Please note this review is intended to be read by those that have finished watching Kishuku Gakkou no Juliet and while care has been taken to minimize spoilers there may still be spoilers within character analysis. You have been warned. Based off a popular manga of the same name Kishuku Gakkou no Juliet better known as Boarding school Juliet is a romance comedy themed anime that gives us the opportunity to see what will happen if you reimagine the classic romance story of Romeo and Juliet and replace the feuding families with two rival countries who send students to a neutral boarding school and themany rivalries, bonds, friendships and romances that can occur when students from rival countries compete with each other in the many events that are unique to school-based settings. The main concept for boarding school Juliet naturally is the famed romance story of the same name a story that due to its blend of tragedy and romance has garnered an impressive reputation over the years since it become known and since reading it in school it has become one of my favorite stories. As a result, when I heard that this anime will make use of a reimagined story where it will replace the stories tragedy with comedy and its family feuds with the tense relations between two countries that are inches away from war, I have to say that my interest was piqued. The first episode of the series made a pretty good impression on me as it not only did a great job of showing the kind of tense relations that existed within the schools two main factions but also introduced both an intriguing cast of characters and the sense of forbidden feelings that exist between Romio and Juliet.
The overall story of Boarding school Juliet takes place in Dahlia academy a private boarding school that is situated in a remote island that’s far from the mainland. Here in this remote but beautiful academy students from two of the continents main powers which are the Eastern nation of Touwa and the Principality of the West are sent to attend and receive their education before graduating and joining the society. But while the academy and the surrounding town are beautiful and provide the students with everything that they can possibly need for their time at the academy the students of the two nations that attend the academy as if mirroring the true situation that exists between their respective homelands have rather than forge bonds of friendships with their opposite numbers and try to enjoy their school life in relative peace instead does the opposite. Rather than strive for a peaceful environment as one would expect the students from both sides instead form two factions that are centered around their respective dorms that see each other as hated rivals. These two factions are the White Cats that represent the students from the principality of the West and the Black Dogs that represent the students from the Eastern nation of Touwa.
In the midst of this endless struggle where both sides would make use of every opportunity and school event to prove their superiority over the other in their quest to satisfy their pride is Romio Inuzuka the youngest son of the famed Inuzuka family of the Eastern nation of Touwa who while brought up to show nothing but dislike for the members of the principality of the west and by extension the white cats that serve them has a hidden secret that he hides desperately from his comrades. For unknown to them Romio actually has a massive crush on Juliet Persia who is his opposite number within the white cats. After a dramatic confession that came after a equally dramatic dual between the two Romio while managing to forge a romance between him and his crush also finds himself embarking on a wild and high staked adventure as he and Juliet must while gradually getting to know each other and forge deeper bonds with each other must work hard to keep their forbidden romance from not just the school authorities but also their closest friends for if their liaison is revealed they would not only bring great shame to their factions but also to their countries and families as well. Joining Romio and Juliet’s little high staked adventure are a host of characters that while initially against the idea gradually approve of it. These include the positive and caring Hasuki, the proud but equally cunning Weslia, the quiet and timid Teria and her older sister the mischievous but surprisingly kind Kochou. Together Romio and Juliet and their many allies must do all they can to keep their romance hidden from both the school prefects and their equally suspicious dorm mates as they go about their school life and live the life of a normal student and maybe one day be able to graduate and make the changes to society that both so much desire.
Juliet Persia
Juliet Persia portrayed by veteran seiyuu Ai Kayano of Three Gatsu no Lion and Grandcrest Senki fame is one of the main characters of the series and is the main heroine of the series. A 1st year student of Dahlia academy Boarding school and the student leader of the 1st year high school division of the White Cats faction Juliet on initial appearances can be seen to be a brave, kind and understanding person by nature whose beauty and grace have earned her the title of Lady Persia among her dorm mates. A polite, hardworking and modest person by nature Juliet while a noble by birth is shown to have none of the typical traits that such people exhibit and indeed rather than showing arrogance and pride instead shows consideration to all that she meets in school provided that the opposite party isn’t acting in a threatening manner. While possessing both intelligence and beauty in spades Juliet is someone that’s noted to be a responsible and loyal person that always places the wellbeing of her friends over herself a fact that is shown well within the series. While having the air of a noble it can be seen that Juliet isn’t just a lovely flower for beneath her beauty Juliet is shown to be fiercely independent that’s reinforced by a strong will to prove herself to not just the world but to his friends as well. This is shown well within the series in the serious side that Juliet shows when standing up for her beliefs where both her determination and inspirational nature can clearly be seen. True to this aspect of her personality Juliet is also shown to be somewhat of a realist and is someone that prefers to hear everything that transpires in an event before deciding on a decision on the steps that she should take something that I really appreciate about her character and something that I thought placed her in good stead as she began coming to grips with the struggles that existed within the school.
