In a way the show is a lot like its main heroine - paradoxical as it may be, there's an innocent, almost childlike attempt at manipulating the viewer, almost as if it's hiding its true nature, teasing and baiting us to make wrong assumptions about it. You know how kids cry to make us do what they want? I feel the same way towards this series. It's actually a very puzzling yet interesting feeling.
It's very meta, with lots of otaku references and humor. Even in the way the plot progresses, there's always a huge awareness regarding romcom tropes and even the haremettes (aside from the main heroine, which is truly something else, something that i have never seen in this genre yet, that's how special she is) start off as complete (at least apparently) walking tropes. Hell, even without watching you can tell the own premise is meta as f*ck. But it really works here because the writer is completely aware of all that! The thing is, Saekano really knows how to work through what is cliché and formulaic. And what's really great about the show is that it is able to transform said tropes/clichés into something rather good and almost unique. The pacing is also very good for a LN adaptation and both the direction and animation is also excellent, with a lot of attention put into little details that make the series all the more enjoyable. I must say that A-1 did a really good job here.
The bottomline is, it's actually easy to dismiss this as just one more silly harem anime that you see in every season, especially if you take the first episode (which was full of fanservice and generic harem antics) at face value. But it's certainly not that kind of show, and of that i assure you. Or better yet, it is that kind of show without not actually being that kind of show. Confusing, right?
But it will definitely make sense by the time you finish watching it. Moreover, it must also be said that Saekano, in its usual 4th wall-breaking scenes, often drops some very important, plot-related bombs, so once again, with that bizarre, feigned innocence of his, almost as if it's asking you not to take it too seriously, ends up surprising you and urging you to pay attention to the tiniest pieces of dialogue, mainly because amidst all the silliness, there's always a clear intention or hidden seriousness that you probably won't even notice if you let the show fool you.
If you want to watch a clever harem romcom, with lots of great humor and genuinely likable cast and plot, this show is for you.
