TL;DR Despite some cringe-y moments, Bottom-tier Character Tomozaki is surprisingly a very endearing entry into the romcom genre. Its focus on the theme of "change" and "effort" makes the series and its characters shine so much, choosing to make the most out of its context without relying on much tropes in developing the characters or story. Its humor can sometimes be a hit-or-miss, though, and the seemingly conformist-ish approach of the story may not sit well with some people. Nevertheless, I find great potential in the series going forward.
Bottom-tier Character Tomozaki's setup of changing one's self might remind you of something like ReLIFE. However, the first few episodes were honestly kind of cringe-y to me, so much so they gave me a lot of secondhand embarrassment and whiplash. Although what made me stay is the cute girls (half-kidding), I like how it doesn't drag in its conformist-ish approach to have the main character, Tomozaki, become intent on changing; it goes straight to the point with clear goals, reasons, and situational setups.
And, though the lessons Tomozaki learns on socializing may already come off as natural or obvious to some of us, I think I can appreciate the depth and substance of the discussed details. The series really scrutinizes the going's of social cues and behavior, and it all manages to make sense even if some degree of cringe in its execution is an inevitable circumstance.
Characters are all very likeable too. Even if some may find them "normie", they fit the context of the series without being too trope-laden. In fact, speaking of tropes, I love how the main character isn't a complete copy-paste of other various unsociable shounen MCs. Tomozaki makes me cringe sometimes, but I love his initiative to be better and it's exactly his efforts that make him endearing (and that make me laugh).
Further, his personality, as shown in his monologue and dialogue, shows sincerity and meaningfulness, which translates well in his actions regardless of how poor or good the execution is. His actions never go over the top as per usual normal anime/manga/LN antics; I'd say they're pretty grounded in reality! Even then, he has his not-so-boring, defining personality traits, such as in his budding rivalry with his kinda-friend, kinda-mentor in Aoi.
For another example: my favorite character, Minami, was actually someone I did not like at all in concept: her background, design (I hate ponytails), and struggles didn't resonate with me upon initial reading in Wikipedia.
Her
Despite the ability of the series' premise to be easily set up as a harem, it doesn't choose that direction. Instead, it presents several relationship dynamics, all with interesting chemistry—and they're realistic enough that it reminds me of even my own relationships in reality.
So, despite my love for the harem genre, I'm glad the series is just a nice, lighthearted entry to the romcom genre without being too overly complicated or dramatic. Even its simple theme revolving on "change" and "effort" is aptly put throughout the episodes.
Sure, maybe the premise isn't as deep as Oregairu (not that I'd know because I haven't watched S3) or as relatable and cunning as Hachiman, but hey, I'm loving the series for what it is.
I give it a 8/10 because of my intense personal enjoyment, though most of my gripes are mostly just personal: I dislike the cringe-y game references and sometimes weird delivery of humor. I don't usually factor in music since my ears don't really pick them up while watching, but I do feel like this department was pretty bland.
It's not particularly thought-provoking, and some many not even like the conformist-ish approach of the story. Even then, despite its restricted run of 12 episodes, Tomozaki has been shown to be more than just a mindless drone following the whims and ropes given to him by Aoi: his monologues (despite apparently lacking of the nuance seen in the light novel) and actions show he is still his own person with agency. It is exactly this that helps the story not become a stale series of lectures, but one driven by interesting, round characters and with actual, dynamic substance that leaves you wanting for more.
Regardless, I'd still say to give it a watch/read only if you're open to such simplicity (and open-minded enough to bear through some moments that would really give you secondhand embarrassment).
All in all, I would go so far as to say I see great potential for the series going forward, especially Tomozaki's never-ending potential as a character, be it in a second season or the actual light novels.
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