Kakkou no Iinazuke

Sigh… Alright, where do we even begin with this one? First of all, if you actually finished all 24 episodes of this dumpster fire, like I did, I applaud your dedication, but sometimes I really do question the decisions I make, such as continuing to watch this week after week. Studious male harem protagonists have been somewhat of a repeating character archetype, like Futaro Uesugi from The Quintessential Quintuplets, or Nariyuki Yuiga, from We Never Learn. I am convinced however, that Umino Nagi is one of the worst harem protagonists that I have seen. He’s literally Kazuya, but gets good grades in school. He’s indecisive, ... and rather dumb for a studious kid. I felt like the author of the manga just gave up on keeping the source material at least at a decent quality, because the anime just stopped trying to be good as it went along. Just like the anime, you’ll also probably find that this review you’re reading will also drop in quality as it goes along, who knows?

My grading criteria: Story: /25 Art: /10 Music: /10 Characters: /20 Enjoyment /15 Thematic Execution /20

STORY: 5.5/25

I’m not even going to question the whole swapped at birth thing, it’s animanga, and animanga does these stupid things, and we know this. Perhaps it’s just easier to turn your brain off and just appreciate the harem anime as it is, but it’s quite an infuriating show to watch. So, we can as usual, assume that every girl likes Nagi, even his little sister, and that’s to be expected. What angers me is why the girls try to play wingwoman for another girl when they clearly like Nagi in the first place? Guess romance is weird like that. The pacing is honestly slower than I imagined, especially in the second cour, where there were cliffhangers galore. Sure, there were some well done moments, but for the most part, it just wasn’t very well written or entertaining.

ART: 7.7/10

The animation is fine. It’s colourful, quite a good job honestly. The character designs are quite decent.

MUSIC: 8.3/10

I will say I enjoyed both OPs and both EDs, they’re honestly one of the highlights of this entire show.

CHARACTERS: 5.5/20

I’ve already mentioned my disdain for Umino, so let’s talk about the girls in the story. First, there’s Erika, an “Instagram Influencer”, who lived in a rich household, and once she moved out to live with Nagi, she didn’t know how to do many things, and found a lot of mundane activities very new. She’s pretty inoffensive for the most part to watch, but her feelings for Umino were rather muddled. Then there’s Hiro, who was probably my favourite character, since it seemed like she might have a little bit of a good backstory, but her character writing was rather inconsistent. Sometimes she’s extremely kind, but sometimes she can come across as a bit overbearing and overly annoying as a character. Lastly, ooh boy, there’s Sachi. Why is she even in this harem? There was no need honestly, and she didn’t even have much of a role to play. Guess she made this whole show a bit more trashy.

ENJOYMENT: 3.5/15

I admit, there was a bit of cheap enjoyment to be had, and there were a couple very solid episodes, but most of it was a snoozefest.

THEMATIC EXECUTION: 4.5/20

The themes were rather muddled, honestly. What were we trying to do here? Figure out why Nagi and Erika were separated at birth? Just have a slice of life harem? This show is so lost, and the directions they took in the second cour really lost me as well, as any sign of writing quality went completely awol.

OVERALL: 35/100

This show was a mess, and it’s probably not going to end anytime soon, at least in the manga. I’d compare this show to a lost, misguided child. Someone, please steer this back onto a road of at least passable writing quality, please? Well, to be fair, I wouldn’t really care either way anyway…

There's Nisekoi, and then there's Nisekoi taken too far, otherwise known as Kakkou no Iinazuke⁠.

I just don't believe this anime will reach any kind of high-quality writing as it goes on, it's just a prolonged romance between two characters who are pretty much going to fall for each other at the end of it all (would be wild if that doesn't happen tho ngl).

Characters aren't even charismatic or true to themselves. The clever guy here managed to get checkmated by some TikTok influencer in the very first 10 mins or so. Why? Idk, maybe he forgor to change settings his character settings, or maybe he ... was waiting to pull a fast one. You tell me. He's also the same as everyone else that's come before him in terms of protagonists. The only key difference is the backstory which seems new from what I've seen, but everything surrounding these guys after is so banal and dull. It took itself too seriously whilst also forgetting simple things to cover first. That reminds me, this Erika girl thought it was funny to sit somewhere wild upon entering Nagi's place because she is rich and doesn't know basic common sense. Lol. Maybe it's a reflection of how dumb influencers are, but that might be too cynical. Perhaps she was just thinking of new content for her new content house (shoutout to whatever the hell that is) or something. Again, you tell me.

