Ore Monogatari!!

This anime has a very realistic storyline. I think that the author of this anime was trying to convey the message that love can be found anywhere. However, as much as I enjoyed the realism of this story, I did not like the characters.

I liked where the author was going with this series, saying that there is hope in finding love for everyone. However, I watch anime to escape the reality of the world and indulge myself in the senseless harem romances, where the perfect guy can get whatever he wants. The male does not have to be perfect at all, at least smart and ... sensible. In this anime, Takeo had a senseless mind. His mind was always somewhere else or only fixed on one thing. He was a simple minded character that had almost no appeal to the general audience.

When I first picked up this series and watched the first episode, I thought that the story was good enough for me to continue watching but it quickly got boring as there was no direction to the plot. By this point, I was hoping for Sunakawa would have slowly developed his own kingdom of women or at least gotten a single girlfriend. I continued watching, but to no prevail. He seems very capable and would be a likable main character for the majority of the audience, but his selfless personality over-shone the main character, Takeo, yet still did not get the kind of action that I expected.

As a note, even the supporting characters had some sort of love blossom throughout the series, but the second main lead did not get anything. I ended up giving up on this series towards the end and began to skip parts and skim through the episodes. Lo and behold!!!... I won't say anything more to prevent spoilers. If you want to watch it for the same reason I watched it, SUFFER AS WELL!! MWA HAHAHAH!!

ANYWAYS, overall, this was a good story to follow but it had no direction. If this was a 12 episode series, or even a 6 episode series, I would have been more than satisfied.

Those well versed with the romance genre may be familiar with the tropes that these anime tend to regurgitate on a constant basis. Not denying the fact that Ore Monogatari!! doesn't share some of these plot accessories either, the show does attempt to differentiate itself from the rest of the pack. Whether it's been successful at doing so is a whole another story however.

Madhouse veteran when it comes to romance and drama, Asaka Morio, known for his works on anime such as Nana, took charge of the execution unsurprisingly. It was a job well done when it came to maintaining a consistent tone throughout ... the season without any hiccups, most of the time.

Which brings me on to the next point, the overall nature of the anime; it's light-hearted and funny. The story follows our couple consisting of Yamato and Takeo and the day-to-day activities they encounter. A very common plot trope in this genre. Although there are moments of conflict or love rivals popping up every now and then, this only forms a small portion of the show. What the anime does differently however is to place Takeo (mostly) in situations where less experienced anime watchers may have never seen before. It adds to the comedic value as well as the tension depending on the situation he finds himself in. However, this is also a negative aspect of the show. These scenes seem more suited for a shounen anime than a romance/slice of life, therefore feeling out of place and plain weird when witnessing the events unfolding.

Another argument is how 'perfect' the couple were. Due to the lack of external dangers towards their relationship, Ore Monogatari was short of substance. It built a solid backbone from which to expand upon, but what you witness in the first few episodes is what you will continue to be fed right until the very last installment. As mentioned before, there are moments of 'drama' but they usually consist of internal problems. This takes shape in the form of misunderstandings and such.

Unsurprisingly the focal point of the anime is on Takeo and Yamato since they are the main duo. But this doesn't excuse the fact that the supporting characters suffered heavily from poor characterization. Side characters walked in and out whenever they felt like doing so, as if it was a 9 am college lecture with half the students turning up late and others falling asleep. Not to mention their introductions felt forced, just for the sake of challenging Yamato/Takeo' love life.

Takeo was a refreshing character, the second coming of Chuck Norris if I may say so. His massive body build and awkward personality led to some hilarious scenes. Yamato however, is far from that. It's like comparing freshly baked bread to faecal matter. She's very generic in every aspect, but the fact that there was no attempt at developing her in some shape or form is truly disappointing. A valid argument is that her character may been there to provide a balance, countering Takeo's over-the-top personality.

The animation is also good/consistent, but nothing spectacular. It complimented the anime's tone perfectly. Although some episodes may seem rushed, the fast pacing was vital in order to keep the audience engaged with its episodic nature. If you feel like this is the type of rom-com you're into, feel free to give it a watch.

Want an anime to make you smile even when you’re feeling down? Want something that makes you ahh at its sweetness and purity? And most of all, something that makes you think, “Why can’t I have relationships like this?”

Join Gouda Takeo on his incredibly heart-warming journey to find true love, experience high school struggles, and aid everyone who ever meets him by doing as many good deeds as he possibly can. If there’s a cat stuck in a tree, Takeo will rescue it. If a child falls into a river, Takeo will jump in. If a friend wants to confess to his crush, Takeo will ... help him arrange it.

However, it’s not the deeds Takeo does that make him such a likeable character. It’s the way he’s presented. The description ‘big heart’ fits him perfectly. He’s pure, kind and just good. He’s the type of friend who will always help you without even thinking twice about it, even turning a simple thought or wish expressed into an action in order to make the person expressing the thought happy. And although he can be a bit dense at times, if you explain things to him he will take pains to remember them and act upon them in the future.

What then, is the catch? Well this should be obvious from looking at the cover. He’s not conventionally good looking. And because of this, no girl is able to recognize his good character until the female protagonist from the story comes along. Luckily she ends up being less shallow than every other girl that has existed up until this point, and thus we have our story.

