Senpai ga Uzai Kouhai no Hanashi

Wageslave propaganda or wholesome romcom? You decide! On today’s episode of “Get a Job, You Filthy NEET!”

Seriously, what should this sub-genre even be called? The Declining Japanese Birthrates Genre? Newcomers may not know what I’m talking about, but over the past few years, we’ve been getting a lot of anime like this where, by contrast to the usual highschool romcom, we get a show that has every tangible element of a highschool romcom, that looks and feels exactly like a highschool romcom, and that features a cast of characters whose behavior and emotional maturity is fundamentally indistinguishable from those in highschool romcoms, but which instead ... takes place in an office around allegedly adult characters. The initial thinking was that anime fans were growing up, graduating from highschool, entering the workforce, and would no longer be able to relate to teenage characters in a highschool setting, so the industry decided to give them similarly aged characters to project themselves onto, but it didn’t take long for everyone to realize this genre was most likely manufactured for a much more underhanded reason.

Think military recruitment propaganda. They show you strong, capable soldiers engaging in exhilarating heroics, fighting for their country side by side with their trustworthy brothers and sisters in arms. They then say, “That could be you too! Sign up now! GoArmy dot com!” The idea is to romanticize and idealize a position which is actually much more grueling and unsexy than you’re made to believe, so that way you voluntarily sign up and only realize the reality of the situation after you’ve committed and can’t so easily back out. This genre which I’ve elected to call The Declining Japanese Birthrates Genre is functionally military recruitment propaganda, only instead of advertising positions in the military, it’s advertising positions in society as a whole, from which otaku have become increasingly estranged. “You don’t want to work and/or impregnate a girl to further the great Yamato race? You’d rather stay in your room and watch anime? Well, look at this! There’s cute anime girls in the workforce now too! [insert job hunting websites here]”

This genre didn’t proliferate as a consequence of otaku entering the workforce. It proliferated as a consequence of them NOT entering the workforce, and when you start viewing these shows through the lens of bait, you simply cannot see them as anything else, and while these undertones don’t necessarily make these shows bad, they’re definitely manipulative. The first episode literally opens with the cute main girl running out her front door like Hirasawa Yui before her yelling, “Let’s go to work!” And it concludes with her looking directly into the camera, pouting, timidly blushing, and saying, “Couldn’t I be your wife?” I mean, is it even fucking possible to get more heavy-handed than that? The show goes so far out of its own way and so far beyond the furthest bounds of reality to paint the salaryman lifestyle in the most nicey-nice, happy-go-lucky, relaxed light it feasibly can, and yet despite having the transparency of a fucking window and despite my attempts to infect you with my cynicism, it nearly redeems itself simply by being a Doga Kobo show.

Doga Kobo produces nothing but moe shows, and they’re really damn good at it. While their level of polish is much more modest than Kyoto Animation, for example, their animation is still consistently better than most modern anime, and as is usually the case, they clearly put a lot of effort into this. I personally think some of the character design elements aren’t particularly beautiful, like the main girl Futaba’s swampy green hair or the main guy Takeda’s distractingly bulky proportions, but overall, the artwork and animation is good enough that I quickly got over these minor subjective complains. Of course, the waifu bait isn’t complete unless you have a wide selection of girls, and the side couples the show sets up are at times even more likable than the main duo, whose gimmicky relationship can sometimes honestly overstay its welcome. At the end of the day, if you can look past its obvious intentions and just consume it as a generic, shallow, forgettable, but admittedly cute and fun workplace romcom, then this show is perfectly not bad.

Thank you for reading.

Ever wondered what's like to see what the office work environment in a slice of life comedy? Now you can see it with your eyes because My Senpai Is Annoying delivers the satisfaction of entertainment between two unlikely co-workers.

At first glance, My Senpai Is Annoying might trigger some red flags due to the appearances of the two main leads. Takeda looks like someone who is old enough to be Futaba's dad. But don't let that fool you. Futaba is a older than she looks despite having the appearance of a teenager. Whenever you see the duo together, it looks like a mismatch because how ... different they are. And really, Futaba displays the personality of a child when she's with Takeda. The title of the anime speaks for itself because she finds senpai Takeda annoying. Or does she....?

Coming into this show, the expectations should be open minded. Be prepared to watch an anime without a complex plot because the anime has a simple premise. In fact, the anime doesn't even try to hide the fact that Futaba has a crush on Takeda. Everyone seems to know this except for Takeda himself. Nonetheless, Futaba is the one who is often annoyed by Takeda when he teases her. She believes her senpai treats her like a little sister. And indeed, their relationship does feel sibling-like despite the show advertising it as a romantic comedy. The 'will they or won't they?' is a question I'm sure viewers will be asking themselves as each episode progresses. However, I will just say that you should temper expectations if you're expecting an actual love story. This isn't one of those dramatic rom-coms that uses romance as a main selling plot. It relies much more on comedy to highlight our characters' daily lives and how they interact with each other.

You may have also noticed on the promotional poster that Futaba and Takeda are surrounded by a small yet colorful supporting cast. Among one of the more interesting pairings in the show is Sakurai and Kazama. In later episodes, we see their inner connection and how they get along with each other both in and out of the office. Sometimes, it's even more appealing than watching Futaba and Takeda. Another noticable pair is Natsumi and Yuuto, with the the latter having a noticable crush on the tomboy. Watching this show will feel like a shipping war at times but honestly, I think that's what makes a rom-com effective. When you start to care about three or more character pairings in a single 12-episode show, then it's done a lot right that earned your attention.

