Hitorijime My Hero

I'm not even going to talk about the actual issues that go into the writing of these characters... but this anime is just outright not it. The story makes no sense, the characters keep saying one thing repeatedly and then when they do something, their actions just... does not reflect what they are saying or thinking at all. It's like the author doesn't really try to connect the characters' thoughts and their actions at all, much less write a compelling story between the characters to make the viewers want to root for them. The issues raised when it comes to MLM and teacher-student relationships are solid enough to have a potentially good plot, but the buildup is just weird and out of place most of the time and the payoff is... is there even a payoff? Like, I don't really see the culmination of all the emotional turmoil at the end of every little subplot because the characters just... look cute and fuwa fuwa together for five seconds on screen and continue to repeat this routine of boring melodrama every few episodes. I wish I could say the manga was better, and I did the manga a shot. Spoiler alert, it was only slightly better than the anime, and it still doesn't make much sense. I don't think I have to get into the problems of the characters and the relationships formed itself as 1) a lot of other reviewers have done so prior to my own and 2) sometimes, a trashy setting is a trashy setting. Is it bad to say I can excuse problematic tropes but I cannot excuse bad, even worse, boring writing? Not to mention the horrible art in the anime... Hasekura was supposed to be a pretty boy but he doesn't even look like a boy in some scenes. SMH. That final episode? Horrible. I can't even waste more time talking about it.

