With its clickbait title, cliche-filled comedy with easily replicable character traits, I initially thought this would be another Saiki Kusuo-like anime, aiming to create comedy through messing with cliches. Notwithstanding its over-dramatic reactions and, though sorry to say, unsatisfactory animation quality, I quickly despised this anime and put on my coloured glasses. Driven by outrage inflicted by yet another wave of cliche in the first episode, I wrote around 400 words of unreserved criticisms, denominating it as another failed attempt to replicate Saiki Kusuo.
Time has proved me wrong. Totally wrong. As the plot moves on, the initial "female mains", namely the childhood friend and the student council president become exponentially less significant, serving as mere plot devices. Speaking of plot devices, the writer cleverly utilized the baseball match as one. After viewing the first three episodes, I feel like the dots have all come together, and start to type on my keyboard in a state of confusion and amazement. How well-hid are the hints!
Another point worth noting is the clever contrast between the seemingly innocent and the deceitful. Coming into the show, we all know that Kisaragi is a doubled-faced beta male striving to become a chad, who hides his true colours in hopes of getting some love from girls. His envy would be his best friend, who is a baseball chad who unintentionally took away all his crushes. The only one remains for the loser is a leftover girl from the library. Plot twist, Kisaragi is the one least prepared for such mind games compared to chad and leftover. He is all along a foil to hide the true mastery of the two; a sheer puppet on strings - quite like the viewers themselves, and myself too. We have been tricked, we have been backstabbed and we have been quite possibly, bamboozled.
Judging by the first 3 episodes, its greatest downfall would be the animation quality. Not only often do we see the characters are drawn disgracefully, but also the background and the facial expressions. It is such a disgrace to have this well-written plot spoiled by such poor animation. As for music, I think it's fine. Nothing too noteworthy in particular, nor anything to criticise on.
I guess you learn a life lesson every day - even when we are watching an anime - never judge a book by its cover. Oresuki has proven itself worthy.
