Review of My Love Story!!

Ore Monogatari’s synopsis sounds like the most generic romance plotline one could think of. A girl is being molested on a train and a kind guy steps in to save the day, girl proceeds to fall in love with the guy; you get the picture. Ore Monogatari’s twist on this rather generic setting is that the guy is an “unpopular” and “undesirable” kind giant that many find hard to understand. As one who has watched and read their fair share of romance anime/manga, Ore Monogatari’s slightly unique portrayal of a stereotypical shoujo romance was refreshing and entertaining to watch. Rather than the whole “just gettogether already” that most romances have, instead, we watch as Takeo and Rinko’s relationship develop, how they handle their feelings for each other, their perspectives on dating and love, and how they affect the people around them.

I will start by saying that this show is a victim of many troupes of the shoujo genre, but not in your stereotypical “handsome out of reach guy falls in love with plain and ordinary girl”. The circumstances of Takeo and Rinko’s relationship are fairly different from what I’ve seen before and that alone led to many developments and situations that most romances would not have. We still have the girl who falls hard for an outstanding guy, but outstanding in another sense of the word. After watching shoujo after shoujo, romance after romance, Ore Monogatari gave me a breath of fresh air. Instead of getting frustrated that my ship wasn’t sailing, or the main characters being dishonest with their feelings, or a bunch of rivals getting in the way in an unproductive and unnecessary manner, Ore Monogatari kept that to an absolute minimum. Rather, the focus of the show lies in how much one loves the other, and how that love grows and develops as their relationship progresses.

The romance, I admit, can be overdone at times. At times it felt like I was being force-fed a spoonful of sugar due to the amount of lovey dovey stuff going on. My eyes sometimes felt like giving out due to the super sparkly aura that the show often times gives out. However, don’t let this dissuade you into not watching the show. There’s enough comedy, tender moments, a pinch of drama here and there, and even some action to try to keep things from getting repetitive and mundane (it does, however, addressed later). A big selling point of the show for me was the relationship between Takeo and Sunakawa. You’ll probably never find a better wingman in your life (so much to the point where it slightly creeps you out that Sunakawa would go so far for Takeo, but well, yeah). He supports and guides the rather naïve Takeo into growing his relationship with Yamato. However, as perfect and intelligent Sunakawa might seem, he too, is a growing high school boy with his share of problems, whether they lie with females and dating, or family issues and personal struggles.

As they often say, the characters make the show, and for this show, this is particularly true. Takeo is the lovable giant that you can’t miss; whether he’s climbing a tree to rescue a trapped kitten or helping an old lady across the street, his kind and earnest personality shines throughout the series. However, he is incredibly dense, ignorant, and overcaring which does lead to some drama throughout the show. Rinko is the super sweet girl and baking goddess, and also Takeo’s girlfriend. She always tries to give her best, especially when it comes down to supporting Takeo and whatever he does. While she does seem innocent and sweet on the outside, she, like any other girls, get jealous, worry, and has “indecent” thoughts (nothing to see here folks, this show is rated PG-13). Sunakawa is Takeo’s best friend and childhood friend; through thick and thin these two have been together since the beginning. Their personalities are complete opposites, but it’s amazing how opposites can attract. Whether it’s helping Takeo prepare a birthday plan for Yamato, or advising Yamato on what Takeo is probably thinking, he becomes a crucial part in developing the relationship between the two. We also have others who all in some way support their relationship; Sunakawa’s sister Ai who suppresses her own feelings to see the man she loves happy, or Rinko’s group of friends who tag along to group dates and encourage her and give her advice from time to time. It is hard to pick out a character who has not contributed in their relationship in some way.

The show can be extremely repetitive at times, and there are things that you can see coming from a mile away, aka the show being really predictable. I was particularly annoyed every time Takeo thought to himself “I love her”. The show does drag and stall at times, and sometimes it just seems like you’re watching some baka couple go at it doing standard couple things. I was frustrated in the middle of the season especially after how well things went in the beginning. However, try looking past that and you have a simple story of a man who never had anyone love him for who he is find an incredibly sweet girl who cares for him more than anyone. My recommendation is to simply enjoy Ore Monogatari for what it is; a slightly unconventional shoujo romance that is sweet and refreshing. Don’t try to overwatch or overanalyze it; just laugh when Takeo tries to get Sunakawa to practice kissing with him, or smile as Rinko gets flustered over the small things that Takeo doesn’t notice.

The art is “pretty”, to sum it up into one word. Everything just seems to shimmer and sparkle. However, there are times that remind you that this is indeed a manga adaptation (such as the times where small text bubbles come out with the inner thoughts of that person). I particularly enjoyed the various facial expressions of all the characters. The animation is what you would expect from an anime of this time very fluid and crisp. Yet, it has hints of cartoonish elements. The music is pretty standard romance show fare; the opening and ending theme are catchy and easy on the ears. The OP is pretty creative and fun to watch, while the ED does a good job wrapping up your feelings in a nice warm box with a bow.

For both veteran and new romance genre watchers alike, watch Ore Monogatari if you get a chance; you most likely will not regret it. For those of those claiming that it’s repetitive, or it drags, or that it is the same crap over and over again, I will not deny that, it does in fact do all of those things. However, I try to highlight the good points of a show. At the very least, it’ll get you to laugh or say “aww” a couple of times!