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I saw some reviews praise the character development of this show and that plus that it has such a high overall score made me want to write what I thought about it.

I saw a review use "monster of the week" to insult the way the show uses the characters that shapeshift into basically monsters and honestly I think actually giving it a real monster of the week structure would have been a positive change. I don't hate monster of the week though, so thats definitely just my opinion.

Personally, I felt the so called character development other people are praising doesn't exist. I struggled ... to really care for any of the characters, I struggled to see what their motivations even were most of the time. The main "villain" who is supposed to actually be some sort of tragic hero has an understandable desire for revenge, and technically there is nothing wrong with a character being consumed by revenge for only revenge's sake rather than wanting to prevent future tragedies or to make the world a better place but together with the bleak and devoid of personality main characters Saiga and Kagura it just fails to give you any emotional investment in anything happening.

I also don't see a ton of people talking about the show's treatment of women in general. Given the age of the show it's not surprising or special but it does hurt the show in my opinion, especially considering one of the main characters, Kagura, is extremely devoid of any personality whatsoever AND has virtually no agency at any time in the plot. The relationship between her and Saiga is vague and fails to really feel natural and I didn't feel any emotional investment. She was definitely the only main character you could truly root for throughout the show and desire to see have a happy ending but thats mostly rooted in the fact she is an abused 15 year old who doesn't really do anything wrong. But she doesn't really do anything at all either.
The only other prominant female character is some kind of police officer and her motivations and relationship to the main character are extremely vague and don't really make any sense either. I fail to see how her "happy ending" is character development. She was my least favourite character and thats saying something since most characters in this show other than Dr. Ryogoku and the main two leads are portrayed as bad people on purpose lol. There was some characters working closely with the "villain" Suitengu that had more potential for an interesting story but they weren't really given a lot of time for actual character development. I would have liked to see more of their story but it would have required a whole restructuring of the entire show. I also would have liked Suitengu better if the show was different, if maybe we were watching from his perspective instead or something maybe. Idk.

I felt like the amount of scenes showing mostly random non relevant characters being depraved was overkill and often redundant. At some point I just kept asking "and why did we need to see that?" because its not saying anything new. I say that an actual "monster of the week" structure could have helped this show because I think cutting down on redundant "lust and greed happen" scenes could have allowed them to use the monsters to portray the absurd levels of greed/lust etc better in a more interesting way, and also maybe we could have had more of a motive for Saiga to keep fighting other than "actually maybe I really did just wish I had a gun all this time". Because theoretically he wants to save Kagura but its hard to really FEEL that he does. It would have been interesting to connect in some way the other characters "euphorians" desires with Saiga's in a way that made sense. Because I never really understood what made him so different. Or why characters like the one with the strong sense of smell didn't lose their mind like many others despite also being a euphorian. If it was being purpose/goal oriented I felt like the show failed in making that evident due to Saiga's lack of personality. I think the show tried to use Suitengu and Saiga as like foils or something but it just didn't really work tbh. Also I kind of wish the show actually gave more scenes and explanation to what exactly this "virus" was. There were some details about Kagura in the beginning that never are directly explained and make no sense. It could have made the story more interesting to have more focus on that instead of just throwing it out there at the end as an "explanation".

I went into the first season expecting an episodic story of a girl who was made into a Goddess of Wisdom by the youkai taking an eye and a leg from her, and now acted as an arbiter between worlds to solve problems and protect peace and harmony. I got a drama between her and another human family that only had anything to do with youkai because of what their family did to them. There was only one instance of the main character solving a mystery between humans and youkai, and it wasn't even in the manga. and the time skips felt like all the ... important parts of the story were skipped in order to reach the conclusion, which uh, does not make for a good story.

That being said, season 2 of this show was marginally better. I liked that it was more episodic, because that's exactly what I was hoping for originally. I have to be honest though, it still does a lot of just talking and explaining rather than showing. I can probably attribute that to the way this show tries to present itself as a detective show, which I am usually not a fan of specifically because of how much talking there is in place of actual story telling. If you like detective shows where the main focus is a person of logic deducing things and revealing the truth you may like this show and particularly this season. If you wanted a more integrated story of a youkai-made Goddess of Wisdom protecting the peace between worlds, you might be disappointed like I was. My favourite anime and manga is Natsume Yuujincho and I think that show still does a better job of what this show claims to do without even doing it. I wanted the idea of an uncanny half-human girl who talks to ghosts and solves problems for both people and spirits but it just doesn't really deliver. You have to be told constantly how terrifying she supposedly is but she just looks like a regular girl. The humour also seems a bit awkward or poorly done to me, but I suppose I may be harshly judging it because I'm not a huge fan of what they are trying to do in the first place. But basically she is constantly telling people that this guy is her boyfriend, even when it's not relevant, and it's kind of confusing and takes you out of the scene. It's supposed to be funny that she is a Goddess of Wisdom but has immature tendencies to overshare personal details, but it just comes across as forcibly reminding you they are supposedly a couple while they never actually act like one on screen. There is some hand holding but they often barely seem to like each other and also we never see details on how they act as a team or what the guy's personal motives for protecting her actually are. Instead, Iwanaga seems to just boss him around constantly and he just complains and goes with it.