This girl though, Yamato Rinko, is really something in herself. She’s just as pure, kind and sweet as Takeo (with the addition of being shyer and somewhat smarter). This essentially creates many scenes filled with what we colloquially name ‘fluff’ – that is to say, adorably sweet scenes in which the characters radiate such happiness that you can’t help but smile. They don’t even have to be doing much (and often they really don't do much), just chatting or something and you’ll still enjoy watching them. Although an exaggeration of a normal relationship, most people would probably view something similar to this – with their mutual love, respect and acceptance – as relationship goals.
Their relationship progression does slow down as the series goes on, but although that's a little irritating it actually fits in with the characters' personalities and how you'd expect them to behave.

I will note here that if you binge watch this show in a couple of sessions or less it might end up being sickly sweet and a bit of a turn-off, because it is after all comprised of many episodes very similar in content. Rather, if you just watch a couple of episodes every now and then it will stay fresh and enjoyable.

Now we turn to the third protagonist, the ‘best friend’ character. Sunakawa’s character is also portrayed remarkably well, as a character who often appears apathetic and emotionless but shows his real feelings through what he does, rather than what he says. His looks are on the opposite end of the spectrum to Takeo’s, and this is a recurring theme in the series, but the parts where he appears mainly highlight how caring and loyal a friend he is to Takeo (and by extension Yamato). It’s almost impossible not to wish you had a friend like him. In addition, he is actually developed quite well as a character by himself, and piques a lot of interest. Issues concerning him are resolved well and realistically, in particular his family drama.

As for the supporting cast, watching them is hugely enjoyable too. Each of them brings something to the story and helps it develop, although they are mainly used as a catalyst for the main romance. None of the characters are obnoxious, all of them are quite pleasant and a lot of them are given decent backstory which helps flesh out their characters. There is an entire set of episodes dedicated to Sunakawa's sister that creates an interesting little diversion from Takeo and Yamato.

The OP and Ending themes were a good fit for the story. They matched the overall tone perfectly, with the light and cheerful music. The Seiyuus were talented (my only complaint here was the incredible high pitch used for Yamato which seemed a tad unrealistic for a 16 year old girl, although I guess it’s more common in Japan) and the rest of the music was easy on the ears.

The Art and animation were lovely. They were attractive (with a lot of pastel tones being used), and the high concentration of flowery and sparkly effects went together so well with the characters' reactions.

I suppose I haven’t really covered the plot, but then again there’s not much to say about it. It’s a story of how a romance buds and develops, and however well done it is, that is essentially the full story. Oh well. I’ll just use this as an example of how an anime doesn’t need a focussed plot to be good.

Now to conclude. I thought this anime was great, and personally connected to some of the characters and events portrayed on an intrinsic level. The lack of focussed plot did prevent me from giving it a higher score, because, sweet as their relationship was, I would have loved to see them take it a little further in the amount of episodes that had been allocated.

It was still a really enjoyable, really fun watch, though, and one I would most definitely recommend to any fan whatsoever of the romance genre. 😊

The story is really quite tiring after the first 4 episodes. You can watch the first 4, and maybe another one just for the feel of the rest of the series. And that should be fine.

The romance scenes are overdone. They are too excessive in my opinion, and are really quite distracting. Second, the character development is mainly nonexistent. They are not quite complex and can easily be described in a couple word.

Finally, the art was fine, the story, even for a Slice of Life/Romance, was rubbish, because there was hardly even the slightest attempt at an arc. The "drama" was resolved almost instantly and ... was close to insignificant.

It's great. A very wholesome story to watch. The romance between Takeo and rinko is great. It's so sweet I felt like I would get diabetes from it.

They focused a lil bit too much on Takeo's side of the story though and left out a lot of the story from rinko's side. Like rinko got introduced to Takeo's family but takeo didn't get introduced to rinko's family. They focused on rinko in the last two episodes and left a feeling of incompleteness. The characters are very well made although I feel like they could have focused a little more on suna and his story.

The story ... is good and has good pacing was great too. This was a great experience. It's the kind of anime you put on when you have a bad day. You will not be bored. All in all it was a very good anime. I would recommend this anime to anyone.

10/10. What a LOVELY anime series.

One of my Favourite anime of all time.
Such a wholesome, enjoyable and Wonderful anime.

A peaceful anime to watch.
THE BEST COUPLE in Anime history.

Story:
10/10. The plot about Relationship and Friendship that is enjoyable to watch and SATISFACTORY.
...
Art:
9/10. The animation was a great match with the anime.

Sound:
10/10. Both Opening and Ending song were so perfect to me.

Character:
10/10. The 3 important charcetrs (TAKEO GOUDA, RINKO YAMATO and SUNAKAWA MAKOTO) including the MC made me fall in love with this anime. They were perfect. It is one of the best thing about this anime is the character.

Enjoyment:
10/10. THANK YOU FOR THIS ANIME.

Overall:
10/10. I just LOVE this anime.

Please keep your expectation low and just have fun watching the anime. I really hope that you all will enjoy as much as I did.

