Fuufu Ijou, Koibito Miman.

The synopsis of "More than a married couple, but not lovers" suggests that this show probably won't be anything deep, but rather light, enjoyable, relaxing rom-com. For real - how can so ridiculous concepts like "marriage practical" be treated seriously? This premise, however, seems to be pretty original, comparing it to other similar shows. The closest matches are probably Nisekoi and Koi to Uso (forced marriage/pairing), but none of these shows treated this theme in this type of way.

[Story - 7]

I appreciate the original take when it comes to marriage practical theme. Even if it seems funny, or even stupid in the synopsis, it works ... pretty well in the show at the end. It allows the anime to take the path, many rom-com viewers are seeking - "enemies to lovers". The show isn't boring at all, even after a few episodes, which is pretty common for this type of anime. Each episode consists of something either funny or exciting for the viewer. It's really enjoyable. As far as I like the whole concept of the show, I also dislike it at the same level. This approach to the story makes the relationship between characters a bit meaningless and forced. Let's be real - Jirou and Akari pairing is pretty exotic, and most likely would have really low chances, without this forced pairing. I much more like the shows, where the relationship goes naturally. There are also a lot of lewd scenes, and in some moments, the show looks like Ecchi. There are also unbearable for me, ambiguous scenes, between Shiori and Jirou. These are not only cringe-worthy but also really tiring to watch - especially when it is repeatable (holidays - beach and restaurant scenes). The chemistry between many characters is weird and forced at times. That seems to be a positive thing in some ways, to show the character development in later episodes.

[Art - 7]

The colours in the show are vivid, bright, and really saturated, making the atmosphere nicer, and the show more interesting. Most of the time colours are matched correctly, and the art looks really good. In some scenes, the hue is really aggressive, and it may appear oversaturated, which causes the opposite effect from the planned.

[Sound - 8]

Not much to mention there. Music doesn't play a major role in this show. The opening is just okay. Ending on the other hand is a masterpiece. I loved it from the first time I heard it!

[Characters - 6]

The characters are really generic. The first episode and the viewer can already think "I saw that somewhere already". And obviously, those characters are widely copied in many anime, but the first suggestion that comes to head? Nisekoi. The main character is madly in love with his childhood friend. He starts to spend much more time with the main heroine, that is totally not his type. As they know each other better, it seems they are clicking quite well. MC starts to realize his feelings for the main heroine. Nothing new. MC is surprisingly not bad, and in some ways likable. It's still far from the really good male MCs, but I didn't feel the cringe, by looking at his actions. It's a good exception from the usual boring, useless rom-com MC. Side characters? Zero development, zero significance to the story. Basically, everyone besides Akari, Shiori, and Jirou "is just there" and that's it. Their personality is almost non-existent. The only side character viewers are about to know a bit better is Tenjin, and it's still really a surface knowledge level (and maybe that is better?)

[Enjoyment - 9]

I won't lie, this show is one of those I really enjoyed while watching it. I'm aware of its flaws. And I agree it's nothing special. But I still really liked it. Even if it has some elements suggesting it's a generic rom-com, I find the whole show idea pretty innovative. It was something I didn't experience before when it comes to anime. I had a lot of laughs, smiles, and excitement throughout those 12 episodes. I even picked up the manga, as I was curious about what will happen next. "More than a married couple, but not lovers" is doing a lot of things wrong, as long as the brightening up my day, can be counted as a wrong thing.

Fuufu Ijou, Koibito Miman. isn't a masterpiece. But it also not trying to be one. It's a lighthearted romance, with a good dose of comedy, and a pretty original idea for a storyline. The show isn't for everyone for sure. However, if you're looking for a decent rom-com, with a fair amount of lewdness, a great amount of laughter, and some cute moments, look no further.

"More than a married couple, but not lovers" anime gets more than I was expecting, before starting this show - 8/10.

What is trash? Is it a dumpster fire, or something that absolutely is worth its name upon that symbolizes something else?

In AniManga, we have seen our fair share of trash, or even dumpster fire shows over the years promising something different but with the outcome already written on the wall, and Jim George's quote of "It’s not how you start that’s important, but how you finish!" rings true for all works. This is especially important for works that people have waited eons to get an anime adaptation, and for me, that show is mangaka Yuuki Kanamari's Fuufu Ijou, Koibito Miman. a.k.a More Than a Married ... Couple, But Not Lovers.

Rom-coms are gotten quite stale over time with the advent of works that pave the way for influences, say in the late 2000s and early 2010s with shows like Toradora! and Nisekoi that are still beloved classics to this day. It's only in recent years with shows like Koi to Uso a.k.a Love and Lies, Kanojo mo Kanojo a.k.a Girlfriend, Girlfriend and the most recent Kakkou no Iinazuke a.k.a A Couple of Cuckoos that truly draw the line for rom-coms inventing something new, but ultimately falling short at the finish line of their wayward cycle of messy love triangles (or rectangles even) predicting what the seasoned Average Joe has already spelled out the disasters with many theories as possible to predict how this "illogical" drama would end. And this show, based on the manga of the same name, is no exception to this rule.

Notice that I DID say that the finish line is just as important as how things start, and this show for one, ups the ante on the one show that has already proven itself to be a failure, just like the manga it was based on: Koi to Uso. But unless you're a seasoned AniManga veteran, you would have no idea what Koi to Uso's setting is like, and I forgive you since the anime aired 5 years ago, with the manga only reaching its conclusion at the start of the year. The former's story plot featuring a futuristic Japan where low birthrates are a serious liability for the nation, so much so that the government introduces a system to encourage successful marriages by pairing adolescent high school students according to whoever they are assigned to, and serious repercussions await those who defy the arrangement. This is the case for the male MC having an infatuation on his classmate and long-time crush, who knew that getting her would take a leap of encouragement and boldness, even against the girl that he's assigned to being interested in his illicit romance. And you can take what Koi to Uso offered and plaster it into this series, only beating it in the sense that it's a school-required curriculum to pass before graduation, a perchance at the make-believe married life that similar to said former series, and the pairs are chosen at random.

