/anime/18897/nisekoi curtains open For the fans of trashy harem romcoms, "Nisekoi" will be an "8"/10. For others, won't be so much and probably end up as a "5 or 6"/10. That's all, Bye! curtains close That's just TL;DR. Proceed if you're willing to read a review on the whole harem genre and more detailed thoughts on Nisekoi.

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Harems are Junk Food

I think we can all agree that harems are kinda... trash. They are like junk foods, we know it's not good but we just can't stop eating the shit out of them. A slightly interesting premise, stereotypical characters, done-to-death cliches, generic character design (mostly), insertable/forgettable MC and most of all, waifu/husbando wars, the main event for fans more than the plot & story. Are harems just wish fulfillment shit? Yes, 99% of the time. (That 1% is me being optimistic). Harems use brainless fun (slapstick/surreal comedy) as a means to entertain but it also wants you to care for these characters in those 'crucial' moments to progress the plot, that's just how most of the genre is by default. Good & bad harems depend on how well it maintains the balance between "brainless fun" & "actual story" lines and how effectively will they execute them. Harems aren't well written stories but it's not necessary to have great elements to make a fun show. As long as you enjoy the work, that's all it really matters
Now with all that being said and done;

How's Nisekoi?

Nisekoi's first half is actually a pretty good harem. "Ichijou Raku" made a promise to a certain girl in his childhood saying he'll marry her when they aged but eventually forgot about her. Fast forward 10 years, now Raku has a crush on "Kosaki Onodera", who also has a secret crush on him but never reveals it. One day when he's heading to school, a certain blonde girl kneed him on his face (you heard it right). Not only that girl is the new transfer student "Chitoge Kirisaki" who sits next to him but now they have to fake a relationship so that a gang war won't break in his city hence the title Nisekoi: False Love, but this sweet blonde gorilla girl might unlock the mystery of that promised girl.
While Nisekoi wavers at times, it's actually pretty plot focussed and also allows the characters to make some bold decisions (like Onodera & Raku 'secret' convo). Up until episode 12, while the slightly funny comedy does its job, the romance & love triangle slowly unravels with its interesting revelations, and it actually looks like the story could end quickly. I completely enjoyed Nisekoi up until this point but it went downhill after episode 12, quickly showing why many harems fail to tell a good story and how Nisekoi lost that chance to differ from the masses.

Spoiler, click to view

In episode 13, it was extremely hard to believe that Chitoge broke the key. Like I know her muscles are no less than a gorilla but given how slowly she turns it, I don't see how you can just snap a key like that.

Why I'm salty about this brainless moment (if it's not obvious enough) is because up until this point, Nisekoi managed to be different while still playing with cliches & tropes, except this moment completely destroys and makes Nisekoi just like any other harem romcom that just makes you lose brain cells. And like an elastic rubber the harem expands, as now we get another girl who also plays a role in the plot. While the fun is still there, I just lost interest in most of the 2nd half, mostly during the end. What really impressed me is, how the plot just robs Onodera. It's just pitiful how the poorly written plot uses her character traits against her to prolong/postpone the confession. What's infuriating is how much it makes sense. Poor girl.

Shaft's Magic

Studio Shaft definitely made Nisekoi much better than remaining trash, at least on the outside. Shaft's distinct visuals stand out and does its job really well. Whether with the over-the-top/slapstick comedy or more delicate & serious moments, Shaft definitely pulled off the execution, and makes it worth while.

Characters

• Chitoge: Stereotypical tsundere who can be intolerable at times.
• Onodera: Cute & sweet sacrifice for the plot.
• Tsugumi: Fan service material who had some moments in S2.
• Marika: The Oujo-sama (Lady like) that rubs the audience with sympathy. Pretty cute when she breaks from that facade.
• Raku: Typical Harem protag but has the balls when the plot calls.
• Shu: Fan favorite bro.

Rest? I don't care. Nor does the plot.

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Conclusion

As I said in the beginning, Nisekoi differs from the masses but ultimately falls into the same troubles every harem story faces, but it's appealing enough to give it a try and to have fun with.