Key takeaways from Anime Recommendation – Saekano:
- Saekano, or How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend, is a rom-com/harem anime that focuses on the main character’s goal of creating a dating sim game inspired by his experience with his “boring” classmate.
- Despite the typical rom-com/harem elements, the plot of Saekano is centered around the game and features many twists and turns, making it an entertaining watch.
- The characters in Saekano are well-developed, with the MC’s determination to achieve his goal helping to bring out the best in his friends, particularly Megumi. The animation and soundtracks are also solid, making this anime a worthwhile watch for fans of the genre.
I usually don’t like anime, preferring romance over harem instead. This anime though is one of the rare exceptions to that taste. Because you know, the romance and the harem are all secondary in this anime. The MC has a clear goal and the series sees him working towards that goal with all his might. Saekano hits differently because the MC is so determined.
So welcome back to another edition of our anime recommendation series. This week we are talking about Saekano or How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend. I checked it out on a friend’s recommendation back in the day. But, I didn’t get what was so special about it back then. After watching 100s of more anime after that though, I can say that this one is indeed different. So let’s get started.
Introduction
Saekano is based on the LN of the same name by Maruto Fumiaki and illustrated by Misaki Kurehito. The LN was serialized from July 2012 to October 2017 and it has 13 volumes. As for the anime, it has 2 seasons and one movie to follow up the 2nd season. Both seasons of the anime are made by A1 Pictures, while the movie is made by CloverWorks.
Plot
Our MC, Aki Tomoya meets a girl in a cliche romance-type way. It was ‘love at first sight’ for him. He gets so inspired that he wants to make a whole dating sim based on that experience. Only to later find out that the girl he saw was his ‘boring’ classmate, Katou Megumi. But he is undeterred and enlists the help of his other friends to help him make his dream video game.
Sounds like a pretty typical rom-com/harem plot right? While Saekano does have those elements, the center of the plot is always the game. That may sound a bit weird at first but there are so many twists and turns in the plot as Utaha and Eriri are pretty famous in their own right. Aki does so much to keep them on his team. It is a really entertaining plot for a rom-com/harem anime.
Characters
Everything Aki does is so that he could make his dream game. He is extremely determined throughout the series and he probably works the hardest among everyone involved. It is this single-minded determination of his that allows him to help in the character development of others. Eriri is in a slump, he will help her; Uataha is in trouble, and he will help her. Megumi especially receives a lot of character development thanks to Aki. Which is pretty cool.
Animations and Soundtracks
Check out the Blu-ray on Amazon! (Just click the image)
The animations and art style are pretty good. They are not god-tier or anything but they more than get the job done. The same goes for the soundtracks. Although some of the music used in the anime is really good; especially the songs they made for the game soundtrack.
Why should you watch Saekano?
Quick pointers on why you should check out this anime:
- Great plot
- Awesome characters
- Good character development
Conclusion
That is all for now. Let me know what you guys think in the comments. Saekano is better than most people give it credit for. With that said though, I will take my leave here. See ya!!
