Reviews for Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!

PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK PEAK CINEMA. This show is SO flawless, stainless steel got nothing on this absolutely stain-less of an anime. This show got EVERYTHING done right, so in this review I will only cover what it mostly shines from and highlight the super good of this show. Recommend for: *Romance, *Directing, *Production Quality, Character, Pacing, and script FULL REVIEW: First and most of all is the directing. I feel like I've been transported to the era where A-1 pictures peak as a studio again, with "Your lie in April". A-1 truly struckgold with this story, and they fully pull out all the stops to make this story the best it could be. The directing is VERY good, as I will discuss on why in details for each aspect later in this review. This have the same quality, if I may say, as the comix films anime movies, which is very captivating and stunning just to experience. [10*+/10]

Firstly is the production quality. I'm not a production quality / animation Andy that much per se, I normally doesn't care much, but HOLY this show have some absolutely STUNNING visuals, as well as some absolutely angelic OST. If I could mute other sounds, and just look at the scenery in this show, with these beautiful sound mixing, editing, and gorgeous OST, I would for hours, just like a documentary. Though I wouldn't because the character, story, and script in this show is also very good. [10/10]

The character in this show is also what make this show good. Everyone truly feels like have their own life, own story. There's BARELY any stereotyping in this show, at most mixed stereotyping with the characters, which I really like. For example, the dude that's the president of the Literature club, could be seen as your typical handsome dependable president, but he's also like weeb stuff, and don't shy about it, which holy BASED ASF. [10/10]

Next is the pacing, this go in very well with the first point I just mentioned (the production quality). We got some good old comedy, that come in snippets, have some good pause to admire the atmosphere of the circumstance its in, then cut. Which is hardly done to this level of perfection. The story is also not too fast, and not too slow, and always keep e laughing at the edge of my seat every time I watch it. [10/10]

Lastly is the romance script. This arguably is the best (on par with directing and production quality). The romance in this show is VERY real and good. By that I mean there's little to none inner dialogue, nor overly excessive sound effects or animations to signify stuff. Sure there's some comedic animation like derp face etc etc. , but most of the time they let it play out with the atmosphere, which make it feel very real. Also with this mentioned, this make the romance on a whole another level, some may thinks it will take too long to progress in the romance department with the show dont excessively and obviously show us, but I would argue otherwise.

This make the romance develops very real. There's no love at first sight here, there's no love just because he's good, love takes time to develop in this show subtly without the show just blaring at us with their inner head dialogue of "OUUUU I love him so much omg" or something like that. Thus make this very real and very interesting and a good time.

In conclusion, I think this show have no flaws. The production quality with the directing already make this show realllly good, but also with the script and pacing and character that's really real, along with the romance that's very subtle and not blaring, make this even more stand out and the best. There's some point I would be cautious about, that is how fast would the romance develop in the future, but I think it will be good from what we've seen this past 3 episode.

My rating as a rom-com anime: 10/10

My rating as an anime overall: 9.98/10

From the very first episode Makeine was my anime of the season and that’s not changed. The last 12 weeks have been a nonstop magical run from A-1 pictures and one of the most refreshing and enjoyable takes on the romcom genre. Makeine takes the usual harem male fantasy bait romcom formula and turns it on its head, instead focusing on platonic relationships, helping teenagers overcome heartbreak and move forward with their heads held high. I’m a big fan of the mature and somewhat realistic way the story handles this. You don’t always get what or who you want in real life, learning to acceptand deal with that is important. Even more important is not getting bitter or angry and instead seeing it as a growth opportunity, which the show focuses on. The well written story and character dynamics combined with some of the best production values A-1 have done, make this a must watch.

The relationship between Nukumizu and Anna is the best part of Makeine and the foundation on which the story is based. Rather than your usual boy meets girl and falls in love story, Nukumizu helps Anna accept and move on from the rejection of her crush. The best part of this is that they actually feel like real friends. Guys and girls have the ability to just be cool and hang out and I like that this story reflects that. Every single scene with them is just awesome and oozes with chemistry. While there’s obviously people out there that ship them, I really enjoy their relationship as is and hope it stays that way at least for a while. Her going out with him right after being rejected would just seem forced and too tropey.

That’s something we see play out throughout the story as well. The other characters get their hearts broken one by one and Nukumizu is there to support them, learning more about himself and other people in the process. But that’s not to say it ever gets repetitive. The sheer variety of personalities in this story are enough to make each experience feel unique. All of the rejected heroines are The author is very good at showing the complexities of human attraction and romance. Like just because we as the audience love a girl doesn’t mean a guy in the story will. You can’t help who you’re attracted to and sometimes despite being a good fit on paper it just doesn’t work out. Despite the obvious pain of those rejections, the characters in this resolve to move forward and not regret their unrequited love, but embrace it as a part of life which I think everyone can learn nothing or two from. Everything in life is a learning experience and makes you who you are to this day.

So the story’s great, but the other thing that really made me fall in love with Makeine is how good it looks. I’m not sure if it’s any of the same staff that worked on 86, I know most of them are busy on Nier Automata, but it had that sort of quality. Gorgeous and fluid animation with lively and vibrant colours and character designs. It really was a visual treat. It’s this great combination of production values and storytelling that really makes it stick out among a crowded romance field this season. The direction during some of the big confession and rejection scenes was enough to give me chills on more than one occasion. Hats off to the team that worked on this.

Had a blast with every single minute of this show and it rightfully deserved the love and hype it got. While it started off getting less love than roshidere, it overtook it by the end thanks to a phenomenal social media campaign keeping track of Anna’s calories and the various hilarious moments from the show. Truly one of my all time fave romcom series that doesn’t rely on fanservice or goonbait to be enjoyable. Focus on writing good characters and have lessons applicable to the real world and you’ll have a good seasonal anime.

Makeine gets a very easy 10 out of 10.

