You Can’t Be in a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends! A PEAK Harem

For the first time in what seems like years, I feel like life is on my side. And I have Shio Minamo’s ass and You Can’t Be in a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends! to thank for that.

Have you ever encountered something that you immediately knew was meant for you? When was the last time you laughed so much that all the lingering thoughts in your head vanished? Can you remember the last time something lifted your mood so much that you woke up with a smile? If you had asked me these questions a day ago, you’d have gotten a blank, hateful stare. But that was before I watched the premiere of You Can’t Be in a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends!

But what about Osananajimi to wa Love Comedy ni Naranai made me love it to the point it had me randomly laughing throughout the day? To summarize, this anime is a celebration of fan service.

You Can’t Be in a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends! — A Harem Anime That Embraces Its Tropes

As the synopsis goes, You Can’t Be in a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends! is remarkably repetitive. The anime follows Yonosuke Sakai and his harem of childhood friends. As you’d expect, Yonosuke romantically (and sexually) likes his childhood friends and those girls like him. However, since no one wants to jeopardize a lifelong friendship, they avoid being upfront and instead resort to roundabout ways of expressing their affection.

You Can’t Be in a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends! is devoid of intricacy or originality. Yet, despite that, or rather, in spite of it, this anime is pleasantly entertaining. Repetition isn’t an inherently negative trait. What makes repetition so despised is how it is blandly carried out. Think of it this way: Metallica has been playing “Seek & Destroy” since the early ’80s. You’d think that in that time, their performance of it would have dulled. Yet they still deliver a punishing live rendition 44 years later. Why? Or, more importantly, how? Love!

There’s a monumental difference between a creator repeating something because it gets results and one who repeats something because of passion. When Shinya Misu wrote You Can’t Be in a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends!, they used tropes that every other harem has exploited to extinction. But Shinya-sensei did so with love. This is the work of someone who copied what they saw, not because it was necessary, but because it resonated with them. The characters in this anime know they’re being tropey, and they’re laughing at the tropes with us. You Can’t Be in a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends! is an anime that celebrates the novelty of ecchi aspects that have long ago aged.

Well Done Fan Service

One of my favorite dynamics in anime is the romantic duo from My Dress-Up Darling (we have the Blu-rays, go buy them). Marin and Gojo showcase what should be a healthy standard; they display the perfect combination of affection, support, and horniness. Most relationships need those things to survive. But I’m not here to give romantic advice; I’m here to talk about fan service!

Fan service is contentious, even though I dislike it when a show gives me oppai for no reason other than showing it. Mangaka need to stop being lazy heathens and properly work sexuality into their stories. Luckily, You Can’t Be in a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends! knows how to work fan service. The entirety of the first episode’s lewdness served a purpose — it was an attempt by a character to seduce and infatuate their crush. The girls in this anime are hot, they know it, and they use that to their advantage. Every person on earth who’s attractive has used their looks to their advantage at least once. Couples and people who are interested in each other will always playfully tease each other. That’s human nature; that’s what we do. That’s what Shio and Akari do, and it’s refreshing to see that.

You Can’t Be in a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends! Production Details

I hate this part of reviews. Who am I to comment on art and animation? Even if my reward was a night with TM Opera O I couldn’t draw a circle. But for what it’s worth, I love Tezuka Production’s animation. I’ve been a fan of this studio ever since I watched The Quintessential Quintuplets. Whenever I see their name, I expect great things. Once again, they delivered.

Of all the shows that have aired this season, You Can’t Be in a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends! has my favorite voice acting. I adore Slow Loop, and ever since I watched it, I’ve been infatuated with Rin Kusumi’s voice. I cherish her voicing my favorite heroine in the show (Shio Minamo). Takehiro Urao (Yonosuke) always sounds like he’s between a heart attack and a cum dump when he sees lewdness, and that should be the industry standard. Osananajimi to wa Love Comedy ni Naranai is the first show of the season to get a 5/5 from me. Hopefully, you enjoy it as much as I do.

You Can’t Be in a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends! is based on the manga by Shinya Misu. Kodansha’s Pocket Magazine has serialized the title since its March 2022 debut. The publisher has compiled the manga into 18 tankobon volumes. The series is available on the Kodansha K Manga service. Crunchyroll simulcasts a new episode of Osananajimi to wa Love Comedy ni Naranai every Monday.

© Shinya Misu / Kodansha/ You Can’t Be in a Rom-Com with Your Childhood Friends! Production Committee

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