In fact, I would go as far as to say that the mangaka took most of the inspiration from the series, and elevates it in his/her way so much that it actually blends a lot of what makes the rom-com genre great to begin with: Toradora!'s way of the main oddball couple helping each other attain their crushes and Nisekoi's insistence that as much as the male side of the second couple is a supporting character, but being that of the main character being spineless. This is true for Jiro Yakuin, who is almost in the same vein as Nisekoi's Raku Ichijo and Koi to Uso's Yukari Nejima, being all that innocent in front of the girl he likes and has a crush on her for the longest time: the shy and kind-hearted Shiori Sakurazaka. But being the awkward introvert with self-esteem issues (that akin to a certain Hitori "Bocchi" Gotoh), he doesn't feel confident in making sure that his attempts to reach Shiori will ever plan out. This is where the gyaru Akari Watanabe comes in: being assigned to Jiro instead of her crush that is the popular school idol Minami Tenjin, both have a hatred for one another but have the same objective: like Toradora!'s Ryuji Takasu and Taiga Aisaka, help each other to be assigned to the crush of their dreams by way of the tactics bringing the antics, which in this case, is the earn enough points to switch their partners.

The irony? Having a mismatch like this requires you and your partner to get intimate with each other and barring the hope that the other person does the same to his/her partner that the same plan would be achieved, this is much easier said than done. Both Akari and Jiro putting their differences aside, may have for better or worse, deepened their relationship with one another, turning their hatred into love and causing confusion on conflicting feelings of whether those exact feelings are true or not. It's a given that the OTP a.k.a One-True Pairing exists for a reason, and as much as people ship the expected Jiro X Shiori and Akari X Minami, love can be blind-sided in the favour if one person curries feelings for the other, and thus says so for the ongoing source material that ever so tries to pair the "match made in heaven" couple that it really questions people from time to time if the person they are going for, IS the one that they really want to spend their life with. And that is some messy business to be dealt with when all is said and done.

Jiro's VA Seiichiro Yamashita does a knockout job trying to replicate Jiro's image from the manga, and his character being Kage no Jitsuryokusha a.k.a Eminence in Shadow's gigachad Cid Kagenou, I expect nothing less from his standout performance being just the awkward person in the room and acting innocently boisterous on just about anything that ticks him, such as the case with Akari's VA Saori Oonishi. In fact, having Saori Oonishi be Akari does give her character more weight and significance in this crossing web of emotions as she tries to help the secluded Jiro stand out a bit more and be brave about his emotions, while simultaneously not forgetting that she has to target Minami as well, with the support of her best friends Sachi Takamiya and Natsumi Ohashi. The one surprise that I wasn't expecting to have Seiyuu Saki Miyashita play as Shiori, and after playing main characters for shows since 2018, she found her stride with Tantei wa Mou, Shindeiru. a.k.a The Detective Is Already Dead's Siestal, coming back for one full force as the pretty and lovable Shiori, the waifu character bait strikes two-for-two. And of course, how could I forget Minami Tenjin, and VA Toshiki Masuda really captured the sense that he is the school's flower boy, the handsome dude that all girls want to date him.

For the relatively new studio that is studio MOTHER, it has been quite the wild ride with the studio's record only being in production assistance for Arifureta when Asread. was just killing the original source material's adaptation, but thankfully it wasn't the case here. With manageable pacing that I'd say is not too fast in hiding those story elements while providing a touch of glimpse with its almost overdone colour palette, the production values look great, even if director Junichi Yamamoto doesn't have much under his resume biography of works which range from the weird to the unkempt. For a standalone effort, this was pretty much what I was hoping for in the manga receiving a good adaptation, and yes, for sure it was, with a lil'bit of omission from the manga as few as possible. I just love the colours presented here, it is a nice contrast and gives the bright "pop" that adds so much personality to the show, and it was a heck of a job well done.

The OST, simply wonderful, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Liyuu's OP is good, but Nowlu's ED is even better. What a dazzling of magical pumps and beats, this is some incredible song composition that has a chill vibe to elevate the setting of the anime. Definitely one of the best EDs of the season and the year overall.

It comes as no surprise that the anime adaptation has respected the manga considerably, and I am more than elated that it turned out just as great as the source material was in its beginning stages. Would love a Season 2 to this, but as mentioned in the beginning, it comes with the caveat of the manga faltering just the same as any other rom-com story with "un"-necessary padding. Still though, what we got was really just spectacular, and as a manga reader, I can finally take this off my bucket list of hopeful adaptations.

A great job well done, even if it's redeemable trash, folks.

I knew almost instantly what this show was going to be barely into the first episode, then I confirmed it by checking the latest chapter of the manga. This show is, and will only ever be, a constant string of 'romantic' moments without any foundation, nor any chemistry between the characters. There is no point.

The main character is pathetic and spineless. It's hard to properly quantify just how frustrating it is watching him babble and whine and allow himself to be verbally abused and physically dominated (the main girl forcefully grabs his shirt a couple times in the first episode and he just takes it). ... Bafflingly, the abuse quickly lessens, but it isn't because he establishes boundaries. The story needs to move on to the next phase, after all! There's no time to have organic relationship growth from a frigid one into something more stable! Nobody wants to see that! They want to see love triangles that never go anywhere!