I suppose I can praise this for looking nice, but that doesn't seem to be on anyone's radar in examing anime or choosing which to go for. You should at least take in the fact that it looks pretty damn strange at times like someone morphing or something, not My Sis My Writer bad but it comes on every odd occasion in small detail. The studio probably didn't want to put in the effort, can't really blame them. At least the music is nice.

If it wasn't already obvious, I don't have a lot to say. We are only 3 of 24 episodes in. This doesn't seem to be received well on the manga side, but that's a different thing altogether. Going off from what is told of audience perception there though, it is probably safe to assume that this won't be something worth your while. There's a lot better out there like the aforementioned Nisekoi. That's all from me.

Episode 1 is promising, from 2-9 is ok, episode 10 there's a bomb drop but after that it does nowhere and they never follow the story after that. The ending never tied all the lose endings and we just disappointing, too bad because until the final episode it was a 7 but after that ending is just a strong 5.
It doesn't even give you that trill of "ok now I need to read the manga to see where this is going" its just a disappointment after the final episode.
Honestly not worth the 6 months invested in it and not recommended.

Rom-coms have been dozens aplenty since the AniManga industry's early days, with most of the memorable classics (e.g. School Rumble, Ouran High School Host Club, Lovely★Complex to name a few) to modern-day juggernauts (e.g. Hataraku Maou-sama!, OreGairu, SaeKano, Date A Live, NiseKoi) making the scene yearly with no signs of the genre slowing down and becoming one of the most popular genres for just about any AniManga fan. Yet, for all of what the rom-com genre has to offer, there have been more bad nuts also appearing (Masamune-kun no Revenge, KanoKari) to fuel the fire for distastes. And most particularly for one mangaka by the ... name of Miki Yoshikawa, her fame that came from the rom-com that's the much beloved Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo a.k.a Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches, I'm left baffling at how one of her most recent works that is Kakkou no Iinazuke a.k.a A Couple of Cuckoos literally turned into a NiseKoi that's gone too far and being dragged on to the point of being unsalvageable.

But first, an educational lesson about cuckoos. Cuckoos are brood parasites, which means they have the tendency to find a nest from another species of bird that already has eggs in it, remove the other bird's eggs and lay their own there, letting the other bird species raise their young. In this way, the cuckoos trick the other birds into keeping the cuckoo eggs warm and caring for the young cuckoos. This is more exasperated in the West, particularly Germany that coins this term: Kuckuckskind a.k.a Cuckoo's child, meaning a child whose father is not his biological father, because the mother fathered it with another man and left the child and his social father in the belief that they were related by blood. This colloquially pejorative term as a cuckoo child includes a criticism of the mother who subordinates a child conceived with another man to her (spouse) partner; this designation may be perceived as stigmatizing by the child concerned.

And this is exactly what Miki Yoshikawa had in mind when she wrapped up Yamada-kun to 7-nin no Majo back in 2017 and was just floating around releasing One-shots a.k.a standalone chapters. And of the 3 one-shots stories released in 2019, Kakkou no Iinazuke was the one that was well received enough to get serialized the year after. The story (or literary plot device rather) about babies accidentally switched at birth, only for them to be taken care of by the other family, until they've each grown up to tell them the truth that their biological parents were someone else. This is the case for Nagi Umino and Erika Amano, a boy and a girl fatefully picked up by the other's family and raised like their very own, until their sweet 17th birthday that the news is broke to them that despite being cuckoo children, they are forced to be in an arranged marriage (which in these days in Japan has dropped significantly and doesn't happen very much anymore). And almost immediately, both Nagi and Erika vehemently refused to this plan, but it's not like their parents are willing to give up either. With such a case like this, it's a "do or die" situation to proceed the relationship as a "tryout" with both Nagi and Erika being the wiser to see where it would go.

The characters in Kakkou no Iinazuke, believe it or not, goes farther than just the NiseKoi situation of finding which girl holds the key to the MC's pendant and then calling it a day to declare the supposed girl the key to his heart as well. Starting off with Nagi, his biological Umino family is a family of the rich, with his father being a hotel tycoon, but thanks to the mix-up he was living a frugal life with the other family and being a close-knit son. In school, he the most stellar person always acclaiming to be that No. 1 spot that he is constantly losing the spot out to one such girl that he also has a crush on. In essence, Nagi has 3 things to worry about: marriage, school and family, and he does not have 3 clones to help him negotiate through troubled waters, because there is a girl each behind each of those situations that he has to balance with as well. I don't think I need to say this, but it's an intertwining web of perchances, misunderstandings and emotions that'll put Nagi on a stand to choose which girl is right for him.

