I'm assuming most people probably don't look at the tags. If you haven't, I highly suggest you go look at them. Guess what it says? That's right. Shounen. This anime is not, despite it's generic shoujo summary and art, a shoujo anime. It is probably the complete opposite of it, in fact.
The story starts with Sakura Chiyo, a girl who confesses to her crush. He mistakes her intentions and assumes she's a fan of his manga work, because the truth is, he's actually a manga artist. So she inadvertently becomes his assistant, and this is where the story begins. If you're looking for a story, this anime doesn't have one. It's story is episodic in manner, with new and different events happening in each episode. This isn't unusual for a comedy anime, and it's in this way that we can appreciate the full effect of the jokes and set ups.
One thing I'd like to address is the romance. I realize that romance is also listed as a genre, but really, it's probably pretty low in importance in the anime. It's pretty much non-existent. Usually it's only brought up as a cause of humorous misunderstandings, or the cause of a joke. So if you're watching simply for the romance, I wouldn't waste your time.
And of course, we have to address the characters. Ah yes, the stars of the show. You know the piece of advice I gave at the beginning of the review? Do it again. The characters are as far from every shoujo trope you can think of. The actions between them, and their relationships are simply brilliant. We have about seven main characters, each with their own unique characteristics and personalities. There's Sakura, the protaganist. She's a bit dreamy and off in the clouds sometimes, but also very down to earth. She actually acts as the "straight man" a majority of the time. There's her crush, Nozaki, who's extremely, extremely dense and oblivious to anything remotely romantic, despite being a shoujo manga artist. Then there's Mikoshiba, introduced later on, the standard "cool" guy. Except, he's actually a delicate, sensible, and easily embarrassed by his own words. Kashima, the school prince, in actuality is a girl who all the girl's like. Hori, the violent senpai. Wakamatsu, the innocent kouhai. And Seo, completely oblivious.
These characters and their interactions are what make the show so enjoyable. I'd be surprised if you aren't able to find a favourite. I'd be even more surprised if there was someone you hated. There wasn't a single episode in which I wasn't giggling and smiling like an idiot at. Being a comedic anime, there isn't much development, but that's usually to be expected.
The opening of this anime is an extremely catchy song that definitely suits the mood. You'll find yourself humming along with it before long. I didn't really like it at first, but it grew on me. The ending is no less catchy, but a little more calm. OST's were fine.
The animation of this anime was very nice! I also rather liked the clean cut art and the bright colours. Both of these aspects suited the anime nicely! Overall, this anime was my favourite, and a definite highlight of the Summer 2014 anime list.