And by the way, on the topic of relationship growth, our protagonist likes one girl because they were childhood friends - understandable - but then he starts liking the main girl too for no reason and flip flops between them. The script says that he is conflicted between two perfect girls, so now he is. He is physically close to the main girl sometimes, therefore it only makes sense that he would fall in love with her instantly. Who cares that they share no common interests, habits, or values. They were embarrassed that they were sitting next to each other and then they blushed! WOW!

The writing is just so transparent and on the nose. Every interaction our protagonist has with a girl makes him blush and wobble at the knees. Nothing romantic is happening onscreen, yet he reacts like there is. The show has to make every moment romantic even when it's not. Take out the blushes and the music and it's like a sitcom without the laugh track - you realize how awkward and out of the blue the interactions really are, and realize there's no actual reason for the characters to say or do the things they do. It's summarized as the following: The protagonist is paired off with a girl he has a general dislike for, then overnight and without any concrete reason, he starts acting weird like he has a crush on her and gets jealous that she likes someone else. There's a disconnect, as I said previously, of effects without cause - the correct beats, the correct payoffs, but without the buildup to justify them and give them meaning.

The main girl leaves a VERY bad first impression as verbally abusive, rude, arrogant, vain, and physically aggressive. It's strange though because by only Episode 2 she's mellowed out considerably. There's a major whiplash to her character where she starts overly nasty then instantly just becomes a typical tsundere. After all, we need to get her into love triangles as quickly as possible! We can save time by just skipping her character development entirely! Any normal romance show wouldn't have her act like that until maybe Episode 5, after having time to get used to her situation and come to terms with the main guy. It would only be after a series of increasingly relaxed interactions that she'd realize she was feeling differently around him and try being flirty or jealous. But that sounds like a lot of not-love-triangles happening. Can't have that!

Still though, despite suddenly becoming tolerable, the bad first impression the main girl gave off sticks in my mind, and when she's being kind and acting cute I'm reflexively disgusted. Beyond that change she shows no character growth, continually stuck between liking one boy because he's handsome, cool, smart, and athletic, and liking the main guy for no apparent reason other than because they're in close proximity and breathing each other's pheromones. Speaking of which...

The premise is absurd but I initially gave it a pass because it's the setup for a romcom and a unique situation to put our characters through. Every second that went by though I became increasingly distressed and annoyed by it. This fake marriage apparently goes beyond simply learning to cooperate with other people you may not know or actually like - like a teambuilding exercise - but full-on is forcing highschoolers into an intimate relationship with a virtual stranger under the threat of academic failure, all while having no privacy because they're being watched by cameras. I'm pretty forgiving when it comes to weird stuff in anime but this crosses a very creepy line. I do however believe a better execution was possible and would eliminate the creepy fetish factor.

Don't waste your time watching this. The colours are pretty though.

When life gives you gyaru girl kiss her again and again.

First time it will look like More than married couple but not lovers is another romantic comedy but it's not just another rom-com. Its more than that.

The concept is pretty uplifting, enjoyable and modern. And so it's unrealistic.
You got a gyaru girl and your childhood crush. Who will win? That's the story. It seems pretty common ain't it? But it is not.

Lets dig it.
Character (8.5/10)
The characters are pretty decent and enjoyable, There voice also suits there character and match with their vibe.
...
Designs & Art style (9.5/10)
The art style is so eye catchy and cute and it has some of the most illuminating designs. The visuals are splendid.

Plot (8/10)
Plot is simply decent and entertaining and delightful and will not make you bored or any thing it will keep you from the start to the end.

Moments (9.9/10)
The interaction among the chars and hot pleasant moments are just wonderful to watch.

Songs (8.9/10)
OP and ED are also quite amusing the visuals are also pretty clean.

Conclusion:
A must watch best rom-com this season along I'm villainess and it is getting better and better every episode so don't give up on this thing.

Overall (9/10)
If you like sizzling romance with good dynamics you should watch it.

We start this review with the classic disappointment of a source reader. I have read all the source material and was keen to see it get an adaptation.
I want this to be clear, the source material is lovely, if you enjoy the genre. It's not for everyone but that mild tsundere secondary love interest take, is the cake for some. If you DID actually enjoy the show, please take a second and go read the source material, at this time it is only 52 chapters, you can read it in 2-4 hours.

Now I have A LOT of issues with this adaptation, take everything with a ... grain of salt, as some are caused from me being saddened by the actually interesting story being butchered by a company trying to make a quick buck.

I'll try to lay it out as chronological as possible, Studio MOTHER is a new studio that has only produced 2 Series, one being this adaptation. The other being about everyone's favorite "Arifureta's" Season 2, OVA's + Movie. This show not only was awful because of the writing, but they managed to butcher it further with constant CG animation anytime something moved faster than someone shaking hands.
But this review isn't about another series being awful, its about this shows issues, which is why I had to reference their previous mishaps.

-Animation-
At this time I've watched the first 4 episodes of Fuufu Ijou, Koibito Miman, and just Episode 1, I was trying to figure out if maybe I was having issues with my eyes, or maybe the director had too many magic mushrooms on the confirmation set.

The color pallet for this show is so loud AND bland at the same time its wild. They chose loud conflicting colors as the primary, then followed it up with conflicting colors in the backdrop that don't match and cause a really bad pull in and out of immersion that made me feel like the show went on for way longer than it did, at the halfway point, i thought they were doing the normalized ending cliff hanger.
Mix this with the fact you can run the show in 1080p and 480p and it looks exactly the same, really worries me overall.
Following this aspect, who cranked the contrast to 11? Like the color taste was already bad but everything looks like I'm watching it through a flashlight.