As far as the score, I went with a four. Generally a four from me just means aspects like story, acting, art, etc. left a lot to be desired, but there was enough there that 1) I'd be open to watching it again someday and 2) I can definitely still see the appeal. Here I gave Hitorijime My Hero a four not so much based on the content, believe it or not, but because this show had a lot of potential but fell flat too many times and just didn't have enough to make up for it, which sometimes made it a frustrating watch. This will be kept spoiler-free. Story (2/10): The premise is promising, I won't lie, but I think the show lost momentum by not moving Hasekura and Kensuke's arc to the end or intertwining their getting together with Kousuke and Masahiro's. I know that's not strictly following the manga, but with the manga IIRC Kousuke and Masahiro's arc is a spin-off, so there's more distinction each couple gets their own focus. The anime, however, is largely about Kousuke and Masahiro, which turns Haseukura and Kensuke's arc into more of a side story. So if you went into the show expecting one couple and get another instead, it drastically dries up interest. It gets worse considering once they get together, Hasekura and Kensuke turn into cardboard cutouts (see Characters), which turns their whole arc skippable since there's not really a lot that happens, what little that does happen isn't interesting in the first place, and frankly they don't have much chemistry. My biggest gripe with the story, once we finally begin Kousuke and Masahiro's arc, is the lack of follow through. There are multiple times when tensions are at an all-time high and you think, "Oh, they're actually getting into serious issues. Oh, Kousuke and Masahiro might actually get caught. I wonder what'll happen next." The answer is nothing. When approaching social issues--getting outted, teacher-student relationships--things get teased out for the drama but it ultimately turns into a joke. Literally. I'm trying to keep this spoiler free, but you'll know when you've seen it, believe me. On the other hand, when Kousuke and Masahiro are in danger of being found out, a lot of this ends up being written ineffectively, by which I mean it does affect their relationships (which each other and with other characters) but again there's never any payoff. By the time I got to the final quarter of the show, I was genuinely annoyed being yanked around like that. Drama's fun but if you're going to tease raising the stakes, actually do it, otherwise why should I care what happens to them one way or the other? Characters (6/10): Still, lot of times the draw in BL isn't so much the story itself but the dynamic. So maybe the story is generic, fine, but the manga/anime could still be worth watching just to see how our leads' personalities interact and how they ultimately fall in love. And for sure, there's a lot to love about Kousuke and Masahiro's dynamic, especially in their designs. You've got the gruff ex-delinquent teacher and the soft current-delinquent student. One's usually in a suit, the other's got piercings. Looks great. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for our secondary leads and the supporting cast. Masahiro's friend group looks interesting, at least, but in the end they're often relegated to being static and generic until around Episode 9 when the plot finally kicks up. Our secondary leads, to be honest, aren't very memorable, both in design and in characterization. On the design level, they're actually less interesting to look at than the supporting cast, which can be a problem since they take up the first quarter or so of the show. And unfortunately after their arc ends, they often end up relegated to Comedic Ball of Sunshine Who Sometimes Gets Serious and The Comedic Soft Spoken Prince Who Gives Everyone Advice. And, okay, all of that could be set aside. I mean, the show's not even *really* about them, so it's fine, right? And I'd agree and bump this up to a six if not for how frustrating Kousuke and Masahiro can be (and not in the fun way, either). Age gaps in romance can be interesting to work with because it gives the opportunity to test the potential problems that could arise. Something this show doesn't shy away from is that, obviously, Kousuke and Masahiro are in different places in their lives socially and developmentally. This can create tension! Masahiro is still in high school, so he's still struggling with the usual coming-of-age problems but he's also young and is stressing over this new relationship, too, let alone worrying about its ramifications; and Kousuke, being older and having more experience, doesn't always take Masahiro's struggles as seriously as he should. There's a lot of potential for growth, but Kousuke and Masahiro don't really change much as characters until maybe the last two episodes. So they *look* interesting, and they have potential to *be* interesting, but they ultimately remain static until the show's final moments, which isn't all that fun to watch and turns the drama of their relationship tedious rather than entertaining. This particular point, I should add, may not be as much of a sticking point if you're a fan of that kind of quick-turnaround; but if you're like me and prefer the characters to grow slowly over the course of the anime/manga rather than a sharp turning point, it may be more offputting. Art, Animation, and Music (5/10): A lot of this could be summed up as "nothing all that special." Which on its own might not have totally dampened my impression of the show if not for the way my gripes with the story and characters only grew over the 12 episodes. As I said before, the character designs are, more often than not, actually pretty decent, especially for Kousuke and Masahiro. The art style , personally, doesn't jump out at all. It's not that it's bad, but it has a rather indistinctive style. It doesn't stand out the way Mo Dao Zu Shi's got it's character designs and background art and This Boy is a Professional Wizard has a mixed media/watercolour look. It moreso stands in line with Sasaki to Miyano in that it can be considered a marked improvement over the 90s/00s in some ways, but it's not doing anything that makes it stand out. The animation doesn't stand out either, but I don't think that should be held against the show, since unlike other BL like Mo Dao Zu Shi there's not really much action going on other than dramatically running in the rain. No complaints on the animation front. Though, what I'll say about the music is I remember having the thought, "I feel like I've heard this before." It's pretty generic, almost like stock music, and it does significantly diminish the impact of Hitorijime My Hero's more dramatic, emotional scenes, which is a shame since Given and Yuri!!! On Ice have both more than demonstrated the way a good soundtrack can make turn a scene from a little sad to absolutely heartwrenching. "Well gee, that's a lot of negative. I thought you said this show had redeeming qualities?" Yes, but in the sense that I still think it could be worth watch and I more than understand the appeal of the show for people. A lot of my frustration is actual born from what I do like about the show. For example, I actually found Kousuke and Masahiro's dynamic interesting to watch, which, I know, was surprising to me too at the end. I could sympathize a lot with Masahiro and especially became invested in his happiness, which included wanting to see him grow as a character and getting closure on whether his relationship with Kousuke would work out. He's genuinely likeable and I felt certain parts of his character were well written, just under-utilized. With Kousuke I found him intriguing because, and I felt this was done well, it could be hard to get a good read on what he's thinking and what he wants. Not even he seems entirely sure, which complicates his position as the one with more experience. That kind of mysterious vibe kept…

