If you entered this series expecting just another harem-slice of life show like me, you will be pleasantly surprised to find a profound dissection of today's youth culture, starring some truly memorable characters.
Let me start by saying I believe Oregairu to be one of the most well-crafted stories in its genre. I look back to its humble beginnings with Hachiman alone, bitterly looking down on the "popular" kids, and then compare it to where everyone is at the 2nd season's conclusion, and the vast development that all the characters have gone through is staggering. Oregairu treats all of its characters with the deepest respect. Even initially shallow secondary characters are gradually fleshed out in clever, subtle ways, revealing how they are not so different from our protagonists. They are all youths with their own insecurities and problems. This is a show about not judging a book by its cover, and that style of character building can be difficult to pull off. Oregairu does it seamlessly.
The evolving relationships between the three Service Club members drives the narrative. Their progression is coherent and their dynamic is strong; the three constantly foil one another and force each other to grow and change. None of them are treated as definitively "right" — they all have flaws that they improve on, which is true of real-life people, too. The romance between Hachiman and the girls is also well-handled. I like romances that take effort to nurture, and watching Hachiman and the girls strengthen EACH OTHER and slowly gain feelings is a memorable experience. Oregairu is Fire-Forged Friends at its finest.
The method of revealing character personalities is smart, being mostly through action, not words. The moments where Yukino goes silent rather than respond with cutting remarks tells paragraphs about her thoughts. It's all so entertaining to observe. There are a few exposition dumps, but it's only to confirm hints and implications that were made long before.
Oregairu is really good, and I think what makes it so good is how relatable it is, especially to teens and young adult audiences. It is the proud owner of truly beautifully crafted characters, and really human lessons about what it means to be a youth, and I think slice-of-life fans should definitely check it out. Also, the 2nd anime opening is stellar.
Beautiful story telling and characters
If you entered this series expecting just another harem-slice of life show like me, you will be pleasantly surprised to find a profound dissection of today's youth culture, starring some truly memorable characters.
Let me start by saying I believe Oregairu to be one of the most well-crafted stories in its genre. I look back to its humble beginnings with Hachiman alone, bitterly looking down on the "popular" kids, and then compare it to where everyone is at the 2nd season's conclusion, and the vast development that all the characters have gone through is staggering. Oregairu treats all of its characters with the deepest respect. Even initially shallow secondary characters are gradually fleshed out in clever, subtle ways, revealing how they are not so different from our protagonists. They are all youths with their own insecurities and problems. This is a show about not judging a book by its cover, and that style of character building can be difficult to pull off. Oregairu does it seamlessly.
The evolving relationships between the three Service Club members drives the narrative. Their progression is coherent and their dynamic is strong; the three constantly foil one another and force each other to grow and change. None of them are treated as definitively "right" — they all have flaws that they improve on, which is true of real-life people, too. The romance between Hachiman and the girls is also well-handled. I like romances that take effort to nurture, and watching Hachiman and the girls strengthen EACH OTHER and slowly gain feelings is a memorable experience. Oregairu is Fire-Forged Friends at its finest.
The method of revealing character personalities is smart, being mostly through action, not words. The moments where Yukino goes silent rather than respond with cutting remarks tells paragraphs about her thoughts. It's all so entertaining to observe. There are a few exposition dumps, but it's only to confirm hints and implications that were made long before.
Oregairu is really good, and I think what makes it so good is how relatable it is, especially to teens and young adult audiences. It is the proud owner of truly beautifully crafted characters, and really human lessons about what it means to be a youth, and I think slice-of-life fans should definitely check it out. Also, the 2nd anime opening is stellar.