centers; it creates a magnificent 90s ambiance where the main characters converge and interact refreshingly without the need of the average slice of life comedy story. The plot is hilarious, dramatical and romantic. However, the most amazing part is the characters' synergy with a well-elaborated plot. We have three main characters, the typical gaming freak, the challenger that never speaks but she is very expressive reminding me of the phrase “action speaks louder than words” and the converted. All the three characters in some way are rivals with certain personal interests but also friends. I like that idea of rivalry; it is not the typical garbage where the rival is awful, boring and pedantic. It is a rivalry where the main characters want to be noticed between them as rivals, friends and more.

Another great factor, the gaming references. The plot utilizes some games to boost the narrative. Perhaps the biggest reference is with the Street Fighter franchise. The series uses characters such as Guile to propel the narrative, and they do it very well. We can say this game character is an active part of the story. Additionally, all the arcade and classic game references are just amazing. I almost lost my breath after watching Bomberman and Elevator Action, and I am not that old. Furthermore, I am surprised that several companies agreed to allow the anime to use a massive group of references. It is not normal because the rights and licenses are a pain or ask the author because the manga was in a hiatus for a dispute with SNK.

On the other hand, the characters. In one word synergy. Perhaps the chemistry between the characters is the most important when you design a group of characters. As one of my old animation co-workers said: “First create a background, then figure the synergy between the characters, and if you can't do it, the story will be a fiasco.” We have three main characters, the freak, the challenger and the converted as I said before.

The freak is Harou Yaguchi. The typical gaming lover. He likes the challenges and wants to be the best. Also, he has a charming side, and he cares of his friends.

The challenger, Oono Akira. For me, she is the most amazing character because never talks, but the actions and expressions help us to understand how she is feeling. She is Harou’s main rival, very lonely and I think she suffers a lot. I want to add a parenthesis here; it is unrespectful mocking the seiyuu because she never talks. If you pay attention, she needs to recreate some particular sounds or minimal sound ambiance to add emotion and action to the scene, if you think that it is easy you do not value all the work of a voice actor.

The converted, Hidaka Koharu. I am not going to spoil about her. I consider her as the story breaking point.

About the art, it is good. The use of CGI is smooth. They combined some 3D and Live2D techniques creating a very appealing series that has a nice palette color, good lighting model and a very reasonable camera angle use. Furthermore, they add old video games references that improve the story flow and adds nostalgic feeling. The art, in general, is amazing, and I liked and enjoyed it

The sound and music are great. The ED for me is the best; I love those lyrics, no idea why :3. The VO is good, and the score and games sound is perfect. In general, the sound timing is good and does help the plot outcome and the main events.

As a negative aspect, we have the overuse of the CGI. The transition between CGI and 2DLive could be rough, but it is one of the small limitations between the techniques. I understand some spectators try to avoid the CGI shows. However, High Score Girl deserves a try no matter if you love video games or casual comedies.

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'High Score Girl' Gets OVA Episodes

The official Twitter account of J.C.Staff's High Score Girl posted an announcement video on Friday that reveals that the series will get three OVA episodes. The...read more

Sep 28, 2018 12:55 PM by Sakana-san | Discuss (18 comments)

Summer 2018 Preview

In this thread, you'll find a comprehensive list of Summer 2018 titles with an accompanying promotional video (PV), commercial (CM), trailer, teaser or announce...read more

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	Poll: High Score Girl Episode 5 Discussion Stark700 - Aug 10, 2018	44 replies	by Jim_Heart »» 8 hours ago
	Poll: High Score Girl Episode 11 Discussion ( 1 2 ) Stark700 - Sep 21, 2018	51 replies	by CantfindUsername »» Feb 16, 5:41 PM

High Score Girl

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