 Plot Summary Third-year high school student Jirou Yakuin hoped to partner with Shiori Sakurazaka of the same class in the mandatory "Couple Practical" course. In this practical, students must demonstrate that they have the necessary skillset to live with a partner of the opposite sex while presenting a certain level of harmony to the video surveillance that grades them. Unfortunately, random chance put his slightly subdued self into the practical with the person polar opposite to him, the gyaru Akari Watanabe. Akari on the other hand hoped to be paired with her crush Minami Tenjin. Their hopes are doubly dashed when they find out that Shiori and Minami are assigned together. Thus, they reluctantly decide to cooperate to reach the top ten, which would give them the right to exchange partners if both couples agree. To that end, Jirou steals Akari's first kiss without realizing what he'd done, while giving a hurried good-bye kiss... Other Information Type: TV Episodes: 12 Status: Not yet aired Aired: Oct 9, 2022 to ? Premiered: Fall 2022 Broadcast: Sundays at 22:00 (JST) Producers: Kadokawa Licensors: None found, add some Studios: studio MOTHER Source: Manga Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance Theme: School Demographic: Seinen |
| While this show has had a creative concept for a romcom, so far the characters have just been flat, and the gyaru girl is the only person who has anything interesting in her. Anyway, it has been an alright show, though it probably isn't god enough for me this season. Episode 3 Akari, it's not good to lie, and no matter how she spins it, that's still lying. While Shiori and Minami have rebounded, Akari and Jiro have tanked, especially after Akari said she wasn't interested in being a married couple anymore. But seeing that the school is forcing them to be a couple in practice that they need to keep going with this relationship. While their motivation is back, they have quite a lot of ground to make up seeing that they are starting from the bottom again. |
| These two are painful to watch. |
| When did CR start subtitling the OP and ED lyrics? |
| I'm a cultured degenerate. |
| By episode 3, I see it's clearly another overly-stretched setup to keep a train wreck going (some school requiring this "activity", monitoring it, etc. - yeah, -no..), but somehow I am still watching anyway. Must be the gyaru train wreck item that I can't pass up in this time slot this season! -Another group of teens eaten by the monster of love, -OK, carry on then. |
Jn-TuneTech2 said: (some school requiring this "activity", monitoring it, etc. - yeah, -no..), Like I mentioned in the CR thread, "Love and Lies" actually had the government force marriage partners onto High School kids, not as practice, but actual real life marriage. Re: Life has 20-30 somethings take a pill that makes them look 10 years younger and go through High School again (I think most people actually find that show to be really good too) Dead Man Wonderland has a middle school kid sent off to a prison where he is expected to fight to the death. Not to mention myriad other off the wall premise in anime involving kids. So it seems weird to me that the whole "practice marriage" situation in this show is a sticking point. |
HOOfan_1 said: Not to mention myriad other off the wall premise in anime involving kids. So it seems weird to me that the whole "practice marriage" situation in this show is a sticking point. If you mean "why should I complain about that"... :) - Well, I'll be the first to admit that my viewpoint changes with the weather on these types of things, some days a show premise will seem hilarious, while other days it may seem insipid. And in general, suspension of disbelief in almost any Anime is always going to be necessary, as well as since I come from a childhood filled with sci fi & pop TV culture, I generally take that for granted most of the time. I guess after a while though, some of the appreciation I have had for situation comedies has worn thin - maybe? I liked Re: Life - however that one in comparison relies on a fantasy medical mechanism to create the situation, if I recall, not just some theoretical required curriculum at school. On the other hand, I'm still occasionally plowing through Assassination Classroom - not like that premise meets any reality I know of! I still intend to watch Akari go through the phases of denial, misunderstanding, and all the rest in this show, it's fun enough to be clear! I just wince at the obvious plot holes around the premise of this fictional classroom assignment. In jest - I guess if someone wanted to increase the teen birth rate (ahem...) that curriculum might be a start, now wouldn't it? |
Jn-TuneTech2Oct 24, 2022 11:44 AM
