Reviews for Go For It, Nakamura-kun!!

I’m not gay. Nor am I ever interested in boy love content unless it has another plot or theme. I’ve never really been interested in male characters in romance anime either, and even when I do, they usually do not look like one. So this anime, where romance is the main point and the main character is absolutely gay and falls in love with another male character who also looks like a male, is absolutely outside my "comfort" zone. But in an attempt to broaden my taste and perspective, while also trying to understand what fujoshi and yaoi fans like, I gave this one a shot. And aftera few episodes in, I kinda get it. I understand the charm because it is basically just like watching your average school romcom. Sometimes it is corny, sometimes it is sweet, and sometimes it is funny.

There are a few moments here and there that genuinely make me smile and make me forget that right now I am WATCHING TWO DUDES, a gender that I usually ignore when I watch a romcom. But here I am, invested in it.

Not only that, the animation of this anime is superb, the art style is charming, and the visual jokes are on point. I do not know why the budget goes so hard for this anime, but goddamn, I am glad it does.

Most of the characters are not new tropes or particularly unique. I do want to point out that Nakamura likes octopuses. It is not important, but I just wanted to mention it because it is definitely new. Right?

Now the music. While the OP is meh, all of the ED songs are bangers, especially the first one. Good lord, I can hear that one on repeat.

That being said, I still would not be brave enough to recommend this to anyone I know, because I am 100% convinced that I would get a few frowns if I ever even mentioned the existence of this anime to any non BL lover or anyone who is not familiar with shounen ai content.

Overall, it is a great anime that I would highly recommend to anyone who is into shounen ai, but I am not really convinced enough to recommend it to someone who is not used to it. All the sweet moments definitely make you say, "Go for it, Nakamura <3"

"Ganbare! Nakamura-kun!!" is a true masterclass in media adaptation. It doesn't just adapt the source material; it adds to and enriches the work. With the dozens of artists involved in this anime's creative process, you can clearly perceive the love that each person poured in and contributed to make the final result wonderfully beautiful and fun. This anime elevates the manga by author Syundei, which was created as small, daily-life chronicles of Nakamura Okuto, a teenager who is in love, silly, and immature (as any teenager is). The only difference is that he's gay. It shows, quite realistically, just how cringey this phase of lifeis. And the viewer will laugh (or cry) from relating to him. The work's charm lies in the author's beautiful, nostalgic 90s anime art style. And the producers made a point of preserving and, even better, enhancing that beautiful aesthetic with a wonderful City Pop soundtrack that changes with each ending.

The work adapts both manga volumes together, changing the order of some chapters and altering a few events. The changes are overall really positive. In its original conception, "Ganbare Nakamura-kun" was meant to be short stories to fill the end of the quarterly magazine Opera, which specializes in Boys' Love (the same magazine that publishes Doukyuusei). At the end of the first manga volume, the author mentions that she thought the story wouldn't be definitively serialized, so she rushed the events in some chapters. The anime, in turn, gives the story a chance to "breathe" and unfold more fluidly. Since the manga has few released chapters, original stories were included, providing a magnificent opportunity to develop all the characters. The anime "savors" the events and makes each chapter shine in its respective episode. The changes were truly wholesome and very welcome. Each ending reflects the vibe and what the protagonist is feeling at the end of each episode, and the songs are really good. They left a hook for a possible second season at the end, and all the fans are eager for that dream to become a reality!

It should not go unmentioned that the casting of all the Japanese voice actors was perfect. Especially Chiaki Kobayashi. He is wonderful as Nakamura, and with his performance, you can tell how much he enjoyed voicing him. With this work, he is wrapping up almost three consecutive seasons (Summer 2025, Winter and Spring of 2026) as a protagonist in fantastic shows, delivering impeccable work as a standard. Yuuki Sakakihara is proving to be a revelation in this year of 2026, with his incredible vocal range, both as Hirose and as Kirara in Jujutsu Kaisen. And it's refreshing to hear veteran Takuya Eguchi in a BL and Slice of Life again. He is shining in this role, and I believe there is no other voice actor more suitable to play Otogiri-sensei than him.

So that's it: If you want to watch at the end of the day a comedic slice of life that is beautiful, nostalgic, and gay, you have found the perfect anime for it! It is truly perfect in everything it sets out to do. I have no doubt that in the future, this anime will become a classic!

I can’t believe this stupid, silly show was what reignited my passion for anime. Boys’ love, a genre we’re all familiar with. Many are fans; some avoid it in case their parents walk in; some have prejudices against homosexuality and refuse to indulge in the genre. I fall in the second category: my religious family would not like to walk in on boys kissing. As someone who is homosexual myself, I’ve been conditioned to feel ashamed of it and hide it all my life (sorry if this review gets personal; this show means a lot to me). “Ganbare, Nakamura-kun!”, adapted from Syundei’s iconic manga of thesame name, known for its iconic 80’s artstyle, endearing characters, and relatable depiction of being a gay teenager in a heterosexual dominant world.

