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By far and away the most fun I've had watching a 2021 anime :) (Minor spoilers have been kept separate, at the end of the review)

Story - 9/10

Well, it's a slice of life comedy, so not too much was to be expected in the story area. Still, there was a good amount of references to character pasts and good progression throughout the season, touching on a decent variety of situations where socialisation issues can have complicating effects. I can understand why some would find it repetitive, as the general format for the episodes carries on throughout the season, though for me, the writing and how ... each obstacle is overcome was executed in such a way as to keep me laughing out loud or smiling throughout the whole season, which is a great symbol of engagement coming from a slice of life comedy. The only reason I didn't rate 10/10 in this area is because for me, the cutest moment came in the first episode...

Art - 10/10

Nothing more that I could really ask for in this area really. The art styles perfectly fit the mood and feel of each scene and do an excellent job of indicating/ reinforcing whichever emotion is central to the scene. The use of a variety of different techniques (VN prompts, speech bubbles, background effects) were very well used for enhancing the comedic effect of pretty much every scene, which did a great job of helping add to the hilarity. The colour palette and general scene/ character design direction is pretty neat and does a great job of maintaining a generally light feel throughout the entirety of the watching experience, which aided the season in being a feel-good comedy, despite the issues/ topic at hand.

Sound - 9/10

Another area that's very well done in Komi-san wa Comyushou desu. Voice acting is absolutely spot on, given the way that the characters are designed and very much made for a memorable watching experience. Voice acting did a great job at getting across a good variety of emotions and was outstanding in the ability to trigger both laughter for the comedic scenes, but also smiles and tears for the more emotionally-weighted scenes. The voice acting goes hand in hand with a very good soundtrack, with a variety of piano, strings and other melodies that did an excellent job of reinforcing/ enhancing the feel of each scene that they were used in, regardless of the emotion central to the scene.
Why did I rate this area 9/10? Well, I think that Kitri's "Sympathy" should have been used as the ending music for the entire season, not just the first episode ( -.-)'

Character - 10/10

Definitely one of my favourite sets of anime oddballs for sure. Of course Shouko is a delight to see, despite her issues, but the other characters do not pale into insignificance despite her presence, which is a good sign. It's probably worth mentioning, that I didn't come to the anime already being in love with Shouko, but still ended up with verdict that she has to be one of the most adorable anime characters (definitely the most adorable of 2021). A great presence when not nervous and literally the cutest thing ever when the big eyes come into play :3 Tadano as the other main character does an awesome job in supporting Shouko throughout the season and is another prime example of how likeable the characters in this anime have been constructed to be. Support characters also do a really good job at representing a good variety of mannerisms/ behaviour patterns that work extremely well with the comedic/ slice of life genre; gender ambiguous social butterfly, slightly untethered obsessive, nervous with low-self esteem, other shy characters, energic and fun mother and my personal favourite; chuuni. A good sign of engagement is that there were moment where I was expecting a certain mannerism do act in a particular way, yet found it hilarious in how they went about doing so.

Enjoyment - 9/10

Simply the most fun I've had watch a 2021-released anime. There was never a dull moment while I was watching. Key for me was how much fun was conjured up from such everyday scenarios; truly remarkable, especially considering the amount of emotional response that I was able to give without much effort. One other element that really contributed to how much I enjoyed this anime is the references to other popular media that turned up[1] throughout the season; while one would argue it's not exactly original, I felt it was really good to have these memorable moments while watching and highly appreciated seeing them.
Why did I rate 9/10? Wonky translations were a bit annoying at times (thank goodness for having a decent knowledge of the Japanese language) ':/

Overall - 9.42/10

As mentioned in the opening, Komi-san wa Comyshou desu is the most fun I've had watching a 2021 anime. The season fulfilled what I'd expect from a slice of life comedy and then some, which I think leaves it well deserving of at least a 9/10 rating.






