Posted by OP Sequence
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
OP: 「Koi? de Ai? de Boukun desu!」 by Wake Up, Girls!
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
「私も、参戦します×ほぁー！！禁断の愛ですか！！」 (Watashi mo, sansen shimasu × hoa!! Kindan no aidesu ka!!)
“I’m Getting In on This, Too x Whoa! Forbidden Love?!”
Renai Boukun’s first episode takes its characters and audience on an 88 mph nonstop joyride, and if you leave your thinking caps at the door, it’s quite the fun trip. The initial set-up of the plot starts quickly as Aino Seiji (Ono Kensho) is visited by a cupid named Guri (Aoyama Yoshino), who accidentally blesses him with a notebook that would bind him to a lover with a kiss. The jokes come quick as Guri pulls the reins on the narrative, further complicating Seiji’s life by forcing him into a contract to be lovers with his yandere crush, Hiyama Akane (Numakura Manami). When Guri includes herself into the mix, Seiji and Akane are temporarily given angel powers in an effort to get Guri to step up her game or risk a terrible afterlife for everyone. The episode closes by further complicating the situation by including Akane’s half-sister, Kichougasaki Yuzu (Nagano Yuuki), in the harem so that she’d be able to show Akane her true feelings for her. There’s also an angel that took on Seiji’s cat’s body, Coraly (Hiyama Nobuhiki), but his human face makes him look creepy.
The further the episode goes into the absurdity, the funnier it gets. The cast and predicaments that they’re put through are ridiculous enough to make you not only wonder what they were thinking when they wrote this, but also make you laugh in the process. It’s hard not to admire the audacity it takes to come up with gags like Akane using her and Seiji’s newfound immortality as an opportunity to stab him regularly for getting too close to Guri, or first displaying Guri’s fujoshi tendencies by using the notebook to have prime ministers make out on live television. It also helps that they’re clever with their references too like Guri playing villainous music from a stereo while Akane is getting ready to jump at Seiji from the rooftop, or the Death Note references throughout where Seiji dreads the implication that the Kiss Note looks and works similarly to Ryuk’s book. The good thing is that the show moves so fast that if you thought one joke was a dud, the one after might be more to your liking. Sure it’s madness, but it’s the kind of madness that leaves you laughing for 20 minutes.
Additionally, the artwork and animation for the show work well for the show’s brand of comedy and compliments the characters’ personalities. For example, Guri ends up being one of the more expressive characters on the show thanks to the art complimenting her eccentricities. Sometimes, the look on her face as she shrugs off disastrous mistakes is all it takes to sell the delivery of her jokes. Similarly, both sides of Akane as an attractive class idol who is constantly flustered by Seiji and a homicidal yandere who’d be more than happy shanking everyone around her are extenuated well through her reactions. It further builds a nice dynamic where Seiji temporarily puts his fear of Akane aside to be open about the feelings he does have for her, offering the show one of the few times where they take a break from telling jokes at breakneck speed.
I wasn’t sure what to expect from Renai Boukun since it was one of the shows that I didn’t consider as seriously as some of the season’s more hyped anime, but it’s a solid comedy if you need a break from drama or action. I will say that it wasn’t perfect. Seiji falls in the category of the straight man who YELLS TOO MUCH, Yuzu wasn’t too interesting until she drooled a river over the thought of kissing Akane, and I am worried that the jokes will lose steam or get old after a while. Still, I was impressed with what I saw, and if you’re looking for a comedy this season, Renai is off to a great start.
ED Sequence
 |
 |
 |
ED: 「”Suki” wo Oshiete」 by smileY inc.
Preview
 |
 |
 |
End Card
 |
https://randomc.net/image/Renai%20Boukun/Renai%20Boukun%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2021.jpg
Anime general rule, with Queen’s Blade as an extra example, Angels never act like angels (being saint like and so forth) and instead act more like “demons.” In Guri’s case, from how she is abusing her Cupid powers, people would say “she’s the devil.”
https://randomc.net/image/Renai%20Boukun/Renai%20Boukun%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2005.jpg
I believe many of us heard the phrase “a fate worse than death.” Kiss note is worse than the death note when in the hands of a kifujin. Burn it with Fire please, for the sake of humanity, or humanity will go extinct due to the low birth rate.
https://randomc.net/image/Renai%20Boukun/Renai%20Boukun%20-%20OP%20-%20Large%2002.jpg
On the side note, Notice the OP Sequence. Usually, at least in my observation in anime openings, the “main heroine” shows up after the male protagonist. So I guess Akane is the main heroine that has likely chances of marrying Seiji.
Notably, “Seiji” must be a cursed anime name. The Seiji in Durarara!! is having similar circumstances with women.
This Hair style, this color.. where is the little baby on his back?
I really liked this first episode. For me it was the most entertaining non-sequel premiere of the season and and I do hope that the Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches and the Jitsu wa watashi wa vibes that I got from this will be further justified by the following eps and it will remain this hilarious from start to finish.
I found myself really conflicted watching this series. Like, with a romantic comedy, I expect enough romance that I can care about the characters and their relationships, but with a straight on frantic comedy, I expect it to be fast paced enough, to be constantly keeping my attention. This series felt like the definition of a series trying to have its cake and eat it too. The romance was hardly there, but the comedy was almost seemed subdued as well. It never really felt to me like there was enough of either, and, as a result, I came away with a very “meh” reaction to the whole thing.
Does it explain what Yuzu’s shield was? Plot Armor?
“they’re clever with their references too like Guri playing villainous music from a stereo while Akane is getting ready to jump at Seiji from the rooftop,”
CHOYA, by any chance, is that music from an anime we are aware of?
Anyway, this has also been bothering me, for a while, but what’s with the “virgin” joke. It’s getting really old, unless modern Japanese people actually make a big fuss about this, in real life, or they could just be trying to evoke humor.
https://randomc.net/image/Renai%20Boukun/Renai%20Boukun%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2008.jpg
On the side note, I wonder what the viewers feel when see this.
Anyway, if I ever met a yandere yet she is perfectly my type, I would be fine. Lucky that the main character is immortal.
I don’t think the music was from any particular anime, but villain themes tend to be one of those tropes that show up on super sentai shows or 70’s hero anime (like Gatchaman or Yatterman) when villains appear.
I see, thank you
I like this anime. I liked it since it’s manga version. Mainly because 1.I like yandere gal 2.Guri is fun to be with 3.Kiss note is more sacred than Death note 4.That freaking cat
This kind of comedy is exactly my cup of tea: rapid fire jokes with lots of tsukkomi. I loved every second of this episode.
This was quite fun, definitely not a highly intellectual show, but I prefer my harems with a large dose of absurd irreverent comedy. Based on my vague recollections of the manga I doubt it will keep up this level of quality, but if I can get even half this level of laughter and Yandere the rest of the season I’ll be quite happy with Renai Bokun. The anime world needs more yandere.
https://randomc.net/image/Renai%20Boukun/Renai%20Boukun%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2030.jpg
been awhile since we got a yandere character. and that dog with a face creeps me.
this will be a effing crazy ride… and that craziness made its to my watchlist.
https://randomc.net/image/Renai%20Boukun/Renai%20Boukun%20-%2001%20-%20Large%2030.jpg
Well, hey there hotness. Just throw that away and we’ll bang ok? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)
(P.S This show made me LOL and well, hotness is here so I’ll continue watching. I like to return to my simple roots once in a while y’know?)
“Just watch me, L. I’ll solve equations with my right hand, and write names with my left. I’ll take a potato chip…and EAT IT!!!!!”
^ If Renai Bokun cannot parody the above scene, I will be sorely disappointed