Senpai wa Otokonoko

A very interesting premise but one that didn't have the necessary space to develop. A simple premise, a boy who likes to dress as a girl and pretty things. This will lead to an identity crisis and family problems, which would be the driving force of the story. Unfortunately, the story explored this theme halfway and in a very superficial way. The first 3 chapters are a bait where they give you a little of what you came to look for, but the rest of the story is divided into 3 subplots. The friend in love with the protagonist who denies the idea that he couldlike men, the cheerful and energetic girl with family problems and the story of our protagonist begins to develop in a secondary plane. The whole season I saw it more like a Turkish soap opera, since there were many subplots with high doses of drama and exaggerations to lengthen the plot just enough to announce a movie that closes the story. What is most disappointing is that the protagonist's story becomes blurred during 6 episodes, because space has to be given to the other two stories. Honestly, those stories weren't bad but it's not what one came looking for. The girl's family problems have already been seen in many other media and the boy, although it works for the "romantic" factor that they want to give to the story, it doesn't feel right that they force a relationship when the protagonist is still lost in his life decisions. In the final stretch, the same story remembers who its protagonist was and tries to rush the pace so that everything is centered on Makoto again. Unfortunately, it doesn't end up having cohesion, since in the end everything is resolved with the power of family, love and friends but without really facing the reasons for the rejection that our protagonist suffered at the beginning. If you just want to watch a soap opera, here you will find them and you may become a little fond of the characters. If you're looking for a story of acceptance and self-love while trying to fight against society's prejudices, there's none of that here. What's more, they're going to try to sell you the idea that society has never made a negative judgment of that magnitude.

Being true to yourself is the most important thing in life. No matter what happens, you’re the only person you have to live with everyday for the rest of your life, so you better make sure you love the person in the mirror. Painoko is one of the most respectful and mature depictions of teenagers dealing with gender dysphoria and sexual identity I’ve seen. Unlike other stories in this medium, it’s not something played up for laughs or for entertainment, but an actual part of Makoto and Ryuji’s identities that they struggle with. While it’s not without flaws, on the whole painoko is a verycompetently written story depicting extremely relevant issues for young adults and a must watch for any LGBTQ fan, or just those who want to learn more about what goes through crossdressers’ heads. Thoroughly enjoyed this even as someone who wasn’t really interested in that sort of thing coming in. Liking “cute” and “girly” things doesn’t make you less of a boy. You can enjoy whatever you want as whatever gender you want. It’s all made up social roles that society tries to box us into anyway. Painoko is great because it wants to drive this message home to people by showing Makoto coming to terms with who they are. Initially we see Makoto struggling with their “girly” tendencies while society views them as a boy, before eventually realising you don’t have to box yourself into either gender. As someone who likes things that society traditionally associates with girls, I really related to Makoto in this one. While I don’t have the crossdressing desire, I do empathise with wanting to just enjoy things and be myself in a way that society unfortunately looks down on me for. Fortunately at my age, it’s not as big a deal as it would be for a younger person. I’ve become very comfortable with myself, but I think this show has some nice lessons and offers encouragement for younger people who may still be struggling with accepting who they are. Again, the author clearly understands this and doesn’t use it as a simple plot device, this is very much a part of Makoto’s character and something they grapple with throughout the show. Even when they start to accept themselves, there’s the conflict with Makoto’s mother.. Normally in these situations, the mother is the more accepting one, but Painoko has a unique set up in which the dad is actually more understanding of Makoto’s gender dysphoria and crossdressing than their mom! Instead of accepting her child and encouraging them to be themselves, she belittles and is emotionally abusive to them. Honestly it was hard to watch, but it is sadly something that many people irl go through so I think it’s important to see it depicted. Also, like most people irl realise, that abuse comes from someone who themselves has a lot of deep rooted trauma. Hurt people hurt people as the expression goes. Now, while Makoto crossdressing and struggling with their identity is a big part of the show, there’s also the Ryuji situation that I loved. Ryuji throughout the show struggles with his sexuality. He’s been in love with Makoto since they were kids and loves Makoto not because they dress like a girl, but just for the person they are. Makoto deals with this guilt wherein they feel like they’ve tricked Ryuji into liking them because they dress like a girl and Ryuji feels bad for falling in love with someone that society perceives as a guy. It’s a complicated and delicate situation that we see both struggle with over the series. Honestly it was hard to hear Ryuji put himself down constantly and lament over his sexuality throughout the series. It is again a sad, but often far too real experience that many people go through. The author does a good job of getting across just how dangerous falling into that mentality can be and how important it is to realise there’s nothing wrong with you and you can’t help who you’re attracted to. My only issue with this particular situation is I feel the Ryuji and Makoto relationship dynamic was handled poorly in the last couple episodes. There’s a big turning point that occurs and kind of gets brushed under the carpet because of third cast member’s drama. Another big plus for this story is how everyone communicates and doesn’t drag things out. I really can’t emphasise enough how much I appreciate this. There’s no drawn out drama and when there are misunderstandings, the characters have mature sit down conversations within an episode max. Like it was genuinely such a breath of fresh air to hear people apologise, say what’s on their mind, confess and accept responsibility for their actions! Just as a brief example, there was a situation with Ryuji and Makoto due to those insecurities we talked about earlier, and instead of it being some long process, Ryuji instantly apologises and explains why he acted the way he did and why he felt a certain way. My jaw was damn near on the floor. The author really gets people and it shines through in the writing! The love triangle in the story I think is probably one of the weaker aspects. For me, the big appeal here is the gender and sexual identity stuff. I felt like Makoto and Ryuji were the only real ship and that Aoi was frankly there as comic relief. Yes, she got a serious arc in the final third, but honestly I just didn’t care about her that much and I definitely didn’t see her as an actual potential partner for Makoto. She always felt to me like a really good friend or even little sister like figure. Going to sound a little mean to say too, but I was kind of happy when she was out of the picture and dealing with her own family drama so the other two could get closer.. Production wise it’s a solid seasonal. Nothing crazy, but the art style is cute and character designs really good. The animation is passable, nothing crazy, but not bad at all. The seiyuu performances bring this story to life though. There’s so many big emotional moments in this one that they convey their feelings thru the screen for, especially Aoi’s arc with her mom and Makoto and Ryuji’s arc in the final few eps. Hats off to them! So, my verdict is that Painoko is a must watch. I had it in my top 10 new anime of summer video and that really has stayed the same. It’s been solidly in my top 4-5 shows of the season throughout and one of the best times of the week for me. I absolutely loved Makoto and related so much to the desire to enjoy “girly” things in peace. It’s no fair that the girls get all the fun! While I didn’t initially have an interest in crossdressing or even BL stories prior to this, I had my eyes opened and worldview expanded and now am really interested in reading and learning more. I feel that I have grown more interested in LGBTQ issues as a whole thanks to this series and that’s a testament to the job the author did with it. Bravo. Painoko gets 9 out of 10.