There are few media as recursive as the modern light novel industry. Whenever anything succeeds in this space, there will immediately be waves of imitators trying to capitalize on that success by using the same surface level elements. You know what I’m talking about – villainesses, abandoned by my party, cheat skills, reincarnated as something unusual, the list goes on and on. But the light novel fad that most fascinates me is “self-aware”. In an environment where a large number of the works present are just Frankensteined together collections of tropes, it’s only natural that some works would emerge that make a point of drawingattention to how trope-y they are. And really, who doesn’t love seeing the same tired tropes again and again as long as they’re accompanied by a wink and a nudge?

The appeal of “self-aware” works for me is that they serve as an invitation to deconstruct the tropes that they’re working with. Like, it’s interesting to me how Nukumizu is himself a web novelist. It’s extremely common in this type of series to see the protagonist reading light novels or living in a room covered in Aniplex posters and figures, but this is the first example I can think of where the protagonist is a writer in this space, at least without it being central to the plot. These protagonists, loners who have trouble initiating social interactions, are meant to serve as relatable self-inserts, so this decision is Makeine presenting itself as the light novelist’s light novel.

Or, let’s break down our heroines a little bit. One of Makeine’s strong points is that neither Nukumizu or the girls are looking at each other as potential romantic partners, although the audience is still encouraged to imagine dating one of them. Or the sister, for some reason. Yanami Anna is the popular girl who would totally get you if she just took the time to get to know you, who will bring you out of your shell by introducing you to colorful new experiences. Komari Chika is basically a girl version of you! She shares all of your hobbies and interests and will always understand your otaku references. And she’s got crippling social anxiety, so you get to be her hero! And then there’s Yakishio Lemon, who’s a sporty tomboy, I guess. Honestly, I don’t see what the wish fulfillment angle is supposed to be here, and I don’t understand why she was the most favorited character from this show on this site about halfway through its run. Are you all just tanline perverts? If you’re someone who had favorited Lemon earlier in the show’s run, but have since rescinded that, I want you to know that I’m fascinated by you, and please message me, because I’m desperate to know more.

But while I’d love to talk about deconstructing light novel tropes all day, I know that’s not what you’re here for. So instead, let’s talk about what really matters. Let’s talk about Yanami Anna.

Anna is an absolutely perfect character, and completely carries this entire show. As fans of the light novel will breathlessly tell you, Nukumizu isn’t an active presence as a protagonist at the beginning of the series, often just being there to voice uncertainties or to be a shoulder to lean on for other people’s character arcs. In contrast to that, Anna is a little full of herself, and is the type to act first and leave the thinking to other people, so she gets to drive a lot of the narrative for the first two arcs, by running into other people's drama headfirst, and dragging Nukumizu along for the ride. I love how much of the series is dedicated to someone approaching the two of them for advice, which then results in them going on what is functionally a date, while the distressed party has to awkwardly thirdwheel. Their chemistry is fantastic, and it's not just a dynamic that's fun to watch; it’s clear that the reason Nukumizu is able to grow as he does over the course of the series is because he has Anna’s company influencing him.

But Anna’s perfection extends beyond her role in the narrative. It’s clear that the animators were in love with her as well, because her animation is always so lively, and even when she’s just in the background, she’ll have some fun little sight gag going on. About two thirds of the time, she's being comically owned, which does actually serve to highlight her character's self-assurance. My personal favorite background Anna moment is when the gang are all together eating sushi, and she nabs the last piece of one of the rolls just as Nukumizu begins to reach for it. It’s just a little moment, but it’s filled with personality. This is absolutely the case of an adaptation that elevated its source material; Imigimuru's character designs perfectly lend themselves to animation, even if I'll never forgive him for those stupid quadruple bowties. I will concede that I feel Anna has the weakest ED of the three girls, but it’s still not a bad song by any means, and really, I think it’s always cool when an anime has character specific ending themes.

Okay, fine, there are things I liked about Makeine that weren't Yanami Anna. I liked how Nukumizu's relationships with the girls were all platonic, at least as far as this adaptation covers. I liked how present all of the cast was in each other's arcs; there's a genuine sense of community in the literature club. I especially liked Komari's arc, in part because we had already seen her development taking shape even before she formally stepped into the spotlight. While I talked earlier about Anna being a positive influence on Nukumizu, I think the same could be said for Lemon's effect on Komari. And I liked that we did spend some time getting to know the "winning heroines", even if this distinctly wasn't their story. But still, if I could choose between the story we got, and one which throws out all of the harem tropes and instead delivered on a classic romance story with Anna, well...

Earlier this year, Sousou no Frieren and Dungeon Meshi were smash hits, and it's noteworthy that both were traditional fantasy stories, undisguised by the ironic veneer of the isekai genre, written by mangaka unashamed of their own ideas. In episode 9 of Makeine, as a girl falls down a set of stairs towards our protagonist breast-first, he remarks that he recognizes this scenario from the light novels he's read. Light novel key words may be helpful for getting an author's work discovered, but it's the substance that determines whether it'll actually be remembered. And really, I do like Makeine's substance, so I wish that the author had more confidence in their work and didn't feel the need to bury it in tropes. What I hope I've communicated over the course of this review is that I'm the type of person to approach this sort of series with a lot of cynicism, and despite that, I absolutely fell in love. I think this anime excels at what it's trying to be, so much so that I wish it had tried to be something more ambitious. I'm sure there will be another season of Makeine, and I'm sure that I'll watch it when it comes out. But I won't be watching for more losing heroines, I'll be watching for Yanami Anna.

So in Make Heroine ga Oosugiru- - The MC gets dicked around by the rejected girls - The heroine who got the most screen time yanami anna gets 0 character development - Lemon is basically a forgettable side character - komari is insufferable-0 romance in a "romance anime"

-yanami's repetitive dialogue with the MC about her crush who rejected her

- dramatic camera shake's

- nice hair animation

Original concept like this have so much potential but always gets destroyed by shit writing. Had high hopes for this anime but left feeling disappointed.