On the marriage side, there is the already aforementioned Erika Amano, whom she has distinguished herself as a popular social media celebrity and going to a girls' school, which has a strict non-tolerance of relationships. Both her and Nagi met out of a mere coincidence when she was trying to take videos that put her safety in peril, and Nagi assumed that she was in danger if she put herself that way to get some views (you know how this all goes). That mere coincidence hit the two off, until they were called forth for the aforementioned marriage arrangement, and making the matter worse, Erika was forced to transfer to Nagi's school upon the confirmation that she was hanging out with him. She would be what you call a spoiled brat, thanks to the mix-up that allowed her to live a high life, and initially against Nagi, the two being already living in 2 separate conditions (rich vs. poor) has them bickering like birds from both families agreeing to place them both in a commune house to stimulate conditions living together (like as if they're married already). But overtime, she has both softened and hardened her stand towards Nagi, with moves that slowly inch that Nagi would be her desired fiance to come.

On the school side, you have Hiro Segawa, the consistent No. 1 student in Nagi's grade, and the girl whom Nagi wants to beat her in the literacy department just so that he could confess to her. Other than her family's job in a temple and working as a miko, she is the definition of a guilt-trip character, egging people on so that they could reach to that spot, only to tell them that "Oops, I didn't mean it! It's just meant for my entertainment to play and toy with your feelings, oopsies *tongue out*". And this is her relationship with Nagi, with the latter being forced to be better than her, only to know that she's engaged as well, but who knows if that is even true in the first place. All she does is guilt-trip over Nagi to lead him to believe that if they weren't "engaged" in the first place, their relationship could've been so much more than just school rivals.

On the family side, Nagi isn't the only child in the Umino family. There is also Sachi, but based on her family name, she is in fact Erika's biological sister and stands in Nagi's family as the adoptive daughter. Sachi is the epitome of every family's rebellious kid, one who's unable to keep herself in one place, whether will it be following the family or being overly dependent on Nagi which arises on her brocon personality. Being away from Nagi feels tough for the kin who is seeing her brother already engaged with some other girl, and the best way to be close to him is to run away from home and live together with them? That sounds like some shenanigans move right there, and I guess the semblance of the brocon trait also helps her be aware of what's he doing also. But then again, we've seen so much brocon and siscon stuff in other shows, and when Sachi herself realizes that she is in conflict with treating Nagi either like a brother or a potential lover, that's where she begins to have dangerous feelings, which also pits herself in the direct line of fire against both her older sister Erika and schoolmate rival Hiro.

I'm not surprised that chief director Hiroaki Akagi is handling this alongside Yoshiyuki Shirahata here, at least I can trust the former because he has directed the Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san series and others at Shin-Ei Animation, he's almost like a respectable in-house director who knows his talents well. The only exception is Yoshiyuki Shirahata, and this is his debut directorial work here, so at least for his first rondo, give or take, he still has a lot to learn. That being said, to air 2 consecutive cours in a row from Spring to Summer is already a risk given inconsistent production values (even more because of the studio collab with SynergySP), but I'm legit surprised that it has managed to keep at a fairly consistent level, and rare chances for me to spot any lackluster values in its long run. At the very least, its entertaining to a certain degree.

The choice of OST was a little mixed, sadly. The 1st Cour's combination with Kiyoe Yoshioka (vocalist of the Japanese duo Ikimonogakari) and Sangatsu no Phantasia was a perfect introduction with striking visuals and seemingly the best efforts done out from both the OP and ED in terms of style and semblance of the song's narrations, it's almost an instant great start and finish to Spring's episode runs. But when it comes towards the 2nd Cour, I get that they were trying to go for the playful affair with sumika and Eir Aoi's song combination, but it just seemed so boring in comparison to the strong game set by the 1st half, I'm like: "Heck it, just let it finish already." Other than that, it was just decent on an impressive start, only to dip to a somewhat mediocre end.

When it all comes down to it, Kakkou no Iinazuke a.k.a A Couple of Cuckoos needn't be this elaborate in its rom-com setting, but when you have something like a cuckoo bird business running around, it's gonna get messy. And since this is still an ongoing manga, like KanoKari, it has to pad on for God knows how long this love quadrangle affair needs to be resolved, and that's the sad life of a rom-com that doesn't have the luxury of knowing when it would end, except by the authors themselves. I was hoping to read the manga before the anime came out, but the adverse came true, and my gut instinct was correct. It's definitely a mid-tier series when it comes to rom-coms, though it has its decent moments as well. As for the choice whether to delve in the anime or the manga, I would suggest the anime first then the manga, but it goes without saying this: be prepared for endless padding.

