Atarashii Joushi wa Do Tennen

there is no heterosexual explanation for this, i-

This is a really good comfort show, and there were no misses in any episode. I feel like towards the end it did lean in to the romantic interest, even though it isn't explicitly BL, like it's the gayest shit ever (good shit at that). Like I would not even call this Fujioshi bait because it's so blatant. It's the definition of "and they were roommates".

While it's true this didn't have much animation and felt like slideshow story boards, the VAs really put their entire vussy into this and brought the characters to life. The story is ... just very heart-warming and it can be a bit wishy-washy but that's what this entire genre is about, so who cares. It's very comforting and I'm glad I discovered the Cute Guys Doing Cute Things genre. We need more of those and falling down this rabbithole has been really fun.

But yeah, this shit gay af, specially towards the end. But that's the campy part of this show because it's a constant "there's just no way this isn't BL" , like they were so unserious and REAL for that I have not choice but to call this show iconic. its COMPLETELY for the girlies and people that want cuteness without the problematic infantilization you normally see in anime. it's dumb harmless fun.

Art/Animation - 8/10: Solid, smooth animation. Indicative of a good-quality animation studio. Drawing style is cute.

Sound/Audio - 7/10: Not many OSTs throughout the episodes. OK opening and ending themes.

Characters - 8/10: Love how each character has their distinct backstories and personalities.

Story - 7/10: Not much plot to it. It's one of those simple, funny, slice-of-life shows. Each episode can be a stand-alone, but definitely makes more sense when you watch the whole series together.

Overall, I recommend this show to anyone who wants something light-hearted to watch while eating or before going to sleep, but this would be too slow for people who ... aren't looking for that.

Everything about this show comes across as low effort. From the outset, I got the distinct impression I was watching a drama CD that was then animated completely independently after the fact. The animation is minimal. The storyboarding is cut-and-paste. The performance is perfunctory. The frigging lens flare-esque filter that's thrown on top of every scene is super ugly. Why did they do that. I would honestly be more offended if someone did put effort into writing this, because god, the first episode of this has our main dude explain his backstory like every time a new scene starts. If you're not just throwing every ... manga panel into your storyboard one-to-one with no changes to be lazy, how little must you respect your audience?

Adaptation quality aside, the substance is weak. The show has your typical one-joke premise comedy problem, but it frequently tries to be touching and profound, and it only succeeds in coming off as patronizing. Every setup basically boils down to our protagonist telling some sob story to his boss who then comforts him while everyone watching cries and claps. That sounds like I'm making a joke, but no, they literally do clap. Multiple times! For complete strangers! They even have background extras comment multiple times verbatim how they are "healed" by this viewing experience, and it's so hollow. You don't know these people! You don't know this situation! What are you connecting with?! The fact our main characters work in advertising is the superficial cherry on top, like they're taking credit for the hard work other people do. Inspiring the public at your planetarium or aquarium? Eh, whatever. Telling people about the planetarium or aquarium? Now that's the ticket.

Our cast of characters is full of caricatures: the downtrodden protagonist, the kind and understanding new boss, and the vile, evil, nefarious, heartless ex-boss. That's all they are. There's zero depth to any of them. People are just good or bad. It's black and white morality—literally, look at their names—and never tries to be anything more. It's shallow to the point of being cynical. The side cast is equally disappointing, featuring a cat so fake I doubt the mangaka has ever seen a cat in real life and an insecure man whose gimmick is inserting himself into conversations to be insecure and who loves an insecure mascot. If I had to pick one single thing I detest most about my viewing experience, it'd be him. Seriously, what is the appeal.

I know people watch this primarily to daydream and draw hearts around the boyfriends, and more power to them, but come on. There's better shows for that. You're better than that.