Jn-TuneTech2 said: I still intend to watch Akari go through the phases of denial, misunderstanding, and all the rest in this show, it's fun enough to be clear! I just wince at the obvious plot holes around the premise of this fictional classroom assignment. In jest - I guess if someone wanted to increase the teen birth rate (ahem...) that curriculum might be a start, now wouldn't it? I read the first few chapters of the manga a few years ago, and I think increasing birthrate (not necessarily teens) was the premise of the practice marriages. Same with "Love and Lies". That's a subject that seems to be pretty much at the forefront in Japan. I guess the idea is that marriages don't last because couples don't know how to meet the emotional and physical needs of their partners. Although in reality, I think it's because the work/life balance in Japan is just completely screwed up. Plus marriages usually fail due to two people just not being compatible, so practicing with one person doesn't really mean more success with another person in the future, unless these practice marriages are really meant to end up in real marriages, but the school doesn't really advertise that. |
HOOfan_1 said: I read the first few chapters of the manga a few years ago, and I think increasing birthrate (not necessarily teens) was the premise of the practice marriages. Same with "Love and Lies". That's a subject that seems to be pretty much at the forefront in Japan. I guess the idea is that marriages don't last because couples don't know how to meet the emotional and physical needs of their partners. Although in reality, I think it's because the work/life balance in Japan is just completely screwed up. Plus marriages usually fail due to two people just not being compatible, so practicing with one person doesn't really mean more success with another person in the future, unless these practice marriages are really meant to end up in real marriages, but the school doesn't really advertise that. That's a good point, and one of the things I do like about this show's premise is the thought experiment on cultivating better marriage prospects. Having a "marriage lab" if you will, in schools, might not be entirely a joke, that's for sure. Some of the things that draw me in to Japanese Manga & Anime, are invariably seeing the various cultural practices & moral viewpoints, even with things as basic as holding hands, exchanging names, and up to marriage expectations & beyond. -As far as this story goes, I agree that practice marriage probably wouldn't be all that productive, per se, in real western society anyway. -Looking back at school for me though, any constructive activity involving encouragement of positive communicating & pairing is a real win in this world, -if it can be accepted by the students, and of course approved by the morality police of the society we happen to a part of. Good luck with that nowadays in the US! The biggest romantic social deal I remember from my early year schooling in the US, was things like exchanging candy & cards on Valentine's day! By the time I was in HS, the main social events narrowed down to class debates, or of course dances & whatnot after school. -I wonder if this show is going to have their take on the Japanese version of Valentine's, and then of course White Day? I doubt many schools in the US allow that kind of stuff any more, as oh dear, -someone might be offended! -Much less, would we ever imagine schools allowing couples situations like the ones we've had so far with Akari & Jirou... -Lucky Kids!! (Hopefully not "too lucky" though...!) |
Oh, I don't know. Some states are actually really big on child marriage. |
Yes, but usually only if they are officially (not like all the step-sibling plots in anime) related, right? :)- IRL - I saw they upped the age for marriage where I live this year. And, I love how commenters on Anime always argue over the statutes in Japan, as if we haven't issues of our own..! |
HOOfan_1 said: I guess the idea is that marriages don't last because couples don't know how to meet the emotional and physical needs of their partners. From what I understand a bigger problem in Japan is that people aren't getting married at all, not so much that the marriages aren't lasting. |
| Cursive is the future. - Nate Bargatze |
| Well that was the best episode yet. It was certainly the funniest. I would be a frustrated guy if I was Jiro, Akari is sending him some very mixed messages. |
| Cursive is the future. - Nate Bargatze |
zkeleton said: Well that was the best episode yet. It was certainly the funniest. I would be a frustrated guy if I was Jiro, Akari is sending him some very mixed messages. I can say the dialogue in this episode (S1 Ep4) has finally seemed to hit me as more realistic & with less forced awkwardness, I guess, so I'm glad I've kept watching after all. -Or maybe it just caught me on a better day! The comedy was interestingly illustrated too. By the end, Aklari was definitely back into her a-type mode, Jiro definitely is back to being the mouse being batted around by the cat with her at "home", -albeit nicely, and I can see at least he has the right moves when it counts, so he will eventually make it through, whenever the girls decide what they actually want to do, that is! |