Non-Spoiler Thoughts as of Episode 5:
-- This show is annoying eye candy. Full of forced plot progression. A lot of fluff before we get actually plot development that's at the end of each episode. The only thing that's keeping me watching is the opening and animation. This show could have been so much better if they took more time into polishing the characters' writing. If you really want to enjoy this show I suggest you turn off your brain before the brain rot starts. I'm doubtful but hoping there's some sort of resolution by the end of this show.

[MINOR SPOILER NOTES BELOW]

Pros:
-- Eye candy.
-- Great ... animation.
-- Great opening.
-- Sachi and Hiro are pretty much the only somewhat likeable characters in the whole series as of episode 5.
-- Hiro is possibly the only rational character in this series as of episode 5.

Cons:
-- Full of forced plot progression.
-- Mediocre writing.
-- A lot of fluff before we get actually plot development that's at the end of each episode.
-- Nagi makes the most ridiculous assumptions that are absolutely cringe. Another plain MC that's always at the butt end of a terrible joke.
-- Sachi seems like she likes Nagi but doesn't like Nagi? They occasionally banter but it doesn't seem like banter. It's half-baked and strange. Their relationship is very back and forth but overall tolerable.
-- Erika is just another tsundere that's predictable and irrational. Likeable in the first episode until she hits us (literally hits the Nagi in his case) with a 180 at the end of the first episode.
-- For some reason Nagi and Erika have the qualities of their real parents even though they've spent their entire lives with the other family counterparts. It's forced characterization that makes no sense.

Kakkou no Iinazuke is a romcom with a harem tag, and I'll go straight to the point : this anime isn't original and doesn't feel unique at all, but that doesn't imply it's a bad one, I'm just pointing it out for readers who might have hoped for something innovative, that's not the case here.

To explain my rating and why I recommend it, I'll give you some details about the pros and cons of this anime, without spoiling anything.


Pros :

+ The male mc, Nagi Umino isn't the loser/virgin type you can ... often find in that kind of animes, he's similar to mcs like Fuutarou in Gotoubun, or Hachiman in Oregairu. He's assertive, and he'll say what is on his mind without hesitation, which helps making the show more credible at times.

+ Aside from the initial situation of this show with this baby swapping thing at birth, everything else feels coherent. Obviously, in a slice of life context, it doesn't seem hard to achieve such a feat, but I'm trying to emphasize it because it's done better than in other romcoms. ( I'm thinking mostly about the characters' profiles, they all make sense and the show/manga respects the traits given to the chars along the story. )

+ It's linked with the last point, and it's kind of hard to describe without spoiling, but let's say that regarding the harem tag, this show isn't "binary", usually in those romcoms there will be the obviously shy introverted girl, then the obviously extraverted girl etc... In Kakkou no Iinazuke, while the female MC do have some common traits, the story remains interesting because their profiles are kind of similar but different enough at the same time. ( I know this might seem like a detail, but I'm writing about it for the same reason mentionned above : I think this point in particular is done better than the norm for romcoms )

Cons :

- This show contains brocon. Now, to qualify this fact, keep in mind that there's no suggestive scenes at all ( and this show doesn't contain that much fanservice btw ) and there is the usual excuse that those siblings aren't blood related, but yeah, I'm marking this as a con because some viewers will hate the show for this sole reason.

- I think that the pace of the story isn't done really well, but that's kind of a double-edged criteria. On the one hand, if you enjoy the characters and the sol vibe, you'll enjoy every episode and you'll be glad there are 24 of them, but on the other hand, if you are eager to see some quick evolution, plot twists and so on, you'll be heavily dissapointed/bored by the show.


All in all, I recommend Kakkou no Iinazuke for anyone that enjoys romcom : as a matter of fact, the show has an interesting enough cast, and the dynamics between characters all feel coherent, making the story easy to get into and you'll feel much love for your favorite character(s). The main problem with the show is its rythm/length, I reckon that in the span of 24 episodes, there might not be enough things happening, and you shouldn't bother with it if a story focused anime is what you are searching for. Furthermore, this show contains a bit of brocon, nothing unbearable, but it's always questionnable to see that kind of stuff.

Kakkou no Iinazuke is a great show about incest-trap ideals and having feelings for someone you deeply love.

