Anyone else getting bored on this anime?

Based on the anime that your comparing it to I get the vibe that you like romances with more mature and lowkey vibes. Even BokuYaba which is largely the usual high school romcom has the more mature elements with the mc's sexual desires and a lot of the show is just his inner thoughts. Makeine, while having a lot of subtleties, is very high energy or in your face a lot of the times with these wacky characters. Moreso with Shikanoko. So if I had to guess it probably is just your age or your mood. That on top of how there is no exact overarching plot direction may be the reason for your lack of emotional investment cuz even regular romcoms have the end goal of confession, but that's not even the case here.

Understandable, though this is fine and definitely not the worst. Why bother bringing up character when what you want for them is to be degenerate, not well written. (like you brought up Rudy molesting as a strong point and have High School DxD at a 10/10)


For me, the best this season would be Monogatari series off and Dededede

The good thing about this anime is that you don't take anything "seriously", you have to watch it with a relaxed mind and just feel the humor and drama that the anime has to offer. "open minded" and you will be able to like it, you don't have to think too much.

@RomanRonin Many RomComs are actually like that where MC is not the center character, Oregairu or Toradora or or BokuYaba or even Horimiya as examples.

I feel that the show took the cliche of "losing heroines" and wanted to be serious about it, which is not hitting me. I mean I am the type of guy which reads Otome Manhwa, played many Otome games and have watched cringe fest shows like "You", so I know a bit about someone feeling down, but those feelings never came across anytime in this anime.

Like the pacing is strictly 2 episode per girl, 3 girls, so the arcs will repeat like that. Like Monogatari did extremely well with the feeling of love sickness with Hanekawa and Nadeko, hell, second arc of Off Season was about facing the past and growing up, and if I get 2% of character development here that Monogatari offered, I would be happy to watch this.

And one thing that even die hard fans agree is that the shy "Bocchi" character is boring. For me, other characters are as empty as Bocchi but they just have their quirks (like Lemon being an athlete and the common "tomboy" character and Otter san loves eating and being the Blue haired losing Heroine).

I bet if the animation was not this good, many people would have dropped the show by E3.

@benedito2937425 But even then comedic elements should make you laugh and dramatic elements - empathize. Everything that is going on in this story is just whatever. Author throws underdeveloped characters in various situations expecting audience to care, but why would we if there's no distinct reason to like or dislike anyone in the cast yet. Nobody acts "right" or "wrong", they just go with the flow refusing to show any trace of a character. I mean yeah, they have distinct traits like shy nerd or cheerful athletic girl, etc. But those are merely fragments of a personality. Everyone is just a passive observer, nobody moves story forward, everything just happens by itself.

@GodsTheGuy No, I actually enjoy it. It's one of the better ones I've seen. And I have seen a lot of Rom Coms.

@benedito2937425 But even then comedic elements should make you laugh and dramatic elements - empathize. Everything that is going on in this story is just whatever. Author throws underdeveloped characters in various situations expecting audience to care, but why would we if there's no distinct reason to like or dislike anyone in the cast yet. Nobody acts "right" or "wrong", they just go with the flow refusing to show any trace of a character. I mean yeah, they have distinct traits like shy nerd or cheerful athletic girl, etc. But those are merely fragments of a personality. Everyone is just a passive observer, nobody moves story forward, everything just happens by itself.

@Oioioioi1234 I don't care about confession, like Oregairu never had one, nor Nisekoi (at least the anime), so it's not that, but I am a man of plot and that's why I like Monogatari and Toradora.

I think Makeine is too teenagey, it's not a word but I think it's like Billie Eilish's songs, which many like but is straight up too cringe for me.

Or I had a lot of expectations from this like I had from that Deaf Romance Shoujo Anime last season. I really thought that this anime will make fun of losing Heroine trope like 100 GF made fun of Harem or Eminence made fun of Isekai. It's just too serious for it's own good and something which is easily forgettable.

And I will say again that the studio is a big part why everyone is watching this. If JC Staff adapted this with meagre budget, it wouldn't get this type of response. I feel no difference between this and 2.5D seduction, one has losing heroine trope other has Ecchi, character and story depth are shallow in both of these anime.

