Review of Nisekoi: False Love
Nisekoi makes me question what it really is that separates a good anime, from a bad one. Objectively speaking, there are various criteria one uses to justify the aforementioned verdict; standard criteria such as Art, Story, and so on. However, Nisekoi is the perfect example of how it is possible to enjoy something that isn't really all that original, or amazing, or groundbreaking. Perhaps the best thing about Nisekoi is that it is just... enjoyable to watch, somehow. You could take a pen to paper and put down all of it's shortcomings, but this isn't a show that makes you want to do that. Now whyshould one watch Nisekoi? if you're looking for some lighthearted comedy with extremely cute girls, this should probably be first on your list. There's nothing spectacular about the plot, which actually starts off kind of interesting, but meanders around and goes nowhere really. It reverts back to the status quo which was set at episode 1 so frequently that if you're interested to see where this "romance" that's frequently advertised leads, you will be rather disappointed. However, that's not to say that this show isn't entertaining. And there are a few reasons why it is.
Eye-popping is what I'd call Nisekoi. I've always found Shaft to have a very unique and personalized approach towards making anime and Nisekoi doesn't receive any less effort in that regard. The art of this show is simply gorgeous whilst staying true to the source material by Naoshi Komi (which was great to begin with when compared to regular manga), and might I even go so far as to say that it enhances it. Scenes are drawn well, there is interesting camera work that goes on, and this show is just really colorful and easy on the eye. If you want evidence for the above, just watch Nisekoi's opening track "CLICK" by ClaRIS and you will know what I'm talking about. There's so much interesting art work going on in that OP itself that advertises this show's beautiful visuals. I'm frankly in love with that OP and I've never once skipped it.
The sound of Nisekoi is also pretty darn good. I rarely go so far as to collect a show's soundtrack, but I enjoyed almost every track on this one's OST. Each girl has their own little theme song which reflects their personality rather well, and they're all very refreshing to hear.
From a technical standpoint, Nisekoi is very, very well done, and I can only wish that other far superior shows in terms of plot substance had received such treatment. As a viewer, you will enjoy what this show has to offer in this regard. However, be prepared to deal with the rather shallow, non-progressive plot in favor of everyday comedic interactions. Also, there's a decent amount of fanservice going on but nothing too overboard.
Watch and enjoy Nisekoi for the cute girls, the art, and the music. Plot annoyances aside, and the fact that this is one of those harems where all the girls love the main character for little to no reason, I think Nisekoi is worth a shot if you're looking for lighthearted comedy once in a while. I'll give this a 7.5/10, rounded down to a 7.