The story aligns with many similar ‘socially awkward person learns to integrate within society and make friends’ anime like Bocchi the Rock, Watamote, Hitoribocchi, Onimai, and lots more, which you know you’re in for lots of laughs and second-hand embarrassment. It follows Okuto Nakamura, a shy gay teen who is head over heels with his classmate Aiki Hirose. Throughout the show, we see Nakamura attempt to get close to Hirose in ways anyone who has had a crush before may relate to, like trying to greet them, picking up things they dropped, wanting to walk home with them, etc. It is EXTREMELY funny and relatable; the adaptation does a fantastic job of covering facial expressions, voice acting, animation, and lots more that bring the show to life. It is very clear the team behind this show cares a lot and is passionate about making it the best product possible. Additionally, one would think this show would follow a typical zero-progress, pure comedy show (which I wouldn’t complain…), but Nakamura surprisingly develops throughout the course of the show, gaining more courage to get closer to Hirose over time, and more I won’t spoil. It’s incredibly inspiring and motivating to see Nakamura build up confidence and make connections throughout the show. I will admit, maybe there isn’t as much progress as one may expect (definitely not Bokuyaba levels), as it is definitely a slow-burn show; there is a great sense of accomplishment and achievement throughout the show where you can’t help but root for the best for them. It is most definitely a comfort show; every episode leaves you happy and cheering him on (except for one) as it slowly but surely develops Nakamura and his relationship with Hirose. The story is nothing less than a 10/10; it’s perfectly executed and leaves you wanting more.

As a character-driven show, it is inherent that the characters are amazing. Our protagonist, Nakamura, as stated before, is very relatable and portrays a realistic gay teenager in high school, which is a point I’d like to praise the show for. I feel that in many BL I watch, sexuality isn’t really a controversy in their world, which is great, as they can have comforting relationships without discrimination or fear. While there aren’t outward depictions of homophobia in this show (thank God, I would be heartbroken), it is clear there is a social stigma against homosexuality that prevents Nakamura from being more open about his feelings. The show does an incredible job of showing the struggles of being gay, especially in episode 12, which blew me away with how real it got. Nakamura’s development throughout the course of the series is amazing to watch, and he’s very well-written. In stories similar to this, the character with a crush usually doesn’t have a personality outside who they like, but they did a good job of making Nakamura an actual person with hobbies, interests, and even sacrificing time with his crush to indulge in his interest once. I know that’s a low bar, but I just think it’s great how they went through the effort to make him more real and relatable.

Hirose is Nakamura’s crush, and he’s definitely one of my favourite characters, both as of recent and of all time (you can see him in my top 10 on my profile). At first glance, he looks perfect: kind, outgoing, and adorable. However, throughout the show we get to know more about Hirose: his flaws, his interests, his friends, and lots more that make him feel so real. Something I really appreciated about Hirose is that his good qualities aren’t just told to the audience, like Nakamura just saying “he’s kind” without any evidence for it, or his qualities are only shown through big, grand actions just to be evidence of the fact, like him ‘being kind’ is feeding the homeless or whatever. Instead, Hirose’s kindness and outgoing personality are shown through small actions and subtle details in how he conducts himself. It’s a great detail the anime added, like adding small gestures he does; my favourite example being putting his bottle away when Nakamura was speaking to show he was listening and open to whatever he was going to give him; it’s a very small detail in the background of the frame, but it just goes to show that Hirose isn’t lazily written as the ‘kind guy’, he shows he is kind which I appreciated a lot. Additionally, I loved how he is literally a normal teenage boy. He isn’t the perfect, model student that everybody is head over heels for; he’s literally a normal guy who likes games, hangs out with his friends, can be a people-pleaser, and is forgetful. You would expect him to be similar to last year’s Bad Girl, in which the love interest is the top of the grade, insanely attractive to everyone, helpful and acts as a role model to all; the list goes on, but again I’d like to emphasize how REAL this show is. I, myself, was a Nakamura with a Hirose in my life, and I’m sure many others can resonate with this show. His flaws don’t make him weaker; in fact, it makes him even more lovable, and it makes you understand why Nakamura fell in love with him. Hirose is just such an amazing character, not only because of his realism, but also his development throughout the show. You can tell he’s had internalized homophobia throughout the show and wants to please others even at his own expense, with episode 6 as a turning point for his development. My only complaint about the show is that we should’ve learned more about Hirose; I understand 13 episodes isn’t quite enough to go fully in-depth with a character, and a lot of the show is Nakamura trying to get close with him rather than actually being close with him. However, there were definitely some episodes more meant for comedy centred around people AROUND Hirose rather than Hirose himself; they were really funny and enjoyable, but it really didn’t add to the story or development (emphasis on Matsumura episodes). Although it’s a complaint, it further emphasizes just how good Hirose’s character is despite us not getting to know him enough, which leaves us craving more. If I had to sacrifice some of the comedic episodes for more meaningful moments with Hirose, I would do it in a heartbeat. A popular opinion I’ve seen is that we should get a second season from Hirose’s perspective; although basically impossible, I would love to see it happen. Overall, Hirose’s character is definitely a highlight of the show and adds even more to the relatability and realism of the show.

Other characters add a lot to the heart of the show; Oomori, Takeuchi and Hirose’s other friends give insight into how Hirose is with his friends, and show Hirose’s conflict with wanting to please them but also having his own wants and needs. Kawamura and her group of friends are really funny; she was more of a background character in the manga, so I appreciate her added importance in the anime. Characters such as Reiko and Tamura add a lot and develop the plot and characters; I really like Tamura, not really sure why; he’s just really entertaining. Hana is more of a plot device for Hirose and Nakamura, but she’s sweet and really cute. Matsumura is a character I’m more conflicted about. All the side characters are pretty much exaggerated and dramatic for the funnies, like Tamura and Reiko, and the same goes for Matsumura, but I’m not really a fan of him. His obsession with Hirose is weird, and I have a grudge against his episodes with no development taking up precious screentime with Hirose. However, he is really funny, and those episodes were hilarious, and he even had some extra development I didn’t expect in episode 11, but I feel like he didn’t add much to the core of the show. Tamura and Reiko are different because they contributed to Nakamura and Hirose’s development, but Matsumura more interrupted them. Finally, the teacher, who is probably the most controversial aspect of the show. Personally, I’m just really happy they changed it a lot from the manga. In the manga, there were a lot more uncomfortable jokes regarding him and Hirose (I still love the manga dearly and I understand they were just jokes, but I personally felt put off), but the anime changes a lot due to the author’s request and makes it a lot more wholesome and less weird, which I adored. Some complained that the changes were ‘disrespecting’ the source, but they were unaware at the time the author requested it to change. In the anime, the teacher is a great supportive character who offers insight into Hirose’s aspirations and what he wants to become, and I couldn’t ask for more. Overall, the characters in the show are extremely strong, and the side characters bring a lot of heart and love to the show and its development.