There are hundreds of slice of life rom-com anime out there. What stood out about Ore Monogatari is that the story is so light but for some reason it puts you at the edge of your seat because of the anticipation of seeing how relationships would develop over the next episodes.

The "gorilla-like" character has been a staple at mangas and anime in order to create a comic relief or to emphasize how attractive the main character is by creating a contrast. Ore Monogatari is different. The "gorilla-like" character was the main focus of the story which is such a breath of fresh air. ... His appearance was always being brought up but honestly, I didn't care that he looked so out of place as a main character because I was so hooked at the entire show as a whole.

Aside from the twist on the regular prince type protagonist, the story was pretty much straight forward. It's about Gouda Takeo's love story and his daily interaction with the people around him. I also ADORED how the anime didn't only focus on the romantic aspect love, half of it was about friendship too. Speaking of friendship, can we all take a moment t appreciate Suna and Takeo's bromance? I was so affected by their friendship, it just felt so sincere (yes, I'm aware, it's an anime).

The show was filled with endearing characters, all of them have their own quirks which makes them so interesting. In my opinion, Takeo was the one with the most character development, he started as a gentle giant of a push over and ended up being more reliable and confident. Next up was Suna, I thought for sure he would be made into a 1-dimensional uninteresting eye candy but I was wrong. He was still the prince type. Intelligent, cool headed, quiet, perceptive and kind. The fact that Suna, the conventional protagonist type, didn't overshadow Gouda, the "gorilla-like" side character type was praise worthy. The one who stayed consistent throughout the show (in a good way) was Yamato, she's the cookie-cutter heroine, kind, cheerful, positive, smart, good at baking but she's not the pure clueless type (in you know what I mean). To sum up her character, she's very relatable.

Final thoughts?! God damn, the hype about this anime is well deserved. It's a feel-good hilarious show. I wish there will be a second season, and I want it to be about Suna. Suna's Love Story to be exact. I think it'd be interesting to watch Suna fumbling around trying to figure out love and relationship. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go look for the manga now.

OreMonogatari!! (My Story!!) is a light hearted shoujo rom-com that i liked a lot.
First, the comedy is very well made. I mean, i laughed a lot at some points... and i'm not the type that laugh a lot... so this could explain itself how i found good the comedy in this anime.
Second, the romance. Well, it's the classic dream type romance story. Who wouldn't like to have a girlfriend like Yamato? Or a boyfriend like Taeko? I mean, they're pretty unusual, but they're great. I think that everyone would fall for them.
But, anyways, it's good and enjoyable.
Third, and this part is my and ... only my opinion. This anime reminded my life. I'm not strong or tall as Taeko but everytime people look at me like, they think that i'm a bad guy. (And when they begin to talk to me, they smile 'cause i'm nice... i would never understand the human mind.)
So i felt Taeko stronger, i felt his insecurity, his thoughts. But he's nice, kind and sweet. And first of all, he's sincere with others.
Let's return at the review... so. Ah, alright. I enjoyed this anime a lot. Colourful, full of romance, stories and laughs.
As with Yamato... well, she's a great girl. And the anime focus on Taeko more than her. Although she's a fantastic girl. Full of sweet and love and cute things. (Classic shoujo main female character).
Side characters are ok. All were fine!
Art and sound were ok too. Shoujo anime tend to be more colourful and this one makes not exception. Sounds too were more... cute and soft.
So i enjoyed this anime a lot! Full 8 for it!
(I'll spend some few words for Sunakawa: he's great. A golden friend. He's always on Taeko's side and i think he will always be.)

Ore Monogatari hit home for me. Way out of the field, nothing to even consiitor, it just won. It takes thestory of two friends that have known eachother since their kindergarden days and puts them in a world full of ramance. It rellates both characters to the japanese nursery story of the red ogre and the blue ogre, one wants to make friends so the other makes a commention to show the people that the first is not a bad guy. I feel they hit very key points everywhere, leaving me utterly astonished by how they ended it so perfectly.

I feel the sound needs to ... be hit first since it was just LOVELY. I was blown away by how perfect every voice actor matched their character and their roles. Each voice held its weight to the love and it clearly showed that each actor had a good feel for these roles, making me want to hear them again in the future for whatever anime they might be casted in. Now the bgm, that... that stuff was something else. Honestly, I got so involved in the anime that I completely ignpored the bgm often enough that I didn't actually think there was any but when I started listening to it, I was very impressed. The intro song will forever be ingraved in my mind. It was one of the most catchy, love-feely intro I've heard in a long time and after trying to watch episode 4 without it, the anime didn't feel complete.

Shoujo art has a very unique and awe filled art style that emphisises on the love and the emotions in the characters face that you just don't normally get from other animes or art style, or even a lot of real TV. Yes, shoujo art is very one sided, eaither you love it or you hate it. I feel ORe Monogatari did somethere with that that a lot of other animes are trying so hard to do these days; they went right out with its art and pretty much said "if you like shoujo art, this anime is gonna blow your mind because its gonna have all the art feels you need!" and completely ignored trying to appaise those that don't like shoujo, which in turn, may not get them as many viewers, but it definatly makes it a show that highly appeases those that like shoujo. The array of colors used for the characters was very nice and it made each character feel alive, while still give that 2-D feel that we all love. Now the one issue I did have with the art, was that it never looked the same twice. Proeportioning issues where everyone between height diffences, which did make me a little confused here and there.

