Haganai (2011)

[僕は友達が少ない]

Director: Hisashi Saito
Studio: AIC Build
Starring: Ryohei Kimura, Marina Inoue, Kanae Ito
Episodes: 12

Synopsis:
A high school student who is constantly mistaken for a delinquent joins a club so that he can learn how to make friends.

Impressions:
I'd heard mixed things about this series, but I decided to give it a shot. In general, I liked it, but there are a number of points that leave me wondering if they were deliberate or not. If they were deliberate, then it's actually fairly clever. If not, well, death of the author and all that. The key theme is people who fail socially because of their extreme quirks and massive hangups. Our male lead Kodaka is one of the better ones I've encountered in stories like this. There's an understated savviness to how he handles most situations and for people like myself who get tired of the same old exaggerated reactions to every little thing, it's appreciated. Going back to the question of whether certain elements are deliberate or not, I find the character of Yozora a bit of a sticking point. There's one thing to have an acid-tongued character with a bit of a mean streak, but she takes it so far (especially with Sena) that it's almost impossible to find her in any way sympathetic or to latch on to her redeeming qualities when they make an appearance. Her rival Sena can also be rather unpleasant, but those layers get stripped away quicker and easier. I suppose it's better than Yukino from Oregairu, who becomes largely inert as the story progresses. It'd be one thing if Yozora was a defrosting ice queen, but if she is, that defrost is so slow that you might not even notice it happening. It feels a bit late when things start to turn around in the penultimate episode. The supporting cast is fairly colorful, but if their gimmicks don't work for you, they'll grate on you quickly as they can feel a bit one-note if you're not invested in them. All told, it's a bit of a mixed bag that has potential, but if aspects of the characters' social ineptitude don't jibe with you, it may not be as enjoyable of an experience. I recommend giving it a watch, though.

Rating:
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