First Impression – Ore Monogatari!!
At this point you should know not to focus only on appearance…~
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Wowee, how long has it been since I’ve done a first impression? Don’t answer that question. ANYWAY, here we are for our first shoujo of Spring season! Now I haven’t enjoyed or be been impressed by a legit shoujo anime since Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun, so Ore Monogatari!!’s somewhat breaking-the-shoujo-mold synopsis got my attention. So let’s took a look at this delightful show~ |
It Ain’t Always About Looks
Right off the bat Ore Monogatari starts with our male lead, a big, masculine guy named Takeo, who definitely doesn’t look like a high schooler, much less a shoujo protagonist. His big size and tough looking face makes many innocent situations very comical, especially when you realize he’s a great guy who’s good to his friends and tries his best to do kind things for strangers, even if his size and appearance unfortunately make it difficult. While the tough-looking-guy-who’s-actually-nice staple isn’t a new thing in shoujo, it certainly makes for a nice change, especially when we get to see a cutsey shoujo focus on the male’s perspective rather than the female’s. The series combines some typical shoujo staples with some not so typical things and manages to create something fun and absolutely adorable.
YEAHH!! This is the shoujo protagonist we need.
I’m immensely satisfied with this first episode. It’s super cute! While some people find Takeo’s appearance too distracting for them, I’m not bothered by it at all. He’s just a giant lug with a good heart and whose a bit awkward, but he tries his best and is just…awesome. So far we haven’t learned too much about Suna or our female lead, Yamato. While Suna has a general introduction of childhood friend who is good-looking and indifferent to girls, Yamato is introduced as nervous, fidgety, and ultra-cute, and of course a girl not totally afraid to take action, as we see throughout the episode from the pervert incident to her getting Takeo’s phone number.
I have a bad feeling this might turn out to be a love triangle thing, which I would definitely NOT like, especially since it seems like Takeo and Suna are good friends and already Takeo wants to help out Yamato get Suna (though I’m assuming Yamato actually likes Takeo and he just hasn’t figured it out yet). I really hope it stays on this light, super cute, comedic track though (In a way the atmosphere reminds of Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, but more focused on the romance side of things rather than the comedy). I’m a sucker for cutsey shoujo, but I would rather not have to deal with the drama, especially love triangle drama, ugh. Pretty sure anime has seen enough of those. Anyway, Ore Monogatari has a lot of promise, and I’ll definitely keep watching.
About Hoshi
A tired, over-dramatic 20 year old college student who likes manga and cheesy Korean boy bands. Prone to succumb to laziness and refuse to work for hours on end.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Unless they derail it soon, I’ll be in for the long haul as well. The situation they’ve set up with a possible love triangle can not only go both ways, it can go all the ways! If they have some skill behind that, then the audience will benefit.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 140 comments
Its weird, I like this show. I can see why other people like it. But I have no desire to seek it out. If it wasn’t for my anime club to be watching this I might never have watched it. Its a weird feeling of being content just knowing the show exists without any interest in actually seeing it.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I’m the guy who loves shoujo romance, but doesn’t like the way most shoujo romances go with the agonizing and not getting couples together. Thankfully we’ve had a few series that go against that recently (Sukitte, Ookami Shoujo, I’d even say Ao Haru Ride), but this one looks to perpetuate that. And unfortunately, the only reason I can see it going that way is Takeo’s self-deprecation: “Noone could possibly be interested in me over Suna.” But he also has the good character trait in that his friend actually is seeming to show interest in someone and he wants to make his friend happy (of course, that originates in his ‘she couldn’t be interested in me’ outlook, but oh well).
I’d love to see these two get together sooner than later (wouldn’t I always?). They’ll probably do a fine job with the “Trials of getting together”, but I think a huge part of the interest in this one would also be “How do these two work it out?” given their obvious differences.
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
That was pretty cute. Our gentle giant MC is cringe-inducing socially awkward around girls, but I like the realness of him. I think his friendship with Suna is an interesting dynamic, told none-too-subtly by that red ogre-blue ogre story in the beginning.
The girl is pretty nice as well and I really want to see the romance that will bloom between the two of them.
I’ve never read the manga and decided to watch this on a whim, and I’m pretty glad I did. 🙂
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
I was surprised that this got animated, but pretty happy nevertheless (the manga is stalled at ch 10 from a kind anon fffff). I should go pick up vol 4 from Viz, think it was released recently.
I picked up the manga on a whim, and ended up really really enjoying it, despite the fugly MC (yes, I’m very superficial) ^^
Don’t want to spoil anything, but this series is suuuuupper cute, and can’t wait to see it animated! You just can’t help but root for him!
POWUH: 800-899 and Self-proclaimed Manga Queen with 874 comments
~Yeah I’ve actually bought the first two volumes from Viz and It was definitely one of the best things I’ve recently bought. It does get sosososososo cute and I’m excited to see more as well~
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
14th July of some year: First Impressions – Kuroshitsuji: Book of Circus 😛
*Starts running*
POWUH: 800-899 and Self-proclaimed Manga Queen with 874 comments
*starts chasing after with duck tape*
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
*shouts while running*
ducT not ducK!
POWUH: 800-899 and Self-proclaimed Manga Queen with 874 comments
…SHUSH I KNOW
*runs faster*
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
*tries to lend Hoshi a hand*
ε=ε=┏( >_⌐■-■
(⌐■_■)
*goes hunting for a banana*
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
— I forgot I can’t use those pointy brackets =/ Let’s try this again~
*tries to lend Hoshi a hand*
ε=ε=┏( •_•)┛
｡｡｡(o_ _)o⌒☆
( •_•)
( •_•)ﾉ⌐■-■
(⌐■_■)
*goes hunting for a banana*
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
DUCK! TAPE!
*launches a tape deck full of ducks*
POWUH: Meta Team and PreCure Mastah with 9203 comments
This was so fun! I wasn’t completely sold on the strange character designs for Takeo, but after seeing how he was around the main girl that quickly left my mind! She is quite the cute character.
I am curious to see where this goes <3
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
I loved this to bits. Takeo is a giant but cute polar bear, who has a real kind heart. I wish he gets the girl!
Just to provide a mindblown moment, Takeo is actually Hachiman (from Snafu), with a crazy deep voice. Makes you wonder, huh?
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
I prefer harem ending. Polyandry is legal in some countries.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1557 comments
I’ll just drop this here. Pretty well done, I think ^^
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Waits for the special deliciousness to appear at Comiket.