Each character had their own way of working their way into your heart, weither it be through force or by -dereing its way it. Even watching a second character get turned down, and loving the main girl, it just broke me up when anyone got rejected at anytime during this anime. I do wish the characters had more background and had more of a story to tell, but I feel they hit the relationship developments extrordinarily well. The fact that we only get to meat the MC's parents was kidn of a let down to be honest, as I would have loved to see an episode where the hero meets the Heroine's parents.

Plot devolpment in this anime was instintanious. There was no buffer, there was no wait, you knew exactly how the anime was gonna felt from the first episode. Or atleast thats what I thought after seeing. Making this anime actually have a main topic for the MC instead of his struggle TO get that #1 person was a brilliant idea. Showing the soft side of a giant MC is always a great idea and giving the assertive role to the heroine was jaw dropping. Throught the story, I felt that everything progressed astonishingly well and kept me involved and wanting more each minute.

The feels this anime gave me were on par only with Your Lie In April and even then, I feel it can't even begin to compair to them because Ore Monogatari just had such a strong way to show that it was it's onw style of romance and had too much going for it to be just another shoujo romance. I enjoyed every part of this anime and enjoyed every aspect of the director's ideals for these characters. Overall, its just too good to pass up for anyone. I feel it has to be watched.

Ore Monogatari is the ‘500 Days of Summer’ of Anime. ‘This is not a love story. This is a story about love.’ That is the tagline of 500 DoS. Starting out as a love story, Ore Monogatari tells the tales of various characters that appear and how love has an effect on their lives. All of this is seen through the eyes of Takeo Gouda, the Big Show with a kind heart.

Strengths
The biggest strength of Ore Monogatari!! is the interpersonal relationships between the various characters, particularly Takeo’s relationship with the side cast. After the first 3 episodes that revolve around Takeo meeting Rinko Yamato, ... his love interest, the series delves into primarily 2 episode stories that detail each side character’s problem and resolution. Each character wants love and, through their journey of finding romance, they develop into a better person after their story arc is complete, some more than others. These stories stem from Takeo’s best friend Makoto Sunakawa facing problems in his family to Takeo’s other classmates tackling their own romantic problems. Each character’s stories are what keep Ore Monogatari entertaining in its 24-episode span, including the one-off episodes centered on the goofball duo of Takeo and Rinko.

The animation and music is bright, colorful and upbeat. Words can’t describe how good the show looks and sounds. Studio Madhouse did an excellent job adapting this story.

Misstep
Possibly both the best and weakest part about Ore Monogatari!! is Takeo and Rinko. Takeo and Rinko are the least complex characters of the entire cast, and because of that, they are possibly the least interesting characters of their own show. After the initial three episodes, the primary roles for the two, aside from lighthearted, fluffy romance, is helping each side character in their story arcs. In other words, Takeo and Rinko play more of a supportive role. It is unfortunate that the side characters overshadow the main characters. However, it is never tiring to see Takeo and Rinko’s lighthearted romance portrayed on screen.

Overall
Ore Monogatari!! is SUPER vanilla, meant to warm the ice cold of hearts. Even though they are the least interesting characters compared to the side cast, Takeo and Rinko are good characters that serve as the audience’s identification figures. The show is lighthearted and straightforward with a touch of character complexities that have possibilities to be delved into further.

When I review anime, a 7 is a 70% which means the anime was average but nothing special. I noticed most people would say that was worth a 5, or a 50%, but that is an F. If an anime didn't have any obvious flaws other than being nothing special, then I don't think it failed. So please read my reviews with this in mind. This is why most of my ratings seem on the high end. If I enjoyed it enough to finish it, it should be getting a C, not any lower.

Ore Monogatari!! was an anime that had caught my eye ever since ... I first saw it released because of its beautiful art style and unique twist on romance. In the end, it really reminded me of Lovely Complex, and that may be one of the reasons I enjoyed it as much as I did.

Story(6/10)
Aside from the unique concept of a less attractive man falling in love with a cute girl, this was pretty ordinary for a romance. There wasn't too much story, and not much ever really happened. I will say that this doesn't really take too much away from the show, though. In the end it is a romcom anime, so you really shouldn't expect it to have some spectacular story behind it.

Art(8/10)
I believe that this is the strongest point of Ore Monogatari!! When I initially began watching it, I was worried about the characters being drawn with lips, but it works surprisingly well. Overall the soft pastel colors really capture the atmosphere, and the quality of the animation itself is really solid. On top of that, the eyes are really excellent, and just have so much life to them.

Sound(6/10)
This is pretty much my standard as far as sound is concerned. The voice acting was nice, and never noticeably poor for any characters. However, the music wasn't really memorable. The music was never noticeably poor, but it wasn't noticeable excellent either. That is probably the best way to describe it. That intro is really wonderful, though.

