Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu

Anime romantic comedies are a dime a dozen and they have been for over forty years now. The moment some savvy producer looked at the seminal Urusei Yatsura in the late 70’s and was like “We could totally milk the shit out of this,” it was basically all over from there. This reached critical mass in the 2000’s when some iteration of “random douchebag attracts a bunch of socially unstable weirdos and they run around for 13-25 episodes" or "random airheaded bimbo finds some hot piece of bishounen ass to abuse her for 13-25 episodes” became a disproportionate amount of the anime industry’s output. while ... there’s still the occasional harem manga adaptation, these types of stories have largely been subsumed into the now derided Isekai light novel power fantasy whose continued prevalence in the industry still baffles me, I’m pretty sure these things don’t make that much money. And Traditional Shoujo manga adaptations are ostensibly nonexistent these days. It’s a genre that’s morphed into either adaptations of web manga that aren’t explicitly marketed for teenage girls, but still largely cater to female audiences. And, wouldn’t you know it? Isekai light novel adaptations. They’re just in a dating sim this time, you see? ;)

In the maelstrom of all these industry changes, you get a new type of rom-com, the Reiwa Era Comedy. These types of romance stories, usually aimed at adult men though they feature mostly teenagers, have a meta-textual understanding of its own genre trappings, and thus seek to find ways to retool its own formula and keep this gravy train going. Because, despite the fact that Japanese people are far too overworked, and far too fed up with their own gender roles to actually manifest their own fulfilling relationships in real life, they'll gladly read dozens of manga about (usually) kids tailspinning around their own gimmick for 100 chapters until they finally grow the fuck up and get together. The titles of these works are so cliche they can basically be madlibbed at this point: [anime girl name] is [adjective] etc. etc. To be a bit more charitable, these titles are comparatively more flexible than their harem manga predecessors in terms of what kinds of relationships we’re allowed to see. They can be romantic associates with a single cogent goal like in Komi-san, they can be basically dating in everything but name like in My Dress Up Darling, or they can be straight-up dating from the start like in Shikimori. As similar as these works tend to be, they all have at least one specific trait that sets them apart from the others, on top of whatever wish fulfillment they’re trying to convey to their audience.

After spending two paragraphs getting to the fucking point, Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu is a pretty good example of this type of romance story. The fantasy this time is, what if you were some socially maladjusted chuuni who also so happens to have attracted the hottest girl in class, and she’s autistic! In all seriousness, what made me interested in Bokuyaba from the outset is the neurotic angle the series takes toward its male and female leads. The only reason the story is even possible is BECAUSE the characters are as neurotic/neurodivergent as they are.

If I had to describe what the author was trying to do with Bokuyaba, it would be: redeeming the parts of Shoujo manga that made it appealing, cutting out the cringe(y fetishes), and conveying that exact appeal to an intended male audience. Don’t get me wrong, Bokuyaba is just as fetishistic as those girl’s manga tend to be, it’s just more so in its design sensibilities than in the scenario writing itself. Like, when I was taking glances at the manga to look for any interesting comparisons for the sake of this review, all I could think was, “Wow, this mangaka really wants her audience to fuck this 12 year old girl.” Sure, there’s a character who’s a literal fat fetishist, but he’s not the focus, nor is the story trying to forgive him for being such. There’s no attempt to legitimize middle schoolers trying to pound their 25 year old teachers, or their cousins, or their 25 year old cousins, in the same way as the supposedly wholesome main couple of a Shoujo manga story. In fact, I think Bokuyaba’s romanticism coupled with its acknowledgement of its character’s sexualities is one of the work’s strengths. There’s this adult-like attitude where yeah, these kids could totally have sex at some point in the future, and that doesn’t ruin anything about the story or the power fantasy. It’s not why you’re watching per se, but it makes the story feel more “real". I won't lie, when Kyoutarou in episode 12 stops then—in a flash—anxiously checks his trashcan to make sure his "tissues" were tossed out while Anna was IN HIS ROOM like two feet away, I was fucking howling. I genuinely wonder if the author has a younger sibling and they told her of a similar humorous story (though, given the subtle siscon stuff in this show, for the love of god I hope not).

And what’s more impressive is that it doesn’t annoy me that the characters aren’t immediately getting together. A defining characteristic about good anime romantic comedies is seeing how the two main leads develop, both because of and independently of each other. Despite how Anna is very obviously DTF for much of this story, the main reason they’re not is because the main character is a horrifically insecure and anxious kid. Kyoutarou HAS to change in order for their relationship to even be possible, because where he is at the beginning of the story is far too emotionally fragile for there to be anything healthy. He has to accept who he is, and accept the possibility that people CAN like that. While I wasn’t completely relating to the main character in every situation (the kid is more of a well-dressed edgelord than I’ll ever be), there were moments where Kyotarou would misinterpret an event in an overly negative light, and I would go “Bro, that’s literally me when I was his age.” It’s kind of unsettling after a certain point, but it makes me appreciate what the author was trying to do with her main character.

While there’s less to say about Anna Yamada, she’s pretty good too. She’s not impotent or powerless, she’s actually quite proactive in her feelings, but also quite considerate. She tries to be subtle sometimes, but she's also very clumsy and awkward—she isn’t tongue-in-cheek in the way a lot of “quirky” anime girls try to be. Anna is a child so much of her attempts at romance boil down to a combination of internet research, media portrayals, and guesstimations. Much of Anna's mindset towards her relationship in this story is having her special fru fru Shoujo manga romance based off of a series she likes, it's another reason why the relationship progresses more slowly. I joked about her being autistic earlier, but when Anna in like episode 2 straight up tells another character that they’re “practicing their jokes” implying they don’t entirely understand what makes a joke funny on an intuitive level, I’mma think a certain way. I still can't get over how right after the scene of Anna doing the little happy dance in the park because she recieved a keychain as gift from her (not)-boyfriend—I got a text from an IRL friend of mine, who's also on the spectrum, of TikTok of a dancing flamingo telling me how it was literally them (my friend will, in fact, dance when happy if you let them), it fucking kills me. Anna is still a normie, and in fact, the show goes out of its way to note this multiple times. But, she’s a weird normie, one who’s survived due her exceptional upbringing and good looks

In relation to Anna, another thing I’ll praise about the show is its subtle character writing, masked through the subjective lens that the story filters itself through. Early on, there’s a bit where Anna asks Kyoutarou to borrow his paper fan and mentions how good the fan smells. Kyoutarou explicitly mentions that he didn’t buy a scented a fan when walking over to Anna to vet her point. And while Kyoutarou was too distracted by how beautiful Anna was to figure it out, the only scent the fan could have was FROM Kyoutarou because he was holding it all fucking day. When I realized this, I was like, “Nah, she did NOT just try that shit.” And while it didn’t work, that’s when I realized the mangaka really did care when crafting her scenarios and that I should be paying attention when Anna does things. I love stuff like that, and Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu is full of it. Some people have questioned why the show takes place in middle school, and I would chalk it up to the point I made earlier about "redeeming the tropes" or whatever. The world Bokuyaba takes place in is grounded enough that if these kids we're any older it wouldn't be believable. Hell, characters IN universe hardly can and they're like, thirteen. And since chuunibyo is a key element of the text early on, middle school jives well with the story's overall atmosphere and themes of adolescent self-acceptance.

