Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend (2015)

[冴えない彼女（ヒロイン）の育てかた]

Director: Kanta Kamei
Studio: A-1 Pictures
Starring: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Kiyono Yasuno, Saori Onishi
Episodes: 13

Synopsis:
After a chance encounter, an otaku is inspired to form a doujin circle to create a dating sim.

Impressions:
This is another one of those series I've heard people buzzing about, so I finally got around to checking it out and of the romcoms of this style, it may well be my favorite. I love the contrast of such strong (and tropey) personalities as Utaha, Eriri and Michiru with Megumi, whose muted deadpan is a delight to watch. Yoshitsugu Matsuoka delivers one of his signature hammy performances as Tomoya. There's a lot of love for otaku culture here, as well as the broader creative industry, but the writing isn't shy about poking fun at it too. Fourth wall-breaking humor is also a big factor, which is a treat for savvy viewers. The visual style is rather distinct, using a number of tricks such as cuts with colored outlines and brief sequences of animation that are more fluid than usual. The camera can be rather pervy at time, but the ecchi factor is pretty standard for this kind of story. I had a lot of fun with this and if you like stories like Haganai and Oregairu, you should like this too. I recommend adding it to your collection.

Rating:
Own It