Chitose-kun wa Ramune Bin no Naka

What an absolutely horrid show. This has been one of the most horrible scheduling anime ever produced. How a ROMCOM anime got delayed twice is an absolute question. This makes Zom100 look like babyplay. Seriously! Make it make sense. I understand that Zom100 sakuga moment that may need a lot of motion. I mean, I did watch it, and it show and I totally get it. But this? Why need a delay? I read the source material. The manga, I mean, and let me tell you, THERE IS NO NEED TO DELAY IT THIS MUCH. THERE IS NO TORADORA FIGHTING MOMENT. I'm not a Jojo fan, but I'd say we share misery with this one (episode scheduling). They absolutely kill the momentum and hype. How did I find this? I have read it before on MangaUP! Heck, when they delayed it. I give my time to read and keep up with the current updates. Appealing (Why did I get into the anime?) All the main characters in this anime are popular kids. Basically, a harem from the POV of a popular boy. Platform Anione Asia, Bilibili Global (South Asia & Southeast Asia), and Crunchyroll. The review; Plot/Story Your typical harem from the POV of the popular kids. There are many shenanigans with the students at school and outside, but all come down to this group. I wouldn't talk about the girls. Usually, when I describe the story/plot of a harem, I would talk about the girls individually, but in this case, I wouldn't because, holy fucking shit, it feels like it's not worth it. Let me tell you why. From episode one, you can already tell that these girls who are around Saku Chitose (the main character) are all very complicated. If you have ever read the manga or light novel, you know that these people, including Chitose, are poets. Therefore, I have to state this. I hate the anime. In fact, I have no idea why/how you even begin to turn such a good manga/light novel into bad anime. Not only that, they have killed the hype... TWICE! Character I don't know if I even bother to talk about it. Read the manga/light novel, please. It's better than the anime. But I do have to say, they nailed the interaction between characters. The interactions feel natural between the group. That's it. Let's move on. OST/SFX Well... At least this section is still good. OP and ED are actually catchy. Not the best, but still good. Same as the OST/SFX in the anime itself. So, Two Thumbs Up. Animation ... Why? Why do I need to talk about this? It's a basic animation. Even in the last three episodes, I didn't see insane movement from the characters. It's such a waste of delay. VA As I say in the character section, they nailed the interaction. So, the VA is also good. Two Thumbs Up. Bonus segment I have to mention this. Apparently, on Anione Asia's YouTube channel, Chitose Ramune has a couple of visual novel stories. I appreciate the kind gesture to keep us entertained, but I have to be honest here. I like what I got, but it's still not great. It is very short, and they didn't even make more to keep the hype till the last three episodes aired. I'm happy they are at least trying to keep the viewer hooked, but it was not enough. The conclusion; Enjoyable Do I have to say it again? Worthable No! Delivery Butchered scheduling, and they didn't even deliver better. OG Sauce Please, read the OG material. It's better, I promised! Gratidute Well, I'm glad I can watch this for free via Anione Asia's YouTube channel. Thanks, guys! I appreciate it! Overall 4.7/10 I would rather continue reading the manga. I don't even know if I want to continue to the second course. I already know they're going to butcher it again.

I’ve read some comments and reviews about Chitose in the Ramune Bottle, and some people say it feels pretentious, that the main character isn’t likable, and that he comes across as, “Yes, I’m 16, and I’m that deep.” I can see where they’re coming from, but I really love this show. Interestingly, I felt the same mix of annoyance and affection toward the main character, Chitose. That’s what makes him compelling. If he existed in real life, I would 100% have a crush on him. In the show, he’s annoying and pretentious, yet adorable and lovable. By the end, he’s still just a human being—not perfect, not untouchable. This show feels like it’s made for people who appreciate poetry. It’s dreamy—the choice of words and the way events are presented give meaning to life in small, subtle ways. It feels realistic in a way that paradoxically makes it feel slightly unreal. Yes, he’s 16 and remarkably thoughtful—but that’s the point. The show condenses the essence of teenage life, with all its drama and small triumphs, into a concise narrative, and it shows a character who is, in a sense, “perfect” yet still human. Some people say they don’t understand what this anime is about. For me, I chose to take it at face value. The show tells you what to feel; it doesn’t force you to overanalyze the writing or the author’s intent. Yet it remains mysterious, because this clarity—this sincerity, bluntness, and honesty—is rare. The emotions it evokes feel genuine, like real life. In reality, we often don’t see the point in analyzing everything. We don’t try to understand everything because we know we can’t. Expecting to fully comprehend life or art isn’t realistic. I would like to say that even the art style of the animation is atmospheric and gives that feeling of an artsy product and sensibility. Chitose in the Ramune Bottle is not a mimicry of reality; it is a piece of reality that we get to witness. To me, it’s a masterpiece.

