Boku wa Tomodachi Sukunai

[Yukimura]

AniDB

Summary:
Hasegawa Kodaka, a half-Japanese/half-British boy, has recently transferred to a Catholic High School, St. Chronica's Academy, and as always, finds it impossible to make friends there due to his naturally blond hair, inherited from his dead English mother, which makes him look like a dangerous delinquent to his prejudiced peers. One day after school, he enters the classroom witnessing the equally solitary and very abrasive girl Mikazuki Yozora while she speaks to her Imaginary Friend Tomo. They decide that the best way to improve their social situation is to form a club - the Rinjinbu (Neighbour's Club) - just to make friends and learn social skills.

Five other members soon join, starting with the school's well-connected and arrogant idol Kashiwazaki Sena, who has many male admirers but no female friends due to jealousy. Kusunoki Yukimura, a girl pretending to be a boy, who idealises and follows Kodaka in the hope that it will teach her to become manlier. Kobato, Kodaka's younger sister who is attending St. Chronica's middle school division and has a penchant for darkness, vampires and the macabre ever since she started watching an anime called Full Metal Necromancer. Shiguma Rika, a perverted underclassman and well-known scientific genius, who speaks in the third person and was saved by Kodaka during a failed experiment, thereafter trying to repay him with sex. And finally Takayama Maria, a precocious 10-year-old teacher and nun at the academy, who becomes the club adviser.

Boku ha Tomodachi ga Sukunai - 00 - [Mazui]
Boku ha Tomodachi ga Sukunai - 01 - [Mazui] (for some reason Mazui is sticking to the 'ha' instead of 'wa')

************************* Actual Feedback **********************

This show seems remarkably average so far, but NOT in an especially bad sort of way. Nothing stood out as especially good or fresh or engaging, but despite everything being a rehash of common high school outcast group tropes nothing stood out as especially annoying or bothersome either. It was like high school anime white noise and thus quite watchable.

[vejita613]

It seems as though the exaggerated tone that I loved in the manga wasn't really shown here, so I'm a bit disappointed about that. But, overall I was satisfied with this episode. As much as I like Yozora, her character doesn't really shine until her rivalry with Sena builds up (which only just started with this episode). I look forward to the next episode since it looks like they will be playing the monster hunter-ish game, so hopefully they wont mess up one of my favorite moments between the two.

[Kraco]

I looked forward to this show despite knowing nothing about it. I had merely seen some fanart and read it mentioned a number of times, creating tiny hype. So, with such ambiguously positive predisposition I found this interesting enough, at least for now. I suppose I like exaggerated and strange characters in general, although it's not like the ones in this show would have been overly much sharpened. I somewhat hope the dude would actually possess some delinquent traits because right now he seems like the textbook case of a gray central main character whose only job is to reflect the other characters and make them look even more weird.

[Ryllharu]

As far as first episodes go, I liked it. Certainly worth a few more episodes to get some more of the cast.

I was a fan of Denpa Onna's character design, and considering the original artist is the same person, I liked these as well. With Shaft not doing the animation (AIC Build is doing this series), the features aren't quite as exaggerated. Still has the delicious crescent-moon smiles though. AIC Build also worked on OreImo, so I'm hoping that the animation quality stays nice and crisp.

As far as VAs, I'm liking this too. Inoue Marina is using her deeper feminine voice for Yozora, which I've usually been fond of. It gives her an authoritative feel, a little gruff around the edges, which as far as first impressions go, fits Yozora pretty well. Sena's VA, Itou Kanae didn't really impress me. She sounds like most of her other generic roles. Maybe she'll get a little better later on. The male lead, played by Kimura Ryouhei, sounds generic and bland. Like Kraco said, hopefully he'll develop some interesting quirks, other than the "just misunderstood" shtick.

This episode was little more than a setup episode and brief intro to Yozora/Sena. There is really little else to say about the content of this episode.

[Marik]

[Mazui] Boku Ha Tomodachi Ga Sukunai - 02 - 720p: Torrent | DDL

[Ryllharu]

Sena's desperation to get friends caused her to develop some interesting quirks. All Yozora had to do was suggest a plan (which wasn't a smart one to begin with) and Sena went way overboard. She must have been much lonelier than previously stated if she's desperate enough to not even second-guess Yozora, who clearly is no better off. Or Sena's that stupid...

Either way, the two of them are a great duo.

The highlight of the episode was when the two played the galge and kept calling the main girl a slutty bitch.

This series isn't anything deep, but the scenarios are fun to watch. "Semoponume" heh. The Monster Hunter bits were great too.

[Kraco]

Yeah, the Monster Hunter bits were great. One interesting thing about this show, I'd say so far as I'm far from sure it'll continue that way, is that Hasegawa doesn't seem to be a center of a harem. He does share the club with those two babes, but in fact both of those would rather have female friends. Of course this also renders Hasegawa so insignificant you barely remember he exists from time to time, but it also differentiates this show from the bulk of shows with a similar setting. But then again, like I said, that could still chance, and I wouldn't be surprised if it did.

