rrakku's archive

No matter how saturated the market is, there will always be one rom-com that sticks out a mile, trying something new and innovative to spice up the formula. If last winter was Kaguya-sama, this winter would be RikeKoi. However, a great idea does not guarantee great execution. The inconsistent quality of seasonal anime had warned me to stay vigilant—what RikeKoi had displayed for its first 3 episodes are promising but worrying at the same time.

The confession we have 2 minutes into the show is a refreshing change of pace to your typical rom-coms. Though the characters quickly question the validity of their sentiment, retracting its progress to prevent the show from—well, effectively ending—the sense of satisfaction is never lost. Like Kaguya, this show builds on a simple premise: that our main couple is trying to prove if they’re in love or not.

The setting is where I once again draw its parallels with Kaguya. Though the focus of the show, our main couple are not the only ones in the centre of the stage. The research lab in this show is effectively the student council room from Kaguya, giving a platform for our students to interact with each other. The familiarity between our characters is implied and makes this ridiculous situation make a bit more sense.

But, this satisfaction is like a shot of dopamine more than anything else. After the initial boost, we soon see that the characters are quite the cookie cutters. However intriguing, I presume after some time it would grow old without another revolution. Luckily that hadn’t been the case. Another notable thing is the fact that the science bear treating us like an elementary student is quite annoying—significant figures and controlled variables are not things I need explanations of. They should be incorporated into the story, not in the form of a 2-minute exposition I have to sit through.

As for the art and sound: the art style is well-suited for a rom-com—not silky-smooth movements, but detailed faces and diverse facial expressions. The unique thing would be the chibi characters, they are quite well designed. The voice actors did an excellent job, though I often of little to no complaints about the voice acting. There are different pairs in the OP, which implies that it may go the Tsurezure Children route. The stylisation is quite cool, but there’s nothing else notable other than that. Same goes for the ED.

7 is generous in the sense that it is a very average show. But this show gave me some great laughs and there seems to be a hint at character development suggesting they might still have some tricks up its sleeves. Though I have given some harsh opinions, it is certainly not curtains for this show just yet.