I finished watching Hitorijime My Hero this morning and i liked it a lot at first, or rather tried to convince myself that i did, but now I'm not really sure how i feel about it because there are some bad elements that i just can't overlook. Story: Before i started watching i thought it was going to be just another cliché teacher-student love story in a high school setting, but i was very interested in seeing it anyway. What i wasnt expecting was the amount of random toxicity in both pairings which made it hard to root for them to stay together. I know unhealthy relationships exist irl and it is a topic that needs to be highlighted and discussed more, but it felt very out of place and was not well executed in this anime. And it certainly didn't need to happen in BOTH of two pairings, just one was more than enough. At some points the pace seemed too fast, the conflicts escalated too quickly and then resolved just as fast, only to start again later and repeat, similar to what happens in most shōjo anime. The time line in the 1st episode was kinda all over the place and it got a bit confusing, some scenes i wasn't sure if they were flashbacks or the present. Art: First i need to point out that the opening has VERY bright colors and sometimes the transition from the first scene to the opening can be VERY jarring to some people (it was to me at least, i had to cover my eyes for a bit because of it the first time). About the art style, it's just average. Not the best character designs, backgrounds, effects, etc. but it's not that bad either. There's way worse looking anime out there for sure. Sound: It was okay but forgettable, not distracting and fit the mood of each scene. I skipped the opening and ending after the 1st episode and i didn't pay much attention that one time so i don't have a strong opinion about them. Characters: There's not much character growth. Masahiro evolved a little but not in a good way and it should've been done better. Everyone else remained pretty much the same from beggining to the end. Also, i feel like there's too many half-assed secondary characters that apparently were supposed to have more important roles but were dropped for some reason. So they ended up being just minor characters that appear randomly, i think some of them don't even have names, and don't contribute anything to the main story so i was constantly wondering "who's this dude again?" "wait when did they become friends?". I know it happens frequently in other anime but i found it very noticeable in this one and it kept bothering me. Enjoyment: Well ... i didn't hate it at least. Masahiro and Kensuke are endearing characters and the main reasons i don't rate this any lower. There were some cute moments that i liked (specially the ones involving the cats and the dog lol). Comedy was ok. But all the mental abuse, posessiveness, manipulation, miscommunication,etc. gets tiring, repetitive and super depressing very fast. I just wanted it to stop. For that reason i'm glad this is just 12 episodes long. Final thoughts: Hitorijime My Hero is not what i was expecting and there's definitely better BL anime (or just anime in general for that matter) than this one. But it has some positive aspects that make it worth watching too. It's not the best but not the worst either, it's just average. As i said earlier, at least i didn't hate it.