I had little to no expectations for this show and didn't really know what to expect when i started it, but I immediately felt this warm and fuzzy feeling from watching this show over time and slowly came to look forward to this show as it was airing. It's cute, and even the love triangle wasn't that messy. It overall felt like a coming of age story about 3 high-school kids learning about themselves and each other. The characters for this series I feel are great examples and metaphors of the gender norms that exist in society. One actively breaks that norm, One wants toconform to the norms but struggles, and the other is in the middle and sees both sides. They in tandem act as a message for a bigger picture that is being conveyed to the audience. "Be yourself." and i feel it's told quite beautifully if i might add. Animation wise, it's nothing overly flashy but it doesn't have to be to get the point across. The chibi's they use throughout I feel aid the lighthearted comedy that's sprinkled within that contributes to the warmness of the story. So overall, it's animated nicely i think. They used their resources well! Now I have to add, The OP & ED for this are amazing and just feel that has to be said. I still listen to them even now they're just that great. The visuals as well are really nice and well animated. I'm gushing a little heheh ///>w</// Anyways, if you get the point, this show is amazing and you 🫵 should totally give it a try!! - Written while listening to Fake Idol by QWER

*Spoiler-free section.* I took Senpai wa Otokonoko off of the metaphorical shelf because I had a free slot in my seasonal anime, and the title sounded interesting. It was pretty far down on the seasonal popularity list, so I expected to find an alright show I could at least enjoy my time with. What I wasn’t expecting was a show that carefully, respectfully, and tactfully portrayed topics such as, LGBTQ people, gender non-conformity, and various forms of child abuse. Senpai wa Otokonoko isn’t a new favorite of mine, but I really respect and like the way that it handled its characters, story, and themes. Along withvery good animation, music, and VA work, this anime has become one of my favorites this season. 9/10 *Spoilers beyond this point.* Senpai wa Otokonoko has three main stories. Makoto, Saki, and Ryuugi, and all of their arcs are a coming-of-age story about being yourself. The anime starts as a simple Party A falls For Party B, but then Party C discovers their feelings for Party A. Is this generalized plot entirely unique to this show? No, because many anime follow this format for their stories, so, this show does lean on the LGBTQ and gender non-conformity point a bit to make the story unique. However, the story quickly becomes more complicated. Party A can’t express themselves because of an abusive parent. Party B is abandoned and neglected. I believe that a secondary theme of this anime is breaking the cycle of hurt. Makoto and Saki are very kind, friendly, and caring people. All of these are qualities their homes lack. I also like how Makoto is a deep character and is not a typical objectified anime femboy archetype. One of the reasons that Makoto is more than just that archetype is because he comes from a pretty difficult living situation. You see, his mother is, no exaggeration, obsessed with him being gender-conforming. So obsessed in fact that Makoto keeps all of his cute/girly outfits and objects in a locker in a storage shed on school grounds. Well, that just seems like a controlling parent right? Well, that’s not all because Makoto brings Saki over to his house. She meets his mom, and she acts like a normal person. However, a few days later she finds a pink handkerchief in Makoto’s room. Instead of assuming that the handkerchief is his friend’s who was over a couple of days ago, she assumes it’s his. She then sits at the dining table, for an unknown period of time, with all of the lights off except for one, literally STARING at this pink handkerchief like a lunatic. Later, Makoto tries to tell her that he wants to control when he gets his hair cut instead of her telling him to. She then begins to breathe heavily and has to be left in a separate room to “recover.” Poor baby. What is interesting is that his dad isn’t in absentia. He drives Makoto around while they talk about his gender identity. His dad basically asks if he wants to transition into a girl, or just likes dressing as one. Later, we see that his answer is neither. He wants to be himself. His dad seems at least passively supportive, and that’s better than what his mother offers. He also gives Makoto his grandfather's address