Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai - Episode 13

Only in your dreams, Sena. Only in your dreams.

From the moment the relay novel was suggested, I knew the next 20 minutes or so would definitely be laughter-filled, especially since there two small rivalries and a one-sided taboo relationship within the group. Once again, Yozora's humour is as crude as ever (e.g. rape jokes), resulting in many amusing moments in which I also felt sorry for Sena. In a way, the playful teasing between Kobato and Maria is similar to that of the main pair. And although it was quite disturbing, I do admit that the hints of BL that were added by Yukimura and Rika got some laughs out of me as well. So as for the lesson that was taught in this episode? Never attempt to write a relay novel with a bunch of crazy people, especially if some are at ends with others. The result, though probably funny, is almost always horrible.

Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai - Review

"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.

Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai - Episode 12

Sora~

Episode Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (4/5)

Right from the start, Yozora knew that Kodaka was Taka; his hair and eyes gave it all away. The whole talk with "Tomo-chan" was indeed about Kodaka, though he didn't know it at the time, and the creation of the Rinjinbu was influenced by Yozora's desire to spend time and reconnect with her long-lost friend. But when members started joining, her plan looked to have backfired as Kodaka started to make new friends. It must have been hard for Yozora stand there watching her only true friend being taken away by others. Her cold personality may have been a result of this frustration and/or sadness.

Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai - Episode 11

"Hisashiburi, Taka"

Episode Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ (5/5)

Trying something new with the reviews. Hope it works.
The moment when two good friends, who haven't seen each other in 10 years, finally stand in front of each other face-to-face - it is not one of happiness, but of great joy. The world around the two slowly fades away as they reminisce about the times they spent together in the past. And now, the two can start from where they left off 10 years ago, and move forward together.

Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai - Episode 3 - 10

I didn't feel like studying yet so I thought I'd catch up with Haganai. So far, I'm more or less enjoying it. Though I approve of either Yozora or Sena ending up with Kodaka, I'm slightly leaning towards a Kodaka x Yozora ending simply because of the "childhood friend" aspect of the relationship. There are only two more episodes left so the possibility of a harem end is still quite high.

Status Update!

Happy Belated Birthday to Miki! <3

Now with that taken care of, let's get down to business.
I honestly didn't expect university to put so much constraint on my otaku life but unfortunately it did. It's currently final exam time and I've got two of them coming up soon (both of which I am frantically studying for). With only a tiny amount of free time left in between studying, it appears that my review backlog will continue to grow. Because of this, I have decided to give you (the readers) a status update and what I plan to do for the rest of this month (i.e. before the start of the Winter 2012 season). Speaking of next season, I'm expecting to only review a couple shows in an attempt actually get the reviews out on time. More information on that later. For now, the status update:

Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai - Episode 2

Introducing the PlayingStates Portable!

Episode Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ (4/5)

What better way to bring friends together than with games? In this episode, the three members of the Rinjinbu strive to strengthen their bonds through the act of gaming - with a multiplayer RPG, followed by a visual novel. Though it is questionable whether their relationships were "improved" because of these gaming sessions (especially the one between Yozora and Sena), the comedy, strengthened by the priceless looks on Kodoka's face throughout, made this episode quite enjoyable. I also caught a few amusing references (see screenshot for one of them). As of now, I'm predicting Kodoka's harem count to increase by one every couple of episodes. By the end, I think he'll have his own harem, despite not even intending to create one in the first place. Looking forward to if when that happens.

Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai - Episode 1

Kashiwazaki Sena: You know you want her.

Episode Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (3/5)

The Rinjinbu (literally "Neighbors Club") - a place where the loneliest of the lonely go to, in an attempt to make some friends. There are currently three members in the club, all of whom, although from different backgrounds, share one thing in common: the lack of friends. In a way, this premise of the story may sound lame, but for me, I can somewhat relate to it (don't get me wrong, I have friends). To me, I felt like episode was a mix of Suzumiya Haruhi no Yuuutsu (characters), Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko (art) and your typical romantic comedy - with a harem included. The story starts off quite slow but I'll give it a few more episodes to pick up. I had been looking forward to this series for quite a while now so I don't expect that I'll drop it that easily. Anyways, a decent start overall.

Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai - Preview

With a name like Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai (shortened to Haganai), literally meaning "I Don't Have Many Friends", this series has intrigued me ever since it appeared on the Fall 2011 lineup. In a way, I can relate to the characters in the show which should make the story all the more interesting and enjoyable. Romantic comedies are also a plus and generally receive good ratings from me. On the surface, Haganai looks to be a light-hearted and comedic show that will depict the adventures of many friends who, ironically, have no friends to start with. Hoping that my expectations for this anime will be met.

Fall 2011

Below is the list of shows I plan to watch for the Fall 2011 season (subject to change):

Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai - Episode 0

Yes, the name can also be "Boku ha Tomodachi ga Sukunai"

Episode Rating: ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (3/5)

This was a half-length episode of what's to come this season, hence the "Episode 0". Storyiwise, it was just about the male protagonist having a dream about having a harem (which may end up becoming true at the end of this series) before waking up and realizing that he had passed out while after eating some deadly hot pot with the girls he was dreaming about. Nothing too special really, but it was a nice preview of the art and voice acting. From what I can see, this can either go two ways: a harem ending (and hopefully the male protagonist is not an idiot like usual) or a series with mindless comedy and ecchi. More thoughts in the official preview post but, as of now, I'll be watching this for the Fall 2011 season.