As the series goes on and Juliet’s personality is expanded upon it can be seen that beneath her confident and kind nature Juliet also has many struggles that she hides from all but her closest friends. While shown to not just have confidence but also an impressively strong will as the series goes on it can be seen that this is just her surface personality as beneath this Juliet is shown to be surprisingly fragile. While largely content and understanding of the role in which she must play within both the school and society it’s shown that Juliet is someone that dislikes being seen as weak and being pitied that stems largely from the great pride that she feels for her family. As a result of this Juliet is someone that tries hard to shoulder all the burdens, aspirations and criticisms that are placed on her something that her closest friends constantly worry about. While content with the role that she must play within the school however it can be seen that Juliet also understands that the current state of things within the school cannot be sustained and as a result works hard to foster better relations between the two sides within it hoping to create a better world and hopefully change the rules that govern it. In the beginning of the series largely as a result of her status as a noble Juliet was shown to struggle somewhat with placing her trust in others and as a result while she had no real shortage of friends that she can count on to help her she had few people that she can call true friends who she can reveal her true feelings too. Largely as a result Juliet’s interaction with Romio, in the beginning, was shown to be rather guarded as if she expected to be betrayed at any moment. However, as the series goes on and their relationship deepened this began to change with Juliet not only learning to trust not just Romio but also many of her dorm mates and in the process discovering that friendships are something that can cross both borders and social classes. A realization that served to make Juliet realize that her determination to hide her true feelings from her friends while serving to protect their image of her also served to make it harder for people to understand and help her achieve her goals. In light of this realization Juliet began to slowly open up more of her heart to others especially to Romio and while still possessing the confident and dignified traits that define her Juliet also begins to show a more joking and teasing side to him while also showing a gentler side to her personality. The character of Juliet I felt was an interesting character whose confident and strong-willed nature contrasted greatly with the surprisingly fragile inner self that she hid from her friends. Her gradual development from someone who had trouble not just with trusting others but also with revealing her true feelings to someone that was able to forge bonds easily with others while being more open with her emotions and feelings I thought was done well and demonstrated the kind of knowledge that she gained from her relationship with Romio.
Romio Inuzuka
Romio Inuzuka portrayed by veteran voice actor Yuuki Ono of Angolmois and Granblue Fantasy fame is one of the main characters of the series and is the main protagonist of the series. A 1st year of student of Dahlia academy and the student leader of the 1st year high school division of the Black Dogs faction Romio on initial appearances can be seen to be an honorable, brave and confident person by nature that rather than rely on strategy and planning is one that prefers to act in the moment. However, while appearing brash to others as a result Romio is also shown to be an intelligent and perceptive person that’s quite capable of determining the perfect moment to strike at their opponents. While appearing to be grumpy, quiet and possessing a grim aura about him that most assume would mean that he prefers to settle things with fists rather than words its perhaps surprising to note that Romio is someone that prefers to avoid conflict. But due in part to his indecisive nature, these attempts to solve situations via such means often fail to amusing results.
As the series goes on however and more of Romio’s personality is revealed Romio’s personality gradually begins to change. At the beginning of the series Romio while possessing both intelligence and confidence was widely seen as being indecisive and lets his sense of honor get the better of him when trying to create plans that would harm their rivals. However, as the series goes on this begins to change. While still retaining his core qualities Romio gradually comes to realize that his indecisive nature while serving to protect him well from potential failure also served to make his attempts to forge bonds with others a major hurdle and that his attempts to protect others which while serving to show his responsible nature also had the unfortunate effect of creating a mistaken belief that he was pitying them. As a result of these revelations, Romio began to try to actively change his personality. While still retaining the caring and responsible nature that he shows to his friends Romio starts to take great care in trying to understand the core reasons that are behind someone’s behavior and try to take actions that would help them solve the problems that ail them. This is best shown when he treated Juliet with fairness during the sports day tournament as well as in his attempt to help Kochou and Teria solve the reason for their inner sadness and thus showing that in addition to becoming more caring and perceptive Romio also learned through his interactions with Juliet how to be considerate as well. While still appearing brash at times it can be seen that Romio also developed a certain amount of cunning within him and is capable of creating some rather creative plans that can be called upon when pressed into desperate situations which is best shown when he takes advantage of the bond that he forged with Kochou and Teria to aid him in his plan to surprise Juliet. The character of Romio Inuzuka I felt was an interesting one whose initial personality traits of nervousness and indecisiveness contrasted well with his initial image of a grumpy male whose grim aura suggested he preferred to act with his fists rather than words. Romio’s gradual development from a quiet and indecisive person to someone that was not just considerate but also understanding of the true feelings of others as a result of his deepening bond with Juliet I thought was handled well within the series.
