OP Sequence

OP: 「sign」 by Ray
Watch the OP!: Streaming ▼

「困ります、先輩。」 (Komarimasu, Senpai.)
“That’s Troubling, Sempai.”

I was hoping to be reminded of the Onegai Teacher/Twins in screenwriter Kuroda Yousuke and producer Ogura Mitsutoshi’s new romantic comedy, but wow, I wasn’t anticipating almost an exact copy of Teacher, right down to the alien girl. This should be interesting. It’s been so long since I’ve seen either Onegai series, so the sense of nostalgia is definitely here. In fact, it’s so prominent that I’m actually thrilled to see a rebooted version of an anime I watched nearly ten years ago and not the least bit bothered by how the premise is almost identical at first glance. While I do have to question if it was really necessary to make our red-haired glasses-girl heroine Takatasuki Ichika (Tomatsu Haruka) an alien, I do like I see so far from the series as a whole.

First-year high schooler Kirishima Kaito is voiced by a relatively new male seiyuu, Shimazaki Nobunaga, and isn’t socially inept in any way. He has friends — the studly and perceptive Ishigaki Tetsurou (Ogihara Hideki), the cute yet sometimes bashful Kitahara Mio (Asumi Kana), and the dishonest girl who clearly has a crush on him, Tanigawa Kanna (Ishihara Kaori) — and is a normal student in every way. He even has a hobby, filming, which is the driving factor of the story thus far. Throw in another main heroine, the devilish third-year Yamano Remon (Tamura Yukari), and we all the makings of a romantic comedy that I’m immediately on board with. The sci-fi twist if you will — befitting of the Onegai series screenwriter Kuroda Yousuke and original character designer Uon Taraku (adapted by Anohana’s Tanaka Masayoshi) — is that Ichika nearly killed Kaito when she landed on Earth.

It’s an interesting play on an already enjoyable series with all of the amiable characters and their goofy interactions, so I don’t see any reason to knock the series simply reusing a premise. Looking solely at Ano Natsu, the comedy has already won me over with Kaito’s embarrassing fantasies coming back to bite him, plus I can’t get enough of Kanna’s unrequited love that everyone but Kaito knows about. (Kaori’s outbursts as Kanna are reminiscent of Madoka in Rinne no Lagrange, who also won me over almost immediately.) Even if Ichika’s alien background becomes nothing more than a convenient plot device, I probably won’t mind one bit. Her character’s already provided some “good looks” and her nervousness over her secret is really fun to watch — especially when Tomatsu Haruka’s using a timid voice to play her. In connection, I just love how Kaito’s older sister Nanami’s (Hisakawa Aya) “actively” involved too, even though her screen time will probably diminish a bit in the upcoming episodes.

With all the positives to take away from a romantic comedy-stantpoint alone, I can’t help but get a little excited about this unassuming original series. Regardless of the premise, the producers have done well in reminding me of why I fell in love with this genre to begin with. The fact that Anohana director Nagai Tatsuyuki’s in charge just makes it even better. The same goes for the music composed by I’ve Sound, the opening theme composed by Orito Shinji, and the ending theme performed by former supercell vocalist Yanagi Nagi.

* It’s probably hard to pick out from the noises it makes, but Ichika’s alien helper “Rinon” is voiced by Hidaka Rina.
* Full-length images: 06, 10, 20, 21.

 

ED: 「ビードロ模様」 (Vidro Moyou) by やなぎなぎ (Yanagi Nagi)
Watch the ED!: Streaming ▼

Preview

81 Comments

    1. This show has been all about nostalgia for me – I felt it even from the first time I saw the trailer, not then knowing anything about the plot or its connections to Onegai Teacher. Imagine my pleasant surprise when the show turned out to shamelessly be almost the exact same thing, but much better.

