Otalku Cafe - Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable

The first of four romcoms I watched during the season, and that is Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable. The show follows a boy named Tsubasa who’s moved from Tokyo to the snowy north region of Hokkaido (For those who know Japan, this is a major deal. It’s like going from New York City to the sticks). During the first few hours of his journey, he meets a gyaru named Fuyuki. Later on, it turns out they’re classmates. And the show follows as they become fast friends who clearly have more than just friend feelings for each other. 

If I’m being honest, the show is your typical harem type of romance show, with the introduction of the gamer chick Sayuri and the responsible senpai, Rena. And continuing with honesty, both of those girls are better for Tsubasa than Fuyuki is. But at the end of the day, it’s plainly obvious who he’s going to pick. Which is kind of a drag. The story itself is pretty decent, with the exception of the finale. I absolutely hated it and it lost major points for me because of the awful storytelling in the finale. 

That said, the animation is way above mid and the musical composition is very solid, including one of the best OP songs of the season. The show is also a bit ecchi to a degree since its main girls are all gyarus. And the real life, factual base the show uses surrounding locations, travel times, and customs of the city are all done quite well and speaks to the level of detail the mangaka and the animators spent on the show. But again, that finale killed me. They’ll be a season 2 and I will for sure watch, but I gave season 1, available on Crunchyroll, a mid 3/5 rating.