To talk about the more technical aspects of Bokuyaba for a little bit, the show overall looks pretty solid. While the storyboards and character design work are (usually) nothing to write home about, Bokuyaba is animated fairly competently and the show looks its best when the digital compositing puts in the hard work to make its scenes really pop. Kensuke Ushio of all people did the soundtrack, and while I think it’s weaker when compared to his work on Chainsaw Man or A Silent Voice, there’s a few tracks on the Bokuyaba ost that just hit to such a satisfying extent and really captures what makes those scenes significant to the main character.

Bokuyaba is, for the most part, fairly simple outside of what I described. It’s not completely vapid, but it’s also not peak anime kino either, though it's not trying to be. Bokuyaba is trying to do something distinct and special in an increasingly over-saturated rom-com scene where a new quirky couple pops up every other week. And as someone who had been loosely interested in the property for some time, I can say I was pretty satisfied with the product I got. Good things are made sometimes and I don’t need to be all cynical about it. It helps that my life has been legit hell recently and I’ve had some of the worst weeks of my life just occur, Bokuyaba was a nice respite in the midst that. And I’m sure if any of the creators of either the show or the manga read what I just wrote, they'd feel just that little bit more confident in what they made, frankly, they should.

Have a nice day.

The Dangers in My Heart has had quite an interesting run, from a full on cringefest to an incredibly wholesome ride filled with great character growth, and moments that really dangered my heart indeed. Granted, I liked the show from the beginning even with how cringe some of it was, but fast forward to about nine weeks in, and this became one of the shows I looked forward to the most every week in the spring anime season. From being lukewarm on the protagonist, I definitely came around on him, and he became one of my favourite male characters of the season. If you want ... to watch two dumb, goofy characters get together in a very entertaining matter, I highly recommend this, as it’s one of my favourite new romcoms I’ve seen in quite some time.

Many of us have been a cringe teenager at some point right? Right? Come on, admit it. Kyoutarou Ichikawa, the male protagonist, is the embodiment of the cringe teenager personality. He’s edgy, a bit creepy, and wants to kill his classmates. What a guy, am I right? I fully expected his edginess to be the focus of the comedy, but he ended up being a much better protagonist than I ever thought he could be. While he is an incredibly chuuni character at the start, his edgy personality makes him quite a perceptive person, who’s very aware of what happens around him, and thus, that perceptiveness allowed him to help others, and it turns out, he’s quite an empathetic character who cares a lot for the people around him.

The word “Karte” in Japanese, refers to a patient’s medical record. If you’ve watched the show, I’m sure you noticed that the title of each episode has this word in it. In a way, it means with each passing episode, Kyoutarou is getting cured from his chuunibyou personality, little by little, and is maturing. In my eyes, it’s an awesome example of “show, not tell”, as there’s just a lot of nuance here, the development isn’t just thrown right in your face, but slowly, but surely, you see Kyoutarou opening up, talking to more people, becoming braver. The romcom genre is quite a saturated genre these days in anime, and it’s pretty rare to have a romcom protagonist grow in a very “earned”, and natural way without it being forced, so I appreciated his development a lot. Not to mention, it’s also pretty rare to see an extremely short male character compared to the female character, and I honestly liked that change of scenery. I love my short kings!

And then there’s Anna Yamada, the adorable glutton who seems to like the perfect girl to the people around her. In reality, she’s quite a doofus, and does some inexplainable things that leave me scratching my head sometimes. Kyoutarou puts her on a pedestal just like most of the boys would, but that tall pedestal slowly shrank and he wouldn’t have to look too high up anymore, though he still would need to look up at the towering girl that he likes.

The direction is also top-tier, from the first-person angles, to the colour palettes, to the framing, and the soundtrack from Kensuke Ushio, a legend who has worked on big name anime such as “A Silent Voice”, “Ping Pong The Animation”, and even another anime this season in “Heavenly Delusion”, did a fantastic job on this show as well, as it only added to the important scenes and made it ever more impactful.

From the awkward exploration of teenage love, to the heartwarming moments that left my heart in danger, this is truly one of my favourite romcoms in recent memory in my eyes, and I only hope we get to see more of these two doofuses together making some great memories.

This show, like the title did say was quite ~yabai~ in the first few episodes but trust me it does develop fairly well in the later episodes.

I thought this was just gonna be a chunni freak show with weird fanservice which it manages to fit in quite a good amount of, the boisterous and ultra well endowed little giant of girl yamada anna , (who we are somehow supposed to believe) is a middle school student and a model is alarmingly unaware of her antics of overeating and accidental fanservicing which are fueled by the chunni and Perverted delusions of our main lead ichikawa who ... also fantasies about murdering people in elaborate ways? Yeah I was gonna drop it soon too.

But,

We actually got a decently written Romance in which the MC actually improves as the story and his love progresses and he goes from I gotta murder her to protecc her quite smoothly and the subtle hints of romance and the doki moments are well placed with no bs ecchi accidents and are usually quite heartwarming! It is a slow burn and definitely stings to your cringe bone for a while but it does get better later on! Does that warrant a watch?

Well it depends


story(6/10)
I know even after showering it with praise I can't sing much home about the plot and its progression as such, the gluttonous genki girl who belongs to and is the star of the unattainable group of cute girls gang somehow catches the attention and spends time with the most chunni and loner guy of the class, there are the standard christmas date , study camps ,sick visits, and photoshoots topped with, obviously, sex jokes and lewd remarks which are either supposed to be funny or be relatable to our own dark past do not amount to a substantial plot , its mostly always just a setting for the characters to get closer to each other. I seriously cannot emphasize enough about this THERE IS SIMPLY NOTHING UNIQUE in this story , is it heartwarming and cute at times ? sure yes it is but that is definitely the characters not the plot.

Characters (8/10)
The character development is all the romance anime have to show any semblance of plot and subsequently romantic progression , and in this anime the journey of Ichikawa from being a perverted and frankly messed up lonely murder fantasy nerd , whose only intention of even justifying his actions is “Oh ill murder her some day” to someone who is able to stand up for her and openly admit that he loves here was a slow but enjoyable and frankly very cute ride. Yamada as well becomes more aware of her.

Art and animation (7/10)
Okay I will give it some points for the art style being a bit more unique than standard and definitely the animation is okay and actually surprisingly good sometimes for a romcom.

Sound and VA(7/10)
The OP and ED or even the ost is not much special except on maybe the "karte" moments , Voice acting of ichikawa is mostly the standout thing , but that is cz its 80% of monloguing , the other VAs do an good job too.


