+ The jokes can be surprisingly funny, especially those involving Akane or Eita!
+ The OP and ED themes are bright, catchy, and really fit the atmosphere of the show.
~ The visual quality isn't always consistent, and there are plenty of scenes where the art/animation dips dramatically (especially early in the season).
~ Yamada-kun at Lv999 only uses video games as a superficial story device -- there is hardly any nuance to its depiction of competitive gaming, MMORPGs, or online guilds. Not that a shoujo rom-com anime needs to have a realistic depiction of games, but it's a missed opportunity to add depth to our characters, especially since it's such an integral part of the story.
~ There's a suspicious focus on Yamada being extremely attractive. Yes, pretty boys are a common shoujo anime trope, but there's something artificial and inorganic about the heavy emphasis on Yamada's looks.
= Despite all my griping, I do think Yamada-kun at Lv999 has a strong and simple premise: an outgoing girl recovering from a bad breakup falls in love with an introverted kuudere boy. The anime's biggest highlights all involve introspective conversations where characters discuss their own baggage. However, the emotional highs of the show are undercut by its aimlessness and superficiality. In the end, the show is not as consistently funny, visually stunning, or emotionally powerful as it should be.
