In many ways, BokuYaba is more of a callback to romance animes from years past, if all the drama has been removed. As in, you're watching two characters with personalities and character rather than watching a self-insert be taken in by some impossibly beautiful woman (or abusive male when it comes to shoujos). Ichikawa has an interesting personality, and his inner monologues and behavior changing as the series goes on is truly a sight to behold as he becomes more honest with himself and his own relationship with Yamada. And funnily enough the show does feel like a shotacon's self insert when it comes to Yamada, with how her subtle actions like patting the teddy bear's head in that one episode come across.
Presentation-wise the show is just gorgeous. I do think they really amped up the romance aspects from the original manga, with its accompanying OST just accentuating the developing relationship between Ichikawa and Yamada. Of course, this does reduce the comedy aspects of it by some margin, but it's all in service of better highlighting their relationship as the core focus of the series. What's left in terms of comedy is still pretty funny, but it's presentation does clash with the overall feel of the show.
Overall BokuYaba is a pretty good show, and, while not the best romance ever made or anything, it's a good benchmark to compare other shows to.
7/10