      Great execution so far – despite what at first seemed like bland character designs, one episode later, all of the characters now already feel like old friends. Definitely my favorite new show so far this season. 🙂

      Knillinux
    2. yeah the nostalgia was hitting me hard and @stilts you probably felt nostalgia due to older romance anime’s having the same atmosphere? still this is really good and i am looking forward to this.

      genorage
  1. I really had no idea what to expect from this series, although I was thinking it’d be more of a normal drama. I like the character designs, and it doesn’t seem to over the top, so I might actually give this one a try, lest it turn into fanservice dribble, which I doubt it will.

    That red-head girl looks a lot like the blonde from Ben-to.

  2. I don’t know where you got the idea that it’s called Onegai Sensei. It’s Onegai Teacher (おねがい☆ティーチャー). It’s even right there on the wiki you linked to.

    whoisfriend
      1. Was that just the commonly adopted fan name then? Because until this I always had seen it referenced as either Onegai Sensei or Please Teacher. Had no idea the official title was different.

        And Moondoggie the romanji is “ticha.” ャ by itself is “ya” so combined チャ is “cha.” Couldn’t reply directly to your comment for some reason, but had a question for Divine anyway so 2 birds as they say.

        a42
  3. Amazing season this one. Another great opener, it was like watching a better animated Onegai Teacher, which was THE anime that made me love this genre ^^

    Thank you very much again Divine.

    leokiko
  4. Onegai Teacher + AnoHana = Ano Natsu.
    I am okay with that. Though the art bothers me at times.
    But it’s JC Staff and their 6 show this season so no surprises.
    Just hope JC puts some effort here as much as their other works with big names this season.

    belatkuro
  5. For serious nostalgia trip bro! I was 17 when I first watched Onegai Teacher now im 26… This reboot makes me feel so old.

    I was watching this show and immediately felt Anohana vibes with that melodramatic atmosphere going on. And then I find out here that it’s directed by the same guy who did Anohana, Honey & Clover, and Toradora. That dude has a distinct style.

    Chillax Mang
  6. OMG…

    *saw the heroine*
    *suddenly reminded of Onegai Sensei too*
    *remembered the distant past of highschool*

    Highschool Moondoggie: Nooooo!
    Otaku Moondoggie: Fuck Yeah!

    OK. Enough with the jokes. The show is an exciting rip-off of Onegai Sensei and that is a compliment, like how is NFS2 is to NFS1.

    I loved the Onegai series and this new show feels as good as. To all who has been complaining cliche, this episode is a testament that being unoriginal =/= being bad.

    The Moondoggie
    1. He ripped himself?!? Ingenious…

      No, just kidding XP

      But yeah, doing what has been successfully done before is actually a smart move. Maybe he was also waiting for the ones who had seen the Onegai series grow up to cultivate that nostalgic feel.

      The Moondoggie
  7. ……All aboard the Cole train!

    I dunno why precisely, but I saw the description, thought about it for a second then exclaimed “Dan Dan approves!”
    Sounds like a fascinating series this season. Bit on the lighthearted, funky on the sci-fi and jam packed of the clear and obvious ending that is gonna still be enjoyable.

    Man, I’ve kinda missed series like this to be honest. I’m looking forward to enjoying this series.

    DDNB
    1. If you thought it is, it’s because while the original characters were drawn by Uon Taraku of the Onegai series, the character designs were adapted for this anime by Tanaka Shouga, who also did the character designs for Toradora and AnoHana.

      Not surprisingly, he also worked with director Nagai Tatsuyuki for both of those series, so I’m glad to see he’s back to work with Nagai again.

      Kinny Riddle
      1. It’s too bad, since I’d have prefered the Onegai series charadesign, especially considering how recent Anohana is. Hearing Tomatsu Haruka’s surprised reactions constantly reminded me of her Anaru role.

        boingman
  8. I’ve never seen “Onegai Teacher” but I really did enjoy the first episode!

    The maturity of the characters is what I enjoy most. His relationship with his sister is calm and refreshing to me. The whole cast seems to feel much more natural than most anime I’ve seen, which isn’t much really. And how they can communicate with each other about relationships between one so openly is also nice. Usually the protagonist in shows I’ve watched can barely get a word out about someone their interested in.

