"How does one make friends?" If you were asked that question right now, what would your response be? For many, there is no true answer to this question as it all comes down to how one determines who or who doesn't become their friend. In Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai (or Haganai as some like to call it), the main protagonist, and practically all the other side characters, attempt to find one of the many answers to this mystifying question. Surrounding this premise is a countless number of comedic moments, delicious fanservice and a tad bit of romance. All this makes for a surprisingly successful series.
Art (8/10)
Coming from the same studio that brought us Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai, it's no surprise that the art style is similar. For me, I really liked how the characters were drawn. They didn't look to be too complex and yet, also seemed sufficiently detailed. The other designs were also easy on the eyes and were enjoyable to watch. Solid animation overall.
Characters (8/10)
Compared to characters from another genre of anime, there wasn't that much character development in Haganai. However, this doesn't mean there wasn't any. On the contrary, there was more than I expected from a series that is classified as a romantic comedy. In general, the characters from a romantic comedy are developed poorly with lots of random comedy and a rushed romantic ending. But in Haganai, almost all the characters, most notably the male protagonist and the two main heroines, developed from being socially awkward people to being able to communicate and interact smoothly with one another. True, this is generally not too big of a deal but considering the whole story is focused on "making friends", I'd say this is kind of development is noteworthy.
Sound (7/10)
This is the weakest category of the four given that sound aspects in this series were above average at best. A upbeat OP and ED does fit the atmosphere of the show but, musically, they didn't appeal to me. The only bright spot in terms of songs was the insert song in the last episode. The BGM was barely noticeable and for the most part unmemorable. The voice acting was decent with names like Itou Kanae (Sena, Ohana [Hanasaku Iroha], Elsie [The World God Only Knows]), Inoue Marina (Yozora, Laura [Infinite Stratos], Yoko [Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagen]) and Hanazawa Kana (Kobato, Kanade [Angel Beats!], Kuroneko [Ore no Imōto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai]) catching my attention.
Story (8/10)
What got me interested in this series was the idea of a story revolving around loners making friends. It's a new concept for me and, to be honest, I had no idea what to expect. Now that I've finished watching it, I can say that the story was executed decently (I don't really have anything to compare it to). I loved how the backstory of two of the main characters was integrated into the series alongside the main story. Even though the cliché "childhood friend" card was used, the result did not follow the same route. With the series left open-ended, a continuation of what was shown in these 12 episodes is possible. If I were to assume this possibility to be true, then I must say that the episodes so far have definitely set up the story quite well.
Overall (8/10)
I think that Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai has exceeded my expectations. Upon starting the series, I was hoping for a romantic comedy to satisfy my cravings for both those genres. Despite the fanservice in some episodes being slightly more extreme than I prefer, the show as a whole - from the story to the characters - was well done. I would honestly recommend Haganai to anyone who wants something entertaining to watch, as long as they can handle the fanservice. It has been a great ride and I'm really hoping for an announcement regarding a second season sometime soon.
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