---MINOR SPOILERS---







[1]References to Beyblade, the TV series "24" and also Rikka Takanashi from the Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! series were the standout moments for me and were wonderful to see as throwbacks in a 2021 anime ( '◡')

Definitely not a masterpiece, but not bad either :)

Story - 6/10

The story was okay, given that Akuma no Riddle is classified as action, yuri and school. The progression and pacing is pretty good, despite some of the assassin characters having significantly less of a role to play in the story than others. Given that it's an action anime, I wasn't expecting too much exposition, but there's actually a decent amount between and sometimes intertwined with the action sequences. Why did I give a 6/10? Some of the story direction is pretty poor; mainly the ending, which I think would have been better left to the ... viewer's imagination, rather than the fairly cheap ending that Akuma no Riddle has.

Art - 9/10

One of the areas that Akuma no Riddle does really well, in my opinion. Not quite perfect, because of the occasional use of shark teeth, which I found a bit jarring, in relation to the generally serious and relatively dark feel of the anime. The colour palette works well for both light and dark scenes, but definitely seems geared toward darkness, which I thought complimented the generally tense atmosphere that a lot of the scenes are tinged with. The character designs are also really good, with a good level of detail being apportioned to each main character. The detailing also extended to the weapons (accurate depictions of modern firearms for example) and equipment that get used by the characters, which is always good to see. It's also worth noting that the interval artboards were a nice feature and were always interesting to read/ look at.

Sound - 10/10

The area that Akuma no Riddle excels in. In contention for one of my all-time favourite comprehensive anime sound sets. Each episode starts with Sousho Innocence, which (although I'm not a big fan of rock music) sets up each episode as being tinged with tension and danger. On a separate note, the track itself is (probably unsurprising from Maaya Uchida) really good, in terms of vocal performance and backing track composition.
The score/ scene BGM was not far behind, doing a great job at reinforcing the tension and danger associated with each action sequence and goes hand in hand with the art style. Oddly enough, there were a few tracks that also stood out and particularly caught my attention, which is never a bad thing, in terms of immersion or a metric of engagement. It's also worth noting that not many musical pieces get reused, which is good news for those who crave sound variety.
Each episode has its own ending theme, which was a bit hit-and-miss (personal preference really, as they use a variety of genres), but understandable, as they're each attributed to a character if I'm not mistaken. It's worth noting that some of these themes perfectly reflect the score in its creating an atmosphere of tension. In addition, all of the ending themes include vocal performances by the character VAs, which is always great to see, especially given how high quality they are as pieces of music, period :)

Character - 7/10

Somewhat unsurprising I guess, but each character is most definitely distinct and unique. Each having both a clearly-distinguishable appearance, but also signature weapon/ tool of the trade. VA performances weren't especially spectacular for the most part, but they do naturally fit the characters and are pretty good nonetheless. The combination of unique appearances, outfits and behaviour patterns (as well as the character themes) make for a pretty memorable character set, which is always a good thing. For an action-themed anime with so many different characters, I think they managed to fit in a good amount of character development (though more could probably have been done, I felt, with reference to time/ content being wasted on the ending). I think they could maybe have a bit more yuri involvement between the characters as well, though I will admit, there is a decent amount, given the context in which the characters interact with each other.

Enjoyment - 8/10

I came into Akuma no Riddle expecting it to be a run-of-the-mill action anime with little story content and not much underpinning motive to the action, but those preconceptions were destroyed fairly quickly. The anime progresses more like a thriller than anything, with most scenes being charged with tension, which kept me fully engaged at all times. Slower-paced scenes were interesting to watch, in that they helped explain out the background and gave context to the actions and events of the anime. Combat sequences were pretty good, thanks to the variety of weapons/ tools that are used throughout. The extensive use of handguns with only one hand was a bit weird though, along with the firing position of an SMG that appears at one point.

Overall - 7/10

Some areas were outstanding and others were just okay/ meh. In the end, I did really enjoy most aspects of the anime, but couldn't escape noticing some flaws with the anime, so 7/10 is a fair rating in my opinion :)

First things first; I watched this as a mid-20s adult, make of this information what you will ':/ I generally keep a rule, to use maximum ratings sparingly, but in this instance, I think the anime is deserving of such.