Hasuki
Hasuki Komai portrayed by veteran seiyuu Ayane Sakura of Charlotte and Psycho Pass fame is one of the main characters of the series and is Romio’s able right hand among the Black Dogs. A 1st year of Dahlia academy and a member of the 1st year high school division of the Black Dogs faction Hasuki on initial appearances can be seen to be a positive, cheerful and caring person by nature that has earned her great fame within the Black Dogs. A proactive, determined and intelligent person by nature Hasuki while remaining cool and level-headed most of the time is also shown to have a rather short fuse within her that can easily get lit if either the Black Dogs or Inuzuka get slandered a sight that is always a sight to see when it happens. Despite her fiery nature Hasuki is shown to have a soft spot for her childhood friend and superior Romio and shows genuine care and affection for him when she can show well the kind of feelings that she has for him. Perhaps more than anyone within the Black Dogs Hasuki can be seen to be the one person that understands Romio the most and this is something that can be seen easily in the interactions that she has with Romio where she demonstrates the ability to easily see through his lies and at the same time being able to see when something is bothering him.
As the series goes on and Hasuki’s personality is expanded upon it can be seen that Hasuki as a result of her loyalty towards the Black Dogs also has hidden side to her that’s only unleashed when exams take place within the school. This personality that I like to call the director is markedly different to her usual personality as in this form Hasuki is serious, inspirational and has an aura about her that exudes both authority and fear which is helped greatly by the fact that she also dons a teacher like outfit that aids greatly in reinforcing the impression that here she’s a teacher. Rather than treat her fellows with the warmth and care that she’s known for in this form Hasuki is shown to treat them coldly and exhibiting an icy personality that’s akin to a Tsundere. However, while certainly harsh in this form it can be seen that Hasuki is serious about teaching her fellows and ensuring that they all manage to pass the tests successfully. As the series proceeds it can be seen easily that one of Hasuki’s most prominent traits is the loyalty that she has towards her friend and superior Romio a sense of loyalty that ensures that even if everyone dislikes him and views him as an enemy, she will remain by his side to provide him all the support that he needs. This sense of loyalty I felt was interesting as it highlighted very well not just the depth of the feelings that she has for him but also of her desire to repay the debt that she feels that she owes him. However, amusingly enough it can be seen that strong as this bond can be it also has a breaking point as well as shown in Hasuki’s chase of Romio after his confession of his love for Juliet where she amusingly chased him down with a replica sword while adapting a chilling and tenacious personality in the process. The character of Hasuki I felt was an interesting character who within the series functioned well as Romio’s friend and emotional support. In particular while only shown briefly I felt that the contrasting personalities that Hasuki has were interesting as they showed not just how loyal and committed, she was to her dorm mates but also to Romio as well.
Weslia Chartreux
Weslia Chartreux portrayed by veteran seiyuu Yuu Shimamura of Koi to Uso and Owari No Seraph fame is one of the main supporting characters of the series and is a member of the White Cats. A 1st-year student of Dahlia academy and a member of the 1st high school division of the White Cats faction Weslia like Juliet is a member of a noble house and indeed is also the first princess of the Principality of the West. A childhood friend of Juliet Weslia who prefers to be called by the name Char on initial appearances is seen to be a proud, confident and a somewhat arrogant person by nature that acts somewhat like a typical spoiled princess that’s used to getting what she wants. An intelligent, courteous and cunning person by nature Char while appearing to be a beautiful, cheerful and polite young woman is, in reality, someone that’s the complete opposite. Beneath her cheerful nature Char is shown to be something akin to a trickster for while she often demands strange things from her enemies and allies alike, she also enjoys teasing and pranking them with everything from simple pranks to outright blackmail all to satisfy her desire to seek some kind of fun in the moment.
