Uzaki-čan wa asobitai!

I have often heard that Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! is a very controversial anime series. People were up in arms about Uzaki appearing in an advertisement campaign for the Japanese Red Cross. However, is there anything really controversial about an anime series that simply delivers exactly what it promises in its title, which is that Uzaki wants to hang out and play? Because of the over-sexualization of the main female protagonist? So are you trying to tell me that there is no such thing as petite girls with large breasts, or that there is something wrong with them? Sure, this is an ecchi anime series, and a lot of the male audience’s attention is drawn to the “story” (plot) which lured the audience in question in with the new slogan, “Sugoi Dekai” (“So Big” or “Super Huge”), even though it is primarily a story about two different characters and their amusing interactions. In fact, it is the two main protagonists who pull everything off, the rest of the characters act more like wallpaper, just spectators enjoying the show. There is some ecchi here and there, and sometimes it seems to be a bit overkill, although there were two boobie grabs that made me laugh (in VR and Melons on the Beach) and note that the last time I laughed at a boobie grab was about five years ago! In the end, I guess it all depends on whether you like Uzaki being so energetic, amusing, and crazy, which I personally love, although if I were in Sakurai's shoes, I might not always be comfortable with her dogged persistence. I also once knew a girl who wanted to go out with me and was texting me thirty times a day even though I answered her less than a third of the time, which was definitely not half as fun as this anime series makes it out to be. However, in that case, it was mostly due to Jeoffrey’s lack of interest... This show seems to be largely based on classic misunderstandings between Japanese people, and so therefore a lot of the comedy is about someone misinterpreting something and getting it all wrong, and to be honest, it is not always that funny. I would level another criticism at the animation, I think the characters are OK, despite the fact I never really liked the use of 3D for the backgrounds (such as with the cars), although I understand it makes the show cheaper of faster to produce and it does not affect the characters and their interactions which is the focal point. So what did I like about this show? I liked the important stuff - the chemistry between the two main protagonists (I watched one episode eating a bowl of rice), however, I have some quibbles about the rest. The second season has already been confirmed and I am going to watch it if I have time. I am awarding the first season something around 6.3/10. (26.09.2020)

The second season of Uzaki was definitely better than the first one, for several reasons. Firstly, I found it more entertaining. In addition to another huge display of all sorts of clichéd misunderstandings and the ways in which the main characters deal with them, there were also various little secrets that the viewer knew about but were yet to be revealed to the characters. I waited with anticipation and a certain sneakiness for it all to get out, which made me enjoy each episode even more (with greater interest) than if everything was just about the fun interactions of the main couple. Secondly, what helped the series was that new characters were added, namely more family members of the two protagonists, who spiced things up and provided a certain depth as they were given quite a bit of screen time. They are the classic models, which you will get to see in similar comedies, but they are very well handled here. For example, the dads of both protagonists made a very good impression on me. Thirdly, ecchi is also better handled here, it's not added as forcefully as in the first season, and it's usually a great part of the gags. Fourthly, the main couple's relationship has started to develop significantly, with important realizations gradually coming, leading to some more funny and interesting moments, which those who like watching the main duo and rooting for them will greatly enjoy. An entertaining 7.4/10. (24.12.2022)