My Little Monster review: A bittersweet tale of youth and growth

My Little Monster - My Little Monster

Overview

My Little Monster is a TV anime series based on the Japanese manga by Robico. It began airing on October 2, 2012, and consists of 13 episodes. Animation was handled by Brain's Base, and the director was Hiro Kaburagi. It was broadcast on TV Tokyo, TV Hokkaido, TV Aichi, TV Osaka, TV Setouchi, TVQ Kyushu Broadcasting, dwango, Bandai Channel, and other networks.

Broadcast information

The series was broadcast from October 2, 2012 to January 1, 2013, with each episode lasting 30 minutes. However, the broadcast time for episode 13 was changed as follows due to a special program.

• TV Tokyo: Monday, December 24, 2012, 25:35 -> Monday, December 24, 2012, 26:05 - (delayed 30 minutes)
• TV Osaka: Tuesday, December 25, 2012, 26:10 -> Tuesday, December 25, 2012, 26:40 (delayed 30 minutes)
• TV Aichi: Thursday, December 27, 2012, 26:35 -> Thursday, December 27, 2012, 26:30 - (5 minutes earlier)

Original story and production

The original manga was written by Robico and serialized in Kodansha's monthly Dessert magazine. The anime adaptation was written by Takagi Noboru for series composition, Kishi Tomohiro for character design, Koda Naoko for prop design, Shibata Chikako for art design, Inose Yukie for art design, Miyawaki Hiromi for color design, Tamura Jin for photography, Kanbayashi Norikazu for CG producer, Imai Daisuke for editing, and Nakayama Masato (Elements Garden) for music. Naganuma Norihiro also participated as assistant director. It was produced by the My Little Monster Production Committee.

cast

The voice actors for the main characters are as follows:

• Mizutani Shizuku - Tomatsu Haruka
• Haru Yoshida - Tatsuhisa Suzuki
• Asako Natsume - Atsumi Tanezaki
• Sohei Sasahara - Ryota Osaka
• Kenji Yamaguchi - Takuma Terashima
• Chizuru Oshima - Kana Hanazawa
• Yuzan Yoshida - Yuichi Nakamura
• Mitsuyoshi Misawa - Tomoyuki Higuchi
• Marbo - Atsushi Abe
• Tomio - Yuki Ono
• Teacher Saeko - Nozomi Sasaki
• Takashi Mizutani - Takehito Koyasu

Main Characters

Below are details about the main characters:

• Mizutani Shizuku - CV: Tomatsu Haruka The main character, a first-year student at Shoyo High School. She has a cold and indifferent personality, and her dream is to earn 10 million yen a year. She has no interest in other people or animals, but she grows as the story progresses.
• Yoshida Haru - CV: Suzuki Tatsuhisa A super troublemaker who sits next to Shizuku and is a first-year student at Shoyo High School. Although he is extremely bad at interpersonal relationships, deep down he is a pure-hearted boy who desperately wants to make friends.
• Natsume Asako - CV: Atsumi Tanezaki A classmate of Shizuku and Haru, she has poor grades and is a frequent failing student. She is a beautiful girl who is very popular with the boys, but she finds it annoying.
• Sasahara Sohei - CV: Ryota Osaka Nicknamed "Sasayan." A classmate of Shizuku and Haru, he is a member of the baseball club. He has many friends and is a friendly, sensible person.
• Kenji Yamaguchi - CV: Takuma Terashima Nicknamed "Yamaken". A first-year student at Kaimei Academy, he is a rich kid from a wealthy family. He is very confident and has a proud personality.
• Oshima Chizuru - Voiced by Kana Hanazawa The class representative of the class next to Shizuku and Haru. She has a serious and modest personality, and was absent from school due to a cold when she first entered the school, so she was unable to make any friends.
• Yoshida Yuzan - Voiced by Nakamura Yuichi Haru's older brother, a university student. Haru dislikes him, and it's hard to tell what he's thinking.
• Misawa Mitsuyoshi - CV: Higuchi Tomoyuki Haru's cousin, 25 years old. Nicknamed "Micchan." He is the manager of a batting center and lets Haru stay with him.
• Joji, Mabo, Tomio - Mabo CV: Atsushi Abe, Tomio CV: Yuki Ono The trio that hangs out with Yamaken.
• Saeko Sensei - Voiced by: Nozomi Sasaki She is the homeroom teacher for Shizuku and her classmates.

