It's a gag comedy about two strange people doing strange things in the most normal way (there are other strange people too). It's hilarious. The number of times this anime can create a scenario for the main two and elevate it into surrealism is seemingly neverending. I do find myself laughing at a lot of things, but Aharen-san is a little different, with it being able to make me laugh more than other comedies have made me do so. The contrast between everyday life and just downright nonsense is not to be underestimated. Like, who the hell thinks doing a spider-man in the corner of the classroom is a good idea? But it is funny because no one seems to give one, as well as it being in the array of choices for these two. But wouldn't you know? They are strange people in gag humour. Lol…
I'd imagine people would be *very* quick to point out how this is generic or some "criticism" like that. I'd argue that is not (entirely) the case with Aharen-san. Sure, the usual plots used in episodic anime do find their way to the anime, but it's not like Aharen-san then became devoid of what makes it good in the first place. It just uses its skill to create something with a touch of itself. So even if it did indeed lack plot originality, the quality of this show is simply amazing anyway and it still feels like you are watching Aharen-san wa Hakarenai instead of some rip-off of a 2015 school comedy or whatever.
The main two are something that I like quite a bit too. The relationship doesn't have a bias on one of the two, you know the one, the whole "everyone cares about her more than him" sometimes vice versa, or in other words, one character being more interesting/important than the other. We have Aharen, the one with terrible distance comprehension, and Raidou, the one who overthinks literally anything beyond belief. The chemistry between them just goes through the roof. In addition to making everything, they do way funnier and more enjoyable than the norm. It's a relationship that makes sense, one that you want to see bloom into something more meaningful and more wholesome because these two are simply meant for each other. Who doesn't like sweet stuff like that?
A little on the side characters, whilst the attention isn't focused on them, I did find it that they are respectable people too. For example, Ishikawa and Satou behave like genuine people in this moderately strange world, to the funniest of the lot Toubaru-sensei (bless her) who, well, does the most amazing gags. So hey, there's more to love here.
I don't really have much else to say honestly, I've said everything that needed to be said. The story of this whole thing is just well… everyday life, an absurd one at that. This is easily the best thing in the season of Spring 2022 too, so another good feat to point out if you want to go and watch this. It's nice to see this get a pretty good adaptation too although I guess everyone anticipated this would happen soon with other similar titles getting the anime spotlight.
