High Score Girl

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]

Oono, Akira Main

Suzushiro, Sayumi Japanese

Hidaka, Koharu Main

Hirose, Yuuki Japanese

Yaguchi, Haruo Main

Amasaki, Kouhei Japanese

Yaguchi, Namie Supporting

Arai, Satomi Japanese

Oono, Makoto Supporting

Akasaki, Chinatsu Japanese

Jiiya Supporting

Cho Japanese

Miyao, Koutarou Supporting

Okitsu, Kazuyuki Japanese

Guile Supporting

Yasumoto, Hiroki Japanese

Doi, Genta Supporting

Yamashita, Daiki Japanese

Onizuka, Chihiro Supporting

Midou, Daria Japanese

Maeda, Toshihiro Producer

Oomori, Hiroyuki Producer

Abe, Michihisa Producer

Tsuruoka, Shinya Producer

Reviews

Aug 8, 2025

AshParth

Recommended

As someone who does play games, unlike certain folks on the internet, how could I not include this anime on Netflix? I'd seen this a few years ago when I lived in Virginia and thought it was fine. Having seen this again in the present day, this was an interesting series. An anime that gamers would relate to. Relate to anyone with a sense of nostalgia since this series centers around the 80s to 90s aspect with arcade games to early gaming consoles like the SEGA Genesis, the Super Famicon, plenty of consoles that some folks would recognize. That would ... say the same for the games.
The story takes place in the late 80s with our main character named Haruo Yaguchi playing his video games, minding his own business until he'd met his match with a young lady around his age named Akira Ono in Street Fighter II. Akira is actually the daughter of the Ono Zaibatsu who doesn't express her feelings too much and finds solace in video games, skipping most of the strict lessons she was given back home. They both don't get along too much at first until one day in a candy shop, playing video games, they start to connect to one another by interest in video games and soon start to bond. Yet, a few episodes later, Akira had to study abroad, yet Haruo will be waiting for the day she returns for a rematch. Later in the series, in their junior high school year, out comes a new girl named Koharu Hidaka, who starts to build a crush towards Haruo since he would come around her family's store since her father decided to add arcade machines to bring in customers. The more Koharu hangs out with Haruo, the more she starts to get into video games, dedicating herself to impressing him.
Haruo doesn't know too much since he's more of a gamer than a lover. He does open up more to Akira and Koharu, shedding his ego down the road. What surprised Haruo more was that Akira has returned to town, but he can't get why she's been avoiding him when he was ready to have one more match. What he didn't know was that Akira was actually developing feelings towards Haruo since he's given her a toy ring that she'd cherished when they were kids before she went abroad. So, pretty much, this is a love triangle romantic comedy between the three. Of course, video games are part of their lives, meaning love is like a competition.
Yes, it's all about gaming, but it's not all there is to it since their chemistry does develop as the series goes. Sure, Haruo was an egotistical kid, but that's what he was before he grew up. He was a kid when he met Akira back in grade school. He doesn't know much about love, especially when his mother insisted so much that it annoyed him whenever Akira or Koharu were to come over to hang out, yet opened up more to be a little more human. Actually, having that passion for gaming does make him friendly with other kids later in his grade school years and when he'd entered junior high, which also led Koharu into his life. Again, Haruo is dense on what love is, yet you have to give him credit that his character grows a little more mature as the series goes. What's funny is that he would get morale support from video game characters like Guile, his main in Street Fighter.
Of course, this anime does have other characters, which does make some of them either likable or just being there. Like that kid who oddly has black stars sparkling around him. I don't hate the character. He's just there for the jokes when he's trying too hard to get hitched. I don't know why that pink hair girl exists, but somehow she scares the firck out of me, especially with her dialogue. Haruo's mother was a hoot. The driver who drives Akira around was fun. Most of the side characters are just there to support the main trio. Yes, this has comedy, and I'd admit that some of the humor feels weird as much as some of the dialogue that was added to this. However, the comedy does land whenever the joke plays out. The voice acting is good, to be honest. I even swap between Japanese and English three episodes at a time for the fun of it. Johnny Yong Bosch voices as Haruo. Christine Marie Cabanos voices Akira, even when her dialogue is mostly grunts and mumbles. And Erika Harlacher voices Koharu.
I get the animation is not for everyone as it's pretty much in 3D. To be honest, I think the animation is fine. I give them credit for making their expressions as 2D as the characters still act like they're in an anime. I'll even be fair that I've seen worse 3D animation throughout all my years with anime and even animated movies/TV shows. Fun fact: the studio who worked on the animation was SMDE and J.C. Staff were the ones who produced this anime. What carries this series were the characters, their chemistry with one another, and the humor. Sure, the video games surrounding them also carry the anime despite bringing more on the nostalgia factor, yet without video games, they wouldn't have motivated Yaguchi to where he's at with both Ono and Hidaka.
With that said, I've had a good time with this series. I play video games for the fun of it, and the characters of this show have shown the same interest as gamers around the globe would. Sure, we're not there yet for Haruo hooking up with either, but this is just the beginning of such until that time comes. I'll be giving this series eight and a half Haruo and Akira on a bike out of ten. 8.5/10. Question: Are you Team Akira or Team Koharu? I'm more of a Team Akira person myself.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Oct 12, 2025