Story - 10/10

Okay, yes, it runs like a fairy-tale at times, but strangely enough, I felt like it was forgivable, given the significant role that the Chuunibyou phenomenon plays in the anime. The writing is very good, across a range of scenarios and more importantly emotions. Emotions are one thing that this anime absolutely got right in my opinion (I'll elaborate on this later). In terms ... of context and telling the story of holding onto a fictional reality and using it as a personal coping mechanism which can be overcome/ developed from through help from somebody able or at least willing to try to understand the challenges they're facing, the creators did a stellar job, which resulted in a number of quite emotionally-involved responses while watching (such responses are extremely rare for me).

Art - 10/10

I absolutely love the art style. On a regular basis, the colour palette is relatively soft on the eyes and works well for both the daylit scenes and night scenes. On top of having a good art style for regular-world scenes, there's also the art style for when the fictional reality comes to the fore, which runs perfectly in line with the characters' imagination I think. The art style does a good job of creating a believable battle scene, but without being completely untethered from reality (it remains evident what real-world tools are the basis for fictional world counterparts). The battles which occur at night are a very good example of the art style showing its strengths, as they make good use of the already dark colour-palette and amplify it to create an immersive alternate reality befitting of a dark world, filled with despair and danger.

Sound - 10/10

This particular area will probably forever hold a special place in my heart. I'll start with voice acting, which is without doubt some of the best I've seen in an anime, period. For a start, Nibutani, Togashi and Kumin have alternate voices within the anime which sometimes are funny, sometimes surprising, sometimes displaying impressive emotive power, which I don't see often in anime and highly appreciate. The other main characters do a faultless job through voice of contributing to comedic scenes and probably moreso, the more emotion-heavy scenes (Takanashi and Dekomori), contributing heavily to how well I engaged with Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! in terms of emotional response.
In terms of sound design as a whole where music is concerned, Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! is second to none for me. Yes, some piano melodies and the background music for comedic scenes do get reused, but it matters not, when they contribute so well to setting the scene accurately, in terms of feel and amplifying any emotion being delivered by characters in more romantic/ emotionally-charged exchanges. The opening does a good job of creating setting a positive overall feel as each episode begins. The closing music is an entirely different matter altogether however; being by far and away my favourite ending music. Not just because the voice actors for Rikka, Shinka, Kumin and Sanae provide the vocals (as Black Raison D'etre), not just because it's a good confluence of rock, piano, synths, energy and the general anime feel, but because the track itself is such a powerful piece speaking about identity and the challenges/ issues faced by those who struggle with it. Needless to say probably, but I bought and absolutely love the album, despite not really being a fan of rock music.

Character - 10/10

Admittedly, the character designs are what initially drew me toward watching Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! Throughout the season, I was not disappointed; the costumes/ oufits that the main/ key supporting characters use throughout are pretty cool in my opinion. Away from visuals, I'll start with the supporting characters, who despite their relatively low amount of screen time, still manage to make themselves memorable and contribute to the advancing of the story (Touka-san, Nanase-senpai, Isshiki and Kuzuha-chan especially) The main characters go one better than the support characters in making themselves memorable in my opinion, partly through their distinct roles in the story, their quirks and also their alternate reality forms. The relationships that the main characters form and develop with each other were also entertaining to watch and complex enough for me to maybe hate one particular character for a while, for the effect that they had on others. Maybe more of a personal thing, but the relationship that develops between Rikka and Yuuta was something that I found especially touching, having experienced the challenges of understanding/ trying to understand what most people would be unable to in somebody.

