Oreshura

I'm just watching this episode while waiting for the new Shin Sekai Yori episode to come online. Honest. Ahem.

Every character in this show - the full title is Ore no Kanojo to Osananajimi ga Shuraba Sugiru, or My Girlfriend and Childhood Friend Fight Too Much - is a fucking idiot, with the exception of the female lead. She's a compulsive liar with a talent for manipulation and a borderline sociopath. Everybody else, though, is an essentially well-meaning fucking idiot.

The basic plot is actually kind of interesting for a harem show; the male lead, Eita, is a cynic who doesn't believe in love and has no interest in pursuing (or being pursued by) girls. He is oblivious to the interest shown by his childhood friend and neighbour Chiwa, focusing entirely on his studies instead. When transfer student Masuzu arrives, with a similarly nihilistic view of romance, she blackmails him into posing as her boyfriend in order to deflect the amorous attention of other students.

This, to me, seems like a no-brainer for Eita - he's not interested in romance and the proposed arrangement from Masuzu doesn't exactly come with strings attached - if shoujo manga and anime have taught me anything, high school students who are "going out" don't even have to actually go out. Declare your love, boom - you're "dating", and off the menu. I can't figure out why he'd be so resistant, but that would deprive the show of demonstrating his incredible discomfort when Masuzu reads from his secret diary (written three years ago, so hardly a commentary on his current behaviour - especially since he's totally turned his academic career around) in front of Eita's friends.

All of whom, as the aforementioned Fucking Idiot Brigade, totally fail to notice his discomfort and draw the obvious conclusion that it's his diary, you morons. Literally every scene and conversation has at least one exchange that has me staring in disbelief not just that the characters are so monumentally stupid, but that the audience is expected to buy into their stupidity.

I can't stop watching, though - there are just enough interesting character moments in each episode to hook me back in. And as much as I wish I didn't care what the outcome is going to be (let's be realistic - there isn't going to be a definite decision anytime soon, if at all; harem shows are sold on the fact that viewers can 'ship the main character with whoever they want, whether (s)he's a canon option or not), I do actually have a headcanon for it already.

It's not a clever show - quite the opposite. It's predictable, it's quite embarrassing in a lot of places and it looks dreadful, but I have a horrible feeling that I'm going to be watching it 'til the end.

Oh, hey - Shin Sekai Yori is up. I'mma go watch that and feel better about myself.