"Status: Finished Airing". Finally, now I can review it. And its going to be a long one, sorry and good luck (if you choose to continue). Also, I'm reviewing its quality, not the enjoyment. I like a whole lot of bad (poor) media, its not something to be afraid of. But this review will be about its quality. Mostly. I'll will also drop some personal comments, because... well, you'll see. So. *Me, after watching the first 1:30 min*: "This sht's so pretentious." And yet, I was about to give it a decent score, but then the last episodes happened. Starting. Visuals. No surprises here. All is good, almost excellent (almost, because the models in some of the scenes were not that great). Nice art style, with extremely beautiful characters design, colour palette, animation, mannerism etc. You get the idea. You might even say that its a bit too artsy. More often than not the scenes will consist of still images that just stay unchanged (or its a slow panning shot of the evening sky or something) for 5-20 seconds, while some sort of dialogue runs in the background. Or between scenes. And so on, and so forth. Yes, those shots look freakishly amazing, each and every one could be an wallpaper. But sometimes art like that could be a problem, depending on the story. Audio. Well, amazing (again) sound design. Excellent mixing, the tracks used were on par with the visuals unfolding and the volume was where it was supposed to be. I was never bothered by something like the music being too loud and messing up your delving into the scene. Every time I noticed the soundtrack it was because the dialogue was sht and my concentration was messed up. Anyway. The OP and ED are on par with this anime's feeling. Not my cup of tea but I still felt their vibe to be similar to the anime. Good VA work. The pacing felt ok. Its hard to judge it because, for me, it felt too long because of the dialogue, but it did feel ok. Good mix and editing. I truly believe the studio did what it was supposed to. Anyway, high production value and you can feel it. Now, the good parts. Well, the story is sht. Its all bait. More exactly, the harem aspect is the bait. Hmmm, how should I go about this? Its a bit hard explaining as to why its all fake, while also trying to be spoiler free. but try and follow my crazy thoughts, pls. So. First and foremost, this anime should've remained a LN (I presume thats the sauce). Its style works better as words-only. As I mentioned earlier, the graphics are too good and are wasted here. Yes, we'd always want the best and here it even works flawlessly, but unfortunately the story/the dialogue is the weak link. Also, I wasn't joking with the opening quote. The style in which it is written, every fking monologue, it reminds me of the speech young Elrond was writing in the Rings of Power TV show (for those who had the "pleasure" to know it). Empty, cringy, flowery words. That kind of sht. Trying to be poetic. And yes, its not all bad, sure. We don't have the "do you know why the boats float and the stones sink?" level of idiocy (RoP, ep 1), here the author uses stuff like "the rain was falling like pieces of broken glass", or "the water drops sparkling in the last rays of the sun" (I think thats how it went, it was too cringe to remember), but also drops some "the blowing wind felt like trying to bring back the day before, or maybe trying to bring forth the day after. I didn't know. But the wind was still blowing" level of sht. And yes, its full of this kind of writing. It works for LN where you don't have visuals and the words will help paint the picture in your mind. It works for the pretentious people who like reading stuff that feels elegant, even if they will not understand exactly the meaning behind those words and if it makes any sense. And I'm not making fun of those people either. Everyone has their own kinks, want to feel that they belong in certain settings. I will never laugh at people for that! Forgive the tangent. So. Being an unknown author with a niche audience is ok. Unfortunately he also got a nice bait. And its the reason why this work got so popular ( I presume so, seeing that it got an adaptation, and seeing the way he writes). The harem. Its not something new but it has something that it was done better. Every girl is more or less likable and could have a chance, no matter of her role in the group. You have the usual tropes (smart girl, sports girl, homey girl etc) and most of the times the author has a bias towards a girl from the start. You can "feel" that the childhood friend won't get the girl, or on contrary, that the bond is really solid. Not here though. The author interweaved the narratives perfectly. How? By checking what the people might prefer and changing the story every time, to keep them all in balance. Remember George RR Martin? "Oh, you like this character? It feels like he'll become someone? Off with his head then!". Same here. "Is one girl pulling ahead? Lets rein her in a bit, let the audience wonder and keep reading (or watching, in this case)". And most people were too du-- hooked too see it and in fact even loved that aspect. Case in point, the sauce got an adaptation. Ok, you might be a little bewildered and ask "I only heard good reasoning. Why the fk is that a bad thing?" Well, because the character work is sht. The logic aspect is sht. Basically, to keep the girls in check, for the events to follow a particular line of thought, the author went the "because I'm the author and I say so" route. "We need to get from A to B. How do we do that?" Some crazy, stupid, nonsensical event happens and voila! AKA plot device. Sometimes, depending on the idiocy's level, it might also give birth to a plot contrivance or plot hole. Fictional example. The ML takes a detour because he felt like it. Suddenly, he comes across one of the FL that was in a pickle. Plot device. The FL also took a detour, for no reason. Plot contrivance. Aka "it just so happened, eh?". If the FL left earlier and she never went that way because thats where she was raped 1 year ago (damn, this took a dark turn huh), thats a plot hole, because the author forgot that fact. Pretty easy. Now back to our anime. So what happens when reasons appear for events to occur? Sometimes in the form of "hey, you. Help me for a bit", sometimes MC changing his rationale and way of thinking/acting, facts properly explained across multiple episodes? Hmm? Even more so when his previous acts were the result of something very specific and ingrained... *sigh* I'm starting to feel annoyed again. I'll try to speed it up a little, to end it faster. Character development. There is some, with more to come, I'm sure. The characters are generally lovable. Having said that, as previously mentioned, in order to make the events happen and keep the levels of affection for the girls in check, someone had to start acting uncharacteristically. And guess who will that be? The ML, ofc. Oh, I should also mention in this section that his friends are not just friend A and Friend B. It is implied that there's more to them that meets the eye, so probably future developments are in place. Not that I'd care, but it was worth mentioning it. Oh, Oh. I just remembered an aspect and I'll place it here, I don't wanna go back and check where it should've been. Its about the second bait. The author gives you hints about stuff happening or future happenings, but disguised as "you so smart, only a few of my readers are smart enough to connect the dots. Shh, it will be our little secret". So, he tricks the people into thinking that there is a secret path ahead and only the worthy ones will be able to peak at who will win in the end. Ok, its not exactly like that but yeah, I hate that guy and his shitty tricks just to keep the people hooked, without even a good story. Back to the main program. Yes, character development. Dammit, I forgot what I was going to say next...... Oh, yes, the MC. Still. The fking loser is portr…

