 https://myanimelist.net/anime/59135/ Plot Summary High school student Saito Houjo has married his classmate, Akane Sakuramori, the girl who is his biggest rival at school. The two can't seem to get along with each other, but their heart-pounding newlywed life is about to begin! Other Information Type: TV Episodes: 12 Status: Currently Airing Aired: Jan 3, 2025 to ? Premiered: Winter 2025 Broadcast: Fridays at 23:30 (JST) Producers: Aniplex, Egg Firm, Kadokawa Licensors: None found, add some Studios: Studio Gokumi, AXsiZ Source: Light novel Genres: Comedy, Romance Duration: Unknown Rating: None |
| The manga is cute; this has a real opportunity to elevate the material the way other shows like 100 Girlfriends did. Hopefully it'll seize that opportunity. |
| Away from the things of man, my love, away from the things of man. |
| Episode 1 Right off the bat, Saito and Akane engage in a shouting match seeing that they are bitter rivals at school as their families are filthy rich. But they get forced into an arranged marriage by their grandparents that neither couple wants to be part of. But after Akane speaks with her best friend, the gyaru Himari, and Saito with her cute cousin Shise, they at least agree to put up a charade to get married. However, their grandparents were one step ahead having already submitted their marriage papers even though they aren't old enough to legally marry, as well as building them a new house and moving all their stuff there, all while installing hidden cameras all over the house to get them to sleep in the same bed. As to be expected, their first night together is quite the awkward moment there. So while they are married, they are to keep things a secret, which is going to be quite tough. Pretty funny stuff there, especially those shouting matches where Hinaki Yano and Shogo Sakata do a great job in letting all their anger out with them. |
| OK that was decent. It didn't set the production value expectations unreasonably high, so hopefully they can maintain them. Although the whole production had the feel of a lower/mid-tier studio trying really hard to match the A-listers. I really like Akane's character design, and Saito is a good foil. She is VERY shrill though; I can see why Saito would be annoyed. I need to reread the manga because I was sure there was some clever mechanism (beyond sensors/surveillance cameras) to ensure they slept in the same bed. The anime kind of glossed over that. Also, I know there's a longstanding tradition of gyaru pushing the dress code boundaries, and boy does Himari do that. |
| Away from the things of man, my love, away from the things of man. |
| They need to work their way up to a tsundere vs tsundere relationship? That's rough. This has enough comedy to keep me going, and I like the characters, so I'll be watching. |
| It has decent production value, but this scenario has been done quite a few times. The set up doesn't make much sense, but it could still be good. Makes me anticipate the second season of A Couple of Cuckoos |
| Nor sure how I think about the show. The character models are pretty good, except for the male MC (Saito). He's been down many, many, many times. I'll give it the 3 show rule. I just want to know what Himari's grandma has over her. |
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| So underage protags forced into an arranged marriage and herded into a house with full surveillance Big Brother style. And this is a rom-com? Is this one of those "our families are so rich and connected laws don't apply to us" stories? |
| The tomatoes are coming! Arm the dicer! Prepare the olive oil! |
Domvina said: full surveillance Big Brother style I need to check the manga, but I don't think there are any hidden cameras or anything. Saito was just paranoid about them when he discovered they had to sleep in the same bed. Definitely a lot of manipulation/coercion/arm twisting though. |
| Away from the things of man, my love, away from the things of man. |
| Seems pretty obvious the Gayru likes the male MC...I suppose that will lead to conflict later. Seems odd a Gayru is best friends with the straight laced class rep though. |
Reply to Domvina
So underage protags forced into an arranged marriage and herded into a house with full surveillance Big Brother style.
And this is a rom-com?
Is this one of those "our families are so rich and connected laws don't apply to us" stories?
And this is a rom-com?
Is this one of those "our families are so rich and connected laws don't apply to us" stories?
