Senpai ga Uzai Kouhai no Hanashi

Ever wondered what's like to see what the office work environment in a slice of life comedy? Now you can see it with your eyes because My Senpai Is Annoying delivers the satisfaction of entertainment between two unlikely co-workers. At first glance, My Senpai Is Annoying might trigger some red flags due to the appearances of the two main leads. Takeda looks like someone who is old enough to be Futaba's dad. But don't let that fool you. Futaba is a older than she looks despite having the appearance of a teenager. Whenever you see the duo together, it looks like a mismatch because howdifferent they are. And really, Futaba displays the personality of a child when she's with Takeda. The title of the anime speaks for itself because she finds senpai Takeda annoying. Or does she....? Coming into this show, the expectations should be open minded. Be prepared to watch an anime without a complex plot because the anime has a simple premise. In fact, the anime doesn't even try to hide the fact that Futaba has a crush on Takeda. Everyone seems to know this except for Takeda himself. Nonetheless, Futaba is the one who is often annoyed by Takeda when he teases her. She believes her senpai treats her like a little sister. And indeed, their relationship does feel sibling-like despite the show advertising it as a romantic comedy. The 'will they or won't they?' is a question I'm sure viewers will be asking themselves as each episode progresses. However, I will just say that you should temper expectations if you're expecting an actual love story. This isn't one of those dramatic rom-coms that uses romance as a main selling plot. It relies much more on comedy to highlight our characters' daily lives and how they interact with each other. You may have also noticed on the promotional poster that Futaba and Takeda are surrounded by a small yet colorful supporting cast. Among one of the more interesting pairings in the show is Sakurai and Kazama. In later episodes, we see their inner connection and how they get along with each other both in and out of the office. Sometimes, it's even more appealing than watching Futaba and Takeda. Another noticable pair is Natsumi and Yuuto, with the the latter having a noticable crush on the tomboy. Watching this show will feel like a shipping war at times but honestly, I think that's what makes a rom-com effective. When you start to care about three or more character pairings in a single 12-episode show, then it's done a lot right that earned your attention. As mentioned previously, this isn't some complex anime with a deep story. Characterization is what you see on the surface that doesn't go into in-depth development. The episodes are neatly structured similar to sitcoms where every episode offers something different. From Valentine's Day to an outdoors competition on the basketball court, every episode brings characters together to experience life. So in essence, My Senpai Is Annoying is the type of show that sells you exactly what it advertises. And being a romantic comedy, the show keeps its visual quality simple and adapts them straight ouf of the manga. Now, the most obvious element to point at is the size difference between Futaba and Takeda. It's a running gag that both characters are self-aware of. Other characters such Sakurai makes the male population turn their heads. The anime doesn't make use of fan service much except through the use of ship teases. Overall, it keeps a simple yet effective usage of visual quality with every episode. Looking for something to relax your mind? My Senpai Is Annoying is the right show for you because it keeps everything so simple. And at the end of a stressful day, this show will give you something to smile about.

