The 100 Girlfriends
“Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You”
Relationships are always complicated matters in life. Handling even one proper partner is challenging because both sides need to expend effort and time to make things work out well. Every couple is different and runs on various kinds of fuel, but there are some common threads, and the most prominent of them all is true love. I’m aware how cringy it sounds, but sometimes people need to express just how genuine their love is for it to stick, and this is where we end up with series titles that take it to the next level. Honestly, a single man can't hold the affection of 100 women, correct?
“The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You,” also known as “Kimi no Koto ga Daidaidaidaidaisuki na 100-nin no Kanojo” or simply “Hyakkano,” is a 12-episode TV Anime series that aired from the 8th of October until the 24th of December in Fall 2023. It was produced by Lantis, Movic, Bushiroad, Tokyo MX, Shueisha, NetEase, Bushiroad Move, Bandai Namco Filmworks, and Bandai Namco Music Live; licensed by Crunchyroll; and brought to life by Bibury Animation Studios. The main staff behind it includes Ozaki Ryouta, Yamamoto Keisuke, and Ishiyama Takahiro as producers and Sasaya Yuuto as an assistant producer. It features the genres of Comedy and Romance, alongside the themes of Harem, Parody, and School. Targeted at the Seinen demographic, each episode has a runtime of 23 minutes and is rated PG-13 for teens 13 and older.
The Anime is based on the Manga series of the same title, which is the work of author Nakamura Rikito and artist Nozawa Yukiko. It began publishing on December 26, 2019, and is still ongoing, being serialized in Young Jump. The series has also been published in English via Seven Seas Entertainment under the Ghost Ship imprint since February 22nd, 2022. A Side Story was released in the form of a single-volume Light Novel titled “The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You: Secret Love Story,” which was published on the 19th of July 2023. The same artist did it, but the author was Hamubane. A sequel anime titled "The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You" (Season 2) was released as a 12-episode TV series in Winter 2025. Created by the same Studio, it has 23-minute episodes and earned a similar rating.
The story centers around the protagonist, Rentarou Aijou, who seemingly has it all and is the kind of man who would have dozens of women vying for his affections. He already possesses good looks, intellect, athleticism, and even popularity among his peers and teachers without a hitch; however, none of these characteristics seem to aid him in his love life for some absurd reason. On the fateful day of his middle school graduation, the man is once again turned down by the girl he had confessed to, who just happened to be his 100th rejection in a row. Feeling entirely run down by his bad luck, he makes his way to a matchmaking shrine and makes a wish to get a girlfriend at least in high school, finally.
This is when the God of the Shrine appears to him, telling him that he will get an astronomical total of 100 soulmates in high school! Obviously, he does not take such an absurd foretelling seriously at first. Still, everything changes when he crosses paths with two of those girls on the very first day of high school: Hakari Hanazono and Karane Inda. Both girls confess to him, and our MC is left believing in the gods’ prediction! Now with fated encounters and love confessions littered all across his life, Rentarou's romanceless life is about to become very exciting indeed.
The premise of this tale is conveyed in the title itself. You are in for a hilarious and outlandish story that should not be taken seriously because its plot is a comedic parody. Here, even the godly and divine make mistakes, and needless to say, their errors are bloated to massive proportions. Everything is just so ridiculous and enjoyable overall, with moments of light drama keeping the story moving forward. There is no grand overarching narrative here; instead, it is structured consistently for each of the “soulmate” character arcs, which is typically one episode long. This episodic structure allows each girlfriend to establish themselves and shine, all while having their personality exaggerated to the extreme. This oddly hilarious "storytelling" format features a ton of rapid-fire jokes based on the parodied character tropes and even genre tropes, and quite literally any character can be targeted. Because everyone is simply over-the-top, they bounce well off each other as well, leading to many whimsical moments and crushing one-liners that would have you laughing out loud.
The Character department is what truly shines here, because we finally have another male harem protagonist who isn’t as dense and dumb as bedrock. At first, this guy just cannot seem to catch a break despite having the traits of a generally desirable man and getting rejected a hundred times. However, everything changes 180 degrees after the intervention of the “Love God,” and honestly, good for him. There is a girl for every archetype and trope, so you are sure to find one you like and root for. Each is designed and written to exemplify their personalities to an extreme extent. To give a solid example, consider Inda Karane, a girl who is so overly tsundere that she would literally hurt the MC every single time she feels hurt or embarrassed in the slightest; she proceeds to throw punches like an expert WWE fighter, amidst blushing as red as a tomato, while stubbornly denying everything he says.
The show is very self-aware and uses these moments to create jokes centered around these personality tropes, even going so far as to show the girls doing ridiculously exaggerated things that match their personalities. This all leads to a character-driven comedic style that truly lands, and before long, you won’t mind that this dude has a hundred girls because every single one is hilariously over-the-top. Meanwhile, the Supporting cast of gods, students, and other people in the vicinity also play key roles in this tale, and none of them felt unnecessary.
The Art and Animation department exists to amplify the exaggerated nature of this show, and I am all for it. It is simply filled to the brim with visuals befitting the gaggish and humorous vibe, featuring low-effort frames, meme faces, exaggerated expressions and body language, random illusions, and references with a massive impact if they land. This creative style is perfect for a show like this, and you can really see how they’ve pushed creative boundaries with their wacky and unhinged ideas, even making some real-world references as well. It just seamlessly complements the kind of humor they are going for! It might not be a high-end production, but it oozes creativity and uniqueness in every frame, which I couldn’t help but respect. Character designs are simple yet memorable, embodying the tropes they seek to exaggerate. The backgrounds serve as mere stages for the wacky performances.
The Sounds and Music department also works seamlessly to bring out the best in all the theatrics shown on screen. The OSTs exist to enhance the mood instead of adding anything special to it, and this is a good decision because the mayhem of the characters and visuals is the actual selling point here. The Opening theme is "Daidaidaidai Daisuki na Kimi e♡” by Hakari Hanazono (Kaede Hondo), Karane Inda (Miyu Tomita), Shizuka Yoshimoto (Maria Naganawa), Nano Eiai (Asami Seto), and Kusuri Yakuzen (Ayaka Asai), which the VAs sing; it is an uppity, whimsical, and catchy piece that suits the show perfectly.
The Ending themes are "Sweet Sign" by Nako Misaki and "Kyou no Ending wa Watashi ga Kaitotta kara Suki ni Shite Ii wa yo ne ♡" by Hahari Hanazono (Sumire Uesaka), which are both decent pieces; I have nothing special to say about them. The overall sound quality is excellent, with special props to the Voice Actors who deliver spectacular, outlandish performances. They make sure most of the jokes land, and you can just feel how happy they are playing such unhinged characters, where they can just go crazy and have fun.
Overall, “The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You” (Season 1) is one of the more ridiculously hilarious and fun shows I’ve ever watched. They know how atrocious and crazy their premise is and capitalize on it, filling every inch with outlandish humor, except for a few dramatic moments. If you are watching this, please don't take it too seriously and just allow yourself to laugh at how ridiculous everything is. I guarantee you will have an entertaining watch that doesn’t require any brain cells—recommended for whoever is up for an over-the-top comedy!