The previous point about the teacher ties into my love for the adaptation. They wanted this show to appeal to as many people as possible and give it the absolute best adaptation it deserves, and it shows. The art is incredible and is a great replication and homage to the 80’s anime art style while remaining fresh and modern at the same time. The animation is smooth, and I never noticed any dips in quality within animation or art. I really like how they added extra effects to the animation, such as exaggerated moves and hyperboles to make it funnier. It’s not just the comedic scenes, but a lot of more dramatic or emotional scenes have proper lighting, and the art is BEAUTIFUL, especially in episodes 6 and 12. The direction is also amazing; a lot of interesting perspectives and camera angles are used that you wouldn’t expect from a comedy show. The sound is perfect, no complaints. The soundtrack is an instant classic and fits the mood, and the sound design adds a lot to the show. The opening is a banger, and I love how they change the ending songs throughout the show, using several classic Japanese songs that add to the 80’s mood, showing just how much they love and are passionate about the show. The chapters they choose to adapt are also very interesting; it isn’t a 1-to-1 adaptation but rather shuffling chapters around to fit the development, which I actually love so much. It kept me guessing what chapter is adapted next and was really exciting to see. Additionally, since only around 19 chapters are out at the moment and 13 episodes of the show exist, there isn’t enough content to fill up the whole timeslot, so they add a lot of anime original episodes and scenes that contribute to the development, so if you’re a manga reader considering watching it, definitely give it a go. Overall, the adaptation is perfect, even beyond perfect; one of the best adaptations of a manga I have seen as of recent.

This is more of a formality at this point, but of course my enjoyment of the show is through the roof. As I said, this show was what reignited my passion for anime. I know I shouldn’t be talking about my personal experiences, as this is a review, not a blog post, but before this show I seriously lost all motivation for anime. I forgot what made me love the medium so much, and this show showed me, through having one of the best adaptations of one of my favourite manga, making use of everything great about anime, having endearing and realistic characters, and their amazing portrayal of homosexuality within adolescence. Nakamura’s confidence in his sexuality is really inspiring, as he never really hates this part of him; he embraces it as part of him, and I hope Hirose can too. Every episode was hilarious and fun to watch; every scene with Nakamura and Hirose had me rooting for them; I laughed, I cried, I enjoyed the whole show the whole way through and will definitely be rewatching the show many times.

Overall, this show is a must-watch experience that can be enjoyable by pretty much everyone. It has everything: it’s funny, it can be dramatic, it has great and lovable characters, and every episode has something new. As a huge fan of the manga, I cannot thank Studio Drive enough for the love they poured into the adaptation and for giving Nakamura and Hirose the development and ending they deserve. There’s not much left to say other than I LOVE this show and it’s likely it’ll be sitting in my top 10 soon. The past 3 months with this show were a journey; Hirose inspired me to be a better person and to be kind to others, and the adaptation further emphasized it. As someone who emphasizes a lot with Nakamura, as we have had similar struggles, the show makes me feel a lot more confident with my sexuality, and it’s something to embrace rather than hide and be ashamed of. I know to others, the show is just another funny show, but to me, “Ganbare, Nakamura-kun!” is everything.

Score: ABSOLUTE PEAK, HIROSE IS THE BEST

One of the easiest 11/10’s of my life.

Thank you for reading.

This is the best BL anime I've ever watched. First, let's talk about the animation and art. They're all excellent, the movements aren't monotonous, and they also maintain the retro art style of the manga. Second, the music and voice acting.They use a different song for each ending, in a retro Japanese pop style. It's a brilliant idea. As for the voice acting, although I prefer Hirose's voice acting in the drama CD, the current cast isn't too bad. As for Nakamura's voice acting, I always remember Strak from the anime Frieren, LOL (they're the same voice actor). And third, and most importantly, the story. I really likeit because we get to see the perspective of the main character, who is a same. I'm tired of most BL anime where the main character is the weak uke and the same is the handsome and popular guy.

I was a bit worried about the story at first when they announced it would be 13 episodes, with the source material being two manga volumes with a few short chapters, but so far they've done a good job with some great extra scenes and also some deleted scenes of Hirose and Otogiri-sensei.

In conclusion, if you're tired of mainstream BL anime with boring uke MCs and want a different perspective, you should definitely give this one a try!

I can’t believe there was once a time where I didn’t like BL because Go for it Nakamura is one of the best romances and shows of the year so far. This was such a refreshingly unapologetically queer story that made me fall in love with the characters and narrative from the very beginning. It also features one of the most beautiful art styles and some of the best production values of the year, even if you’re not usually into LGBTQ series, I highly recommend checking this one out because ultimately good romance is good romance regardless if it’s het or gay. LGBTQ stories havealways been integral to the fabric of anime as a medium. Anime has often been used to create social commentaries on issues that are difficult to talk about in Japanese society. In recent years, we’ve definitely seen an uptick in Yuri titles being adapted, but the same can’t be said of BL titles so hopefully Go for it Nakamura is the start of a shift in that trend because while lesbian relationships are often fetishized by straight men, gay male relationships are villainized and looked down upon and I believe stories like these are important to bring to life, especially as Japan continues to become more progressive on LGBT issues.