As mentioned previously, this isn't some complex anime with a deep story. Characterization is what you see on the surface that doesn't go into in-depth development. The episodes are neatly structured similar to sitcoms where every episode offers something different. From Valentine's Day to an outdoors competition on the basketball court, every episode brings characters together to experience life. So in essence, My Senpai Is Annoying is the type of show that sells you exactly what it advertises.

And being a romantic comedy, the show keeps its visual quality simple and adapts them straight ouf of the manga. Now, the most obvious element to point at is the size difference between Futaba and Takeda. It's a running gag that both characters are self-aware of. Other characters such Sakurai makes the male population turn their heads. The anime doesn't make use of fan service much except through the use of ship teases. Overall, it keeps a simple yet effective usage of visual quality with every episode.

Looking for something to relax your mind? My Senpai Is Annoying is the right show for you because it keeps everything so simple. And at the end of a stressful day, this show will give you something to smile about.

Do you ever see or hear anime titles that are misleading on purpose, and instead are just nothing but a wholesome, pure cute adventure, from start to finish. Which is just a treat to watch? This is what you'll get when it comes to this show.

Set in an office setting, as if it's a normal working company, with working relations with other work people. Sorta like Retsuko in a way. As we watch the work place come alive trough various workers. Mainly through our small protagonist Futaba, who is not only a joy to see, but is also very expressive in her own right. She'll ... sometimes hide her feelings, but most of the time, she'll always find a way to let them out. She's cute, she's precious, and honestly feels super relatable.

Her senpai though....He's a sigma male honestly. The best kind of senpai anyone could ever want. Trust me, you're going to appreciate the ground he walks on, because he's a fucking gem. The show's title says 'annoying' but if anything, he's a pure hearted gentle giant man with a heart of gold, that can be my senpai any damn day of the week. He not only does his job well, but he also supports all his work colleges, mainly Futaba whom he works with a lot, and doesn't let her size, or any other feature bother him. To him, she's a normal adult like you or I. I honestly think that's so great. He;s a mans man.

But the show isn't just about these two, there are also other characters in the mix that we have to talk about. Which range from some of Futaba's childhood friends, whom are quite the characters themselves. To even her grandpa, whom in one certain scene, just had me laughing from ear to ear. Besides those, we have a good focus on two characters in Touko, whom is just an angel, she's a true sweetie, you'll adore her for how she acts, and who she is. Along with Souta, who seems like a good dude overall, a good colourful bunch of characters that will push this show so far, and will make it each and every episode enjoyable from the get go.

The art style can be summed up as bright, and detailed. A fitting artstyle that is not only pleasing to the eye, but doesn't look out of place no matter what scene. Along with the sound, the reactions from the characters are just good stuff all round. Nothing to complain about here.

My senpai is annoying is just a gem all round. One of the ones to watch this season for sure, you SHOULD be watching it now. The story is just not only wholesome in so many ways, but it's charming, it's sweet, it's funny, it's really good viewing. Give it a go now, don't wait for it to finish in a couple of weeks. I'd advise you to begin watching it if you haven't yet, right now.

Hey you short stuff! Yes, up here! Listen up. As someone who used to like rom-coms, I can confidently say that My Senpai is Annoying (MSA) is the best rom-com, and probably romance of the year. Yes, you heard me. Now, let’s jump right in!

For those unfamiliar with the show, its premise is not too different from rom-coms or sit-coms like The Office, Parks and Rec and Wotakoi. However, MSA is actually a lot less comedy oriented to the point I would actually consider the series to be mostly just a sweet and wholesome romance-slice of life. While shows like The Office and Parks and ... Rec focus on comedy hijinks and Wotakoi is more about otaku culture, MSA genuinely wants to just show you who our characters are as people and the really cute ways they interact with each other, particularly with our female lead, Igarashi Futaba. The nice aspect about MSA’s comedy is that it never actually feels forced nor does it ever try to cram it down your throat. There’s actually a sizable amount of build up and a very high pay off for the audience’s ability to remain patient. The way this show actually delivers its jokes is actually to the point I would argue is realistic, which is perfect for an adult comedy, as the characters never overblow their reactions in ugly chibi art, but are genuinely shook by something they’ve seen/heard or have their fair share of embarrassing moments in the workplace/outside. There is never a purposefully inserted straight man and wise guy nor any particular visual gags for the sake of comedy, because the way MSA delivers situational and character-based humor is fairly natural without purposely trying to make a joke, unless it’s part of a character’s intention rather than the writer. I get that situational comedy is not for everyone, but trust me when I say it doesn’t ever feel like a skit. Despite all the positives I’ve said though, I would not recommend this show solely for the romantic comedy aspect as it’s not actually the core selling point, but is definitely in need of a mention.

Specifically for the romance, there are 2 noteworthy ships in the show, Igarashi x Takeda and Sakurai x Kazama. I’m part of the uncommon opinion, but I actually believe Sakurai x Kazama is significantly worse. They’re an average ship amongst romance in all media, but given what the anime genre has to offer, they’re decent. First, let me explain who they are as characters. Kazama is the deadpan quiet otaku archetype of a character that helps out his crush, Sakurai while playing small pranks on his other coworkers. He’s actually written in a non-offensive way for the most part. The offensive part is that his eyes tend to have a male gaze…at women’s bodies, which is one of his forms of comedy. It was only funny with a specific gag in ep. 2 but no time else. As for Sakurai, she’s a more outgoing, friendly gal whose main characterization is her rack…She plays a more of a damsel-in-distress type of character but is actually a lot more shy than expected from her surface appearance when it comes to romance. When with her co-workers, she’s a fairly nice, and polite gal. Overall, their characterization is somewhat 3-D which is their strong aspect. However, their relationship is not as nuanced.