I can't... figure out how to review this anime. Legitimately, there were many parts that I would have given a 10 to the anime for had the foundation of the anime not been so extreme. There's going to be some spoilers in here, so look out if you're the type that is very averse to spoilers. I'll try to keep it vague, though. The age gap between the main couple, I feel, is a pretty big barrier to cross, even considering the differences in consent laws in Japan. Well, not really the age gap but the specific ages of both of these characters. I'd like to address it as a totally wild factor that made the anime as (for lack of a better word) predatory as many other BL stories. But Hitorijime My Hero actually addresses the age gap in the story, so I feel like I have to talk about it in terms of the plot itself instead of having the discussion that should probably be had about how appropriate the relationship between the characters is. Here's the thing: their relationship operates just the same as any other couple's does in a romance anime. Yes, the story addresses the age difference by pointing out the outside influences that threaten them, but they themselves seem like normal, consenting people. And that's super weird. Had their ages been closer, I'd actually almost call this a flawless BL anime. Considering the propensity other BL have for forced sexual encounters, this anime (and I stress the word anime because I don't know anything about the manga) did well. Since the difference in age is built into the plot, it would seem that the message of it all was meant to be that love should be allowed if it's mutual and healthy, which these characters' relationships were. I'll refrain from commenting on that more, though, for fear of getting redundant. For the rest of the review, I'll focus on other aspects of the anime. The story was very all over the place. Ultimately, the romance between the couples were the main focus (really the secondary couple just took up a couple episodes and were only supporting characters thereafter), so the story was actually consistent. But the devices used to develop the relationship--gang involvement, troubles with their differences in age, etc.--were so scattered. The genre almost felt like it completely changed at least twice. That being said, though, there were some elements that I found intriguing that could have made the anime really top notch had they been investigated more. I won't be specific, but the main character's home life is a great example of something that felt pretty high quality but didn't have much done with it. One thing I'm always looking at when watching or reading a BL story is how it talks about the LGBTQ community. Among Japanese BL that I've read/seen, I was actually pleasantly surprised that this one treated same-sex relationships as normal. There was, admittedly, a tiny section where intolerance was a part of the story, but that kind of thing is important to address in LGBTQ media, too, to help change intolerant behaviors. What I hate seeing is "but I can't like you because we're both men" or "are they a ~thing,~ even though they're both men." That picks out same-sex relationships as "other," and Hitorijime My Hero (mostly) avoided that, which I was impressed by. Beyond what I've mentioned, I guess the only thing left to talk about is how I felt watching it, which is that I enjoyed it a lot more than I didn't. The moments I didn't enjoy it, unfortunately, were because of the age difference for all the reasons I've already discussed. I didn't want to dismiss that factor by saying, "Other than that, the romance was lovely and sweet and satisfying to watch," but the fact of the matter is: that's the truth. Again, had the age gap not been an issue, this would be the best BL anime I've watched. I can't tell you whether you should watch it or not because of that because I'm not even sure where to draw the line with a story like this. All I know is that the humor was usually on point, I feel like some important issues got touched on well within the plot, and I liked the characters a lot. I liked that the relationships didn't stop after everything worked out the first time (because that doesn't always happen in romance anime, though it's common in romance manga), and I liked seeing how much these characters care about and love each other. So, do with that what you will and decide whether or not to watch this anime. But even if you don't, listen to the OP. That, I can wholeheartedly recommend.

I, as a lgbtq+ man loved this show and have rewatched it many times because at this point it is one of my go to comfort anime's due to its lower episode count. It's cheesy and has a fun dynamic. I do only have some dislike for kensuke's relationship because it does feel forced and kousuke is an adult. Setegawa is above japan's legal consent age, so legally, it's fine. But I honestly wish he was at least 18 so my moral compass doesn't feel damaged. This show brings a smile to my face overall, and it is worth watching inmy opinion.

Short Review: Torn back and forth with this Anime. It opened a new perspective compared to other BL Anime / Manga I saw yet. Its interesting to think about the problems with emotional dependencies and burdens presented in the Anime. Still the problems connected with this aren't addressed enough. And I don't mean the consequences (aka "What's if we get caught") but the actual problem with a definitely dependent relationship as well as the age gape. That doesn't only affect the main relationship but also the side-story relationship with Kensou. He doesn't appear mature enough to evaluate his feelings and is on purpose (?!) portraied like that even later on as they're in their relationship. That doesn't feel right at all. To conclude: This series had some interesting ideas and problems brought up but fails to adress / solve them accordingly. Lost potential...