Hey you short stuff! Yes, up here! Listen up. As someone who used to like rom-coms, I can confidently say that My Senpai is Annoying (MSA) is the best rom-com, and probably romance of the year. Yes, you heard me. Now, let’s jump right in! For those unfamiliar with the show, its premise is not too different from rom-coms or sit-coms like The Office, Parks and Rec and Wotakoi. However, MSA is actually a lot less comedy oriented to the point I would actually consider the series to be mostly just a sweet and wholesome romance-slice of life. While shows like The Office and Parks andRec focus on comedy hijinks and Wotakoi is more about otaku culture, MSA genuinely wants to just show you who our characters are as people and the really cute ways they interact with each other, particularly with our female lead, Igarashi Futaba. The nice aspect about MSA’s comedy is that it never actually feels forced nor does it ever try to cram it down your throat. There’s actually a sizable amount of build up and a very high pay off for the audience’s ability to remain patient. The way this show actually delivers its jokes is actually to the point I would argue is realistic, which is perfect for an adult comedy, as the characters never overblow their reactions in ugly chibi art, but are genuinely shook by something they’ve seen/heard or have their fair share of embarrassing moments in the workplace/outside. There is never a purposefully inserted straight man and wise guy nor any particular visual gags for the sake of comedy, because the way MSA delivers situational and character-based humor is fairly natural without purposely trying to make a joke, unless it’s part of a character’s intention rather than the writer. I get that situational comedy is not for everyone, but trust me when I say it doesn’t ever feel like a skit. Despite all the positives I’ve said though, I would not recommend this show solely for the romantic comedy aspect as it’s not actually the core selling point, but is definitely in need of a mention. Specifically for the romance, there are 2 noteworthy ships in the show, Igarashi x Takeda and Sakurai x Kazama. I’m part of the uncommon opinion, but I actually believe Sakurai x Kazama is significantly worse. They’re an average ship amongst romance in all media, but given what the anime genre has to offer, they’re decent. First, let me explain who they are as characters. Kazama is the deadpan quiet otaku archetype of a character that helps out his crush, Sakurai while playing small pranks on his other coworkers. He’s actually written in a non-offensive way for the most part. The offensive part is that his eyes tend to have a male gaze…at women’s bodies, which is one of his forms of comedy. It was only funny with a specific gag in ep. 2 but no time else. As for Sakurai, she’s a more outgoing, friendly gal whose main characterization is her rack…She plays a more of a damsel-in-distress type of character but is actually a lot more shy than expected from her surface appearance when it comes to romance. When with her co-workers, she’s a fairly nice, and polite gal. Overall, their characterization is somewhat 3-D which is their strong aspect. However, their relationship is not as nuanced. A lot of their comedy together is borderline ecchi jokes which I feel like is something I’d laugh at in middle school, not as someone in college. A lot of their moments just involve Kazama saving Sakurai from a bad situation, or ‘boy-saves-girl and now boy and girl are in love’, which is not particularly impressive. Though, they do pay attention to each other like people who genuinely care about each other. It’s not like they’re inherently bad for each other, but I personally think Igarashi x Takeda outshines them completely. Sakurai x Kazama romance has at least one nonconsensual romantic moment that I will be vague about to avoid spoilers but just know that it is certainly there, at the end of episode 11; it’s played off for jokes when it’s neither funny nor comfortable to watch. I will admit Sakurai and Kazama do have some particularly sweet moments and sometimes good chemistry, but to call these two a realistic or even good couple…I would not wager more than $5 on that if at all. Before I talk about the main ship, I do want to note that Doga Kobo is the studio which animated MSA, and it’s generally known for very bad portrayal and character designs of its younger female characters, but I genuinely think My Senpai is Annoying is another step in the right direction for them along with Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun and Maojou de Oyasumi in terms of writing. The sakuga for this show is surprising as hell! Just look at the opening for this show, OPENING OF THE SEASON 10,000%. Even though I have 2 qualms about a boob joke and a non-con kiss scene in the opening song, I think it’s the best sound-wise and dynamically. The animation is way more fluid than this show probably deserves but it really opens up a new realm in the slice of life genre. Although the character designs are hard to get used to immediately, the consistency of their character models and the number of frames put into the best animated scenes, like in the subway, in the bar, and Igarashi’s home, are so nice to look at. All of them bring out character facial expressions and actions, I can’t help but gush about the effort put into this show. The soundtrack isn’t phenomenal, but it’s really fitting for this show. It’s just severely out-classed by its opening song, the really pop-out sound fx and the voice actors, so it’s not quite as memorable. As someone who used to sing