Lovey-dovey tales about otaku and nerds aren’t unheard of nowadays. The upcoming Loving Yamada at Lv999 (Yamada-kun to Lv999 no Koi wo Suru) might catch your interest if you want a different perspective. Coming April 1, 2023, you wouldn’t have to wait long to see this take on gamer romance from Madhouse, no less!
【Official Trailer】
Loving Yamada at Lv999!
Scheduled for April 2023!(Animation Production: MADHOUSE)
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— AnimeTV チェーン (@animetv_jp) February 13, 2023
Loving Yamada at Lv999, an adaptation of a popular Shoujo manga by an artist only known as Mashiro, has recently been covered by J-List’s own Justin. Though for those curious for a quick rundown, the anime’s the tale of Akane Kinoshita (Inori Minase), who finds out one day that her boyfriend cheated on her while both were in-game. Being a gamer herself, she tries to vent her frustrations on every RPG enemy she sees until stumbling on (and falling for) Akito Yamada (Kōki Uchiyama), a guildmate with a Noh mask. To her dismay, however, she discovers that while he might be a gaming genius, he’s a rank amateur on matters of the heart. Not that it’ll stop Akane, who, with some newfound friends both in-game and beyond, will do whatever it takes to overcome this “final boss.”
Don’t let the seemingly hokey setup fool you. For one, the anime (as well as the source material) goes to lengths to approach that with warmth and dignity. While Akane seems light-years beyond Hitori “Bocchi” Gotō in social skills, she still comes across as a fairly realistic take on a female gamer: outgoing yet approachable to her friends, if somewhat insecure about opening up to others. This extends as well not only to her would-be lover but also to the people around them, be it the perky though eccentric college student Runa Sasaki (Ai Kakuma) or the young-at-heart Takezo Kamota (Nobuo Tobita). Whether it’s their adventures in-game or through the real world, you’d soon discover that these aren’t people to loathe or feel pity for. Just gamers and otaku finding their way, as would anyone else.
https://twitter.com/shoujocrave/status/1635582296492220417
As odd as it might be to have a studio like Madhouse attached to Loving Yamada at Lv999, especially given its long pedigree, it’s more than reassuring, given the crisp and varied visuals in the teasers so far. Even more so, given that the anime has Yasuhiro Nakanishi, who produced the music for Kaguya-sama: Love is War as its composer, and industry veteran Morio Asaka at the helm as director, whose hits like the original Cardcaptor Sakura (1998-2000) and Nana (2006-07) establish him as in familiar territory. Which isn’t to forget the voice cast bringing the series’s colorful characters to life. Inori Minase and Kōki Uchiyama are rising stars in their own right, as seen in roles as varied as Gundam Unicorn’s Banagher Links and Re:Zero’s Rem, respectively.
https://twitter.com/shoujocrave/status/1639206374990131203
While the series is set to air this April 1 in Japan, and no word’s available yet for the international release, the English version of the manga has been simultaneously published by Mangamo since July 2022. Hopefully, you won’t have to wait too long to see this gaming romance in vivid color, though. What are your thoughts on Loving Yamada at Lv999? Let us know in the comments below or online on Facebook or Twitter.
The vibrant colors of RPGs bring fantasy worlds to life, so how about exploring one with the beautiful girls of KonoSuba? J-List has KONOSUBA ～Noroi no Ibutsu to Madoishi Boukensha-tachi for the Nintendo Switch in stock now!
