Seišun buta jaró wa Bunny Girl-senpai no jume o minai

An almost too adult-minded main character, but that didn't detract from it at all, quite the contrary. Because this normal guy is followed by a normal girl, so it all comes across as very normal. Even all the problems are very real, they just have very unrealistic manifestations. To put it better: it's a very good anime with an episodic story and intelligent characters who act, really, truly, like people. I enjoyed the main character immensely and he was one of the most human characters in anime in the past few years. He was also humanized by the fact that he got along great with all the ladies and acted straight. I resisted watching it a bit because the poster features a lady in a bunny outfit, but (perhaps disappointingly for some) that's not what it's about, in fact it's not even a harem movie, even though there are so many ladies. It's just a terribly good story from the magical Kamakura. Funny, sweet, honest. It's impossible not to root for all the characters. (18.04.2019)

Creating something appealing, intelligent, interesting, and entertaining - something you can enjoy every moment of - can seem difficult, although occasionally there are some shows that convince me that it is basically terribly easy. For example, they have to be able to get the characters and the atmosphere right and do things like mix something unnatural (and it does not have to be supernatural like it is in this show) with something completely natural. It requires finding the right combination of characters so that the chemistry works. It also has to look good and sound good. This anime series has it all! It is simply always a refreshing feeling to come across a character like Sakuta - incredibly honest and yet so ordinary, amusing, and relatable at the same time. Plus, with a charming, intelligent, and interesting girl like Mai by his side, it makes for a couple that works well together and is a joy to watch and listen to. There are also a few other interesting supporting characters, plenty of girls who need some help with their problems, and Sakuta just has the bad luck to attract these types of people. Does that sound like something you have seen before? Perhaps, but no... This is because no matter what problem the main male protagonist is facing, the anime’s creators manage to end it all in a way that often (except maybe the first two cases) turns out completely different from the usual clichéd way, and at the same time it feels completely natural and normal. Because of this, you do not have to have a problem with the supernatural goings-on, because everything, including the behavior of the characters, seems completely acceptable and endearing - just believable (including all of Futaba’s scientific analysis). Furthermore, if you know how to use atmosphere, i.e. entertaining and amusing moments plus touching sad scenes - then you have a winner. Someone like Jeoffrey is enthralled by this show, he finds it enjoyable and wishes in his heart he could be as direct and wittily sarcastic as the main male protagonist, and he also dreams of having such a wonderful girl as Mai... I have been mesmerized, entertained, and supremely satisfied = I think this is the BEST release of the anime season Fall 2018 - 9.5/10. (25.10.2018)

So it does exist after all! An intelligent coming-of-age psychological drama and a funny romantic comedy with elements of magical realism. This is so despite its title and poster being severely misleading, as there is no superficial perverse rabbit ears bullshit to be found here. The greatest strength of this anime is undoubtedly in the characters, who all have soul, wit, brains and depth all rolled into one. This is all topped off by the main character, with his distinctive humor, and an excellent performance by voice actor Kaito Ishikawa, which I would not be afraid to point out as a lifetime achievement. I also appreciate that although the creators have in many ways set off skating on very thin ice, which in many other anime means a steep downhill slope towards being total excrement (the uptight little sister fixated on her brother, the conspicuous gathering of girls around the hero, moving into his home, the smart little scientist with glasses...), here they managed to dispel all my doubts incredibly ably and present an engaging, entertaining – and I will stress this again – intelligent anime. The only criticism perhaps, is of the episode with the step-sister, which, although it was also done well, seemed a bit unnecessary in the shadow of the other episodes, and for the purpose of merely dramatizing the story, but otherwise one cannot complain. It has been a long time since I have seen such a well-crafted adaptation, in which mistakes could only be found using a magnifying glass, and which gave me one pleasant surprise after another. The excellence of this anime is only underlined by the quality of the animation and the soundtrack, and I believe that, except for the movie, the creators should not work too hard to get a sequel, because it is best to stop on a high  – and that is now. Definitely full points for this. (25.10.2020)