Character(7/10)
I really enjoyed the characters, but I was hoping to see a little more development. None of the characters ever seemed to change besides Takeo, who came to understand relationships a little more during the series. I was wishing to see a little bit more work, though. On that note, I can't rate the characters any lower because I just loved them all. I was rooting for each and every one, and enjoyed their presence on screen.

Enjoyment(8/10)
This is really where the anime hits a home run. I couldn't help but smile at how sweet the whole thing was. I was always interested in how the relationship would develop and what twist the next episode would bring. What really helped it along was the comedy, though. The comedy was never dirty or vulgar. It had this innocence to it that accented the show so perfectly. It was all very easy to watch, and a nice way to end the day.

In the end Ore Monogatari!! really isn't anything revolutionary, but I do think it is something special. The atmosphere is just really sure and the tone is excellent. I can really recommend this to just about anyone that I know. Th only people I would warn away from this is anyone who dislikes romance or a plot that never really goes anywhere. But, why are you even here if that is the case?

Ore Monogatari’s synopsis sounds like the most generic romance plotline one could think of. A girl is being molested on a train and a kind guy steps in to save the day, girl proceeds to fall in love with the guy; you get the picture. Ore Monogatari’s twist on this rather generic setting is that the guy is an “unpopular” and “undesirable” kind giant that many find hard to understand. As one who has watched and read their fair share of romance anime/manga, Ore Monogatari’s slightly unique portrayal of a stereotypical shoujo romance was refreshing and entertaining to watch. Rather than the whole “just get ... together already” that most romances have, instead, we watch as Takeo and Rinko’s relationship develop, how they handle their feelings for each other, their perspectives on dating and love, and how they affect the people around them.

I will start by saying that this show is a victim of many troupes of the shoujo genre, but not in your stereotypical “handsome out of reach guy falls in love with plain and ordinary girl”. The circumstances of Takeo and Rinko’s relationship are fairly different from what I’ve seen before and that alone led to many developments and situations that most romances would not have. We still have the girl who falls hard for an outstanding guy, but outstanding in another sense of the word. After watching shoujo after shoujo, romance after romance, Ore Monogatari gave me a breath of fresh air. Instead of getting frustrated that my ship wasn’t sailing, or the main characters being dishonest with their feelings, or a bunch of rivals getting in the way in an unproductive and unnecessary manner, Ore Monogatari kept that to an absolute minimum. Rather, the focus of the show lies in how much one loves the other, and how that love grows and develops as their relationship progresses.

The romance, I admit, can be overdone at times. At times it felt like I was being force-fed a spoonful of sugar due to the amount of lovey dovey stuff going on. My eyes sometimes felt like giving out due to the super sparkly aura that the show often times gives out. However, don’t let this dissuade you into not watching the show. There’s enough comedy, tender moments, a pinch of drama here and there, and even some action to try to keep things from getting repetitive and mundane (it does, however, addressed later). A big selling point of the show for me was the relationship between Takeo and Sunakawa. You’ll probably never find a better wingman in your life (so much to the point where it slightly creeps you out that Sunakawa would go so far for Takeo, but well, yeah). He supports and guides the rather naïve Takeo into growing his relationship with Yamato. However, as perfect and intelligent Sunakawa might seem, he too, is a growing high school boy with his share of problems, whether they lie with females and dating, or family issues and personal struggles.

As they often say, the characters make the show, and for this show, this is particularly true. Takeo is the lovable giant that you can’t miss; whether he’s climbing a tree to rescue a trapped kitten or helping an old lady across the street, his kind and earnest personality shines throughout the series. However, he is incredibly dense, ignorant, and overcaring which does lead to some drama throughout the show. Rinko is the super sweet girl and baking goddess, and also Takeo’s girlfriend. She always tries to give her best, especially when it comes down to supporting Takeo and whatever he does. While she does seem innocent and sweet on the outside, she, like any other girls, get jealous, worry, and has “indecent” thoughts (nothing to see here folks, this show is rated PG-13). Sunakawa is Takeo’s best friend and childhood friend; through thick and thin these two have been together since the beginning. Their personalities are complete opposites, but it’s amazing how opposites can attract. Whether it’s helping Takeo prepare a birthday plan for Yamato, or advising Yamato on what Takeo is probably thinking, he becomes a crucial part in developing the relationship between the two. We also have others who all in some way support their relationship; Sunakawa’s sister Ai who suppresses her own feelings to see the man she loves happy, or Rinko’s group of friends who tag along to group dates and encourage her and give her advice from time to time. It is hard to pick out a character who has not contributed in their relationship in some way.

The show can be extremely repetitive at times, and there are things that you can see coming from a mile away, aka the show being really predictable. I was particularly annoyed every time Takeo thought to himself “I love her”. The show does drag and stall at times, and sometimes it just seems like you’re watching some baka couple go at it doing standard couple things. I was frustrated in the middle of the season especially after how well things went in the beginning. However, try looking past that and you have a simple story of a man who never had anyone love him for who he is find an incredibly sweet girl who cares for him more than anyone. My recommendation is to simply enjoy Ore Monogatari for what it is; a slightly unconventional shoujo romance that is sweet and refreshing. Don’t try to overwatch or overanalyze it; just laugh when Takeo tries to get Sunakawa to practice kissing with him, or smile as Rinko gets flustered over the small things that Takeo doesn’t notice.