A lot of their comedy together is borderline ecchi jokes which I feel like is something I’d laugh at in middle school, not as someone in college. A lot of their moments just involve Kazama saving Sakurai from a bad situation, or ‘boy-saves-girl and now boy and girl are in love’, which is not particularly impressive. Though, they do pay attention to each other like people who genuinely care about each other. It’s not like they’re inherently bad for each other, but I personally think Igarashi x Takeda outshines them completely. Sakurai x Kazama romance has at least one nonconsensual romantic moment that I will be vague about to avoid spoilers but just know that it is certainly there, at the end of episode 11; it’s played off for jokes when it’s neither funny nor comfortable to watch. I will admit Sakurai and Kazama do have some particularly sweet moments and sometimes good chemistry, but to call these two a realistic or even good couple…I would not wager more than $5 on that if at all.

Before I talk about the main ship, I do want to note that Doga Kobo is the studio which animated MSA, and it’s generally known for very bad portrayal and character designs of its younger female characters, but I genuinely think My Senpai is Annoying is another step in the right direction for them along with Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun and Maojou de Oyasumi in terms of writing. The sakuga for this show is surprising as hell! Just look at the opening for this show, OPENING OF THE SEASON 10,000%. Even though I have 2 qualms about a boob joke and a non-con kiss scene in the opening song, I think it’s the best sound-wise and dynamically.

The animation is way more fluid than this show probably deserves but it really opens up a new realm in the slice of life genre. Although the character designs are hard to get used to immediately, the consistency of their character models and the number of frames put into the best animated scenes, like in the subway, in the bar, and Igarashi’s home, are so nice to look at. All of them bring out character facial expressions and actions, I can’t help but gush about the effort put into this show.

The soundtrack isn’t phenomenal, but it’s really fitting for this show. It’s just severely out-classed by its opening song, the really pop-out sound fx and the voice actors, so it’s not quite as memorable. As someone who used to sing in acapella, I have a huge love for any singers who use nasal, and I gotta praise Kusunoki Tomori, the seiyuu for Igarashi, for utilizing the beauty of nasally vocals in the opening song because it is so hard to do well. This is the only role of her’s I’ve particularly liked so I’m glad to say she’s showcasing her talent in the seiyuu industry.

For the 4 episodes of the dub I watched, it actually felt like a different experience so I would encourage potential viewers to try both. I personally like Igarashi’s sub voice acting more, but drunk Igarashi in the dub is SO FUNNY! The dub is a little weird to get used to initially, but Mona, a less important character, has a dub that is incredibly comedic, even more so than the sub seiyuu who voices Kaguya Shinomiya, one of the best voice acted roles in the last few years! Kudos to the dub on this one. But…if I had to choose between sub and dub though, I’d give a slight win to the sub, only because the dub occasionally uses some weirdly non-casual vocabulary and unnatural laughter in regular chats amongst the cast members, so I think the dub script translations are not as good as the subtitle translations and the voice actors are not quite as experienced.

Animation: 8.5/10
Art: 6.5/10
Soundtrack: 7/10
Sound FX: 8/10
Opening: 9/10
Sub Voice Acting: 8/10
Dub Voice Acting: 7.5/10

As for Igarashi x Takeda, I genuinely like them a lot. Igarashi’s character design in particular might be an issue for some people and she is LOWKEY a tsundere. I will say though that the way Igarashi is presented is not completely unbelievable the more you watch her as a character. I find myself rooting for her all the time because she genuinely tries her best to be honest about her feelings and be an independent adult. Ever since she was in middle school, she didn’t want to be a burden to anyone and that feeling was amplified by her lack of physical growth. In fact, because she is so short, Igarashi has an inferiority complex to her co-workers that causes much of the self-confidence issues she has, also why she cannot confess to Takeda. I think what makes Igarashi a strong character is that she’s willing to accept help and work together with others. She’s certainly a flawed character but that’s what makes her so lovable to me! It’s to the point I just want her ship to win! I don’t drink alcohol but I feel drunk with joy seeing her complain about her life at the bar because she is fairly interesting as an adult woman with short people problems (please don’t kill me short readers)!

As for Takeda, as much as I like him as a person, he’s actually a fairly weak character overall. He’s too perfect lowkey, since he’s always there to help everyone, always optimistic, and never makes any mistakes. It’s unfortunate since Takeda deserves as much development and flawed characterization as Igarashi. He’s like a teddy bear personality and honestly my type, but there’s not much to him beyond that. He doesn’t get a backstory or any particularly in-depth moments either, until the last episode where he expresses a lack of self-esteem for the first time, so we’ll have to see how he is next season, if we get one. Overall, the romance is one-sided, but their chemistry as friends who care about each other is nice to see in a romance! I don’t particularly mind if they do or don’t get together to be fairly honest, but I hope their friendship at the very least grows stronger.

Last 2 things I want to touch off on are Igarashi's gramps and Natsumi. When the most clingy person in an anime is not even someone in love but a grandpa, you knowww they’re being subversive! This guy is hilarious af! He loves his granddaughter to the point where he’s riding a motorcycle cities away just to see Igarashi if she sheds a tear, but to Igarashi herself, he is quite over-bearing and even embarrassing at times, but not necessarily in a bad way! Their relationship is fortunately given more depth in a backstory, so there will be an explanation. If you don’t like romance but like slice of life comedy, I would honestly recommend watching the show for just that one supporting character. Natsumi, Igarashi’s childhood friend, is another character I would like to appreciate because she’s actually characterized and developed as well as Igarashi, a great surprise. Her backstory episode with Igarashi is personally my favorite of the whole series as it gives the audience an under-the-surface perspective of how the characters became who they are today. I don’t want to spoil, so I will leave it there for Natsumi.