What really stands out to me about Nakamura is how accurately it reflects just how awkward, insecure and anxious a young gay kid can be. Nakamura isn’t perfect. He’s weird, horny and flawed, but that’s how all kids are at that age and there’s a very clear trajectory for his growth throughout the season where you look back and can’t help but feel like a proud parent seeing how far your kid’s come. Going from not even being able to talk to Hirose to casually hanging out with him was the proudest I’ve ever felt watching an anime. I became so invested in this relationship and even though things don’t go how I expected, I can honestly say I’m ok because the focus of this story was always on Nakamura coming to terms with and loving who he is. His relationship with Hirose is sort of just the vehicle to get us from point A to B. Kind of hard to go more in detail without spoiling things, so I’ll leave it at that.

Hirose himself is a really interesting love interest because he’s not written as an idealized prince or fantasy boyfriend. He’s just a normal kid, which makes Nakamura’s feelings feel more authentic. A lot of the show’s tension comes from Nakamura projecting his fears and insecurities onto Hirose rather than anything Hirose actually does which is a realistic depiction of how introverts and socially awkward people behave making the story very easy to immerse yourself in.

This show has such a good supporting cast as well. Every single character is funny as hell and brings something to the story, the fact every girl in this story is a massive fujoshi was so funny too. Special shoutout to my girl Hifumi for leaving me in stitches laughing in damn near every scene. The only one I wasn’t crazy about was Otogiri because of the weird nature of his relationship with Hirose, but other than that, there’s never a dull moment in this show thanks to the near endless supply of quality supporting characters.

While it’s based on a manga, the anime staff expanded on things in the form of anime original episodes and these were just as good as the manga adapted stuff in my opinion. It’s really cool that they were able to provide so much character development even when going off the cuff and creating original content. In other series, these would be filler episodes, but in Go for it Nakamura, they’re essential parts of the narrative that build upon previous developments.

Production values here are so good. The show looks gorgeous and has this retro 80s vibe art style and unique color palette with quality direction and we can’t forget those EDs which were just banger after banger. It’s clear a ton of love and energy went into this project which makes me so happy as it’s not a story we get a ton of these days.

Go for it Nakamura’s not just a great romance, it’s a great coming of age story with lessons that are applicable to all teenagers regardless of their sexual orientation and I think the biggest takeaway from it is to become comfortable in your own skin. A timeless and important message. This was such a big part of my life for the last 3 months and I’m truly sad to see it end. One for the ages.

Go for it Nakamura gets 9 out of 10

THIS! THIS IS HOW YOU WRITE A QUEER STORY!!! I cannot express enough how THANKFUL I am towards Syundei, towards THIS WHOLE SHOW, and MOST OF ALL NAKAMURA himself for this story. I think there should be more queer stories about navigating a heteronormative world while being confused and insecure; just validating how you stand out against this world, and despite that there will always be people who accept you. Much like Hirose is to Nakamura, his feelings for Hirose make him want to be more confident in himself. That to me is important storytelling to the queer experience. I like how this series wasn't necessarilya romance for that because even if it's left ambiguous or not that Hirose might likes him back, it's clear he enjoys Nakamura for his company besides that and we know Nakamura's goal is to become good friends with him. It's a simple goal but it feels compelling with the story acknowledging the importance of Nakamura's queerness when showing his affection for Hirose, whenever he hangouts or buys him something. It's important to Nakamura because it gets him closer and closer to Hirose.

For a BL comedy, it's honestly realistic and doesn't treat queerness like a fairy tale or a joke at all but it acknowledges the identity of being gay in a heteronormative world. I'm glad I got to see 13 episodes of this silly-gay boy exploding how close he gets to his crush because that was how I felt once upon a time when I was 15 (though my crushes didn't work out as much as Hirose, but my greatest friendships remain strong to this day!). I'm glad I finally got to see a story that doesn't revolve around same sex romance because WE ARE MORE THAN THAT! Some of us don't even get the privilege to fall in love or even express it, but knowing there can be people who accept us and want the best for us; that's where we can find belonging with ourselves too.

I definitely think by the end of the show, Nakamura finds that out for himself and learns to be happy with the boy he loves even if the world him not be ready for him to express it; he loves Hirose as much as a friend and crush. His feelings for him make him want to push forward despite how the world may not understand. So I'm proud of Nakamura for his bravery every step of the way!

Congratulations Nakamura-kun!

Go For It, Nakamura-kun!! is an anime about what it's like to be fifteen and turn stupid around your crush. That is to say, it's an anime I have to pause every five minutes to recover from secondhand embarrassment before I can continue watching. I am aware that this is entirely subjective. Some people find cringe comedy funny. Furthermore, it's probably less embarrassing if you find it relatable, and my high school years were absent of many of the typical teenage experiences, such as having crushes. In fact, it's even harder for me to buy into this show on account of the fact I've never understoodcrushing on someone you barely know. I am fully willing to admit I'm probably not the target audience, especially considering I don't find Watamote embarrassing on account of the fact I have social anxiety disorder and it feels more like teasing my younger self. So I'm sure former teenage hopeless romantics find this relatable and funny.

However, this review is my opinion. Nothing is truly objective. And in my opinion this is truly an uncomfortable watch.

Now, there are still things I like about it. I love the 80s-esque art. I think the characters are charming (except Hirose, who ironically feels a bit shallow). It does have funny jokes at times.

But man. I don't know how many more episodes of this I can handle.