"If anybody knows the answer, I'd love to know. Why is it that humans get so hung up that they want to run away and forget about everything?" Hitorijime My Hero is my standard for yaoi anime. It didn't just meet the standards, it set them. I'll start by saying; the anime is much better than the manga, in my opinion. It's sweeter, and lingers on the real emotions of the characters for longer periods of time. Even if those emotions are ugly. And that's the crux of Hitorijime My Hero: Love is hard. Love can be ugly. I forget the name of the manga but a quote comes to mind when I watch this show, "Why is it that when we're in love, we want to be beautiful, body and soul... but we just get uglier?" People coming to this anime for a lovey-dovey perfect romance will be disappointed. But people coming here to truly understand the emotions of those involved in the relationship will adore it. Setagawa, throughout the series, deals with very complex emotions. He is neglected, and always has been. He's so used to this assumed role that any shred of affection towards him is seen as alien and something he doesn't deserve. And a majority of his storyline is spent around Kousuke trying to show that he is a human worthy of love, despite Setagawa's beliefs and his efforts to self-sabotage his own happiness. Another example, Hasekura, feels a desire to monopolise Kensuke so much that he cannot imagine a life without Ken in a romantic way. So much so that he sulks throughout the entire show in order to gain Ken's affections. Hasekura very much displays the selfish love we crave. As much as it's toxic to actually do that, it shows how deeply people can want to lock others away all for themselves. To monopolise those smiles. The characters throughout this anime are flawed, but they are trying. They communicate, and use their big boy words to express their emotions and fight for their love through the several misunderstandings. This show, as far as yaoi anime goes, has fleeting kisses, and implied other scenes, but nothing as graphic as you might find elsewhere. But I truly feel it doesn't need them. As a romantic, this may just be hyperbole on my end, but I felt that I truly connected with the feelings the characters face - primarily due to the fact that about 7 chapters of manga were instead spread out over 13 episodes, and it really benefited from that. It truly shines amongst the yaoi anime genre. It doesn't shy away from BL like some shows do (it will show explicit kisses), yet nor does it shove in rape/sexual scenes to fetishize homosexual love. It's a perfect balance. I'd even go so far as to say the English Dub is also excellent and the emotions of characters are felt in their trembling voices. That being said, if I *had* to pick faults with the show; I didn't like how Kousuke used "shock therapy" to get Setagawa to notice his feelings. It was cruel, and felt a bit jarring because he definitely seemed very "final" in his "We're never going to be that, so get it out of your head" for someone using that method to *try* and make the other person get it in their head. It was confusing when he then kissed him in a later scene because he was jealous, and I didn't like how it broke away from the feelings of the scenes because I couldn't empathise with those thoughts/motives very well. But that was it! I know some people are like, "this is abusive, there are red flags, Setagawa is flailing for the last few episodes", but I feel you really have to empathise with characters in order to truly enjoy this show. Each character does what they feel is the right thing in each situation, even if the viewer wants to bang their head against the desk because "you" wouldn't do something a certain way. But it makes sense for the characters in those moments. Setagawa doesn't contact Kousuke and flails because he doesn't believe he deserves that love. Kousuke hides the fact he saw Setagawa's friend when they were intimate, because he was willing to bet that Setagawa's friends wouldn't care about their relationship - ultimately helping Setagawa overcome his poor self-esteem knowing people truly liked him. Heck, even the antagonists have solid reasons for their motives, and I feel this is a show you should absolutely watch multiple times in order to pick up the meaning behind their expressions before they convey what those expressions hid. Anyway, I've babbled enough. This truly is my favourite yaoi anime, and I feel this show opened the flood gates for shows like Dakaretai and Given to really show the sweet, non-smutty side to yaoi. Sure - it doesn't break the mould. It's your dime a dozen romance plot - but the point is that it's your dime a dozen romance plot *between men*. And it's being handled in a non-sexual oriented way and in a mostly healthy setting. And that in itself, to me, breaks the mould in it's own way. It showed many other shows that they could achieve a "success" yaoi anime without sex, rape and fetishization of humans, and allowed people to just remember they were "human" before everything else. (ps, I *know* it's technically shounen ai, but as an umbrella term for new people, I use the two interchangably)

