More Than a Married Couple but not Lovers is definitely not a complex show. It's an ecchi romance that you can just turn your brain off to after a long day. There's good, there's bad. And there's unfortunately no season 2.
From the first episode, we are introduced to a generic yet very underutilized premise. Forced proximity is a common trope but I've never seen it done in a 'marriage practical' sort of way. In the first couple episodes we learn that the school has two students assigned to each other, learning to live together as a mock married couple. Their interactions are measured on a scale of zero to one hundred via sensors in their dorm rooms. The worldbuilding is absolutely absurd. It requires a huge amount of suspension of disbelief. But if you're an avid romcom watcher, you should be used to that by now. Though, they could have done at least a little bit to show why Japan implemented the marriage practical. My guess is the population decline, and a government that wants to fix that with programs like this. But it does feel a little weird if you think about it too much. I mean, this is like the perfect setup for a dystopian setting too. I like to think there's a side plot in the background: two students who recognize the weird, corrupt system and put a stop to it and overthrow the school, lol. Or maybe the author should have explained that this was a voluntary program for students who wanted scholarships. Would have made it seem less forceful and authoritarian from the outside.
Visuals. The artstyle and color scheme are energetic and eye-popping. The animation is great, for a romance. The atmosphere is done well. Character designs are okay. The opposites attract theme with their hair colors is a nice detail, though a bit obvious.
The sound design is an underrated detail. Not only is the voice acting high quality, but the background tune playing throughout sets the tone. Reminds me of how Bleach/OP have iconic sound bits. And the ending visuals, chefs kiss. And to top it off, the song "Stuck on You" is one of my favorite theme songs. Even if you hate the show, I'd say give it a listen anyway.
The comedy is great. I watched it in both sub and dub, but the dub stood out in the comedy aspect. Especially with Jiro's best friend Sadahara who cracked me up every single time he appeared on the screen. He managed to point out the absurdity of Jiro's love triangle and be a lovable otaku who somehow is able to break the fourth wall. The dialogue was hilarious at times. Also in the English anime dubs, Araki asking Jiro if he washed his hands after using the bathroom and Jiro shouting, "I'm a clean boi!" Love it. The scene later in the study session where Araki is literally trying to get a rise out of Jiro... literally everything about the scene is amazing. The English dubs are hilarious with Jiro's inner monologue. Araki is just being way too hot. Jiro throwing her down is just... wah. And then Jiro just so gently touching her face... then nosebleed. Bahahahaha it was hilariously cute. The manga does this scene better, but when Jiro and Araki are hiding from Shiori and Mei in that little cubby on the beach, I love that Araki did wear that bikini especially for him, like damn, sweet. And when Jiro getting over excited and saying, "That's not my knee." Hahaha! And then the iconic baking scene where they were making cupcakes, you know the one. Funny stuff.
Love triangle? Well, that's the premise of the show. If you hate love triangles I doubt you would even pick this up. I really don't mind that part of the show, but I wish they would flesh out the romantic rivals, Shiori and Minami, more. Shiori is just a childhood friend while Minami gets a backstory that doesn't really make sense and feels out of place. He can't ever get in a relationship with anyone including Akari because of his previous trauma from an unrequited love, so that resolves Akari's love triangle and just leaves Shiori as a roadblock going forward. Shiori is just a boring character in the anime. She's nice, but still boring. And as for the constant misunderstandings, it does get annoying at times but it's only the first season. If the show ever got a second season, it could use a bit less misunderstandings as a driver of plot.
Now on to the characters. Jiro is a good character. I went into this thinking he was just a bland main character like a lot of ecchi anime, but his personality was likeable and made his relationship with Akari feel genuine. Some compare him to Gojo from My Dress Up Darling, saying he doesn't have an overarching goal. I don't think that's really a problem. That's like saying Bleach is bad because Ichigo doesn't have a grand goal to become the Pirate King like Luffy. Jiro is an otaku, a nerd. He likes playing video games, hanging out with his friends, and reading manga like a normal teenage boy. It makes him grounded and realistic, if anything. Meanwhile Akari is introduced as an arrogant gyaru girl and ends up actually being super sweet underneath her facade. She doesn't know what she wants exactly because she's still learning how to navigate her own feelings. She can be shy sometimes and she can be bold. It makes her a rounded character. The side characters are also not bad.
The romance is the bread and butter of this anime. The main couple's chemistry clicked instantly, yet there is still unresolved tension which made for good old fashioned lovers' quarrels. Their first meeting, they butt heads, saying they both don't want to be partnered with each other, but that kiss, an accidental one but still, showed they were both more interested in each other than they let on. They get along with each other the longer the show goes on, actually becoming friends before lovers (well, it's in the title). The dynamic between Akari and Jiro in MTAMC is one that is one of my favorites in the romance scene. A teasing girl who is secretly a sweetheart and a boy who can fluster her just as much in return. It's simple. It's cute.
This show was like chasing a high and not being able to find it, since it gave me such a specific feeling watching it that no other anime could replicate.
_As a final note, I definitely get why some people might not like it if they like more sophisticated romances or anime that fully commit to the ecchi. Yes, it may be romcom trash. But it's my romcom trash. I love this stinkin' show. I'd say this is a sorta biased review, since I'm a sucker for romance, so keep that in mind. _
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