Ganbare Nakamura-san!! is a high school BL that feels surprisingly relatable (like the kind of awkward, clumsy crush you might have had back in school). It’s full of missteps, misunderstandings, and those embarrassing moments where you only can think is: "All I want is disappear". The plot revolves around a sweet and innocent boys’ friendship (for now i guess) premise, but what really makes it shine is its constant comedy and its focus on everyday situations. Nakamura’s struggles to get closer to his crush are both hilarious and endearing, making it easy to root for him despite all the chaos he creates. One of the standoutelements is the art design, inspired of the 80-90s aestheetic (and I LOVE it).

*

If you’re looking for an anime that focuses directly on an established relationship and follows a couple’s highschool-day life, this is not the right one! Instead, it shows how the characters gradually get to know each other and how their relationship slowly develops starting from friendship.

I LOVED THIS SHOW WITH MY WHOLE HEART! Go for it, Nakamura-kun is one of those blissfully perfect and wholesome romance shows that captures your heart right from the first episode. It is so fun and charming and I shockingly have no complaints. If there was anything to find fault with, the only thing I would say, is that I just wish Nakamura was slightly more proactive with his feelings into the later episodes. However, that is it. I genuinely loved every single thing about this anime, from the characters to the love interest to the plot. It was a thrilling ride that I want togo on again and again.

It made me laugh, it made me cry, and it made me root for Nakamura and Hirose with all my heart.

I will be desperately waiting for the next chapter of this truly wonderful show.

Ganbare! Nakamura-kun!! Is something extraordinarily special, not just for romcoms as a genre, but also for queer media as a whole. This is one of only two BL anime I've ever watched in my life that actually explore what being gay, or even just queer as a whole, really means. Nakamura introduces us the watcher as being "shy and gay", and this is a very important aspect of his character that resonates through the rest of the series. We are experiencing the world from his point of view, that being a very shy and anxious high schooler, who is also gay. There are moments here and therethroughout the show that bring us into Nakamura's world, and we begin to see just how lonely it is. He's unable to share his favorite manga due to it being a BL, out of fear that his peers will judge him. Being scared to be seen out in public enjoying this same BL later in the season. Not to mention a deep and truly aching sadness that undertones the entire anime as Nakamura realizes that he is truly different. His classmates are always talking about girls, always talking about stereotypical "masculine" media. The relationships around him never look like him, it's never two men or two women walking hand in hand, further shoving him deeper into the closet. It's almost painful to watch, but at the same time it's so hauntingly beautiful to see an experience that's so layered with complex emotions be so wonderfully conveyed through animation.

This is, in my opinion, almost a perfect (if stylized) representation of what it's like to grow up queer. Nakamura is still just a normal high schooler, but he's also forced to hide himself away at every turn. It captures the loneliness and isolation of growing up queer in a way I haven't seen a piece of media do before, while at the same time showing that life still moves on regardless of our feelings of being other. It's a perfect mix of truly hilarious romcom with campy over the top tropes, and hard hitting and tear jerking emotion while not losing the reason both of these things are in the story in the first place. The comedy doesn't overwhelm the emotional beats, nor does it happen the other way around.

That's all not to mention the art style, which is so reminiscent of the 80s and 90s that it makes you forget this is a modern piece. Each episode is absolutely beautiful to look at, with it being clear that a great amount of love and respect went into this show, from the physical gags that remind me of old anime, to the way that smear frames are animated. In this day of modern anime, it's refreshing to see such a unique style pop out from the sea of sameness.

I love this anime, and I think that anyone who enjoys a good romance will like it too. This is, hands down, the best queer anime I've ever watched, and is honestly close to being the best piece of queer media just in general I've ever seen. I love it for not being afraid to show what it's truly like to grow up queer while also showing that while yeah it sometimes sucks, it's also sometimes the best days of your life. Each episode is jam packed with amazingly written characters, fun plots, and is just a joy to watch, even if some episodes elicit more tears than others. If you like queer media, please give this a chance, and hopefully you'll love it just as much as I do.

"Go for it, Nakamura-kun!!" is one of those shows where I appreciate that it exists, and enjoy it to some extent, but it leaves you wanting. There are some incredible directed episodes that make the heart swoon, but there are also equally cringy, painful, full of gags episodes that make you wonder if it's worth it. Lets start with the positives. This anime is incredibly enjoyable to watch from an artistic standpoint. It captures that retro style of old time anime and capitalizes on it in a shiny modern coat of paint. It's GORGEOUS and so eye catching, the type of style you'd like tosee on a lo-fi music channel. Impeccable vibes through and through. The ending sequences calling back to pre 2000s music is the cherry on top.

And then we have the actual "plot" which is watching Nakamura struggle in his day to day life with one-sided love for Hirose. Pining during one's younger years in a positive way without some sick twist that most shows these days love to pull simply for being a true BL show. It's sweet. The experiences captured here resonates with many a queer watcher including oneself. Incredibly relatable and some episodes truly dig at the heart.

But then there's the other parts. The incredibly cringy, gag parts. I was actually pretty mixed on the show from the get-go, solely because the "gag" joke moments were painful. I wanted to watch a romance bloom, and at times it felt instead that I was watching a 4-koma omake type bit. You have supporting characters who... really exist for the sole purpose of making what feels like filler. Such as the cult blue haired girl and the movie director boy that drags the characters around for the hell of it and kinda serve no purpose other than being annoyance.

It's such a mixed feeling because the episodes with just Nakamura and Hirose are pure bliss. That's what we love to see!!! And yet they're incredibly scattered between the muck of rando characters for the heck of it or moments that don't really pertain to Nakamura's journey. Nakamura is also just... incredibly painful to watch at times because he sometimes DOES act like a creep. Or can't manage say anything at all at times and nothing is more painful than watching a character hmmm and haw and stutter to the point that... there is no point. Creating resistance because they simply don't know how to talk.