Plot: The plot so far was quite decent but after episode 2 and 3 it started to pick up the pace a lot so that we get to know the characters are little more better and also who is related to who i.e. Erika is related to Nagi.

Art: The art is definitely a top mark for the show, giving off fluid movements charismatically showing each character's personality and impression.

Sound: The sound is nice and cheerful but not that great really.

Character: I am really interested to see Nagi's relationship ... with Erika after they realised that they are in fact related to each other. I like Nagi. Whenever I'm laughing at this manga it's usually because of him. He also feels like a relatable character. For example you are someone who has a sister therefore it's nice to see a realistic brother and sister relationship (well for the most part but well get to that). Next is Erika. I don't feel any strong emotions towards her. I don't dislike her but I don't have anything to say about her as a character.

Enjoyment: So Far So Good

Overall: 9/10 but I'm a bit worried what's going to happen between the siblings now? Hopefully it does not go into some sort of deep level incest shit because that would definitely ruin the vibe of the series and overall have a very underwhelming outcome.

GREAT SHOW THO!

A nice, simple story about a pretend couple who slowly build a real relationship over time. So many of the reviews treat this like a bad thing. I'm here to have my say that this is exactly the kind of thing I love to watch. If you're the kind of viewer who just wants some nice characters with room to grow and wants to watch them do it, go for it. You'll know within an episode or two if it's your kind of thing. If you've somehow blundered your way into the SoL rom-com/rom-dram department expecting an edge-of-your-seat thriller action drama suspense murder mecha mindfuck ... (the likes of which I'd also say have been done the same way countless hundreds of times) to be there on the shelves, you're in the wrong place. If you don't mind that sort of thing and treat this like what it is (and for what it never once pretends to be), you'll likely enjoy it as I do.

Kakkou no Iinazuke is basically a Nisekoi ripoff that went too far. This show is one of those animes where it could have ended in the first few episodes and it would have been better that way. It focuses on "rivalry" romance where the mc gets to choose from the selection but the show forgets the essence of that selection. Similar to what other people said in their reviews, the show had a lot of gaps and loose ends, but neither of those were solved, this also includes the manga. Ironically, the latter half of the show is somewhat a bait for the viewers to ... read the manga to "know more" and yet the manga itself became confusing and made more loose ends.

Overall, save your time and spare yourself from watching this 24-episode show. It is a massive disappointment and it's a show that confuses itself.

Written after seeing 6 episodes.

Beautiful animation for a rom-com, great music and VAs. Adorable family moments. Has Nisekoi vibes.

Now what sets it apart from other rom-coms, THE MC ISN'T A COWARD. He is loud and annoying at times but he is very forth coming and wears his heart on his sleeve and actually confesses his feelings at appropriate times. No more of that tired trope that is used to extend series like Love is War and Nisekoi. If either of those story's MCs were half the man Nagi is, they would both be so much better. It not relying on the worn out crutch of ... the "will they wont they" but allows for enjoyable progression with a lot of comical and original situations.

It deals with parental expectations, both positive and negative, with things like arranging an engagement or being completely accepting and welcoming of a child who you just recently learned about.

One of the most interesting things in the story isn't just how they interact with each but also with their long lost families. Saichi especially makes for an adorable younger sister to both of them, and is easily one of my favorite younger sisters in anime.

It is amusing hearing Touyama Nao voice Segawa Hiro given her infamous track record of short-haired girls in romance anime. No matter how stacked the cards are against her character you can't help but hold out a little hope that she will be the end-game girl.

In short an amusing and beautiful rom-com which has quickly become one of my favorites.

Kakkou no Iinazuke is just a plain average slice of life anime. You thought this was a romance show? well, it is but throughout this season, we only seen the characters do things that you usually see in slice of life then in romance. Do not expect any romance happening in this 24 eps anime because you will not get any. When it comes to Harem anime, what comes to my mind is 5-toubun no Hanayome. All of the girls have some kind of charm to them that makes the show entertain and feel competitive in a way that you will not sure who will ... win, P/S Miku is best girl. Anyway, this anime is more like a slow burn romance where the love between our main couple slowly getting to know each and fall in love. Unfortunately, we didnt get to see any of that romance and it felt like the author is just messing around with the viewers by giving us these lame ass characters. First of all, i was surprised that the author is the same as the one who wroted Yamada-kun. To be quite honest, i am disappointed because i really enjoyed Yamada-kun.

