Yamada-kun to Lv999 no Koi wo Suru | Consider this a midseason review.

The longer I watch this show, the more it reminds me of two anime. Net-juu no Susume and Horimiya. Why? Allow me to explain.

Net-juu no Susume is primarily based around character interactions in a game. The biggest comparison I can make is that we have Yamada and Akane, who meet because of a game that they both play. Similarly to Net-juu no Susume, we see them interact both in game but also in real life. What differentiates the two anime though is that I think Yamada-kun to Lv999 no Koi wo Suru does a better job at striking a balance between in-game and real life interactions.

I also think that Yamada-kun to Lv999 no Koi wo Suru is comparable to Horimiya on the basis that the romance part of things feels similar. I mean, all romance anime all feel similar. They all typically start the same way and end the same way. What made Horimiya so good was because it was so relatable and I think, very realistic. Is Yamada-kun to Lv999 no Koi wo Suru on the same level? Heck no. However, I think with how Yamada and Akane started out as strangers and have slowly progressed — reach one of them wanting to know more about each other. Makes me think Horimiya in that respect.

I’ll be honest with you, I am fairly disappointed with how slow the anime has felt. For some reason, I thought the general pacing of the anime would be faster. I don’t know why I thought that but for some reason it was something I came to expect. Like, we are seven episodes in out of a possible thirteen. We’re basically halfway and let’s be honest, very little has been accomplished.

The relationship building between Yamada and Akane has been questionable at best and at times has felt pretty awkward. But I guess that is to be expected from a pair who largely play MMOs day-in and day-out. Speaking from a ‘romance’ standpoint, I think that up until this point (episode seven), it’s been pretty average or just below it. For sure, we’ve all seen better and as such expect better.

It makes me think what about Yamada-kun to Lv999 no Koi wo Suru makes it stand out above the others? The truth is, I’m not sure if there is one at this point in the anime. Part of me feels like Yamada-kun to Lv999 no Koi wo Suru is an average show. With average characters and a romance that seemingly feels fairly typical. However, there is another part of me which thinks that the best is yet to come and for some reason I get excited by that prospect. It comes down to me wanting Yamada-kun to Lv999 no Koi wo Suru do be an anime I’ll truly enjoy.

I don’t know maybe Yamada and Akane will suddenly show us a side of themselves that provides a spark for the anime. Or maybe there will be a conflict that they’ll have to deal with together, further deepening a potential relationship which should already made gains. It’s strange because not only do all the characters feel flat right now, but the story as a whole feels very flat too.

As a whole the anime is letting me down and I think that’s a real shame.