The reason why I dislike this show so much is because I really wanted to like it. There's lots of things about it that appeal to me despite the "mystery/detective" aspect which usually I avoid, and yet, it's just not even good at being a mystery/detective show. It's just bad. I don't ever feel invested in the characters. In this season I did feel attached to the Yuki Onna character but thats about it, and it was unrelated to anything having to do with solving a mystery or even the main characters of the show. I can barely even rate this one higher than the first season. My score of the first season is largely due to my disappointment, but the score for this season is just because it's still not good even after giving me more of a semblence of what I wanted lol.

Disclaimer that I have not read the manga for this. Don't know if I will, but in case the manga is much more well done, I just wanted to let you know I cannot testify to that.

I think if you expect this anime to be good because of its unique setting and main character, I would tell you not to expect that. Overall, this anime is fairly generic. It's not really bad, but its also not fantastic which is why I felt like writing a review, it feels like most of the reviews already out there are very polarizing.

The first few episodes are ... extremely heavy-handed with the sexism, and it felt like the author didn't trust the audience to get the message the first time. It was kind of awkward. But it got better, or at least, it got more subtle and natural in the ways it brought up the feminist themes and Arte's own feelings about her place in the world. Sometimes it was even too subtle.

The animation and art style is very generic. It's not bad but it's nothing special. The only way it really stands out is with the historical clothing, especially for the women's clothes. I really liked that detail, although I think even that was unable to reach its full potential. At some point we learn that Arte's knowledge of lace and jewelry has a hand in her personal touch as an artist, but it's far too late in the show and we have to just take that as "obvious" just because she is a woman.

I think some people expected the art of the show to be more captivating and creative, especially as the cities it takes place in are also gorgeous cities filled with unique and beautiful architecture and scenery. But ultimately, this show is about feminism and classism more than it is about art. I do think it could have elevated the viewing experience to have more detailed scenery but the show could also very well have spent even less time displaying the scenery and it could have still been done well. As it is, it feels like the show has an identity crisis. It wants to portray Arte's passion for art and infect the audience with it, but that's not the main purpose of the story so it ends up just being a distraction to the other more meaningful themes.

Overall, this anime is more of a light entertainment than a truly meaningful piece of commentary. But if you like your entertainment to have meaning to it as well, I don't think its a bad show to watch. It may be a bit forgettable but sometimes there is value in watching shows like that too. It may motivate me to try out the manga and see if I like it any better. Thanks for reading

I'm not sure why the top featured review is a rant about female authors and calling this show an incel show but it's clearly just a romance anime. in short, nothing new or revolutionary. but it's also not the worst out there.

people aren't only liking this show because of who the author is. i have not read the manga and most of the time, i watch anime without even knowing who wrote it. that has nothing to do with it. but let's be real - if a man was the author of a manga with the premise of a young girl being sold as a ... bride to pay off debts, the content of the show would likely be a lot different. if we're generalising anyway, i'm sure you know what i mean. this anime is free of excessive fanservice and does not use overly-sexual humor as a crutch for romantic or sexual tension.

the content of the show itself is very wholesome. the main character has no trace of incel behaviour whatsoever. we meet him when he is depressed after a devastating injury, and, having grown up in a loveless and cruel family, he is taught not to value his life. his father is ableist and writes his son off as a human simply due to his disability. while i've never experienced clinical depression, Tamahiko's thought process at the start of the show felt like a very realistic portrayal of someone feeling despair.

with the introduction of Yuzuki into his life, Tamahoko experiences a kindness he's never known before. he learns to think of someone other than himself and finds happiness and self-assurance through the power of love and friendship. it wasn't that he was selfish before he met Yuzuki, as we see him give her his robe and tell her not to catch a cold as soon as she steps through his front door. rather, the family he was raised in extended no kindness or compassion to him, so internally he felt he was all alone and had to fend for himself. by the end of the show, we get to see him transformed into quite a selfless and generous person who helps those in need freely, even if they were rude to him in the past.

sure, you can say the extreme-optimism of Yuzuki is an overused trope and is unrealistic, but the show isn't necessarily going for realistic but rather wholesome. it's fiction anyway so i don't see the problem with it. people often look for escapism in fiction, and romance isn't always about realism but about the characters and their story. which in this case was a nice one. i love it when we get to see a character evolve throughout the show and we definitely see that in Tamahiko.

honestly if you are looking for a 12 episode romance, and are tired of all the fanservice-laden shounen ones, i think this one is a good fit. despite it centering Tamahiko over Yuzuki, i found it to be cute and wholesome and rather charming. i also enjoyed the 20s historical set, with glances of 1920s western fashion among the traditional Japanese kimono in some of the Tokyo crowds.

the opening and ending theme songs aren't great but they aren't the worst. the soundtrack is nice and soothing and fits the scenes very well. i actually wish the songs within the episodes were used as the op and ed instead haha, they are very nice songs and the lyrics were meaningful to the characters and their internal experiences. the rest of the cast are fleshed out nicely and added to the plot as well.

the animation is fine - not crazy amazing but not bad at all. it's not super stiff or anything and the color palette is cohesive and nice to look at. the character design is also fine.