Kakkou no Iinazuke's character are so bad and unlikeable. I am ,officially , sick and tired of having a smart mc but a complete tool when it comes to other things. Not only that, his character design is straight up bland and uninteresting to look at. Now, i do not hate this guy completely but he just not enjoyable to watch and the fact that we spent a full episode of him stalking Hiro and Erika around is just another thing to add on the list of dumb thing he's done from a 'smart' student. The girls in this show is not good either but im not gonna waste my time explaining it.

All in all, Kakkou no Iinazuke is an average harem anime. Do not waste your watching this, i beg. If you do not mind wasting your time watching 24 episodes of nothing happening, then go for it.

Should you watch it? Yeah why not, if you like standard romcoms that are more comedy than romance I'd say go for it.

Thoughts: By no means is it "Love is War" funny, but it's a decently good anime. Has minor eye candy, but nothing over the top.

Plot: Two people switched at birth are all the sudden in an arranged marriage by their parents after the parents learned about how they were switched at birth. The two don't like each other in the beginning but who knows what can happen as this story progresses.

Art: There's a certain style to it that makes the girls ... look cute, but the guy looks much younger than he is.

Sound: Opening is alright, nothing really catchy, Ending I think I can like.

Characters: I actually like the characters because they all have a uniquness to them, and have a understandable objective to back up as to why they act certain ways. Minor spoiler in next part (but when MC guy was scared that the MC Girl was gonna get into an argument with MC's parents I thought things were gonna go crazy as well. But it turned out she really just wanted to get closer to her biological parents, and it switch my brain like oh shoot I didn't think of it like that. Like she wasn't there to complain about the marriage at all. And wanted a connection.)

Overall: I think this is a good decent anime to watch.

Couple of Cuckoos was interesting, to say the least. The premise of them getting swapped at birth and their parents trying to force them to get married is definitely a first, but overall the anime had its fun moments but failed to really progress at all during the entire second half. If you are going into this show dont expect to get too much romance, because at the end of the day this anime is filled with a bunch of will they won't they moments.

Art: 6
To be entirely honest I thought the art style was fine. It wasn't bad, but it wasn’t entirely special. ... The facial expressions were enjoyable, but overall the character designs were okay at best. What I will say is that the music was pretty good. That caught me by surprise, but I thoroughly enjoyed both openings this anime provided us.

Characters: 7
I actually think that the characters are pretty enjoyable. I think Hiro provides a presence in this anime that is needed, Erika has her charms, and Sachi is kinda your basic anime sister I won't lie. I think the characters gel really well together, if only they went through better development, then the anime would've been better.

Story: 5
It pains me to say it, but the story was kind of eh. It's unfortunate cuz I didn't think the initial premise was terrible, and I thought the first couple of eps did a decent job at introducing all the characters, but keeping all things considered once we hit episode 12, it kind of feels like the anime is just dragging the conclusion for no reason. Overall I would give this anime 6 cucks out of 10.

Harem shows in general have been uninspiring and repetitive, and Kakkou no Iinazuke is no exception. And, given the number of episodes to work with, one might expect the progression between the MC and the potential love interests to take a step forward, but in all honesty, there are not much differences between the first few episodes they were together and the finale. My expectations for harem shows are generally low, but this one had me wondering if it was really worth watching.

Nagi is your typical harem MC, and when it comes to seeing girls as a love interest, has generally been dense and unable to ... see the appeals of girls surrounding, with the exception of Hiro Segawa, whom, in all honesty, I don't see why he's that interested and wants to be in a relationship with. Segawa-san is easily the least likeable of the three, reminding me of Ichika (the slimy bastard and snake-like trait) and Yotsuba (the cheerful and overall aggressive trait) from 5-toubun. And as for Sachi Umino, she has always had feelings for Nagi, but I'm not sure why she has fallen for him because none of the events or scenes depicted in the series justify her falling for him. The only logical route and girl is, of course, Erika Amano, but, as one might expect, the MC is dense and refuses to admit his feelings for her and see her as a love interest majority of the time. Whatever the show decides to throw at us, Erika should be the one Nagi falls for, or none at all, or we will riot.

The story didn't really progress that much over the course of 24 episodes, and it felt more like a slice-of-life comedy than an actual harem romcom. The show is basically what the premise has written, with some twists here and there but nothing that is a game changer for the show. The OPs and EDs are quite good, giving a good impression of the show and what to expect.

On the surface, the show doesn't appear to have much to offer and is labeled as harem because the MC has three potential love interests. It lacks the I'm a unique show like Kami Nomi and Grisaia, which offers us a fresh and refreshing story with a unique plot. It is a harem show that doesn't feel like a harem because of the slow build up and the fact that the actual romance isn't prevalent throughout the show, only occasionally with some blushing here and there but nothing game changing. With the exception of Erika (obviously the most logical choice of 3), whose interactions with Nagi carried the show, the show's comedy and lightheartedness are mostly a miss. There weren't many awwww, that's sweet and/or heartwarming moments that made you want to root for one or more of them.

