*Unicorn: Warriors Eternal has in fact come out this year. I just wasn't paying attention.
Let's start with one that by all accounts I should hate. Wotakoi is basically Big Bang Theory if it were an anime. The main cast are all nerds of different archetypes, and the humor is them being nerdy with pop culture references sprinkled in.
You ever hate romance shows for their slow burn, subverting an expected romantic scene, or the occasional instance where the romance doesn't have a conclusion because the show got cancelled? Well do I have a show for you.
Does this count as wholesome romance? Ehh, I'm counting it anyway.
Unfortunately, it's been harder this year to find a good one. In fact, it's been uncharacteristically difficult compared to other years where they felt like they were coming out of the dirt.
But in the end, after palating shows ranging from shit to fucking shit. I found one. I screwed up my Hulu algorithm into thinking I'm some depressed and lonely weeb. And yes, I am that, but I don't want my Hulu to reflect that. I say this in hope that you appreciate the sacrifices I made to make these entries.
Anyway, in the process, I found three shows that I liked but not enough to laud them in my best of list. So you won't be getting a five star sirloin today, but you will be getting some bomb ass street food.
Wotakoi
However, it's actually good mainly because it is not like Big Bang Theory at all. At least the stuff I enjoy wasn't.
Let's get what I didn't care for out of the way. The humor is whatever. It isn't cringy like Big Bang Theory, but it is fairly straightforward to where the show never left me with more than a chuckle. The animation is fine, and I could tolerate the framework of everyone being nerds. Overall, I could take it or leave it.
What I found most engaging, and the main reason Wotakoi is on this list, is the romance which was better than I expected. In fact, had everything else matched, this could have been one of my favorite romances.
For context, there are two relationships. One is a newly established couple brought together over the sole fact that they're both nerds. In other words, the "might as well" approach to dating. The other is a married couple who love one another despite having room silencing arguments in every episode.
As you get closer to the end of the show, you get an emotional depth to the characters that sneaks up on you. The main character, who is fairly closed off emotionally, is more interesting than typical stoic anime characters because you get a nuanced insecurity as he constantly evaluates his relationship. He has a relatable fear of questioning whether he is good enough for his partner. Does he want more from the relationship as she does, who at the start mainly started dating him out of social obligation. It was frankly heavy, for me at least. The deeper moments were worthwhile, and it was the first time in a while I choked up.
You also have the sweet arc with the married couple. I love the little asides about their backstory: how they met, what made them fall in love with each other, their tender moments. For how much they argue, you totally buy why they are together. It makes their conflict more believable and comes off as more natural flaws in a relationship they are continuing to work at.
That's another aspect I enjoy. This show isn't so much a romance of "will they won't they." It's more seeing the process of how a romantic relationship grows. It's so good that I would argue Wotakoi makes a great case study on how to succeed in a relationship. It leads with example of having good practical advice in dating. How to communicate, adapt, and compromise. I know this isn't Nobel Prize groundbreaking. But geez to go in with Big Bang Theory in mind to leaving having seen a solid romance, that is a giant leaps in quality from an expectation to reality ratio.
Give this one a watch. I'd give it a really juicy hot dog sausage with store bought toppings out of ten. For street food, I'm just relieved the sausage wasn't expired.
Tsuredure Children
Tsuredure Children is an anthology that seeks to provide a series of episodes where every scene feels like a finale of every romance anime. Is it better than a basic anime? No. But it was an interesting watch.
This cuts all the fat. The runtime of every episode is a measly ten minutes and every scene has some romantic payoff be it a confession, stealing a smooch, or an escalation of a romantic milestone between a couple.