| I actually liked this episode a lot. The Yu-Gi-Oh! references and jokes were hilarious and I even understood them (Quick Joke referencing the Quick-Play spell card mechanic). And the dude straight up turned into freaking Kuriboh. It definitely stirred the duelist soul within me. "Ore no tan!!!!" (My turn!!) "Kouka hasuto!!!" (Activate effect!!) Also, that kiss from the first episode was an actual kiss? I thought it was borderline pretend kiss the whole time... |
paulchaestedOct 30, 2022 2:07 PM
| I'm a cultured degenerate. |
| This turned out pretty good. I'm glad i stuck out the cringe awkwardness. |
| I'm surprised to see the ol' "dust in the eye fake kiss" trope trotted out in 2022. Dude is weird though. You don't grab someone's face to look at their eye. |
| Does the source also have that many game reference? |
| I don't care if this is trash, it's my guilty pleasure show. |
| Episodes 1-5 btw As I am watching I compare this show to Rent-A-Girlfriend in my head, and I keep wondering which is more perverse. Well, setting aside the racy gazes and fantasies, they're both stories with a basic premise of faked relationships. While RAG has characters seeking to exploit each other through money transaction for a (mostly tepid) fantasy, FuuKoi has its characters tossed into fantasy relationships that would seem they must at least somewhat comply with, and then try not to be consumed by them. One is capitalist escapism from society-no, of society. And the other is a band-aid by society itself. Fuukoi uses a setup that is so wild that I trouble suspense of disbelief. RAG's is something I've seen documentaries on to know is real. And I can't honestly tell you which I'd rather be real. While FuuKoi isn't so believable, it does separate its characters from guilt or shame in the relationship. Well apart from whatever definition adjustment of cheating by anyone it may concern that is. The only bad guy here seems to be the various cameras tabulating score by some mysterious arbitrary value system. Thus far the show seems so heavily weighted with Akari and Jiro that I have trouble seeing Golden Boy or Childhood Friend as anything more than supporting characters. They're practically displayed as the show's main conflict. Just a conflict of familiarity and old sentiment for Jiro, and expectation and awe for Akari. But well, that's okay for now because I kind of like Akari and Jiro. That is once Akari stopped being the asshole she was in episode 1, and has a whiplash change to flirty and confused tsundere with a great milding of hautiness there after. Tsundere by way of being really confused and lost in this relationship jungle gym while insightful enough to know that about herself, and still be able to push Jiro's buttons--all the buttons! Jiro may be ordinary introvert boy, but he has come across as surprisingly believable when placed in all this mess. And he does eventually say the good things in his struggle to treat Akari right. |
| Formerly Shenseiken on CR Forums |
| Back when I was in college (many years ago) (many) I lived in a co-ed dorm that not only had males and female living on the same floor but even had a couple of suites with males in one room, females in another, and a shared central kitchen area. It wasn't exactly like this show but what did happen was the suite-mates started to behave like they were in a comfortable relationship, often making group meals, relying on each other for emotional support, and several couples pairing up. And in the process, there were more than a few scenes like in this episode. Fortunately, without cameras and grades. |
| So the new contrivance in this installment of the wish-fulfillment genre is—quarantine? Assigned, artificial relationships subject to scoring; ours is certainly an age that would come up with that. More Than a Married Couple, But Not Lovers. seems to me what you'd come up with if you wanted to make an unfortunate Foucault joke. Around episode 3 the uneasiness of the whole thing made me think that there's no way we can take the plot at face value, that they must be living in a simulation or something. I know that isn't the case, but something is off with this thing—like it's lazy, or half-baked. Rent-a-Girlfriend threw its cocktail of stupid in your face, knew it was doing so, and was proud of it; Girlfriend, Girlfriend showed us what it really means to believe that 2 + 2 = 5. More Than a Married Couple, But Not Lovers. is muted and ambivalent in comparison. It's