I personally would've liked to see

-A little less drama

- A little more romance

- Equal screen time between three heroins

-Some personality in the MC

- Not so much talking about the ntr'd crush

- MC not getting used as a convenient tool

Give this show a chance! I'm begging you! This might be my favorite anime of the season thus far. Make Heroine ga Oosugiru is an anime all about the "secondary love interests" that are found in most romance anime. These girls are the "other women" as pop culture would put it, having been friend zoned by their respective love interests. Each of these girls meets Kazuhiko, our protagonist and stand-in for the audience. Kazuhiko is boring, yes, but he's not a bad protagonist. If anything, his mundane nature balances well with the eccentric or over-the-top personalities of the main girls. The artin this show is very well-drawn. The characters have neat and visually appealing designs, and the animation is extremely well done. Even the scenes where there isn't much going on have incredible attention to detail. The background art and the overall scenery is probably my favorite, it's beautifully drawn.

The characters' personalities play well off of each other, which is great, because this is a character-driven story. This leads to engaging episodes, and some funny moments here and there. I"m usually unamused by most anime, as Japanese jokes don't typically land well for Western audiences, but even I found myself giggling at a few funny bits.

Given there are only three episodes out right now, it's hard to say for sure if this anime will continue to be as great as it is now. But, so far, Make Heroine ga Oosugiru is worth the watch.

This anime might seem like a good cure for a broken heart, but it is the opposite. If you are into melancholy and the feeling of hopelessness this is for you. The hero is your typical "good boy" who does nothing significant, but this time also nothing significant happens to him. He is just there, watching how various girls get rejected and then bottle up their emotions because they have to see their crushes every day. It is realistic, that is true. But it depicts that cynical reality of the "I don't care, I give up" people. The anime has no point, it leads tono conclusion. No idea, no message, no moral... nothing. A waste of time.

Edit: I have watched 12 episodes. I'm sad to say that the anime never really delivered on any kind of story beyond "girl got dumped". By the end of the 12th episode, it feels like you could have stopped watching by the 6th episode and not missed a single thing of importance, maybe even sooner that that. The characters were largely the same at the end of the anime as they were at their introduction. They had zero character depth or growth........despite the anime trying to suggest that the dumped girls accepted being dumped. Even by episode 12 the FMC is still acting just likeshe did at episode 1.

The MC never shows any character development or much personality.

This anime has an initial cute premise, but fails to deliver any kind of pay off that you might hope or want. It's not a complete waste of time, but it certainly missed a good opportunity to make a true "coming of age" anime. It was like having all the ingredients to make a cake, but not actually making a cake.

Nothing ever really feels "resolved" for the characters and I end up asking myself at the end......."what was the point of all this?".

Comedy? None. Romance? None. Achievement for a character? None. Maturity? Not really.

Although the MC is cardboard, it's obvious that he's showing more care to these girls than other people in the anime. He even goes beyond what a normal person might do. Do they ever thank him for paying for their food, helping them out with projects, or being there to listen to them whine? Nope. You will, however, see them make jabs/insults at him throughout the anime and it becomes frustrating.

After the first 6 episodes I rated it an 8. However, by the end, I have to give it a 6 because it never does anything with it's characters over the rest of the season.

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BEFORE EDIT:

I can't recall another anime that focuses on the rejected anime girls, so this does feel like a fresh idea.

The art? It's absolutely beautiful. It's anime-movie beautiful. The character designs are also well-done.

The hot-and-cold emotions of the rejected girls........or rather I should say the supportive-and-jealous emotions...... portrayed is well represented. Wishing two people happiness together, but struggling to not be jealous is a very real "battle" that people face.

The personalities of the side characters really do shine through as being entertaining, and even original in some cases. Even the more minor characters of the show, like the sister of the MC, can capture a scene.

However, there is an issue. It's the MC himself. Yes, he's surrounded by very expressive characters, but there is still the lack of him showing any distinct personality. After 6 episodes, I still barely know squat about him as an individual. Maybe he's supposed to be this way in order to represent the viewer. The problem is that this is a romance anime that will likely bring him to the fore-front at the end for a possible romantic confession. Such a scene will feel flat and empty with such a wooden-character who ......for all intents and purposes, barely exists in the show. A romantic scene will feel even more forced because the MC isn't even that big of an influence to the rejected girls. He's not offering them words of wisdom. He's not comforting them. He's just....."there".....at certain times adding npc-level dialogue. Somebody mentioned that if you took him out of the show then everything would continue as it does anyways. That's closer to being the truth than not.

I'm also starting to feel unsatisfied about a lack of direction or the "grand picture". Yes, I understand that this is an anime focusing on rejected girls, but many slice-of-life anime can present a story AND a substantial theme that drives the story forward.

It's a good anime, but it really does struggle with providing motivation that could build into any kind of climax. It just passively continues into the next passive episode.

This is the only time I've given an anime a score of "8" and still have mixed feelings about it. Tbh, 7.5 would be more accurate, but that score is not able to be chosen, and this anime is better than a 7.

Animation and art: Extremely well done. Some absolutely gorgeous shots, with subtle character animations being used to really breath life into everything. I love when a lot of love is given to something that would be a few frames or an afterthought in another show, especially when used to help emphasize a character trait and build out the world a bit. A lot of lens flare, soft glow and other tricks to help elevate the atmosphere, but all used pretty tastefully and it mostly manages to compliment the gorgeous character animation. A lot of intentionality behind the shots. Makingthe school feel a bit rundown is also a very nice touch to give a sense of place and grounding to everything. It's poetic that a show about imperfect people with broken hearts would have an imperfect school. None of it is revolutionary or mind-blowing but there's a level of craftsmanship and care here that suggests a really strong animation crew giving it their best and a competent director at the helm who really knows their craft.

Plot and characters: the hook is nice, but the actual plot itself is mostly just a collection of short vingettes about each of the girls. What I really love are the little character details and the unique dynamics between the different characters. Everyone feels like a real person, or at least the anime equivalent of a real person. No character is completely two dimensional, and everyone acts as though they are considering things from multiple angles (aside from a couple of characters who are made to be a little more dense). This is amplified by small character moments that feel pretty organic amidst otherwise unremarkable dialogue scenes, which help elevate some scenes that would feel a bit mundane into something more.