In conclusion, this is the must-watch romantic-comedy of 2021 that’s not really a romantic-comedy. It’s not even the best thing ever but as someone who had rom-com burnout to the point I actually think I hate rom-coms, this genuinely makes me want to watch more rom-coms which I’ll probably regret. I have My Senpai is Annoying to blame for that *angry face*
>:( ♫Ano no noo ano no noo Annoying san san week!!♫

Overall: 7.2/10
Enjoyment: 8.5/10

Happy holidays everyone!

After the sad (and rushed ) parting of wotakoi us mature romance fans have been blessed by his lovely office romance

in a nutshell, this anime is the combination that is wotakoi + lovely complex, With real high production values.

This anime did not have much expectation but is turning out to be another sleeper hit, it has the perfect balance of slice of life comedy and romance, and plays each demographic quite well .

certain tropes are used like flat chest etc however they do not play that card repeatedly which is a kind of relief since this I where most anime fail.

the story is simple ... and easy to follow we have a senpai, we have a kohai they have an interesting dynamic both physically and emotionally . The side characters also have their own charm with the main cast as well as with each other .

The characters are kind of tropey, yet not so much so that they do not feel like actual people, the Tsundere is nicely balanced and does not get to your nerves (which I feel would set a precedent already).couple of surprise secondary characters who are quite wholesome.

This anime has the most unique opening this season, it's really well done and I absolutely love it. From the OP music, many can tell that this anime has very high production values, the Ed is alright I guess. The Vas do an above-average job especially sakura and Kazuma their VA s are also pretty well known .

the Artsyle is unique but really not my type, (that is the only reason I watched this after a few clips were out).The animation however is surprisingly well done at places you would least expect ! The OP also has real fluid animation which really helps add to the already great music.

overall a very good show with the very right balance of romance slice of life and comedy. given the high budget it has received I am hopeful that it will be a sleeper hit and recommend it to everyone without hesitation.

---*** CONTAINS SPOILERS ***---

Contrary to a lot of the other top reviews, I found Senpai ga Uzai Kouhai no Hanashi to be quite... unremarkable?

Comedy/Romance/Slice of Life are a genre combination that has been done so, so many times by now, it's hard to even keep track. This has the effect of new shows having to be especially memorable in some way or another, or they will just fade away as the next season comes with a new (possible multiple) Comedy/Romance/Slice of Life anime.

Senpai ga Uzai Kouhai no Hanashi does nothing remarkable in terms of the plot. They just threw us into the world of a ... cute junior saleswoman and her senior who is comically large compared to her, and then just left viewers to watch the largely predictable plotlines play out. If you know the slightest bit about Japanese working norms, or have watched any slice of life anime that has adult characters living in Japan, you won't ever get surprised by the plotlines or settings that are supposed to drive the story.

The characters are nothing to write home about.
Futaba is a pretty generic, fiesty loli-type that is secretly caring and kind, we've seen that archetype countless of times over the years.
Takeda is a gentle but protective giant that is also pretty clueless, and he has to be those things, because if he were not, the show would not be able to play on the dynamic between him and Futaba at every chance they get. Very stuck in his archetype with little room to be anything else.
Sakurai is a basic flawless pretty girl that all the guys have a crush on.
Kazama is a basic introverted but capable guy.

The most endearing character in this show, to me, is actually Futaba's grandfather. The interactions between him and his granddaughter are some of the most wholesome and heartwarming in the show. It would be a lie to say that it doesn't put a smile on my face when he fawns over her or reminisces about when she was an even smaller girl. The interpersonal issues he has with her are also very believable, understandable and as relatable as a 60 year olds' problems can be to a 20-something guy with no kids.

The characters don't have any actual backstory. We get too much context as to why they are the way they are, how their experiences form their choices, how they arrived at where they are in life. The characters just conform to their archetype and don't really get a much of a story.
It's really a shame, because to me, complex and imaginative characters are really what drive these sort of anime onto the next level, but it's just not present here.

Now, I've made it sound bad, but honestly this is not better or worse than any average, seasonal anime with the same genres. You go in, get your fix of a little bit of cute, predictable lovey-dovey stuff and get out after a quick 12 episodes. Nothing horrible, confusing or deplorable about it, even if it is unoriginal.

At best, you get attached to the cute looking characters, the well made art (nicely done, studio), and the quirky dynamic between the two main characters.
At worst, you get pretty bored with strict archetypes and unoriginal content.

Don't be fooled my the high mal score for this show. Its honestly the most mid tier show of the year. The show has flat character dynamics with repetitive jokes. The main loli girl cries in almost every episode over nonsensical crap. It adds nothing new to the rom com genre. People that are giving this high ratings are people who have never watched a rom com before. Because there are loads of actually good rom coms that at least try to be different. Watching it weekly was fine but if I tried to binge watch this I'd probably get bored right away.

An actual *GOOD* rom-com in this dry season.

I almost missed this anime simply because I was so inclined to believe that there wasn't really anything to my liking to watch in comparison to mindlessly watching whatever for the sake of then writing some insincere copypasta-esque about it. Then I found out that this was a romance anime and thought I'd give it a try anyway since I quite like romance anime.

Watching this anime in this dry season was a very good choice on my part.