I can recommend this only if one has the persistence and tolerance of powering through the first three or four episodes , because it certainly only becomes a mildly interesting romance after them.

The Dangers in My Heart is… uncomfortable, not due to its subject matter, but because of its effective satirization of the inherent creepiness often found in male-led romance anime. It cleverly critiques the recent wave of school rom-coms featuring generic boys who mystically attract conventionally attractive girls through exaggerated narratives and voyeuristic direction. Kyoutarou Ichikawa, the average male protagonist, embodies the creepiness to the extreme with his lurking, antisocial behavior, and disturbing thoughts. However, the series takes an unexpected turn by juxtaposing his unsettling tendencies with moments of genuine kindness.

These anime tend to follow men who narrate about their love interests while staring at ... them longingly, usually as the anime’s director ogles her leeringly. Is Kazuya a creep for staring at Chizuru and thinking about her? Yes, obviously. Kyoutarou Ichikawa the average male-led rom-com protagonist, with the creepiness cranked to eleven. He lurks in the dark library, avoids socializing, carries a box cutter at all times, and loves to ponder murdering his classmates. Oh yeah, he’s also five-foot-nothing and shatters at the slightest confrontation. Initially, I had assumed this would be your average “loner guy gets hot girlfriend because she sees he has a beautiful heart.” And it seemed that way, at first. Ichikawa’s private sanctum, the library, is threatened when his model classmate, Anna Yamada, comes to secretly snack in private. Rather than announcing himself, he hides a foot away from her behind a bookshelf, and narrates his frustration and murderous desire to the viewers. But seemingly, Ichikawa can’t help himself when she’s in need. Like when she’s crying, he kindly leaves her tissues, or readily defends her when she’s in trouble with teachers. It’s almost like the anime is attempting to make us overlook his stalker tendencies because he’s a nice guy™… except, she doesn’t actually need him. Everytime he attempts to help, it’s clear she’d be fine on her own, or has already solved the problem herself. What keeps this formula refreshing is how Ichikawa’s plans tend to fail in unpredictable ways.

Early on, Ichikawa witnesses a boy harassing Anna, as he is stalking her of course—but rather than step in to help, he throws his bike down a hill, landing it in a river, but effectively getting the attention of other students to draw away the harasser. Despite epicly failing to be suave, he helped Anna—at a major expense to himself. He’s not smooth in any way, but his sincerity is earnest. Watching the series blindly, I worried Ichikawa would successfully rescue Anna at every turn, and make her fall in love with him. A cliche, tried and true romance trope.

In fact, it’s the opposite. Ichikawa’s well-meaning failures and adorable awkwardness are what endear Anna to him. Their relationship slowly develops into friendship, hinting at something more, and the ball is always in Anna’s field. She has more power in their relationship, but not in an manipulative, abusive, Nagatoro-san kind of way. Considering she’s an athlete and like a foot taller than him, capable on her own. Other anime about generic cringe-worthy teenage boys who somehow attract the hottest girl in their life usually treat their heroines like objects of desire. They’re to be looked at, but entirely devoid of personality, conflict, and depth, Anna is the antithesis of them. The recent trend of male-led rom-com heroines may have flaws that make them ‘not like other girls’, such as sadism, inability to speak, teasing, but these supposed flaws fulfill a desire for some viewers. Anna is just a person—her idiosyncrasies aren’t attractive qualities, they simply make her unique.

Yamada does some funny things occasionally that made me laugh out loud. Such as pulling a pound of candy out of her pocket randomly and covering other magazines with her own at the store. Sometimes she’s a little ridiculously stupid. How don’t you question why a random dude is always hiding in the library behind you, or wonder why he just has a box cutter on him? However, her foolishness never exists to make Ichikawa appear smarter. They’re both dunces in their own ways. The perfect example of this is in a later episode when the two catch colds trying to care for one another; Ichikawa chases after Anna in the rain to return her forgotten belongings, then Anna visits his home after school, bringing him ice cream and showing her concern for his well-being. When Ichikawa passes out from a fever, Anna helps him and, in her genuine worry, cannot resist hugging him during his delirium. Unbeknownst to Ichikawa, Anna caught a cold from their heartfelt hug, highlighting her selfless and caring nature. Although I found it cute and accurate to his personality, his obliviousness to her affection may come off as frustrating for some viewers.

Ichikawa's insecurities and fear of rejection are vividly depicted, leading to his edgy behavior and rejection of Yamada's sincere care. In episode nine, Yamada's efforts to obtain Ichikawa's number go unnoticed until he realizes her intentions, but a series of misunderstandings further strains their relationship. Ichikawa's distorted belief that Yamada has been using him causes him to ignore her, until a heartfelt confrontation reveals Yamada's vulnerability and genuine affection. Their emotional connection deepens, as they begin to bridge the gap between Ichikawa's fears and Yamada's unwavering support, setting the stage for a potentially transformative chapter in their relationship. Notably, he sees Anna as above himself, however, it causes him insecurities rather than as a means to make her an ethereal, otherworldly being. The viewers see both of them as equals, mostly due to Anna’s abundant screen time in the latter half and hearing her inner monologue. Also there’s virtually no fan service. Even though Ichikawa is a normal, hormonal, teenage boy, the animators never sexualize Anna—and it PAINS ME to say this is refreshing.

The Dangers in My Heart anime seems uncomfortable at first, then the series takes an unexpected turn by juxtaposing Ichikawa’s unsettling tendencies with moments of genuine kindness. Anna Yamada, the center of his infatuation, proves to be a well-developed character with agency and depth, contrasting with the typical one-dimensional heroines in similar anime. Yamada's flaws make her unique, while her caring and selfless nature shine through, even as Ichikawa remains oblivious to her affection. Their relationship evolves into a friendship where Yamada holds the power, challenging the usual power dynamics seen in male-led rom-coms. The absence of objectification and fanservice in the anime is refreshing, emphasizing their equal footing and focusing on their personal growth. Despite its discomforting premise, The Dangers in My Heart subverts expectations and delivers a refreshing take on recent romance anime, highlighting the importance of genuine connection and mutual respect between characters.

This anime has been one of the most refreshing romance stories in anime in a while. I watched Tomo-chan, Kaguya, all the big ones. Even though I have read the manga, I am surprised seeing the subtle growth of Ichi and his seemingly impossible social problems he has to get over.

The animation, sound, character design are all ok. Not amazing but good. Supporting characters are more memorable than most other romance animes, they stand out with their personalities and designs.

This anime shines with the small amount of character progression we see with Ichi. He starts as an edgy, unlikable middle schooler, and in just ... 3 episodes has grown more than Jun from Tomo-chan, or President from Kaguya did in their entire series. I love his realization that his own negative thoughts about his classmates are affecting his ability to make friends and grow. It feels so well written and natural. He is a very relatable character, but they didn't go the easy route of just making him a generic agreeable protag.

