Bad points first:
Yes, there are some bad points, though some of them get fixed along the series. So I'll just point here the bad points that didn't get fixed.
- I really don't think they needed the whole alien thing. The sensei being an alien is just a detail that works as a plot device at times. The story doesn't need it and if they had gotten rid of it and just dealt with the situations without it this anime would be a "slice of life" genre classic now. As it is using the alien thing as a fix for some situations ends up coming across as lazy writing. It's a real pity.
- I was disappointed they didn't focus a bit more seriously on the taboo side of it (even if Kei is 18, legal age). I really would love to have seen a bit more of them defending their marriage against society. The fact that they manage to keep it a secret successfully is unreal...I mean, he is a high school student married with his teacher on a small town...and NO ONE KNOWS?!? This is unreal. I really would love to see they confronting society prejudice an sticking together...oh well :\
- What is the deal with the backstabbing mother...like WHAT???
Good Points:
I have lot to say here, because as I said this anime was a nice surprise.
- The Ecchi factor was there but it was very mild and didn't bother all that much. Plus not all the females love the lead which is great. It really surprised me.
- The leading male character Kei Kusanagi, I really liked him. I love that the romantic male lead is a common guy, real common. He is not the funny guy, he is not the smart but quiet guy, he is not the bad boy or the great noble guy, he is definitely not the strong fighter guy. Kei is quiet but friendly, smart but not a good student, strong willed when he has to, not afraid to fight with sensei (refreshing since most of anime boys are whipped), and he is frail because of his health issues. I love it!! I hate that most people think that to be a good lead the guy must be Naruto/Goku/Lelouch. Hurray for imperfect people as leads in animes o/
-The leading female character Kazami-sensei, well I don't love her since she is the subject of most of the fan service AND she is twenty-something acting and blushing like a teen (really? REALLY???), BUT I did find myself warming up to her. She is not afraid to admit her feelings, and she is not afraid to act on said feelings, those are BIG plusses for me. She loves her man, she wants to keep her man, she is not afraid to say it and she is not afraid to act on it...You go girl!!!
-A lot of characters at first seem like stereotypes, especially Maho as the annoying, spoiled, overbearing sister. However, most of the characters, even Maho, evolve, change in one way or another. Some of the secondary characters have storylines of their own and they are actually interesting. I especially liked Hyosuke and Kaede’s storyline, I would even watch an anime just about the two of them. I really liked Hyosuke, you start thinking he is the typical comic relief dumb friend because of the way he acts, but he is the most intelligent of the group, a fun guy who is actually gentle and really sweet with his girlfriend.
- I love that girls here are humanized on this. It is not perfect, but it was pretty good for an anime. In most romance animes girls fall into three stereotypes (that I really don’t like): the girls that stare at the guy they love from a distance with teary eyes too afraid to even speak in front of the guy; the girl that get mad that they like a guy and are constantly ripping the guy a new one and beating him with whatever they can find; the third are the girls that are completely clueless, they act like they don’t know what “liking someone” is, they’re doe eyed and seem to not know that their actions influence other people (or how people actually reproduce), those are the ones that respond to a love confession with “I also love you. You’re a great friend” (while I’m thinking: kill her off, please kill her off). Onegai teacher has none of those stereotypes, the girls on OT are aware of their own actions and of others actions towards them. They like guys and they act on their feelings. They confess, they get disappointed, they fight for what they want. It was really refreshing, I was really happy with how the female characters personalities and actions were treated on this anime.
-Finally a romance anime where things actually happen. I’m sick of animes where you wait and watch and what you get is 2 characters holding hands after 15 episodes...DAMN. Taking from the animes, sometimes I wonder if the Japanese people spring out of rocks instead of having sex, because the poor male characters have to work so damn hard to get a girl to hold his hand let alone kiss...Are Japanese girls made of ice??? I love that in Onegai teacher they hold hands, fight, kiss, have sex, all done in a surprisingly mild and tasteful way.
WELL, TO SUM UP, It will not be the best anime you will ever see, that’s for sure, but it will leave you with the feeling of resolution, something you don't always get watching animes. The characters change and evolve, most of the storylines get closure, the couples do more than look at each other dreamily, and it all feels very satisfying.
