But wait, they're all subversions of their own archetypes by being deliberately cliche on the surface, with unique personalities underneath? Oh great, another edgy deconstruction!
Fortunately, Oshiete Galko-chan isn't just another deconstruction of X genre; it plays the gimmick of each character being named after and seeming like one specific character archetype, while actually being deeper than they seem, but they aren't deliberately NOT those things, either. Otako is a shy otaku who reads a bunch of manga, but she's still an interesting person with her own tastes, who doesn't even see herself as an otaku, but rather someone interested in all kinds of books. Ojou is the prim-and-proper rich girl, but she's also kind of an airhead with her own unique set of quirks. Galko is a true gyaru, but she's interested in everything and can't resist getting involved with everyone.
Oshiete Galko-chan isn't filled with gripping character drama or even particularly hilarious humor, but it is engaging and memorable for its complex characters, who interact with each other believably and manage to form real relationships with one another over the short ~90 minute run-time of the series.
If you're like me and have grown cynical and tired from countless shows where everyone is absolutely pure-hearted and naive, Galko-chan is a refreshing change of pace, with each character being good-natured while maintaining a reasonable amount of selfishness and a lack of sensitivity, as is expected of a high school student. They have legitimate interests in sex and relationships, and their curiosity about the opposite sex makes for some really sincere and interesting character interactions. Oshiete Galko-chan doesn't treat taboo subjects like jokes or shock-factor, it explores them through the minds of curious, nervous adolescents, and it just feels refreshing and realistic to see characters in anime actually talking about them like reasonable people instead of gasping and getting nosebleeds at the mere thought of sex.
Overall, Oshiete Galko-chan is heartwarming, funny, and engaging. All I can ask for in a show is that it doesn't bore me, and the surprisingly broad cast of memorable, believable characters made for some excellent banter and drama. Every moment of the show brought more depth to its characters, by showing them in new situations, reacting in ways that were often unexpected and yet never felt out of character. It's not much of a commitment to pick up, as it's only twelve eight-minute episodes, and it's absolutely worth the time