    Shurai
  9. Incredibly nostalgic. Like many have said, this is basically Onegai Teacher, but new and even more fun, I have higher hopes for this series than any other this season.
    The most nostalgic part of all had to be the third-year Yamano Remon who, from what I can tell, is an exact photocopy of Morino Ichigo from the Onegai series, right down the the voice actress (not to mention the laugh). Not a bad thing, Ichigo was my favorite character from the Onegai series, and I hope Remon will be loved just as much.

    MrMartini
  10. I was kind of skeptical about this show, since it’s being done by the team that did “Annoying Trauma-boy & his Imaginary Friend”, but I have to say this first ep wasn’t terrible. Not great, but not terrible. Might give it a chance.

    Litho
    1. Could be worse, I had a resolution of no more than 4 shows a season. Needless to say I’ve exceeded that already(Rinne no lagrange, Another, Aquarion, High School DxD, Moretsu Pirates, Natsume Yuujin Chou, other stuff continuing on from last season and of course this). Personally, the moment I saw the first few minutes of the episode somehow it reminds me of AnoHana. I can’t quite put my finger on what triggered that thought at the time. I don’t disagree with the analysis of others here but don’t think my thought process was working that way when I was watching it. Anyway, another one for the season. I so don’t know how I’m going to get any work done in the coming months.

      Kou
    1. Indeed, thanks to the same character designer, they’re so similar that I’m seeing Kaito as basically Jinta had he stayed in school. Both Kaito and Jinta lost their loved ones when they were young (Menma, Kaito’s parents), though Kaito managed to soldier on while Jinta needed a bit longer to find closure with a little help from Menma.

      Kinny Riddle
    2. Ah, that would be why I made the association with AnoHana. Strangely enough that didn’t consciously occur to me when I was watching it but thinking about it now it make perfect sense.

      Kou
  11. Ho ho ho.. I knew from the beginning that this has something to do with onegai series.. (I’ve been using Ano Natsu wallpaper for a month now, and always wondering if the little guy on the screen resembles Marie-chan), but it struck me hard with the reboot idea when I saw the alien spaceship desperate landing! Uwaahh..!

    Direction wise, I still prefer the original Onegai Teacher first ep, wilder and edgier. But this one no slouch either.

    I personally love the scenery, vast countryside, greenly/blueish hills and laid back atmosphere. <– actually my own hometown looks just like that http://g.co/maps/7xjq7

    and yes, Onegai series was the one that actually hooked me to the genre as well, although my favorite still the Onegai Twins!

    Now let's see if this will be better than original and perhaps among the best this season too.

    fairx
  12. It immediatly reminded me of Onegai Teacher and I love it. So far so good, the art is great and so far I like the storyline of them making a film. The ending scene really made me laugh so I hope a little more comedy is sprinkled in each episode.

    Angelmonster
  13. I also felt nostalgia after watching the first episode…the setup, the alien girl, the mascot, the characters (I’m pretty sure what their role would be/who’s who), even how the entire OP went by, including that signature look behind by Ichika, haha, I actually laugh remembering how it’s strangely familiar to Onegai Teacher but also this episode has some good comedic moments.

  14. For some reason I feel really sad watching this that I almost cried. What’s up with that? There’s no sad, depressing scenes anywhere. The atmosphere feels just all to familiar to me yet not at the same time, almost like some sort of dream.

  15. My initiation into anime was only just beginning when the Onegai series had begun, back then I was still in my “Narutard” phase (glad I’ve graduated from that long ago), unaware of anything beyond Shounen Jump. Still, the Onegai series was still well-known enough for me to have heard of it.

    My main reason for watching the (second) most anticipated show (Nisemonogatari is first, but this may change) was because of director Nagai Tatsuyuki and character designs by Tanaka Shouga (not to be confused with original character artist Uon Taraku), both men had worked together in two excellent series: Toradora and AnoHana, so I had high hopes for this, even without Kuroda Yousuke on the script.