The art is “pretty”, to sum it up into one word. Everything just seems to shimmer and sparkle. However, there are times that remind you that this is indeed a manga adaptation (such as the times where small text bubbles come out with the inner thoughts of that person). I particularly enjoyed the various facial expressions of all the characters. The animation is what you would expect from an anime of this time very fluid and crisp. Yet, it has hints of cartoonish elements. The music is pretty standard romance show fare; the opening and ending theme are catchy and easy on the ears. The OP is pretty creative and fun to watch, while the ED does a good job wrapping up your feelings in a nice warm box with a bow.

For both veteran and new romance genre watchers alike, watch Ore Monogatari if you get a chance; you most likely will not regret it. For those of those claiming that it’s repetitive, or it drags, or that it is the same crap over and over again, I will not deny that, it does in fact do all of those things. However, I try to highlight the good points of a show. At the very least, it’ll get you to laugh or say “aww” a couple of times!

To put it simply, this anime has exceeded my expectations greatly. It made me laugh and smile (+ I shed a few tears as well). I would have given this a perfect score if not for a few flaws that I will elaborate on later. This is pretty spoiler-free, so read on with ease.

Story
Okay, it's not that original.. but it's still pretty refreshing. Most love stories I've seen in anime are pretty drawn-out and are focused on the chasing part of the relationship (a.k.a the part where they refuse to confess to each other etc) and they get pretty boring after like thousands of episodes ... with the MCs still saying dumb stuff like "I don't love him/her!!!" ...This is where Ore Monogatari is different. The 'chase' is much shorter in this anime as compared to others and is more focused on the actual relationship. Some people in the reviews are unhappy about this and claim that the series should have ended right there (which I can understand) and everything afterwards is sooooOooO boring (which I can't as much), but honestly, the relationship between Takeo and Yamato + the friendship between Takeo and Suna are too cute to resist. Of course, the story does get VERY repetitive after a while, so if you're a person who craves for a action-packed storyline, this anime definitely isn't for you. However, I personally enjoyed it as watching them living happy lives (with occasional obstacles) makes me happy as well (cheeesy). :))
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Art
It's all really colourful and beautiful. I don't have any complaints. (Plus, the way they portray Takeo's dramatic expressions at times is so funny that I can't help but laugh)
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Sound
I love the OP and ED songs; both are very catchy. The seiyuus for the characters were pretty appropriate too, in my opinion.
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Character
Pretty much the main reason why I love this anime so much is the lovable characters (well, the main characters). Takeo is such a selfless, brave, strong and kind person, Yamato is a sweet, caring and hardworking person and Suna is kind, understanding, gives great advice and is always there for people. Instead of the usual love triangle we see in many love stories, Suna is happy to see both of them together and is not jealous in the slightest (or at least, that is how he is portrayed to be). The friendships and relationships are all very genuine and heartwarming, which is what I value in an anime. With these friendships and relationships, the characters have developed quite a bit as well (mainly Takeo and Yamada). A flaw would be that the side characters did not have that much character development... but then again, the manga is ongoing, so let's hope that there will be some in the future.
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Overall
I enjoyed watching the whole series very much. The comedy, relationships and friendships kept me going :) Feel free to give it a watch if you're into the plot! It will most likely not disappoint. I'd recommend you to drop it if you're not into it by the third episode, though.

[This review will focus on finding out if this anime is worth a shot for YOU]

{For starters, this is a very very heart-melting anime, so if you're very, say, "sensitive" to very very cute and (sort of) exaggerated lovey-dovey scenes, you'll probably even cringe watching Ore Monogatari!, or at least find it too cheesy.
But honestly, I don't think many people are like this, but in case you are, there are many other Romance anime for you to try. I'd suggest True Tears or Toradora!, but you can look it up yourself.

For me to say the above, I don't mean that Ore Monogatari is ... too cheesy or anything, it is just VERY heart warming.}

Next, I'll explain what you should be expecting from this anime(also considering you like romance):

>A relationship with a constrast between a very cute short girl (Yamato)and a 2 meter tall, very kind hearted guy(Takeo), both first year high-schoolers.

>A very episodic-based series, showing many experiences in the first step into the world of love relationships between these two.
>Many of the stories are honestly real-life relatable, others not a lot, but still very amazing and heart-warming.

>VERY VERY heart-melting reactions (sorry I just can't emphasize this enough) from the characters, that sometimes might even make you think something like: "Oh God, I know this feeling so well! " or even simply "This is actually relatable! " and lol at the situations

>The classic best friend of the guy in the relationship(Suna), who helps him, and even her, see things from an outsider's perspective to help them solve their problems. This character really really stood out for me because, again, this is very relatable to the real world and makes up for so many satisfying episodes.

>Not a definite storyline, just an episodic and pure slice-of-life anime, constantly showing how the couple is always thinking one abut the other, how they tend to hide some things now and then, just like true human beings.

