Before trying it, I was not expecting much by just looking at the name, synopsis and the cover art. I was expecting a typical ecchi rom-com harem with cliches and whole lots of fanservice, but as soon as I finished the first episode I knew I was in for a treat.
Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai is extremely interesting and it's just... good. It's refreshing to see an anime with this potential, good story writing and character dialogue. The anime has a great balance between romance comedy and the touch of supernatural things. The show has great direction and it’s taking a smooth path while having a great pace. I’m not really a fan of rom-coms due to their predictable outcomes, cliches and how they leave the emotion reveal to the end. Said this, I can say Bunny Girl Senpai differs from most rom-coms I’ve seen.
◼️ Story: 8/10 ◼️
So far, the story is extremely entertaining and immersive. It instantly gets you hooked and you can't stop watching. I guarantee you will eat the first arc (the first 3 episodes) in no time. The story starts by introducing the main character, Sakuta and his younger sister Kaede, which both have suffered from the “Adolescence/Puberty Syndrome”, a syndrome that affects teens and makes them experience supernatural phenomenons caused by the social pressure or the person's instability. These symptoms include getting random cuts from the pain of being bullied online, altering time or people not being able to see you due to the fact that they forgot about you, which is the case of our main girl, Mai. Sakura meets Mai at a library by noticing that she is wearing a bunny suit, but it seems that no one can see her but himself. Sakuta knows that she might be suffering from Puberty Syndrome and decides to help her.
The mystery and supernatural side of the story is added in a superb way and makes it even better to watch. Once the first arc finishes another one just as interesting as the first one begins. I really like the "Puberty Syndrome" thing they have, it's consistent and explained really well; while also adding the touch of enigma and makes every character who suffers from it unique. The way they add scientific thoughts and use it explain the manifestations of this syndrome is just pleasing to watch, and it gives the surreal symptoms the characters are suffering from a logical and scientific explanation. In just the first few episodes you get to know the background of the main characters and get to see how the other's are, you get to like them very fast. Also, despite so many events occur in one episode, it never feels rushed or too fast for the watcher to enjoy. So far, the story is great and it lets you waiting for the next.
◼️ Characters: 9/10 ◼️
The characters is one of the best factors this show has, they're all written in a very unique and interesting way, and it’s by far my favorite thing about this anime; which isn’t a surprise considering the writer of it is the man behind the other good notable shows “The Pet Girl of Sakurasou” and “Just Because!”.
The protagonist, Sakuta, is a straightforward, awkward and honest guy who doesn't give in for the cliches. He’s definitely not the typical dense character you will find in rom-coms. He doesn’t or care about the opinions and if he likes something, he'll say it. Moreover, he's very mature at handling situations, yet being sarcastic and has an impeccable sense of humor. Sakuta will tell the other characters what they need to hear, whether it's good or bad, which is a key factor for the story to keep progressing and prevent annoying rom-com-like misunderstandings we all hate.
Furthermore, the female protagonist, Mai. Mai is a serious girl who was a very famous actress at her time. She is older than Sakuta, which leads to her sometimes trying to tease him, ending up in some hilarious interactions between the both of them due to Sakuta’s pure honesty, which causes Mai to get flustered. The dialogue is delightful and satisfying, especially the one with Mai and Sakura, they banter with each other back and forth. They both connect to each other without saying all the details and they're each other's balance, it's like they both are on the same wave length. The chemistry between all the characters is shown with the top notch writing and dialogue.
The other character we’re introduced in the second arc is Tomoe Koga, a first year who met Sakuta in a pretty hilarious way. She was a country girl with no friends that moved to the city. She’s excessively self conscious and lives for others opinions about her. Koga, does everything she can to get her friend’s approval and cares about simple things that might affect her status such as not being the last one to talk in the groups or being the first one to log off. Her character can become relatable due to current society caring too much about social media and other’s opinions.
We haven't yet seen much of character development for the other characters apart from the main ones and some side ones, but I'm sure they will explain each character's background and personalities further (more than they already have). Each character is unique, interesting and likeable
◼️ Art: 7/10 ◼️
The art is good but not outstanding. I like the way everything is drawn and colored and I don't have any complains towards it. The animation expresses the emotions of the character’s very effectively, and the pauses and movement of them are perfect for each particular scene.
◼️ Sound: 7/10 ◼️
The intro and ending songs of this anime are wonderful. The intro is a great song that gets you pumped and it's very catchy. However, it’s slightly louder than all of the other audio in the episode but it's not a big deal. Now, the ending... The ending song is just perfect, by far the best one this season in my opinion. The ending's vocals vary on which girl the episode was centered in, the first 3 being voiced by Mai's voice actress and the ones after that by the actress of Koga. The ending song is a chill jazz-like tune that gives me these relaxing vibes, I'm in love with it. The music and sounds during the episodes are good too, they improve the scene’s emotions and creates impact when it’s needed to.
◼️ Enjoyment: 10/10 ◼️
As you could probably tell from this review, I absolutely love this anime so far and I've been recommending it to all my friends and people who ask me about it. This anime gives me a reason to be excited for the middle of the week and watching the episodes is amazing. When you watch an episode you get so consumed and engaged to the story that time literally flies, the episodes seem so short and you barely notice when it’s going to end until you’re greeted by the amazing ending song. The episodes are so good that you have to rewatch it at least once, and it leaves you craving for the next one.
◼️ Overall: 9/10 ◼️
This is by far one of my favorite animes this season and I definitely recommend giving it a go. As I previously mentioned, Bunny Girl Senpai diverges from the typical rom-coms. I’m immensely excited to see how the story develops and what other cases of “Puberty Syndrome” we get to see. If you're like me and just jumped right in not expecting much due to the title and the first impressions you got, this anime will surprise you, in a very good way.
I'll keep updating this review as the series progresses.