I started watching this anime without reading the tags/genre or the synopsis. Genuinely, I love me a tame Shounen Ai story, however, I do have some major issues with the overall chemistry between the characters. I'd like to say beforehand as well that I don't have much experience with Shounen Ai stories in general, so I am unsure whether or not these topics are as common. I am also not a professional reviewer, but I'm trying my best to at least publicly show my opinions. WARNING, THIS REVIEW CONTAINS LIGHT SPOILERS. I'd like to keep in mind that this is only for entertainment purposes, therefore, it's not for everyone. I have read a couple of other reviews with the same complaint that the characters are too emotionally dependent on each other. Yes, this can be a sign of an unhealthy relationship, but not all the time in my opinion and this is not a topic I'm going to discuss much. What bothered me the most is how forceful the "dominant" characters were behaving. For example, Hasekura giving his love interest two very extreme options; either sleep with him or break off contact entirely. Which is quite a manipulative way of going about it and I do not support such behaviour in any way, shape, or form. This entire ordeal seems to have been swept under the rug the moment the two characters were officially dating, and it doesn't sit well with me. Now, with Kousuke and Setagawa... I was never a huge fan of the whole teacher/student trope. It has always felt wrong to me, and while it is addressed in the anime that it could cost someone their job/reputation, it wasn't taken as seriously as it would have been IRL. Again, I'd like to keep in mind that this is entirely meant to be fictional and not an example for people to follow. I'd also like to point out that Kousuke is 28 and Setagawa is 16 (according to the Fandom Wiki, don't quote me on that. I literally just looked it up and this information could be incorrect.). N O P E. I don't want to dip my toes into those waters, but... hoo boy. Odd topics aside, the anime is nicely done. The animation and style are nice, the soundtrack is great, the opening song is very cute... But that's as much credit as I will give it. I managed to binge the anime in 1 day, and it genuinely kept me interested along the way. But in hindsight, there are definitely some things wrong with the story. It could very well be that I have misinterpreted some things about the relationship between the characters, but I'd rather not dwell on it much.

Minor spoilers ahead At first, I was excited to start watching this anime as I hadn't seen a shounen-ai in quite a while and hadn't heard of this one yet. Though a few episodes in, when Hasekura was first introduced, I really didn't enjoy the amount of emotional manipulation that seemed to be prevalent in his personality. He first comes in and pretty much after two episodes, is demanding that Kensuke either sleep with him or cut ties with him. This made me really uncomfortable and I honestly debated whether or not to finish the anime because of this. Though Hasekura eased up a bit, later in the show, he still acted too protective of Kensuke, in my opinion. In short, I enjoyed this anime's storyline as well as their showcasing of both couples' development, but the emotional manipulation aspect really threw me off.

I really enjoyed this anime, it is very cute and heart warming! If you want to watch something to cleanse the soul I definitely recommend. I appreciate that the characters are normal people, not the traditional femme/masc tropes but I did feel like the character development of the mains was lacking. There is definitely some lost potential there, but also every anime doesn't need to be Banana Fish. The lack of character development allows this anime to remain lighthearted rather than dealing with heavy themes which I actually appreciated. Sometimes you just want to see some gay boys fall in love and that's the end of it. Overall, this anime was exactly what I was looking for: a sweet love story. That's why I gave this anime 10/10 for enjoyment, it's exactly what everyone needs to escape the stress of life for a bit.

This is actually a pretty good BL anime, all things considered. It still falls into some genre tropes, but they are a lot more subtle than the usual fare and the relationship portrayed seems decently healthy. My advice though, try to get through the first three episodes before making up your mind, they are the epitome of pointless drama and BL cliche. It really does get better afterwards. Apparently my review is too short, so bear with another paragraph please. I actually really liked that after the first three episodes the anime focused on the two main characters and didn't try to incorporate other relationships (if there are any) it gave the relationship time to develop properly. I am a bit put off by the age difference, but (and this is a big but) this anime actually managed this particular minefield pretty well, avoiding the creepy power dynamics (or, well, mostly avoiding, I guess) and focusing on emotional parts instead of physical.