One point of contention I've seen is that the MC is boring or just exists as a shoulder to cry on, etc. I think the MC is actually pretty strong. Unlike many other generic, awkward harem protags who feel like blank sheets of paper, this guy seems like a regular, awkward dude. He's a pretty considerate and insightful person, he's insecure, he has an arrogant streak, and he has aspirations he doesn't even want to admit to himself. He isn't overly boring, he isn't overly weird, he's just insecure and he's trying to break out of his insecurity and denial a little bit at a time, that's his arc. Again, he feels like a "real" person by anime standards (esp. harem anime), and I appreciate the show letting him develop without needing to instantly build romantic tension. I also think his relationship with blue-hair is very cute and well done.

I will say I don't love the the fan-service shots that just feel completely unnecessary and gratuitous. I'm not wholely against fan-service, and I know that most of it is pretty tame if we put this in the harem genre, but it feels like it just cheapens some pretty strong material and really takes me out of it when it's shoehorned in. Most fan-service scenes feel tonally dissonant with the rest of the show. I'd alos prefer a show with this level of craft to be more accessible to people outside of the hardcore weeb and degen camps.

"it is said 70% of high school couples breaks up within a year and almost none of them can survive They're toyed with by love.They weep for it.They laugh for it.I don't let my heart waver over such fleeting connection because i have no expectation for reality or myself.It's just sometimes i'd think...what if i were to get to experience that kind of life ? What if there comes a girl who'd cry for me ? What if i were a protagonist to a light novel ? How would i feel ?" What If? Rem, Kuroneko, Onodera, Nanami, Ichigo, Rei—you name it. What do they all havein common? They didn't end up with their MC. It's funny and a bit sad.

The same goes for the heroines in this anime. None of them end up with their crushes—they're all dumped. And their crushes? They're just other high schoolers in their school. So, who's our "lucky" MC? Kazuhiko, another high schooler in their school. He's got zero friends, zero love experience, and his life is as straight and uneventful as it gets. He's merely an observer of our heroines, the lens through which we view their lives.

Kazuhiko is our eyes and ears; he's us. When we see our favorite anime girls losing in the battle of love, we feel sad. "If I were there, I would choose and date her!" But would they really fall for us? They don't fall in love with us; they fall for the MC. And in this anime, the heroines don't instantly fall head over heels for Kazuhiko either. Moving on isn't easy. No heart can sail to another place when its sails are still ragged.

But what if Kazuhiko could use this opportunity to create his own love story? What if he could turn these losing heroines into winning heroines? What if he could actually experience love?

That's the main plot of this anime, wrapped up in a bittersweet comedy of high school life.

The animation is breathtaking, like watching a high-budget anime movie. The lighting, the backgrounds, the fluidity of the animation—simply amazing.

The opening and ending sequences are head-bopping and eye-pleasing, again, simply amazing.

The characters feel lively and engaging. By the end of each episode, you'll find yourself rooting for them.

And Kazuhiko isn't just a soulless self-insert; he has a personality that makes him more than just a placeholder.

Overall, if you're into romcoms and want to try a different take on romance, give this one a try.

This is definitely an amazing anime that doesn’t come by every season. The story follows our protagonist through his journey meeting three “losing heroines” and help them overcome getting rejected from their crush. Unlike other anime’s they are not attracted to the protagonist and thus it seems genuine. All of the characters are amazing and they portray their characteristics very well. I won’t go in depth and write 3 paragraphs just explaining them all but all of them are just out of this world. Apart from the characters, the production is also very good. Just within the first few seconds you can see that aninsane amount of passion went into this. The opening animation is just so lovely, the art style, the animations the music, they all make it feel so alive and it’s beautiful. The same can be said for the three different outros, the animations (did I tell that they all have unique animations?) all follow the characteristics of the girls while having some banger music that I haven’t listened to in an anime for a while.

It’s not just the intros and the outros. The whole anime is amazingly animated and it all feels alive. It’s not too overwhelming to the point where you can’t focus, while also being beautiful and captivating you into the world of the story. Especially in some of the emotional scenes, it makes you shiver with just the animation. Even if you don’t know the context at all, and if you have just seen that randomly on the internet, even if you didn’t hear anything, the animation alone makes the scene feel emotional and sad. Now imagine it with the context.

Even though I have spoken about the animation for the past 2 paragraphs, it’s not my favorite aspect of it. I’m not the type to like an anime just for its animations, animations are just the cherry on top, without the actual “cake” it won’t matter how good the animations are. And I’m happy to say that the story, the characters and all that jazz leave the already perfect animations and the art style in the dust. As I said, I don’t think it’s useful for me to write 5 paragraphs about the story and how well it is. It’s a waste of time for both me and you, but all you need to know is that it’s amazing and it will definitely blow you away.

Overall, I am really found of this anime. Usually I am a picky watcher, I don’t say an anime is amazing that often. It’s rare for me to say an anime is amazing let alone saying it’s a masterpiece. But for this anime I can easily say that it’s a masterpiece. It has all the things you want in an anime, the characters, the art style, it’s not unrealistic where all the girls simp for the protagonist, not a lot of cringe moments, and a story that feels genuine. I would recommend this anime to anyone who wants to watch an anime. It’s a must watch, and I just can’t put my feelings to words, you have to watch it to understand it. And trust me, a few episodes in you will thank me for it.

If you are tired of watching thrashy romance anime and looking for a well written rom com with high production values, good directing, then you might enjoy this one. Reason: Great visuals, Good directing which goes way too hard considering it's a rom com and I'm not joking, watching this feels like I'm watching a shinkai movie with production values of a high budget shonen movie, every charcter in this show has their own charm, like oregairu every character in this show is well written and likeable. And the one thing I like is they have a likeable mc!!! How long has it been sincewe got a mc that we like and it's not edgy, over powered, or some kind of secret genius. He's just a random guy at the school with no particular talent, and that's what I like about him.

