Always a Catch!
Synopsis
Due to her incredible athletic skills, Maria "Mimi" Annovazzi has been trained her entire life to inherit her family's duchy. However, the birth of her younger brother makes this unnecessary. No longer the heir, Mimi has to settle down as soon as possible, but none of the kingdom's good marriage prospects remain. She decides to travel to a neighboring country and transfer to the royal academy in hopes of finding a husband. Aida Amethis, a distant relative and Mimi's best friend, agrees to help her. Her trip turns chaotic when the future crown prince and Aida's fiancé, Renato di Rubini, mistakes Mimi for Aida and annuls his non-existent engagement to her. He planned to free Aida from the arranged betrothal so she could be with the man she actually loves instead. Although the misunderstanding is cleared, Mimi worries about her reputation after the scandal, so she asks Renato to help her find a suitor. Unbeknownst to her, Mimi's sunny attitude and fighting prowess capture the attention of the biggest catch in the whole kingdom: Renato himself! [Written by MAL Rewrite]
Audience Consensus
Audience opinion on 'Always a Catch' is moderately divided, with strong praise for its charming and funny protagonist, Mimi. However, many critics point to a significant lack of plot, weak supporting characters, and a dull male lead as major drawbacks. While many enjoyed the lighthearted, feel-good romance and comedy, others found the show to be too shallow and underdeveloped to be truly memorable.
Strengths
- Charming and likable protagonist (Mimi/Maria)
- Good chemistry between the main couple (for some)
- Wholesome and feel-good atmosphere
- Strong comedic moments and lighthearted tone
- Enjoyable character interactions and dynamics
- Refreshing heroine who isn't a damsel in distress
- Decent animation and art direction, especially for character designs and fight scenes
- Good vocal performances
Weaknesses
- Lack of significant plot or conflict
- Weak or underdeveloped supporting cast
- Main love interest (Renato) is dull or a poor match for the protagonist
- Story can be stagnant or lack progression
- Subplots feel unnecessary or don't contribute to the main narrative
- Pacing issues, with slow moments
- Juvenile or overly silly at times
- Production values can be average or subpar in some aspects (e.g., animation can be flat, jarring edits)