Yamada is also an interesting character. From the little we see of her, Ichi already sees a deeper side to her always cheery attitude. She also has an oblivious way of flirting with Ichi that is very cute and funny to watch. I love their dynamic and can't wait to see more of it.

I am giving this anime a 7 right now, but I might bump it up to an 8 if they keep up the great adaptation.

This anime is different from every single romance anime I've heard of. Most have a kind of character that's very typical-- like a tall guy, a short girl, and there's some element of dominance between them that remains the same each time (the man being the strong protector type or something.) This is of course a generalization.

This anime was great BECAUSE it was unique in a beautiful way. The main characters are deep and you can watch Ichikawa struggle with feelings of insecurity in later episodes, while Yamada has a lot to her (such as moments of bursting into tears, snacking whilst being a model, ... being smart but aloof, doing certain things carelessly, and trying to be close to Ichikawa but hiding her feelings) that make them both very vibrant characters.

We need an anime like this.

It's very honest, for one. It shows the difficulty in finding a relationship. It shows how, especially for middle school students, trying to understand somebody else in relation to yourself is not easy. Both characters are unable to clearly communicate how they feel, and it never cuts to the chase- In a good way.

It has the perfect amount of tension. I'll be honest-- just from a personal perspective, I'm not big on slow burns. They can lose my attention very quickly. This anime was the exception.

It lets moments be for just the perfect amount of time, so you can feel what's happening between them and really absorb what's going on. However, it's still interesting. It doesn't abuse this with a lot of filler. The long moments aren't pointless, they're meaningful. Every single time.

My only complaint was the secondhand embarrassment in the more cringey scenes (which there weren't an overwhelming number of, but they did create a bit of... uncomfortability.) I understand that it's meant to be, since it's that weird middle school time and things seem to feel like that. The inherent horniness of a boy going through puberty. Though, I don't think these were bad enough or common enough that they took away from the anime itself.

The story is beautiful. It's heartwarming, refreshing, and always leaves you craving more.

There've been some complaints about Ichikawa (not attractive, a coward, short, whatever else) but it's very important that his character is different like this. That's not a flaw of the story, it's a feature. Ichikawa is not the kind of conventionally attractive romance main character you'd find in any romance anime. But that doesn't mean he should be. He isn't good socially, he's insecure, and from the first episode it feels he's given up on the world. Retreated to an edgy shell to protect himself. He's very important because this anime showcases that self-doubt, and that struggle. It's very important to recognize that it's not uncommon to feel that way. And you get to see him try to deal with and overcome his social struggles. He doesn't know what he's doing! But he's trying, he truly is trying to make sense of his life and what's happening with Yamada-- but what he's learned about himself has convinced him that it can't be what he wants it to be.

It's beautiful. He has that depth, that relatability that makes him such a good character. We need more anime like this one. More anime that gives us something we didn't expect. More anime that shows us characters that are hurting and insecure. More anime with characters that really feel flawed and HUMAN.

This anime has another dynamic different to the one usually offered. They're equals, but Yamada takes on more of a caring, protector role. Ichikawa has to learn to understand that he is really an equal. That'll likely be big part of the story.

It's so normalized to expect the man to be in control. For the man to do everything. The man should make moves. This anime defies that. And it should!

TLDR; This anime is a great, heartwarming watch. It's cute and unique. The characters are deep, flawed, and feel human.

You know, I don’t really mind when a show divulges (or better yet evolves) from its premise, even if it was character based. Of course as the character grows, motivations change and the circumstance changes with it. Like in Love is War, the whole premise is trying to get the other to confess, but when they get together, that premise is gone, but still because of how the characters were developed, there was still a lot more story to tell. The premise evolved and changed. That is a good series. But I’m sorry, you cannot just forget your premise of, oh yeah, your main character ... planning the murders of his classmates! Like seriously, this kid is actually fucking deranged, carriying around a box cutter waiting for the perfect moment to kill people. That is the actual premise of the show. A loner who plans to murder people falls in love. And the show just glosses over it. He’s just added onto the pile of loners who get with the popular girl but like… This kid was going to kill people, you can’t just pretend that didn’t happen! This show makes him seem like just another loner character, but other loner characters are just sad and unconfident, not psychotic. Basically you’re just supposed to forgive him and feel sympathy for him because now he’s in love. Even though there was literally a moment where he was about to stab her before chickening out. What the actual fuck? And the girl isn't even all that. She has 3 character traits: she’s ditzy, she likes snacks, and she has big boobs. Her big boobs are one of her 3 personality traits. Did I forget to mention she’s in middle school? The more I think about this show the worse it gets. I mean if you want to make the argument saying it’s a statement on how tragedies including loners who snapped could be avoided, then I’ll say, do you really think this show is smart enough for that? Be real. I don’t think anyone has ever actually made that argument, but now that I think about it, that’s the only way this premise could work. But that takes smart social commentary, a focus on his murderous intentions and the reasoning behind them, and a full character evaluation on both the protagonist and the love interest. This show is not smart enough for that.

I'm honestly mad this doesn't have better reviews, lol.

I'm a huge romance junkie - I've read hundreds of manga and watched every good romance anime there is. And this one leaves me wanting more every time.

Even though it is a shonen it has some shoujo elements, and I can't help but root for Kyo even though he's wholly unappealing from a female perspective. I understand the dissatisfaction or confusion about the anime beginning with a sort of dark plot line and then dropping that entirely - but I think that sort of ends up being the point. Kyotaro has fed so much into his own ... tale of being an edgy and unlikeable creep that it is consuming him when we start episode 1. He wants to kill Anna because she's the embodiment of everything he can't have and it also feeds into this character he's made of himself. This preoccupation causes him to watch her more which makes him realize she's actually also a weirdo even if she's pretty and popular - and he slowly starts to notice that maybe he's not entirely detestable, too. By ep 8 we're given a small glimpse into his real character - he tends to deny himself things because he's afraid of becoming obsessed with them. Maybe past trauma?

Is there a reason for Anna to like Kyotaro? Not really, so far. He's quiet, gloomy, short and weird looking. Maybe we'll be given another reason in the future, since it seems like she's secretly liked him from the beginning. But something about the mismatch is so wholesome and sweet and the height difference is a bit reminiscent of LoveCom.

One of my favourite things about the anime is the pacing. We're given nuggets of blossoming romance very early on and lots of blushing, touching, snuck glances, etc. halfway in. So many romances take so long to get to this point that it becomes maddening. How nice that we actually get to see Anna making her move so quickly without being tsundere about it.

I don't actually review anime but here it is. This review is done after i watched ep 9.
'Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu' with great adaptation is absolute banger with refreshing story and animation, tones, lightnings gives the touch to it. The story is refreshing and touches the feelings of the youthful romance. The amount of work they gave making every scenes is fine 10 for me. Love its Ending and Opening, its too sweet to skip every time i watch.