This show was such a mixed bag for me. I will say the last three episodes that were delayed until recently did show me some promise as to why the LN has such a following, because they were easily the best episodes of the series so far (mainly because it actually involved our protagonist on an emotional level), but not only can I neither ignore the first two arcs of varying quality nor the other glaring issues the show has. But maybe let's start in the beginning. Conceptually, this show isn't something you have never seen before. Basically every arc revolves around one character that is close to our MC, Chitose. In the first arc, it's a classmate that becomes part of his friend group, in the second one, it's about one of his friends who gets stalked and in the last one, it's about the Senpai that he adores. The main idea, how this show wants to be different from others in this genre, is by not making Chitose the typical introvert type, but the cool guy at school who already has a literal harem of girls not only following him, but who even confess their love towards him which he always refuses. However, I feel the author thought this subversion of the trope is enough to make Chitose interesting. Because instead of using the first arc of the series to introduce us to the different layers of Chisote and his friend group, it strangely mostly focuses on a classmate that Chitose had nothing to do with before. And who is of course an introvert that gets "saved" by Chitose after not wanting to go to school anymore. And sure, I don't actually mind having an arc focused on a different person before we delve into the actual characters that matter (Chitose and his friend group), however the author fails to use this time to properly characterize all these people that will stay around. And I think this is the first big failure of the show. All of the characters feel very similar to another. This is mostly shown by their interactions with each other. It doesn't matter if Chitose talks to girl A or B, the general conversation always goes the same. They are confident, make witty one-liners and in some way or another try to flirt with Chitose. Also, they easily get jealous whenever Chitose spent time with another girl even though they are not in a relationship with him. Sure, there are some differences, like how two of the girls are more sport types, but since the conversation rarely revolves around these topics, you would be excused for not knowing who Chitose talks to if you closed your eyes, because they are just this similar to one another. And that is even worse with Chitose's male friends who have literally 0 personality. Now tbf, I have to backtrack a bit, because the characters seemingly do have a bit more depth than the conversations allude to. Which is shown by the second arc that revolves around Nanase. So basically, the show wants to slowly build up all these characters through their own individual arcs. But this just takes too much time and it makes the choice of having 4 whole episodes about a completely unimportant character even more baffling imo, because we could have spent the time with one more of Chitose's friends. But therein already lies the second issue, the characters are only actual characters when it's their arc. The show fails to properly utilize the large cast of characters. For example, the author could have used more of Chitose's friends during the Nanase arc and therefore already introduce who they are, but for some reason, they are so concentrated on Chitose being the "savior" that they forget that they have a cast of more than 7 characters to play with. The only reason you remember half of the characters is because the show will literally hold the current arc, so that Chitose can go on a "date" (with one or more of the girls at the same time) that never goes anywhere and only leads to the same conversations all the time. Which makes these moments feel like they mainly exist so that the audience doesn't forget that Chitose has a larger group of friends. So, the main issue narratively is that the characters are not utilized very well. But okay, what about the actual arcs that they go through? As mentioned above, these can vary in quality as well. The first arc about the introvert is really not important at all and can easily be skipped. The second arc about Nanase and her stalker problem is a lot more interesting. And I will give the show that they managed to portray the fear that comes with something like this very well. But both of these also suffer from the same issue and that is Chitose. Who just always knows the right thing to do. Even when that is not the right thing in the first place. I don't want to go into details, but there are several moments in both of these arcs where Chitose takes an action that is really not that good in the current situation. And that would be fine if the show acknowledged it. But it doesn't do that. It portrays all of Chitose's actions as the right ones. He didn't do anything wrong. Which feels especially problematic during the stalker arc (where I feel the show tried to bite off more than it can chew, because the conclusion to that arc was messy at best when it comes to solutions for such a problem). And the sad thing is, the show can be better than this, which the currently last arc shows us. Because without going into spoilers, it is an arc that doesn't just focus on the next girl, but also Chitose. He is not the perfect savior anymore, but acts emotional and therefore makes mistakes. It's the first time that the character of Chitose actually felt human. And therefore, I think it's so sad that the show didn't lead with that arc, because I feel a lot more people would have been on board with that. Tbf, that arc isn't concluded and will be focused on in the second season, so maybe I shouldn't give it too much praise already, but I will be honest and say that these last three episodes were what I was expecting going into the show. And I think it is a shame that the series is overshadowed by its really mediocre and sometimes even bad start. However, this last arc can also not cover my last criticism and this is the dialogue. Now, I won't be saying here that anime has the most realistic dialogue. We all know that is not true (with a few exceptions). However, this show takes it to another level. Chitose in particular talks in a way (not just in monologue but sometimes even with other people) that just feels unnatural, because it is such a flowery language. Like how some person is like the sun, shining bright and illuminating everything and in contrast to that is the moon, who is always lonely and stuff like that. And don't get me wrong, I don't mind a line like that every once in a while. But in this show, it is constant and it makes all the characters (that as mentioned already have problems being characters) feel even more artificial, because this is just a step too far for me to feel believable. But of course, this might be something that others don't feel as bad about. And that is why I can not fully recommend this show to everyone. It's definitely a mixed bag and if you can look past the issues (especially the way the dialogues and monologues are written), then I think you can have fun with it. It's one of the shows that yes, really gets better after episode 4, but still always has its problems here and there when it comes to how it addresses certain problems. However, I will also say that this newest arc that will be continued in season 2 is by far the best the series has to offer and depending how it is concluded can sway me more in a positive direction. If that is a enough of a promise for you, then try the show. But if you know that you will be too annoyed by the first two arcs that it will negatively affect this third arc, then it's probably best to skip it alltogether.

​I went into Chitose-kun wa Ramune Bin no Naka hoping for a fun series, but it ended up being a massive letdown. The main issue is the narrative—it is incredibly bland. The plot lacks any engaging conflict or meaningful character development, relying entirely on generic high school tropes. There is no real hook, making the episodes feel like a chore to finish. ​Furthermore, the comedy fails to save the show. The jokes are extremely dry, forced, and painfully repetitive. Instead of getting a good laugh, you are often left cringing at how unnatural the humor feels. It completely fails to inject any life into the mundane story. ​Overall, a hollow story combined with boring comedy makes this an easy skip. I cannot recommend it unless you just need background noise.

