You've never seen a harem anime like this.
Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! from A-1 Pictures is one of the best titles this year. It's a rom-com about people who find themselves on the other side of a happy ending.
Friendship is given as much attention as love, and the characters are quite realistic. Although, of course, there are also some absurdly funny situations.
What Is Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! About?
High school student Kazuhiko Nukumizu is not interested in romantic relationships in real life, but he is interested in empathizing with the characters in light novels. But you can't call him antisocial: he still finds a common language with people.
Only his circle of friends is specific – all girls with broken hearts. Anna, for example, had a showdown with her crush right in front of Kazuhiko, and then ate a nice lunch at his expense out of grief.
Nukumizu listened to the girl, but asked her to repay the debt. So Anna starts sharing lunches with him, telling him about her suffering: her classmate supports her as much as he can.
It seems that someone should have feelings here, but no: for now, this is a story of friendship. Over time, new "losing heroines" join the group – the athlete Lemon and the shy Chika, a member of the literary circle. Each has to survive her own drama, and Nukumizu helps them.
Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! Will Appeal Even to Those Who Hate the Harem Genre
The anime is notable for the fact that in such a harem, no one is in love with anyone – the topic of friendship comes to the fore. And this is wonderful: the characters, who already have enough suffering, simply support each other.
Instead of boring love triangles, we get a touching and awkward confession of friendship, a professional assessment of what is happening, and lessons in empathy.
As for romance, the series focuses on accepting rejection: couples are not reunited, rejected girls are not healed by finding new mutual love, but only live through their unrequited feelings.
Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! Deals With Love Issues is an Unusual Way
Everyone deals with negative emotions and impulsive actions as best they can. But here everything is modest: wishing that the beloved would break up with his new girlfriend is not the greatest evil in life.
Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! is a warm and cozy series, despite the characters' experiences, and suitable for recreating both summer and winter moods.
Of course, all the joys of teenage life are included: from meetings in cafes to participation in a school festival, where the characters manage to combine their love of literature with the desire to eat delicious food.
Where to Watch Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines?
Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines! Is available to stream on Crunchyroll.