I love how the main character is (emo) like struggling to understand his true feelings. And how the relationship slowly builds up with no ... confession but keeps moving on with every cute inches the time passes. Its like they both knows they love each other but they like how their relationship is going (till ep 9). The side characters even gives the touch in a little just focusing those two. This anime made my heart skip and fluster just watching them lol. Anyways its worth watch easily so don't judge watching the anime in just 3 - 4 episodes because its stupid and let the story progress.

Do you care for attention to detail? Do you like a bit of a slow burner? Can you handle a little bit of chunni cringe (or does it bring up trauma that you’ve been trying to bury all these years)? These are key questions that will determine whether or not BokuYaba might be for you. For those that answered “yes” to all three, there’s likely something here for you.

Kyoutarou Ichikawa is a middle schooler, and that is no exaggeration. “Bloodthirsty killer.” As if the synopsis wasn’t clear enough, he is chunni to a fault. At its core, Ichikawa’s edgy personality and active imagination are ... nothing more than a way for him to protect himself from getting hurt from the world or more specifically, his peers. While it’s easy to find his thoughts off-putting, his actions speak far louder than his words. And I don’t just mean the things he does for Yamada’s sake, there are multiple instances of his actions helping others where his empathetic and perceptive nature are on full display.

Enter Anna Yamada, his model classmate and someone he is fixated on. The persona she’s cultivated, intentional or not, is one of flawlessness that the guys in their class have latched onto while they put her on a pedestal. Ichikawa does the same, until he witnesses her actions when she’s alone. Thus begins the slow and steady, tug-of-war battle between his perception of her “higher status” and who she actually is. It’s these two’s regular interactions where the attention to detail really shines. Between subtle looks and moments where the shot lingers and allows the scene to breathe, the anime captures Norio Sakurai’s storytelling skills well by rewarding attentive viewers with little tidbits of information that demonstrates the care she has when crafting the story, that of which greatly enhances the viewing experience once you put the pieces together. “Show not tell” gets thrown around a lot when it comes to people discussing quality writing and BokuYaba is a solid example of that.

I believe the phrase “perfectly imperfect” succinctly describes the characters and the story being told. There’s focus on all aspects of a middle school romance, from the awkward feelings that only come with growing teenagers all the way to the sickly sweet emotions pouring out of simple yet heartfelt gestures, there is simply no shortage of humor or joy. Ichikawa slowly changes as their relationship progresses but his growth is anything but smooth sailing as he’s fighting his years of insecurity and other aspects that are ingrained within him. Yamada looks like an adult, and has that aura as well at times, but her actions show that she’s still very much a young girl trying to figure things out. She’s not as mature as she seems but she ain’t no fool either, even if that’s the impression we all get from her intimate moments with Ichikawa.

Overall, BokuYaba is a series that is more than what it appears to be and its main character is a reflection of that. The progression of everything is rewarding for those who are invested in it since it’s consistent with the characters’ backgrounds and personalities - nothing feels cheap or rushed and everything is earned. The heartwarming fluff that permeates the story as the episodes pass are made all the more impactful when you're able to connect with the two. Simply put, BokuYaba is a quality romance that is worth the watch.

I will note that I have read the source material and think quite highly of it (if ya like the show, read it!!). Regardless, this anime stands on its own merits and I have not (consciously, at least) allowed it to color what I’ve written above.

In a season full of good romance titles, Bokuyaba stands at the top for me as the best romance show of Spring 2023 and one of the best overall. A genuinely heartwarming and cute story that features a believable and organic relationship dynamic, loveable characters, a fantastic Ushio Kensuke OST and beautiful direction. This is a must watch.

Bit of a disclaimer. One of the biggest and most unfair criticisms this show got is how edgy the MC is in the first couple episodes and it’s genuinely mind-bogglingly to me that people still don’t understand the concept of character development and growth. If characters started out ... perfect what would be the point of a story? Yes, the MC is an edgy Chuuni at the start of the show, but his reasons for that are revealed and he has a really good character arc that I believe, if you give it a chance, you will enjoy. Seeing Kyo go from a quiet edge lord to someone who can stand up for himself and those he cares about, able to vocalise his feelings and make intimate connections with people was very satisfying.

For me, the show started off a little slow in the first episode or so. I saw potential and liked the art and music, but it took until about episode 4 for me to really start appreciating this show for the masterclass it is. I absolutely loved seeing Yamada and Kyo’s relationship slowly develop and I am a sucker for the whole “two totally opposite types of people falling in love” anime trope. When it’s done right it’s so cute, and this series gets it right. The story just feels real and believable. There’s so many moments for me where I forgot I was watching an anime just because of how absorbed I got into what was going on, which is really one of the highest forms of praise you can give something in this medium. There’s a few side characters, but the story is pretty much concentrated on Kyo and Yamada from the second half onward and I liked that. There are so many cute moments in this show that literally made me squeal out loud. I can not stress enough how damn cute this is.

I really can’t praise Shin-El enough for the job they did on the production side of this. You can have the best story in the world, but if it’s not given the love and care it deserves, it’s going to fall flat on its face. The artistic direction, storyboarding, compositing, etc., were flawless. A lot of my favourite scenes from this show were amplified by the camera movements, angles, music and the use of the Monogotari-esque words on a screen effect that they implemented. They took what was a very strong manga, and made it even better.

Speaking of music, you may have recognised that name Ushio Kensuke. He did the OST for Koe no Katachi, Chainsaw man, Space Dandy and many more. This season, he did this and Tengoku and gave us a a legendary soundtrack in both. He’s one of my favourite composers and his sound is unmistakable. It always adds so much more emotion and poignancy to scenes. It complimented the artistic direction so well in Bokuyaba and honestly, some scenes almost made me cry purely because of how beautiful his music is. I really can’t heap enough praise on him.

All in all, if you’re on limited time and one of those people who watches seasonals after the season, this is one of the ones to watch. It’s a simply beautiful romance anime with gorgeous art, great characters and a realistic relationship between two young people. I can not wait for season 2 of this.

Bokuyaba gets 10 out of 10.

I'm a simple man with simple tastes - if I see a generic romance/comedy in the season, I'll watch it. Even if it's the same copy and pasted show that I've seen a million times before. I'll watch it. As for why... well that's a whole can of worms. But when I saw this airing I thought "well, guess this another one of those". I read the synopsis, saw a tall girl and a goofy looking edgy MC and thought, "okay, this is gonna be a another gag comedy with only one overused joke and appealing to people with a tall girl fetish."

I had it all figured out.  

So I ... watched the first episode, and I was right. He wants to kill her, but she's hot so he ends up falling in love with her, bla bla bla. Fell right into my low expectations. But eh, it was fine so I decided to watch the next episode. Admittedly, it was a little funnier but still what I expected. So, I watched the next episode. It seemed like they forgot about the initial gag with him wanting to kill her. Sure, but it was still a generic romcom. I watched the next episode. I guess it might be an okay romance...? They aren't reusing the gag at all and I think I'm starting to like it for some reason... I watched the next episode. And the next one. And the next. Suddenly, I realised that I was dying for the next episode to release, thinking about it all the time and replaying scenes over and over again. Then it hit me. Crap, this might be one of my favourite romance anime ever. Now, how the hell did that happen?

