I wanted to like this show. I did. But there are some disturbing underpinnings that prevent me from doing so. A/N: Part of Organization Anti-Social Geniuses' Fall Evaluation.   Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun is one of the most-hyped titles for this season among shoujo fans, and for the most part this episode lives up to that attention. While the premise isn't the most original (studious girl paired with socially awkward guy), I have to admit that I don't remember the last time an anime billed as a romantic comedy made me laugh so much. I really like female lead Shizuku with her snark and cold attitude. She's not usually the kind of character that I like, but she's played off in such a way that I can't help but root for her. Haru however (a.k.a. the Monster from the title)...not so much. We see flashes of how deep down, he's a Good Guy, but in trying to sell his misfit side, the show takes it too far for my taste.   So let's talk about the elephant in the room: the rape joke. I heard about it beforehand so I was bracing myself for it, but it still came across like a slap to the face. Who the heck would use a threat like that when the point was just to get someone to come see a dog? In what universe would a girl like Shizuku not decide to start avoiding this guy and tell the teacher to take a hike and actually do her job? Even more damning is the fact that the rest of the episode is colored by the lens of rape culture, making things that I would normally find cute and funny in an anime disturbing instead. I've seen some people defend the rape statement as showing how socially challenged Haru is, but I don't think that it was necessary in the first place. There are a ton of different ways to establish that for a character without having to resort to rape threats and other bullying and controlling behaviors. And I'm supposed to like this guy?   If you think that I'm overreacting, I recommend Day's post over at GAR GAR Stegosaurus, which lays out why Haru's reactions are baseline creepy to the average woman. What I find even more disturbing is that somewhere along the line it was decided that this was okay to market towards girls/women, and that "fixing" a guy who threatens to rape you is a great fantasy. I don't want this stuff in my entertainment, and seeing it nipped my enjoyment in the bud. If this is a one-off and Haru magically becomes more tolerable, please let me know because I don't like my rom-coms with a side of violence. E-minor takes an interesting view of the episode, theorizing that it could be trying to show how wrong these tropes are, and if he's right, I'll be happy to eat my words. Otherwise, I don't think I'll be coming back to this. Images from Crunchyroll.com.
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My Little Monster I enjoy most stuff by Brains Base, and there’s never enough good shoujo in the world…so is Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun going to fill this gap in the anime world? Well, it’s a pretty basic premise. Hard working girl drops off handouts for a guy who’s constantly absent, and finds out that the [...]
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I’m going to admit straight away that the reason I decided to write this post for Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun was because of all the controversy I saw on twitter about a certain “phrase” said by the male lead. [Note]: I might actually blog this series but no guarantees yet. As someone who reads the manga … Continue reading »
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Initial impression – another awkward romance I’m not in the mood for (5/10) Autumn 2012 (12 episodes) (English title – My Little Monster, title literal translation – The Monster Next Door) (more info) What I couldn’t stop thinking is how much Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun reminds me of Kimi no Todoke or even Kids on the Slope.  [...]
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Shoujo is a curious genre, one that is prone to melodrama and terribly weak female characters that spend half their time waiting for ‘prince charming’ to come along and whisk them off of their feet. But, like most manga and anime genres, shoujo is so broad that there are also numerous gems to be found [...]
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Right now, the massive storm clouds of umbrage find themselves hovering over Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun. People are taking an exception with a certain rape joke in the first episode, and I can’t blame them for that. Now, I didn’t personally … Continue reading →
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OP not bad, but not my style…don’t see it becoming good to me either Mizutani Shizuku Yoshida Haru – punk kid That almost looked like an entire romance in the first episode. Main character Mizutani Shizuku meets the delinquent Yoshida Haru, finding out he’s not really all that delinquent…not interested at first, but he falls [...]
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OH COOL A SHOUJO THAT TELLS ME THAT GUYS WITH CONSENT ISSUES ARE TOTES HOT EDIT: Note on commenting – if you’re about to make faces and personal attacks because you don’t like what I wrote, don’t even bother wasting … Continue reading →
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OH COOL A SHOUJO THAT TELLS ME THAT GUYS WITH CONSENT ISSUES ARE TOTES HOT You know, I was going to write my Horizon Tits II post before this, but, well, I just want to get this out of my … Continue reading →
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“Okay, so the new season’s started… wonder what’s good?” via The Fall 2012 Season – Nova’s First Look “Hmmm… ‘spiritual successor to Baccano! and Durarara!’ huh? Sounds like something I should check out.” …. wat
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Categories: Anime, Tonari no Kaibutsu-kunTags: tonari no kaibutsu kunI never thought I’d see the day . . . Am I dreaming, am I . . . huwa. It’s real. IT’S REAL. Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun finally has an anime adaptation — and based on the first episode; a well … Continue reading →(Read more...)
