Class de 2-banme ni Kawaii Onnanoko to Tomodachi ni Natta

A loser anime for a loser audience. So why do I somewhat enjoy it?

The target audience consists of people who stay at home, watch movies, play games, and have no other hobbies, wishing that someday they will be blessed by a girlfriend suddenly appearing before them and having an interest in them. This is what happens to the main character.
Though it starts in the first episode as just a normal friendship, it quickly changes in just one or two episodes.
Asanagi already shows romantic affection towards the male protagonist Maehara, which I find a little too fast to be happening, since I quite enjoy them being ... just friends.
Maehara is portrayed as the loser main character, but is the most respectable character in the show, not taking advantage of his new female friend or having any weird thoughts about her. This was something which I really enjoyed, since he was someone with no friends before and now tries to treasure his first friend (in a while??), not putting her in any troublesome situation, and even hiding their friendship for her sake.

This anime is definitely not for everyone; there are quite a few cringe scenes, which makes it hard to watch (it took me three tries to finish the first episode), but after you overcome and accept the cringe, it becomes wholesome and cute. Even though there are so many illogical and shitty anime tropes its still nice to watch. I'm not sure whether this anime will turn into anything better or not, but I doubt it.

This anime brings your inner loser out of you and comforts it. You, the reader, are a loser, and I, the writer, am also a loser. There is no doubt about that, since you are thinking of watching an anime with this kind of title, but what decides whether you will like this show or not is whether you embrace this side of you or not.

A romcom anime with an MC who is a loner, but not the kind that looks down on everyone like they are beneath his ass crack?

He is also craving connection and wants a friend?

He understands that being lonely is actually bad and wants to change?

He actually knows how to speak and goof around?

SIGN ME THE FUCK UP.

Despite the somewhat mean spirited title, Class de 2-banme ni Kawaii Onnanoko to Tomodachi ni Natta is actually a very sweet romance comedy anime, with a strong emphasis on the romance. So expect a sprinkle of drama, just light teenage drama, and none of that heavy stuff like teen ... pregnancy or abuse.

While the main focus of the story is obviously the growing relationship between Maki, Umi, and the other heroine, I need to point out that this story really portrays what an introvert or loner fears when they finally open up, which is becoming the center of attention, in a pretty realistic way.

Putting the serious stuff aside, this anime delivers a genuinely cute and wholesome romance, and it might just be the deadliest combination of tropes straight to your heart.

And since it is a romcom, expect plenty of “will they, won’t they” moments here and there, along with a lot of corny scenes and cringy dialogue. I mean, come on, this is a teenager love story.

Another thing I want to point out is that there are a few scenes in this anime that feel almost like a copy-paste from another romcom anime I sadly do not like all that much, Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun, because that one is just a cornfest and the heroines are not really that likeable. Fortunately, this anime does not go down the same route and feels less intimidating. It is hard to find the right word, but let’s just say it is not as cringy and does not try too hard to be some “so deep and profound” wannabe.

The character designs also deserve praise. Someone was cooking in that kitchen, because everyone is cute and beautiful. Even the so-called “second prettiest in the class” could be anyone’s number one. And whenever the characters go into chibi mode, they look adorable as fuck.

The music and animation are fine, nothing especially outstanding. They are a bit above average at best, and nothing really worth writing home about.

Overall, it is a familiar and enjoyable romcom with a few flaws that are easy to overlook.

WE ARE IN FOR A TREAT! I started watching this anime with no specific expectation in mind, and now this became my second favourite romance series of all time (I read the manga too, the review will only include the anime). After the first three episodes I was totally hooked and went on to read the manga in hours. Both the three episodes of the anime and the manga made me live post series depression. Only a handful of series have done that to me so far.

The plot might be classic, but the execution is borderline flawless. I love how the characters interact with each ... other and it feels totally humane, I love how we don't see extremely platonic actions from neither MC, and I love how well written the characters are. THEY ARE SO CUTE!!!!!! I especially ADORE Asanagi! She's such a well written FMC. Definitely one of the best female romance characters, if not the best. I cheer for the couple all the time, and rejoice for the smallest bit of romantic interaction. It's a must watch and this anime will always be at the upmost part of my list.