[Marik]

[Mazui] Boku Ha Tomodachi Ga Sukunai - 03 - 720p: Torrent | DDL

[Ryllharu]

Hmm, this show is starting to get a lot more interesting. I did like the way it toyed with clichés of the genre, with Sena learning to swim in an afternoon, rather than the typical drowning and rescue scenes. He also got to bitch her out for well...being a bitch.

Random tidbits:
- The insults Yozora throws Sena's way are just getting better and better. It's particularly notable that she used English to call her a dutch wife. There's no embellished translation here. Yozora is really being that vulgar with all the others.
- The Sacred Boobsmith hentai game? Heh.
- Does his sister have real heterochromia, and coincidently found an anime character with exactly the same colors, or is she somehow wearing a contact? Either way, it's cute that she's gotten lonely now that he's got a few friends.
- The first time he met Yozora...he punched her in the face. Awesome.

I suppose that the harem aspects are beginning to develop now with Sena and Kodaka's date, even if it was only she who realized that's what it really was by the end of it. Kodaka was just helping a friend. Then we've got Yozora as the childhood friend, a sister with a brother complex, and two or more girls also joining the club in the next episode or two. But it's clear it will be between Yozora and Sena.

[Kraco]

Yeah, it's developing to a harem direction. But on the other hand, I suppose it can't be helped. Yoroza apparently never forgot Kodaka - and possible never got another friend when he left - and for Sena he's the first honest guy, not a sycophant or some random nanpa dude. I thought this show was refreshing because it hadn't that aspect evident, or at least visible, in the beginning, but it's not like I wouldn't have enjoyed every moment of this episode. And at the very least it'll stay interesting when they introduce new character. I also expect some new crazy whims from Sena and Yozora.

It was also nice to see a little sister who wasn't violent, tsundere, self-righteous, or otherwise rude in her brother complex.

Last but not least: Kodaka putting on the tough guy appearance to scare off the chavs was a very good moment. It's so cliched to have a dude who everybody considers a tough guy but who isn't at all. Now he at least is proven to have some traits, even if in reality he'd rather be just one of the guys in the class.

[Marik]

[Mazui] Boku Ha Tomodachi Ga Sukunai - 04v2 - 720p: Torrent | DDL

[Shin-S] Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai TV OP & OVA ED Single - Zannenkei Rinjin-Bu: Torrent | DDL

[Ryllharu]

And so begins the jealous harem...

Yozora didn't get too jealous when Yukimura, the obviously a girl pretending to be a boy joined as Kodaka's underling, but she was very upset when Rika announced her intentions to monopolize Kodaka. Obviously, so was Sena (and Yukimura too), but I was a bit surprised to see Yozora getting so worked up about it so early. This is normally the kind of stuff that waits until the end of a series, but Haganai has slowly been working in the angles from the very beginning. That's a nice change of pace from the more typical formula.

Still, there is a clear cut distinction between who are major characters (Yozora and Sena) and who will ultimately just be scenery (Rika and Yukimura). Yozora and Sena each got an episode and a half of development, where the others are all smashed into a single episode.

Heh, Loli-nun-sensei is actually a loli-nun, not just a very small adult. Yozora is horribly abusive to plenty of people.

Next time it looks like we get Kobato versus Loli-nun. Kobato really has no choice, her brother will only be with the club more. Her pouting was very cute in this episode too.

[shinta|hikari]

I think Yukimura is really a boy, but then again, harems always have a way to make sure only the male lead is well.. male.

[Kraco]

Yozora really is cruel. It's no wonder she can't make friends with such a personality. But who knows, maybe she won't hate Kobato instantly. It wouldn't do her reputation in Kodaka's eyes any good if she did.

[Xelbair]

Meat dropped from 1st place of the awesomeness to second in favour of Rika.
I've been seriously laughing out loud when she was reading her manga.

[Marik]

[Mazui] Boku Ha Tomodachi Ga Sukunai - 05 - 720p: Torrent | DDL1 | DDL2

[Kraco]

The game won't sell, that much is clear.

Apparently they skipped a lot of source material what comes to Kobato joining the club, which is a pity if true. However, it was still a funny ep with all the references and typical Meat fanservice. Kobato also is a very nice character, despite the heterochromia turning out to be fake. I hope her whole existence in the club won't be limited to trying to win back Kodaka.

[Marik]

[Mazui] Boku Ha Tomodachi Ga Sukunai - 06 - 720p: Torrent | DDL1 | DDL2

[Kraco]

Every time Sena wins against Yozora in some way, I'm happy. Yozora is simply too cruel, and it's becoming too blatant she's not even interested in friends, only getting closer to Kodaka. I don't also know what manner of dualism her mind must possess to be so bold (and openly hostile) in front of others yet not have the guts to reveal the past to Kodaka.

Kobato's antics still continue to amuse me. Admirable detachment from reality.

[Marik]

[Mazui] Boku Ha Tomodachi Ga Sukunai - 07 - 720p: Torrent | DDL