Dosanko Gal wa Namara Menkoi

I just finished watching this anime today, so I figured I write a review. This rom-con anime is funny, cute, lighthearted, and unfortunately predictable. You can instantly tell the two main characters are meant to be however the writers didn't give much leeway for any other possible outcomes, relationship wise. Though it does not tell you the two main characters end up together, you can easily tell they will. If funny, cute and lighthearted are up your ally then you can give this anime a try. I feel like all the episodes follow the same format, but it didn't bother me much. What bothers me is the emphases around the obvious chemistry they have with one another. To be honest, the whole moving to a new city and only having eyes for the first girl you meet who also shows you a great deal of kindness just isn't cutting it for me. Though they add two more "potential" love interest, there isn't much potential there. Maybe it's just me but I honestly think he should end up with Natsukawa or Sayuri, preferably I'd choose Natsukawa.

Geopolitics playing a role in anime? It’s more likely than you’d think! Flashback, it’s 1904 and Hokkaido is the closest tangible land mass to repel a potential Russian attack due to foreign provocation. Fast forward 120 years and the same fear is spreading all throughout the region. Should Japan decide to occupy Sakhalin once again or there be another Russo-Japanese war, Hokkaido would be at the forefront. It’s no secret that Japan’s most northern island is rather sparsely populated by their standards and declining steadily due to their natural population cycle. In order to feed the potential war machine, the government must utilize what they think “the kids” like, and therefore Dosanko Gal wa Namara Menkoi was born. Anime is no stranger to tourism based on real locations in their shows. This was famously noted in multiple PA Works shows and in the hit military propaganda show, Girls und Panzer. Dosanko Gal is just the latest addition in a long line of location-based shows. When it comes to execution, this is nothing compared to say, Sakura Quest, in terms of attracting people to a geographical location. The stereotypical snow filled background is in the same vein as South Park stereotyping Colorado as a snowy location. However, due to the 2023 crisis-du-jour, Global Boiling, neither Hokkaido nor Colorado have been the snowscapes they once were. This is just the first chapter in unrealistic expectations and why Dosanko Gal wa Namara Menkoi is a poor propaganda piece. In terms of characters, developing them, and overall realistic expectations, Dosanko Gal wa Namara Menkoi once again falls short. By local country girl standards and idealization, it misses its mark. The gyaru fad seems to be gaining popularity again, due to Gen Z having a strong desire to emulate Y2K Millennial culture. While this may be something expected in a chic area in a first-tier urban area, it seems off in a more rural based setting. This also leads one to question the “draw” of such a character in this region. If the goal of the anime is to attract people to Hokkaido, wouldn’t it be more of a draw to feature a culture that is different from what is seen locally in the high cost of living cities? Is having TikTok dances and other city-slicker type cultural statements truly appropriate? I think not. For a government funded propaganda piece, this comes across as a failure of communication. Time and time again, it is proven that people move to less developed areas to escape the rat race, embrace wholesome values, or just to start their own cult. These are the topics that should have been brought up, not hyper-consumerism, TikTok, and mobile gambling games. Artistically speaking, Dosanko Gal wa Namara Menkoi, is overall average to mediocre. There is nothing spectacular, nor is it offensive. This inoffensive artistic vision truly shows the government backing of this anime. Boring, expected, plain, and bureaucratic. All are adjectives that can describe Dosanko Gal. Likewise, voice acting and music are also typical of what you would expect. Nothing outstanding one way or another, but leaning more towards the mediocre side. If this was the anime industry’s quiet-quitting product, I would not be surprised. Overall, Dosanko Gal wa Namara Menkoi is an anime plagued with mediocrity and mixed messages. On one hand it adds a much-needed spice of fanservice that has been sorely lacking in recent years due to the westernization of anime and their prudish values being enforced upon the artform. While on the other hand, it does not push any envelopes nor does it encourage any sort of deeper thought into the clear reason for the creation of the show. If this is truly a government propaganda piece, it does seem fitting considering how poorly it is executed. Much like the overall sluggish and hesitated response to world problems due to our ever-increasing connectivity and fear of economic issues among the proletariat class, Dosanko Gal wa Namara Menkoi does fit in well with a unified world response. Does this show work on recruiting the remaining youth to the countryside? Absolutely not. Does this inspire anyone to move to Hokkaido to help create the northern bulwark? I doubt it. Is this as effective as modern day military recruiting? Absolutely. Dosanko Gal wa Namara Menkoi is just mediocre lip service, which truly makes it an appropriate show for 2024’s global situation. In that sense, I view this as a fine and appropriate show considering the circumstances of the world in this ((current year)).