+ The art and animation quality are consistently solid. Very cute, very colourful.
~ Asanagi and Maehara both need WAY more depth to be believable as characters. Who are these people as individuals? What common goal do they both share? What do they each provide that the other doesn't have?
~ The story lacks conflict. Everything is too idyllic, and nothing dramatic actually happens. Asanagi strikes up a friendship with Maehara without any resistance, Amami is the amiable best friend who does nothing to encourage or test their relationship, and the only source of supposed tension comes from an amorphous crowd of nameless students who add nothing ... to the story.
~ I get that he's supposed to be a pushover, but it's been four whole episodes and Maehara hasn't expressed a single desire to another character. As far as I'm concerned, his desire for a friend was already fulfilled in Episode 1, which begs the question of why we have a character with no apparent motive as our protagonist.
~ The pacing is off. Some scenes end too quickly, and supporting characters are often whisked away before they get the chance to explain what they want or what they add to the story dramatically.

= Kuranika is yet another high school rom-com anime about a popular girl befriending a quiet loner (see also: Sono Bisque, Nagatoro, Kubo-san, Polar Opposites, Bokuyaba). But unlike Sono Bisque's focus on cosplay, Nagatoro's sadistic teasing, or Polar Opposite's wide cast of characters, Kuranika's only unique attribute is found directly in its title: as the "second prettiest girl" when compared to her best friend Amami, Asanagi feels insecure about her self-worth and seeks a more authentic friendship with Maehara, free from the pressures that come with popularity. There's a tricky depth to this premise that could work, but the relationship between our two main characters is nowhere near interesting enough to navigate that level of complexity. Asanagi and Maehara like to eat pizza, watch B-movies, play games, and share just about every stereotypical hobby that vaguely suggests a close friendship without actually indicating why their relationship is special. In other words, Kuranika is an assortment of clichés with no identity of its own. Even when compared to other shows of the same genre, it's still below average at best.

So if you like sweet shounen romance between popular girl and an introvert you are in for a treat.

The plot is simple. Shy guy and some cute girl become friends and bond overtime. This plays a lot on the role of popular girl x otaku introvert so the relationship is private to avoid attention.

There is very slight hints of drama with the class not treating people nicely out of jealousy, but it did not break the overall light tone.

The main girl is very sweet, and a shark otaku which is cool. The supporting cast is nice too with ... the most popular girl being very nice.

If you want a simple shounen romance go for it!

Honestly, I’m quite disappointed with the adaptation. It’s still good, but for some reason the voices and character designs feel more mature, and a lot of the best moments are missing

In episode 2, the manga shop scene where the characters turn into chibi style was supposed to be funny, but it ended up feeling kind of cringe because the voices and characters feel more mature

Also in episode 2, they removed the scene where Asanagi makes a cute shocked face with Chibi style when she finds out Amami has the MC’s number. That was actually one of the best moments, but it’s just not there 😔

In ... episode 3, there’s no scene where the MC tries to touch Asanagi’s cheek while she’s sleeping and where the MC is forbidden by his mom from touching Asanagi including her cheek but then he admits that he did touch her cheek, and that conversation is accidentally overheard by Asanagi, which ends up making both of them embarrassed

I kind of regret reading the manga because it makes me enjoy the anime less 😔 It seems like they cut a lot of content to fit the story into 12 episodes

"I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class", well this is what the story is about. Essentially our heroine, Umi Asanagi discovers protagonist Maki Maehara shares the same hobbies she shares in secret. The story is how they become friends. For some people, this type of vanilla story can be really appealing. Though for others it can bore them. Just ask yourself if a vanilla type of romance with wish fulfillment traits is something you are interested in.

Yuu Amami, the 2nd heroine, is a wildcard. She is an airhead, but through 3 episodes her characterization is not too bad. Will this show ... dive into the typical love triangle, and since we know the title refers to Umi, does that mean Yuu would be bound to be rejected? Or will it go a different path? Hard to say.

Production-wise, Connect is on it and doing a very solid job. Animation and art direction are good. While sound direction is decent enough. For big RomCom fans that prefer something sweet, they will like this one. For everyone else, their mileage will vary.

This show is basically the definition of fun-bad. Like.... sometimes I'm genuinely flabbergasted at how bad it is from a writing standpoint, especially because it so obviously tries to give false hope to lonely guys, yet I still click that next episode each and every damn time, and I don't plan on stopping for as long as they give me more because... well, it's fun-bad. Another thing is that the art style is really good IMO.