What we have here, is a *GOOD* rom-com filled with just about every cliche imaginable. A simple innovation of the common ... plot devices, with the selling point being another mutually simple essence of clarity. I'm sure I don't need to iterate for the 42351st time now, having been a fan of down-to-earth material with an abstract waveform of ecstasy radiated from itself, it comes to merely understand a different logical perspective as to why this is simply borderline amazing.

This honest piece of work focuses on the life of Futaba and her "annoying" senpai. Really and truly, she is the annoying one but people submit to the fact that tsunderes are just tsundere so let them be and do whatever. To me, that'd kill any kind of wholesomeness aspect. We have people seething over literally any controversial character but won't bat an eye when Taiga or some other bitchy tsundere does a 360 headshot on their significant other, I mean, I am not a fan of asshole characters made out to be like some kind of saint. Maybe I am just hating on tsunderes a little too much but this part is relevant so hear me out. My point is here that you won't be getting any hardcore tsundere nonsense here. Sure, there are the physical moments that arise every now and then but I believe Futaba isn't even the worst of the bunch I've seen in my time in the medium. If you absolutely detest characters like her, that's understandable, but for those having similar tolerance to me, I promise that this anime is tame with the premise and tropes it uses.

Anyway, the actual wholesomeness would extend from the impeccable relationships in this anime. This is something to endorse for sure, something to truly embrace as you breathe in the oxygen you do today. This right here is *GOOD* relationships presented in a fun and light-hearted manner. I am actually unable to extend this review into madness relative to such a point, because it is that simple of an anime, yet it's amazing character pairing, the situations pairs get into, or just the little stories that arise every now and then. Relatively, very *REAL* stuff.

I suppose I should actually talk about the characters here, the people who actually make this worthwhile. From what I know, they seem to be very human, or at least, there are those who stick to their trope whilst bouncing around into other genuine behaviour in a way that is neither haphazard nor awkward. As said, cliches here all around, same with character tropes. But I do really believe that these characters have some honesty to them. It's weirdly more true for anyone who isn't Futaba or Takeda actually. You have Sakurai who has some genuine feelings whilst acting a little smug around those she has no interest in, Kazama that is literally just that dude in the corner with his feelings and what have you, actually having to be dug out from his quiet soul to find out more about him. On that point, Sakurai and Kazama is literally the best ship in this anime and is probably the most pushed forward in terms of growth, yes, the secondary relationship actually gets attention here (ikr, it's amazing). There's also an elaborate background for Natsumi, and a cool weirdo Mona who brings life to the scene with her superficially dull-looking self. Don't get me wrong, the main two are something to stay for too. Whilst Takeda is indeed a dense dude who just doesn't seem to understand some obviously irrational feelings of his kouhai, one must note that their time together simply isn't null, it is a blissful experience to watch the two do what they do together, something of which shouldn't be skipped for sure. The two may not be all original, but it is very honest stuff that isn't extrapolated into absurdity for the sake of milking rubbish due to the lack of infinite ideas available.

On the production side of things. I will say that, yes, this one surely doesn't hit any high marks anywhere. Looks "generic" for its time and the OST is indeed something that just subconsciously goes out as fast as it comes in. But again, I don't see any reason for that to be a reason to not watch this. I am repeating myself here, an honest piece of work, it doesn't necessarily need KyoAni on job for it to be loveable, if anything, it probably would be unfitting. At the very least of "high-quality", the OP slaps and is actually something to not skip, so hey, at least try that.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable thing to watch, certainly something that I would recommend to all trying to watch some good rom-com. This one will age, and it will age like Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun, Wotakoi and the likes. It is just a nice anime to watch without having to fuss too much about any kind of major unnecessary attentive detail, being very serious here. Easy 9/10 stuff.

Anyway, I've pulled this review outta my ass as usual, but I thought that I'd at least try to say more than push off some "yea this good, go watch it" type review. So hopefully this actually helped anyone who wants to go watch this anime. Also, it's a bit odd to talk about Christmas in real life in a review, since this will age into the future, but for this self-aware instant in time, Merry Christmas :)

With every passing season of Anime, the threshold of what is impressive is raised ever so slightly; Production in anime has gotten more ostentatious over the years which has yielded great results for helping make anime more wide reaching. Which is why to no ones surprise a plethora of awaited adaptations and sequels came out for this Fall season. One such anime was Senpai ga Urusai Kouhai no Hanashi a cute albeit not entirely original Office romance, Think the likes of Ore Monogatari!! Blended together with Wotakoi; surprisingly up until the a few weeks ago I had never heard of the series and going in ... I was expecting a slightly above average run of the mill office romance with a slightly eccentric cast of characters, and I got what I expected.

The story follows a short office woman named Igarashi Futaba – she’s commonly made fun of due to her comically childish appearance juxtapose this to her large, burly, bear-like senpai, Takeda Harumi. Majority of the story seems to just be a series of loosely connected events that push the romance further, the story is presented basically like it’s a gag manga. With and episodic format like that it’s always going to be hit or miss with the stories contained in the episodes – with arc based stories momentum from previous episodes can keep you engaged but with episodic stories you generally need a consistent stream of good episodes – so far the episodes are mediocre at worst, decent at best. I understand that the Gag format is a stylistic writing choice on the part of the creator, but I think that for stories like this that a continuous story based format can work better. Not to say that everything is bad here, there are a lot of very cute moments, say for example when Futaba gets drunk, but for the most part the stories lack substance or aren’t the most interesting to watch.