When a Chiramune anime adaptation got announced a couple years ago, I was so excited. It’s been one of my favorite light novel series for years and the numerous awards it’s won support my belief that it’s the best ongoing romantic drama. It’s such a refreshing coming of age story that focuses on realistic problems young people go through from sexual harassment, to bullying to parental pressure to conform. While it IS a harem, Chiramune never felt cliche to me because the MC has always been someone who feels like he deserves the girls that like him. They don’t just fall in love with him because of silly shallow reasons. From the very first episode of this show you’ll be able to see what I mean. Chitose Saku is someone who gets things done and helps people through their problems, pushing them to surpass their limits and become better people than they ever thought they could. I’m a huge fan of the MC helps everyone with their problems trope and this is one of the best series for that. It also doesn’t rely on cheap fan service to be good. The realistic conflicts the kids face and how they navigate those issues is the main selling point here, along with the heroines who are all great, but it’s very much a substantive well written story. Even with the numerous production issues, I’m very pleased with how this turned out. Feel did all of my favorite scenes justice and I can’t thank them enough for that. To me, Chiramune is what people thought Oregairu was. Chitose is much more likable than Hachiman, the conflicts are more relatable for me in Chiramune and the girls feel more human than that series’ cast. That’s a matter of subjective taste, but for me this is the series that captures adolescent struggles better than almost any other. From the very first episode when Saku bursts through that window it sets the tone for the sort of person and story this is. He’s someone that will go out of his way to help anyone. Might come off like a nonchalant fella, but no one has a bigger heart than this guy and it’s no wonder everyone falls for him. The author also does a good job of not deifying him. While he is extremely reliable and helpful, Saku isn’t the perfect character. He has flaws, insecurities and second guesses himself all the time. When that does happen, he’s got his friends to rely on to help him move forward just as he does for them. The best stories in this genre are those where every character feels important and drives the series forward, not just the MC. Giving each of the girls their own arc and opportunity to shine throughout the series means we as the audience can see the individuality each of them brings to the series, as well as who you want to make your best girl. I think there’s someone for every taste palette in this story which is another big reason I love the series! Every girl is great, they all speak to a different side of Saku’s personality and help in ways that no one else can. The first cour only scratched the surface of most of them, so please look forward to continued development in the second cour, I promise you won’t be disappointed. Again, this is a harem, but it’s not one of those cringe forced ones that rely on fanservice to keep it interesting. The girls like Saku, but they value his friendship more than anything and the chemistry between them all is so good. It feels like you’re watching a real life group of friends going through their day to day activities and over time feelings develop, it happens. Obviously, most friend circles aren’t going to all fall in love with one guy, but most guys aren’t Saku. Generally, I find each relationship to be very satisfying and believable. It’s not even just girls, Saku will even have dudes falling in love with him in this because of how reliable he is and the difference he makes in their lives. Some people will argue this isn’t that deep and the story is pretentious and I just can’t help but think how stupid they are because for one, “pretentious” has to be one of the most pretentious words in existence, ironically. Half the people using it don’t know what it means. Chiramune isn’t trying to be some pseudo intellectual deconstruction. It’s very clear from the start of the story what you’re getting here and it doesn’t try to be anything extremely complex or revolutionary. It’s just a nice simple story about teenagers dealing with the sort of problems you’d expect kids of that age to deal with while developing feelings for someone. At most, the only remotely “pretentious” thing here would be the idea that a high school teenaged boy would go to these lengths for other people his own age, but time and again we hear about people doing just that on the news. Live a little and just enjoy a great story. The delays for this series were so odd to me because the quality is consistently good throughout. It’s not a series that has insane animation, the art style and character designs look great, the voice acting is great, so I wonder what was going on behind the scenes to cause the delays. Maybe we’ll find out someday, but I thought the show looked fine. Even with the delays and loss of momentum, this was my favorite anime of fall 2025. I’m just too invested in this series as a longtime light novel reader to put anything else above it, and it was a great adaptation so I can’t really complain. It’s just a shame that a lot of people will have inevitably been turned off by all the production woes and just fell off with it. Now that the first cour is complete, I highly recommend just sitting down and binging this one and I think you’ll understand why it’s so highly regarded, if not, that’s cool too, no sweat off my back, but I love Chiramune. Chiramune cour 1 gets 9 out of 10.

Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle — A fine production...with a few flaws that make it stand out, both good and bad. "Rom-coms are SOOO overrated! There's always a guy being surrounded by the girls that he always seems to have an affection for and quite possibly ending up with either one of them and getting all of the other girls jealous!" ...is what I would say to the majority of the rom-coms that we've been stuck with for the longest time, and unfortunately, like the Isekai genre, it has its fans both for and against it. I mean, come on, who doesn't want to have a wish fulfillment about being the guy/girl that is surrounded by people of the opposite sex as who they are, and the acceptance from the clique that he/she belongs to can range from great and wholesome to plain abhorrent and filled with disgust? Yes, I'm not going to deny the fact that media literacy, even in the AniManga industry, has been rife with ideas that look easy to digest on paper, but when converted to another medium, say either anime or film, there's a wide range of thoughts that you can't help but feel like we've been overstretched to the limit of what a GOOD rom-com looks and feels like. There have been a few rom-com adaptations that have been surprises massively, and some of them are even works that you and I love. One of the modern veterans is the disgraceful man of mangaka Aka Akasaka's Kaguya-sama wa Kokurasetai: Tensai-tachi no Renai Zunousen a.k.a Kaguya-sama: Love Is War, which was helped by one of my favourite mangaka-cum-illustrators, Imigimuru, with Summer 2016's Kono Bijutsubu ni wa Mondai ga Aru! a.k.a This Art Club Has a Problem!, which served as inspiration towards novelist Takibi Amamori's debut work (alongside Imigumuru) with Fall 2024's Make Heroine ga Oosugiru! a.k.a Too Many Losing Heroines. These are some examples of great rom-coms that I can wholeheartedly recommend. And in the same vein of things, Fall 2025's Chitose-kun wa Ramune Bin no Naka a.k.a Chitose Is in the Ramune Bottle, is again, one of the works that you'll see a lot in your local bookstore, and its reputation cannot be denied as one of the predecessors of rom-com character-driven works (before Makeine came and clinched the crown first through anime). I loved novelist Hiromu and illustrator raemz's work when it launched in my local bookstore, and even when the LN did not eventually hit the sales target achieved, it was still a quality purchase all on its own. As expected of rom-com works like this one, the guy is VERY popular, and why not? He's the star of the show here, and Saku Chitose is one such young man that hits quite the nerve when it comes to his social engagements with his clique as well as his introspection in regard to the character-driven volumes that Hiromu paced on. An often misjudged "Hikaya Hachiman" of all male MCs, Chitose is bold, outlandish, and wants peace for harmony, all for the vain attempt to work alongside his group of friends, which he calls Team Chitose: himself and the girls. No matter what the task calls for it, even at the most unexpected of requests from his homeroom teacher Kuranosuke Iwanami, Saku Chitose is always there to save the day and bring back what matters towards the characters of note. A baseball player at heart too, and romance is always often left as the afterthought for the straight guy who has a resolution for his preference for solitude. It's refreshing to see someone like Chitose act his true self, both in the socialite school world and in his own introversion, which I can definitely relate to a lot (and thus says my love for the series). As already mentioned, Team Chitose consists of not just the second-grade popular guy and the class president of Class 2-5 himself, but also the following girls: the striking beauty of the blonde-haired Yuuko Hiiragi, ever just as popular and variable in terms of her reputation, and Chitose intentionally avoiding her when it comes to her romance intentions, which is logically sound for someone who doesn't want to blur the lines and maintain the friendship alongside the others...which they'll definitely get jealous of. And while Yua Uchida isn't one of those girls, her motherly grace that's covered with the slightest of her demeanour, often playing the straight man role with Chitose, one can definitely see that she's at least wife material and dedicated to whom she works for and looks after. The similarly vibrant Haru Aomi, petite and slim as she is, is just a delight as one of the few female basketball club members who works hard for her peeps, having the Captain role. And if you want a battle to decide who is the prettiest of Team Chitose, look no further than the competition between Yuuko and Yuzuki Nanase, who has more shine to her beauty with her versatility and who can actually compete in both beauty and structure as a fellow member of the basketball club alongside Haru. The last girl to round up, not being part of Team Chitose, is the third-grade student Asuka Nishino, a girl that Chitose shared and mingled with in his private time away from the others, showcasing her admired Senpai energy alongside her serene and graceful personality, one that's often "sparkled" with poetic language that only Chitose would ever try to want to understand her. For the first split-cour, the anime adapts the first 3 volumes of the LN, from which you can surmise that the author himself sure hasn't quite had a thoughtout formula, but promise me, it gets better from here on out. Starting off with the usual OreGairu a.k.a SNAFU formula with Chitose helping their fellow classmate Kenta Yamazaki get acclimatized to school again after a series of bullying sessions, we get a taste of who Chitose truly is and the lengths he and the girls of Team Chitose will go to get him back. It's honestly not a great start, but it serves as an introduction for what it is. Pace that with Yuzuki for Volume 2 and Asuka for Volume 3 with their contrasting, self-contained stories, and the story only gets better as the series progresses (at least for a good reason I was hooked onto the LN and then the manga form in pictures). Why is it that it's often studio Feel who gets the only indication of production failures is just beyond me. And that's kind of the reason why the AniManga industry, frail as its quality is, is pumped WAY TOO MUCH for its own good and discarded what I feel is one of only a handful of Japanese animation studios that CAN do the work to provide insane quality, if nothing were ever stopping them to begin with. Winter and Summer 2023's 2 split-season treatments with Spy Kyoushitsu a.k.a Spy Classroom, were just not handled well on a production level, and last Spring-Summer's Summer Pockets definitely took a while to stretch the studio's efforts in remaining consistent in overall production, something not done since Spring-Summer 2019's Kono Yo no Hate de Koi wo Utau Shoujo YU-NO a.k.a YU-NO: A Girl Who Chants Love at the Bound of This World. With ChiraMune here, studio Feel is back with the art style and production levels that I'd recognize as a long-time fan of the studio, even if it meant one heck of a delay just to break even before the second split-cour a.k.a Part 2's arrival sometime in the future. It's colourful, bright, and poppy and, overall, stellar to experience in anime form. The music for the series is subtly composed, but then again, if you're the veteran composer that is Yoshiaki Fujisawa, I expect nothing but the best in terms of music composition, and he has done that again here for ChiraMune. Everything he does doesn't miss, and I can state as a fact that I've been listening to his compositions for well over a decade now; he's just an underrated composer that needs more attention. In the same vein, both theme songs are great, with Kucci's OP and Cider Girl's ED; there is never a skip with the cinematic view. This may be the starting half of what's to come, but Chitose-kun wa Ramune Bin no Naka a.k.a Chitose Is …

Honestly, I was hoping this rom-com harem storyline would bring a fresh perspective, but it hasn't gone beyond being just an average, simple rom-com harem. Let me explain: there's no character introduction or meeting process; it just jumps straight into the story. Our main character is supposedly very cool, manipulative, intelligent, and very handsome, understanding of human emotions, and he's surrounded by five beautiful, popular school idol girls who all like him, blah blah blah. Even while they're talking, it's clear how difficult it is to write the main character. Imagine how much depth you can add to a character with no flaws and present it to the viewers or readers. It's very difficult because the point where you start to understand the characters, feel a connection, and think they have depth is when you notice their flaws, and it doesn't end there; it's about how the character resolves those flaws. The plot revolves around helping people in trouble, and they do it in the worst possible way. The character shows up to find the perfect solution to every problem, and while there are excellent works that have done this concept perfectly, they've done it in the worst possible way. Furthermore, most of the characters look like they've jumped straight out of different anime; it's like they've taken the same female characters from previously popular works, added their flaws, and then created these characters. Okay, putting all that aside, none of these characters have an ounce of depth; they're superficial characters with no depth whatsoever. It's as if the female characters were created to stir up our sexual desires, and the main character seems to be there just to make us think, "Wow, the alpha male in us is so cool!" In short, it felt like a 13-year-old wrote it. The main character has no understandable actions, and to make matters worse, they don't give us a reason to empathize. It's like they have this "I'm so cool, other people are jealous" kind of problem, and it drives me crazy. Their only focus was aura farming; it was a simple anime, deserving a 6 rating. The comedy dynamics and dialogues were simplistic, or seemed complex just to be cool, but were more superficial than normal human conversation. The romance was rather shallow. In short, it failed to do anything this genre should. No, I didn't expect complex character behaviors and realism like in Golden Time, or a self-acceptance story like Oregairu, but even with my low criteria, it was a failure.

At first, I thought this anime was cringe-worthy. I dropped it after the first episode, but a few weeks later, I felt compelled to give it another chance. I'm glad I did! Without giving any spoilers, I can say that it's a great story. On the surface, it seems like an average high school anime, but it goes much deeper. It addresses real-life issues that students face and shows how the characters handle those situations. While I wouldn't say this anime is for everyone, I really enjoyed it. The animation is also fantastic. Overall, I found the story and character design to be beautifully done. I would rate it an 8.5/10. And in my anime tier list, it will be |A| or |A+|.