Usually, not my forte to write a review for an ongoing seasonal anime, let alone a romance one, let alone just three episodes in! But i just can't help it, the vibes literally took my breath away! And the fact that I'm going out of my way just to write this so y'all won't be left behind, is enough of a guarantee! This is the one anime that's having the most fun with its medium this season! Grabbed me by the throat and flung me back to my adolescent years of watching the same stupid but passionate, high-school romance copy-paste. But this is more thanjust a cheap duplicate! Not sure why, but this feels like it redefines the reason why the genre is so charming in the first place.

Just like they knew that the overly dramatic approach is what bored me to retirement about these archetype, this anime arrives with a fresh take for a tone: optimistic and reckless! Not undermining the seriousness or how heavy the adolescent is, but also did not treat it like it's the end of the world! They viewed everything through the lenses of "essential growth", like the way of how proud FLCL is, seeing us make stupid mistakes or wrong choices, but still driven enough to act tough and face the world!

The depth of an adaptation from a Light Novel is instantly recognizable, like how every portions of characters in this story meticulously woven to not be so self-centered. At first glance, it seems like everybody has their own tropes to obey to. But not for long until the amount of heart each character contained, outweighed their own commercial constraints!

It's shaping up to be like Monogatari, but more mature and less misogyny. Or the original FLCL, but in a multiplayer setting!

Absolute Cinema. I'll be real. This anime just reignited my long-dimmed passion for the slice-of-life and romance genres. I remember back in high school, I used to get so emotional watching some 2D characters falling in love and living their best lives with their significant other. I always wanted to experience that kind of love—falling for someone and sharing my life with them. That dream burned bright inside me, but as I grew older, it started to fade. Adulthood brought me new responsibilities, expectations, and challenges. Those deep feelings of pursuing my own romantic story seemed to get pushed aside. I found myself focusing on things societydeemed more important—finding a job, watching less anime, doing 'productive' things like going to the gym, networking, and attending bootcamps.

But one day, during my daily commute, I stumbled upon this gem of a series called 'Makeine.' It all started with a single Twitter post featuring Anna, the blue-haired heroine we all adore (though I’m more of a Komari fan, ehe). I watched a clip of Anna desperately kissing her crush’s straw, and before I knew it, my brain immediately command me to search for the nearest anime streaming site and type 'Makeine' into the search bar. And let me tell you, my impulsive decision did not disappoint.

What makes 'Makeine' so amazing is its organic and down-to-earth character chemistry between our three favorites heroine and not but not least, our boy Nukumizu-kun. Let me tell you, this series It’s not just another romance anime; it beautifully portrays the complexities of human connections and love. Watching Anna, Lemon, and Komari journey with their hearth-broken love reminded me of the simple yet profound joy of liking someone and cherishing those heartfelt emotions.

This series taught me to appreciate the small, tender moments in life and to reconnect with those emotions I had buried deep inside. It’s a reminder that even as adults, it’s okay to dream, to love, and to hold onto those feelings that make us human. 'Makeine' rekindled that fire within me, and for that, this series will always hold close to my heart.

Is this series worth watching? Yes now watch it! Why? Tomboy bozangaz baby Besides that we got a good cast with a fun premise where the Mc is the overlooked side character who never gets girls. The male Mc is more than just a blank slate with no humor. Even the side character guys are cool bros instead of mindless blobs. Is this a harem? Depends on your definition. The Mc does not have any girl directly state romantic feelings for him. It does center around multiple girls though.Are you sure?

TOMBOY BOZANGAS and BEACH EPISODE

Peak is achieved

Watch it now!!!!

Too Many Losing Heroines! - It's too easy being an average Joe, but yet still score loads of girls no matter the circumstances! So how about being the average Joe, but twisting the formula to be in the realm of the secondary girls instead? Of all the genres known to man, romance series are one of the easiest to write, but it's harder to nail its content, much less nail the intended ending that authors wanted to pen with their series, only to see it fail or get absolutely ridiculed by the fans. Case in point, the AniManga industry with its many romance, comedy, or thecombination of both genre's works over the decades that, for better or for worse, achieved what authors greatly wanted out of it through the exposure of as much content as it can be covered with anime adaptations, that gets the ire of fans always in their argument for "shipping wars" and the like, ugh. And it's exactly the same case for the Summer 2024 season, seeing a resurgence of the rom-com genre with as much as 10 shows under the seasonal belt focusing on those 2 genres alone. And in the midst of the usual mid- and low-tier contenders, one show EASILY stands out for its unique twist on the rom-com formula: novelist Takibi Amamori and Lycoris Recoil's character designer-cum-KonoBi illustrator Imigimuru's Make Heroine ga Oosugiru! a.k.a Too Many Losing Heroines!, a rom-com that throws your usual average Joe of a MC, into the lovey-dovey rhythms of girls...who are at the losing side of the romance streak? I can tell you now that being a fan of both the LN and its manga adaptation awaiting the anime's arrival this season, it certainly set expectations sky high, and I was NOT disappointed, not one bit at all. In fact, it exceeded expectations and set itself a brand-new standard for future romance series to come.

If you're a person of either sex, ask yourself this question: Am I born in this world to experience love like any other typical person does, or am I just cursed to become the background character as an Otaku who feels better being behind-the-scenes to help my friends get through their love issues and navigate them into a new being of "love takes time to cultivate, and cultivate it naturally," even if it meant them moving on past their love phase to embrace much more than they ever could? If you answered the latter, welcome to MC protagonist Kazuhiko Nukumizu's world: the 1st-year high school student of Tsuwabuki High School, classified with a rather unique school uniform for the girls being embedded with 4 bowties (where the colours themselves hide a hint to the romance plot of the overall series), who's a rather reserved young man who always is fine being by himself and not being a social butterfly, though he is a chad who will offer good advice to the people around him. The problem that he has to face: heartbroken girls who he deems as "losing heroines" and helping them get over their heartbreak in good faith.