While I think it's ultimately a good watch especially for those in queer communities, it could have done just a smidge better if it had been more focused.

Mangasını ilk kez 2021'de okumuştum, unuttukça da ara ara açıp okuyordum anime uyarlaması geleceğini öğrenince çok mutlu olmuştum. Aşırı tatlı ve komik bir seri, Nakamura yerine de bol bol utanıyorsunuz ama her karakter çok tatlı. HELE ÇİZİMLER AŞIRI TATLI 😭 onu sevin ona bir şans verin I first read the manga in 2021, and whenever I forgot parts of it, I’d go back and reread it from time to time. I was really happy when I found out it was getting an anime adaptation. It’s an extremely cute and funny series, you end up getting embarrassed a lot on Nakamura’s behalf, but every character isso lovable. AND THE ART IS ABSOLUTELY ADORABLE 😭 Please love it and give it a chance.

I was expecting nothing but an average comedy BL, but this anime delivered so much more. I got emotional way more times than I expected; the story is so cute and actually interesting, the characters are loveable and relatable, and Nakamura's development is slow but nice to see. Nakamura as a character is so real. I am not a gay man, but I used to be an outcasted weird loser girl in my teens with a crush so big I thought I could die, and I related to Nakamura so hard, so much. The art and music are also great; it's the final touch that makesthis anime a complete masterpiece not only as a BL but also as a romcom in general. 10/10, I will be rewatching this.

La millor adaptació animada que hagués pogut rebre el manga sense dubte. He seguit la sèrie durant setmanes, esperant que sortís el capítol cada dimecres per tenir el meu momentet de Nakamura😭 El protagonista m'encanta, me l'estimo tant tant tant, és el meu fillet literal :') I és tan tendra la forma en que es mostra el seu amor per Hirose😭 M'encanta que la història, a banda d'anar donant forma a l'amistat de Nakamura i Hirose, de manera tant implícita com explícita mostri com Nakamura va sortint de la seva bombolla, sense adonar-se'n, fent més amics i connexions pel camí. A l'inici de la sèrie em feia tanta tanta penetaveure'l solet, imaginant-se com seria ser l'amic del Hirose :(

També m'ha encantat l'humor de la sèrie. Deumeu de veritat que no m'esperava que em fes riure tant de forma genuïna. És difícil trobar animes amb bona comèdia, així que m'ha fet molt feliç aquest aspecte.

L'animació i els colors preciosos, els seiyuus al punto, literalment la veu de Nakamura és Nakamura, no sé com dir-ho però esque li queda tan bé el seu actor de veu.

I ja que estic, comento també que m'han fet molt feliç els ENDINGS. PEAK. TOTS I CADA UN D'ELLS.

M'ha semblat tan original que facin un ending diferent per cada capítol, amb el Nakamura fent coses per la seva habitació jajdjaj😭 I que posin cançons japoneses dels 80????? Deumeu em feia tan feliç quan reconeixia algunes cançons.

I al capítol 12, el més trist de tota la temporada, que només es mostrés l'habitació del Nakamura sense ell, en silenci :( Peak cinema.

I bueno, ja per acabar, quin final més bonic :')

Ha estat tan preciós veure el molt que ha avançat la seva relació (encara que només siguin amics).

Ja tinc ganes de que surti la segona temporada (QUE ESPERO QUE N'HI HAGI 6PLAU, O PLORARÉ MOLT😭😭😭😭😭)

Enfi, una joia de sèrie. Personalment trobo que, t'agradi o no el bl, és un must watch de manual.

L'humor, el (poc) carisma del protagonista, l'animació, l'estil, com es desenvolupa la història i la relació del Nakamura i el Hirose, la forma en que es narra... Tot peak.

10/10

Nakamura-kun is cute, funny, and lively. The humor and animation are pretty strong, but the big draw is Nakamura himself. The quality of the writing and visuals really make you connect with this insecure gay kid. I’ve heard that there are more risqué elements in the manga that were scrubbed out in adaptation. Based solely on what has been described to me, I think that the changes sound like a wash. One central plot thread feels enhanced, while some other smaller things feel sanded down or muddled. It does keep the in-universe real life fanfiction, so make of that what youwill. Might be a little icky for some that Nakamura doesn’t come to acknowledge he’s crossing a boundary, but it’s not that bad.

There is something I wanted out of the ending that I’m surprised wasn’t delivered, it feels like it sets up for something that it doesn’t properly pay off. However, the buildup to the ending is great, and it doesn’t end on a completely flat note. I just think it was heading in a certain direction and didn’t quite get there. I don’t think it gets there in the manga either, but maybe the execution of the story in print made it feel more justified.

Doesn’t ruin the story for me. I found the earlier episodes funnier, probably because once Nakamura and Hirose become friends, there feels like there’s less risk in their interactions, less chance of misunderstanding. Still a fun ride that I definitely recommend.

Happy Pride to these two cuties 🐙🦀 Story: Go For it, Nakamura-Kun is a slice of life comedy (except episode 12internal panic, assumptions and exaggerations firsthand. The comedy relies heavily on expressive visual gags, over the top internal monolouges and Nakamura’s social failures whereas the romance aspect is sweet, innocent and grounded entirely in a realistic teenage pace and for fanservice there is none at all (thankfully) as the show focuses on a highly wholesome aesthetic that favours a stylistic charm and emotional vulnerability. And for the ending, it operates as a comfortable open ended finale, leaving the door naturally open for future adaptations (please I need a season 2 right now) as it neartly concludes Nakamura’s inital hurdle of social isolation.