As the series goes on however and more of Char's personality is revealed it can be seen that Char's personality while partly an act also functions as a sort of shield that hides her own feelings that she has about her life. On the surface while widely seen as a trickster and also a violent person by many which has earned her the rather unflattering nickname of the violent princess of the west beneath this it can be seen that Char is someone that cares deeply about the well being of her friends and allies with the strong bond that she has with Juliet being the best example of this. To Char, it’s obvious that Juliet is someone that can be seen to be the center of Char's pride and joy and is someone that she views as akin to a treasure. Given this fact it's perhaps unsurprising that Char’s initial view of her relationship with Romio and her impression of him was a poor one a fact that she did not bother sugarcoating for him when she made that clear. However, as Char began to see the types of changes that Juliet’s relationship with Romio caused and also as a result of seeing just how dedicated and serious he was about it this changed not only her opinion regarding the two but also began to change her own personality as well. while still retaining her usual trickster like personality Char gradually starts to change becoming kinder to others and learning to show consideration to others and more willing to admit her own errors of judgment traits that would have been hard to see in the past. Arguably the greatest change within Char’s personality was the realization that not everyone in the world is willing to bend their knees to fulfill her often selfish requests and that maybe its time to change her ways. The character of Char I felt was an interesting one for while on the one hand her love of pranks and jokes provided plenty of comedy moments within the series the character of char also provided to Juliet the first person that can truly be seen as a close friend to her and one that she can eventually confide in when the opportunity presented itself something that I felt was especially important to both Romio and Juliet as their relationship improved.
Teria
Teria Wan portrayed by veteran seiyuu Yui Ogura of Kamisama no Memochou and Vivid Strike fame is one of the main support characters of the series and is one of Romio’s allies within the series. A 14-year-old girl and a second-year student of Dahlia academy’s Black dog’s faction Teria like her twin sister Kochou are members of the academies prefect’s unit. A quiet, timid and somewhat innocent person by nature Teria like Kochou is an expert in a specific field whose expertise in them was what allowed them to skip grades and proceed straight to the second year of high school despite their young age. In Teria’s case, she’s an expert in engineering with a particular focus on machinery. In contrast to her, more outgoing older sister Teria is someone that can be seen to be calm and composed and true to her expertise in engineering is also seen to be someone that prefers to observe and plan out her moves before committing to them. In a way, it can be said that Teria’s nature also acts well as a foil for her sister’s antics as she is able to keep her focused and on track with their duties as prefects.
Similar to her sister Teria is shown to be thankful for the fact that their intelligence managed to allow them to get to high school despite their young age. However, unlike her sister Teria is shown to view the position and role of a prefect with some amount of disdain. While Teria is shown to be dutiful towards her role as a prefect and understands the responsibilities that comes from being one it would seem that she is less concerned with handing out the correct punishment and seems to be more lenient with the rules than other prefects. At the same time despite reaching the role of a prefect at such a young age Teria rather than showing any sign of being proud of the role seems to exhibit the opposite in that she seems rather lonely. From looking at the interactions that she has with both Romio and her sister it can inferred that this sense of loneliness is due to the fact that being prefects means that she and her sister are unable to have the normal high school lives that most girls their age would be able to enjoy due to both the fear that their role generates and the time that they have to spend on their duties. This sense of fear continued until an unexpected encounter with an underclassman of hers opened her heart and made her realize the fear that she had been trying so hard to hide from others. In the aftermath of this revelation Teria largely due to this begins to markedly change in personality. While still quiet and shy to a degree Teria starts to gradually take her first steps of entering high school by not just learning to form friendships with others but also learn to form opinions by herself and not take cues from her sister as she would have done in the past. At the same time, she was also willing to take the initiative and stand up for what she believes in which is best shown when she tried to shield Romio from his brother.
