At the start of the season, I most definitely didn't think that Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai would be my favorite show of the fall. And I certainly didn't think that I'd be fighting countless other glowing reviews upon completion like I am now, but such is the way of anime. Good shows like this don't remain unknown for long, even if they don't have a lot of buzz about them going into the season like Bunny Girl Senpai did. I distinctly remember adding Bunny Girl Senpai to my watch list because I heard from someone that it was a lot like Monogatari, which I absolutely adore. However, I found myself not agreeing with the comparison as much as the episodes ticked on. While there are absolutely similarities between the two (a snarky main character, a new girl of the week with new issues, a main love interest for the main character, etc) I found that, while Monogatari was surreal and ethereal in nature, Bunny Girl Senpai was grounded and had a distinct realism to it, as if these issues could be happening to you or your friends, despite their innate supernatural nature. But anyways, on to the meat of the review.

While I was never absolutely blown away by the animation or art style of Bunny Girl Senpai, I was never really focusing on it enough to notice it being anything worse than good. I actually really fell in love with the character designs in Bunny Girl Senpai more than anything. There was this vague similarity between some characters, but at the same time, every character was unique in a way that you'd never confuse them. At the same time, the color palette of the show was absolutely fantastic for its setting.

However, If I had to name the technical aspect of the show I loved the most, it would be the sound, more specifically, the music. I've said it before and I'll say it again, music elevates shows from a 9/10 to a 10/10. I mean, I look at the majority of my favorite anime and realize that a huge reason for them being there is because they have phenomenal soundtracks. Bunny Girl Senpai is no different. The OST is fantastic and actually memorable, which really makes me look forward to its eventual release. But more than anything, I loved the opening and endings. All five of the variations of the ending are fantastic, though the Mai version is still my favorite. But, I have to say, the compilation version is probably the best. However, my favorite song in the entire show is easily "Kimi no Sei", the opening. I'll just leave it here, because I feel as if it needs no explanation.

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Favorite Character: Sakuta Azusagawa

Yeah it's a bit of a boring choice, but for me, Sakuta is only choice. So few other characters exist with Sakuta's snark and wit and those that do are, in my opinion, outclassed by Sakuta in certain ways. Not to say that he's a better character than say, Araragi or Hachiman, but I certainly related to Sakuta far more than either of those two. There's just a realism to Sakuta that's hard to match. He's snarky and standoffish, but also a caring friend who would topple mountains for those he cares for. He has a cold exterior, but even he isn't completely without feelings. I think the last arc of the show really drew out the depth in Sakuta’s character for me, all while keeping him consistent with his character. And this isn't even touching on the real strength about Sakuta and Bunny Girl Senpai in general. This strength that I've alluded to is simply the chemistry between Sakuta and the rest of the cast. You have Mai, who is Sakuta's main love interest, who provides us with the cutest relationship in the show, where they banter and flirt back and forth in an extremely endearing way. You also have a myriad of other characters with similar, albeit, less engaging relationships with Sakuta; Futaba, who explains things to Sakuta and essentially, the audience; Kaede, Sakuta's little sister who absolutely adores him but is stuck indoors from trauma; and the list goes on. There's just something so special when this cast of characters interacts. It's captivating even, to listen to those friends go back and forth, constantly evolving their relationships with each other, deepening their bonds and overcoming their problems together.

If I had to say anything bad about Bunny Girl Senpai, it would be that it never quite reaches the greatness of the first arc again, though Kaede's arc comes closest. And that is by no means a bad thing. It's just that that first arc was so good that it set completely unrealistic expectations for each and every arc and the fact that it almost reaches that mark every time is incredibly impressive. Sure, I was worried about the Koga arc, since it was a little more of a drag, but it certainly rebounded strongly once I had tempered my expectations a little. Seriously. That's all I can think of.

Anime like Bunny Girl Senpai don't come along too often, maybe once a year or so. For me, Bunny Girl Senpai really struck a chord in me, and I remembered how it was like for me in those tumultuous times, how you felt as if no one could see you or you wished some part of you didn't exist. It's truly a haunting time, one where you usually have to come to terms with those things in time, but to see those issues put under the microscope, to see them visualized, that's hard to handle in some cases. It's this combination of fantastically written characters and deep, thoughtful subject matter that truly makes Bunny Girl Senpai special. It's all these little things in unison that make Bunny Girl Senpai, most likely, my anime of the year.