The girl-teases-boy SoL trolling formula is nothing new, especially if you're VERY inclined into well-known mangaka Souichirou Yamamoto's "Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san" (the masterpiece standard) or 774's "Ijiranaide, Nagatoro-san" (which is said to be the most extreme form of the formula, teasing through bullying). In the case of Take, instead of just the school setting of "same class hopefuls of one day becoming a couple" cliche, he takes it one step further in creating the Senpai-Kouhai (senior-junior) and adds the ecchi taste to it, making it seem like in full-on preparation for the "dirty jokes abound" as the comedic effect plays it with varying levels of confidence to pull constant stunts off in questioning.
More importantly, for stories like these to not have a central plot, it depends heavily on the characters to deal with the brunt of the figures, and it's the main characters: the annoying and heartful Hana Uzaki and lone wolf Shinichi Sakurai, that has to hit off well from the get-go. First, let's talk about the Kouhai that's one of the most discussed about this Summer: 2nd year college student Hana Uzaki. A short, petit girl with big, STACKED boobs (that screams SUGOI DEKAI!), she is the immersive extroverted kind and would be akin to the typical, most annoying person you'd met in your lifetime (and won't go away even with heavy convincing), and that's because she is made that way. If you'd give her enough attention, she can be very heartwarming to the friendship touch, but still yet has a composure that doesn't fall WAY OFF to the romance spectrum to keep even the lamest of "sexual harassment" trolls and jokes incoming. She is "Dumb and Dumber", but in the most flattering way possible that I can still find some enjoyment to be had, true to honest. But she can't be a one-trick pony, OH NO, without the help of the "I want to be alone" moniker that is 3rd year Senpai Shinichi Sakurai. He is the typical average character that most of us all have been once in our lives, only that he has big muscles to boot and a heart of gold...at least for cats anyway. From the beginning, his constant deflection against Uzaki uncoincidentally pursues her interest to delve into his life even deeper, not knowing of the consequences of having such an annoying brat chasing after his ass. Hey Sakurai, you're already a damn lucky pervert to have a girl chasing you down, so why can't you acknowledge it, huh? But the charm grows on you once Uzaki knows slowly of Sakurai's unchanging habits, and the decrease in safe-distancing against her and slowly accepting her whims into his life, be it rain or shine.
If I have to be very honest, the Uzaki-Sakurai duo is one of the more understandable "comedic" duos once you'd get to know them better, and how they compliment their own strengths and weaknesses towards each other, not in the mindset of a couple, but of soulmates not randomly strewn together like a "red thread of fate", makes them more appealing for a unique charm of character growth and development that's complementary to the overall series. Sakurai transforms from a stereotypical person to one that's being influenced, and Uzaki in return, can reciprocate to his needs that might not put a smile on his face, but definitely a reassurance of the heart, an anthem of the heart if you oh-so-will infer. From simple things like college homework to just plainly hanging out together for meals or working together, it speaks volumes of the manga's narrative and ambitions (and also why it went popular in the first place).
Of course, without some bootlicking of the Uzaki-Sakurai "romantic" duo, how can this show afford to be more enjoyable? Introducing the side characters: Ami Asai and her dad Akihiko (commonly referred to as The Master) at the cafe that Sakurai works in, and his best bud of a ladies' man, Sakaki Itsuhito. Ami is on a Senpai level against both Uzaki and Sakurai, and her fetish for muscles only works as an imaginary "touch" of Sakurai, and of course, the Master himself, is a wise man of confidence. But deep down, the father-daughter duo are matchless when it comes to Sakurai and his job, and thereafter when Uzaki's interference of the lame man poses a bigger opportunity to work together with him, ensuring that both Ami and her dad get tons of "stalker" enjoyment watching them from afar, all for some whisk of romantic progression to munch on imaginatively. Sakaki on the other hand, enjoys his time being popular with the ladies, but the finest moment of his life is joining forces with Ami (though their disagreement in the beginning wenches each other's favour to the betterment of how they should view the comedic duo). And HELL NO, how could I forget about the mother figure of Tsuki Uzaki, certainly I'd expect the "like mother, like daughter" cliche to throw up its punchline? Scary...
OH, AND THAT KUSO CAT that is symbolic for manga readers, and now with the anime with it appearing at scenes of highly sexualized favours of romance *muack* (and anywhere where "appropriate"), plus the Uzaki house of cats which have SOOO many misunderstandings of "petting". Leave the sexual tension to yourself, mate.
This is the 2nd work of Kadokawa's new subsidiary studio ENGI (the first being the subpar adaptation of KonoSuba's novelist's work on Hataage! Kemono Michi), and comparing against the 2, whatever that is viewed of the former series can be applied here without a doubt. The same lack of soft art and "less is more" animation is a serious drab to look at, even with the use of CGI in the OP. But regardless, the job of the production team is to get one thing done right: getting on par with the manga visuals, and I can say that while it's not amazing, it gets the job done at least without looking bad (or should I say, it's so bad it's good).
Again, nothing impressive in the sound department, but it sure is as hell as boring if there ain't some comedic BGM to follow up through the constant nitpicking and tension of the characters, to which I appreciate really having it there, even if it's to showcase the "background audience laugh" that was once a chore, to which it grows as time passes. The OP between Kano and Uzaki-chan's VA is a love-hate relationship that I'd thought was thought-provoking, but also, the passing of time shows its fruits of labour, and gives off a good vibe that I can't stop ringing my ears to the song's influence. Don't know much about YuNi's lineup of songs, but the ED is comforting enough to end the episodes on a kind note.
Overall, this is a show that will definitely turn off the heads of the normal otaku to even regular anime-onlys for doing a disservice on its plot which is just full-on horny and sexualized favours looking for the main couple to get laid on. But give it a second chance to see from another view, and you might just have been converted from an elitist hater to a best lover. Once again, a disclaimer, it's not for everyone, but only to the faithful of sarcastic narcissists who can find an inch or 2 of this gem to like about and proclaim its genuine greatness.
