Some anime attempt to subvert expectations through some outwardly shallow or wacky title that's intended to catch an unsuspecting viewer by surprise. Bunny Girl Senpai certainly does that, and much, much, more.

Bunny Girl Senpai is about mental illness. Dancing around with the metaphorical Adolescence Syndrome, it charts a path through the heart of teen angst and leaves nothing but warmth in its wake.

A phrase often touted about certain anime is that "it portrays mental illness realistically." Then you watch it and the male protagonist cries (God forbid) and gets a little depressed then approximately 60 seconds later he's back to his old self and never has any emotional issues ever again because he's stronger now. There's no nuance, they use trauma like a blunt force object to get a reaction and leave it in the dust as soon as it's used up.

Bunny Girl Senpai does anything but.

In 13 episodes it runs the gamut between wholesome, depressing, terrifying, bittersweet, and just about everything between. The characters aren't mere 2D typecasts with nothing more to them than the description of the word "tsundere." They exemplify many of the situations and feelings that we've all gone through in our lives, and the show remains relentlessly positive, even when the main character himself is struck by despair. It doesn't glorify suicidal ideation or how awful everything is like some other "realistic" anime, it also doesn't gloss over reality and how sometimes it sucks.

All the little things are done right, here. The dialogue is consistently witty, with good delivery. Even things that seem like they'd become annoying after a while, like constant jokes about the protagonist's masochism, never do, because they're used appropriately and in a way that's natural. The animation takes a backseat in such a down-to-earth setting, but that doesn't mean it's bad or an afterthought, far from it. All of the characters are very nice looking and never once did I once anything off putting or unintentionally hilarious. I also very much enjoyed the intro and outro songs.

If you're in need of an anime that makes you feel good about enjoying anime, in need of a sweet, innocent, romance, or just want to know that something more subtle can be created in the medium, Bunny Girl Senpai is your anime.