May I introduce to you the 3 girls and their deadly sins:

- The blue-haired charming classmate of Anna Yanami, who bears the Sin of Gluttony and Greed, covering Volume 1 of the LN (which the official website has a calorie count of what she ate for the series, despite still being able to keep slim, which is just absolutely WILD)

- The brown-haired althetic classmate of Lemon Yakishio, who bears the Sin of Wrath, covering Volume 2 of the LN

- The maroon-haired shy classmate of Chika Komari, who bears the Sin of Envy and Pride, covering Volume 3 of the LN

Without going into much detail of what the show entails (because the anime is just TOO GOOD of a rom-com masterpiece material that it'd be a waste to put all of this in the review), Nukumizu has his hands full of the girls who have their unique quirks and antics, and on top of the romance heartbreak that these 3 girls go through in their likeness, trying to circumvent each and every one of their circumstances is never a bed of roses for the Otaku. Everyone has their own lives and stories concocted so that no one story ever feels the same (even in similarity), and not only does it feel consistent, it is also congruent to the entire plot of intersecting characters within the circles of the losing heroines that everyone is connected in one way or another. Be it the winning heroes and their heroines that the losing heroines once had long-time crushes on the formers, and contemplated with the latters on their decisions that caused the rifts in the first place, Nukumizu has always been there for the 3 girls every step of the way in trying to help them understand the big picture of their failed relationships, and treat it with the harsh realism of real love that destroys all semblances of expectations to overpromise and underdeliver.

This has always been the BIG problem that exists within all romance series to deliver their version of love that, despite being fiction, it is rather unrealistic and toxic and that'll absolutely destroy character relations in the long run. But I have to say that for his debut work, Takibi Amamori is an absolute chad of an author to understand what goes into a relationship, as well as not pander to the mainstream to show the other side of the coin of failed relationships and how people can come out of it being better people than who they were before the fixtures. This is way more than just your typical rom-com, it's a in-depth look into the human hearts of the matter in terms of how people deal with typical relationships, and how people deal with the good and bad circumstances that make them who they are, as flawed humans wanting to be loved but finding themselves in situations that put them in a disadvantage, either for the pure romance or comedic hilarity, thus helping them overcome their issues and improving themselves. And this show gets it all, hook, line, and sinker, it's flawless, even down to the big cast of supporting characters who are just as atypical, if not weird and downright creepy at best, because there is NOT one normal person in this show (other than Nukumizu himself).

You know damn well when editors receive word about people wanting to make an anime out of works they want to create, and for Shogakukan's Gagaga Bunko editor-in-charge Kiwaasa, that is the pipedream that he got being all the way BEFORE the publication of the LN, which won the publication company's 15th LN Award (under a different title) that would eventually become the debut volume released in July 2021. This should show you that producers saw the potential of Tabiki Amamori's work before it got to the books, and that is a once-in-a-lifetime rarity of an achievement that very few works get in their lifetime, let alone a brand new work that was mainly influenced by various manga, the likes of Norio Sakurai's Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu a.k.a The Dangers In My Heart, Aka Akasaka's Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai a.k.a Kaguya-sama: Love is War, and fellow illustrator Imigimuru's Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru! a.k.a This Art Club Has a Problem!, with BokuYaba and Kaguya-sama being inspirations for MakeIne to begin with.

And boy did A-1 Pictures bring out their SSS-rank Kaguya-sama explosive energy to give MakeIne the same treatment that the prior series received over 5 years ago, inciting the series as the spiritual successor to the franchise when it comes to the mayhem that is a production powerhouse. Under the leadership of storyboarder Shotaro Kitamura, which MakeIne would serve as his directorial debut after being trained in countless shows as both storyboarder and episode director (the most notables being last Fall's Overtake! and some episodes of Kusuriya no Hitorigoto a.k.a The Apothecary Diaries), you can feel the heated amounts of passion, talent, and drive being put into the anime to display at a pristine, almost movie-like quality that's matched by similar contemporaries alike. It just feels great to finally see A-1 Pictures flesh out more than just their animation prowess of the last few years being dedicated to action but romance certainly was not on the Bingo cards when considering the Aniplex-backed studio, not until the anime adaptation was announced to much fanfare. This show is absolute anime cinema quality through and through.

Music composer Kana Utahane leads the music department of MakeIne, and despite her rather limited rookie experience working on shows like Overtake! and Dead Mount Death Play, I thought that she did a great job on capturing the atmosphere and energy of the series to a T. But it's the OP and EDs that truly capture the Unlimited Budget Works of creativity put into it, with another song from Botchi Boromaru feat. Mossa of Necry Talkie's "Tsuyogaru Girl" being one of the absolute gems of a upbeat OP song that has all the bells and whistles executed to perfection. The various cover songs for the 3 girls acting as the EDs of their storylines, tells a lot about each and every girl's temperament that you can associate with what's to come for the series. Need I ever mention that they're all great, especially the OP which is just a visual masterpiece?

Why need a harem of girls, or one girl that can be the harem...when you can be part of a harem of friend-zoned losing heroines that you need not be forced to choose one or the other, let them have their way with you, and still make it out of a loving friendship being fellow dumpees? This is the magic of Make Heroine ga Oosugiru! a.k.a Too Many Losing Heroines!, a subversion and reinvention of the rom-com genre, and a real standout as THE BEST rom-com and Anime of the Season, if not for the entirety of 2024 alone. From the book's deeply-written characters to the anime's masterpiece execution of a production, everything is downright flawless, and you'd be damned to think that a show like this get all the hype for all the right reasons, when the anime has proven time and time again that tropes may be there for a reason, but when done correctly, can be strong, supporting, and defining elements to add to the quality of the overall work.

Nuff said, MakeIne's the undisputed anime of the Summer 2024 season and year material, bar none.

The first time I saw this show’s poster I expected it to be another generic and cringe LN romcom with crappy moeblobs, but as it turns out, there's a fair chance it might end up being the best show to have come out this season. The production quality of the show is high and the faces are quite expressive (keep track of the eyes). There’s the wonderfully executed punchy photographic rotoscope for character models that make them pop out of the screen, which works for its kind of physical comedy. Also, the show’s stylised limited animation approach for exaggerated physical comedy (staccato effect) pairs incrediblywell with the exaggerated deformed facial expressions, which then combine with whoosh sfx-es for the motion. The blobbier faces are more of a plus than a minus here with this approach considering how expressive they get. The same thing that almost put me off from picking it up in the first place.