and tells him to go and make a visit. His grandfather enjoys more feminine things, so obviously he is supportive and understanding of Makoto. Saki also comes from a difficult living situation. Being neglected by her father and abandoned by her mother for 10 years isn’t just something brought up once or twice to explain why her parents aren’t around when her friends come over, or why she lives alone with her grandmother. She is genuinely affected by her parents being bad people, and it’s shown through her actions. She craves love and attention from others. When she was younger, she tried to be friends with everyone, but that freaked some of the other kids out, and then they distanced themselves from her. In high school, she is friends with quite a few people, but now is looking for someone to be her “special someone” to make her feel happy. She is trying to fill the hole left by her abusive parents. On a side note, I do not trust her mother trying to come back into Saki’s life. On the note of her parents, Saki’s dad loves his whale-studying job more than her, therefore, she learns a lot about whales just to try and make him pay attention to her, she texts him all the time even though he never answers her, and the only reason he comes back into town is when his mother is in the hospital after becoming light-headed and falling. After that visit, he leaves right for the whales again. He didn’t even realize that she was wearing a large band-aid on her knee. Her mother is no better. She walked out on Saki when she was little. Leaving her with an absent father and an aging grandmother. To me, there is no wonder that Saki is the way she is, and why she feels the way she feels. Ryuuji doesn’t come from an immediately hostile environment like the other two mains, as a matter of fact, his little sister seems to know, and support, that he has a crush on Makoto. Now, this does not mean that his story is any less interesting. He starts the story by being friends with Makoto, and, with Saki’s help, he realizes his feelings for him. His feelings are shown in a, mostly, realistic and sympathetic way, and anyone who has developed feelings for a good friend would agree with me. Everyone’s VA work is good, but the standout is Saki’s. She brings a type of excited, goofy, funny energy, but she can also be serious and nervous when she needs to be. The animation is great too. I’m not a huge fan of the art style drastically switching to simple and chibi-like art style for the funny parts. It pulls me out of the story a bit and makes me think that the creator wanted there to be a clear switch between the serious parts and the funny parts. As if they can’t coexist. I have other small problems with the anime too. First of all, Makoto gave up on dressing like a girl, throwing away all of his cute stuff, and then getting over giving up on all of that stuff is done fairly quickly. I wanted to see more of his mental struggle. Secondly, Ryuuji doesn’t seem to struggle too much with his newfound sexual understanding. In the beginning, he was like “No, I don’t like Makoto” to, “No, I don’t like Makoto, but what if?” to, “Yes, I do like Makoto.” It was too straightforward for my liking. Thirdly, I would have liked to see more of Makoto’s current school situation. We see a few students acting weird around him in the first episode, but after that, everyone treats him no differently than anyone else. Also, most of the school problems we see are flashbacks to his first year. Also, I think that the first few episodes don’t set the tone for the rest of the show. I think that they come off as more like “A mostly unserious comedy about how this guy dresses like a girl.” Finally, I don’t like how the abusive moms are going through a type of redemption arc. Listen, it’s not like bad people can’t be redeemed, but these two are really bad people and I just don’t buy it. Is Senpai wa Otokonoko the best show ever? Did it make it into my top 10? 20? No, no, and no. But, what this show IS is a well-done look into what life can be like if you identify as an LGBTQ person, a gender non-conforming person, and/or a person that has suffered one of, if not various forms of, child abuse. This show is tragic, comedic, thoughtful, and great all around. The characters and story get a 9.5, and the enjoyment, sound, and animation all get a 9. I can’t believe that a show I originally pegged down as a mid-7 was able to become a low 9. Quite the surprise, and what is even more of a surprise is that this show is my second favorite this season. 9/10. Final words? The mains should get into a throuple.

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