Kochou
Kochou Wan portrayed by veteran seiyuu Rina Hidaka of Sword Art Online and Ryuuou no Oshigoto fame is one of the main support characters of the series and is one of Romio’s allies within the series. A 14-year-old girl and a second-year student of Dahlia academies Black Dog faction Kochou like her younger sister Teria are members of the academy’s prefect unit. Like her sister, Kochou is an expert in a specific field that allowed her to skip grades and become a 2nd year at such a young age. In her case, she’s an expert in pharmacy with particular focus in its use in medicine. From initial appearances, Kochou can be seen to be a mischievous, and cunning person by nature that seems to love teasing others and having fun at their expense. Despite this, it can be seen that Kochou views her role as a prefect with something akin to pride and would easily get angry if someone insults either her or the role of a prefect. Unlike her younger sister, Kochou is shown to someone that’s quick to anger and seems to take offense at people who make fun of her figure or looks down on her due to her age or height. As a result of the pride that she feels towards being a prefect Kochou is noted to approach her role with both determination and tenacity and would try hard to complete her assigned duty until either she completes it or her target escapes showing how driven she can be.
Despite the strong pride that she feels towards the role of being a prefect Kochou can be seen to place a heavy importance on the main role that prefects should be encouraging. While Kochou understands that part of a prefect’s role is to maintain discipline among the students she also believes that prefects should also strive to guide those that have no talent on to the correct path and to protect them when needed. From this, it can be seen that Kochou is of the belief that talent and not age is the factor that’s most important for people a belief that no doubt came from the complex and struggle that comes being looked down by others due to their age and the authority that others feel they don’t deserve. In line with her determination to guide students is Kochou’s rather curious determination to protect the happiness that students can experience in school which is shown well during the festival in which she in conjunction with her sister acted to break up a fight that if left unchecked would have the effect of causing the fireworks display to be canceled. This showed not just how dedicated she is to the role of being a peacekeeper but also how kind she really is as a person something that I really enjoyed seeing with her character. Similar to her sister after their encounter with Romio Kochou’s personality also began to exhibit changes. While still retaining her teasing and mischievous nature Kochou also starts to think somewhat outside of the box and instead of merely following instructions from her superiors starts to think and act on her feelings. This is shown in the times that she and her sister would infiltrate Romio’s room to have fun and also in the care that she shows to Romio in the aftermath of the surveillance order that was given by her superior and thus showing the increased bond of trust that had been formed between them. The character of Kochou I felt was an interesting one whose introduction to the series helped introduce a great amount of comedy into the series thanks to the many interactions that she has with Romio.
AMV
In terms of animation, I thought that the series animation was really impressive being both sharp and clear. I felt that the academy and the town while being beautiful to look at also featured a great variety of locations that was not just well designed but also showed great variety in terrain types as well. The character designs for the series I felt was pretty well done with the uniforms that the two sides wear doing a great job of not just showing the colors of the two countries that the students represent but also in contrasting and showing the differences that lie between the two sides whether in terms of the nature of the individual students and the different culture in which they come from. This contrast between the two sides I feel is also shown well in the physical appearances of the cast specifically in the hair and eye colors that the students from the two sides exhibit that I felt have a synergy effect with the uniform colors that both sides wear and help reinforce the idea that the rivalry between the two sides is not simply a small scare one but in fact one that carries great weight on a national level.
Music wise the series made use of one opening and ending theme which was Love With You that was sung by Fripside and Someday Until The World changes that were performed by Riho Iida both of which I thought were catchy songs that resonated well with the series main theme of a teenage love story. The series OST I felt also did a solid job of providing good support for the various scenes that were in the anime.
In terms of voice acting, I felt that the series main voice cast all did an excellent job of portraying their assigned characters whether main or support ones. In particular, I feel that Ai Kayano, Yuki Ono, Ayane Sakura, Yuu Shimamura, Yui Ogura and Rina Hidaka deserve special praise as I thought that they all did a fantastic job of portraying the characters of Juliet, Romio, Hasuki, Weslia, Teria and Kochou. In addition, I feel that the series also featured a great supporting cast of characters that did well in enhancing the story by injecting both much-needed tension and hilarity within the series. In this I feel that Tomokazu Sugita who portrayed the character of Chizuru Maru, Daisuke Ono who portrayed the character of Airu Inuzuka, Eri Kitamura who portrayed the character of Somali Longhaired and Hiroshi Kamiya who portrayed the character of Scott Fold all did a fantastic job of playing their respective characters who did much to enhance the overall story.
Overall conclusion
In overall Kishuku Gakkou no Juliet was an anime that I really enjoyed, and I would say that it’s definitely one of the best animes for this season. Its main strong points, In my opinion, was its unique premise, strong story, well designed and developed characters, sweet and well-designed romance moments between Romio and Juliet and excellent voice acting.