My review isn't going to include much about the story because well, as I said, I love the source material, that's the not the issue I have with watching this, if I needed to complain about the story, it would be the pacing is way too fast, and this is the same as its written in the source, its just doesn't seem to come across as-well, I don't know if that's bad choreography or just it translated bad on screen but, it just didn't give remotely the same taste.

Will I keep watching it? For sure, I love this series, its really enjoyable and has its ups and downs for its specific genre. Do I think it will get a S2, highly doubt it based off the studios output, if they're lucky the story will carry it.

Manga 7/10
Anime 4/10

-Red

The amount of internal brain hemorrhaging while watching this show is truly a testament to how annoying and critical the story is in making a decent show.

Best way to describe this show is like this, “Rent A Girlfriend Anime, With a Decent MC, with 2 characters that can be considered love interests.”
The problem is not that the story is horrible, it's just the fact that the “Marriages” are very cliché, like Romeo and Juliet, but the MC can't decide whether he wants one or the other, like he wants his cake and to eat it too. But at the same time the love interests ... keep on cheating on their partner because they really just want to be with a different person then that they are assigned with. But even that is a lie, because they can't go through with it, they just want to be with Jirou.

The Story plays out it 1 of 4 ways each episode:
First Type: MC falls in love with Childhood friend and wants to be with Shiori.
Second Type: MC falls in love with the set-up “Marriage” and wants Akari to show sympathy.
Third Type: MC gets in between the love interest and their “Marriage” for either his or for childhood friend.
Fourth Type: MC gets embarrassed somehow and is interrupted mid romantic event.

Basically somewhat like “Rent A Girlfriend” but better by far, without an incompetent MC, excessive heroines (Only 2), but it still is really slow and boring for the most part, not exactly distinctly captivating by any means.

7/10, The ending for the show though is fantastic and really makes the “mid” tier rest of the show worth it.

While some may argue that Fuukoi is a Nisekoi rip off and another blue balling romcom, I wholeheartedly disagree. Not only was it one of my favourite shows of 2022, but it’s also one of my all time favourite rom-com stories.

Fuukoi does have some similarities with previous romcoms like Nisekoi with the whole fake relationship gradually turning to real feelings set up, but ultimately it sets itself apart with how it handles the characters which is my biggest complaint with most gag romances. The show is pretty transparent. What you see is what you get. My main issue with these types of shows tends ... to be an indecisive MC who doesn’t know who or what he wants and goes back and forth all the time. The MC in this show is open from the jump about who he wants and using the couples exam as a means of doing that, as is the main female character. While you do have a lot of common rom-com tropes in the show, I think they’re presented in an enjoyable fashion and don’t take away from the drama of the story. If anything, I think the anime has similarities with Kisekoi from earlier in the year and if you enjoyed that type of dynamic between a male and female MC you’ll enjoy this.

The couples exam itself is a pretty unique idea in anime and the situations it forces the characters into are hilarious. I enjoyed seeing the MC and Akari, the main female protag grow closer and slowly realise their feelings. If I had one complaint, though. It would be the “love triangle” in the show. It’s a pretty one sided situation from like episode 4 onwards and there’s no real tension or drama because you basically already know what way the MC is gonna go. I would have liked to have seen more drama with that throughout the season. We did get a little bit more in the last couple episodes, but it felt more like a token effort than anything. If anything, there’s more drama on the female side of things with Akari chasing the guy she originally liked. I will say though, this is one of the few romcoms where I actually prefer the main girl over the childhood friend/side girl so that is a testament to how well written Akari is and how good the relationship she cultivates with the MC is.

The anime does have a ton of fan service which can be hit or miss for some people, for me fan service is always a plus and I absolutely loved how ecchi the show gets. The director/staff know their target audience and how to appeal to us and I appreciate that. The weekly lewd scenarios were really awesome and I’m gonna miss them.

Character designs and art are top tier for me. Akari has one of the most attractive designs I have ever seen in anime. The colour palette is gorgeous to me. It’s a very bright and punchy looking show, but I think it turned out very well. It’s a unique art style that we don’t see often.

What makes me rate the anime so highly all time is that Akari and Jirou’s relationship is just genuinely fun to me. I love how despite coming from such different backgrounds they are able to find common ground, build a real bond and open up to each other. You combine that with fan service, gorgeous art and some drama and you’ve got something really special on your hands. Is this show for everyone? No. If you’re coming into this expecting Fruits Basket style writing you’ll be disappointed. This is a rom-com ass rom-com and I mean that in the most sincere way possible. It exemplifies what you’d expect from this type of show and makes for a great watch and I love it.

Fuukoi gets 10 out of 10.

Well tbh i didnt have a lot of hope while starting the first episode but at least i've been lured by the fact it's a seinen to believe it might be mature. Well ngl i was wrong, this isnt mature. Sometimes it's borderline ecchi but it's not really different from a shounen slice of life.
It's been a while now i review those romance animes/mangas and it becomes increasingly boring and hard to find inspiration while writing because it's just a taste of deja vu for me. Like a feeling that everything i write for 75% of those animes could be switched with other animes ... and so on. It's always the same flaws, the same stories, the same characters...

