Haganai (I don't have many friends) [Anime Review]

 

I can read the entire title even with the kanji, 僕は友達が少ない, Boku wa tomodachi ga sukunai. Which makes me wonder... where the heck did Haganai come from? Is it just the particles between the words + the negative? 'Ha' 'ga' 'nai'... that's my best guest.

That is not a 'lets be friends' face.

Here's the premise, take one transfer student who has 'pudding' style hair color and the social skills of a lobotomized bull, add in the mix a rude girl who has an 'air-friend' (like an air-guitar) only, a big busty blonde eroge addict, and a smattering of other characters... oh and none of them have friends. Now put them all in one club and let hilarity ensue.  




Oh yeah, the rating.

4 out of 5 stars

We can't see the screen, but it must be quite... intense.

This is a really good anime with lots of humor, very strong characters, and gorgeous animation. So why only 4 stars? What are the flaws? What are the strong points?

I said the characters are strong, and they are. There are three main characters, each very deep with their own internal struggles, issues, vices, and motivations. Each character is a driving force in the story... even the secondary characters play their roles well.

The tags say 'fan-service.'

There is also plenty of humor. 

 
I do not think I have ever laughed as hard at the use of a fly swatter as I did in this anime. Oh, there are many other instances of humor ranging from one character's weird obsession with making friends with eroge characters to another character finding mecha-doujinshi to be highly 'stimulating.' 

Best flyswatter scene ever.

But what are the flaws that keep the series from scoring top marks?

The first problem is that the series heavily relies upon 'Dramatic Irony.' We as the audience are constantly more aware of the situation than the characters... and yet, I do not want to really call this a flaw, it just is. So much fiction relies upon the use of Dramatic Irony that it is not really a flaw... the clues are all there and the obvious set is, well, obvious.

I guess, I was just somewhat nonplussed when the reveal occurred. I knew it was coming, I saw it, and when it came it was not a surprise. Maybe it caught / will catch some viewers... maybe I've watched to many movies and shows to be shocked by some reveals? I can't say... though I'd be willing to bet that I have watch an insane amount of anime, and studied an insane amount of film, and that is why I can see reveals coming. Though, if you do manage to catch me with one, kudos.

Yes, this is the same show.

No... the biggest flaw was that this series was not long enough, not complete enough. The anime is based off a series of light novels, that were summarily adapted into a manga, and then adapted into an anime. So it is not unexpected that the ending of the series seems too abrupt, that there can obviously be more.

Hyperactive and inappropriate - yeah, that seems right.

Thankfully, in my investigation of the series I came across information about a second season / series. Sadly it was just shown in 2013 in Japan so... who bloody knows when it will make it across the pacific and translated.    


All I know is that when it comes across, I'll nab it and watch. Hopefully the second season will patch the flaws in the first one and give me complete closure, or something close to closure. So few anime actually give complete closure... some do, but many anime and manga just end... letting the world they created just continue on. I can never tell if that is a good thing or a bad... probably good. It lets the fandom continue to enjoy the possible stories.  

I have nothing to add to this picture. It is what it is.