The overall premise of Kishuku Gakkou no Juliet which is its reimagining of the classic romance tragedy that served as its main inspiration and its replacement of the tragedy element with that of a romantic comedy as well as its replacement of the classic family feud and ancient Italy setting with the tense relations between two factions whose homelands are being subjected to a tense peace treaty that can be undone at the sign of a single spark I thought was definitely one of the series highlights. Having the main setting of the series be a school where students from both of these nations attend to receive their education before moving into society to help advance their nations goals I thought was also rather creative as while it allowed the students from both sides to enter a setting where they will all enter regardless of their origin while at the same time creating an area where their respective feuds would not just be out of place but also serve as a perfect opportunity to allow the concept of forbidden love to manifest. All of these elements I thought really synergized well with each other to truly make a premise that was unique to this series.
The overall story of the series I felt made great use of this premise as while it did well in showing the kind and depth of the rivalries that can exist between the two countries and their subordinate factions It also did well in introducing the two main leads of the series in the form of the student leader of the White Cats and the Black Dogs who in this case was Juliet Persia and Romio Inuzuka. The forbidden romance between the two that served as the crux of the story I thought made great use of the rivalry between their two respective factions as a backdrop as it showed not only their determination to both stay loyal to their respective countries but also did well to show the inner struggles that both have in relation to them as well. Seeing the two of them try to both overcome the ingrained animosity that exists between the two sides and try to break out of their shells as they try to both make the romance between them work and learn about their respective struggles and wishes in the process was something that I really enjoyed seeing. This struggle to both change and at the same time make their romance work within the series was shown well in the many sweet romantic moments that were shown in the series that showed the kind of effort that both were trying to make in an effort to not just change the world but also their lives as well. These cute moments I felt were also used well in conjunction with the school events that were featured within the series such as the sports day event as while the former did well in showing the advancement in the romance between the two the latter allowed us to see the kind of determination that exists in them in their desire to help each other overcome the struggles that they are wrestling with in their own way while providing us with some background amusement in the form of the antics that both perform during the latter event.
Overall Kishuku Gakkou no Juliet was an anime that I really enjoyed watching and I felt that it handled its use of both the core romance story and the many themes that it introduced into the story and premise relatively well to create a pretty fresh take on the classic tale of Romio and Juliet. It's balancing of comedy moments with the romance and the character development of both the main and support cast was something that I especially enjoyed seeing as well. In terms of the final score, I would say that it easily deserves a final score of 10/10.
Not Recommended
Boarding School Juliet is a show I desperately wanted to like more than I did. From a conceptual level, it has so many elements that are right up my alley. A rom-com where the main couple gets together at the start and follows their developing relationship! A take on Shakespeare that remixes his classic characters in fun new ways! Swordfights! Dates! Wacky sidekicks! Performances from a rogue’s gallery of my favorite voice actors! There’s so much to this story that could have- and should have- worked. Sadly, the end product just never comes together in any satisfying way, leading to a show that more oftenthan not just passed through my system without eliciting a single reaction from me.
First, the set-up: as the title suggests, this is a very (very, very, very) loose re-imagining of Romeo and Juliet that transplants the warring noble houses of Verona to a boarding school, in which they take the forms of two rival gangs from eastern and western nations. The Black Dogs of the east are led by Romoi Inuzika, a brash hothead with a secret crush on the leader of the western White Cats: Juliet Persia, a determined young woman fighting to become stronger than the prejudices and hatred between the two opposing forces. A midnight duel leads them to the realization that they’re both sick of their nation’s feud, and that their feelings for each other might be realer than both of them initially realized. So they decide to start going out in secret, all while working from within to start changing their world for the better. In classic Shakespeare fashion, there are mistaken identities, close escapes, big emotional outbursts, overly complicated schemes, and a colorful cast of supporting characters weaving an absurdly complicated net of secondary romantic subplots.
And I just wish it all was more interesting than I’m making it sound.