probably that the relationship dynamic is a lot more natural without the show's weird plot conceit (an unfortunate obsession of the genre). This is roughly the same scenario as White Album 2, which didn't need to force its characters into school-assigned relationships to be good. And now that Akari has become far more interesting as a character—tempting Jiro out of jealousy with far more success than Ruka ever had with Kazuya—the relationship assignment conceit is primarily a stupid obstacle the show now has to dance about. Watch it end up letting Jiro hide. Akari is close to realizing what she wants, and she's shown she's bold enough to express it. Jiro is still where he was from the start. Whatever, the case, I'd say we're about a year away from the anime industry giving us Our Love Is a Dubious Referendum for Independence in a Disputed Territory. |
| I love him who is ashamed when the dice fall in his favour and who then asks: Am I then a cheat? – for he wants to perish. |
If you take out the school assignment here you're just left with a dollar store Toradora. auroraloose said: Whatever, the case, I'd say we're about a year away from the anime industry giving us Our Love Is a Dubious Referendum for Independence in a Disputed Territory. I swear we've already watched that but the name escapes me off the top of my head. |
| @auroraloose Jiro remains stuck on Shiori, and his mental awareness of romance and plot direction hasn't seemed to change. But I'd like to clarify. His methods have changed. He's found reason in caring for Akari specifically. It goes beyond cooperation with her for Shiori's sake for Jiro now. I believe the score failing falling he had with Akari shows that his concern for her can even surpass his overall interest in success with Shiori. And now he's shown to take firm stances with Akari where he thinks important. --------------------------------------------------------------- I definitely got the Toradora vibes from the ironically paired love stratagems. It's a bit early, but I could see some White Album 2 leading man makes Yeah, I have big doubts this show will measure up to those two. I'll remember those characters forever, and those shows were made with a goal of ending. I don't need the hope of it for some interest though. |
| Formerly Shenseiken on CR Forums |
Yes, it is indeed closer to Toradora than White Album 2; it's just that I thought of the latter first, and didn't think of the former. As to Jiro caring, or changing, I'm not sure. He can be adamant while still on autopilot. |
| I love him who is ashamed when the dice fall in his favour and who then asks: Am I then a cheat? – for he wants to perish. |
| It would be nice if they showed why Jiro is so into Shiori. We don't see all the much of her and she's kind of bland so it makes you wonder. As it is now it comes off like they were into each other just because they were the only one of the opposite sex either of them spent any time around. Which could be what they're going for. If that's the case it makes it seem an awful lot like he would be falling for Akari for the same reason. The red head girl is hot. |
| Cursive is the future. - Nate Bargatze |
marklebid said: If a cute girl is nice to you for a prolonged period of time, you basically are obligated to like her. It's in the bylaws. I mean, as someone who was once a horny loner teenager, that sounds pretty realistic... It seems kind of obvious to me that Jiro is at least a little into Akari as well. It isn't like Urusei Yatsura where he is beating off the beautiful girl clinging all over him to try and stay with his childhood crush. We've all been teenagers, I am sure we have all had a crush on someone before and had a hard time thinking about anything but them. Shiori is at least cute. I think Akari just falling all over Jiro one minute and talking about how much she wants to get with Tenjin the next minute is less believable than Jiro's crush on Shiori. |
HOOfan_1 said: marklebid said: If a cute girl is nice to you for a prolonged period of time, you basically are obligated to like her. It's in the bylaws. I mean, as someone who was once a horny loner teenager, that sounds pretty realistic... Horny teenagers are masters of "this girl is nice to me so she must like me right?" and some of them never grow out of it. >.> |