>Takeo's personality will overwhelm you, and Yamato's as well, since neither of them think twice before sacrificing their well-being for the other's happiness


So, if you are prepared for a """cheesy""" anime, with absolutely adorable and relatable situations in the world of high school love, then this anime suits you!
IMPORTANT: when i say """"cheesy"""" i just mean that the anime is just constantly throwing cutesy and lovely scenes to your face, which some people may consider to be cheesy

This is my fourth review and I'm tired of writing stuff and I'm not good at writing reviews so this is going to be a bad review I think. I didn't put any explicit spoilers but clues pointing to something might be visible. So here we go..

Story:
Well, there you have it - a good take on the romcom genre with a little deviation from the generic mainstream stuff, this being caused by the gentle touch of shoujo. After watching the first few episodes, I thought there would be a fair amount of turning points but it chose to maintain its slow pace and introduce them ... only at times it believes are right. This is why I would say there is almost always so little progression between episodes it'd feel very episodic. Still it managed to be consistent without looking too mechanically repetitive. The core story, although not that great and original, is cute. You might cry, laugh, but most of the time, smile, two kinds of smiles though, the happy smile and the hopeful smile. Sadly, there was LITTERally no major plot, but oh, it all ends with a smile. And oh wait.. didn't I just say it's smiles most of the time? Summing it up, it's good.
--> 7

Art:
I think I'll divide my art rating into subratings:
- drawing: I'm very sure they fit just right with the characters, scenes, and stuff all through (8)
- color: not really expressive but is appropriate when it comes to conveying a certain atmosphere (8)
- animation: the movements, the special effects, they never failed me (8)
--> 8

Sound:
I liked how different their voices sounded which only added to the authenticity of the characters themselves. The opening song is adorably catchy and the ending song is just about the same, if not less.
--> 8

Character:
This may come as unbelievable but the main characters are legitimately realistically perfect. Not that they have no flaws or that they're the best, it's just that their goodness really warmed me up. Though it was a medium length of 24 ep, I never really felt any development going on that much, but it does exist. Anyway I might add, Rinko Yamato is my new kawaii idol. The best girl since Rem, the shinigami.
--> 9

Enjoyment:
Well, all 24 episodes were like the sun to me, no matter what they're always enjoyable to see and feel.
--> 8

Overall:
My overall score is a bit more calculated. I use my own formula:
[story + art + sound + character + enjoyment + (my bias*5)]/10
(see details in my profile)
For this anime the equation would be:
[7 + 8 + 8 + 9 + 8 + (8*5)]/10 = overall score
with my bias of 8.
--> 8

Okay, I'm gonna start this review off by telling you that I've never written a review before and that I'm incapable of giving concrete ratings for art, sound, character etc.

The main reason that I felt like writing a review for this is the fact that I've never before watched a shoujo anime (nor read many shoujo manga). But this should be an exception.

Normally I am, just like many guys, scared off by the label 'shoujo'. Mainly because of the fact that many romance shoujo anime are (in my eyes) all pretty much the same. Now please don't freak out, because this can be said for ... many, many shounen anime as well. But I personally feel that this anime is different. One of the reasons for this is that the main character of this anime is a guy, which is something that's a must for me. And when I heard that Ore Monogatari had Takeo, a guy, as main character, I immediately started off by reading the manga first. And to be honest, I fell in love with it. After reading the manga I began with the anime. Which, at the time, was already at like 18 episodes. And for the first time in a long time I practically marathoned those 18 episodes.

One of the main reasons I loved this is because of the fact that it doesn't feel like a shoujo anime. A male main character, who isn't all pretty and sparkly all shoujo style, but the exact opposite. That drew me to instantly liking Takeo. Even the other guys in the anime (who, mind you, are drawn shoujo style) didn't give me the 'prince on a white horse' generic shoujo character impression. So all in all if someone were to ask me which audience (shounen or shoujo) this anime is watchable for, I would without a doubt say both.

One of the few things which I personally found a bit too much was the innocence of the love. In certain amounts it's good, but for me this was too much. They hold hands like they're both walking naked on the streets and the first name basis is like doing it for the first time. Which annoyed me a little bit, but not enough to even hesitate to be excited for the next episode.


So, for all the guys asking if this is watchable despite being shoujo: Abso-freaking-lutely.

A love story whose realistic expediency in its resolution is the first indication that the author possess the ability to create a complete and holistic narrative. Introduction and development of characters is seamless, and mirrors reality as the advancement of these characters further deepens the relationships and interactions between all other actors and parties. The author also spectacularly avoids the extremely common pitfall of core character overload, where once characters are created and introduced they become a mainstay of every episode. This expert restraint completely skirts the deluge of a cast heavy inflexible mess, that often drowns a show in both endless group episodes and ... the diffusion of responsibility to ever deeply develop any of the characters. This display of confidence is evident from the authors ability to remove characters when necessary, and the more common than not solo and duo characters scenes in this show.

Although great, this show has 1 major and 2 minor flaws. The major being that due to the speed at which the main characters become a couple, the inner dynamic and struggle between the characters that most love stories follow is forced outward, and caste unto other parties. Some episodes do pertain to the advancement of the main characters relationship, but more likely than not, they act as a cornerstone for which other characters and stories can further be examined and elevated.