Nevertheless, i'll do it. Well let's start with the characters. The MC is bland, generic indeed it's your basic SOL romance MC with a bland look, a bland personality, the same shy thick headed boy we get in all those animes. Nothing to see, nothing to say because "nothing" is the best existing word that refers to this army of MC clones that mangakas created.
Akari (pink haired girl) is portayed as a pretty yes-life girl who aspires to go out with the handsome boy of the high school. She starts the anime being a selfish unbearable spoiled brat who openly mocks the MC then in just 15 minutes she becomes a girl who flirts with him without accepting it. Like often in those animes, we discover that she's more than a selfish girl and it turns out that she's kind, sweet, funny and maybe nymphomaniac seeing how she behaves with a boy who isnt even her crush. But I guess i shouldnt be saying that though. All in all, she's just weird and should be avoided at all costs for any normal boy out there. In my opinion, this character doesnt make any sense at all. I mean obviously girls in those animes dont make any sense aswell but at least their behaviour is understandable. Here, she's portayed as a virgin kind girl without any experience but sometimes she just straight up behaves like a prostitute you know. I dont want to spoil anything but some scenes are borderline sluts. Her behaviour is strictly made for fanservice, she's kind and virgin but she'll behave like a drunk girl with a boy she met in a club even though she's been knowing the MC for 3 days. I mean, how would she be a virgin if she behaves like that it doesnt make any sense. Either you do a full virgin cliche girl either you embrace the fact this is a seinen and you show a more realistic girl with experience but a mix of both is a no go.

Shiori (MC's childhood friend) is the shy girl who doesnt like to stand out. She's been in love with the MC since 1942 (well that's false but you guessed it, it's been since they're kids) but because of her shyness and her lack of luck, she has never been able to convey her feelings to an extent the MC believes she is deeply friendzoning him. Let's not lose our time, she'll probably end up alone being regretful about how her stupidity made her lose the heart of a simp that has been following her in hope of love since they're kids aswell.
Truth is that we see a girl like that in 80% of those animes, it's getting boring but they continue to provide us with those top notch girls that end up heart-broken.
That is exactly why this anime is random and doesnt deserve (for me) more than a generous 6/10. Random MC, weird irrational girl, a cliche childhood friend that will eventually end up like every others... Well that's not appealing.

But maybe there's a chance the story goes farther to transcend us, modest anime fans !
Haha lol no. They spend 95% of their time at home, sometimes they end up in some cliche situations and that's it. Like everytime in those animes, there's not deepness to increase our affection to the characters by showing us their hardships (apart from their sexual life). It seems like they're always talking and thinking about relationships. Even when the MC hangs out with his friend, they talk about girls. What do they want to do ? idk what are their passions ? idk Who are their parents ? idk
well truth is that it's even less developed that the standard romance anime. At least in other animes, you get to see a mother, sometimes a father, a sister and so on. In this anime, we dont care ! and i will explain you why
Because this anime is a slut anime that doesnt say its name. If you dont know what is the slut genre, well it's animes/mangas without any story because the only thing that matters is that characters end up doing sexual things. The plot conveniently helps them.
The only difference here is that you can replace sexual scenes by fanservice scenes. Boing breasts, breasts that touch the MC's back, scene in which a girl simulates a sex scene while she's cooking with the MC (God it was awful to watch).
I'm not going to talk about art etc... cuz there's nothing to say really.

All in all, who should watch this thing ? Well if you're only interested in a generic anime full of fanservice with girls but you're not brave enough to watch a hentai you're in the right place. This anime will probably be one of the best romance anime you'll ever see because it goes really far in fanservice. That's all

If you're looking for an anime masterpiece like steins gate or hunter x hunter, look no further, this is the perfect anime to watch and enjoy with your fellow siblings. If you did not like this anime it is because you're gay.
Have no confusion towards the topic of quality regarding niponic animations, for it is the pinacle of _Homo sapiens_. When discussing Fuufu Ijou, Koibito Miman, it is imperative for us to understand almighty God himself has handcrafted its script, and its characters are brought quite literally to life, as they are potentialized by the atmosphere created on the realms of audio & visual. Were ... the ultimate power not to exist, present I to you the understanding that such an intricate piece would not be conceived.
s very good

Visual- 10/10
Sound- 10/10
Stpry- 10/10
Music- 10/10
Character design- 11/10
Overall-10/10.

I just finished watching this anime and I'm still reeling from the experience. This anime was a wild ride from start to finish, and I'm not just saying that because of the adorable characters (although, let's be real, Akari is the ultimate girlfriend goals).

The premise of the show is unique - two high school students, Akari and Jiro, are paired together as "married couples" for a school project, but they're not actually dating. As they navigate their fake relationship, real feelings start to develop, and things get complicated.

What I loved most about this anime was the way it explored the complexities of relationships. Akari and ... Jiro's interactions were so natural and relatable, it felt like I was watching real people navigate love, friendship, and misunderstandings. The supporting characters added depth and humor to the story, and I found myself invested in their lives too.

Akari, in particular, stole my heart. Her kindness, empathy, and unwavering optimism made me wish I had a girlfriend like her in real life (no shame in admitting that!). The way she supported Jiro through thick and thin, even when he didn't deserve it, was truly inspiring.

The animation was beautiful, with vibrant colors and expressive character designs. The soundtrack was catchy and fitting, with opening and ending themes that I found myself humming long after the episodes ended.

Went in expecting some generic slop, instead I was met with a pleasant feels-good romcom. This has nothing which sets it apart from others which actually plays into its effectiveness as it builds on what works. The plot is unique, but it can definitely feel artificial because it's somewhat too convenient and unrealistic, but what is?

The characters set this apart from other romcoms, because even though they can all fit a cookie cutter trope character:
- Jiro, unpopular 'otaku'
- Kamo, loner wingman
- Sakurazaka, childhood first love
- Watanabe, enemies to lovers tsundere
- Minami, ikemen blonde sociable guy

They don't feel like filler, in the sense ... that they serve more than to fill the gaps of dialogue and interaction. The characters aren't fleshed out, but they don't just exist. The dynamic and conversations between some characters, have genuine influence on those characters' thoughts and opinions.

There aren't really any obvious criticisms to be had aside from the fanservice at times in my opinion, but overall this anime utilizes cliches and tropes within reason while keeping a fresh take on them. I do like the author's foreshadowing (wedding veil) though. All in all, it does everything right, but nothing more. Very respectable, mostly enjoyable, and not a bad watch at all.