Should you give it a shot if you like what you read me write above? Absolutely. Should you watch a second episode if you don't enjoy the first one? HELL ... NAH. This show completely bypasses the 3-episode rule and turns it into 1-episode rule, because even as someone that enjoys it it's safe to say that if you don't like it and don't see any potential for liking it during the first episode, you're definitely not gonna vibe with it going forward.

This is the typical romance between a shy protagonist and his social childhood friend.

Some might find it generic at first, but as the story progresses, the anime captivates you because the protagonist has at least a minimum of initiative, the childhood friend is a great character from the start, almost completing what's missing in the protagonist, and she's charismatic, along with who will probably be the romantic antagonist, resembling one of those romantic pairings from Adam Sandler movies. Maybe she'll give the childhood friend some trouble, but we already know how that ends. So far, I consider it a very good anime for those who ... enjoy romance; the animation is well done, and I hope it continues that way.

The anime itself is decent enough. It has some wholesome moments where you can just turn your brain off and enjoy the ride. But eventually, it reaches a point where you genuinely start wondering if you accidentally skipped a few episodes.

The premise is pretty standard: a lonely otaku guy somehow becomes friends with “the second prettiest girl” in his class. Nothing groundbreaking, but it delivers the kind of romance fans of the genre usually look for. So if you enjoy stories about a lonely guy slowly building a relationship with a popular girl, this anime will probably work for you — if you can ignore ... the pacing issues.

Even though the show is extremely predictable, one thing I couldn’t predict was how quickly the main characters became so close. Their relationship develops at such a fast pace that it feels unnatural. At times, it genuinely feels like entire chunks of development are missing. They go from barely having any physical contact to suddenly holding hands and almost sleeping together, with very little buildup in between. The anime just throws these emotional moments at you out of nowhere — moments that are probably meant to feel touching and wholesome — while I was left sitting there completely confused, wondering, “Wait… when did we even get to this point?”

There’s even a moment where another character says, “You two got really close,” and I was sitting there thinking, “Yeah… they did. But how? When? Did I miss something?”

That’s the biggest problem with the anime: the relationship progression feels rushed and poorly developed. If you have nothing else to watch and you’re craving a romance anime, you might still enjoy it. But even then, the pacing will probably make the relationship feel unnatural.

It's like an isekai power fantasy anime, but romance version. Yet it also kinda works?

So here's what I mean. The MC is your typical "boring, I do nothing, have nothing going for me" ordinary high school boy. But wouldn't you know, the second prettiest girl in his class (with the prettiest to follow not long after, of course) gets really interested in him and wants to hang out. The premise seems much like something the author spawned from his daydreams while being a class recluse at age 16.

But if you get past how unrealistic the setup is (and how the characters -- especially Yuu -- ... tend to act and react super unrealistically), it's a surprisingly enjoyable watch.

First off, the main girl Umi is just awesome. Her design and voice acting are spectacular, she's likable, and she has great interactions with the MC. She's more level-headed than the stereotypical main girl in these types of romances (which I think Yuu is supposed to represent? You know how there's always the dependable best friend who helps the main girl and guy get closer? Yeah this show kinda flips that and makes that dependable best friend the main girl instead. Hence the "second prettiest" bit of the title).

The MC, despite being the stereotypical loner/loser-type common to this genre, is actually pretty cool too. He knows how to carry conversations, has unexpectedly good chemistry and riffing with Umi, and his "awkward" moments are less eye-rolling and more relatable than (again) typical of MCs in this genre.

Also the romance moments are just super cute and well done? Only 5 episodes have aired at the point of me writing this, but let's just say the characters (while still being awkward teenagers not wanting to "ruin" the friendship with their true feelings) do still tend to be a bit more true in expressing their feelings rather than the whole "n..no of course not you b..baka!" type shit we're used to seeing.

That being said, there is still a lot of unrealistic eye-rolling stuff that happens. I guess I get why Umi gets drawn to the MC (though I think it's a little farfetched to believe that she'd approach him full-speed ahead outside of school just because he mentioned he liked "gaming" and "B-movies" in his class introduction), but why tf does Yuu approach him so heavy and wanting to be his friend too? I guess she caught wind that something was going on between him and Umi, but that's not really hashed out or explained. Other dramatic moments pop up too that get a little eh.

But overall it's a fun and surprisingly refreshing take on the genre thus far. I'd recommend if you're a fan of these types of rom-com-dramas, but it's not gonna be the best thing you've ever seen. Suspension of belief for how "realistically" things play out is the key to getting the best out of it, I'd say.