| Episode 6 So that was on autopilot—until Akari decided to go all-in gaslighting: I'd give her props for being that clever, but the notion that Jiro would forget having sex with her is too unbelievable, even given the magical properties of anime alcoholic candy. Lying to Jiro like that hits a level of manipulation and cruelty far beyond anything else that's happened in the show, to the point that it's jarring. And it's too striking just to take as a fluke, or teenage emotion or silliness. It was just too cruel. No doubt the show will just ignore it and proceed as normal. Meanwhile, all this trash made me interested in watching Domestic Girlfriend, and—nobody told me it was actually good. I figured it'd triple down on the sordid, trashy stuff and be even more shameless than Rent-a-Girlfriend; instead it was serious, compelling, and touching. Rui's facial expressions were great, complementing a great character, and even the what's-his-name protagonist was believably emotional. And on top of that the few humorous moments were masterfully done, particularly the argument between Hina and the coffee guy. I want to say that Domestic Girlfriend succeeded because it was more of the soap opera genre than the harem genre, but it wasn't nearly sordid or stupid enough that that's a fair comparison. And the fanservice was deployed almost clinically. |
| I love him who is ashamed when the dice fall in his favour and who then asks: Am I then a cheat? – for he wants to perish. |
| Indeed. There are some things you just don't joke about and the reason for doing so makes it very manipulative. Huge red flag imo. |
| In real life, Jiro and Akari would have been going at each other like rabbits between him comforting her while crying and the fireworks. Shiori is the real tragic heroine in this episode though...Akari has at least 2 guys into her, and she has feelings for at least 1 of them. Shiori only has Jiro and she's in danger of losing him to Akari. |
| Episode 6 The kiss with Shiori even as annoyingly apologetic that it was might get some wheels turning. Well it did at least as a point of conflict. And my god, did Akari show how selfish she can be! I mean, it worked, and it was clever, and I was kind of relieved the confusion didn't go further. But settling it with confusing the hell out of Jiro with something that at least has the potential to be very serious is a red flag from me. This might go right down the ugly side of love. It also showed just how indecisive and immature Jiro is this relationship tumble dry. I guess I'm also trained enough that my suspense of disbelief can latch on to anime chocolates and teenage ignorance. This is just how the world works. Episode 7 Huh. Well I guess that scare Akari got and her friend talks were enough for her to take a few steps back from obsession and back to playing games. Sure. Well it is nice to see them both questioning their selves on who actually brings them comfort and joy, and if they should want it. I'd hoped that episode 5 kept some relevant portrayal going forward, but it looks like it's just a fooling around footnote now. ------------------------------------------ On DomeKano, I also believe it was quite good. Except that it certainly was veering more and more into soap opera land. Trying to be vague here. It eventually led to teacher girlfriend pissing me right off out of the show with her Which is probably some mark of merit I'll give it. I've also heard several late things in the source. Some of the humor, however, was quite the high. And Rui was always enjoyable. Edit: went with some layered spoilers. |
Nick_ReignsNov 20, 2022 10:15 AM
| Formerly Shenseiken on CR Forums |
| Okay, this is getting tiresome. At least one of them has to make up their mind that they're actually into the other one at this point. We've seen them doing the 'is he/she the one I really want' story line long enough now. Now we need the event that's going to lead to one or the other having an epiphany about who they really want. Dragging this out so it can happen in the eleventh or twelfth episode would just be beating a dying horse. It's not like this is an adventure show or something and the romance is the B story and they can just put it on hold while other things go on. HOOfan_1 said: Shiori is the real tragic heroine in this episode though...Akari has at least 2 guys into her, and she has feelings for at least 1 of them. Shiori only has Jiro and she's in danger of losing him to Akari. I can't feel too bad for her when she's literally had years worth of time to make some kind of move/declaration while no one else was in the picture. |
| Cursive is the future. - Nate Bargatze |
zkeleton said: I can't feel too bad for her when she's literally had years worth of time to make some kind of move/declaration while no one else was in the picture. The fact that no one else was in the picture kind of meant she didn't have to though. |
