Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend
Synopsis
Tomoya Aki, an otaku, has been obsessed with collecting anime and light novels for years, attaching himself to various series with captivating stories and characters. Now, he wants to have a chance of providing the same experience for others by creating his own game, but unfortunately, Tomoya cannot do this task by himself. He successfully recruits childhood friend Eriri Spencer Sawamura to illustrate and literary elitist Utaha Kasumigaoka to write the script for his visual novel, while he directs. Super-group now in hand, Tomoya only needs an inspiration to base his project on, and luckily meets the beautiful, docile Megumi Katou, who he then models his main character after. Using what knowledge he has, Tomoya creates a new doujin circle with hopes to touch the hearts of those who play their game. What he does not realize, is that to invoke these emotions, the creators have had to experience the same feelings in their own lives. [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Audience Consensus
Saekano is a polarizing show, praised for its self-awareness and meta-commentary on the harem genre, but criticized for indulging in the very tropes it critiques. Some find it refreshing, while others see it as unoriginal and superficial. The protagonist and lack of commitment to a specific genre are also points of contention.
Strengths
- A breath of fresh air in the harem genre.
- The self-aware nature of the anime
- Good animation and art style
Weaknesses
- Relies too heavily on genre tropes and clichés without subversion.
- Protagonist can be annoying.
- Doesn't fully commit to any particular genre.
- Rushed pacing