Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai [Review]
Hello minna-san! Here’s a whole series review of Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai. As usual, I will provide a brief summary of the show followed by a rating on its Art, Music, Story and Flow. Last, there will be an overall rating, my personal recommendation for the series and a poll that will allow you to decide on my justification. Hope you enjoy! Note: Summary may contain spoilers.
Story
We view the life of Kodaka as he sees it with no friends and is labelled as delinquent due to his blonde hair. He soon meets a peculiar girl who also has no friends named Yozora and thus the Neighbours club was formed for those who have no friends to come together and devise how to make friends and indulge with each other on what ‘popular’ people with friends do. Of course, later on we’re introduced to a variety of characters that makes this show both entertaining to watch and extremely hilarious to see in all sorts of activities they come up with throughout the series. Not only that, Kodaka and Yozora are both searching for that one lost childhood friend in the past and soon realizes that the person they’ve been searching for is closer to them than they think.
Rating
Art
(8/10)
If anyone’s seen Denpa Onna or even just the art style it incorporates you’ll notice that the same person who did Denpa’s art also did Boku Tomo’s art (yes Boku Tomo is short for Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai). I do find the character designs appealing and befitting for Boku Tomo though the details of the lips isn’t my cup of tea. Though the great thing about incorporating Denpa’s art into Boku Tomo was its ability to suit each characters personality and enhance their original designs from the light novel. Sena’s character design mixed in with her seiyuu and personality is a befitting example of a character portrayed well. Even just looking at her most of us would suggest straight away that she’s got a spoiled personality and maybe even tsundere. Of course this is just one example of all the characters in Boku Tomo and I couldn’t have wished for a better artist. Also to mention those backgrounds are superb and everything in that festival on the 11th episode was none other than beautiful to say the least.
Music
(8/10)
Everything clicked into place and everything worked as it should’ve in executing the various emotions Boku Tomo wishes you to feel and this played a major role in most of the episodes (especially episode 11) in either portraying each individual comedy skit they pull off or a serious event. It was magnificent and each of the BGM’s and SFX’s used in whatever scene they were put in did its job well. There was never once I thought that this certain sound or this certain atmosphere the music is creating does not work with what’s really in front of us. No, everything was in the correct places at the correct time though why 8 out of 10 if it’s so ‘stunning’ you might ask. Even if something is befitting, it doesn’t mean its impact could not have been better. Besides episode 11 which was overall amazing!
Story
(9/10)
It’s true this was a series that mainly incorporated comedy and the comedy in it was continuously being thrown at us yet while this is all happening, Boku wa Tomodachi was still able to incorporate a story behind the making of the club, the development of characters and the most important story of it all, the childhood friend incident between Kodaka and Yozora. Even though at times you might not notice it, the story was building up constantly; either with a minor progress or a major progress, it was still advancing to the point that it offered us a breathtaking episode 11 and a befitting ending to the show in episode 12. Whatever it is, it kept pulling us towards the show and hooked us into it. I was only one of the few who were anticipating this show as a great series this season and with a high expectation too and now I’m amazed. It was able to surpass my expectations, making it my personal favourite of the season.
Characters
(9/10)
Truly a bunch of lovable characters for all and even if you don’t like some, you’ll like most of the characters in Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai due to the brilliance of how each character responds to certain situations, reacts to certain situations, their personality and how they themselves contribute to the humour being executed. Each character is supported by other characters in every situation and just seeing different characters or the usual suspects (Yozora and Sena interaction) doing the things they do is entertaining to see. You’ll never get bored of what the cast of characters in Boku wa Tomodachi have to offer. As much as each character retains their own personality and behaviour, their interactions hold limitless possibilities in this show. This would have to be my favourite cast of characters for the year.
Results
Overall rating
(9/10)
All in all Boku Tomo is truly a show that was knocked off too early for most and didn’t offer a great enough ‘interest’ level with our first impressions of its synopsis and trailer at the start of the season but I’m glad it proved to be one of the best series in the season and I do dare say it’s one of the best series in the year! All those characters put together created a fun-filled club that offered us a variety of enjoyment interpreted differently between individuals but what makes this show such a great series is comedy it incorporated within the show. I haven’t laughed so much in a long time and usually there’d be hit and miss for such a series constantly throwing out comedy skits at us but no, nearly all or every comedy skit it threw at us offered a great laugh to the wide audience; appealing to a wide range of viewers with its vast variety of characters and comedy it uses.
Not only that, you begin to fall in love with this series once you find that special character who you can’t help but love in the series accompanied by his/her reactions in each situation Boku Tomo offers us. They took cliché to a new level, they made a harem enjoyable even to those who don’t like harems and added a male protagonist who would stereotypically be disappointing but astonished us with how likable and BAMF this guy can get with his sense of realism and the manners of a proper gentleman. It’s hard to put all this in words because this series was such a lovable series and I’ll really miss everyone and everything this series had to offer us.
Should you watch it? Definitely yes! There’s no way I wouldn’t recommend this show because it is truly brilliant in executing its story and comedy it has to offer. A job well done with the adaption from the light novel and I couldn’t have asked for more from this series. You will definitely fall in love with the characters and if not, Boku Tomo will hook you in with its comedy. Sure it might start off slow at the beginning but the more you watch into it, the more you’ll love it. There’s no other way of putting this, you who have not watched this series or you who have dropped this series, watch it. You’ll be missing out on one of the best 2011 has to offer in the anime industry.
Till next time minna-san!
Poll
I like the show but I think it wasn't anything exceptional. I had fun watching it (most of the time) though
My recent post Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai
Woooooo! Great series lots of laughs and some of the best characters <3
Story could have been a bit better, but I have no idea what I would add or take away? Maybe add more in with Sena and Kodaka? Then again maybe more Yozora and Kodaka!
Overall fun series! I have to read the manga and read the novels….but my computer decided to die on me…T___T using my moms is suffering…
Oh yeah by the way Fosh, after another round of deliberation between my top 10 animes of 2011, I've decided to move Boku Tomo's postition to a different location xD So it's no longer 2nd but hopefully your computer will be fixed soon! Though usually getting a new one is more cheaper nowadays since computer prices have dropped quite a bit (over here that is) >:D
My recent post Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai [Review]
ANIME OF THE YEAR
*See my comment on the Working!! review and replace Yamada with Kobato and Yamada's brother with Rika.
I would like to say i was joking but it's kind of true. With Kodaka being the only male in the show apart from the Father it always lent towards a harem but with much less romance. Unlike Working i found a lot of the jokes got repetitive like Yozora and Meat arguing, i just wanted it to end and get on with it and Rika's fujoshiness was tiring a lot of the time. I actually found myself disliking Yozora a lot of the time as she tended to start it and i honestly felt sorry for Sena on one or more occasions. The last two episodes saved her.
I did enjoy the show though, it was enjoyable for the most part. I really like the art, but then again i did like Denpa Onna's as well. So yes i enjoyed it but maybe not quite as much as yourself. only a 7/10 from me. :)