While watching a beautiful anime I'm always reminded of the most amazing anime's I've watched, Hitorijime My Hero is one of those anime's. Hitorijime My Hero touched my heart with it's amazing story line and crazy but fun characters. This anime is extremely refreshing and tells a very real story but it never get's to realistic to the point where you just wanna stop watching it, every episode is refreshing and you just wanna stay up all night watching the anime. This anime is sincere and has earned great respect from me so much that if a character were to cry, I would 100% cry as well. Not many anime's find their way into my heart because they don't have the emotional explosions that can make you smile or even cry but this anime definitely did. If you are wondering what to watch next, Watch this anime because it won't disappoint you! I need a season 2!!!!

Even tho it was fun to watch because it offered plenty of humorous moments that lightened the mood, I have mixed feelings about it. First, I guess the anime could have a bit more action moments. Second, an important question that I always bring up about this anime is: how, just how, Kensuke and Asaya have a relationship that is way more funnier, loving, and normal, compared to the real world we live in, compared to Masahiro and Kousuke? The second plot love story is what made me finish the anime XD Another thing is the age of the characters: Kousuke - is 27 or something, and Masahiro is 15...? Nevertheless, I would recommend it to a person who is new in the shōnen-ai genre, but I think I wouldn't recommend it to someone who is already into Yaoi anime and stuff because I don't think that it is amazing or even a masterpiece: it's just good.

If you're someone who has never heard of other BL titles like "Sasayaki to Miyano" and/or "Given" (to name my popular favs), "Hitorijime My Hero" you'll like this. Even if it does nothing new on the troupes that BL has continued to live on, you'll like it. It's a nice story, albeit w lacklusture dialogues and a v forgettable storyline, in-the-moment of binge-ing, it's fine. However, if you're someone who has watched BL titles like "Sasayaki to Miyano" and/or "Given" - "Hitorijime My Hero" is definitely an average show that is skippable. art style - basic OST - i honetly didn't even care much to pay attention to them story - basic & can get annoying after all the couples are established, bcs the drag-on is just to fill the 12-ep quota dialogues - really nothing great, even though there's like adults in the picture, everyone just behaves like they are all fresh out of middle school entering highschool OP - a banger!! I still love this song! this review is a rewtach. i remember liking "Hitorijime" quite a lot back when better BLs didn't exist. I wasn't a fan of "Junjou Romantica" - it didn't sit well with me."Hitorijime" has those aspects as well, but it was far more digestable for my taste. Now that I've watched & read a lot more BL titles,and knowing that the genre of BL/gay/queer anime is seeing a change and a revolution which is very much encouraged and appreciated, it's hard to recommend "Hitorijime" in this new age. it's open minded on the most obvious level - it gives you the bare-minimum and doesn't really explore beyond. it's boring like that and i don't see myself coming back to it ever again. it doesn't give the same emotions like "Sasayaki to Miyano" and/or "Given" (for me). tbh, i couldn't care nor relate to the characters' struggles and worries in "Hitorijime" and that's...sad. it is what it is - it's an ok-to-average watch if you don't wanything too intense to get your heartsrtings singing ig.

I feel like someone needs to balance out the negative ratings from people who think fiction is meant to only depict things that are good in real life. I wonder why you never see violent series getting "1 star! Glorifies murder as a problem solving tool!" Reviews, but romance, especially BL, that has ~problematic~ themes has to be squeaky clean. Hitorijime my Hero is a cute show with engaging characters and good relationship development, and unless you have a reading comprehension level so low you shouldn't be allowed online without supervision, you should be able to enjoy it without taking it as a guide to real life.