Domvina said: So underage protags forced into an arranged marriage and herded into a house with full surveillance Big Brother style. And this is a rom-com? A lot of Japanese romcoms seem to be arranged marriage horror stories with jokes added where the happy ending is just Stockholm Syndrome. |
| The early ANN reviews are kind of hilarious. They hate the show because they Akane is annoying and Saito is a slacker with no personality, except that's exactly the point. We need to feel why they hate each other for the eventual turn to have any impact. |
| Away from the things of man, my love, away from the things of man. |
| Just slightly above average so far. He should have told them he wanted to marry his cousin instead. She's obviously into him and would be a better match. HOOfan_1 said: That's what I thought at first too, but it's possible she might actually be into Akane.Seems pretty obvious the Gayru likes the male MC boldulysses said: I have a feeling we're going to end up finding out he's not a slacker. He gets the best grades in their class after all. I'm sure one of the reasons Akane gets so upset with him is because she thinks he's a slacker and yet still gets better grades than her.Saito is a slacker |
| Cursive is the future. - Nate Bargatze |
| Since I'm currently watching Amagami Sisters which is also a very cliche harem romance story but quite well-directed, this show had a bar to reach to capture me. And honestly, this felt a bit less than Amagami Sisters. This is much more cliche, and definitely more predictable with its very forceful plot and straight-forward characters. But I'd say it's fairly entertaining. The FMC's VA is delivering the right energy level that the character should have. Not to mention, it's also visually pleasing and the animation seem to have effort put in it. If I have a nitpick, it's that the MMC seem to be lacking during banter-- not sure if it's the VA's issue or the writer's but, I'm definitely not satisfied. Whether he's a 'reactive' or 'witty' type of MMC, it leaves me wanting more. He's fine during ordinary dialogue though. There might be a possibility of me dropping it-- not because it's bad but because it might get too cliche, or just simply not for me. But I'd rather it be good. So, I'll set an early 6/10 rating bar for it. |
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| I'm thinking the Grandma's threat to Akane is that if she doesn't cooperate she'll reveal that Akane has had a crush on Saito since grade school or something. |
SparkyBob said: That would be funny if that's the case since it would somewhat make Saito the only one who's forced to be married xDI'm thinking the Grandma's threat to Akane is that if she doesn't cooperate she'll reveal that Akane has had a crush on Saito since grade school or something. Although, that could also make him mad if he feels like all those three- their grandparents and Akane herself- played him for a fool, even if Akane wasn't in on it in the first place. Heck, with how things are looking, he and Himari might have mutual feelings for each other so, I could see that factoring in with that theory as well. |
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| Episode 2 The chaos is only beginning as somehow Shisei is threatening to out the fact that Saito and Akane are married as those two are trying to keep their marriage a secret. Then this couple argues over what to eat seeing that Saito is all about convenience and has the pantry stocked with instant ramen, veggie juice, and protein shakes, which isn't exactly a fitting meal, while Akane has trained herself to be a great cook. Saito loves playing violent video games, but Akane can't stand them. Then Saito walks into the bath while Akane is still using it. As Saito is caught between a rock and a hard place seeing that he will lose his inheritance if he divorces, he and Akane agree to lay some ground rules, among them being they are allowed to unintentionally touch each other in bed. Seeing that it has been one fight and shouting match after another that it's a good thing that cooler heads are starting to prevail. |
| A bit more "dere" this episode, which was nice to see. It's also good to learn about Saito's (questionable) personal habits and preferences; it justifies Akane's exasperation somewhat and makes him less potato-kun-ish. |
boldulyssesJan 10, 9:16 PM
| Away from the things of man, my love, away from the things of man. |
| In the first episode they said his grandfather likes him, unlike his father. That confused me, did that mean his grandfather doesn't like his father, or his father doesn't like him. I interpreted it as the former. He apparently had lived with his dad, and when explaining his sloppy habits and penchant for liking plain food, they showed a flashback of a man and a woman walking out the door as he ate cup ramen as a small child. I was wondering if that was supposed to be his mother leaving, or his dad just fooling around and neglecting him...I think the latter on that. It also showed him eating fancy food next to his grandfather, but he didn't seem thrilled with that either, hence why he likes "average" food. |
| I'm starting to like it, because at least they are trying. Too many anime would have taken four or five episodes before the characters thought to discuss matters instead of shouting. Also Akane in flannel jammies. Cuddly. Little surprised that both Shise and Himari are not only aware that somethings's going on (Shise more than most) but actually seem supportive rather than the usual tropes of being jealous or hurt. In fact it seems like they could announce to the entire class "Hey, we're married now" and the only response would be "Well, duh" or "'Bout damn time." |
| That was much better than the first episode. I actually laughed a few times and there were some effective use of changes in the art style. Still not a big fan of Akane. I can understand some of her frustrations with him, but most of her issues are of her own making. It's probably mostly because I knew a few girls when I was around that age that always seemed to be telling people what they "should" be doing and how they should be doing it. |