Dosanko Gal wa Namara Menkoi is a show that was honestly a lot better than I was expecting it to be, by no means was I blown away or completely invested but for what it was I certainly did have a good time. The main two girls really did carry this show (along with Fuyuki's mother gaw damn), they were always such fun in basically every scene and I really liked getting to learn more about them. However as is the usual issue with shows like this the main character really did hold back a lot of my enjoyment, I really don't understand why so many anime are led by essentially a blank slate of a character who does the absolute bare minimum and almost doesn't even seem to think for themselves meanwhile they're surrounded by legitimately interesting characters who are well-written and fun. Like you've proven you can write good characters why isn't your protagonist one? Idk it really irks me because so much more could have happened throughout this but if you look back at it there was barely any development since the first episode we meet each character which is why I'm very glad the girls were as good as they were. There was really a lot of room for certain scenes to go certain ways or just for things to actually like happen but they never really did which did start annoying me a bit towards the end unfortunately. I did really like the art in this show though, it was all very pretty and colourful and I thought the designs of the main girls were really cool too I loved a lot of the outfits and whatnot. Overall this was a fun watch just don't go into it expecting a masterpiece, the girls really did carry but they remained fun to watch from start to finish and that's really all you need from this show so I'd recommend for an easy watch!

This series leaves alot to be desired narratively but is stylistically a refreshing treat to the eyes. It will absolutely need a second season to make the narrative better. While it's true that some of the romcom elements and tropes are a bit common, the setting of Hokkaido provides a certain level of uniqueness to them. It's also nice to see that despite the female MC being incredibly busty, we don't see an overuse of tropes playing onto this. Especially when it comes to bounce physics. It's a respectful (for an anime anyways) amount of chest related tropes. The greatest boon to this series is the incredibly distinct eye stylization, especially with the girls eyes. The last time I saw eye shinies and blooms so incredibly different was Harukana Recieve, so if you've watched that and liked it for the eyes, watch this for the same. Other visual treats in this series includes the obvious nods to IRL Hokkaido and Kitami locations, and any natural scenes (snow, flowe gardens, etc) are done very well. The supporting cast of characters come off someone one dimensionally, but for a series where we're supposed to be focusing on the two MCs, that's to be expected. The biggest falling short point for this series is simply that it's only 12 episodes long. Far too little time to explore the narrative and it's supporting cast as it's unfolded to the viewer. As an unfortunate result as well the ending is somewhat unsatisfying. If you're a viewer who absolutely must have a satisfying ending, you may want to skip this anime until it gets another season.

