Fall 2012 Shoujo Anime- Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun and Sukitte Ii na yo first impression.

I rarely approach shoujo romances, even though they don’t have anime adaptations too often. We have tree titles of this genre this season, I decided to watch only two of them and I must say I’m positively surprised. At first sight they appear to be nothing different than another shoujo romances but surely they have some untypical elements.

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun 

After seeing hilarious pv and looking at main heroine design I knew I would like this title. Indeed Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun turn out to be somewhat funny in it’s rather vulgar (for a shoujo) humor. Usually when you think of humor in this genre you have an image of characters chibi version saying something humoristic that suppose to be funny but isn’t. Tonari’s sense of humor is bold, giving viewers throw up scene and main heroine with sarcastic lines but it’s alright because they are actually funny, especially the chiken.

A big thumb up for the main heroine- reasonableness, intelligence and kuudere vibe. Heavens send down somebody else than seamless smiling girl who anyways is bullied by her friends from class or calm klutz. Maybe Shizuku, like them don’t have any friends but she have a reasonable account- she prefer to learn for school. This kind of heroine is untypical and fine in my option, a good example to character metamorphosis. It’s simple to guess her heart will warm up a little and she will be more sensitive. This kind of character development is ok with me if the producers decide to leave a little of her good sense and keen riposte.

On the other hand I’m confused with Haru. This thing that he fights a lot and he’s short-tempered doesn’t bother me, this thing that he don’t attend to school but have best grades is overdraw but it’s somewhat alright. So why is he an idiot? He have good grades, so he must be smart in some way. If he is dull in social subjects that doesn’t mean they should subtract his intelligence. He sometimes behave like six year old boy. Is this suppose to be funny, or warm up his image? I don’t like that. More GARness and less behaving like a kid and Haru will be a good character for me.

Sukitte Ii na yo

I would say it’s a more mature shoujo. Moreover I heard the author of manga isn’t afraid to show courageous scenes, including characters talking about sex openly. Many readers described this title as ‘smut’ and it really doesn’t bother me. I’m more exited how it will work. I’m sure it won’t beat Sakamichi no Apollon on the romance for girls this year but it can try to be something more than avenge.

My first impression- this guy is extremely handsome. Especially with that hairstyle, as if he came from some fantasy title. I would say he’s one of most handsome main guy character in shoujo I ever seen, although I haven’t read many of them. Mei suppose to be a main female heroine that doesn’t care about her look and got an avenge appearance but I think she’s most gorgeous girl there. I rarely see the main pair to be this good looking. Besides the character design is so pretty.

About the characters. As for now they’re just good to me but I have some notes. I don’t understand that drama about the bunny. It doesn’t convince me to believe that because of that Mei don’t want to be friends with anyone. That incident happened when she was a little girl and she should know by now that was just a brat’s stupidity.  If that suppose to be that reason it’s very weak for me, I hope it can be explain by more than that, especially when I don’t see that Mei is shy or bad looking or strange (besides being an outsider). Yamamoto is popular, he’s kind, just ideal. And I don’t see any space for character development here besides the problem that he kisses every girl in the school but I think it will be solved quickly.