| Cursive is the future. - Nate Bargatze |
| Episode 3 Saito's reason for the arranged marriage was explained as if he refused, he would have forfeited his gramp's inheritance. As for Akane's, she wants to get into medical school, which her parents can't afford, but by marring Saito her granny will pay her tuition. Akane is determined to get into medical school, and seeing that Saito is an honors student and aces his exams without needing to study long hours that it motivates Akane to study hard, to the point where she falls ill from pushing herself too hard. Their relationship has really transformed now that they know each other better and things just might work out after all even though it seemed destined to fail. |
| It always seems to weird to me seeing them put a game console on a coffee table with the wires stretching to the TV. Do people actually do that? Why not just put it under the TV? Also, do they have a water cooler and refrigerator in their bedroom? It almost looks like a hotel room. |
| She had a fever of 108 and it was "just a cold?" |
Reply to Panthers426
@HOOfan_1 Game console on table is/was common in Japan due to length of wires often being much shorter and thus being needed
| @Panthers426 but they wrte using wireless controllers |
| Well that progressed quickly. HOOfan_1 said: Yeah I noticed that too. Seems pretty odd if they don't have a specific reason for it.Also, do they have a water cooler and refrigerator in their bedroom? It almost looks like a hotel room. |
| Cursive is the future. - Nate Bargatze |
| I dunno; I'm still on board here, even though they've basically accepted the fact that they're a couple and are more functional than 95% of actual, admitted couples. Their chemistry is cute and the pacing is pretty brisk. The screen wipes between scenes remind me of the bananas in Aho Girl, and the animation has a similar quality. Also, as mentioned, I like Akane's character design, that helps paper over some flaws. SparkyBob said: She had a fever of 108 and it was "just a cold?" Yeah they could have shown that she was in a bad way given that there was a week (?) timeskip. Also, how far was the hospital? Saito may be strong, but carrying 100+ lbs of girl in your arms several miles (at least!) is no joke. |
boldulyssesJan 17, 9:48 PM
| Away from the things of man, my love, away from the things of man. |
| I was already contemplating whether to drop/put-on-hold this while in the middle of the 2nd episode but then, in the 3rd episode... Saito's cousin turned herself into a trap and it was so silly I had a laugh at it! xD I wasn't really a fan of her initially due to the teasing of a 'cousin ship', which I'm not a fan of. But, I think I'm gonna like her silly comical bits. Story-wise though, I lost interest now. Would've preferred it if the relationship between the 2 MCs took around at least 5 episodes to progress so the forced marriage premise could be utilized. But at this point, it's merely just an excuse for their situation to be interesting at first, as it turns into a usual cutesy relationship story. I'll keep watching as long as it has some fun moments. |
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| Episode 4 Akane is getting paranoid about being attacked at night, so Shisei gets brought in to investigate. After going through all the rooms, Shisei reveals the results of her investigation, and it was none other than Shisei herself who acted as the ghost. She's mostly there for Akane's cooking, but she has been feeling really lonely as of late and just wants to be by Saito. So after the investigation, Shisei plays Saito's games and ends up sleeping over in their bed. Pretty cute to see Shisei acting all deadpan and stuff, and Akane is starting to get attached to her. So after focusing mostly on the couple, Shisei gets an episode about her, and Himari figures to get one next. |
| I think this show is better when Shisei is screwing with them, kind of like the little sister in "Alya Hides her Feelings in Russian". I am not sure why he thought of Oda Nobunaga and Thomas Jefferson when he was trying to clear his mind of sexual thoughts... |
| I am impressed with Shisei's uncanny detective skills. |
| As weirded out as I am about the cousin cuddling stuff, can't deny that Shisei really does bring a fun sillyness to the show. As cute as it may be, I kinda wish they'd lessen the chibi scenes. It's becoming too excessive-- too lessen some workload, I guess? Also, this translation by Bilibili feels a bit out of place... No cap. xD  |
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| The pacing is saving this show. Only about 50% (if that) of the jokes land, but they keep it moving along at a good clip, so the density helps bring up the average. Chise's fine, and her deadpan delivery is amsuing, but she wore out her welcome by the end. And of course we can all see a mile away what's coming with Himari. Jozuwa-_- said: As cute as it may be, I kinda wish they'd lessen the chibi scenes. It's becoming too excessive-- too lessen some workload, I guess? Yeah there were a LOT of them this episode. Noticed that too. |
| Away from the things of man, my love, away from the things of man. |
| Episode 5 After the last episode was about Shisei, this one is about Akane's best friend Himari, and she's got a crush on Saito. Of course, Saito is already married, but that's something Himari doesn't know. So Akane spies on Saito while coming up with some lies and half-truths to tell Himari like him eating raw meat and raw garlic to get her to back off, but that didn't work. Then Himari herself approaches Saito in class as they have some interesting conversations, and Saito acknowledges her for intervening when they fight. Then Himari drops by the house seeing that she knows Shisei visited, and she arrives much sooner than expected that has Saito scrambling to try and hide everything. So after all that, Saito decides to go on a date with Himari, but Akane objects and as such he goes out on a date with her instead. A love triangle is developing here as Himari's crush on Saito only complicates things seeing that Saito is married, but not because he loves Akane, though that is slowly changing. Once again, all the shouting matches and lover spats are pretty hilarious. |
