Review of Nisekoi: False Love
Nisekoi Art: As a rule I tend to shy away from things art styles that focus on over-the-top features, but while Niskekoi didn’t have a lot of that, every single character had a unique feature that was well explained and at no point was I trying to figure out why Chitoge always has the ribbon, or why Tachibana has such long hair. Each character was more than just a change of clothes or hair but had different facial features and structures. Sure they are a bit similar but that is just keeping consistency. Another interesting thing was the architecture of the school! It was really uniqueand the intricacies really made me fall in love with the atmosphere of the show overall. If I really worked hard to try and figure out something I didn’t really care for, it would probably be the blue hair of Ichijo (The male lead). In a world where the hair colors are pretty consistent, this just gave me a feeling of inconsistency. But this minuscule detail didn’t stop me from absolutely loving this art.
Sound/Music: I found that the music was more akin to background noise at times. I felt that the introduction animations were funny and showed a lot of charm, working well with the music, but I didn’t really have a problem skipping past the ending sequences. However, as the story began to progress, I feel like the music played a better role in communicating emotions that we were seeing a character portray, but the music takes it to the next step by trying to get us, the viewer, to feel the same emotion that the character is feeling. That kind of sound direction is what separates a good show from a great show. As for the sound, there wasn’t much variation outside of the occasional punch or slap. It would have been nice to hear things like footsteps when it needs to be dramatic, or heavy breathing when a nervous moment comes up.
Story: Season One- I feel like the story was really well put together in the first season. Two kids who only have just met, pushed into a relationship that is just for show, how awkward! Not only that, the main, Ichijo is in love with another girl, and because of this false relationship he can’t pursue Onodera the way he wants to! Not only that he has this mysterious locket that he got 10 years prior after making a promise to someone, but he can’t remember the promise or what the locket holds. It isn’t super original, but the way that it is a mix of Romeo and Juliet (kind of and they even make reference to this in the show) and ‘What’s in the Locket?’ creates a show that is fun to watch and easy to get invested in. I won’t spoil anything, but things get pretty complicated and Ichijo has to deal with a lot of extra stuff just to keep everyone happy! Season Two - I am including season two in this review because it is largely the same in many aspects but the major difference here is there is no real defined plot, but rather the plot will vary based on the episode. We meet a few new characters and most of them go undeveloped, save for Oondera’s little sister, It is a nice continuation of the story that after a single season I was hungry for more. I must say that I could see myself watching this show for a lot longer if that is the direction they choose to take, the characters are just that likable.
Personal Reflection: I really really enjoyed this show. It didn’t take long for me to fall in love with this cast and that is probably why it got so popular. I must say that for the girls that seem to really want to be with Ichijo, I root for Chitoge over all others, and I know that probably isn’t the popular opinion, because Ichijo and Onodera would be so cute, or even Ichijo and Tsugumi would be fun, but I just see the main two as a better couple. As I said in my art section the architecture of the school was just so cool! The openness and the artistic fence design around the pool, I just couldn’t get enough of it. Really, I wish my university would have those kind of open air buildings, however I live in the Midwestern United States and it snows all the time here so maybe not the best idea, but still! I have to say, this show really put me in a good place. I loved being able to come back to it after a long day or have a break and just watch an episode or two, and just enjoy the great story and characters. While I don’t love the way it ended, and there are questions that have been left unanswered, I am only hoping for another season! Fingers Crossed. If you love shows about people that are overly caring about putting others before themselves and girls that are all eccentric and fun, you will love Nisekoi!
Overall Score: 9.8/10