The first of the 2 minor flaws is that some plot moments are unrealistic and feel forced. The intent is to further illuminate character traits by creating extreme situations for them to act in, but the generation of these events are suspiciously convenient to the point of obviousness. You could argue this is a work of fiction, and some fantasy should inclinate to a degree of suspended disbelief, but few other qualities of the show seem to indicate that the viewer should follow this notion.

The second of the 2 minor flaws is that the ending episodes of the show become arbitrarily shonen, and detracts from the entire aforementioned cornerstone premise. The show abandons all of it's previous buildings to attempt at making an impactful battle with a resolution to deepen the characters relationship with each other. Unfortunately this clearly intends to resolve in the most obvious way possible, resulting in no drama to be cultivated, and causing the three end episodes feel like a waste of time.

Art is above average. Sound is above average. Overall very enjoyable.

Are you sick and tired of clichés and harem shows? Do you want a romance that is actually good, not the repetitive romcom that goes absolutely nowhere and sacrifices everything for the jokes? Then Ore Monogatari is for you. This anime is not perfect, but it's far better than the bulk of cheap romcoms.

The comedy is surprisingly good, giving a ton of good laughs without pulling the classic black comedy that has to make characters suffer or be humiliated in some way. There is no clichéd bromatic foil that retarded and has to take the fall just to prove how normal the main character is. ...

And there is no harem. Harem is a plague that has infected anime for a long time, and any show that manages to keep it at bay deserves respect. There are beta couples, which is fresh air in the genre that has gotten so stale with main characters that have horribly unattractive personalities but somehow are supreme chick magnets to the point where nobody else seems to be in a relationship because they've monopolized every girl yet still won't act on it. Another reviewer called it "Nisekoi without the harem" as if it were a bad thing. I'd say removing the harem is an improvement to most if not all anime.

As for progression, it might not have the timeline of Code Geass, but saying there is no progression is just false. Compared to the classic romcoms that have tainted anime for such a long time, with 20+ episodes of nothing but unresolved sexual tension, I consider a show where somebody gets hitched by the end a major achievement. To a show where they not only hitch the characters before the end, but actually continue with the story, I give my applause. Too many shows refuse to hitch their characters as if afraid the fans would be pissed and try to burn the studio down.

Overall, Ore Monogatari is definitely part of the 8-9 score category on MAL, not a masterpiece, but definitely something far above average and recommendable to most people. The mix of comedy in romance is far better done that most other romcoms and despite its various flaws it deserves a solid 9, or if you're really critical, at least an 8, but anything less is not doing it justice.

"Ore Monogatari" - An anime that I thought would be amazing but ended up disappointing. In the first few episodes, I really enjoyed how funny the episodes were and how there was an actual plot on whether Takeo would get with Yamato but literally 3 episodes in , they are already together. So I was thinking in my head , how is this anime going to be 24 episodes long? It felt to me like this anime should be about 12 episodes long. I felt that 24 would drag it on too long but I gave the anime the benefit of the doubt and continued ... watching.

The problem started when there was no character progression in the characters or plot at all. It felt like I was watching fillers past the first seven episodes or so. It became boring and repetitive. This anime reminded me of "Sakamoto desu ga?" which I watched last summer and had this exact same problem. In that anime as well ,it was hilarious and amazing the first five episodes or so but after that it felt like the same thing over and over and the characters were the same from the beginning of the anime to the end. In "Ore Monogatari" , Sunakawa , and the couple are exactly the same , nothing changed about them , barely any development. If Sunakawa had a stronger presence and if Yamato actually stopped being so "nice" and stuff then this anime probably would have been much stronger.

Yamato is wayy too "nice" and baked way too many pastries for Takeo. It was cute for the first two-three episodes but it became really annoying the more and more she did it. The difference between Takeo and Yamato was unsettling too, Yamato looks like a ten year old girl and Takeo looks like he is in his mid twenties. It just does not look/feel cute at all watching the couple. I much preferred the Nanako couple. Also it is cute to see Takeo saying he loves Yamato once in a while but when he does it multiple times every episode it just becomes annoying.

The solution to this anime that would have made it amazing in my opinion is if it A)Shortened the anime to 12-13 episodes instead of 24 and adding useless fillers or
B) Develop Sunakawa and Yamato's character's presence to the point you see progression / change throughout the episodes not have them be exactly the same from episode 1 to 24.

This anime wasn't bad but it definitely wasn't great. I don't recommend watching this one as there are many other good comedy romance anime. The anime feels dragged out and seems like there isn't a lot of substance in the episodes aside from the first few. Unnecessary new side characters and back stories dragging the anime on longer than needed be.

If you like sweet stories and happy people, you'll probably like this. If you like some meat to your animes or something that challenges what you hold to be true, this will not succeed. Watching Ore Monogatari is like someone taking a soft, blow-up hammer and hitting you over the head with it while feeding you cake and telling you "Don't judge people by looks, trust the people you care about and work hard to be your best self"

It's not a bad message by any means and there are worse things in the world than a show that gives off an aura of sweetness and ... happiness. That's about where it stops, though.