I really enjoyed this one it’s a little bit different to the normal as the show is split into three stories I really enjoyed the first two but didn’t enjoy the third one so it does lower the rating to a seven when it could’ve been an eight but apart from that that’s the only complaint that the main character is funny I like him the supporting cast are also good so nothing to complain about. For once the main protagonist doesn’t seem dense and actually has a head on him and it’s enjoyable to see it also looks like there’s going to be a second season because of the way the show ended but it’s quite nice I’m not gonna say anything about the story because of spoilers but it is enjoyable and I saw myself watching 3 to 4 episodes in one go back to back because it was just very very good compare compared to the one or two I’d normally watch Overall, it’s nothing to scream about, but it is good. It’s different but it works. 7/10 would’ve been an eight, but I didn’t enjoy the last story

On paper, Chitose-kun wa Ramune Bin no Naka might look like your typical high-school harem slop. This is not the case. In reality, it is a wonderful anime engrossed in an air of mystery, about finding oneself and one's place in the world. After watching this, I can clearly see why the LN has a cult following, and I wouldn't be surprised if the anime were to grow one as well. Starting off, the main plot of this show isn't all that clear at first. The beginning episodes put a lot of weight on introducing characters because this is a character-driven show, which explains the initial lack of clarity. Instead, it features multiple character arcs following the main protagonist, Saku Chitose, as he plays a knight in shining armor and helps people with their problems to live by his motto: "If I don't live a beautiful life, I might as well not live at all" (or something along those lines), a phrase you'll be hearing repeated a lot in this anime. There are three discernible arcs that take place during this season. All three of these arcs are fantastic depictions of the characters involved, and each has a distinct "feel" to it, so it isn't like you're watching the same thing over and over again. This leads to a great sense of pacing. Furthermore, what this anime does best is balancing a fulfilling sense of progression with an overarching air of mystery, achieved by relying on subtle allusions and foreshadowing rather than spelling everything out. All in all, it is a fantastic character-driven story that tackles the theme of "a perfect life" with a unique feel to it. In terms of characters, there are a few noteworthy ones. Due to the first season only covering three arcs, most of the girls are nothing more than flat side characters, since they haven't even had the chance to be developed yet. Anyway, Chitose, the main character, is an overly idealistic young man who strives to live perfectly. Even from the very first minutes of the show, you can see his severe main-character syndrome. Now, what surprised me about him is that you can't help but like him. I kid you not, I started off thinking, "Who does he think he is?" and ended up feeling, "Wow, he really is my hero." The fact that he manages to instill the same feelings in the viewer as he does in his classmates and the people surrounding him is a sign of great character writing. One thing to note is that he has many monologues in the anime, and quite a few of them carry little impact while overtly overusing far-fetched symbolism. I personally didn't pay them much attention and chose to see it as an overly confident 16-year-old trying to prove he's smarter than everyone else, rather than attributing it to poor writing. The other character who got the most focus was Yuzuki, whose arc I'm not going to spoil. However, she demonstrates this anime's wonderful ability to take a character you know nothing about and make them feel "real." The way Chitose gets to know her mirrors the experience of you, the viewer, getting to know her. And here is where the air of mystery comes in: you steadily find yourself wanting to know more about the character, trying to figure out who she is and judging by her actions what she is actually thinking. Honestly, the same can be said about Chitose, since he's always wearing his perfect facade. In any case, it features staggeringly real-feeling relationship development, which leads to fully rounded and deep characters. Coming back to my earlier point, I'd much rather have a few fully fleshed-out characters than multiple who only get one episode each and feel like copies of one another. I'm looking forward to seeing more characters developed in the coming season. The art is quite good, a bit above average, featuring good-looking characters and beautifully drawn backgrounds. However, some of the characters are a bit hard to tell apart, and the animation isn't exactly high-framerate. But the art does its job, and honestly, a rom-com doesn't need feature-film animation anyway. In terms of sound production, the OST is honestly great. It does a good job of setting the atmosphere and reinforcing that "air of mystery." The tracks are memorable, varied, and perfectly fit the vibe. Furthermore, the voice acting is quite standard in my opinion, with no outstanding performances. Again, some of the girls have similar voices, making it a bit hard to tell them apart audibly as well. The show also uses silence as a way to amplify tension at times, although that can be a bit overdone. One thing I have to add (I don't know if it's just me or an actual mixing issue) is that the sound levels are so uneven I found myself constantly readjusting the volume. For example, during a conversation, the voices will be quiet, but then the overall volume of the show suddenly spikes during that same conversation. Coming over to my personal enjoyment, I really liked watching it. The anime was a good experience that left me satisfied after every episode. Even when there wasn't much going on, the strong OST and artwork kept the viewing experience enjoyable. So, in the end, I'd recommend Chitose-kun wa Ramune Bin no Naka to all anime watchers, especially fans of the genre and of character-driven narratives. It is a real-feeling series that is definitely worthy of the praise and cult following it receives. As for me, I'm 100% watching part 2, and I might even check out the LN.

I watched this today. Its been quite some time since this finished airing so i cant be bothered about the awful release schedule that this anime probably had. To be honest, i really liked this anime. Of course its not the best written media out there but it was fun and interesting. Really out of reality though, if im being truthful. The negative reviews on this anime geniunely surprised me though. Yeah, this is not close to reality. Sure the author was clearly trying to be different nad couldnt. It wasnt as deep as it was meant to be and yes the characters do talk as if they are 16 year olds who think they have 50 years of life experience, but it wasnt as bad as these reviews are making it be. I swear, some people dont like one thing and they desperately try their best to find every single thing that is or could be wrong with it. Im not saying dont make a negative review, im saying dont pretend theres a massive writing issue because you just don't like it. Thats not media literacy, its just subjectivity. In summary, i believe its a fine anime to watch and does not deserve the hate it gets on this app. Compared to anime that are coming out this year and are genuine slop, this is good enough. I recommend <3

It's a bit sad that they have to delayed the airing of the final 3 eps, but I'm actually glad they took tht decisions as the quality of the last three eps are able to be maintained. Story actually pretty cliché with drama that easy and quick to resolve. The theme also very youth thingy like self confident, bullying, which university to choose, liking someone, etc. But eventho they have cliché plot and shallow drama, the story telling they used are really melancholic and adding a nice layer to the shallow stories. I love every monologue in this anime and how melodramatic it was. Such a nice way to spice up an ordinary story. This anime also pretty philosophical too but not too heavy. The graphics and scenery also really insane i love it so much, and scoring also very well made adding more melodramatic feels to the anime. Good directing in some eps. Overall really enjoyable watch, the delayed airing not giving me too much problems as the quality they had are really amazing and consistent.

