My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU

“A Cynical Take on Friendship and High School Life"

High school can be a terrible experience for some teenagers. It is a place where students frequently experience insults, judgment based on appearance, and feelings of inadequacy due to their grades, among other things. They also frequently experience bullying from popular students and ridicule for their appearance or opinions. Thus, it can feel like a horrible place, with mean people who judge others based on their looks, clothing, or activities.

My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU | Oregairu | Anime Review | Pinnedupink.com

These popular students rarely take the time to get to know someone before passing judgment, and if you make a mistake around them, they exclude you from anything considered "exciting" or "cool." It's rare to find a true friend in high school who likes you for who you are rather than your wealth, social status, or appearance. Oregairu is a show that delves deeply into these issues.

My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU is a Japanese anime TV series that aired from the 5th of April until the 21st of June in spring 2013. Ai Yoshimura was in charge of directing it, and Brain's Base was the animation studio, while TBS, Delfi Sound, Marvelous AQL, and Atelier Musa were the producers.

The series includes an additional anime-original episode written by Wataru Watari, which aired on June 27, 2013, as well as a special episode on Blu-ray Disc, which was bundled with the limited edition of the video game, released on September 19, 2013. Crunchyroll simulcasted the series with English subtitles. Sentai Filmworks holds the license for the anime in North America, while Madman Entertainment has the license for Australia and New Zealand.

This anime has a total of 12 episodes, with each episode being 24 minutes long. It was based on a light novel series with the same name and falls under the genres of comedy and romance, with its key themes revolving around love polygons and school life. It has a rating of PG-13, suitable for viewers who are 13 years old or older.

The light novel series for My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU was written by Wataru-sensei and illustrated by Ponkan⑧. Under their Gagaga Bunko imprint, Shogakukan published it. The first volume was released on March 18, 2011, and the series concluded with its 14th volume on November 19, 2019.

Several drama CDs were also released, including Tatoeba Konna Birthday Song ("Birthday Song for you"), Hikigaya Komachi no Keiryaku ("His sister's tactics"), Kanojotachi no, We Will Rock You ("We will... We will rock "you"!!"), and Sono Christmas Candle no Akari ga Yureru Toki ("When the Christmas Candle Flickers...").

On September 19, 2013, 5pb released a video game for the PlayStation Vita titled "Yahari Game demo Ore no Seishun Rabu Kome wa Machigatteiru" ("My Youth Romantic Comedy Even in a Game is Wrong As I Expected"). Takuya Eguchi, Saori Hayami, and Nao Tōyama, who voiced characters in the anime, reprised their roles for the game.

Hachiman Hikigaya is a high school student who lacks interest in most things and has a self-centered and somewhat pessimistic outlook on life. He strongly believes that the idea of a happy and fulfilling youth is nothing but an illusion, and anyone who claims otherwise is simply deceiving themselves. As a consequence of mocking modern social relationships in an essay, his teacher assigns him a unique punishment: he has to join the Volunteer Service Club, a club dedicated to assisting students in achieving their goals and overcoming their challenges.

The only other member of the club at the time was the beautiful but cold-hearted Yukino Yukinoshita. This unexpected turn of events places our protagonist at the forefront of resolving various problems faced by other students—a role he never expected to fulfill. As he and Yukino utilize their intelligence to tackle these issues, the question arises: Will Hachiman's negative perspective on society hinder him, or can he turn it into an advantage?

The narrative centers on Hikigaya, who experiences rejection from the majority of his peers. Unsurprisingly, this suits him just fine because he prefers being alone and doesn't want to make friends. But after joining the club, he has no choice but to assist people with their many requests and issues. While the problems themselves may seem simple, the way the main characters approach and solve them is anything but ordinary. The comedy in the series often stems from the main duo's clever banter and sarcastic remarks, which I found to be genuinely amusing.

This is not the first anime to feature an anti-social protagonist, but it does an exceptional job of portraying this through its characters and deadpan writing. As others have pointed out, you might expect a typical romantic comedy when starting this series, but you'll be confronted with the harsh perspectives of our characters instead.

This is what sets this tale apart from many others in the genre: it manages to be charming and funny while maintaining a bluntly realistic approach. Often, romantic comedies tend to stay in the realm of fairy tale romance or get overly caught up in the emotional drama and turmoil that can be present in youthful relationships. While these elements have their place, what about those who feel bitter and rejected? What about those who don't fit in or choose not to conform to societal norms? This is one show that addresses these aspects well, providing a refreshing and thought-provoking take on the genre.

The characters in Oregairu are undoubtedly one of the show's strongest aspects. The way they are portrayed, their development throughout the series, and the interactions between them are truly remarkable. Starting from the beginning, the characters are introduced with their own unique traits and characteristics, and as the story progresses, we witness their growth and evolution, which is exceptionally well executed. Another plus is that Oregairu doesn't preach to the audience. The characters' viewpoints may be flawed at times, but that's what makes them interesting and relatable human characters.

The show offers an intriguing exploration of how individuals cope with their struggles to connect with others. I particularly liked Hachiman's twisted views of life and society, which were very captivating, and his unconventional perspective has a way of resonating with the audience. Through his monologues, we get a deeper understanding of his personality and motivations as well.

Comedy indeed holds a unique place in this piece of art, and Oregairu showcases this brilliantly. Through comedy, we can explore and understand the darker aspects of our humanity while finding humor in them. This anime, with its snarky, sarcastic, and deadpan humor, offers an interesting perspective on how we treat others and how those who don't fit into societal norms navigate a world that heavily emphasizes social conformity.

It is true that this series may not have the visually striking elements found in other anime series like Baccano's animation style, Mawaru Penguindrum's surreal art, or the vibrant colors of Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun. In reality, this one’s visuals may appear simplistic and lacking in artistic flair. The character designs may seem generic and poorly executed, and the overall aesthetics might not be visually captivating.

However, it's important to note that visual appeal is just one aspect of an anime, which compensates for its visual shortcomings with its exceptional writing, well-developed characters, and thought-provoking themes. Its strength lies in the depth of its storytelling and the impact it has on the audience through its narrative and character exploration, so please don’t let the visuals hold you back.

I really enjoyed the opening theme of Oregairu and found the soundtrack fitting for the overall mood of the show. The opening theme, "Yukitoki" by Nagi Yanagi, indeed sets a captivating tone for the series. It's understandable that you may have skipped the ending theme, but it's worth mentioning that "Hello Alone" by Saori Hayami (credited as Yukino Yukinoshita) and Nao Tōyama (credited as Yui Yuigahama) provides a nice closure to each episode, which was a really nice touch.

All great things aside, Oregairu is not a superb romance anime to watch, so don’t go into this expecting a revolutionary love story. While it certainly exists and is written pretty realistically, they focus more on feelings and how they grow towards others. Hats off to this show for not falling into any typical anime tropes either! The aspect of romance feels special here, but it lacks much closure and action between whichever characters you choose to ship together.

Remember that this one focuses more on how people internally deal with their emotions and the fear of sharing them with others, which is truly rare in this medium. So it’s better to savor it and learn from it!

In the end, Oregairu is indeed a great slice-of-life anime that captures the feelings and behaviors of a loner within a school environment. It's entertaining to witness the protagonist's attempts to fit in with the club he is reluctantly a part of.

The show's comedy heavily relies on the use of sarcasm, making it particularly enjoyable for fans of that style of humor. If you appreciate sarcastic comedy and want to delve into a well-portrayed slice-of-life story, I definitely recommend giving this anime a watch. I mean, this show’s reputation precedes itself with good reason!