Out there, somewhere, there is a guy who is just right for you. For some girls, that guy won't be the most attractive; in fact, some people may compare the guy you love with a gorilla. Even then, you still love that gorilla, and that is never going to change. With that being said, I've been interested in the Ore Monogatari manga since even before the anime was announced, so when the anime was announced, I automatically planned to watch it. All I can say is, watching this anime as it aired had to be one of the best decisions I ever made.
Ore Monogatari!! is about a guy named Takeo Gouda, who is a giant guy - no exaggeration a here, he's HUGE - with a giant heart - no exaggerations here, either. However, the girls don't like him; instead, they want his good-looking best friend, Makoto Sunakawa. One spring day, in his first year of high school, he saves a girl, Rinko Yamato, from being molested by a pervert, and he fell in love with her IMMEDIATELY. However, as Takeo thinks, Yamato, like all of the other girls, likes Sunakawa.
....Or does she?
What I'm about to say is probably going to be a spoiler, so if you want to read this review without any spoilers, please skip this paragraph. Okay, so it turns out, Yamato actually loves Takeo, and the two of them, with a little push from Sunakawa, end up being a couple by the end of episode.... 3! Out of 24! Normally, in romance anime, the couple doesn't actually get together until towards the end or even at all. Thus, it's nice to see a romance cliché turned around, and we can actually see them as a couple. Takeo himself isn't the kind of protagonist you'd normally see in a romance anime, either, so that's a new one.
The story in Ore Monogatari is a mix of slice-of-life and drama. Although other people may disagree with me, I liked seeing both parts of the story through and through. I also liked a lot of the characters, and I loved seeing how they grew. Truthfully, though, the three stand-out characters are, of course, the three main characters, Takeo, Yamato, and Sunakawa. As I said before, Takeo isn't the kind of protagonist you'd normally see in a romance anime. I meant that appearance-wise, but maybe I mean that personality-wise, too. Most love interests in shoujo anime are total pricks; Takeo is absolutely not a prick, so it was nice. Takeo also had a lot of moments that just made me crack up laughing. Then, we've got his love interest, Yamato. I must say, Takeo's a lucky guy; Yamato is such a sweet girl, and it's clear that she really cares about her boyfriend.
Then, we've got Sunakawa, Takeo's best friend. At first, it's questionable as to why Takeo and Sunakawa are friends, but as the series goes by, the reason becomes clearer and clearer. Sunakawa truly cares about Takeo, and he's even willing to give up his own happiness for him. That is selflessness at its finest, and I really loved his character. Of course, Sunakawa's hot, too; as a girl, there's no way I can deny THAT.
The animation in Ore Monogatari is very colorful and overall quite solid. The character designs were quite good, as well. Truthfully, the voice acting isn't always on-point, but at least Takuya Eguchi didn't completely screw up his voice role as Takeo like I thought he would. The ED, "Shiawase no Arika", is quite a nice song, and it's very nice to listen to. However, it cannot compare to the OP, "Miraikei Answer", which I just love to DEATH.
Overall, Ore Monogatari is a massively great anime; in fact, it's a borderline-10/10. If you're tired of most of the clichés that most romance anime have, I would definitely recommend this one. I don't exaggerate when I say that this is a love story that all should enjoy!
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