It’s paradoxical that despite there being eight billion people out there, loneliness is an epidemic. In the age of social media, everyone seems so distant. Even someone as reclusive as I sees the fault in that. There’s beauty in connections. There’s a certain je ne sais quoi in meeting someone you quickly bond with. I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class celebrates those feelings so casually that it surprised me.
For a rom-com with a plot that most people have already seen in multiple other shows, Class de 2-banme ni Kawaii Onnanoko to Tomodachi ni Natta (KuraNika) still enchants. I’ll admit my bias. I’m partial to KuraNika because I see myself in it. But before that, here’s what you should know about it.
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I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class — A Tale of Comfort Friends
To his dismay, Maki Maehara has always been a class outcast. Despite being affable and amiable, Maki has only ever lived in the background. But when he unwittingly introduces the real version of himself to his new class and reveals his love for B-Grade movies, something unexpected happens. Unbeknownst to Maki, the “second prettiest” girl in his class, Umi Asanagi, takes notice. Despite her appearance and facade, Umi is also a slob who loves B-grade movies and video games. So at the first chance she gets, Umi ambushes Maki-kun and quickly makes herself a fixture of his life. Romance follows as the two get closer.
The Power of Friendship Hot Waifus
Studio CONNECT knows sex appeal and good looks are profitable qualities. I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class is a visually pleasing show with visually opulent waifus. Studio CONNECT rubs that in your face, every chance it gets. If you took a shot every time a scene pans into Umi’s smile, you’d be a picture in an obituary. Her eyes call to me like they’re a multi-day hike that wants me to ditch all earthly responsibilities.
There’s a theory that the first bit of human media aliens will encounter is Hitler’s speech at the 1936 Olympics. If you’re wondering why, it’s because that was (allegedly) the first major broadcast signal. How I wish I could go back in time and broadcast Umi’s smile. Any civilization that produced that would be the pride of the universe.
But despite its heavy emphasis on looks, I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class is surprisingly accepting. The anime’s heroines defend and welcome Maki-kun’s preferences. They stand up for him. Even the parents in the show are understanding. I’ve heard my friend’s teenage horror stories about repressive and smothering parents. I don’t know what that’s like because my teenage circumstances gave me a lot of freedom. Usually, when anime portrays parents who give their kids that freedom, it comes off as irresponsible. Which is unfair. But in I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class, even the parents respect their kids’ choices. That alone wins me over.
A Slow Burn Romance
Hollywood and anime excel at hyping the whole “love at first sight” spiel. But it doesn’t always work that way. Some romances are like fried chicken — fast and hot. But others are like BBQ ribs: time is a necessity. I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class takes a slow but believable approach to the inevitable romance. It establishes a friendship before anyone makes a move. Sure, it’s hot as hell to hook up and end up with a girlfriend, but seeing romance flourish in people who want nothing but the other’s company is always endearing.
That said, there’s not much I can say about their romance yet. Feelings are present, but at the moment, they’re far from the limelight. But based on what we’ve seen so far, we can assume that when the time comes, Umi and Maki will thrive. The inklings of a “second-girl” romance drama are already making themselves known. I really hope that’s not the case. For once, it would be great for two people to get to know what love is without an excessive amount of drama or “My friend also likes you, so I can’t love you.”
An Enviable Tale
It’s easy to think that anime like I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class is meant for people who struggle with making friends (or don’t have any). That thought makes sense. Most lonely dudes wish a hot girl would play games and be slobby with them. But anime like this can still strike a chord with people who have meaningful connections.
I love my friends. They’ve been far better than I deserve. But besides our taste in music, we don’t have much in common. And now that we’re in our thirties, the fact that we don’t have much in common inevitably makes things more distant. All my friends are either married, have kids, or are building their homes and careers. Those are responsibilities that don’t leave time for much else. I’m single, have my own place, and my biggest worries are my preordered figures getting lost in the mail and my luggage being overweight. In the Venn diagram of them and me, the intersection is small. I don’t have anyone I can wake up at 3 am and drive 100 miles to hike a mountain with. So even for people like me, the dynamic in I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class is enviable. It’s human nature to want someone you can let loose with.
Is KuraNika wish fulfillment? It absolutely is. But sometimes a wish is the only thing that gets you through the day.
I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class Deets
KuraNika adapts the light novel written by Takata. Tom Osabe illustrated the first volume. Azuri Hyuga illustrates all other volumes.
I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class began as a web novel on Kadokawa’s user-generated website, Kakuyomu, in November 2020. When the web novel began receiving critical acclaim, Kadokawa Shoten acquired it and began publishing it in print. The publisher has released nine volumes of the light novel. A tenth volume will conclude the series.
Rin Ono adapted KuraNika into a manga. Media Factory’s Comic Alive+ has serialized the manga since its July 2022 debut and has compiled it into seven tankobon volumes. Yen Press releases the English version of the manga in North America.
Crunchyroll streams I Made Friends with the Second Prettiest Girl in My Class.
Screenshots via Crunchyroll
© Takata・KADOKAWA／KURANIKA Production Committee
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