@al_vl You wrote, wrote, and wrote, but everything you wrote was just a comment that lacks interpretation.

They're teenagers, right? They're still developing mentally, and things like childhood love are still conflicts for them. They are basically following the life of any high school student. The comedic moments are not something to "think too much about", You just watch the weird situation there and laugh at how "crazy" that situation got.

The romantic drama between the characters makes it clear who they really are. Insecure, distressed, understanding... They develop their feelings right there. When they find themselves in love and receive rejection, they have to accept all of that and continue being who they are, that is their development. I don't think this anime seeks to develop the romantic relationship between Nukumizu and another girl, but rather to develop their personalities and friendships.

I honestly think the story is simply that, about young people interacting with each other, creating friendship through "romantic rejection" with a light comedic tone and their stories of distinct personalities.

Maybe the anime just isn't for you, when you watch anime of this type you normally don't have to take everything seriously, you just have to open your mind and watch without thinking too much. Maybe it's something subjective after all but humor works for me and so does drama.

@benedito2937425 you are not talking to me, but I think mine and that guys problem with the anime is not teenagers doing teenagers thing and being cringe but the anime being non linear in it's approach.

Like the Comedy, Drama, and seriousness just don't mix well together, like on moment it's all fun and jokes and next moment it's about life lesson, and it happening 1 time is okay but it has already happened like 3 times, with the 4th time coming soon in the current arc.

I guess biggest problem in the story is that it's going character by character and like they are in a queue of character development, Anna then Lemon then Bocchi, that's how the story is going on strictly and there's no essence. Either go full drama or full comedy.

Good example of a series balancing it is Toradora, when there's comedy and fun, the whole episode is like that, and when it comes the time for serious moments, it transforms into it by taking 2-3 episodes. In Makeine it takes less than 3 minutes to switch the genre.

If the author took a stance and decided to explain characters and their relationship in large arcs instead of fragmenting it, the whole story would be a lot better. A good example is 5cm per second where the guy's life journey is divided into broad categories, or any other good movie or anime for that matter. Give character time instead of showing their character tropes and moving on with a bit of salt and sugar.

What are you even talking about? Nukumizu has more characters than that MC from stepsister. The girls have no solid progress? Dude, Yanami didn't even angry anymore when talking about her crush.

@EdgyLord666 step sister is literally not about a specific trope, it's a SoL with slow burning romance and relationship between two people, that anime can take 50 episode for character development and it will make sense because that's the theme of the story. 5 episode of drama in StepSis is equal to 5 mins of drama in Makeine, so I obviously need Makeine characters to get that much development. Not talking about the difference in screentime of Nukumizu and Asamura.

If Yanami not getting annoyed is character progression for you, then I really don't have to add much here. It has 3 main girls but the story is so fragmented, like it's totally good as a book with chapters, but not as a visual medium. The girls totally don't complement each other and their chemistry is totally different, with the MC and with each other.

I just feel the author is not at that level tbh, I don't wanna shame them or anything but the flow of the story is too random and unreal. Like the storage house scene between Nukkun and Lemon was out of place and not needed, I am not anti Ecchi but adding that element in this story which is primarily not Ecchi based is weird, again proving my point that author doesn't know what he is trying to do and adding whatever he thinks make sense.

But again, I am no one to judge.

So if I get this correct, what this whole thread boils down to is:

"I am bored with this show as it does not meet my specific tastes, but rather than just moving on or watching things I actually like, I will go out of my way to post my grievences on a public forum in order to show the world my dissatisfaction in hopes of getting validation from strangers on the internet"

Mate, what are you doing with your life ....

I see what you're saying, but I think many of your complaints are creative choices that aren't necessarily bad. And they add to the charm for me.

It's just turning out to be more of a slice-of-life than I (and most people, I think) expected, rather than a rom-com. It's a little jarring I admit, when the show also indulges in obvious tropes, dumb jokes, caricatures and fanservice, especially early in the season.

