The Dangers in My Heart (2023)

[僕の心のヤバイやつ]

Season 1

Director: Hiroaki Akagi
Studio: Shin-Ei Animation
Starring: Shun Horie, Hina Yomiya, Ayaka Asai
Episodes: 12

Synopsis:
A morbid boy finds himself becoming involved with a popular classmate.

Impressions:
You wouldn't think a sugary sweet romance would start with the male lead fantasizing about murdering the female lead and having his way with the corpse, but genre savvy viewers will realize from the moment you first see young Ichikawa with his murder dictionary and his internal monologue about his insanity that he's just a chuuni edgelord, an aspect to him that gets steadily peeled back as he grows closer to Yamada. Speaking of Yamada, there's the gap moe factor of a model/actress who's a spacy big eater prone to doing nonsensical things while also being very emotionally delicate, the latter aspect bringing out Ichikawa's kind side. Yamada's clumsy come-ons are cute to watch and if it weren't for Ichikawa's cripplingly low self-esteem, the relationship would go forward at ToniKawa speeds. There's a bit of ecchi factor, but we're dealing with a hormonal middle-schooler, so that part is fairly true to life. Speaking of the ecchi side, the perverted trio of boys are a bit obnoxious, but they're acting according to design and serve as a useful foil for Ichikawa (who isn't that much better, only more reserved about it). The rest of the supporting cast round out the experience nicely and the total package is a rather enjoyable viewing experience. Since so many romances fall flat with me, I have to give all due credit when it's done well, so I'm going to recommend this for your collection.

Rating:
Own It