The 6.5 special is literally just there for excessive fan service. i am very glad it doesn't encroach on the rest of the show, i don't mind they've put it all in one place, that makes it easy to avoid. i don't recommend. Even if the fanservice doesn't bother you or you even like it sometimes, personally, i found it uncomfortable that the entire episode revolves around pressuring Kaede to wear something she isn't comfortable wearing. Tt just reminded me of being forced to wear dresses as a kid when i didn't feel comfortable in them. Just because she doesn't wear the thing Now doesn't ... mean she might not change her mind later. Like, just let her be. Not everyone needs to have the same interests or style. Anyway, its a lot of fanservice packed into a short episode and IMO it's poorly disguised as a normal interaction between friends. I mean, i've been pressured like that before over similar matters so its not entirely unrealistic, but the people doing that weren't actually good friends irl so this was uncomfy to watch. I personally believe this episode to be for a different audience than the majority of those who came to watch the cute, wholesome mountain climbing anime that is the rest of the season. The main season is very nice and good and wholesome and i love it. Don't bother with these specials unless you're like me and you just feel the need to watch every episode that exists lol. or if you really like fanservice i guess... lol idk i can't tell you what to do

the 25th episode special is literally just a recap. fine, but not necessary if you don't want the redundancy

I normally become very disinterested in fully episodic anime, but the one time I actually wished for it, was this anime. The first two or three episodes make you think it will have a mostly episodic story line, where the girl mediates between the youkai and the overarching story is the character's developments with each other...
But then the rest of the show kind of abandons that? Maybe not fully abandoned, but it skips a whole two YEARS ahead to continue, and the character's relationships with each other all remains fairly complicated but it is drowned out by lots of discussion about the other story line, ... the part where they are trying to defeat a ghost created by Kuro's sister.

I really really liked the basis for this story and thought the characters and their relationships to each other were really nice and had a lot going for them. But the majority of the 12 episodes were overtaken by something that felt like it should have only taken up 3 or 4 episodes max. There needs to be more room to let the characters breathe, and show the audience their relationships and how they interact by toning down the youkai stuff and having that be the environment but the plot get driven by the characters. Essentially, I felt like they had something great and it was ruined in execution, which is my least favourite type of disappointment when it comes to shows and movies. I want to see if the manga is any better, and here's to hoping it is because, yeah, I really liked the characters and the story they could be telling.

WARNING: SPOILERS.

This anime had me very interested but that ending was so awful, it brought the score i gave it wayyy down. it basically just completely ignored the actual plot, the relationships with any of the characters basically got absolutely nowhere, neither worse nor better, and if they were trying to imply he was still "working towards revenge" at the end, then what in the world happened to this so called fiance? He just ... went home after that stupid overextended karaoke party and masamune didnt? there is no reason for that. and her feelings towards neither boy were clear at the end. at ... all. not even a bit. i understand anime wanting to leave stories open ended due to finances and/or promoting the manga more, but really??? not only that, but they barely developed the reason behind this "fiance" at all, they just dropped it in there for the audience's knowledge but then left it at that? she still has the wrong person in her memories and that backstory seems two sided, and yet we don't know her side at all?

This anime had a good story, a good motive and pretty decent characters, but the plot just up and left half way through and never came back. they filled it with a stupid beach episode like they all do, and it went downhill from there.

i gave this show an overall 6 because i genuinely was enjoying it, but it would have been a 7 or 8 if the plot remained intact. it lacks enough that i could give it a 5, but the main thing that really made me upset was the ending, and i otherwise personally enjoyed the show until then, so i gave it a 6. "fine"... was ok but disappointing for sure. very disappointed.

I am only writing this because it bothers me when someone's hard work is misunderstood or misrepresented.
I want readers of my review to understand that while the overall story/plot of the anime is mostly unremarkable and hardly creative, the characters themselves and how they drove their own actions is what made this worth a watch.
Real Girl is no masterpiece, but for those of us who enjoy a few romcoms out there, some slice of life shows, this one is definitely in my opinion, not the worst out there at the very least. In fact, all it took for me was to wait out ... until after the opening theme. The first bit right before the opening of the first episode had me rolling my eyes, but by the time I got half way through the episode, I was already ready to continue to the next one.

The thing I like most about the two main characters in particular is that although they start off based on a sort of cliche, the story launches itself from there by way of much deeper character development. I even believe that the title of this anime is slightly misleading, as the anime itself doesn't truly put nearly as much emphasis on "2D vs 3D" as I originally expected. These characters felt relatable and were most definitely deeper and more emotionally thought out than their initial cliche summaries. Not everyone enjoys a simple light hearted romcom (although I admit this one had me crying more than laughing), but for those who do, it is worth the watch. Thank you.