Honestly, the first thing I want to say is an apology for having such low expectations for this anime in the beginning. If you only read the synopsis, the story sounds no different from other anime of its kind. Initially, I thought this was just a standard harem anime or an average show. However, after finishing the first three episodes, I can say with absolute certainty that this anime far exceeded my expectations. ​The absolute biggest appeal of this anime lies in its main character. Saku Chitose is not the type of MC who suddenly becomes popular for no reason or due to some cliche quirk. He is so much more than that. I can clearly see that Chitose is a genuinely popular figure who truly deserves to hold the highest hierarchy in his school. His success is not a miracle but the result of hard work behind the scenes. He is smart, athletic, solution oriented, and possesses a high level of sensitivity to his surroundings. ​His realistic and blunt way of thinking allows Chitose to handle problems without a fake hero complex. This is clearly seen in how he handles Kenta. Instead of seeking praise after pushing Kenta to change, Chitose simply reflects in a monologue that not many people decide to change and he hopes that when looking back at this time, Kenta can be proud of himself. This brilliant moment shows how mature Chitose is because he does not want people to depend on him. Instead, he wants them to build their own foundation of self respect. ​Because of his high sensitivity, I completely understand why Chitose seems to shut down his own feelings. He does that solely so his friend circle will not break. He bears the burden of being the leader and constantly wears the mask of a perfect character to maintain balance and respond to the demands of reality around him. ​Yet behind all that pragmatic perfection, he is deeply human. This was executed phenomenally well in episodes 11 to 13. This is where Chitose’s dynamic with Asuka senpai truly shines. The riverside and Asuka become the only safe space outside his circle where Chitose can finally strip off his armor of popularity. Seeing Chitose finally let go and show his vulnerable side in front of his Senpai feels very natural and organic. ​The delivery of such natural emotions is also thanks to the production team. High appreciation must be given to Studio feel. Their decision to delay the broadcast of the final episodes for months truly paid off. Their promise to maintain the animation quality was perfectly kept. The storyline became even more intense and the way this anime plays with lighting in crucial scenes feels very poetic. ​On the technical audio side, the opening and ending songs are great. Specifically for the ending song Kagerou, the band Cider Girl managed to execute it brilliantly. They successfully captured the essence of the MC’s burden and poured it into a song that is upbeat yet melancholic. Personally, this song leaves a very profound impression on Chitose’s character. ​This emotional ending song ultimately brings my thoughts back to the character dynamics. Of course, the praise for Asuka senpai does not diminish the charm of the other female characters. However, I have to admit that the chemistry between Chitose and Asuka feels far above the other heroines. Even though it is hard to say because I am Team Yuzuki, it must be acknowledged that they are on a whole different level. ​Overall, this anime shattered all my prejudices and delivered a substantial youth drama. Saku Chitose heavily deserves the title of the Best Main Character for this genre.

Finally finished this anime. Honestly, I almost forgot about it when these 3 final episodes aired. It has it's ups and downs and in the end it is a show that tries to do something different but it ended up turning into standard romcom you have seen million times before. Animation and music: fantastic. This is one point where show really shines. Animation is great and fluid and music is atmospheric and enhances the entire experience. Easily one of this anime's strongest point. Overall - both are great, a true enjoyment for both eyes and ears. The best part of this show. Characters: this is the first issue I have with this show. Entire premise is that MC, Chitose, is the most popular guy is class/school and has it's popular character traits and skills. But this show presents his as a character with flaws and regrets (which is good) and also a character who is obnoxious and a Mary Sue (which is a bad thing). I didn't really liked him at the start of the show. I did liked him later on, near the end. But the way how everything just sets up perfectly at the end for him really sets him up as overly perfect isekai MC than what he is suppose to be. Other characters are a mixed bag, mostly becasue only two of them get real attention and development. And even then, after all of that, they became obligatory Chitose-fans instead of more unique individuals. I would say that out of everyone, Nanase had the best arc and development in this anime. Her arc was great and she as a character is very likable. Kenta is also a solid character, and has a good development. But his arc was finished quickly and afterwards he did not have much more impact on the rest of the gang. The other characters in this story are either obligatory bad guys or Chitose fans, we also have a cool sensei type. I also wanted to say that Asuka's character is interesting, but her arc just started and she did not have much time to shine as Nanase did. Overall - You will either like Chitose or find him very irritating. Other than him you have two developed characters and everyone else is just a filler. Which is a shame as other minor characters could be amazing if given the time to shine. Story: It follows Chitose and how he is facing his own personal issues while working on resolving everyone else's, most of all gatekeeping his virginity from all the females in this series that want to sleep with him. Jokes aside, the story can be very good when it get's into characters inner struggles and their fights against it. But when Chitose starts resolving every single issue like Kirito from SAO it starts to become stagnate. And when he starts his inner monologue... It becomes mostly boring. We as audience can see what is happening on screen and deduct what can characters feel at the moment. We do not need MC explaining that in his head, including the emotions and philosophical meanings behind them. That is not edgy or cool, it is irritating and boring. Overall - The show has many good scenes and situations. But the irritating inner monologue of MC, his Kirito like Mary Sue resolutions and everyone simping for him really drag the story down from what it should have been. Overall grade - 8 for me, realistically this show is between 7 and 8. The production of this show was also not helping it as the episodes were delayed twice. Once for a week and second time for entire 3 months. Most people who followed this in Autumn season probably forgot that these three were to be released now. I would not be surprised if most were lost as you cannot remember every detail from back then when show was airing. Sure, the quality was done justice but if would have been a lot better if they have pushed entire show 6 months later like "Alya" anime production did than to butcher it like this. I find it hard to give recommendation, since it's very polarizing even to me. And I really wanted to like it since the premise was interesting. I would say, if you like romcoms, harem and OP MC who acts like he is just ordinary guy than go ahead and check it. If not then give it a 3 episodes rule and see if you can continue watching it. Season 2 has been confirmed and I will watch it just to see what will happen with Asuka as they left the series on cliffhanger instead of ending it with previous arc and leave this for next season.