Why are you getting embarrassed, Mr. Virgin? -Akari Watanabe

Fuufu Ijou, Koibito Miman is a slice-of-life/romance show about students which have the weird school project of having a "simulated marriage". The lucky couple must live together in the same house while acting like if they're real married, their behaviour affects directly both's mark on the project. Jirou is an antsocial and nerd person, which is in love with his kindergarten friend (the only girl he talks to). Basically the plot is about a looser trying to get mark A on the project, so he can change the girl he's with, while in a love triangle with ... his housemate (Akari), who's confused with her feelings too.

Plot [4/10]:
Extremely predictable. The nerd who's in a love triangle and might stay with the popular girl in the end

Art [6/10]:
The art is good but too much colorful

Sound [7/10]
Opening is cringe, ost is normal and ending's good

Characters [8/10]:
It's cute to see Akari and Jirou's development. The others characters are totally disposable.

Enjoyment [9/10]:
As a big fan of slice-of-life animes, it's impossible for me to not like it, even with the predictable plot

Overall [7/10]:
The show is by far realistic or dramatic, but it's really cool to just having fun while watching teens figuring out their feelings.

The anime is not finished by the way.

I can understand the "Not Recommended" or "Mixed Feelings" assessment that many people give it because of the unending cliche, fan service and somewhat milk toast personality of Yakuin, but despite the negatives, its my second favorite anime of the season (behind Chainsaw Man) because its a fun story, and the colors and artwork are superb. It reminds me somewhat of Nisekoi which also ended up with a similar MAL rating of mid-7s.

Another nice thing I like about this anime is that each episode pretty much stands on its own - I am so tired of anime that drag out a particular topic across ... 3+ episodes.

“It gets better”

Such a phrase is commonly reserved for multi-season (sometimes action) comedies which take a few episodes or most of a season to experiment before hitting their stride, as well as long-running shounens which tend to explode at a certain arc. That being said, it’s also often used for shows that leave a mediocre or abysmal first impression before allegedly picking up in quality according to a consensus. Chivalry of a Failed Knight, Gundam ZZ, and Symphogear are somewhat popular examples. Whether or not such an argument is convincing or even true is obviously down to preference and case by case basis, but personally, ... Fuufu Ijou is a rare example of this actually being applicable.

There are two tremendous barriers to entry with this series which rear their heads immediately. Firstly, the backdrop is by far the most questionable element of the series. The series is predicated on a marriage practical, a course where everyone in high school is assigned a partner of the opposite sex to live with in a dorm. Cameras survey their every move, they earn and lose points based on how well they gel with each other as a couple, and the top 10 couples are encouraged to “divorce” so that they can be paired up. Also, this is a mandatory, graded course. The logistical, ethical, and consistency-based issues with this entire idea are numerous. It’s an albatross around the series’ neck, a shadow that underscores just about every single interaction in the show. No matter how cute the romance is, no matter how much character chemistry the main couple and supporting cast all have, you have to really get past and ignore said backdrop for it to not have a dramatic effect on your enjoyment.

Even if you can put up with all that and not be immediately driven away from the series, the first episode has other issues beyond introducing the broken marriage practical concept. The pacing and editing are rather rough and abrupt, only ceasing to be an issue around episode 3 or 4, barring the occasional abrupt end to some episodes throughout. Both are virginal gamer dweeb MC (Jirou) and our brash, confrontational gyaru MC (Akari) are a bit difficult to put up with at first, especially together. The typical tropes one would expect like an even more bitterly virginal 4th wall breaker best friend and the typical childhood friend with a crush on the MC are all unflatteringly tossed in, the former of which starts off incredibly annoying. There really is a lot going against the show from the start.

In spite of everything, Fuufu Ijou quickly manages to wind up as a cute wish fulfillment romcom with a surprising amount of fun and skill. Jirou and Akari quickly develop a fun chemistry together as the show transitions from the more cliche conflicts to surprisingly touchy and insecurity-driven ones even as early as episode 4. Jirou doesn’t expect anyone to love some horny teen loser like him who would just bring a popular girl like Akari down, while Akari feels over reliant on others and her self-esteem is absurdly fragile. Their insecurities and unwillingness to reconcile with their budding feelings for each other vs their feelings for their crushes are mostly nice to see, even if there are a few hijinks that probably go a bit too far and could use some rearranging. Even the annoying meta humor provided by best friend Kamo has its fun moments, with uproarious and dedicated references to Duel Monsters, and the fact that his fucking name hasn’t been properly introduced even 4 episodes in. There’s always a wrinkle to the usual or annoying ideas past episode 1 to help cushion the blow or surprise the viewer as things quickly tighten up and become more interesting. The second half has this in spades, especially as the admittedly gaudy vocalizing of what they expect from teenage boys and girls to typically feel and do further informs their insecurities. It does make it all the more frustrating just how close to saying how their insecurities and current issues are a product of their developing feelings for each other, but there are some engaging payoffs to everything by the end, even though it’s only adapting a fraction of the material.

The show isn’t immune from the aforementioned pains. While Jirou’s self-deprecating virgin monologues become more bearable, they’re still a little too frequent. Furthermore, the level of monologuing in this show is still annoying, and while it is refreshing when things go a little faster or differently than expected, there’s still some anxiety present given how the show does sometimes just go for the annoying idea flat out. The show is also too overbearingly blunt, thanks in no small part to the misunderstandings and an unceasing swarm of monologues, even if the resolutions and progression can sometimes be worth it. Part of why might be the exploration of both Jirou and Akari's personal insecurities, which drives practically every action and interaction of theirs. Plus, as bad as the backdrop is, it adds a sense of both inevitability and uncertainty to their destination, regardless of who they end up with, should they be with anyone at all by the time they swap partners. Of course, as this anime adapts what is projected to be about ⅓ of the manga, only so much progress can be made, but the partial journey is more engaging than expected.