The Dangers in My Heart is one of the most surprising anime I've seen. Not because of any crazy plot twist or incredible subversion, but because I was tricked into thinking it was a basic gag comedy anime. The synopsis of the MC wanting to kill her is blasted through the window and out of the stratosphere. Gone and never to be seen again.

With shocking contrast to the initial premise, the atmosphere and tone of the anime is the complete opposite. It emphasises quiet moments and mundane situations, like sharing sweets in the library or walking back from school together and popping into the convenience store for food.

All of the significant scenes involve the two main characters, Yamada and Ichikawa, talking alone together casually. I actually love how you can sometimes feel awkward silences between them because so many other anime always have a specific intention for a scene, exaggerating interactions and it never just feels like two people talking. Instead, they feel somewhat plastic, reminding you that there is someone writing a script for them to follow behind it all.

The drama is also executed very differently to other anime. There are no emotional outbursts with screaming and crying and so on. Nor are there any absurd and unrealistic misunderstandings for the sake of drama. Instead, every conflict is carefully woven into the subtext, and understood by the characters and the viewer without a big scene to confirm it.

But even beyond that, the drama isn't the best part. The anime captures the feeling of two normal high schoolers naturally falling in love over time. There is no unlikely circumstance forcing them together or some random one-off incident that makes the heroine fall in love. It's just two students that take an interest in each other, gradually talk more over time and eventually grow closer. Their interactions develop from infrequently exchanging words to each other, to only greeting each other by the school entrance, to texting and then to walking home together. Anna goes from being slightly stand-offish to nudging him and bumping his shoulder, while Ichikawa begins to open up a little and ask her more questions instead of being on the receiving end all the time. Something I recently noticed is how in so many romance anime, all that the characters talk about is the romance itself. It's always them saying something super flirty, doing something lovey-dovey like holding hands and making that a big deal, or something along those lines. And it makes the romance feel so unnatural because couples don't do that the entire time. They talk about mundane things too. A good chunk of the dialogue in this anime falls outside of lovey-dovey moments and is just two friends hanging out, which is such a breathe of fresh air in this genre. 

It might have the most realistic romantic development I've seen in an anime. And the realistic interactions really do stand out among the rest. I feel like so many romance anime try to spice it up with some unique premise but the ones that really stand out to me are the ones that don't try to. 

Now, give me a moment to appreciate the angelic soundtrack. The score has the ability to make scenes feel special. It's hard to explain but it really encapsulates the beauty of two people falling in love and how wonderful of a thing that is. There are scenes when the two characters are just looking into each other's eyes or take a second longer to think about what the other said, and the music will give it this sentimental tone that really pulls you in. You know, I think a decent comparison is unironically the minecraft soundtrack. Growing up, minecraft was always just there as a game that I knew of, sometimes played and enjoyed but never really appreciated. But recently, I starting listening to the soundtrack that I've heard a million times but in isolation, I realised that it's really beautiful. It has this nostalgic and tender feeling to it that makes you sit back and think: Man... 

Strange comparison, I know, but the soundtrack of this anime gives me a similar feeling where I have to sit back and think, "damn, that's beautiful". It really makes this romance anime stand out for me because with other anime I'll think, oh that's cute or aw that's nice, but it's rare for one to make me genuinely be in awe. It's hard to convey how you feel about music when you don't know much about music but that's what I think anyway. 

On top of the high quality animation, I think the colour palette also has a significant impact. It uses a lot of grays and dull colours to give it a sort of winter feeling. Living in England, it feels just like home (in a good and bad way). It makes the ambience calm and serene, matching the romantic element of the show.

Now, even though I've made it sound pretty serious so far, the comedy is actually great. It mixes up jokes related to Yamada being an airhead or Ichikawa being shy really well, so most of it comes from the quirkiness of the characters. There are a few silly situations or even horny jokes here and there but the majority of it involves the characters bouncing off of each other, making them more likeable. 

Although, the characters are what make the show. I've talked about how realistic the show is and that comes from the cast. Unlike other romance anime characters, they won't panic over the tiniest things and aren't super dense. They're mature enough to realise that they somewhat like each other, even if not fully convinced that it's romantic, so they don't overreact to every little thing. This means they can hang out together and walk home together without it being weird or some big event. 

Anna is an airhead and a lot of the comedy comes from her being goofy and doing stupid things. But she's surprisingly perceptive. There are many moments where, over time, she learns about Ichikawa and it shows through her actions. I noticed that she never teases him for being shy or socially anxious but instead subtly helps him through it. For example, whenever he's too shy to say something, she'll patiently be quiet wait for him to get ready and say it - instead of interrupting. There are plenty of times when Ichikawa is too nervous to say something in a social situation in front of a bunch of classmates but she can tell how he's feeling or what he's trying to say by just looking at him. She makes him feel normal and I think that's why they work so well together. The anime makes an effort to portray her as very empathetic and caring, like a person with an authentic and big heart. She's unapologetically herself and likable through and through.

Also, she's hot. I absolutely have a thing for tall girls so she immediately gets a lot of points in my book.

Ichikawa is somewhat a self-insert protagonist, but definitely has ample individuality. He's relatable by being socially inept and cynical, but branches out into a full character as the story progresses. He thinks more critically about his relationship with Anna and how to work through certain situations. But something I really like about him is how he constantly pushes through the barriers made from his anxiety or embarrassment when it counts. When he realises that it's something important, he fights through that part of him. And I think that makes him very likable and admirable as a character. Also, the story has his first-person narration so it's fun to see his honesty in regards to his doubts, insecurities and feelings.

Something I think a lot of people, and sometimes I, struggle with in romance anime is the feeling of envy. Despite it being escapism, we can't help but feel bitter about not having a romance like that ourselves. So when there's a protagonist who's bland, boring and all that but the heroines fall in love with them so easily, it's frustrating. But with this anime, there isn't a drop of that feeling at all. Every moment with these two characters is sweet like honey and makes me squeal like a little girl. The main character is genuinely a great guy who absolutely deserves her love, without it feeling unjustified or forced at all. And Anna feels like an actual girl who falls in love with a guy for who he is and not any silly reason like him saving her or being super hot when he pulls back his hair or something. The show makes you empathize with the characters all the way through, making each interaction heartwarming to your core.

This show is one of the most pleasant surprises I've had in anime because of how I thought it would be in the beginning and how it gradually changed my mind. It's such a beautiful and fresh take on the romance genre. Despite how corny it sounds, with the music, the writing and the empathetic characters, it really makes love seem like a beautiful thing. And I think that's what the romance genre should be all about. 

