krofire

Studio Connect’s 2019 harem-romcom comes from the light novels of Rakuda and is unsurprisingly based in High School. What is surprising is that this little number is really well written being constructed around various different story arcs. Amatsuyu "Joro" Kisaragi considers himself to be an ordinary kid who gets mixed up with a bunch of girls most of whom initially confess interest only in his best friend Taiyou Ooga (“Sun-chan”). The plot actually defies any form of summarisation but the individual story arcs enjoy common features: the confession to Joro on a park bench that suspiciously turns up everywhere for comic effect, the bromance between Joro and Sun-chan which often trumps the romantic entanglements with the opposite sex, Joro’s long-term indifference to the girl who says she loves him (Sumireko "Pansy" Sanshokuin), a falling-in-love moment at the end of a key baseball game that Sun-chan was playing in, Joro’s friendship with childhood friend Aoi "Himawari" Hinata, and the complicated sub-plots involving subterfuge by a key protagonist. Needless to say, not everything is as it first seems and each arc has its “reveal” moment when we get to unravel the mysterious goings-on.

It may sound a bit formulaic but each arc pushes the boundaries on the relationships that surround Joro. The show is very funny and Joro occasionally makes remarks that break the fourth wall which works quite nicely. There is a lot of story to wade through and the show becomes quite sophisticated at times. Thankfully it never becomes too complicated to understand and the timing is all spot-on. The principal character rarely strays too far into harem stereotype territory and it is not clear for a large chunk of the season if any of the girls really love him at all. A lot of story is saved up for the final episode/OVA which keeps you guessing. Technically this is an exceptionally well executed piece of storytelling and deserved more attention than it got. It probably got let down by some of the hum-drum characterisations that left the impression of a work-man-like effort rather than a show you could fall in love with. It leaves the audience impressed but not really wanting anymore. It seldom had any emotional impact hence leaving little, if any, lasting impression. One for your head rather than your heart. Enjoyable, funny and worthy of your time if you have it to spare.