Alright I debated a lot in my mind as I watched the episodes to give this a 6 or 7. I would give 6.5/10 if i could and this is why:- (In Short) 6 because:- I don't particularly like the LIs that much aka Ooshiba Kousuke and Hasekura Asaya especially in the beginning episodes. I felt like they could have written them approach our MCs better. It felt wrong with Asaya giving Kensuke an ultimatum to break their friendship or sleep with him (though it gets resolved) and Kousuke behaving nothing like the older one in the relationship and worrying Masahiro constantly. I just felt it could have been done better. 7 because:- The 2nd half of the Anime really improved my impression and Masahiro is basically worth watching this anime and Kensuke is a gift. Those two, their friendship and both couples actually interacting among the four and other people who have their own stories is worth the 7 and why I ultimately decided to give 7 and the fact they addressed Masahiro getting worried sick about their relationship as a TeacherXStudent and the ending. All in all it's a good show. Nothing too spectacular but not Yaoi and no Fetish in the couples romance. Watch it for Masahiro that's all.

"This guy... This guy's not a God of perfect destruction, nor is he a perfect, flawless, hero. He just happens to be a guy who was born a little before me. A guy I'm in love with." - Masahiro Setagawa, Ep. 12 "If that happens, I'll still accept you for the broken, grumbling person you are. Nothing I have is more important than you." - Kousuke Oshiba, Ep. 10 IF YOU LIKE A LIGHT-HEARTED YAOI, SOFT CHARACTERS, LIGHT PLOT THEN I RECOMMEND THAT YOU WATCH THIS. Review Point: ↠ I didn't expect that the plot would be this. I really thought that it will be problematic but it turns out that they only have minor conflicts like dealing with their feelings and stuff. What really bothers me is their age gap. Masahiro is a minor. ↠ I also like the art, the animation. The sceneries' used are beautiful, especially in episode 11. ↠ The sound is also good. Kousuke's VA is *chef's kiss*. I didn't skip the opening song, it was really good. ↠ I love the characters. I hate that Asaya always butts in their problems and I hate that they're always right. I love how understand Masahiro is and how he always took care of everyone. ↠ Overall, I like this anime and may re-watch some parts but I'm really concerned with their age gap.

If you love yaoi, you will love this!! I'm not going to talk about the crazy age gap or the power dynamic, because I don't want to go there with this. We all know yaoi has its problematic moments, but that's not why we watch it. As a yaoi lover, I enjoyed every moment!!! I gave sound a 6 because I didn't find the music compatible with the show's vibes, and some of the side characters were annoying (like some of those childhood friends), but the two main characters were *chef's kiss*. Overall, this is an 8/10 and you should watch this! The dub was great in my opinion.

This one just tears my heart out. There'll be spoilers. Okay, standard romance formula is have two people in love and make them suffer. Do young people suffer like this today? Today the idea that there is such a thing as male to male love is known. Some people in some situations get backlash but unless I'm mistaken don't most people know now that not acceptance is not their fault? There's now the term homophobia for those others and the knowledge that there are other people out there like you. Depending where you live there could even be a gay community to seek refuge with or find a kindred soul. Love doesn't always come when you want it or work out with the one you find but... This sort of torture? Just romance fiction I suppose? Then why should I take this one personally? Some call being gay a choice. If you're very unlucky it can be a choice. When faced with the truth of what you're feeling do you choose it or deny it? Do you look in the other's face and run away? There's two couples here. The first couple is forced to face their feelings. In the end when the choice is made they've made the right choice and know it and it becomes a celebration. Spectacular. It's a sweet fiction here but it can happen. More importantly it's about that it should happen. The second couple over the rest of the episodes basically face the same sort of choice. To say yes. I like that the first couple is there as sort of a commentary on the second. One angrily yells at them to say yes, his own feelings are like a rock and they should be the same way. The other of the first couple can clearly see the drama the other couple's going through and sort of puts a word in every now and then to sort of say "Okay, what are you gonna do about it?" Well, they have to suffer for awhile or the story isn't romantic. Sadly life isn't fiction. How many people made the wrong choice at a crisis moment and scarred themselves for life? How many people had a chance for happiness and fumbled it. Let fear or misunderstanding or self doubt throw the chance away, maybe not even understanding what went wrong. Life can be fatal sometimes. But thankfully we have fiction to give us sweet valentines. It can remind us though life can be fatal it can also be a valentine. :-)