Would I recommend the show? Those who enjoy slow-paced romcoms and/or slice-of-life stories with little to no plot, most likely. And I suppose if you're okay with trash harem formulaic shows, you'll enjoy this one as well? With many unanswered questions, this season is clearly a set-up for Season 2.

It's like my 3rd review out of the 200+ shows I've watched and I'm writing just to warn you that don't waste 8 hours on this thing.
(Mild spoilers ahead)
It started as a romance and switched genre to harem midway and in these 24 episodes nothing happened besides that like no noticeable progress. The One or Two weak attempts on mysteries weren't answered, no kiss or anything like that, MC still doesn't know what he's going to do and I'm pretty sure this won't be getting a 2nd season so no need to waste 8 hours on an epilogue like content.

if you really finished 24 episodes for this boring anime, like i did, i commend your dedication, but sometimes i really question the decisions i make, like keep watching time after time and when i finish watching it i immediately rush to write this review and I don't really like it. in terms of story which is quite interesting like the Protagonist of a diligent male harem has become the archetype of recurring characters, such as Futaro Uesugi from The Quintessential Quintuplets, or Nariyuki Yuiga, from We Never Learn. I'm sure though, that Umino Nagi is one of the worst harem protagonists I've ever seen. ... He is smart but stupid at the same time

[This review contains the reference from ep 1-6, ive only seen ep6 so far, i hate waiting every week but the wait is worth, trust me on that]

Oh yes another HAREM ROMANCE anime, another unlikeable characters, another mediocre generic plot, another rent a girlfriend ripoff, another kanojo mo kanojo ripoff, another TRASH romcom anime.

Here we go again, now shut the fck up for a second and hear me out, this show is actually a solid from its genre, the characters are very much likeable unlike some annoying mfs out there, the chemistry and dynamic between the characters is enjoyable and overall good, the comedy is ... always right on the spot which is good, the story pacing is just right, and the plot, hell yes its just your typical and generic plot but thats what makes it good on its own is the chemistry between the characters and is what makes it superior than the rest in its genre.

We pretty much have this "typical mc", typical may be a word with alot of negative connotations but im not talking about it in the anime perspective but in real life, this male lead has the potential to become one of the best harem mcs out there, hes not dense asf unlike the rest of harem mcs out there as he can easily understand and keep a keen in a situation overall hes pretty much a likeable character, and the other 3 characters are ugh... Im ngl seems like they share the same body but different heads, like the character designer decided to recycle a used model then put a different head so the audience will more likely not to notice lmfao, they're just your(again) typical harem tropes but, but there chemistry to the mc and the other girls are tasty asf no cap, making them pretty much a likeable waifu material, we've got that famous, rich heroine, despite being rich, she wants to live a normal life and experience something that she cannot experience before, unlike her, some(almost) rich characters out there are annoying asf, most of them always brag about their money, some of them are kamidere/himedere/tsunderes and such traits and personality are annoying asf forcing the audience to not like "that" character, we've also got that "classmate crush" basically speaking the crush of mc, shes hardworking, competitive and friendly, nothing too special in the least but shes the one that keeps this show alive and lastly we've got the "nonbiological sister", yea incest lets fcking go, i wished the mc ended up with her(even though its obvious that its not going to happen) i cant really say anything more than this to the fact that she has a very little of screentime as of now, im going to root for her, i like incest and im going to expect more on her in the future.

Thats pretty much it me talking about the characters(mostly) and the story, overall this show is good asf, its my breakfast, 9/10(expecting more), the characters are pretty much likeable and their chemistry is peak asf, the plot is good.

Story: 8/10
Characters: 10/10
Sound: 9/10 (imo the voice act is so good compared to others)
Animation: 8/10
Enjoyment: 10/10
Overall: 9/10

Ah, Kakkou no Iinazuke, a tale reminiscent of Nisekoi, if you will. The main girl bears a strikingly similar personality to those from my previous ventures into the anime realm.

The predicament echoes a familiar tune—a forced faux relationship entangling our protagonist, causing ripples in his pursuit of the girl who held his affections prior to this unexpected twist.

Artistry, while acceptable, lacks that distinctive flair. Characters exhibit signs of depth and growth, a saving grace amidst the fray.