This review isn't that in-depth because it's in retrospect. Season two just started airing but I got the sudden urge to make a review about the first season before I watch it. So I haven't watched the anime for about half a year. Still, I remember how it made me felt and I hope I could convey that in this review. It's now one of my favourite romances and I'm excited for the next season.



PS:

(Santa please give me a tall girlfriend to tower over me and hold me as a late Christmas present).

Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu is a show I had low expectations going into. It's a show I thought I would never enjoy, one I thought would be filled with lame tropes and be over the top and stupid, one I thought would be forgettable and pointless but oh BOY how wrong I was. I was absolutely blown away at how everything played out, frankly I was shocked at how good this was, how well written and wholesome it was and just how much I'd become invested in these characters and their story.

Something that stood out to me was the realistic approach this anime ... went for, characters felt so human and truly changed as time progressed. Characters didn't rely on tropes, didn't feel like "anime" characters, didn't do the silly anime jokes or rely on silly misunderstandings or forced awkward scenes to build personality but instead acted and reacted in ways that felt so damn natural and really reflected who they were. Nothing felt forced in this show, the pacing and different interactions remained so consistent that I'd get lost in scenes and episodes to the point where I felt like these were my friends and I was just observing them exist.

I cannot understate how adorable this show was from start to finish, and it only heightened as it went further on. I was holding my face and squealing throughout most of the cute scenes because from the direction to the voice acting to the moments themselves it was so intentional and evoked such a physical response from me. The development between our main two was such a pleasure to watch unfold, there was no "b-b-but we cant do that! its indecent!" instead you could read their intentions, subtle things they did, tiny ways they could grow closer, anything they could do to drop hints because that's exactly what would happen with real kids this age and god was it just so cute.

This was such a surprisingly refreshing romance anime, I genuinely don't think I've watched one that was cuter than this and I am so incredibly excited to watch season 2. This is a must watch for sure, if you are deterred by the synopsis TRUST me they drop the whole edgy thing reaaaal early to be honest I don't even know why it's in the anime, an easy 10 for me and one of my favourite romances out there for sure!

To me, this was incredible—one of the best romance anime I've ever watched.
Are the characters any good? No,your average romance stuff
Is the story good? story? What is that?
Side character? I don't even remember a single name.
Art? average, with a few exceptions here and there.
Despite that,I felt a warm feeling during the whole show—just a pure feel-good anime. After every episode, I had a big smile on my face.
I wish this was longer. I want a new episode every night after a tiring day.
Boku no kokoro, to me, was the equivalent of a hot chocolate on a winter day before going to bed.
Give this anime a ... shot; at least watch the first 3 episodes.

If you're an connoisseur of 'feel good' romance (similar to Komi Can't Communicate or Kubo Won't Let Me Be Invisible in particular) this will fit perfectly into your alley.
The 'vibes' are amazing and the characters are vibrant, and mostly unique. The soft piano the plays at the end of each episode always pulls each one into a nice package and makes you feel good when it ends.
I'll also add that from reading the manga, this is one worth sticking around for.
However, if you're looking for something a bit deeper with a more serious romantic and less tangential storyline, this isn't going to be for you. ... (In other words, this isn't going to be like SNAFU or Bunny Girl Senpai)

In conclusion. If you're looking for something comfy to watch that could make you smile, and watch some kids be dorks in romance, I strongly recommend this. And if you enjoyed the anime I mentioned prior, I can't recommend this anime enough to you, please watch it.

"Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu" (The Dangers in My Heart) is an anime series that captivates viewers with its compelling storytelling and exploration of complex emotions. With its relatable characters and thought-provoking themes, this anime is a definite recommendation for fans of character-driven narratives.

The series revolves around a young protagonist who finds himself entangled in a web of conflicting emotions and relationships. The portrayal of the main character's inner struggles is nuanced and authentic, allowing viewers to empathize with his journey of self-discovery. Through his experiences, the anime delves into the intricate layers of human emotions, exploring themes such as love, friendship, insecurity, and ... personal growth.

One of the standout aspects of "Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu" is its well-developed and relatable cast of characters. Each character is carefully crafted, with their own unique struggles, strengths, and vulnerabilities. The dynamics between the characters are richly explored, offering a realistic depiction of the complexities of human relationships. Viewers will find themselves invested in the characters' journeys, eagerly following their emotional arcs and personal growth.

The animation quality in the series is visually appealing and enhances the storytelling. The art style effectively captures the range of emotions portrayed by the characters, from subtle facial expressions to intense emotional outbursts. The use of color palettes and visual symbolism adds depth and enhances the overall viewing experience.

Furthermore, the anime's soundtrack is a standout feature, effectively complementing the emotional tone of the series. The music enhances pivotal moments, heightening the impact of key scenes and creating a strong emotional connection with the audience.

While "Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu" excels in many aspects, it may not be suited for viewers seeking fast-paced action or a plot-driven narrative. The anime focuses more on character development and emotional exploration, making it a slower-paced and introspective experience.

In conclusion, "Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu" (The Dangers in My Heart) is a highly recommended anime for those who appreciate introspective storytelling and deep emotional journeys. With its well-crafted characters, thought-provoking themes, and visually appealing animation, this series offers a captivating exploration of the complexities of the human heart. Prepare to be immersed in a profound and emotional experience that will resonate long after the final episode.

After watching the first episode, and not even being able to finish it, I was certain that I would not be watching this. However, a few days later, a friend told me to give it another chance, and so I did.

One problem, if not the ONLY problem I had with this anime at first, was unquestionably the main character. He comes across as this creepy stalker that follows this girl and eavesdrop her conversations whenever he has the chance, more on that later. He's also this super edge lord that likes murders and wish to kill his classmate, the same girl he follows around. She ... is this very beautiful girl named Anna Yamada, an model and actress.

The main character is definitely the main reason people stop watching this show, he does seem very creepy and edgy when you first watch it, but then if you actually stop and think about it, he is just a 13 year old kid. Do you remember what you were like when you were 13? Because I do. I used to LOVE Kirito and think I was just like him.

In five years i'm sure the main character will look back, and get phisically hurt when remembering these behaviors, like we all do.
Maybe this isn't enough of a justification for you. In that case, I would still recommend watching it past episode one.
There's definitely character development and as they get closer, he starts to see things differently.

"Murder is born of love, and love attains the greatest intensity in murder." - Octave Mirbeau

You've probably heard this quote about umpteen times already: Love makes the world go round. But have you ever asked yourself how people attain that love that makes them swell into romance with their significant others? I know of some series that specifically render this as part of their woven plot into romance, that are dependent on the people to have mixed feelings and so, carve an identity for themselves as nothing more than just fan fiction. Well, look no more, because courtesy of the creator of Mitsudomoe, mangaka Norio ... Sakurai is back with a romance "thriller"...or is it more like an obsession of sorts, in the form of Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu a.k.a. The Dangers in My Heart. And to be honest, in the sea of so many tried-and-true romance series that range from the typical boring drama-ified love triangles and shit like that, this is a rather nice breath of fresh air that does not hide its rom-com formula, uses it to great lengths to create one surprising and great hell of a compelling all-in-one package. I have been wanting to hold off on the manga since the anime's announcement, and I am glad that I did not take the plunge (or rather, forgot about it) into reading the source material first.