Like a few others here, I disagree that there is no "character growth." Maybe there isn't one in the traditional romance/rom-com anime sense, but more in a slice-of-life sense? Characters still grapple with their own feelings and how to navigate the situations they are in. They talk things out. They don't "go through change" and "become a different person," but they feel "realistic" in a way, like they're normal, decent kids trying to find happiness and do the right thing, one day at a time. Despite their weird quirks.

I don't think the show, as a slice-of-life/rom-com, is under obligation to do a lot of character development anyway, and I don't think it gave any indication early on that that's what we'd be getting. For now I'm just having a good time with these charming, well-animated, well-acted characters.

As for Nukumizu, yeah he isn't that strong of a main character, but I don't think he's that bad. He's pretty reasonable and considerate, complaining when the situation calls for it, is smart enough to notice things but not show off like a know-it-all. He has good banter with all of the girls, which goes a long way. He's kind of a weird guy but feels natural, and most importantly, doesn't irritate me, like a lot of rom-com protagonists do.

It probably won't be on people's minds that long, as you say, but it's one of the better shows this season for me.

@perseii I really don't care much about it being SoL or Romance, as I thought this anime will be a joke on the losing heroine trope, like 100GF was for the Harem trope.

I just feel writing is inconsistent and the character development reasons are too hollow and 2D, like Demon Slayer. Here characters get development like they are in a queue and have the same stage of happiness, drama, and then grief.

You said characters "find out their way" but for me it's more like they act in ways so that the plot can advance itself. They don't have their own say but the action they take are too plot specific. Like I saw Lemon confessing her feelings in that episode a mile away because she had to do that for the sake of the story and the drama and her "character development". I just wanna say that the character arcs and the way these girls carry them out are too unnatural.

Also, there is like no chemistry between the main girls, most top RomComs have amazing chemistry between then main casts, Toradora, Oregairu, etc. Maybe the biggest reason I feel the disconnect is because the girls are not like close with each other, but they will go to other's village to help them come out of depression. It's again just too plot focused where showing the "losing heroine" trope is more important than characters themselves.

And Nuk-kun is a generic RomCom MC. My first RomCom anime was Nisekoi so I know about self insert MCs, not because of Raku but because of my #2 and #3 anime Toradora and Haruhi Suzumiya, both having strong MC. I don't need "hehe", "sigh" from my MC but someone who can take a stance, which Nuku did when the plot wanted him to (in E4 or 5 against Anna's crush) but then fell silent against Lemon's childhood friend because the plot didn't want him to. Even Tadano had a great character without being annoying, why not RomComs make MCs like him?

I wouldn't say that, but this does make me realize that the show has this "ironic" tone, like "you know how this goes, let's cut to the chase." Of course we're gonna have a scene where the girl blurts out that she likes him and runs away embarrassed. Of course we're gonna have a scene where the girl lets him go so he can run towards his true love. Etc. etc.

It's a little disjointed how they're just bringing up these tropey beats and then playing it straight, so I understand that things can feel hollow. I think it manages to be pretty entertaining and sincere within that structure, though.


That's fair. I kind of like the Komari-Lemon dynamic, but there really isn't much.

For me, the show is making up for it with the interactions between Nukumizu and the girls.


One person's "generic" is another person's "serviceable," I guess.

I don't dislike Kyon from Haruhi, but he left almost no impression on me. Wasn't he also just pushed around by Haruhi's tyranny and the sci-fi shenanigans? He usually had this "I'm so done with this" attitude, and only really takes action when it becomes a pain or when literally the fate of the universe is at stake. (note that I haven't seen the movie)

I feel like Nukumizu is about the same level. He does say things that need to be said, thinks things through, does run after people when they're upset. Even when he considers himself a background character.

Also, I just want to point out that he didn't "fall silent" against Ayano. He was trying to navigate a delicate situation, as an unrelated third-party who doesn't even have the whole picture, and there was no urgent need to interrupt and "make a scene" like in Anna's case. The three parties were trying to reach a resolution by themselves anyway, and I liked those characters got the spotlight and Nukumizu only heard them out and gently nudged them.

Lastly:

Do you mean Tadano from Komi-san? He's not annoying, but his only character trait is that he's nice, and while that works within the story, I really don't think he's a "great character." He's basically Tanjiro, without the extreme determination (and I like Tanjiro).