Now that the first season has concluded I can write what I think. This anime was a wind of fresh air. I finally felt like I found an anime that thematically was not about a shy schoolboy, but a social, somewhat dramatic teen that lived in a fantasy that should not be touched by adults. It made me think back on what I could have done as a teen, but never honestly could. And the crushes, the interactions and emotions. They are anime-like in a sense that they are very over the top emotionally, but still grounded in young childish energy. I read reviews and alot of people called this anime cringe, but I think it is very grounded to energy and thoughts this age people are going through, and I think there should be more art depicting characters like this. It is about teens going through rough times, life changing events, but then there comes an adult and reality checks them all in 5 minutes. Then again there is this one teacher that is vibing, understanding, but trying to keep away from their life, giving hints to the real dynamic going on. Which is, in its heart, just about a teen that has lost alot, but jumping back up, going through obstacles while helping others, and is being found incredibly likeable by people around him. I don't get the negative thoughts, other than some anime critics understandably felt offended by the first episodes about the chubby nerd. This anime has so much heart, so much passion and I am glad they carried it through, tho it was finished very late. Honestly the only negative thought I have is that there are two blonde characters that look and act almost the same, so much so that I had to make notes which one was which. But, a solid 8,5. excited for the future!

Story is pretty much about a "high school student dealing with problems, with the protagonist helping them" kind of story. Art style/animation is nice, nothing to complain about for the genre. Refreshing protagonist and cast of characters, but it can be a bit too poetic and made for 14-year-old teenagers. Give it a shot if you love interesting banter between the protagonist and his heroines and enjoy some retrospective, personal high school drama. It is an interesting show with a refreshing protagonist, but it can be a bit corny and cringey at times. I had to take few months to watch the last episode (a bit dramatic for the genre for my taste, but hey I can be biased due to my preference to lighter story), it's not bad by any means but just hard to watch sometimes. Give it a shot and see how you like it.

To be honest, after I saw the first couple of episodes, I decided to hate watch the rest of the show so I could be justified in trashing it. BUT, I've come to a different conclusion after finishing the anime. Trust me, there are still mostly problems, but there's some good things. First off, the music, character designs, and animation were great. They definitely didn't slack off on production and I appreciate that, but the first couple of episodes were HELL in other areas. I think I asked myself the same question about 50 times while watching this show, "What's the message here? What's the point of showing us a perfect guy who complains about his steak being too juicy and his lobster being too buttery?" These episodes really ticked me off. Another problem is how cringe and unrealistic the entire story feels. The MC is basically a mega Chad who's quite literally perfect in every way possible. He genuinely doesn't feel like a real human being (similar to the other male characters) which is why I disliked the show. The dialogue is really awkward at times and most of the conversations don't mimic how high schoolers actually talk at all. As a slice of life show, this shit doesn't feel like real life AT ALL. I also want to mention that Kenta's 3 week transformation was bullshit. He went from a fat chud loser, to a toned slick 7/10 decent guy. He also lost WAY more THAN 2 kilos. Another problem I had was his gloomy monologues that sounded extremely pretentious. All of a sudden, his tone becomes really sad out of nowhere and he'd rant about stuff that doesn't sound sad at all. I actually like monologues in anime, but most of the slop that came from his mouth didn't carry any actual weight since his life is amazing. I get that he has his own types of struggles even if he's the top of the top, but watching him try to promote self improvement/transformation doesn't feel very convincing. People enjoy zero to hero stories because it proves that you can make it if you try hard enough, but there's no point if the hero started as a hero. "The main character has a tragic backstory, he is zero to hero!" First off, I still don't know his backstory (the anime didn't reveal too much), so I can't say that his life was always fluff and rainbows, but EITHER WAY, if he DID have a tragic backstory, his character still wouldn't make any sense. I'm not going to fully explain why, but writing a PERFECT character is impossible. Perfect people don't exist and we all know that. Our mistakes and flaws are what make us human and that's why I hate his character. He doesn't reflect that idea at all which makes his personally seem unrealistic. Also let me just point it out one more time, THERE'S NOT A SINGLE HIGH SCHOOL BOY WHO IS LIKE THIS. In fact, none of the characters seem like real people, especially Kaito and Yuusuke. They are 100% robots. I'm really jealous of the main character, I hate when people complain about their lives when they're in heaven, but I think I understand how he's able to complain so much. I'm probably wrong, but I'm pretty sure he's able to complain so much because he cares about others so much. Regardless of how much I trashed on this show, I actually did enjoy hate watching it because cheesy/corny moments make me horny. I really enjoy bad shows that feel unreal because they make me laugh.

The anime adaptation of Chitose-kun wa Ramune Bin no Naka offers a refreshing take on high school life with a more realistic tone. The main character, Saku Chitose, is a confident and popular student, yet still feels human and relatable. The story focuses on friendships, social dynamics, and personal perspectives. Its dialogue is sharp and meaningful, encouraging reflection. While the pacing is calm and lacks action, its strength lies in character development and interactions. Overall, it is a thoughtful slice-of-life series suited for viewers seeking grounded and meaningful storytelling yeah overral this is peak anime i very recommended to watch this anime to you

This show is rather difficult to rate effectively, especially since it makes little to no sense. The characters constantly make completely unnecessary monologues that feel not only meaningless but also moronic. The decisions taken to 'solve' issues are honestly terrible. Kids don't need to take everything into their hands; they're kids after all. This is something the series seems reluctant to accept. This whole metaphor of a Ramune bottle is also quite nonsensical. What does that have to do with youth? Why is he in a Ramune bottle in the first place? Is he stuck? Can he get out? Should I call the authorities? The characters are not particularly charming; they talk like they're androids trying to find out what 'human' means. Everybody is head over heels for this Chitose fellow for some unknown, God-forsaken reason. He acts like the protagonist of a Bollywood cop movie (see: Singham). The guy is portrayed as so competent and likeable that he could regain all of the US's lost credibility if he were made the Secretary of State. The plotline also feels like a watered-down, TikTok-shop version of series like Oregairu or Hyouka (excluding the charm that made them special). This series is a mess. It's like a hamburger you eat while piss-drunk at 4:00 AM. But, all in all, it is a fantastic show to watch on a call with some friends with whom you can make fun of what's going on on the screen. Make a drinking game out of it, maybe. Unless you're a tween or a pretentious "intellectual", it'll be hard to watch it any other way. This show does have significant staying power; you'll be talking about its ridiculousness for months to come. The opening and ending sequences are quite nice, albeit not particularly relevant. They seem like the original vision or concept, before a dog swallowed and threw them back up like a Tyson Foods chicken.