Another reason the show goes down smoother than expected is how the visuals help the material along. As bright as it is, the light pastel color pallet really does suit the show, and given how the backgrounds have the same aesthetic sensibilities as the character artwork, everything just compliments each other. It’s not like, say, Arifureta (the 2nd season of which Studio MOTHER helped out with before the release of this show) where absurdly bright character colors are contrasted with regular greens and browns to make the eye-searing colors stick out far too much. Fuufu Ijou actually has a uniform aesthetic, and a distinct one at that. There are also some neat visual gags and edits that punctuate some of the comedy, especially with the Final Fantasy and Duel Monsters references. The first scene of episode 1 certainly has dodgy CGI, but the show doesn’t employ that much past that, even with the buildings and interiors. Given how most modern anime look, that fact was absolutely refreshing. Additionally, outside of episodes 9-11 which make up one singular arc and defined timeframe, every episode sees Akari with a new, distinct set of nails. The show definitely has its wonky and flat artwork moments, the editing can be a little rough, and there are scenes that could stand to have a little bit more actual animation in them. Even still, for a modest production, there’s certainly some real charm given to the look of the show and its fun little details and intricacies. While director Junichi Yamamoto had only directed small music videos, OVAs, and smaller scale ONAs/ONA series, he and director Takao Kato did a generally solid job.

That being said, the music was honestly the least engaging part. There are a few decently evocative and dramatic tracks, but otherwise, Yuri Habuka’s OST kind of just exists. It does what it needs to do, occasionally does it well enough to slightly stand out, and leaves as if it was never there in the first place. The super cutesy Liyuu OP “TRUE FOOL LOVE” isn’t personally appealing either, and the main ED, “Stuck on you” by Nowlu is a decent smooth nocturnal pop song, it’s her ep 12 ED, “Shallow” that sticks out as a particularly pleasant song. There isn’t a whole lot else to say about the show’s music, unfortunately. It’s competent, but there’s little in the way of anything memorable.

In spite of everything going against it, Fuufu Ijou is a decent and likable wish-fulfillment romcom It’s frustrating that the backdrop and incessant monologuing hold it back because this show is almost legitimately good. It may be tropey as hell, but when it’s executed with just enough finesse and with enough surprises and moments of character exploration, is that really so much of a bad thing? The fanservice may be both too constant yet too tame for the most part as well, but rarely is it particularly distracting given it’s done within the headspace of the male MC. While it’s marketed as a seinen, it’s not a bad romance for teenagers to be introduced to and even slightly challenged by regarding certain kinds of social expectations they place upon each other. Still, if you’re even remotely well-versed in romcoms and love triangle stories, and your standards for them are a bit stringent, this is a show you can take or leave. If you’re craving for more, you might find something worth your while, provided you can get past some of its awkward rough edges. It probably won’t be anyone’s anime of the year or anything, but it’s a little nicer and more interesting than one might expect.

It's a pretty mid anime:

20/10 for how beautiful the animation looks like
5/10 for the plot
2/10 for the personality of main characters
10/10 for how horny and single it makes you feel

I'll try to avoid spoilers and stick to the overall vibe of the story and what to expect from the main characters. The other information I talk about are mainly things you can easily understand in the first 6-7 minutes of the first episode.

It's basically the story of a crappy school that is teaching students how not to commit to one person for life, cheat on each other, and keep doing sexual acts with ... someone they don't love if they don't want to fail their school. To make it worse, they don't allow students to select their partners. They are assigned their partner for such an IMPORTANT course RANDOMLY.

You already have a partner and don't want to cheat on him/her by taking this course with a random person? Too bad, the school doesn't give a crap about that. You MUST perform sexual acts and act like a married couple with that random person if you don't want to fail your school.

Your partner is someone you absolutely hate because you have some personal problems or because you have some issues with that person you're paired up with? Too bad, the school doesn't care about that as well. If you don't want to fail your school, you could only continue to act lovely dovely with that person, no matter what type of person that other guy/girl is.

The school also gives especial advantages to you if you get high points in the course and keep changing your partner and do all these stuff with multiple people. The more you learn how to cheat on your partner irl, the BETTER.

And the main characters are the textbook definition of dense couple that drags everything. They're both designed in a way to be the densest, pethatic sort of human you can imagine. The type that make all viewers want to slam their head to the wall. They are designed to just drag EVERYTHING out by ignoring their feelings, lying about their true thoughts, making misunderstandings, avoiding half of their issues, etc. I am not going to spoil anything, but I give a sincere warning: if you're looking for a wholesome, *monogamous* romance here, this story is NOT for you (please please please take especial care of the emphasize I put on the word "monogamous". I am not going to spoil anything but watch the opening theme of the anime twice while thinking about the Domestic Girlfriend and you'll get what I'm talking about.)

On the bright side, the animation is absolutely stunning. If you're looking for a good ecchi that has some plot, you're definitely in the right place. Anytime these 2 MCs are alone, they have such a sky shattering sexual tension that you're totally gonna feel horny and single as ****. In that regard, the female MC is similar to Marin from My Dress-Up Darling.

Overall, a mid-level story romance story with an AMAZING animation that is filled with dense, horrible characters that make you want to slam your head to the wall.