Talking about the male protagonist (the most important part of any harem/romcom) he has really expressive eyes, like the other charas, which deform into taremes and then into complete tunnel entrances with white walls in certain scenes for example, and then there’s expressive, desperate, and worked-up dialogues of his reactions to the antics of the heroines and the unfolding events (quoted example in paragraph after next) or straight man comebacks lacking in condescension. All of these along with the exaggerated physical comedy and sound effects set him apart from the more workable MCs in more generic comedy harems or even a lot of the good harems where the reaction dialogue voice and tone is smugger. The Mc is made to be a good reactor, which is also the case for all the characters.

When you combine all that with the general conduct of the MC, the reaction dialogue and retorts as well as judgmental monologues relating to the heroine truly feels empathetic throughout the comedy segments of these couple episodes and puts Mc on the same level as the people he is reacting to in the reaction scenes. This works so much better here considering the show presents the MC with losing heroine scenarios and their failed attempts at wooing their loved ones, which he has to react to as an observer. You just feel much more empathy and much less condescension.

The show's comedy is brilliantly executed and directed with great comedic timing and exaggerated physical comedy, with the very first episode setting the tone perfectly. In an early scene, the protagonist finds himself in a cafe where he sees one of the heroines and our protagonist’s classmate, Yanami, getting rejected by her childhood friend after she encourages him to chase after the transfer student who had been with them for a month and was about to leave abroad again. After she's left alone in the cafe, she sees the cup with the chewed-out straw that belonged to her childhood friend and slowly starts bringing it to her mouth and eventually takes a sip, with the MC reacting with the “Ah no, Yanami-san, just don’t please, that is too desperate to chew that straw, nooo!” with suspenseful music and elements of physical comedy involved, which completely expresses his second hand embarrassment. The Mc looks down in the middle of this, with hands over his face, and then looks up across the room to see her now noticing him with big dead eyes. Another scene has the protagonist’s sister is shown making the same dead eyes out of concern as the camera abruptly shifts from the protagonist to his sister as he tells her he actually talked to 5 people today in response to her concern that he has no friends.

The comedy is also quite witty in how it deconstructs the rejection scenarios of the harem/romcom heroines, of which the above is an an example but there’s much better scenes down the line. A different scene details the struggle of the heroine as he tells our MC that her and her crush's families are friends and they're concerned about them not hanging out as much as they organise a party to have them together, a funny and awkward moment delivered with creepy music. Another example of its wit is how it sets up a long scene with the MC and one other heroine visiting a water fountain a bit away from the main class building with the heroine asking him what he’s doing there as it’s strange, which leads to them having a verbal showdown regarding who is more knowledgeable about the water taps in school, with the heroine finally arguing after a good few volleys that the x floor tap during the afternoon is better despite the excess chlorine as it makes one used to it, following which the MC deduces she eats her lunch in the bathroom. Much better executed than I can express in a few words, as the direction plays a big part.

Finally, perhaps the last and the qualifying element that enhances the show is that while it was in just a glimpse in the second episode, it showed it knows how to nail big moments, be they bittersweet or life affirming or heartwarming. Another heroine in the work, who is an athlete, ponders upon how she has been running in circles all this time. Later in the episode she is rejected and is cheered up by the protag and the straw heroine with the whole part being wholesome and comedic. Following this the next scene has the school nurse guessing and doodling a relationship chart of the students at night as her hobby and she hears sounds from the track ground, which she goes to check and finds the heroine there. They have a brief convo, and at the end the heroine asks the teacher if she can run one more lap: “You want to run some more?” “I feel like I can finally get somewhere.” Then the scene cuts to a snap of the diary which shows the relationship chart with a question mark over an arrow between the heroine and the protagonist, portending things to come.

PS: did I mention how well the ed suits the show?

TV shows these days won't stop making anime related to the rom-com genre any time soon. Whether it's about childhood romances, school crushes, or workplace love, there's seemingly always one or two that pops up every season. Makeine Too Many Losing Heroines didn't seem too different from the usual suspects but offers a somewhat unique take on the rom-com genre. Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! is connected by its genre, something that can't escape from since its first episode. It doesn't take long for us to discover why the heroines are known for 'losing'. Humans emotions are complex and there are countless ways to describe howwe feel each day. For the female cast of this show, they are connected by heart break. The anime intentionally sets up for them to be crushed mentally when their love interest rejects them. In some ways, the anime is self aware of its boundaries and what it set to do. At the center of it, a young man named Kazuhiko Nukumizu is confronted by these losing heroines.

Nukumizu represents the poster child of an introvert in this anime. Not the type to make friends easily and also keeping to himself, very few understands the type of person Nukumizu really is. In actuality, he is a normal teenager who just has self doubts especially when dealing members of the opposite sex. Furthermore, his otaku habits blends in with his real life behavior, such that he believes he sometimes believes life is like a light novel.

The show is created with romance in mind but not the typical 'guy and girl fall in love' together. The s main protagonist is actively aware of romance but his own inferiority causes him to have a low self-esteem. It doesn't take long for him to find others who also suffers from love and rejection. The most prominent among them includes Tsuwabuki High's first year student Anna Yanami. The pair's bonding begins after Anna got rejected by her crush and she needed a shoulder to confide in. Nukumizu becomes a sort of life coach for her even though he lacks any experience in romance. However, that's not the point. It's obvious that the anime wanted to build on their own relationship while also getting Nukumizu to grow out of his shell. From early episodes, he also makes contact with other heroines such as Lemon and Chika. Although their circumstances are different, they all fall in the category of being on the 'losing' when it comes to romance.