| Now that the relationship material in this show has turned out to be more than just campy, but less than what might actually happen at that age, I have to say that the only thing I get taken out of the fantasy by now, sometimes, is the coloring and character designs. They almost seem too bubble-gum style, which was my impression when the first episode aired. The serious moments between Akari & Jiro get by on the strength of the voice acting, for me, as long as I don't look for emotions in the animation. But in that, the VA's are really spot on for my tastes. I suppose using the discussion above, comparing some of this to Domestic Girlfriend - if this show had that animation style, I might have had an easier time thinking it could have some gravity at the outset. It should be interesting to see how much more of the push & pull, leading on, and misunderstandings creating impasses can keep their potence, with so many episodes left to go. And if it tries for anything like real life, it can't just end up neatly wrapped in sweetness... Besides, these characters would have a lot more likely to happen to them as they actually get through early adolescence and find some less forced relationships, I would hope, beyond school anyway. There will be more people in the picture for Shiori, and everyone for that matter, down the road, but, for now, this story definitely seems more complex than I originally expected, in a good way. |
| Yeah, this episode may have had a couple nice new scenes, but they were covering old scenarios and asking the same questions. More than just spinning its wheels I'd say this was the first episode that was solidly going in circles. As for the supporting cast, Tenjin just isn't into Akari. He's not into any girl at all. That guy is just interested in his own success. And good for him. It's a good time for him to be selfish, and he seems to be getting it. As for letting friendships sit past a point of no return, well I've been on both sides of it. And I'd still say that Shiori is probably the character messing up the most in the show. Pitiable as it may be. |
| Formerly Shenseiken on CR Forums |
| Of course the athletic girl with short hair is into girls. One of the worst anime tropes out there. Other than that this episode went by surprisingly fast. So I guess I got pretty into it. |
| Cursive is the future. - Nate Bargatze |
| I thought Akari was finally asking the question for real this time. But of course she immediately calls it a joke again and makes sure Jiro will never answer... |
| Well this show just got a lot closer to Scum's Wish minus all the sex. Even with having forced cohabitation. There's new players now with Shiori's self-sacrificing hypocrite friend, her "husband" threatening charactership in a bid for Akari, and the nameless but ubiquitous Progress Police this time taking the form of cats to fur things up. Or were they an audience insert? I saw someone call Shiori a homewrecker, and I think that idea amused me more than anything that directly happened this time. Now we wait for sporty girl's "husband" to join the club of friends that want to be more than friends. Adding on to the Akari just kidding conversation, I think she, like Jiro and Shiori, are all stuck desperately trying to guard their own feelings in spite of themselves. Though I'll give Akari and Jiro the idea that each of them have reason to believe the other wants other people. Shiori doesn't really have that. |
| Formerly Shenseiken on CR Forums |
| 1 episode left. At least of the 4 wheels, 3 are still turning, but one is stopped. How will it play out? |
 |
| Seriously, all Akari had to do was not deny it. Shiori had all those years to say something and never did, but Akari had it even easier. She didn't have to 'confess' she just had to not deny it when it was all just about out in the open. That's one of the things that made Dress Up Darling so nice. There was none of this denial of feelings stuff. Marin didn't need a thousand page guidebook to be told she was in love. By the time you're in high school it's not all that hard to figure out when you have a thing for someone. That thing with Minami was a bit confusing. I guess he's got a thing for some married teacher or something, but under what circumstance would he be looking in on her like that. Weird. |
| Cursive is the future. - Nate Bargatze |
zkeleton said: That thing with Minami was a bit confusing. I guess he's got a thing for some married teacher or something, but under what circumstance would he be looking in on her like that. Weird. Right, was she fucking at school? Was the guy she was fucking even her husband/fiance? |
More topics from this board
» Campfire Cooking in Another World with My Absurd Skill Season 2 DiscussionGridironOtaku - Oct 7 |
14 |
by zkeleton
»»
6 hours ago |
|
Sticky: » Post the Anime You've Watched Today ( 1 2 3 4 5 ... Last Page )boldulysses - Oct 19, 2022 |
1484 |
by Graumann
»»
9 hours ago |
|
» My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero's DiscussionGridironOtaku - Oct 6 |
27 |
by zkeleton
»»
11 hours ago |
|
» A Gatherer's Adventure in Isekai DiscussionHOOfan_1 - Sep 29 |
23 |
by KingZeal
»»
12 hours ago |
|
» My Awkward Senpai DiscussionHOOfan_1 - Oct 2 |
12 |
by Jozuwa-_-
»»
Yesterday, 12:59 PM |