| It really feels like they rushed Akane admitting she didn't want him to go on the date and him admitting he turned Himari down. It took all of like 30 seconds between the scene of Himari asking him out and Akane caving to the pressure. |
HOOfan_1 said: They really did. Not really sure why they're rushing this-- it's not a high-priority material that requires all chapters being squished in one cour anyway.It really feels like they rushed Akane admitting she didn't want him to go on the date and him admitting he turned Himari down. It took all of like 30 seconds between the scene of Himari asking him out and Akane caving to the pressure. |
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| Yes, it was rushed but I really wanted to hear it so I was glad it happened anyway. Bossy girls like Akane are kinda my weakness. What did take me by surprise was Himari saying she liked Saito. I was all prepared for her to like Akane. In fact, I'm still not sure if I believe it; I think Himari is up to something herself, like getting Akane to know all about Saito so she'll finally admit to the feelings that the rest of the class already knows she has. |
| Episode 6 Himari continues to try and woo Saito while in the dark about Saito already being married, and she starts out by making a meal of raw meat that Akane said he likes, and while he's reluctant to eat because he brought his own lunch, he eats anyway, all while Saito agrees to tutor Himari seeing that her grades stand to get better. And then Shisei and Himari come over to the house to play video games. And then they have sweets and tea, but Himari gets tea spilled on her shirt and while she changes shirts, the lights go out before they come back on. And then Akane explains why she wants to become a doctor as she had a sister who was born with an incurable disease and passed away. After that comes the first date between newlyweds, and they end up going to karaoke, while they had to skip the cat cafe. They drop by for a strawberry drink, and head out to a place that specializes in supplements. The date ends with the couple looking at a wedding ring, which brings some memories for Akane, and of course Saito can't buy it until he gets his grandfather's inheritance. Funny stuff once again as these girls have so many things on their minds. |
| So they're going to do the whole "I can't see her anymore, because she is in a far away place"..."well I never said she was dead" bit? |
| Oh, Himari is definitely up to something. I smell a crafty wingwoman. This show does such great character animation when it does it. It sure has some budget-saving cheats, though. Protip for Saito: When a girl shows up looking like Akane did for their day out, the correct response is a stunned "Wow." You'll get laid. Even if you're already married. |
| Episode 7 While Saito has a huge inheritance, he decides that he doesn't want to owe his gramps and takes on a part-time job in order to buy a ring for Akane. So becomes a part-timer at a software company run by his aunt Reiko, who is Shisei's mother. Reiko is so opposed to the marriage, and understandably so seeing that it only happened because of his grandfather's selfish desire. After several late-nighters, he has enough money to buy it and not long after getting it Akane loses it. Not wanting Saito to know that she lost it that she searches frantically for it by herself, but Shisei read her mind, and then she told Saito about it, and it's a good thing he remembers everything as nobody would think about looking for it in the storm drain for the pouch with the ring inside it. While the ring is a nice gift, he should have at least waited until after graduation before getting it as after all, they need to keep their marriage a secret and the ring would be a dead giveaway. |
| Aw. This one made me tear up a little. Akane can be adorable when she isn't shrieking. Hunh. An anime version of "Taming of the Shrew." And now her trashy sister is showing up? |
SparkyBob said: And now her trashy sister is showing up? I wonder what the misunderstanding is going to be that made her sister dislike her... |
| Episode 8 Here comes Akane's little sister Maho. She pretty much fits into the typical imouto trope there as she's quite clingy towards Saito, and is a glutton who eats too much junk food. Not to mention, she tries to make her relationship public after sneaking a photo of her licking him. After their little date, they head to the house where Saito learns she used to be sick, but is now living spoiled. After a shouting match between sisters, Shisei comes out having hidden herself in the fridge as she's baiting Saito to give her mouth-to-mouth, but that doesn't work. And then Maho and Shisei battle it out to see who has Saito's affection, but of course Shisei wins seeing that Saito only just met Maho. As it turns out, Maho already knew they were a couple, forced to marry because of their grandparents, and she's trying to convince this couple to break up as Maho wants to marry Saito so badly and free him of being married to his biggest enemy. So the notion of divorcing is brought up seeing that they didn't get married because they wanted to, but they are slowly getting closer to each other to the point where now even if they weren't forced to stay married, they want to remain a married couple. Maho is surely a troublemaker, but at least she's getting Saito and Akane to think about some serious issues. |
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