It's fine. I guess if I wanted to be critical, I would say Tsuredure Children leaves a lot more than fat on the cutting room board. Tsuredure Children highlights why romance shows have slow burn nonsense. Because without them, you wouldn't have much of a story. And while these components are frustrating, they make those rare payoffs all the more sweeter. I think about that scene in Komi Can't Communicate where Komi is fast asleep on the main character's shoulder. That scene could perfectly fit as a one off sequence in Tsuredure Children, but I doubt it would have the same impact. It's knowing the context of Komi and how her simply sleeping on someone's shoulder is far more meaningful than it would in isolation with a different person. A lot of scenes reminded me of other romance anime, and the latter almost always left the better impression.
It's why I don't find this show very memorable. It didn't occur to me until a number of episodes in that characters appear in multiple episodes or story lines will continue. It all feels an inoffensive but unfulfilling show. To use my street food rating system, it would give it a box of overpriced M&Ms out of ten. This show won't change your life nor will provide the struggle and award romance anime is known for. However, there is nothing wrong with having M&Ms every now and then. Sometimes, we don't want to be reminded about the harsh reality that struggle precedes success, and I think that's the goal of the show.
But at the same time, the show is kind of pointless? Going back to Komi Can't Communicate, I can easily search up that scene on Youtube and relive that warm feeling of experiencing that moment. Tsuredure Children feels like a simulation of that feeling, but it's not the real thing. It's one thing to reminisce about a pleasant memory and the hardship that made that whole event feel earned to you. It's another thing imagining something totally made up and relishing in the hopeless romantic fantasy. You can't imitate reality.
I guess I am being too cynical. But hopefully, I explained why Tsuredure Children is being talked about in a blog of "ok" anime. I admire its intent, but the seemingly naivety behind it hampers my enjoyment of the show.
SHIMONETA: A Boring World Where the Concept of Dirty Jokes Doesn't Exist
Shimoneta: A Boring World Where the Concept of Dirty Jokes Doesn't Exist is a sex comedy about a dystopian Japan where all forms of obscenity and sexual expression are banned. It's basically anime Brazil if it's slightly more sexually charged and less depressing.
Anyway, Shimoneta was probably the closest I got to a romance anime almost graduating into the best of lists, and that is mainly do to the fact that certain scenes from this show have been the hardest I've ever laughed this year. I didn't expect to laugh this hard. I'm not one to easily laugh at blue jokes or raunchy visual gags. But I don't know. Something about the energy of some of the set pieces and devil may care attitude was infectious.
But now that I am away from the show, I feel sort of whatever towards it. To use one final street food analogy, this is a case of fried Oreos. I've had fried oreos. And when I ate them, they were lovely. But immediately after, I felt they did nothing but leave me unfulfilled and with a minor tummy ache.
Shimoneta is a case where the comedy doesn't resonate as there wasn't a sustaining force that stuck with me. School Rumble resonates because the characters are endearing. Komi Can't Communicate resonates because of its sheer romantic catharsis. I could go on an on, but Shimoneta really just has sex gags. And while a few of them were effective to the point of me gut laughing, it wasn't enough to say this show was truly great.
I guess there are a few other highlights. One of whom is Anna who (spoilers) goes from the main character's love interest to being a character the protagonist actively avoids due to her unintentionally lustful pursuits of him. It certainly going for the "haha, a guy getting sexually assaulted is funny" gag. But to be frank, it kind of works. Maybe like a lot of the gags in this show, the pure extremity of how it plays out is beyond hilarious. It's not just Anna assaults the protagonist. She does it by having unexplained Captain America strength all the while somehow skirting around the world's fictional obscenity laws. Plus, it is a character that goes a literal 180 going from a goodie two shoes to arguably the biggest degenerate in the show. And when you have characters that wear used panties as facial wear, that is saying a lot. There is probably a whole detour we can take about male rape fantasies, power dynamics, and how all that plays into the moral relativism of this trope. However, I ain't doing that while reviewing a show as purposefully immature as Shimoneta.
I guess in addition to Shimoneta being like fried Oreos. You are also getting them from a vendor who may have concerning opinions on feminism, but you are not sure as he's pretty chill overall. And hey, good food is good food.
