Just give him time.
Summary:
- Hananoi seemed unlikable in the first episodes.
- He gave off creepy vibes that viewers disliked.
- The more we see of him, the better he gets.
A Condition Called Love (Hananoi-kun to Koi no Yamai) is a currently airing shoujo romance anime that premiered on April 4, 2024.
We have to be honest, this is not the best anime of the season, and its MyAnimeList score of 6.88 is pretty accurate. The series failed to follow in A Sign of Affection’s footsteps, as a lot of fans thought it would, but it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t pay attention to it.
Main Leads Seem Odd
A Condition Called Love doesn’t work that well for many viewers mostly because of its leads. Both Nananoi and Hotaru are rather weird and challenging to relate to, but you have to give them more time to open up and develop.
Back when only a couple of episodes were out, fans were unsure about Hananoi. Saying that he seemed odd is an understatement, he had some sinister psycho killer vibes that don’t suit the atmosphere of a wholesome shoujo series.
It’s not because Hananoi was overly possessive or controlling, the issue lay in the way he showed his affections. He could spend the entire night out in the cold looking for Hotaru’s hairpin. It felt like Hananoi would do absolutely anything to make Hotaru happy, and not in a romantic way, but in a more obsessive one.
Hananoi Is More Than Meets the Eye
But the more time passed, the more fans began to change their minds about the male lead. Yes, he didn’t stop being weird in the blink of an eye, but it was clear that he never meant any harm and was genuinely trying to be a good boyfriend. He just didn’t know how to do it properly.
When Hananoi’s flashbacks were introduced to the series, fans started changing their perception of the character. He previously seemed like a popular school boy, who’s also a little weird. But now they understand that he’s actually a very insecure person who’s struggling with making connections.
Hananoi wasn’t trying to get Hotaru all to himself with his actions, he was genuinely unsure how to win her affections. Despite being a popular boy, he struggles with self-confidence and doesn’t realize that he deserves to be loved even without all the grandiose gestures.
His insecurities made him this way, that’s why he tries a little bit too hard sometimes, and this is the beauty of A Condition Called Love.
Both leads don’t know a thing about romance, but both want to learn how to connect with other people properly. And the fact that they’re doing it together and side by side makes their bond even more special.