Especially the male MC. You can't expect his brain to function more than 30 seconds before he decides to shake his head and not think about anything. Every single time he starts thinking that maaaybe she loves him, or that maaaaaaaybe he loves her, he instantly starts shaking his head "hehe no way that's possible. How is it possible that we have ANY sort of feeling towards each other after living together alone for MONTHS with so much sexual tension? Let me go make love with this other girl instead! Hehe"

1/10

A nationwide high school program that "prepares" you for marriage by forcing you into a domestic relationship with a random person? Seems like it wouldn't work. So I guess it's a good thing that if you do things that appear to be marriage-worthy (read: generate ecchi scenes), you will be graded well. Why would you bother? Because the highest graded couples can trade partners.

That's right, the best plan an entire nation can supposedly come up with to prepare people for marriage is, "pair random *minors*, monitor them on camera, and force them to put on a happy, loving façade for those around them, and then ... dump that person for the one with whom they really want to have a relationship." What a trash premise for an excuse to make an ecchi show.

Also, every couple appears to be heterosexual. What about...? Ah, right, that doesn't happen in Japan. Hot garbage.

More than a married couple, but not lovers, is a show about the most unethical decision I've ever seen a school do, which puts two students in an apartment together so that they can get better at marriage. Now while I do understand how dumb this sound, its execution is actually pretty entertaining. The romance in the anime is genuinely interesting and enjoyable to watch and makes you really think about what way the protagonist will shift towards.

Art: 9
I have to say that for a romance the animation is pretty good, obviously, you shouldn’t expect any super high production, but it definitely is good ... enough to support the amazing art design this anime brings. I love how the characters look, plus the colors really pop out at you. My only drawback is that the music for the most part is okay, but I will say the ending song is a bop.

Characters: 7
Alright… while I love Watanabe, and I am satisfied with Jirou as an MC, it is fair to say that some of their decisions don’t make the most sense, but because they go through some pretty decent development, and the writing is solid, they both end up becoming pretty great characters. The rest of the cast is also good, and while I dont personally like Shiori, there is nothing really wrong with her writing, and honestly, she does a solid job moving the plot forward.

Story: 8
While I do think the initial premise is a little dumb, the anime does a great job of keeping you entertained and interested in where all these characters will end up, or shall I say who they will end up with. I surprisingly would recommend this to those that enjoy romance animes, and overall, I’m going to give this a total of 8 points out of 10.

Preface/Intro:
---- Ok, so here I was on Christmas day
looking for some new Anime.
Then, oh shit, hey
That's a fucking hot bae.

****IF YOU DO NOT READ ANYTHING ELSE, READ THE QUOTES I HAVE LISTED HERE**** (read the other shit category for more info)
"my poor virgin synapses"
"girls don't piss"
"'bazoonga floss"
... " hey why are you undulating? no undulating"
"*groan* booty"
"chesticles"
"Monogamy?, his betrothed?"
"your knee is poking me jiro can you move it? that's not my knee"

Art/Animation:
---- God damn these girls are attractive. Good art is what I can say, nothing to write home about the animation, but the actual waifus are *mwah* perfect (also apparently the plural of waifu is waifu according to grammarly but that sounds weird as fuck).
8/10

Story/Plot:
---- I didn't pay attention enough to get why, but pretty much we got a girl and a guy living together for a 'marriage' that is endorsed by the school and is mean to help with life experience???? I don't really care about the why though, what I do know is that watching the MC and best girl (Akira, of course) (pink-haired one) interact was like chicken noodle soup for my fucking soul but with a bit of spice if you know what I mean.
7/10

Characters:
---- All of them are highly fuckable and highly waifuable (I don't care if that's not a word). The innocent one is innocent. The guy is a main character of a love triangle anime. The best girl (Akira, of course, part 2) (pink-haired one part 2) had me catching some massive feelings. Like I was literally thinking, "GOD DAMN THAT GIRL IS HAWT!" Also the way they interacted felt natural(whatever that means).
7/10

Other Shit Category that I can't think of a name for, fuck you don't judge me:
---- The dub made this anime for me, I did not watch many of the episodes in sub, but from what I can tell the quotes listed above are dub exclusive, so I HIGHLY recommend that shit. ALSO, there is many times when the voice actors just go full HH (not hunter x hunter) when they talk. Like these guys will be having a normal exchange and it sounds like it was audio grabbed from yellow youtube. Muy bueno
8/10

Personal Enjoyment:
---- Bro you got a fine shawty rizzing up a guy through ways that DO NOT seem pg-13 despite it's rating. It's pretty fucking awesome.
8/10

Overall:
---- Fuck me man, this show is BARELY pg-13 (close to R not PG) and the one with pink hair should be my wife.
7.6 / 10

To start off my review, I would like to remind anyone that a show being okay or good is fine, sometimes having a relaxing show where you can turn off your brain and watch some almost over-the-top teen romance isn't bad. People mainly criticize this show for being cliche and predictable and that's okay. People like me like to wind down and have a relaxing show from time to time and the show isn't too bad it's the normal love triangle that sometimes gives you fan service that isn't as over the top that the show just becomes fan service fluff. overall if you just ... want to watch a regular teen romance full of cliches and not think too much about the story then this might be your best pick this season.

MC is just another cuck that can't make up his mind, blushes and loses it every time a girl enters his peripheral. The MCs are blushing for so long that I start to wonder if they're constantly drunk. Maybe this show was just an ad about alcoholism? It also checks every cliche/trope on the list, from dumb misunderstandings to characters saying the same thing simultaneously for no reason at all. There is no substance to this show, it's very hollow despite how good it looks from the outside. It's just "the loser at school hooked up with the most popular girl" story all over again. ... The dead horse is so beat up at this point that it's barely recognizable. There is barely any development at all over the entire season, the comedy is bland and I really don't see anything worth staying for. But the art is great, so I give 1 point for that.