Wolf Girl and Black Prince (2014)

[オオカミ少女と黒王子]

Director: Kenichi Kasai
Studio: TYO Animations
Starring: Takahiro Sakurai, Kanae Ito, Ai Kayano
Episodes: 12

Synopsis:
A girl gets convinces a handsome classmate to pretend to be her boyfriend on the condition that she serves him as his dog.

Impressions:
I was in the mood for a shoujo-style romance and I came upon this series. While it generally clicked with me, I can't deny having some issues with it. It's fairly standard in romance stories for the male lead to be difficult at first and his better qualities come out as the relationship progresses, but Kyouya is a little much. If played more for comedy, the initial master-dog dynamic between him and Erika could just be played off for laughs, but he's often quite cruel in an emotionally abusive way that really can't be shrugged off. Thankfully, he does get called out for it and Erika does occasionally stand up for herself, but the way she keeps coming back to him after all he puts her through (like a dog, appropriately enough) really sets a bad example. Now, that's not to be said you can only tell stories that set good examples, but nothing good can come of romanticizing characters like Kyouya. That's not to say Kyouya has no redeeming qualities or that he doesn't improve over the course of the series, but it's very difficult to take his side or Erika's when she keeps taking the crap he shovels onto her. That being said, relationships like this are all too common in real life. Ultimately, your enjoyment of this series is going to hinge on how you take Kyouya. If you can tolerate him or—God forbid—actually find him romantic, then you should enjoy yourself. However, if you won't stand for his nonsense or if a guy like him hits a little too close to home, you're better off passing. Take it or leave it.

Rating:
50/50