But most of that can be forgiven given the episodic format does not yield to the most compelling stories, the characters are usually the driving force behind the personality and the image of the show, this is no different in Senpai ga Urusai Kouhai no Hanashi. The characters are very hit or miss, I don’t particularly dislike any characters but some characters just aren’t the most interesting. Igarashi Futaba is your Titular tsundere loli – She’s cute but terribly stereotypical which does detract from my enjoyment. She’s just not very unique, nothing about her separates her from the other characters of her architype, during the 4 episodes I watched It was this nagging thing in my head “Another tsundere who complains about having a flat chest and being short” it’s almost like a check list at this point. Takeda is the male lead of the story, a strong, stoic definition of Masculinity he is safe to say, refreshing. You don’t see many overly masculine males playing the leading male role in a cutesy romance anime and Takeda is one of my favourites; he’s Wholesome, he’s funny, he’s very likeable. For a the Male lead, he’s solid – if there was any issue I had with him, he’s dense – comically so. Whenever authors write a dense characters it’s almost always to draw out the romance for as long as possible which is just painful to sit through. However the Chemistry between Futaba and Takeda makes for a fun and wholesome relationship. As for the supporting cast; they’re decent Sakurai and Kazama have this cute back and forth and it’s obvious that they both like each other and it makes for a cute side story to any given episode. Natsumi didn’t strike me as a very interesting character, she serves her purpose as the titular friend/wingman character – this is probably the character I would like to see develop the most over the story. Minor supporting characters like Futaba’s grandfather and Tsukishiro are decent comedic relief and I quite enjoyed what little time they had on-screen.

As far as Art goes, nothing mind blowing but the animation is definitely slightly above the curve for normal anime. Notably the opening for the anime has some pretty stellar animation – it was oddly reminiscent of the Komi-San opening from this season, but only because of the similar production value and release date. All in all I think the art and animation is fine, some of the characters are certainly easy on the eyes and for the most part – I liked the art style.

I think the opening for this anime, is really goddamn cute – starting with the song “Annoying! San San Week!” done by all the VA’s for the show, It’s a lowkey bop, it’s fun, uplifting and it perfectly fits the show, I absolutely adore this song. Some standout moments for me was the cute little interaction between Kazama and Sakurai, I also liked how the whole opening is like a Company video edited by Futaba it’s just a cute world building touch because sometimes you forgot, this is an office romance. The opening is a really catchy song with some nice amusing visuals. The ED "Niji ga Kakaru Made no Hanashi” by Yui Horie is just another really cute song. It’s shot in this painting frame esc floating panels way and it makes for a nice and simplistic ending – has some nice moments with the ending especially in the final scene of the ED where it’s just two drinks one for Futaba and one for Takeda. As far as the general OST of the Anime, it really wasn’t anything all that impressive, at least none of the tracks I heard. The Voice acting was also fine, they fit the characters well, Igarashi is cute, Takeda is masculine etc. I don’t remember any really stellar performances but what was their I enjoyed.

This show is nothing special, It’s cute has decent production and a decent cast fun characters that you can get behind. I don’t see this blowing anyone’s mind with some amazing plot or characters development but for fans of Romance I think it’s worth watching especially if you enjoy that type of Vanilla romance anime. So in conclusion, have fun with this one, but don’t expect anything amazing.

I would definitely recommend this anime to anyone (and check out the manga if you want, it's also good)

I read the manga first and I cannot say that I was disappointed. I loved this anime so much, I couldn't stop smiling, and it hurt my face, then I couldn't stop laughing. Futaba is adorable and funny, I love her personality, its perfect for the scenes and it reminds me exactly the kind of person she is.

My rating: 10/10, I loved how I felt watching this and I was actually relaxed and happy so bonus points given where its due. also I love the ... soundtrack and art style.

It's a rom-com, I don't know why I expected more. They end the anime by managing to be under the same umbrella together... The anime character archetypes of big strong guy small defenseless girl are kind of annoying but the anime has cute art and char interaction. The story not going farther than the first episode is pretty trash to be honest.

This is the section where I spam word count because this review system requires me to meet a minimum requirement while writing. A minimum requirement would force me to talk more about the anime and perhaps give you a better understanding of the work ... itself. However, this also encourages me to talk about specific parts of the anime and thus give more spoilers than needed in a review. They're also destroy creative integrity by forcing people to meet minimum requirements they ramble about things not related—or only tangentially related—to the anime for longer than necessary. I could understand barring one or two sentence reviews, but no one cares about anime, especially not a trash rom com, enough to read through a page long review. They desire a short and curt review. Is that long enough?

The title is misleading. Well, sort of, just not in the way you think.

When I first glanced at the promotional picture of My Senpai is Annoying, along with its anime title, I instinctively thought the “annoying” part was applied to the big, muscular guy in the promotion picture: Futaba Igarashi’s senpai, Harumi Takeda. I thought this show was going to center its gags, plot, and moments around Takeda actively teasing and annoying Igarashi to no end. I was proven wrong. The “annoying” part is really from the perspective of Igarashi. In the office space that she has been working in for the past two ... years, Igarashi wants to impress her co-workers and her senpai. It’s the natural thing to do. But given her unusually short height, cute, and charming personality, Igarashi’s co-workers and her senpai often make fun of her in a light-hearted demeanor. They, including Takeda, appreciate Igarashi’s driven personality and dedication to her work, of course. So one of the ways they acknowledge Igarashi is by interacting with her in a manner that makes her think they’re just teasing her. And the anime emphasizes this in clever ways. But as the series progresses, Igarashi also realizes this and plays along. The bonding moments between Igarashi, Takeda, Touko Sakurai, and the other co-workers make up the large majority of the wholesome moments.

