Anime recommendations!!
Don't know what to watch? Whether you're a baby weeb or a seasoned veteran, this might be the list for you! Here I'll recommend some of the anime I have watched (or am watching!) and hopefully something piques your interest.
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Who doesn't love romcoms, and who doesn't love parodies? Better yet, who doesn't love parodies of romcoms? Get ready for Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun!
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Titles: Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun Episodes: 12 Genres/Themes: Comedy, Romance, Parody, School, Slice of Life, Otaku Culture, Shounen* My Anime List Score: 7.84 Aired: Summer 2014 Source: Manga Studio: Doga Kobo
* (Technically it's shounen because it came out in a shounen magazine, even if the manga+anime seems more traditionally shoujo)
⚉⋆⚉⋆⚉ Synopsis
Cheerful high school girl Chiyo Sakura confesses her feelings to her stoic and oblivious classmate Umetarou Nozaki. Instead of reciprocation or rejection, Nozaki gives her an autograph... An autograph that doesn't even say 'Umetarou Nozaki'!
Chiyo soon recognizes the autograph of the respected shoujo manga author, Sakiko Yumeno! Who would have thought her crush secretly wrote shoujo manga? And heartfelt, romantic shoujo manga that seemed the complete opposite of Nozaki's blunt and impassive personality!?
Being both a fan of Yumeno and Nozaki, Chiyo is quickly roped into being one of Nozaki's manga assistants, many of whom serve as unconventional inspiration for Nozaki's stories and characters. Chiyo is eager to get closer with her crush, even if it's not in the way she originally thought. As she strives to help Nozaki with his manga, maybe someday she can eventually confess her feelings without any misunderstandings?
⚉⋆⚉⋆⚉ Why Watch?
If you're familiar with the common tropes of romcoms and romance manga, this anime takes all of those and turns them on their heads. Whether it be the mundane difficulties of sharing an umbrella with another person, or the princely character being not quite the prince one might expect, Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun is full of fun and surprises.
Even though the high school setting might seem boring at first glance, this anime really takes advantage of it to make the show an ultimate romcom parody. That being said, if you're looking for a solid romance, this show might not be what you're looking for, as romance sort of takes a backseat while comedy drives the show- slice of life in shotgun! The cast of characters are all super fun and weird (and obsessable), and their antics and the way they bounce off each other is quite fantastic.
Like literally half the show is just Nozaki using his friends for shoujo manga inspiration and not-so-subtly slipping them into his stories. My little sister and I loved watching this together, so I would say it is one of those anime series that is fun to watch with others without the fear of awkward fanservice!
I also found the show gave an interesting insight into the world of manga writing and production, so even while I was laughing I felt like I was learning! This feels like a true gem of an anime and I wish there was a second season, but it's an enjoyable ride nonetheless. If you want something with not much plot but very much good fun times, Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun is something you should definitely check out!
