Review of "How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend": A realistic story of youth and creativity

"How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend" - A story where youth and creativity intersect

"How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend" is a TV anime series based on the light novel by Maruto Fumiaki, which aired on Fuji TV from January 9 to March 27, 2015. It consists of 13 episodes, each 30 minutes long, and is produced by A-1 Pictures. The story depicts the conflict between youth and creativity, and is known for eliciting deep emotions and empathy from viewers.

story

The story begins with a fateful encounter between otaku high school student Aki Tomoya and a girl on a hill covered with falling cherry blossoms. Tomoya comes up with the idea of ​​creating a dating game with the girl as the main heroine, and struggles to recruit Sawamura Spencer Eriri, the ace of the art club, and Kasumigaoka Utaha, the top student in the grade, to join the staff. However, Tomoya is shocked to find out that the girl he had a fateful encounter with is his classmate Kato Megumi. Determined to make Kato Megumi the undisputed heroine in the game, Tomoya's challenge begins.

character

Aki Tomoya

Voice actor: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka

He is one of the three most famous people at Toyogasaki Academy, and in his first year he persistently negotiated with the vice principal to make an anime screening happen at the school festival. Full of vitality, he pushes forward with unnecessary passion to make his dreams come true. He is a consumerist otaku who pours the money he saves from part-time jobs into anime and games, but after meeting Kato Megumi, he steps into the world of creativity.

Sawamura Spencer Eriri

Voice actor: Saori Onishi

She is a beautiful girl from Toyogasaki Academy, and the daughter of a British diplomat. However, behind her back is the super popular circle "egoisthic-lily" and illustrator "Eri Kashiwagi" who draws 18+ doujinshi. Influenced by her rotten girl mother and otaku father, she decided to go down this path, and begins a new challenge by participating in the production of Tomoya's gal game.

Poetry of the Hills

Voice actor: Ai Kayano

She is a gifted student at Toyogasaki Academy, and an honor student who continues to hold the top spot in her grade. Behind her is her true identity as Kasumi Utako, a light novel author whose debut work, Koisuru Metronome, was a huge hit, selling a total of 500,000 copies. She is usually quiet, but once she opens her mouth, she is unstoppable with her sharp tongue. By participating in Tomoya's gal game production, her talents blossom even more.

Megumi Kato

Voice actor: Kiyono Yasuno

She is a classmate of Tomoya and is an ordinary girl with a low presence. However, if you look closely, you will see that she is cute and has the kindness of a person who will accompany you in any situation if you ask her. When Tomoya decides to make her the main heroine of a gal game, her life also changes dramatically.

Michiru Hyoudou

Voice actor: Yahagi Sayuri

She is Tomoya's childhood friend and cousin. She attended an all-girls high school and was constantly changing clubs, but now she has formed an indie band called "icy tail" and is working towards a live show. She has a close relationship with Tomoya, and although they are overly physical, they don't mind each other at all as a man and a woman.

Hashima Dekai

Voice actor: Chinatsu Akasaki

When she was young, she was a healthy and active girl, but after Tomoya taught her the basics of otaku, she fell in love with the path. When her parents were transferred to Nagoya, she continued on her otaku path alone and grew steadily. She returned to Tokyo and began a new challenge under her master Tomoya.

Iori Hashima

Voice actor: Tetsuya Kakihara

He is Izumi's older brother and Tomoya's friend. He understands otaku culture and supports Tomoya's gal game production. His presence is a great support for Tomoya.

staff

Original author: Fumiaki Maruto (Fujimi Fantasia Bunko)
Character design: Fukasaku Kurehito Director: Kamei Kanta Series composition and script: Maruto Fumiaki Character design and chief animation director: Takase Tomoaki Art director: Kusakabe Natsuki Art setting: Tsunagu Eiko Color design: Hokari Kanako Director of photography: Tozawa Yuichiro Editor: Saito Akari Production: A-1 Pictures

Theme songs and insert songs

Opening Theme

"Kimiiro Signal"
Lyrics: Luna Haruna, Ken Masutani Composition: Ken Masutani Arrangement: Ken Masutani Singer: Luna Haruna

Ending Theme

"colorful."
Lyrics: Misora ​​Sawai Composition: Misora ​​Sawai Arrangement: TATOO
Vocals: Sawai Misora

Insert song

"M♭"
Lyrics: Emi Inaba Composition: Kosuke Okui Arrangement: Yuki Nara Singer: Megumi Kato (Kiyono Yasuno)

"Blooming Lily"
Lyrics: Emi Inaba Composition: Kosuke Okui Arrangement: Kosuke Okui Singer: Sawamura Spencer Eriri (Saori Onishi)

"Sky Blue Days"
Lyricist: meg rock
Composed by: Shinya Saito Arranged by: Shigeo Komori Vocals by: Michiru Hyoudou (Sayuri Yahagi)

"Cherish you"
Lyrics: Emi Inaba Composition: Ki Fujisue Arrangement: Shigeo Komori Vocals: Michiru Hyoudou (Sayuri Yahagi)

episode

Each episode depicts the growth of Tomoya and his friends as they create gal games. Below are the subtitles for each episode.

• #0 Love and Youth Service Episode
• #1 A prologue full of mistakes
• #2 A Girl Who Doesn't Raise Flags
• #3 The climax was a retake
• #4 Budget, deadlines and new developments
• #5 A dating event where you pass each other
• #6 Choices for the night
• #7 Friend, foe, or new character?
• #8 Decoy Trauma Reminiscence Mode
• #9 First individual route in eight years
• #10 Memories and Melodies of Revitalization
• #11 Ready to resolve plot twists
• #12 A turbulent and turbulent everyday life ending

Evaluation and Impressions

"How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend" has been highly praised for its realistic portrayal of the struggles of youth and creativity. In particular, viewers were impressed by the growth shown by Tomoya as he tries to make Kato Megumi the main heroine of a dating game, and the charms of unique characters such as Eriri and Utaha. In addition, the series is written and composed by Maruto Fumiaki, the original author, and the animation has been praised for faithfully recreating the atmosphere of the original work.

Viewers have commented that "the pain and joy of youth is depicted so realistically that I can empathize," "I was moved by watching the characters grow," and "the music is also great, and the insert songs were particularly memorable." Additionally, the scenes that depict the behind-the-scenes of gal game production are realistic and interesting, and many parts are said to be useful references for people involved in game creation.

Recommended points

Here are some reasons why I recommend this work:

• Realistic portrayal of youth : The struggles and joys of the youth of Tomoya and his friends are depicted realistically, eliciting deep empathy from the viewer.
• Unique characters : Unique characters such as Eriri, Utaha, and Kato Megumi add excitement to the story and draw viewers in.
• Creative process : It realistically depicts what goes on behind the scenes in gal game production, and there are many useful points for those who are interested in creative writing.
• Music : The opening, ending, and insert songs are all excellent and are important elements that add excitement to the story.

Related Titles

"How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend" is not only an original light novel, but also a sequel anime series and a movie have been produced. Below are related works.

• "Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend ♭" : A sequel anime series that aired in 2017. It depicts the new challenges faced by Tomoya and his friends.
• "Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend Fine" : A movie released in 2019. It was produced as the final chapter of the story.

summary

"How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend" is loved by many viewers as a work that realistically depicts the conflict between youth and creativity. The growth of the unique characters and the scenes that depict the behind-the-scenes of gal game production deeply move and empathize with viewers. The music is also wonderful, and is an important element that adds excitement to the story. This work is a must-see for anyone interested in youth and creativity.