Decent it is, indeed. However, it's disheartening that the heralded romcoms of yore—save for the exemplary Love is War—seem to dwell in the realm of nostalgia.

Many fall into a ... predictable mold, rendering them unremarkable, a shade of their potential. Though I dare say, Rent a Girlfriend stands tall among the current romcom repertoire, a testament to its quality in this age of familiarity.

A footnote, indeed—incest, confined to blood kin, doesn't rear its head here. It teeters on the border of discomfort but does not tread the sis x sis path, a fact that merits clarification amidst the murky waters of societal norms.

Okay, lets be honest. I thought that this might be THE romcom I wanted to watch. Not just a 12 episode long series where every episode feels like a filler. (This anime has 24 episodes. Its just an example.) It started pretty good. I was hyped because I thought that the plot is actually pretty deep so It cant be just a "normal" romcom. Well, It is. Through the whole series I thought, "Why do they take this so lightly? They were swapped at birth and meet their real parents after 16 years so why?" I thought that this anime would be a bit more ... serious.

It started pretty good, I liked the character and I expected an interesting show. After some episodes, though, I noticed that it isnt what I expected. But here is the thing. You might think "Then why did you continue to watch it? Just drop it" Well, everytime I felt like I wanted to drop this anime, something happened that gave me hope. Hope that this anime might still get more interesting. But shortly after, they just continue like nothing happened. At the end of the day, I finished this anime and was dissapointed.


Plot: 3/10
Yeah, like I said: The start was pretty interesting. Swapped in the hospital by accident and then meeting their real parents 16 years later.
The rest, however, was dissapointing. They just did what they always do, like nothing happened. Its like they didnt even care. Its not like they just found out that their family with whom they lived for 16 years isnt their real family.

Character: 5/10
There was very little character developement. Also, like I said, I dont get how they take their situation so lightly. There were only 2 characters who had a bit of developement in this series. The rest were pretty boring characters. There is one character I though was really interesting but that character had about 10 minuetes of screen time so...

Sound and VA: 6/10
First of all: The openings. Liked them. It was nothing special but I liked them. Its nothing I would listen to in privat but they were fine.
I liked the endings too. The first was better than the second imo. But again, nothing I would listen to in privat.
The OST's were also pretty basic I guess. Nothing special. The only one I really liked was when someone in the anime thought of something in the past. You will know what I mean if you watched it.
The VA's were fine. Dont get me wrong, they did a good job. But, Its the same as any other romcom. Nothing too special. Props to the VA of the mc though. The MC screams pretty often and the VA did good.

Animation and art: 7/10
The animation was pretty decent. I really liked the facial expressions and the character designs. The outfits are also pretty cool.
What I liked the most was when a character smiled.

So, I will say this: Dont expect too much if you want to watch this anime. You will be dissapointed at the end.

6 Episodes so far

This is a pretty basic harem rom com and I don't think it's a bad thing. After all, a genre is popular because it's, well, popular and that means it's enjoyed by the masses. I certainly am part of the masses

Story:
While the whole "real family" thing is the basis, it gets forgotten fairly quickly and the whole thing devolves into as I said basic harem rom com and I really wish it didn't because the premise is actually great, here's hoping it'll gain more importance later but so far nothing noteworthy

Art:
Art is great, everything is colorful except the guy. I kinda wish ... they'd portray him differently because insofar as story goes, he's not incompetent and while the girls get a lot of details, the guy is sort of.... there. Like, yeah there exists a humanoid with black hair, 2 eyes, a nose, a mouth, arms, legs, covered in clothing. Seeing him is super boring, and considering how many generic harem protagonists there are, that's saying something

Sound:
The VAs do a good job, the BGM is... okay? Not everyone gets to have banger BGM every episode like Kaguya sama but once you've experienced it, anything short feels..... short. Sound effects are not over the top but there's nothing memorable in here. OP is good but again nothing memorable

Character:
Characters are well defined and don't seem TOO outlandish. For some reason the "popular but no friends" trope is used too much and I don't like it but the characters themselves behave quite normally.

One thing I enjoy is that this time around the guy is capable of processing social cues, unlike many other protagonists who can't identify social cues if they're dancing naked right in front of him

Enjoyment:
The art is great and that helps a lot with enjoyment. Each story doesn't progress too fast but not too slow either, plenty of time to understand what's going on but things don't drag on. I think that's far more important than great characters because generic tropes with good pacing is better than uniques with shitty pacing.

Overall:
So far so good. It doesn't have anything too exciting but interesting enough that I wanna know what's next.