I’ll be honest, this anime left me with mixed feelings in a way I didn’t really expect. Going into Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable!, I thought it would just be another light romcom with a gimmick, but the Hokkaido setting actually became the biggest reason I kept watching. The snowy streets, winter atmosphere, little cultural details, local food references, the way everyone casually adapts to the cold... it genuinely gave the series its own identity. There were moments where I paused just to appreciate the background art because it reminded me of those quiet winter evenings where everything feels slower and calmer. Now about the characters. Minami is definitely cute and energetic, probably one of the most memorable parts of the show. But honestly, I really wish the anime toned down the fanservice. Sometimes it felt unnecessary and kinda took away from the wholesome atmosphere the series was clearly capable of creating. There were scenes that could’ve been genuinely sweet or emotionally impactful, but then the camera direction would randomly remind you what kind of anime industry we live in lol. Another thing that stopped me from rating this higher is how unrealistic some interactions felt. I know anime romance isn’t supposed to be fully realistic, but this one sometimes jumped way too fast. Like... ain’t no way a girl casually invites a guy she just met to watch movies together that quickly while also dropping double meaning jokes on day two 😭. It made some moments feel less natural to me. I watch romance anime partly because they let you experience emotions and moments that might never happen in real life, but for that to work, I still need to believe the emotional progression a little bit. The pacing is probably my biggest issue though. This anime speedruns HARD. One second they’re in one phase of school life, then suddenly time skips happen, vacations are over in what feels like 40 seconds, and emotional development barely gets time to breathe. I actually liked the cast enough that I wanted slower episodes with more ordinary interactions. Instead, it constantly felt like the story was trying to rush to the next milestone. Male MC goes from first year to second year so quickly that it honestly killed some emotional weight for me. That said, I still enjoyed watching it overall. The male MC was surprisingly decent compared to a lot of romcom protagonists lately. He’s awkward without becoming unbearable, and some of the quieter moments between the characters actually worked really well. Also, I have to admit... the ending episodes got me emotional in a way I wasn’t expecting. There’s this subtle bittersweet feeling underneath all the comedy and flirting that finally starts surfacing near the end, and those scenes were easily the strongest part of the series for me. In the end, I’d give it a 7/10. A genuinely charming anime carried heavily by its winter atmosphere, Hokkaido culture, and lovable energy, but held back by excessive fanservice and pacing that rushes through moments that really deserved more time.

Well... let's just say that the anime did everything it promised, the story, animation, characters and settings were all very well done, with the highlight being the refinement of having explored this duality between the customs and characteristics of “traditional” Japan and “modern” Japan The story hooks you in very well, but I think they could have developed certain characters a little more, instead of just having one romantic couple, it would have been nice to have had more, to the readers of the manga, I haven't read it, so the only reference I have now is the anime, and I'm basing myself on what was presented to me in it. I also want to make a few special comments: the stylization of the “Gyaru” and the way the level of sincerity has been applied to the characters is very interesting. Generally in other works, the creation of bonds and the process of mutual relationships is very slow, although here in Dosanko Gal wa Namara Menkoi the romance itself is unfolding more slowly, the bonds between the characters have developed very well. The anime in general is very good, I wouldn't recommend it to just anyone, after all there are some people who are quite boring when it comes to slice-of-life anime and romance, but when it's for someone I know would like it, I would definitely recommend it.

As someone that have read the manga first, i have to give it a thumbs up. The show captures completely what the author meant with it being a love letter to Hokkaido, the five main characters are well developed and they have a reasonably amount of depth. The animation is stunning, both for the places (which you're supposed to fall in love with) and the girls (who you're also supposed to fall in love) The narrative is extremely engaging, and it skips the unecessary fillings we have in the manga, going straight to the point. Hopefully it gets renewed so it can have a proper closure. If you're looking for pretty, you're looking for cute gyaru and not necessarily something that is reinventing the wheel, you should watch this one.

A very average comedy about these 3 girls and 1 boy with the personality that we have seen thousands of times in other sometimes better shows and sometimes worst, there is nothing special here, the animation and the cold in Hokkaido of course its beautiful but overall these 3 Fuyuki, Sayuri and Natsukawa are just annoying af, and the boy who I don't remember the name it's just a boring protagonist made so virgens can relate The first 6 episodes are better than the other half because in those 6 first episodes you are not yet tired of these bad written characters ok and that's not a good thing, very bland anime 6/10.

If you like dating several cute girls with some soft ecchi jokes then this anime is for you. This anime is about several girls attracted to MC at the same time without MC being great at something. The MC is typical nice guy and he is indecisive, he does not have gut to choose or reject a girl. MC is easy going and will go date with the girl that ask him. The MC will be teased by the girl many times, it is fun and enjoyable to watch. This anime is ideal for Shounen audience (boys, middle & high school) that want some kind of fantasy teenager girlfriends. The theme is in Hokkaido so you will see winter and snow everywhere. It does deliver the genre well: romantic comedy. Note that this anime is not Romcom in the same category as "Oshi No Ko" or "Masamune Kun no Revenge" (where there are many dramatic moments). This anime is dating + soft ecchi + comedy without much drama (crying). The downside is just that the ecchi is too soft (e.g. only cleavage) and few, not much of nudity. It is even softer ecchi than famous "Sono Bisque Doll" (Marin Kitagawa) anime. So don't expect to be horny watching this, my cultured friend. Surely a great anime to watch for leisure and stress-relieve before sleeping.