"I say a murder is abstract. You pull the trigger, and after that, you do not understand anything that happens." - Jean-Paul Sartre

The typical rom-com starts with a male and a female, that's Step 1. But this Step 1 does the "show and tell" formula on so many allures, dependent on said couple, and this couple is typical, yet atypical. Born with a sense of identity for the murderous intent, Kyotaro Ichikawa is the embodiment of the typical Chuunibyou, with the unsociable shortie just wanting to see people die under his hands for his own amusement. But there is one person who, more often than not, warrants his attention: the mysterious Anna Yamada, who, apart from her bulbous body of huge boobs and a body that's beautifully solid, is akin to that of a model. Day after day, Ichikawa is always thinking of 1001 ways to fantasise Yamada being murdered by his hands, so much so that the school library is where his plan is always concocted and goes into motion. However, therein lies the one problem that's more of a blessing than a curse: Yamada is always hanging out in the school library as well, doing the things that she does not want seen in the public eye, from eating sweets, to just fumbling around with her things in an idiotic but careless and fun state that somehow mesmerises the wannabe murderer into being sucked in by her uncharacteristic traits. This seemingly unorthodox behaviour is how both Ichikawa and Yamada's interactions start, and it's with the "secret (library) meeting" that the former has his murderous virginity broken with the sweetness that she shows to none other than himself. It's the pique of curiosity that counts for interactions between opposite sexes, and in this case, it worked like a triumph, with Ichikawa looking after more of Yamada's silliness and wanting to keep the moments for himself, while the both of them get more flustered as the days pass by, turning the former's murder into love.

"If peace can only come through killing someone, then I don't want it." - Hiro Mashima (yes, the creator of Fairy Tail)

Alas, the couple interaction of both Ichikawa and Yamada could not be understated by the fact from their other friends as well. Most particularly of Yamada's clique which has the best backing friend of Chihiro Kobayashi, the gyaru-lookalike Moeko "Moe" Sekine and the scarily tempered Serina Yoshida, while Ichikawa has Sho Adachi who is a fleeting butterfly along the isles of the class that they are in, harbouring a crush on Yamada at first glance and seeing the former as a rival. Chihiro is Yamada's straight man character, for she always plays to the tune of the latter's antics and seemingly only cares about her role to link up with Yamada in many cases to the tune of comedy routines, while being oblivious to her best friend and Ichikawa's growing relationship. Moeko on the other hand, is a rather assertive girl who is best defined by her trolling habits, but will be a great friend at the best of times, especially when someone tries to pick up on Yamada, and her acting as like a paparazzi bodyguard beside her, because she's really a well-known model at just 13-14 years of age with magazine cover promotions and the like, that's only known to those close around her. As for Ichikawa's "best bud" Adachi, well, he's nothing more than just for side fuel, always thinking with his friends and deliberating on sexual harassment, and being a literate pervertic pest amongst everyone. But I've gotta say that while Ichikawa and Yamada's relationship had a somewhat misconstrued start due to their intricacies with each other, as mentioned, overtime the murder swelled into romance, and something simple as like Ichikawa's iconic moments with Yamada early on (i.e. the bicycle hill scene) did lend a lot of the motivation of a message to Yamada's friends (most notably Moeko) that he is becoming flustered, yet serious for the popular girl, based on his known feelings about her that delved into the deep end of "what is love" that despite her Takagi-san levels of teasing, she managed to win his heart, and so did he as well. And that is a sign of one of the most brilliant yet heartwarming romance stories that I have seen in my years of being a nut for the romance genre.

"Mercy but murders, pardoning those that kill." - William Shakespeare

Being one of the recent and most notable studios with a penchant for the romance genre, Shin-Ei Animation is no stranger to the spot when it comes to things such as this. If the Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san a.k.a Teasing Master Takagi-san franchise can tell you one thing, it's that the maestro director himself, Hiroaki Akagi, who has directed the franchise and Kakkou no Iinazuke, has risen to the position to become one of the most affluent directors that I have come to respect for adapting said source material. And together with the same majority of the Takagi-san staff team, they operate in a way that elevates the source material to the very best of their abilities. Because honestly, the manga is good, but the anime is better in every other way, with beautiful visuals, albeit with warm colours that add texture towards the overall worldbuilding, even if it's just mostly set in school, and the library itself.

The sound portion of the anime is also, dare I say, great. I know that not many people care about Yorushika's last Anisong (which was Ooyukiumi no Kaina a.k.a Kaina of the Great Snow Sea's OP song "Telepath"), but her newest song "Shayou" is literally a banger of a song (I know I keep saying this a lot, but it totally rocks). And within the slew of Spring OPs (where I found it to be much worse than Winter's), this was one of the brand new, released songs with a shining pedigree of catchy and upbeat love. Kohanaramu's ED is also a great song to end the show on a good note, showing off the various low-brow moments through photos, and I thought that it was some nice subtle storytelling on its own as a whole.

"It is only in love and murder that we still remain sincere." - Friedrich Durrenmatt

Murder may be bad, but being madly in love is not, and as much as I now want to read the manga more to see the continuing exploits of Ichikawa and Yamada's relationship, sadly the anime has to come to an end here...or not there is the eventual Season 2 coming, in which I would be VERY elated for more romance subtext plots like these. Honestly, being a fan of a genre has its limits, and I'm thankful that this show came at just the right time to inject butterflies into my stomach for the atypical, but the same lovey-dovey moment still.

This show may earn the love-hate treatment for its unrealistic cringe, but I'm absolutely lovin' it.

I can't believe I dropped this series back when it aired due to the influx of romance genre being pumped out and being baited by generic or just not for me series.

I might've given it two episodes originally and just gave up, because the first episode is such a poor representation of this show. This really is a hidden gem in the romcom genre in anime. I always thought romcoms in anime had to have characters that goes above and beyond, to be that unachievable best boy/girl status to rise to these heights because I didn't believe anime could actually do romance this well. Yamada ... and Ichikawa probably isn't going to be winning many best girl or boy votes unless the competition is relatively weak that season, but their romantic development and tension is just immaculate, so much so that they would probably clear almost anyone for the category of best "couple".

While using a thesaurus to sound more intelligent in a review might work to a certain extent, it can quickly fall apart if you forget to punctuate properly moreover the over use of the words "embellish", "proliferate" and "travesty", etc... Doesn't help.
However, in the case of this show, I believe it stands on its own merits as a good series - at least for now. Rather than over-analyzing it with grandiloquent language and excessive repetition, it may be more useful to focus on the strengths of the show and provide a concise review.

TL;DR: I would say this is a good show that doesn't need ... to be overly complex to be enjoyable.