in acapella, I have a huge love for any singers who use nasal, and I gotta praise Kusunoki Tomori, the seiyuu for Igarashi, for utilizing the beauty of nasally vocals in the opening song because it is so hard to do well. This is the only role of her’s I’ve particularly liked so I’m glad to say she’s showcasing her talent in the seiyuu industry. For the 4 episodes of the dub I watched, it actually felt like a different experience so I would encourage potential viewers to try both. I personally like Igarashi’s sub voice acting more, but drunk Igarashi in the dub is SO FUNNY! The dub is a little weird to get used to initially, but Mona, a less important character, has a dub that is incredibly comedic, even more so than the sub seiyuu who voices Kaguya Shinomiya, one of the best voice acted roles in the last few years! Kudos to the dub on this one. But…if I had to choose between sub and dub though, I’d give a slight win to the sub, only because the dub occasionally uses some weirdly non-casual vocabulary and unnatural laughter in regular chats amongst the cast members, so I think the dub script translations are not as good as the subtitle translations and the voice actors are not quite as experienced. Animation: 8.5/10 Art: 6.5/10 Soundtrack: 7/10 Sound FX: 8/10 Opening: 9/10 Sub Voice Acting: 8/10 Dub Voice Acting: 7.5/10 As for Igarashi x Takeda, I genuinely like them a lot. Igarashi’s character design in particular might be an issue for some people and she is LOWKEY a tsundere. I will say though that the way Igarashi is presented is not completely unbelievable the more you watch her as a character. I find myself rooting for her all the time because she genuinely tries her best to be honest about her feelings and be an independent adult. Ever since she was in middle school, she didn’t want to be a burden to anyone and that feeling was amplified by her lack of physical growth. In fact, because she is so short, Igarashi has an inferiority complex to her co-workers that causes much of the self-confidence issues she has, also why she cannot confess to Takeda. I think what makes Igarashi a strong character is that she’s willing to accept help and work together with others. She’s certainly a flawed character but that’s what makes her so lovable to me! It’s to the point I just want her ship to win! I don’t drink alcohol but I feel drunk with joy seeing her complain about her life at the bar because she is fairly interesting as an adult woman with short people problems (please don’t kill me short readers)! As for Takeda, as much as I like him as a person, he’s actually a fairly weak character overall. He’s too perfect lowkey, since he’s always there to help everyone, always optimistic, and never makes any mistakes. It’s unfortunate since Takeda deserves as much development and flawed characterization as Igarashi. He’s like a teddy bear personality and honestly my type, but there’s not much to him beyond that. He doesn’t get a backstory or any particularly in-depth moments either, until the last episode where he expresses a lack of self-esteem for the first time, so we’ll have to see how he is next season, if we get one. Overall, the romance is one-sided, but their chemistry as friends who care about each other is nice to see in a romance! I don’t particularly mind if they do or don’t get together to be fairly honest, but I hope their friendship at the very least grows stronger. Last 2 things I want to touch off on are Igarashi's gramps and Natsumi. When the most clingy person in an anime is not even someone in love but a grandpa, you knowww they’re being subversive! This guy is hilarious af! He loves his granddaughter to the point where he’s riding a motorcycle cities away just to see Igarashi if she sheds a tear, but to Igarashi herself, he is quite over-bearing and even embarrassing at times, but not necessarily in a bad way! Their relationship is fortunately given more depth in a backstory, so there will be an explanation. If you don’t like romance but like slice of life comedy, I would honestly recommend watching the show for just that one supporting character. Natsumi, Igarashi’s childhood friend, is another character I would like to appreciate because she’s actually characterized and developed as well as Igarashi, a great surprise. Her backstory episode with Igarashi is personally my favorite of the whole series as it gives the audience an under-the-surface perspective of how the characters became who they are today. I don’t want to spoil, so I will leave it there for Natsumi. In conclusion, this is the must-watch romantic-comedy of 2021 that’s not really a romantic-comedy. It’s not even the best thing ever but as someone who had rom-com burnout to the point I actually think I hate rom-coms, this genuinely makes me want to watch more rom-coms which I’ll probably regret. I have My Senpai is Annoying to blame for that *angry face* >:( ♫Ano no noo ano no noo Annoying san san week!!♫ Overall: 7.2/10 Enjoyment: 8.5/10 Happy holidays everyone!

Don't be fooled my the high mal score for this show. Its honestly the most mid tier show of the year. The show has flat character dynamics with repetitive jokes. The main loli girl cries in almost every episode over nonsensical crap. It adds nothing new to the rom com genre. People that are giving this high ratings are people who have never watched a rom com before. Because there are loads of actually good rom coms that at least try to be different. Watching it weekly was fine but if I tried to binge watch this I'd probably get bored right away.

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