The problem, really, is a very common problem that a lot of lesser-tier anime runs into: losing the plot. Once the setup is out of the way and our central couple is together, it doesn’t take long for the enticing premise of a power couple working to change a broken system while undergoing emotional development to fall by the wayside in favor of the blandest, most generic anime rom-com scenarios imaginable. It feels like the story doesn’t have enough confidence in itself to commit to the bolder, more original elements of its premise, so it just settles back to copy everything it’s seen in better anime. The sports festivals, the secret dates gone wrong, the making lunch for your hubby, the romantic rivals, and none of it is fresh or well-executed enough to keep interest until the show finally remembers it’s supposed to have a plot in the final handful of episodes, and even then it never rises above anything higher than passable. Romio and Juliet themselves are both likable enough, but their bolder edges hinted at in the first episode- Juliet’s bullheaded confidence, Romio’s passionate sense of honor- get dropped fairly quickly in favor of blushing moe girl and awkward pretty boy. There’s just no character to any of these characters, and the production isn’t strong enough to be enjoyable just on a pure spectacle level.
Which is a shame, because there are good elements in this bland paste of a show. Again, I like that the main couple gets together at the start, and the show is nominally about exploring their developing relationship above all else. I like that none of the romantic rivals to either of them is ever treated as having any possibility of actually breaking them up, keeping the focus on their emotions above all else. And like I said, there are a metric buttload of my favorite seiyuus in here all doing their best to add character to the cardboard cutouts they’re voicing. Ayane Sakura of BNHA fame adds a surprising poignancy to Romio’s childhood friend, Hiroshi Kamiya is having an utter ball as Juliet’s foppish retainer, Juliet herself is admirably carried by Ai Kayano, Tomokazu Sugita shows a surprising restraint as a Black Dog thug, and Daisuke Ono lends his chilling monotone to Romio’s domineering older brother. I like all these performers, and they’re clearing having a lot of fun playing with such broad archetypes. There’s just nothing in the script to let them be anything more.
In the end, Boarding School Juliet is far from a disaster, but it’s also not a show I would recommend to anyone. It’s not especially impressive from an animation standpoint, the characters are nothing you won’t get better from a million other shows, the romance is harmless but forgettable, and I’m certain I’ll forget the entire plot in about a week. Shakespeare deserves to be bigger, braver, and better than this.
KAKANLen09
December 21, 2018
Recommended
Being a great fan of the typical Romeo X Juliet school-twisted manga at hindsight, I was wishing for an anime adaptation of this rom-com for sometime, and when it premiered in Fall 2018, I was SO happy and ready for the anime adaptation by Liden Films, and it delivered flawlessly (well, small faults but big wins). (Yay, Happy Xmas wish granted!) The story...let's just say that if you know a even a little bit about the Romeo X Juliet Shakespeary context, it's the exact same premise here, just in terms of different factions, mainly the White Cats and Black Dogs, led by both leaders Romio Inuzukaand Juliet Persia. So with that, Dahlia Academy Boarding School (Juliet), was made as per the neutral ground for both factions to have and nurture education for everyone regardless of which faction they belong to. However, as both Inuzuka and Persia encounter each other *starts rolling Romeo X Juliet the play*, the amount of controversy that both have that's weighted on their shoulders become the main problem for concerning people.
And that's where the side characters come in. From the assistants, Inuzuka's ever-helpful assistant-cum-crush Hasuki and Percia's strangle-hold Princess Chartreux (just call her Char) are always there to help shape up each counterpart's emotions and feelings about each other, and confront each other as to deal with countless situations with the slightest damage possible. The most frightening are always the top brass, or model counsellors such as Inuzuka's own older brother Airu (which he despises greatly), twin sisters Kochou and Teria from the Black Dogs and Persia's relentless leaders Cait Sith, Anne Sieber and Rex from the White Cats to name a few. And of course, the White Cats rebel faction of Aby Ssinia, along with his supporter-cum-crush Somali and few others. Their depiction in the anime is just as frightening as in the manga, so great pointers for showing their cruelness. Overall, all characters were done as well as how they were in the manga.
From here on, really no problems at all. Liden Film's art and animation, bright, clean, fluid and showcasing some of the most simple but bad-ass animations when it comes to the serious stuff (e.g. scenes of action). That, I can go along with it. Same goes with the music too. I was concerned about FripSide's songs as the quality of songs they were pumping out in the modern times were average or didn't sound very good (as per the case of Dances With The Dragons). But, once that OP played, I was rest assured, this OP was fantastic and great, along with Riho Ilda's ED (which I should listen to her songs more) which was icing on the cake.