What I like about this show is that the moments of wholesomeness, interactions, and developments feel natural. The chemistry between Igarashi and her supporting cast is just right. Their personalities and quirks play off each other nicely. When all these elements play well together, it makes the romantic pieces between Igarashi and Takeda, Sakurai and Kazama, feel genuine.

An anime isn’t complete without a great cast of voice actors who fit the personalities of the characters in their roles. As Japanese voice casting normally goes, the voice castings are more often than not fit the characters up to a T. Take Takeda, for example. Takeda has the voice of a deep, raucous, yet gentle tone. The multi-tone shift that the voice actor of Harumi Takeda can convey gives more liveliness and affection to the big guy that Takeda is. The same goes for Igarashi, Sakurai, Kazama, and so on. Each of the character archetypes is accompanied by the right voices. My Senpai is Annoying is episodic, which adds another positive aspect to this anime because the series utilizes this structure in a crafty way. While each of the episodes is structured individually to continue its episodic entertainment, there are still threads within the narrative that connect one episode to the next. Because of this type of presentation, the characters, and narrative have a feeling of progress rather than being stagnant.

My Senpai is Annoying is one of those shows in a season that can’t go wrong. It’s a fairly conventional series that follows the formula of its predecessors, and just like them, it’s a blast to watch this anime.

Score: 7/10

I'm not gonna say much about this, as it's basically a standard rom-com, but it's fairly well written and had me laughing every episode. I am however very sensitive to anything embarrassing when it comes to romance and social interaction, so there were frequent small breaks while watching, and I really had to man up to get through most episodes. That isn't a bad thing, it's just how I react, and a kind of trigger warning to others who suffer badly from second hand embarrassment! I handle it with taking breaks and watching alone. All the main characters are likeable. A second season probably won't ... happen, but an OVA to wrap it all up would be great. Don't think I've spoiled anything by saying that.

Well worth a watch.

The series had its moments, but oh boy, did it test my patience at times!

The story follows Futaba, a young office worker who's constantly at odds with her senpai, Harumi. Their dynamic is... complicated, to say the least. Harumi's condescending attitude and constant meddling in Futaba's work drove me crazy, but at the same time, I couldn't help but be drawn to their quirky relationship.

The supporting cast was a highlight for me - especially their coworkers, who brought some much-needed comic relief. The animation was also top-notch, with vibrant colors and expressive character designs that perfectly captured the drudgery and humor of office life.

However, the ... pacing felt a bit uneven, and some plot points were left underdeveloped. And don't even get me started on Harumi's infuriating behavior! I get that it's part of the show's charm, but honestly, I wanted to scream at times.

Overall, I'd give this anime a solid 7/10. If you enjoy workplace rom-coms with a dash of drama and can tolerate a healthy dose of frustration, this might be the show for you. Just be prepared to roll your eyes... a lot.

My Senpai is Annoying (Senpai ga Uzai Kouhai no Hanashi) is an entertaining slice-of-life anime that will leave you with a smile on your face. The story revolves around the workplace relationship between two co-workers, Futaba Igarashi and Harumi Takeda. Futaba is a hardworking and determined woman who takes her job seriously, while Harumi is a carefree individual who often gets in Futaba's way. The show follows their daily interactions, as they navigate their professional and personal lives.

One of the most charming aspects of this anime is the dynamic between Futaba and Harumi. Despite their differences, they develop a sweet and genuine friendship/relationship that is ... heartwarming to watch. The comedy is also well executed. The animation style is vibrant and colorful, with a playful and charming aesthetic that perfectly complements the tone of the show. The voice acting is top-notch, with the characters' voices conveying a range of emotions that make them feel relatable and authentic.

My Senpai is Annoying is an enjoyable and charming anime that is perfect for those looking for a feel-good and heartwarming story. With its lovable characters, relatable workplace setting, and well-executed comedy, it's easy to see why this anime has become such a fan favorite. I recommend giving it a watch, and I give it an 8/10.

Okay, one thing first, I don't hate the show. I think it has some solid moments and it can be cute and wholesome.

The thing that bothers me the most is the pacing. No matter how likable the characters are, there is barely any progress. The main couple just stays in the same pace as the beginning for twelve episodes long. Yes, there are some moments they become a little bit closer, but they just revert back and it gets annoying and boring to watch.
The dude is supposed to be annoying I guess, hence the title, but the way he just keeps seeing her as ... a child is getting old and I'm sick of it.
Little rant: also getting sick of this trend how some people seem to think every girl when they become a woman have big boobs and are tall. Bodies don't work like that. Stop thinking that every small person is a fucking child.
Back to the show. I would have liked it more if there was more progress, like the side couple had a bit more to them than the main couple. I liked them more in that way, but even there I expected a little more.
Just give a confession scene, or something that makes the tall annoying senpai think differently of Igarashi, would have loved to see this development in his character. I would have loved to see how he becomes confused as to why he starts to like her so much.
So, like I said, it does have some cute and wholesome moments in there, but with no progress I didn't care that much about it. Like those moments should be extra fluff and not the entire progress only to revert it back to the start.
I really thought we were going somewhere when she asked him why she couldn't become his wife when she was drunk. That should have been a start for the writers to get Takeda to think, but no.

I did like the characters, yeah senpai was annoying but that is the title, so it makes sense he can be annoying:P
Mona was a fun addition being the random character she is. I would have loved to see more of her.
The side couple was cute enough to keep me entertained, but again more progress please.
I didn't really care for the grandfather, like one annoying character is enough.
I loved Natsumi, she added a lot of fun moments in the show. But basically she was there to tell the main character she likes her senpai.

So for me the enjoyment was decent. I liked it, but it could have been so much better.

Is it just me or do they not exactly clarify what they do for a living?

