The anime follows Sakura and her endless struggle with confessing her feelings to her schoolmate Nozaki, who also happens to be a shōjo manga artist who goes under the pseudonym Sakiko Yumeno. Nozaki mistakes her for a fan, but invites Sakura home and eventually she becomes his assistant. This is where the anime really begins. What this show does so well is how fluidly it introduces its character cast and their lives as high school students. The anime is filled with running gags, cliché shōjo elements turned upside down, witty jokes and scenarios, and the great characters really make it all come to life.
The characters are definitely the highlight of the anime. The show introduces a quirky and colourful cast of unique characters that compliment each other nicely. They create great dynamics throughout the anime and it's nothing but a joy to watch them interact with each other. I'm not going to spend time describing what each character is like, because I want you to find out on your own, but I'm sure that you'll love them just as much as I did, especially if you are into slice of life or high school comedies. What Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun does is that it takes time to develop the side characters as well, instead of just treating them as one-dimensional sidekicks that don't serve much purpose except for just being there. I feel that many shows walk into this trap, but this anime isn't just about Sakura and Nozaki, but about all the characters in the cast, and the show isn't afraid of focusing its attention away from our lovestruck heroine and towards the other characters and their lives as well. This is key to developing compelling characters, and while this is not always a must as far as comedies are concerned, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun really succeeds in this regard, and you will want to follow each one of them.
When it comes to art and sound the show also delivers. The artstyle is colourful and pleasing to the eye; the characters are distinct and neatly designed, and the music compliments the setting and atmosphere nicely. In fact, the music can be so good and evocative at times that I managed to have emotional responses to scenes that were meant as jokes. The seiyuu do a wonderful job at portraying each character, and the opening is one of the catchiest I've heard in recent anime, and the ending radiates a very nice and appropriate feeling.
To conclude, you've got a hilarious parody of the shōjo romance genre in a typical high school comedy setting, and it's beautifully executed. It has wonderful characters that are a joy to follow, and countless situations that will have you laughing. I definitely recommend this anime to anyone who enjoys slice of life comedies. It doesn't redefine the genre in any way and it won't blow you away, but it doesn't have to. If there is a 2014 anime that is worth checking out, it's Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun.
A solid 7/10
