"Are You Really the Only One Who Likes Me?" Review: A youthful romantic comedy depicting a unique love

"Are You Really the Only One Who Likes Me?" - A new charm of youth romantic comedy

Am I the Only One You Love? is a TV anime series that aired from October to December 2019 and is based on a light novel by Rakuda. It was animated by CONNECT and directed by Noriaki Akitaya. The series captivated viewers with its unique characters and humor, especially within the teen romantic comedy genre.

story

The main character, Kisaragi Uero, nicknamed Joro, is an ordinary high school sophomore. One day, he is asked out on a date by a girl he likes. However, the twist is that the purpose of the date isn't Joro, but another boy, to ask for love advice. At this point, Joro begins to transform from his "insensitive, harmless character" into his "true self."

Joro is surrounded by beautiful girls with unique personalities, including the cool beauty Cosmos-senpai, his cute childhood friend Himawari, and the gloomy girl with braids and glasses Pansy (Sanshikiin Sumireko). Through his interactions with them, Joro realizes that he is just a minor character, but he struggles to win their hearts by giving them advice on love. However, in the process, Pansy asks him, "Am I the only one who likes me?", leaving him with mixed emotions.

character

Joro (Kisaragi Uro) : A high school sophomore who is average in appearance, grades, and athletic ability. Although he is aware that he is a mob character, he strives to win the hearts of beautiful girls by giving love advice. His voice actor is Yamashita Daiki.

Pansy (Sanshikiin Sumireko) : A girl with a noble-sounding name who is often in the library during lunch break. However, she is very plain, wears glasses and braids, and is extremely sarcastic towards Joro. Although she seems to dislike Joro, she has complicated feelings for him. Her voice actor is Haruka Tomatsu.

Sazanka (Mayama Achahana) : A girl who sits next to Joro and is a classmate of Joro. Until recently, she had a flashy outfit and hairstyle, but now she has a neat and tidy appearance that is perfect for Joro's taste. Her voice actress is Shuka Saito.

staff

The original story was written by Rakuda, and the original illustrations were done by Buriki. The director was Noriaki Akitatani, the assistant director was Yoshinari Morita, and the series composition and all episode scripts were written by Rakuda. The character design was by Shoko Takimoto, the art director was Michiko Morokuma, the background studio was Studio Tenjin, the color setting was Ryoko Oka, the director of photography was Takeshi Hirooka, the photography studio was Nexus, the 3D director was Takeshi Saito, the 3DCG studio was Wired, the editor was Kentaro Tsubone, the editing studio was REAL-T, the sound director was Yuki Gobumi, the sound effects were Katsuhiro Nakano, the sound adjustment was Daiki Yamaki, the music was Yoshimasa Fujisawa, the music production was Aniplex, the animation produced by BARNUM STUDIO, the animation production was CONNECT, and the production was done by the "OreSuki" Production Committee.

Broadcast information

The series aired from October 3 to December 26, 2019, with a total of 13 episodes. It was broadcast on TOKYO MX and AT-X, and aired for 30 minutes every Thursday from 12:30 a.m.

subtitle

The subtitles for each episode are told from Joro's point of view. Below are the subtitles for each episode:

• Episode 1: "I'm really just an ordinary mob guy like you'd find anywhere"
• Episode 2: "The Negative Spiral That Attacks Me"
• Episode 3: "I Met You"
• Episode 4: "The result of my hard work"
• Episode 5: "I thought it was going too well for me..."
• Episode 6: "When I have to say something, I say it"
• Episode 7: "I Discover an Unexpected Side"
• Episode 8: "My tragedy began before I knew it"
• Episode 9: "My Thoughts"
• Special Edition: "I'll proceed carefully"
• Episode 10: "Even I Can Do Something Good Sometimes"
• Episode 11: "Maybe I'm Not Needed"
• Episode 12: "What I Like is..."

Theme songs and music

The opening theme "Papapa" is sung by Shuka Saito, with lyrics and music by Kei Hayashi (LIVE LAB.) and arrangement by Shota Horie. The ending theme is "Kimi no Tonari de" sung by Pansy (Haruka Tomatsu), Himawari (Haruka Shiraishi), and Cosmos (Sachika Misawa). The lyrics, music, and arrangement were done by Jazzin'park (Shingo Kubota & Akira Kurihara).

Evaluation and Impressions

Even within the genre of youth romantic comedy, "Ore wo Suki nano wa Omae dake ka yo" stands out for its humor and the individuality of its characters, especially those depicted from Joro's perspective. Joro's self-awareness as a "mob character" and his determination to continue to fight despite that resonate with viewers. In addition, the character settings of the beautiful girls, such as Pansy, Sasanqua, Cosmos, and Himawari, are also appealing, and the interactions with them add excitement to the story.

CONNECT, the animation studio, paid particular attention to the character design and background art, enhancing the visual appeal of the film. In particular, the expressions and movements of each character are drawn in detail, conveying the changes in their emotions realistically. The music also plays an important role in enhancing the atmosphere of the film, and the opening and ending songs match the flavor of the story.

This work is recommended not only for fans of youth romantic comedies, but also for viewers who enjoy humor. You will be able to laugh and feel touched through Joro's struggles and his interactions with the beautiful girls. In addition, the original light novel is also very popular, so you can enjoy the story more deeply by reading the original novel after watching the anime.

Recommended points

The recommended points of this work are as follows:

• Humor : There's plenty of humor told from Joro's perspective, so you'll never stop laughing.
• Characters : The characters are all unique and beautiful, and you can enjoy interacting with them.
• Animation : CONNECT's detailed animations add to the visual appeal.
• Music : The opening and ending songs add to the atmosphere of the story and enrich the viewing experience.
• Original work : The original light novel is also very popular, and you can enjoy the story more deeply by reading the original work after watching the anime.

"Are You Really the Only One Who Likes Me?" is a work that will make you feel the new charm of youth romantic comedy. You will be able to feel laughter and emotion through Joro's struggles and his interactions with beautiful girls. Please watch this work and enjoy the bittersweetness and humor of youth.