Hello everyone and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today, we’re taking a look at an impressive new work as we explore the first episode of 100 Girls Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You, which is currently airing. With that title alone, it seems like we’re getting into a prominent harem genre, one that actually played an important role in both my entry into anime fandom (Love Hina), as well as my transition to writing anime professionally (Bakemonogatari). While the basic concept of “a main character surrounded by a crowd of romantic prospects” might not seem like the most profound or profound premise, the genre often displays flexibility. rare animation, from hilarious sex comedies to profound explorations of the human condition.
As for The 100 Girlfriends, I’ve heard a lot of positive things about its manga, which fans have praised for being both funny and often touching, with a cast that seems to like each other overall and not exists only in the parallel orbit of our central protagonist. All of that sounds like a fun time to me, so let’s skip the preamble here and see what these hundreds of girlfriends have in store for us!
Episode 1
Opening with bright pink cherry blossoms against a blue sky, an eternal sign of rejuvenation, new beginnings and perhaps a new school year
Bright color design as we observe our supposed protagonist, confessing his love to a girl in one of the most archetypal situations imaginable: a long-awaited declaration at school, it’s like your middle school years are behind you
The characters offer a great combination of simplified, iconic designs at mid-distance and significantly more detailed close-ups, complete with plenty of eye emphasis and thin, expressive lines. have a cold
Our MC’s name is Aijo
“You are so cheerful, friendly, and simple. And you are very kind to everyone.” Our main character seems to be the definition of a more sociable person than your average harem leader.
A brief peak of hope ends in a crushing rejection
Aijo Rentaro is his full name
“Stop looking like a doomed man who fell into darkness, man.” His friend is known only as “Friend A”. Is this how kids talk these days? I’m too old to pretend that I can parse the persuasive slang of today’s youth
It feels like a slight deviation in harem convention to only identify one’s friend by a letter rather than a real name. Characters like this usually only appear in the first or second chapter, just to give the main character someone to joke with before the love interest is introduced. Even Love Hina joked about how forgettable and irrelevant Keitaro’s two friends became
Extremely sad expressions as Rentaro admits this is his hundredth rejection
Our director Hikaru Sato has experience with both animation and directing sitcoms, so he seemed suitable for this work, which will probably lean heavily on a variety of funny faces. The series composer is Takashi Aoshima, whose resume is absolutely filled with sitcoms
Rentaro’s large eyebrows and sad eyes give him a kind of naturally indifferent look that can give off a soulful smile. As his friend said, it’s really a mystery why he gets rejected so much, given his handsome looks and likeable personality.
Rentaro prays for love at a local temple, only for the local temple’s god to appear and appear in person. promise him a girlfriend. It seems like the original manga focused a lot on dramatic shading to create impactful frames, something the anime is trying its best to replicate.
“My ideal… romantic partner?” I love the inherent humor and continuity of teenage romance treated as some mystical cosmic force. Less drawn in by gags involving call and response, like Rentaro confronting a vampire in Tokyo, only looks at this god to say “who are you, some kind of vampire from Tokyo?”
I know it’s a boke and the tsukkomi is mainly for the tsukkomi to basically explain the joke, but I’m not sure it would feel like it would enhance rather than detract from the humor for me. Surprise and timing are the essence of comedy! The explanation for this joke is the opposite of both!
Apparently girls know right away when they meet their soulmate, while boys only realize it over time. Sounds reasonable
I really appreciate this god complaining about the dialogue cutting in the adaptation. It’s true that spoken words take up more space than written words!
“If you lie, can I burn this temple?” And then the show actually fast forwards to Rentaro’s next relevant punchline. They are making self-awareness work for them
Yes, the show’s active disinterest in archetypal connective tissue is quite charming. Rentaro quickly introduces us to his new high school life, wasting no time on boring events like the entrance ceremony
It’s also a nice play on convention to have him encounter two romantic prospects at once, immediately upsetting the usual convention of “whoever the main character meets first is the intended love interest.” his last destiny”
The sound design also strives to elevate the material, providing suitably bombastic support for Rentaro’s cosmically arranged connections
More effective than the quiet jokes that follow convention, where he holds out his hand to both of them while asking if they’re okay
Pink Hair immediately replayed her fall, saying she must have twisted her ankle
While she was seducing Rentaro with all her might, Rentaro himself was sobbing over his crime, ashamed that he had twisted his beloved soul mate’s ankle. An interesting inversion of convention and further confirmation that none of these romances are going to work out in any sane form
Really, my number one complaint with many older harems is “I wish girls would take the initiative and care about romance,” and I’m glad this new era is bringing more equal opportunities for horny harems
“Yeah, I twisted my ankle. Do you have a problem with that?”Meanwhile, pigtails will become the most exaggerated tsundere habit imaginable. A daring game!