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Written by: Totali at Sea Slugs! Anime BlogSummary: Mizutani Shizuku is a girl who only cares about her studies. One day she is assigned to bring papers to Yoshida Haru, who has been absent from school ever since getting into a fight with upperclassmen. Haru assumes that Shizuku is his friend afterwards, leading him to meet up with her frequently in the [...]
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Written by: Totali at Sea Slugs! Anime BlogSummary: Mizutani Shizuku is a girl who only cares about her studies. One day she is assigned to bring papers to Yoshida Haru, who has been absent from school ever since getting into a fight with upperclassmen. Haru assumes that Shizuku is his friend afterwards, leading him to meet up with her frequently in the [...]
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I never thought I’d see the day . . . Am I dreaming, am I . . .huwa. It’s real. IT’S REAL. Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun finally has an anime adaptation — and based on the first episode; a well produced … Continue reading →
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Tomatsu Haruka playing a kuudere twin-tailed heroine, Hanazawa Kana set to voice another meganekko role, ELEMENTS GARDEN doing the background music, beautifully-made and written romantic comedy, main character putting her love interest in a chain leash, etc. Amazing how Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun has all of the things I like. This ...The post FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun appeared first on The dere-moe Project.
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I was warned, yet I let this slip past my AWACS anyway. I don’t know what I was smoking at the time, but I really need to get my shit together. For impressions, let’s play a little analogy. It’s like looking for a nice bar in a foreign town. You pick something that looks okay [...]
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Ok, I have a confession to make. This will surprise absolutely no one, but I hate shoujo. All shoujo is the same (with the exception of Princess Tutu, but I’m not sure that counts). A girl doesn’t have any friends. … Continue reading →
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「となりの吉田くん」 (Tonari no Yoshida-kun) "Sitting Next to Yoshida-kun" A show doesn't need to break new boundaries to still make you feel fuzzy inside and give a grin that you just can't get rid of! Everyone welcome Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun! Monja! Monja! Monja!
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Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun is one of the shows I'm hoping to cover episodically this season, as this show is in my top three for list of shows to watch this season. I'm big on romance comedies, so this is a show I simply cannot miss out on. I've never had the chance to read the manga, however I have browsed through all the positive reviews on the manga. With that being said, I began watching this show with somewhat high expectations, and I'm glad to say that my expectations have been fully met after watching this first episode.Read more »
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Shizuku Mizutani is one of the most dedicated students you'll ever meet, determined to always be top of her class and put the knowledge gained to endless studying to good use in making her filthy rich. Haru Yoshida is the Phantom Student in her class - suspended early in the year for an excessively bloody punchup, he hasn't been back since - but when their year teacher sends Shizuku to deliver some class printouts to Haru, it marks the beginning of a rather strange relationship, as Haru instantly falls in love with the first person who's made any sort of effort to get to know him. And Shizuku isn't initially impressed by his attention... Based on the shoujo manga Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun, this is billed as a romantic comedy - which left me a little confused between Haru's excessive violence against anyone who contradicts him, and his mid-episode meeting with Shizuku that starts with the immortal line, "be quite or I'll rape you". I did mention this was a romantic comedy, right? Haru, it seems, HAS ISSUES. And that's capitalised for a reason, as I can think of several genuine medically-recognised conditions that he could fall under. Shizuku looks likely to be his unlikely saviour - normally something of an ice maiden who shows little in the way of emotion, Haru somehow manages to get past her natural defenses in the way that only boys who are mad, bad and dangerous to know seem capable of - and so a love of sorts is born. Part of me wants to condemn My Little Monster for its (initial?) portrayal of Haru and the casual way in which he throws threats of violence around. He is not a nice person at this point in the story, and if Shizuku were my daughter I'd be having kittens about her being anywhere near him. But Shizuku is far more grounded in reality, a real dose of common sense and the one person able to get through to Haru and stand a chance of being his anchor in the world - which seems to be the approach the show is taking to their relationship. THE GOOD: Shizuku for best girl of the season already. She's an instantly likeable lead, confident, determined and not as cold as she thinks she is. If the story is her taming of Haru, then I think we're onto something here. THE BAD: Haru, as initially portrayed, is a real problem for me, with the "I'll rape you" scene being almost a drop point for me - especially as the scene was done in a way that made you feel he meant it. Cuts from scenes like that to "Hey! A funny!" at the drop of a hat, which can be quite jarring. On balance, I like it - mainly on the back of Shizuku's performance. But Haru's violent tendencies and turns of phrase could yet turn out to be a sticking point for me. My Little Monster is being simulcast by Crunchyroll.
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