Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai (and NEXT) Anime Review

How do I start with this one? I mean intros are already enough of a thorn in my side without telling you that I really liked Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai...well that little problem took care of itself


Yeah, it has some problems, but I don't know. With piecing eyes, I finally say goodbye, as I wave and kiss my credibility farewell (been watching way too much Yu Yu Hakusho) So without a moments delay, let's dive into Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai!
 

Animation--Animation is good, but nothing to write home about. It's not bad, but let's just say that if I had reviewed this a year ago, my opinions would be very different. After seeing what A-1 pictures and Shaft are able to do with a Slice of Life, nothing really amazes. That being said it does have some nice touches. The studio behind this is AIC, the team behind anime like OreImo, Blue Gender and Strike Witches. In my OreImo review (second review I did) , I said basically the same thing as I am going to say now; Character designs are well done, but nothing too spectacular with environments. What the studio does well is small touches. Little things, like the in-between animations during breaks, or the touches to the opening during both of the season finales ooze style.


Plot-- God, I feel like an asshole. I really do like this series, guys, but I do think it has some problems; the first of which being the first season. I'll be honest, for the majority of the first season; I thought the show was mediocre at best. My main problem was the humor; or the lack thereof. It was hit or miss; Characters like Rikka and Yuukimera were pretty consistent, but others weren't. The banter between girls felt less like Infinate Stratos-esque cat fights, and more like arena matches. They weren't funny, and because the translator turned a lot of the words into swears, it wasn't cute either. That being said, for reasons I'll explain later, I don't think this is a flaw. The season finales to both seasons, however, are fantastic. In this way, it's kinda the opposite of Infinite Stratos, where the finales were too focused on action and not enough on characters. Both of the finales leave me hungering for more—especially with the second season.

 Using the second opening, becuase the first one is a bit...well let's just say it doesn't help my case.

Sound-- Once again I'm going to say that the opening and ending for both are well animated and have pretty catchy tunes. As for the soundtrack, it does its job; Nothing outstanding, but nothing too distracting either. As for the voice actors, I'm going to say that for the most part they do their job well. Unfortunately Yukkimera, Kobato, and Maria don't get much of a chance for development, so their actresses don't get much of a chance to shine. Sena, Yozora, Rika, and surprisingly Kodaka, do.


Characters--Finally! Here's where I can finally get to be positive, I love the characters in this series! Character development is stellar, being both meaningful and subtle! Not only that but relationships also evolve in a way that feels pretty natural. Remember when I said that characters’ tearing at each other’s throats wasn’t exactly a bad thing? This would be why. The whole anime is about making friends; that's why their club is formed in the first place. Therefore in the beginning, the only thing that they have in common is that they like Kodaka and want to make friends. Slowly they become friends with each other, and by the second season, the banter between them, feels more like friendly jabs and less like a grudge match. Unfortunately, this all happens in the second season.

There's also a surprising amount of development around the characters.  Emotional moments are touching in and of themselves—without resorting to some kind of tragic back-story. That being said, the moments where characters are developed is kinda few and far between. Once again referring to the first season, no meaningful development occurs until the finale. 

Has what I've said convinced you to watch the show? If so, stop reading here. If what's been said here hasn't convinced you, first skip to the romance section, read it, and if you still aren't convinced, come back here. Reading this will defiantly detract from your experience, but if there's any reason why you should watch this, it's what I'm about to say.

It didn't work?

Kodaka is the best Harem protagonist. Sorry, Ararararagi. Sorry, Ichika. Fuck you Kazuya, this guy is the best. He's a freaking blockhead, like every other harem lead, but there is actually a reason behind it. It's not something stupid, like 'I want to have all the girls' or some crap like that. What's more is the way it's executed—brilliantly. Seriously, I want to convince you guys, but I don't want to spoil it for you! Plus, it'll sound a lot more stupid coming from me--especially because it's so well executed.

Forgot about this one; She has Chuunibyou, and plays it better than any other Chuunibyou character I know...

Romance-- It's a harem anime so don't expect much...but do expect more than the average. In my Infinite Stratos Review, I likened picking the right pairing, to going into a casino. Here it's a little less unbalanced-- like beating Dark Souls. How I see it, the more development gets the more likely they are to get together with the main character. Aside from the sister and the little girl (cause that would be creepy) I see three characters who have a chance. Each of these characters has gotten enough development to be eligible. As for the romance itself...well it fares ok. Once again it hasn't really gone anywhere, so I can't judge. 

So, it all comes down to this; do I recommend it? Yeahmayno. If you like Harem anime, then a definite YES. If you can stand them, a solid yes. If you can't stand them, well that kinda speaks for itself. 

As always, thanks for reading. Follows, likes and spreading the words are all good things. Hope to see you next time!