As self aware this anime is about romance, it doesn't necessary try to push that direction at every chance it gets. It treats the story narrative like a life lesson, as something that needs to be learned. Characters such as Anna, Lemon, and Chika all go through phases that resembles the 5 stage of grief. This is where Nukumizu's role plays in and he attempts to support them on an emotional level. It starts off awkwardly beause he has a hard time understanding each of their feelings. Given his poor social skills, Nukumizu's experience here almost feels like a lesson for him to learn too. Watching him pair up with the loser heroines invokes a variety of feelings and emotions. While he offers dating advice every now and there, it often has mixed results. By the time half this show aired, all the main girls has suffered emotionally in one way or another. None of them find their fairy tale ending and it begs brings the question whether Nukumizu failed as an advisor and as a friend.

Whatever direction you see the story dives into, it's obvious that it's also about the characters growing up. Romance and relationship plays into a big factor as part of the show's core themes. However, be aware that some of the main characters will take the 'Third Wheel' role, including Anna. Nukzumizu is also often caught in the middle of misunderstandings. And because of how the heroines are introduced to him in the show, it leaves Nukumizu a negative first impression of them. Ultimately, this show takes on an experimental like style of storytelling where it doesn't try to pair up the main guy with the three main girls. It uses him as a plot device while deconstructing the romance aspects and sticking to its main roots.

A-1 Pictures' style seems it was destined to adapt this light novel straight on the TV screen. Character designs looks just like the art illustration coming to life. The main girls each have their delicate features matched by their personalities. At times, there are also various comedic moments that looks foolishly cartoony. Other times, it gets emotional carried by tears, moans, and sobbing. And to add some flavor to the anime, the show promoted various artwork that you'd often find in romance. The ED theme songs are also colorful, catchy, and plays a metaphoric role in highlighting the studio's talents.

Makeine Too Many Losing Heroines! is a show that takes the romance genre and plays around with it almost like a game. Nukzumizu is forced to be in that role of a player who has to guide the losers to their victory. No, this isn't a show about love conquest. Instead, it's a life journey, a show that tests each of the characters' human feelings and see where it takes them.

Yep, I can confirm that there's definitely Too Many Losing Heroines! 😜 What sets Makeine apart from all the other shows in its genre is its natural approach to romance and an actual sense of realism in its characters and writing itself. • The dynamic between Anna and Nukumizu just oozes with chemistry and in my opinion is next to none when it comes to how well these two play into each other's roles, it's seriously just fun watching these two interact with one another because of how goofy ahh their interactions usually turn out to be. 📑 ↓ → A very similar thing can be said aboutthe rest of the cast... The sheer variety of personalities you encounter throughout the show that're just as well "grounded in reality" as Anna and Nukumizu makes for a sincerely memorable experience, it's simply just very enjoyable to watch all these characters go about their daily life; from dealing with the most mundane of tasks to facing head-on against their hardships... From a normal point of view, all these interactions might just seem as only a small unimportant things but in truth, they add up over time and make for a great character development and also give the viewer more insight into the characters themselves. 📂

• From start to finish Makeine's production value is nothing short of stunning; boasting exceptionally fluid animation, lively and vibrant colors and sort of an old-school character design that just pops. The VA's also did an absolutely outstanding work with my favorite VA being Tono Hikaru (Anna's voice) which is also one of my personal favorite VA's! Honestly, I'm over the moon she got this role because I love her voice and I think the breath she gave to Anna's character is absolutely unmatched... 📈 📈 📈

• As a last thing I also wanna briefly mention the Op/Ed's; I mean the Opening is great, it's vibrant and just plain fun, but when it comes to the Endings those are the work of love and passion... in some, they literally had to improvise with new camera angles for unique semi-realistic shots in other, with a completely new art style. All that hard work for something that most people skip anyway... 📷 🎨

All in all, Makeine's a breath of fresh air amongst its genre which knows how to sincerely voice the complexities of human interactions and romance in a clear and genuine down-to-earth way and i seriously cannot recommend it enough! 💘

Makeine was an anime that I had high expectations for. The ammount of hype and praise it got right after its release and the promise of showing us a realistic highschool romance experience was enough for me to pick it up. It should be obvious that it was a horrible decision on my end. Makeine is the single worst "romance" anime I have ever seen in my life. I won't go into a lot of detail about it but the reasons are as the following. Makeine was the first anime to make me suffer as much as I did. Not because I related to the painful realityof rejection when it comes to highschool romance or anything. No, the reason behind me suffering is how boring this anime was. By the final episodes all I could do was to scream for it to end.

The decision of using the male MC as a tool for showing us what the female cast is experiencing is certainly a unique method of storytelling. I mean, I think it is what they aimed for because the male MC (whose name I sadly have forgotten during the time of this review) is the lamest and meaningless excuse for a main character I have seen in any romance anime. He shows no sign of character for the majority of the anime and when he does it is the most idiotic showing of character imaginable.

The female cast is insufferable. All of the main girl characters are incredibly annoying and far from being likeable. The show's main plot of being overlooked by your childhood friend when it comes to romance is also a huge part of the reason the main female cast suck. They all have the same problem so they all whine and cry about the same thing. What even was the reason to have multiple girls if they all go through the same things with no satisfying resolution in the end.

The only positive aspect of this anime is of course the art and animation. It is perfect. Nothing more to say about it.

Makeine is a testament to good directing, the visuals are constantly interesting and colorful, and the voice acting is unique and makes you love the characters even more. The directing of every facet of this anime is expertly done and that doesn’t go unnoticed. Also, unlike a lot of other shounen romcoms (ahem, Roshidere) it’s not a fantasy with some genius MC who gets all the girls. Nukumizu is very awkward, and he makes plenty of mistakes. But with each mistake he learns and gains the respect of those around him. When he steps over the line he gets chewed out, and that’s something that alot of romcoms fail to do. A main character that can do no wrong isn’t interesting and Makeine realizes this.

Finally, another thing I really love is that the characters actually seem like friends! It’s a detail that is so often neglected, but all of the main female characters seem like legitimate friends and they are believable as such. It makes rooting for all of them much easier, and the watching experience much more enjoyable.

So, is Makeine perfect? No. But, if you’re looking for a fun romcom that is both engaging and consistent I can’t recommend it enough.