episode

The subtitles for each episode are as follows:

• Episode 1 - "My Neighbor Yoshida-kun"
• Episode 2 - "Weird"
• Episode 3 - "It's a pain"
• Episode 4 - "Summer Break"
• Episode 5 - "The Yoshida Family's Circumstances"
• Episode 6 - "Their Melancholy Days"
• Episode 7 - "The Distance Between Us"
• Episode 8 - "Welcome to the Matsuyo Festival!"
• Episode 9 - "0 and 1"
• Episode 10 - "Christmas"
• Episode 11 - "Kenji from the Yamaguchi Family"
• Episode 12 - "The Year Ends"
• Episode 13 - "Spring is not far away"

Theme songs and music

The opening and ending themes are as follows:

• OP1 - "Q&A Recital!"
  Vocals: Haruka Tomatsu
• ED1 - "White Wishes"
  Sung by: 9nine

Appeal and evaluation of the work

"My Little Monster" was well-received by many viewers as a youthful romantic comedy. In particular, the relationship between the main characters, Mizutani Shizuku and Yoshida Haru, is at the heart of the story, and their growth and change deeply moved viewers. Shizuku's coldness and Haru's purity are in contrast, but the way they influence each other is portrayed realistically. The surrounding characters also have rich personalities, adding color to the story.

Brain's Base, the animation studio, faithfully reproduced the atmosphere of the original work by meticulously depicting the characters' expressions and movements. In particular, director Hiro Kaburagi's direction skillfully expresses the bittersweetness and sadness of youth. In addition, the background music by Masato Nakayama (Elements Garden), who was in charge of the music, also plays an important role in enhancing the emotions of the story.

The series has been highly praised by viewers, especially for its realistic portrayal of teenage worries, friendships, and romance. The voice acting of Tomatsu Haruka and Suzuki Tatsuhisa has also been highly praised, bringing out the charm of the characters. Furthermore, the opening theme "Q&A Recital!" and the ending theme "White Wishes" have also been popular, further enriching the worldview of the anime.

Recommended points

"My Little Monster" is recommended for those who want to enjoy a youthful romantic comedy and are interested in the growth of characters and changes in human relationships. In particular, those who can empathize with the relationship between the main characters, Shizuku and Haru, will be able to feel the depth of the story. Fans of the original manga will also enjoy the unique interpretation and direction of the anime version.

In addition, it is also recommended for those who like youth anime and works that depict friendship and love. The personalities and relationships of the characters are depicted realistically, and after watching it, you may have the opportunity to look back on your own youth. Also, don't miss the performances of popular voice actors such as Haruka Tomatsu and Tatsuhisa Suzuki.

Related Titles

The following works are recommended as works in the same genre as "My Little Monster."

• "Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai"
  This romantic comedy combines youth and the supernatural, and depicts the growth and relationships of the characters.
• "My Youth Romantic Comedy is Wrong, As I Expected."
  This is a youth romantic comedy that depicts the protagonist's growth through his relationships and romance.
• "Hyouka"
  As a coming-of-age mystery, it depicts the relationships and growth of the characters.

summary

"My Little Monster" is a youthful romantic comedy that has been well received by many viewers. The relationship and growth of the protagonists Mizutani Shizuku and Yoshida Haru, as well as the personalities of the characters around them, enrich the story. The animation production and music were also highly praised, deeply moving viewers. The realistic portrayal of adolescent worries, friendship, and romance was highly praised, and the voice acting of Tomatsu Haruka and Suzuki Tatsuhisa was also highly praised. This is a work recommended for those who want to enjoy a youthful romantic comedy and those who are interested in the growth of characters and changes in human relationships.