Art: The art style of this show is highly stylized and intentionaly retro as it serves as the primary engine for externailising Nakamura’s chaotic inner world. The use of washed out pastels and the retro style creates a cozy, safe enviroment that sofens the real world stakes of Nakamura’s isolation making his social struggles feel charming rather than depressing. Whenever Nakamura looks at Hirose the visual style instantly shifts as the screen is flooded with heavy lens flares and sparkling screen tones. This distinct visual shift lets the viewer see Hirose exactly how Nakamura sees him as an unreachable, idealized romantic protagonist.

Sound: The sound design goes hand in hand with the vintage animation style as it uses audio cues to directly mirror Nakamura’s mental state switching between over the top retro cartoon sound effects to quiet and intimate moments that highlight his social anxiety. The specific use of sound I would like to highlight is in episode 12 which is no doubt the most emotional episode of the season. To match Nakamura's intense heartbreak over a Valentine's Day misunderstanding, the audio design completely sheds its upbeat city pop rhythms that defined the previous 11 episodes and entirely removes them. Every previous episode ended with a different upbeat nostalgic song wheras in episode 12 it completely strips the ending credits of music as the heavy silence prevents the viewers from escaping the emotional weight of Nakamura's lowest point. It forces the audience to sit in the discomfort of his heartbreak, perfectly setting up the absolute necessity for emotional honesty and growth in the following episode.

Characters: Nakamura in the first episode outright reveals his sexuality to the audience by saying "I'm shy, gay and in love with Hirose Aiki" and as the season progresses we see the gradual emotional opening through a closested, anxious teenager learning to step outside his comfot zone. Nakamura’s journey is a grounded study of adolescent social anxiety and the vulnerability of wanting to be truly perceived. The narrative allows him to be flawed, he is occasionally selfish and hyper fixated and this prevents him from being reduced to a simplistic one dimensional character, making his small moments of bravery feel hard earned and realistic. Although the story is locked to Nakamura's perspective we see that Hirose recieves steady characterization that anchors the narrative. He was initially presented as flawless and his development relies on stripping away Nakamura's projections of this. He is gradually revealed to be a wonderfully ordinary, slightly clumsy, and uniquely perceptive teenager. He is a kind character who actively notices details about others, remembers minor past interactions, and makes deliberate efforts to pull more isolated classmates into his social orbit.

Enjoyment: Overall I quite enjoyed this show. It was awkward, funny, emotional and just overall a good watch. I love watching and reading different queer representations and this one surprised me with how much I ended up enjoying it. Nakamura is such a loser but I love him and I so hope we get a season 2 in the near future!

Alright, the anime has finally come to an end. Although I am very reluctant to part with it, I am very grateful for the three months of companionship. As a gay man in reality, I am very excited right now, so I have rambled and written this not-so-rigorous or objective review. (Note: But because I have never had a crush on anyone, it is unlikely that the complete empathy between me, this gay man, and the protagonist, which you might want to see, will appear.) 1. Tag Correction Instead of calling this anime a BL anime, it is better to say it depicts a gay boy's crush journeyduring adolescence (and it is very close to reality). The tag BL gives people a feeling that the two protagonists must fall in love, which is somewhat inappropriate for this anime.

(Of course, I know that many people who respect anime will realize that the tags attached to an anime do not necessarily represent the truth. But looking at Twitter, there are actually people who feel that Hirose and Nakamura not being together is a sign that the anime is terrible just because of the tag. This is indeed quite speechless. I will strongly refute this view later.)

2. Story

Overall, the story of this anime leans towards comedy, and the atmosphere is particularly relaxed and pleasant. Moreover, one of the tags of the original manga is "crush comedy," so if you are looking for profoundness or a sense of philosophy, that is definitely impossible. But if you just want to find some fun, there is indeed quite a lot of fun. (Ah, of course, I must confess that Episode 12 can no longer be counted as a comedy; it can make many sexual minorities feel bitter.)

Furthermore, the tone of the story adapted by the anime gives people a particularly positive and active feeling. One example is that in the original work, Nakamura secretly took Hirose's clothes to smell them, but in the end found out he had smelled the wrong clothes and felt very devastated, but he absolutely did not feel any self-reflection of guilt or remorse.

The anime, on the other hand, allowed Nakamura to have a bridge of self-reflection, making the story more in line with the 12+ rating (but actually, that kind of bridge in the manga is also quite real, although it has a bit of a moral flaw).

In addition, the anime deleted and modified some prejudices in the original work that might make sexual minorities feel uncomfortable (for example, Nakamura being tripped by school bullies for no reason, or the boys in the class having a sense of banter towards BL manga), making the anime as a whole very healing, warm, and gentle.

And, the love view delivered by the story is very, very healthy, perfectly fitting the original work (this will be mentioned later in the character section).

3. Art

The anime's artwork as a whole is very stable. Although there are indeed some small flaws, fortunately, the quality of the artwork in the most crucial episodes is very good, so the flaws do not obscure the jade (the merits outweigh the flaws).

The screen gives people a strong sense of retro, but benefiting from the blessing of modern technology, it is not so retro that it has a certain threshold for acceptance. For those who are new to anime, this is undoubtedly one of the reasons most worth recommending.

(However, one point I have to mention is: if you are interested in Nakamura's looks, you should go and read the manga. The black-and-white design in the manga will make you feel that handsome side of Nakamura even more. Although the anime has it too, it is still relatively inferior compared to the manga. However, Hirose in the anime and Hirose in the manga are both very cute.)

