If I had to describe Makeine in a single word it would be: “Surprising”, which probably doesn't sound very exciting at first, but in fact, this anime managed to surprise me positively from the first episode to the last, from the entire audiovisual department, story, characters and themes covered.
Every 3 months, a new batch of rom-coms comes out, most of which manage to deliver what fans of the genre are expecting and are quickly forgotten as soon as the next batch arrives. Makeine, in the middle of this endless ocean, manages to stand out with its premise: what if the most popular girls at school were rejected by the boys they like? On top of that, what about creating a male protagonist that has to deal with all the consequences of those rejections? The best part is that it doesn't forget what made it so interesting in the first place throughout it's entire runtime, a genuinely unique and entertaining gimmick.
It's refreshing to see a production of such high quality as this in the genre. Produced by A-1 Pictures, which usually delivers pretty consistent products, and directed by Shoutarou Kitamura, Makeine is his first production as lead director, which is surprising given that it's a visual splendor, from the excellent and charismatic character designs, as well as the character acting itself, down to the smallest details such as the diversity of characters in the background, animated with as much care as the main cast. Of course the first episode set unrealistic standards when it came to raw animation power, the following episodes maintained an impressive visual quality, something that is unfortunately a rarity these days. A-1 Pictures has managed to create a visually phenomenal product and has set a new visual standard for rom-coms. I also have to mention the opening, one of the best of Summer 2024 and honestly a contender for best of the year, as well as the three (yes three) endings, each with its own distinct visual flair and a song sang by the corresponding heroine.
Regarding the story itself, over the course of this anime, several heroines are introduced and quickly rejected, forcing them to deal with the psychological consequences during a tumultuous period in their lives, adolescence. Our protagonist, Nukumizu, is then thrown into the middle of this mess where he is forced to deal with these three girls, helping them to come to terms with their feelings and, in a way, to overcome the past and face the future with their head held high. The first of these arcs, more focused on the possible (?) winning protagonist, Yanami, serves as an introduction to the story, introducing the cast that will be important for the rest of the season, especially the remaining heroines, Lemon and Komari. Although this is the weakest arc, since it shows a somewhat superficial development on Yanami's part, but it's interesting and entertaining nontheless and never loses it's energy until the end. The next two major arcs manage to exceed all expectations, balancing the fact that the story itself and each of the heroines are a parody of various clichés used in the genre, with several genuinely deep characters, resulting in dramatic moments that glue you to the screen. In the end, the real stars are the protagonist himself, who despite seeming extremely generic, turns out to be a character with more emotional depth than most, and the small shy girl, Komari, whose development as a character is phenomenally handled, going from a person afraid of the future and of being alone, to being surrounded by people who are willing to accompany her on this bumpy road through high school. The climax of this arc is undoubtedly the highlight of this anime and an unforgettable moment that only makes me even more excited about the future of these characters.
All in all, this anime manages to revolutionize the genre, turning a mere parody of romantic comedies into a genuinely captivating story from start to finish. With a phenomenal production to go with it, A-1 Pictures has managed to deliver something special, standing out from the rest and creating a new standard. So I can only congratulate everyone involved in this great project filled with passion and love.
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