Story & Characters: Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! introduces us to Tsubasa Shiki, who has just moved to Hokkaido, due to his dad's job. Not yet used to the frigid weather that Hokkaido commands in the middle of winter, he meets a random girl, Minami Fuyuki, at a bus stop. It's there that they start up a conversation and before very long, we figure out that they are not only classmates, but live within close proximity to each other. Tsubasa, who is clearly not used to Hokkaido's citizens, is clearly shocked by what he has learned from Minami, and before long, they go on various adventures together. Tsubasa is pretty unremarkable in my mind, as he doesn't really offer much but his over-the-top reactions to just about anything related to Minami's bubbly attitude. Although this technically isn't a harem anime, Tsubasa comes off as such, including his tendency to not be able to read the room very well. It's not all the time, but it can get old when it happens as much as it does. Minami's amazed by Tsubasa's lack of knowledge on just about anything. If she's outgoing, than he's sheltered. This works well because we get to experience the different settings with both of them, even if not all of them are winners. At the same time, there was an episode, which was easily the strongest, where Minami breaks down, and it goes to show that even the most bubbly of characters show signs of being defeated, even when they seem unfazed by anything. Sayuri joins our cast a few episodes in, and is probably the best character in the series. As a fellow introvert, I love that she doesn't shy away from her interests, even if they're not popular. Yes, she's a gamer, and wishes to talk about it more with others. She's young enough that there's room to grow outside her shell, and you can tell that she took some serious steps in doing as the series progresses. Nothing quite as shocking as per experience on the bus pops up again, but there's no real steps backwards. Rena is present for a few episodes at the end, but I didn't love how she was integrated into the plot. She's the super popular and smart girl and there's not too much to it. There could be - you can tell - but I feel like they didn't explore it enough. The biggest strength of this series comes off of the short segments that between Tsubasa and the three girls as they grow. Even if Tsubasa doesn't really push the story along and contribute to them growing a whole lot, the others clearly get more confident while being around him. And that's how you do your character development. Again, Sayuri does this the best, and even if Minami is the obvious main attraction to this series, Sayuri should see more screen time. Some side characters push the plot along with differing results. For example, Tsubasa's grandmother is in a few episodes, and her harsh attitude might have been a bit much for many. However, what that resulted in was Tsubasa being out of the picture in certain moments, and you could tell that this really takes away from how Minami and Sayuri feel when he's not around. This was an excellent way to portray it, even if it makes the grandmother more unlikable. Takayumi, another classmates of Tsuabasa, also has some minor moments in a few episodes too. One of the series' biggest weaknesses is its failure to really fit into the genre that it feels like it fits into. For a romantic comedy, I don't really feel like it filled either of these genres very well. There were signs of possible romance and the series wasn't all that funny for any amount of time. While this in itself isn't too bad, this makes the series feel like it can get way too comfortable doing the usual "I'm on an adventure" a little too often. This, coupled with a relatively weak main character in Tsubasa, doesn't make a great match. Additionally, I didn't love the ending. This was probably one of a few shock-worthy moments that turned into nothing and a weird way to leave a series that may or may not continue. (Story: 7/10, Characters: 6/10) Art: Animation gets a pretty comfortable pass, with the series not really requiring much in the way of pretty graphics due to the lack of big moments. There were still a few, and they were done well. The series kind of implies some serious fan service, but keeps them to a minimum, despite our main lady being a little more comfortable than she probably should be at times. (7/10) Sound: No real complaints about the sounds of the series. OP kind of brings the energy that Minami matches, with the ED not far behind. Voice work was solid all around. Matt Shipman's (Tsubasa) biggest strength is probably his goofy characters and he brings that on strong here. Accents are generally hit or miss in VO work but the ones found here are decent enough. I'll never get used to it because of consistency issues, but it was fine. I'm not sure where Mikaela Krantz (Minami) has been in the last few years of dubbing, but she was strong here, with a Canadian (or some people were pointing out, Minnesotan) accent that seemed strong. I haven't heard her work since Wonder Egg Priority and this is obviously no where near that. Brittany Lauda (Sayuri) and Jill Harris (Rena) round our strong main cast. (8/10) Overall: Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! does some things well, while others things certainly are found lacking. With the flood of rom-com series these days, I always look for certain things that stick out to me, and there certainly are some to be found here. But did it do enough to garner a wide audience viewership? Maybe not, but it was still a fine watch. This would certainly be a solid pick for anyone looking for school-aged characters in mostly non-school settings, going about their daily lives. There's an audience for that, and even if it didn't pass with flying colours for me, I'm happy to have seen it. (7/10)

Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! is an Alright anime, watch it if you want a change of pace or on a whim and you won't regret it. This anime is your "usual seasonal release" anime. The story itself is not bad but it's not great either, I would say it's good. There are not major plot developments as it revolves around the relational dynamics of our MC from Tokyo and a FMC that introduced the culture of Hokkaido and the interaction of the side characters with the MC from Tokyo. That being said, the genre is a romance-harem but emphasizes more on the fluffy-feeling sort of anime. It doesn't contain a adrenaline rush episode wherein you will feel the anticipation as to what will happen next. However, I do believe that this anime provides something that if you are bored or just want to watch a soothing funny and lighthearted series, this anime offers that. Although I won't lie, this anime contains some repetitive aspects that you've probably encountered when watching a romance genre, mostly of you are a heavy romance anime viewer you might get bored as it might be repetitive for you. Overall this is a good watch for me, if you decided to watch on a whim you won't regret it, if you get bored drop or hold it.

Country Gals Just Hit Different Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable is a show about a sugar sweet gals, who make delicious sugar sweetie chocolate, who also found this normal city boy, and turned him into a nice guy. If you're in for a low conflict, almost diabetes level sweet haram show, then this is for you. Character design is bouncy and sexy, each girl has a nice personality, so one is gonna hit for you. But it is overwhelmingly sweet to a level, where it's hard to watch, and my mind just begins to wander to more interesting shows. The main character is the biggest sinder, he's too nice and well meaning, just doesn't give many interesting scenarios, he's too sweet with no edges. It's show so bright, that my eyes have been burnt out, but maybe you have some sunglasses to enjoyed more.

Hokkaido gals is pretty much just about a guy from Tokyo moving to Hokkaido and sort of settling in it's pretty surface level story wise he meets a few people makes friends they start to like him the food stuff is a bit repetitive but I can forgive it, this show just kinda feels like somebody's life and I like that part of it sometimes it can be a little over the top but overall it was pretty alright. I like how the main girl has a canadian accent cause it just reminds me of those Toronto slang videos I might never understand those though overall it was pretty alright nothing major just something to turn on and not think much about and I think that's okay it might be cool if they do something else in the next season though but its fine either way so overall this anime was alright

I think my 5/10 stars, AKA average is an appropriate rating for this anime because it really is just your generic high school slice of life anime. Nothing about it really stands out as either very good or bad. I just barely don't regret watching it, and only because it had one or two good parts, but, it's not good enough to watch again or recommend to other people. The story is not unique, it follows the main character who is a transfer student arriving in a region of Japan he's not familiar with, but I think to the viewers it's not really as interesting as he finds it. To me it just seems like Japan but with a slightly different coat of paint. I think the art style and animate is a 5/10. Certainly not ugly or insanely low quality but nothing impressive either. The characters don't look that interesting, and the main love interesting has eyes that are slightly off somehow. I think the main intended audience for this anime are people who like generic predictable slice of life anime so much that they just watch literally every single one. If you have limited time or are new to anime and trying to find something worth watching you should not watch this. It's not total trash, but it's not really worth your time either.