NoahDacracker

Mixed Feelings

High Score Girl, unfortunately average.
I’d initially come into it with a lot of interest, I found the art direction to be quite unique and genuinely endearing despite what many anime fans have to say about CG animation, I think overall it lends itself well to the aesthetics that the show has, it may look a little rough around the edges but I found myself drawn to the personality that it brought.
A topic such as video games getting such a central focus is something you don’t see very often in the medium and that had made me curious.

Upon watching the first few episodes I found myself ... intrigued with how it seemingly strayed from the traditional story structure that most romance anime utilize, It left a relatively notable first impression with Oono making a departure so early on, making room for new development upon her leave, and Koharu entering the picture creating intrigue as to where the story would be going, and how her presence would play into it.
Many of these fun ideas had left a lot of genuine promise as for where the show would be heading, this unexpected narrative structure made me hopeful that this show would be a highlight within the romance genre, but as it goes on the main problem that plagues this experience becomes quiet clear; unrecognized potential.

The show provides a lot of interesting ideas that eventually fizzle out leaving it to become rather stagnant, this whole season feels like a slow ride downwards with each episode, you eventually come to the realization that despite how it started, repetition is seeping into the plots structure and none of these characters have really developed nor expanded upon their initial archetypes.

-I had initially found Haruo and Oono to be quite endearing, a spunky young boy with an aggressive passion for games, and this seemingly perfect girl whose somehow even better than him despite her busy life that enamoured him, their dynamic was cute, but as the show goes on they never really expanded beyond that, ignoring their inevitable romance, Haruo remains frustratingly dimwitted, and Oono’s eccentricities are left unexplored, we’re given no reason for why she’s mute, her feelings are delivered to the audience poorly, and we never discover any real flaws she may have nor do we get to really identify with her struggles, her character simply revolves around Haruo, leaving her very one-note from beginning to end.

-Then theres Koharu, the best yet most upsetting character of all, she’s different from the others in that she naturally develops as the series progresses, she’s someone who is unsatisfied with her life that finds solace in Haruo and his genuine passion for gaming, it inspires her to play and leads to her feelings towards him growing along with her gaming skills, but the problem comes with her role in the narrative being completely void, it is deeply disheartening to see a character who’s only purpose is to absorb cruelty, in a way the show would be better if she wasn’t there, as I watch Oono and Haruo grow closer I’m left thinking of her and her passion that’s left without a chance of recognition, you want to root for her but the show clearly displays that she doesn’t have a chance so I genuinely don’t understand why she’s there to simply suffer, there’s no intrigue, her confession at the end of the season feels so pointless because you know she isn’t the one he wants, it’s possible she has a later arc that allows her to move past this but it all just seems unnecessary to me.

There were a few themes within the show I had found myself connecting with that were unfortunately never really expanded upon, such as when Haruo abandon games to study and be with Oono, and upon failing he’s left alienated from games and from his relationship with her, now left feeling despondent as if he has nothing to strive for, nothing he’s truly good for, I found that theme of lacking purpose interesting, but unfortunately this shows pacing doesn’t leave a lot of time for retrospection and most internal conflict is quickly brushed off to focus on further developments with the main couple.

Overall, I really wanted to like this show more than I did, I wouldn’t say it’s bad by any means, but after a strong start it finds itself slipping into a repetitive and dull state that leaves a dishearteningly average taste in your mouth, near the end of the season it really feels like it’s gimmick has ran it’s course and I struggle to picture what they’ll do for the next season, despite the series’ undeniable charm it feels like they didn’t want to push it to the lengths they could’ve unfortunately.

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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Nov 12, 2023

AmineBee

Not Recommended

I still don't know what force of nature compelled me to watch this entire thing because it was an absolute waste of time. This show falls flat in basically every way and I was just in disbelief from how bad this show was.

The characters, dialogue, animation, art style, and story were just so poorly made and boring. There is nothing compelling about any characters, some being annoying and others painfully cringey. The main character we follow around is a total loser and not the kind that is funny or relatable but instead obnoxious and stupid. He constantly talks about how video games are all ... he’s good for and has like no character development whatsoever other than the fact he’s like “Wait a minute! I like girls!” and even then he doesn't grow as a person at all.

The main love interest Oono is not much better as she has no actual character traits and despite having a voice actress never speaks. It's not like she is mute or has social anxiety, she just doesn't talk for some reason.

Still don't know why I subjected myself to this but yeah it's just painfully boring.

Reviewer’s Rating: 1

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