Enjoyment - 10/10

Partly because the anime reminded me of the antics that took place when I was at that age (the bro-code moment was a very welcome one), partly because it's put together in such an immersive manner in my opinion, I very much enjoyed Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! There were plenty of moments where I had to pause in order to finish laughing, or rewind, which is a good sign for a comedy. There were many Slice-of-Life elements which I could relate to and find funny. Romance sequences and scenes of pure despair that made me shed tears are generally rare but came more frequently than I'd anticipated, which I don't mind at all, as they're at least proof that the anime is engaging.

Overall 10/10

Chuunibyou demo Koi ga Shitai! will probably remain one of my all-time favourite anime, simply for being one of the very few productions which I've resonated strongly with and enjoyed with the full extent of my emotional availability.

One of the most fun anime I've watched in a very long time. Yes, Uzaki has big boobs, and they are used as subject at times, but once you get past that, there's a really good production in this first season of Uzaki-chan wa Asobitai!

Story - 8/10

Given that it's a slice-of-life comedy, I wasn't expecting too much by way of story content, but I was pleasantly surprised to find numerous references to middle school, which factored into the current timeline of events for the anime. Throughout the season, the current events developed quite nicely as well, in terms of pacing and character development I felt. ... There were a couple of awkward cliff-hangers in places (due to scene length) though I felt, which brought my rating down in this area. It's also very good that despite the progression throughout the season, the story content managed to remain very light throughout, which kept me hoping for another season come the end.

Art - 9/10

The art is very good and contributes substantially to how fun Uzaki-chan wa Asobitai! is to watch. Generally-speaking, the fairly bright, yet balanced art style is fairly soft on the eye and not too harsh when things become a bit wild, which I appreciate. The art style particularly shows its strength through ordinary things, like Uzaki's wild laughter, through to less common things, like special moments, presented in contextually-accurate fashion, to draw attention to a particular significant development in a completely hilarious manner.

Sound - 10/10

Yes, there are soundtracks that get re-used multiple times throughout the season, but in all fairness, these sounds do work well in contributing to the setting and feel of the scenes in question. Voicing is also pretty strong; I mean, Uzaki-chan's laugh is utterly adorable. Voicing is very good for the comedic scenes but also equally strong for the scenes where other emotions come to the forefront, be it scheming, anger, upset or doubt, which contributes heavily to my high scoring in terms of sound. Moving back to music and the OP ED; another very strong area I felt. The opening music is by far and away my favourite opening music of any anime and the end music is not far behind it (I ended up buying both single albums). Personal preference aside, the opening music perfectly captures the feel of the anime; extremely fun, but not completely untethered from substantial emotion and also the music pretty much perfectly matches Uzaki-chan's personality. The closing music really captures the more substantial elements of Uzaki-chan's personality, which I really like, especially when combined with the various iterations of the end credit montage; I always watched through to the very end of the sequence.

Character - 10/10

I've already covered Hana Uzaki quite a bit, so focusing less on her, I have to say that Sakurai and the various supporting characters (the Asai family, Uzaki Tsuki and Itsuhito) are pretty well constructed, especially in terms of them being memorable, despite having less screen time. The role that the supporting characters play in developing the relationship between Sakurai and Uzaki make them particularly memorable, each contributing to the comedic value of the anime significantly. This section wouldn't be complete without a more substantial word on Sakurai, who is very well developed throughout the season and is actually constructed in a way that makes his character quite believable as an actual person, who becomes increasingly more balanced as the anime progresses. Sakurai, despite appearances does display a good range of emotions, which I appreciate, as it helps with the story and enjoyment of the anime.

Enjoyment - 10/10

Numerous times where I had to pause the anime, to get the laughter out of my system; this is a very good sign, coming from a comedy. The Ecchi content is pretty funny, without going too far (wafer thin line, but things stay just within, in my opinion). The awkward and more hostile moments are also very engaging. Other sections have already covered numerous other factors that contribute to my allocation of maximum score in this area.

Overall - 9/10

What do I look for in a comedy? Fun. Uzaki-can wa Asobitai hits that criteria near perfectly. Being very well produced across art, sound and character design categories contribute heavily to my rating the anime so highly. I'll be very pleased if the second season is just as good as or better than the first!