If there is the minimum fault I could lament with, was that the storytelling was quite slow, but once I compared that to the flow of the manga, it allayed most of the fears I had about pushing quantity for quality, and am glad that the slow storytelling compensated for most of the enjoyment I had for this anime. Heck, I'd even say this anime adaptation surpasses the manga in every way. It's a great one I tell you. If you're a fan of the Romeo X Juliet archetype, this anime is a must recommended watch. It puts a smile on my face, and so should inflict on you as well.
KrKrunchyman
December 21, 2018
Not Recommended
“There’s no sexual harassment in a match” — Four-eyed sex offender Oh…in that case. I haven’t seen Romeo and Juliet butchered this horribly since Baz Luhrmann decided to cast Leonardo DiCaprio in a modernized version of the Bard’s classic with its original dialogue intact. At Dahlia Academy Boarding School, the “White Cats” and the “Black Dogs” operate on the assumption that the only way to resolve their differences, is through a school yard battle royal where anything goes. Faces get punched. Hair gets pulled. Even more faces get punched. Girls clothes get stripped off (you know, standard middle school happenings). Butamidst all the chaos and lifelong brain damage, our main character, Romio Inuzuka, reveals his affection towards his Juliet and thus begins an awkward series of events where the two must conceal their relationship from the prying eyes of their compatriots.
Romio is your typical too-cool-for-school badass, which makes sense because he’s almost never shown in the classroom, as he’s too busy courting Juliet or pounding her head in (he should have been pounding something else). He’s not particularly smart, but his fiery passion and general oaf-ness make him somewhat entertaining. I genuinely spat my coffee out when he lunged himself into that mirror. But slapstick comedy only works for a limited time, as it becomes redundant rather quickly. Nine out of ten jokes fell flat on their face, rendering much of the show as a tedious waste of time.
Juliet, Romio’s love interest, is a trite Tsundere with little-to-no value in the comedic department. Her main hook includes getting infuriated with Romio’s inane comments, followed by screaming at him and/or clobbering him (it gets old fast). While staying focused on her goals of changing the world, she also exhibits moments of foolishness when she leaves a spoon in the microwave (not funny bro, that shit kills people). In addition, due to her petite stature, Juliet looks three-to-four years younger than Romio, making their tender encounters seem a bit awkward.
Boarding School Juliet, lamentably, is a show without a clear direction, nor is it consistent enough to entertain the viewer with its abundance of unavailing situational comedy. Romantic situations between Romio and Juliet are surface level fluff, routinely devolving into lewd, hackneyed circumstances with little comedic value. On the other hand, the “love square” — Romio loves Juliet; Hasuki loves Romio; Weslia loves Juliet — creates an interesting dynamic between the characters, particularly because the love that is accessible is not the one Romio or Juliet desire. Boarding School Juliet does flesh out the relationship between Weslia and Juliet as children, but it leaves much to be desired. Also, the dynamics of such a relationship are bromidic, especially when little-to-no nuance is added to differentiate itself from its — numerous — predecessor’s.
The colorful artwork is so diversified that it hypnotizes the viewer into thinking they are looking into a kaleidoscope; unfortunately, this pristine look is impeccable beyond belief. There is a thing as being too “perfect.” Sometimes a sprinkling of “imperfection” can go a long way in creating an “authentic” environment.
Why the producers of the show decided to emulate the story of Romeo and Juliet, when the characters and thematic elements are antithetical to the Bard’s classic is beyond any reasonable person’s rationalization. So instead of concocting a convoluted reason as to why this happened (**cough**a lure to draw in more viewers**cough**), I decided to write a humorous poem to encapsulate my thoughts on the series.
“Thou must have reckoned himself quite capable of tackling the Bard’s masterwork,
But it was a far cry from a tear jerk; verily, it was an incomplete patchwork;
Methinks’ the comedy soured the mind, combined with the unkind bitch who
Considered herself refined; Although she rode Romio similar to an equestrian,
It was obvious she wanted to ride someone else, due to her being a lesbian;
Love interests come and love interest go, but instead of Juliet I would have chosen
The ho; If you dare question which ho I presuppose, any which one will do as long
As she takes off her clothes; Watching this show became a terrible chore, and the
Vibrant colors elicited a pronounced eyesore; I mustn’t allow myself to become
Remarkably incredulous, lest I wish to hasten my exodus via leaping from a large
Edifice; let it be known that this anime is no gem, as it was quite fortunate to
Receive a three out of ten.”
— Krunchyman