“What kind of mess do you have to take to hurt everyone you touch!?” Oh my god Rentaro. This is a conventionally good play, making him oblivious to romantic overtures in the most modest way imaginable. This helps explain why he’s been a failure in love so far, while also providing a constant opportunity for humorous layers of absurd reactions to his words. Basic and cute commentary on the inherent nature of meet-cutes in anime
The two girls quickly forgot about their supposedly sprained ankles as they rushed to stop Rentaro. The wonderfully fluid timing of the transition from this realization to them clutching their ankles, complemented by appropriately unconvincing noises of pain
“What’s happening?” Rentaro becoming a well-intentioned but completely confused love magnet is a great transformation. The guy is so harmless and has such honest intentions that it almost feels like he’s being bullied by love
The two girls are Karane Inda and Hakari Hanazono
When they heard about the four-leaf clover confession, the two rushed to grasp their fate
Another fun moment to skip the boring stuff, as we cut to the standard end of the first class, then four hours later, because nothing interesting seems to happen in between. that time
“I didn’t expect to be able to help a teacher find his contacts after class, and I also didn’t expect it to take four hours.” I’m sure it’s obvious that I tend to prefer restrained comedies over exaggerated comedies, so all these punchlines and plays on structural expectations are interesting to me. with me
“Are they looking for a four-leaf clover in four hours? And they’re trying so hard, too…” The persistent fact that two girls simultaneously play to these beats adds a delightful note of absurdism to these ancient harem staples . This is basically the opening of Nisekoi, played with the same melody of the fateful connection between two lovers at the same time
“I’m a bit crude, aren’t I? We just met.” Rentaro’s acts of worldly politeness lead to voluntary humility that never fails
I really like the loose, delicate approach to the lines for the close-ups of the characters. Their faces look suitably disheveled, clearly in love, and there’s a lot of personality in their wild curls.
Hakari attempts an indirect kiss by offering Rentaro a half can of her juice, but he happens to have a smaller can available for her instead. “Rentaro is so interested in these girls’ obvious romantic ploys” is the gift that keeps on giving
In response, she stated that she still simply cannot overcome the barrier of those extra 15 milliliters. You fight for it, girl
The contrast between these conventionally goofy plays and the absolute sincerity with which the show clearly displays moments like Rentaro handing over his handkerchief is a very successful combination.
And in response to this generous offer, Hakari confesses his love. Well, with a hundred girlfriends to get through, there’s really no time to waste!
Karane then arrived with payback juice in hand, disappointed that Hakari had beaten him first
“They’re both your soulmate and your ideal romantic partner.” I love this show’s fast and loose interpretation of “soul mates” which watered down the whole concept. Although the film presents stories of destined love or love at first sight, its basic idea emphasizes that “true love” can be found with anyone who makes you happy. happy
Cupid admits Rentaro has 100 soulmates because he was busy watching Castle in the Sky while filling out Rentaro’s paperwork. Another fun joke about having to fill in a box for the number of soulmates a person will have
The god also added that if you are not compatible with your soulmate, great misfortune will befall you. So I suppose Rentaro is now morally obligated to date all one hundred of them
Adorable worm-like animation as Rentaro laments about his mission
After briefly contemplating hiding their dating from each other, he remembered how brave they were in confessing their feelings and bravely declared his desire to date both of them at the same time. . Truly a symbol of chivalry and compassion
Once again, the utterly heartfelt soundtrack to this brave confession is a total star
And thus Rentaro’s heroic quest begins, with the first two of them. His future girlfriends are by his side!
And done
Oh man, what an interesting nonsense. The underlying structure of this production is based on the standard assumptions of harem comedies created for a broad sampling of both overt and covert comedic stakes, increasing silliness and predictability. guess of the harem style even while recreating them lovingly. And perhaps most importantly, Rentaro himself is an extremely likable protagonist, yearning for romance but ignorant of the most obvious seduction techniques, bravely moving forward with the determination to turn a Hundreds of girls became the luckiest couple in the world. Astute in its genre yet sincere in its affection for both the characters and between characters, I can see why 100 Girlfriends is so beloved by fans. Good luck, Rentaro!
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