    I hear Lemon’s character design is based directly off Ichigo from Onegai Twins, they even got the same seiyuu in Yukarin to add to the nostalgia.

    Kinny Riddle
  16. No wonder the OP tune sounded so, what’s the word for it? “Dreamy”?

    The composer is Orito Shinji, who fans would recognize as the composer of various memorable tracks in various Key works like Kanon, Air and Clannad.

    Kinny Riddle
  17. Ah this was win man, it brings back a flood of memories with some extra twists that take the series to its own unique line. Oh yeah speaking of win, Divine while you don’t wanna blog Kill me Baby I do recommend it for a watch dude, it might give you similar random laughs that Nichijou did though of course not as good in quality. Just sayin’

    gawrshness
  18. As with many other viewers, I have also felt nostalgic watching this show. I have always been a fan of Onegai series, and I will definitely keep this show on my watch-list.

    The ending theme of this show is awesome, as expected from nagi. Initially when Guilty Crown came out, I quite disappointed that she is no longer the vocalist of supercell. Afterall, I have always been a great fan of her songs. I am glad she is able to debut on her own, but it is still quite perplexing to me why supercell would ditch her for two new vocalists.

    John
    1. Nagi was never part of Supercell. She did what I guess you could call a guest performance for them when they are feeling a bit sick of the limitations of the Vocaloid expression range. Nagi has her own circle and has produced her own albums for a while.

      Scruffy
  19. Hehe, I think it’s almost exactly 10 years, to the day, since I watched the first episode of Onegai Teacher and, like divine, got introduced to the genre and smitten by the series. Watching this “remake” really is nostalgia overload!

    Greg
  20. …well, I was not expecting Onegai Teacher Redux.

    I guess that makes this “Onegai Sempai”? Or maybe “Onegai Upperclassman”.

    Anyway, hell. It could be an actual sequel. And Lemon is soooo obviously Ichigo. I was actually gobsmacked when she opened her mouth and Yukarin came out. I thought they wouldn’t be that obvious.

  21. I was about to comment how much I hated this first chapter, but seeing how much you all want to delude yourselves into believing this to be a nostalgia trip I will not waste your time any furter.

    Teela
  22. While it is a lot like Onegai Teacher, there will be a major difference with the story line. That being that the relationship between the alien girl and the human will not be kept a secret, which was a big part of what made the first series so entertaining. I am kind of excited to see what happens with this show, so i will definitely give it a try.

    Quikbeam
  23. This is indeed much like Onegai Sensei all over again. However, i’m starting to think that rather than a stand alone series that is seperate from the Onegai Sensei-verse, this has the possibility of being a prequel to Onegai Sensei. The key point would be that in the original Onegai Sensei series, Mizuho did mention to Kei that her father was an earthling while mother was an alien. So the possibility is already there. And if it is indeed true, like mother like daughter, they both prefer younger men since Ichika is older than Kaito 😛

    Euzio
  24. My God, for a moment there I felt like I was almost a decade in the past. This premier brought up a lot nostalgia from the Onegai series and that´s good thing in my book. the creators promised to revive the meaning of romance anime with this series and based of what I´ve seen so far this was a excellent start.

    haseo0408
  25. I got hit with nostalgia from the very second the opening started recognized it immediately as soon as I heard the song and saw Ichika turn around. I thinks that’s where it connected for me so then i had the rest of the episode to enjoy it. Seems this series was just what I’ve been looking for recently a romance comedy that I can barely contain my excitement for. Can’t wait to see what else is in store.

    Tenoem
  26. I wonder if the guys who made Onegai Teacher deliberately went for the nostalgia factor here. Aside from the premise, characters, and setting being almost identical, it doesn’t sound too coincidental that both leads wear glasses, and the guy has the same K.K. initials as Onegai Teacher’s lead guy Kusanagi Kei.

    Zhinvu

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