Review of My First Girlfriend is a Gal

Hmm, I don't know how to start off talking about Hajimete no Gal. The show is definitely not for everyone, that much is clear. I'm an ecchi fan, so I decided to give this show a chance, despite looking average compared to the other shows in its season (I originally started watching this as the show was airing, but fell off after the first episode and I'm now returning to it, nearly 3 years later). If you've been around the ol' ecchi trope block multiple times, this show will not surprise you. It's a good beginner show for people looking to watch more ecchi shows,but for anyone who has seen several masterpieces, this show will be disappointing. Nevertheless, it is a good, casual watch for anyone looking for a quick laugh or two, veteran or not.

Story (7): The shows starts off pretty bad, to be honest. The plot is really just Junichi being a pervert, virgin, and idiot (as he describes himself) towards Yame, his girlfriend who-he-doesn't-really-want-to-be-his-girlfriend until he realizes how good a girlfriend can be. In the second half of the show, however, it really turns into something special. The story actually gains substance, and their relationship becomes a lot more than something to laugh at. The problem with the story, however, is that Junichi spends the entire show wondering why Yame likes him and agreed to go out with him in the first place. I think we all started wondering that at some point because of how pure and wholesome her character is. This question never gets answered, though. Not even at the end of the show. When Junichi confronts Yame and says, "Why do you trust me?" or something like that (essentially asking why she still likes him) she says, "That's a secret". NO, that is a fucking sad way to replace maybe an episode from Yame's point of view with an unneeded beach filler episode. There's also the episode before that, where everyone gets a job to pay for the beach. Why? Bus tickets to the beach are not expensive enough to get a job for around 3 weeks for. If parents existed in this anime, they could just pay for them. Once again, a plot hole never addressed.

Art (5): The girls aren't really that attractive, I'll just say it outright. Yame is probably the best looking one, and the other girls are just annoying to look at. The guys somehow pull off looking absolutely bland, yet not too boring at the same time (this might be due to their personalities though). If it weren't for Junichi's generic anime cowlick, if you were playing a classic game of "Spot the Protagonist", you definitely wouldn't be able to see him. He also has this one friend with blonde hair who serves no purpose in the show. He is the most generic looking male on the show, other than Junichi himself, but more on him later. Also, on the last episode, the animation gets really weird. In one scene, Junichi walks unnaturally. In another, the straws they use are double the size of the cup they put it in.

Sound (6): Like I do in my other reviews, I judge sound based on opening and ending themes, unless something else sticks out. For the most part, I have no qualms here. The opening was bearable, but I wouldn't listen to it on repeat. I also don't like the introduction with the phone upside down and the texts appearing on screen. There is one sound problem I've got though. Pink-haired girl's voice- Wait, damnit, I've gotta save that for the character segment too.

Characters (8): The thing about this show I like best, other than the comedy, are the characters, specifically Junichi's band of friends, minus the generic blonde I mentioned before. He serves no purpose whatsoever in the series other than to make an even 2 into an odd 3. Shinpei (I think Mr. Blue Hair is called) sometimes steals the spotlight from Junichi at times, being more comedic, interesting, and adventurous than him. He is a pretty shallow character, though, often only being used for a gag and nothing more. The next guy, who I'll refer to as Loli Ped, or Ped for short, gives me mixed feelings on his character. Ped is meant to be the oddball that no one likes and is often ignored, but some of the jokes he makes are just borderline, unfunny pedophilia jokes, and it makes me question the author's sanity. In the episode with the hot spring hotel, instead of going to peep on the girls like everyone else, he opts to stay in the men's section. Not because he's wholesome, but because he hopes a father will bring their little girl to the hot spring. Seriously, director-san? What the fuck? This, as well as the joke where he gets a job at a daycare and is seen talking to a crying little girl in the corner and says, "I can't express my feelings for you in a way that won't get me arrested" are the most NOT OK jokes on the show. Honestly, all of his other jokes are funny. Funny in a, "What the hell? Hahaha" kind of way. The way Pedo acted in the last episode also made me laugh out loud, but I won't spoil it for you. Next, you've got the pink-haired loli character. Her voice is so damn annoying (I watched the sub), and her very presence is annoying as well. I don't have much to say about any of the other characters. Junichi's band are the most interesting, character-wise.

Enjoyment (9): I found Hajimete no Gal to be very fun to watch once the story got off the ground. There were some subtle references to other works, such as Masou Gakuen HxH and SAO. They even read an excerpt from HxH in one scene, which was very funny to watch play out. Almost every episode made me laugh, whether it was Junichi being a hopeless virgin, Shinpei carrying out a dirty scheme, or Pedo making a... well, pedo joke, the show kept me interesting from the second episode onward. I wouldn't mind if there were a second season for this, though I don't know what plot it would work off of.

Overall (7): I think I've written enough for one review. Plus, it's four in the morning. In conclusion, Hajimete no Gal does not reinvent the wheel, except with the inclusion of a character that should be locked up for the rest of his life, but it is definitely a show worth watching if you've got spare time. If you're trying to decide between watching this and a different show that is known to be good, then I'd go with the latter, and save this for a moment when you're truly bored and need a quick laugh.