Maybe I forgot, because I started watching this anime last year and only now finished watching it. But it feels like everything they do is just vague, "Did you file that paper?" or "I have a presentation with client." stuff most anime do, trying to make it look like they do something.

Anyway, THAT bit aside, this anime is just OK. The height joked got old after the first episode, so the rest of the show wasn't left with anything else. There are no exciting encounters, no fan service, setting is ... just regular Japan and the relationship between MC and her "senpai" feels platonic.

Really, it feels like the writer had a loli fetish.. a loli working a serious job in drab business clothes. That's why the anime exists. Either that or it's supposed to be propaganda to show how exciting generic office work in Japan is (because all those people committing suicides definitely aren't good PR).

I can't even talk much about anything. This anime has nothing going on for it. The art is alright, music.. who cares, ambience is dead like every other anime and script is shit with jokes as exciting as watching paint dry.

I'll give it 5/10.

It's just a generic slice of boring work life anime which you can finish in one setting, or like me, in two years because it's meh. They didn't even had a good ending in mind. It just ends with a generic episode that somehow felt more generic than the rest of the show.

tl;dr: A pretty great light hearted rom-com about working adults.

This anime is a very character focused show that’s mainly about Igarashi and her senpai at work, Takeda. Igarashi is downright tiny and she hates being treated like a child so she’s pretty prickly. Despite that, she’s often really childish. Takeda is huge, jolly, and really dense so he often ends up dealing with Igarashi as if she were a kid. As such, the two of them didn’t get along at all at first. However, over time they got very good at working together and got much closer at a personal level as well.

The anime isn’t ... solely about these two however, as it spends quite a bit of time focusing on people they’re friends with. For example, there’s a budding workplace romance going on between two of their coworkers, Sakurai and Kazuma. Igarashi’s best friend Kurobe also shows up quite often and helps push Igarashi along. And then there are a bunch of other characters that just randomly appear for comedic purposes, like the mysterious Mona or Igarashi’s grandpa.

The anime I guess is somewhat romance focused I guess. There does seem to be somewhat of a romance blooming between Igarashi and Takeda. Though, the trajectory the romance seems to be moving in is of two friends that are growing so close that they’ll probably just start going out eventually. As such, it’s not all that romantic yet per se. Still, it’s nice to see the two get closer and Igarashi grow into a more capable individual. They’re both really fun characters that are even more fun when together.

The romance between Sakurai and Kazama is much more of the typical romance. It’s a romance between one of the most popular women in their work group and a guy that’s supposed to be somewhat nerdy, so it plays a bit with the standard associated tropes and such. Still, it flows pretty well and overall I thought it was quite sweet. Moreso than the previously mentioned pair, you’ll probably want these two to just start going out already.

The anime takes place over more than a year, so it only shows you tidbits of what’s going on, with the implication being a lot more of the same is happening in the gaps. With both of those pairings the changes in real time are happening really slowly but in terms of what the anime shows progress seems to happen at a solid enough pace. Overall I was satisfied with where things ended up and the ending overall.

The other focus of the anime is of course comedy. It is a comedy focused on working adults so just because of that a lot of the material it’s working with is pretty different from most anime comedies. Still, overall it felt like it was veering into the more typical anime type comedy pretty often with things like beach episodes and valentines day episodes that played out pretty similarly to what you’d see in a high school rom-com for example. Still, overall the comedy was pretty good and there was a good amount of variety so it came together pretty well.

The art and animation are solid enough. The character designs are pretty solid and memorable too for the setting. The OP was really impressive in terms of the song and visuals. The ED was decent enough in both regards. The soundtrack was not particularly remarkable.

Its a shame that this anime is really just a father and daughter relationship figure type rather than a romance between Futaba and Takeda. The only thing that makes it an actual couple are Kazama and Sakurai. And even if that couple exists, They’re not much of a main character, which makes it really fall short for an anime that is about romance. Nevertheless its a decent anime to watch with ok storyline and fine art, just not really amazing from what I can tell since you can see that I gave this a 5.

Now, I would only give plus points if they made ... Kazama and Sakurai as part of the main character since they follow the format of romance for this anime, hence the anime’s genre says its about romance, not only just Takeda and Futaba. It will only happen if the second season comes out hell even a third season, otherwise I would give this a similar score and review.

Do you agree or disagree? If you agreed, then you can join me in the lounge, and if not, then I understand, and keep in mind this is based on personal opinions, not yours so pls. Don’t get offended that easily.

Anyways, that’s all I have to say.

IF YOU'RE TIRED OF THE HIGH SCHOOL ROMANCE SETTING THIS IS FOR YOU.

First of all, I know some of you had read the manga and some of you watched this because of the disappointment (Spoiler) that "Wotakoi" won't have a second season after those post-credit scenes from the OVA. Or maybe some of you got interested and tried to watch this series. (Some spoilers may be in this short review).

Ok let me make this nice and short. "Senpai ga Uzai Kouhai no Hanashi" or in English Titled "My Senpai is Annoying" is a wholesome, cute and cheesy romance anime that is set in a sales ... office setting. All of the characters in this anime are lovable and somewhat relatable if you're in the line of office work. The story between Igarashi and Takeda is fine as it is, some may get weirded out because of their height difference but I see no problem with it, but what got me hooked watching thru the series are the interactions between Kazama and Sakurai.I mean it's your typical blind in love for each other yet it's a very effective counter-part with the story of Igarashi and Takeda, this one of those anime's that had better side stories than the main coupleship story.

Plus it's refreshing since it's very uncommon to see a romance anime that is set in a work life/adulthood style.