4. Character

Nakamura straight forwardly confesses his sexual orientation, which is relatively rare in Japanese anime. It belongs to catching up with the directness of last century's American cartoon South Park.

The characters are all very cute, and there is almost no one who genuinely has a point that makes people dislike them. This kind of character design easily reminds people of Cardcaptor Sakura from the last century.

If you like Cardcaptor Sakura, then you will also highly likely like the feeling given by the characters of this anime.

Then it comes to the love view that I think is most worthy of praise.

Nakamura's love view has grown very healthily: "His happiness is my happiness." Yes, true love is to bless the other person to obtain happiness according to their own free will, rather than forcibly possessing the other person oneself.

This kind of love view easily reminds people of Tomoyo's crush on Sakura in Cardcaptor Sakura, which is really cute and worthy of respect.

However, one difference might be that Sakura is a straight girl, but whether Hirose is a straight man is really hard to say.

I think that by virtue of his kind of淡淡的 (faint/detached) social aloofness and his helplessness when facing love, it is very much worth speculating whether he is asexual. Even if he is not asexual, he also gives people a strong feeling of being in a period of exploring his sexual orientation. This kind of ambiguity is very good.

Therefore, this has to return to the viewpoint mentioned earlier that the protagonists not being together means the anime is lying to people. I can only say, are the holders of this viewpoint not paying attention to the protagonist's growth and the sense of exploration of Hirose's sexual orientation reflected in the anime at all? And do they not consider the fact that the original manga has not finished yet?

If Hirose and Nakamura were forced to be together, that would be a disaster. It would neither respect the original work nor respect the personalities of the characters. The ambiguous treatment of the anime's ending is the most appropriate.

5. Sound

The music part is very pleasant to hear. Almost every episode's ED will be changed to music that fits the atmosphere of that specific episode's plot, which is very good.

The voice actors' dubbing is also very cute, and Hirose's dubbing is the most cute.

But if we are going to talk about who leaves the deepest impression,

That is undoubtedly Nakamura's voice actor. The crying scene in the twelfth episode is truly very infectious.

Although I have never had a crush on anyone, that kind of infectious power of the crying scene crossing the screen still made me burst into tears, as if I were accompanying a good friend who tasted the bitterness of a crush and wept bitterly, crying together with him.

6. Enjoyment

It was a very relaxed viewing journey. Every time I watched it, it gave me a feeling of relaxation (except for Episode 12).

It is very worth watching repeatedly, watching while eating, and listening to as background music.

I am very glad to be able to witness the birth of this kind of anime.

Finally

My evaluation is that as long as one is not an extremely homophobic anime lover, this anime is worth watching.

The gentle sense of youth reflected in the anime, reasonably speaking, can transcend the limitations of sexual orientation. For example, some shoujo anime, the love between the male and female protagonists also makes me feel very moved.

(My goodness? You actually finished reading this rambling and logically confused review? Then I wish you a happy life, no matter what sexual orientation you are.)owo

go for it, nakamura kun is one of the most faithful manga to anime adaptations i have ever seen. the artists created a perfect ambiance that translates so well from manga to animation. the show is colorful and upbeat, and the characters look like they popped out of an 80s/90s anime. not only that, but the additional material and revising of the manga’s stories make the show such an enjoyable watch. this show truly changes the vibe of the manga from more stereotypical fujoshi bl to actually elaborate on a lot of experiences that queer people go through. parts where nakamura would think about hirosein sexual situations in the manga were removed in the anime, which not only made it an easier watch, but also made the story focus more on the themes and less on fetishization. nakamura’s struggles of loving someone who may not reciprocate were deeply thought out and emotional; his queerness was a pivotal part of his character and not something added with little care for actually representing real queer relationships. its portrayed so realistically that it made me cry, as it is something that i (and other queer people) have experienced before.

on a separate note, the music in this anime is absolutely phenomenal. it has been a very long time since i have watched the intro of an anime every episode, but it’s safe to say that this intro is very easy to rewatch. the outros featuring assortments of other japanese music while nakamura does chores or works is extremely cute and is a nice touch to fully develop the retro ambiance.

in conclusion, watch this anime. it is an absolutely amazing show that is a faithful adaptation to the manga while also diving deeper into telling queer stories. whether you want a fun pick me up or a deep dive into a young, gay boy’s mind, this show has all of that. from the bottom of my heart, i love you go for it, nakamura kun.

Absolutely adorable. Go for it! Nakamura-Kun is hilariously funny, and it displays your average high schooler with a crush who falls in DEEP really well. It has mostly comedic moments, but when it gets serious, it's really well done, too. I wish it had some more serious conversations or events, but that's just a personal preference. This anime will give you MAJOR second-hand embarrassment, and I find that one of the best comedic techniques in shows. It'll get you laughing, screaming, and saying "aww" to every interaction Nakamura has. He might annoy you or put you off a bit, but personally, I loved him asa character and his child-like way of thinking.

I am going to say it. This is one of the best bl I had ever seen. What makes Gambare Nakamura be a success is a combination of different things. First, characters are relatable they are fun and each has their own personality. Nakamura is so relatable as a character, it reminds me of when I was young and had crushes in high school. The supportive characters like the teachers and Hifumi were also very fun to watch. Second the music was wonderful. The different ending songs was such a nice detail and all of them make you experiment different feelings depending on the mood of theepisode.

Third the story was cohesive and interesting. Seeing Nakamura go crazy and see his honest and wholeheartdly emotions and journey was one of the most beautiful rides I had taken in an anime.

This was for me the best show of summer,and of the best bl's develop until now.

So if you want shonen ai, bl, romance, comedy, acceptance, good music and a little bit of sadness this is the anime for you.