The Wallflower, or, in some adaptations, Perfect Girl Evolution, is the 2007 anime adaptation of the romance manga of the same name that started serialization in 2000 and ended in 2015. It features something that at first seems like the premise for a reverse harem: one badly socialized girl is forced to live with four ultra-handsome boys. But, thankfully, that's not the case. Sure, it's a romance anime, but not all of the boys are interested in the main heroine; they have their own love troubles that have nothing to do with her.
The boys are tasked with making a lady out of the badly socialized and outright spooky Nakahara Sunako, the female lead, in order to avoid paying rent. And they are very eager to complete that task. At first, at least, until they learn just what kind of person Sunako is.
By modern standards the whole premise of the story seems off-putting: why would you change a person if they don't want to do that? But then you realize that this show is a parody of the usual shoujo staples, twisting the tropes with such humor that sometimes feels crass enough to fit the shounen demographic.
It's a hilarious show, one that mixes flowery shoujo elements with violence and guiltily funny moments, when you're laughing at something that you probably shouldn't, but the way it is portrayed is simply over the top. Nakahara Sunako is still understandable and, to an extent, relatable, and Takano Kyohei, the male lead of the show, at first seems like a typical bad boy, the archetype that was extremely popular in the 2000s, but opens up during the show and you don't want to punch him anymore. Segments with advice on how to be a lady featuring chibi-versions of the characters, Sunako's obsession with darkness, and everyone's reaction to it are still hysterically funny.
However, there are some things that are looking a bit dated. First, the show, being released in 2007, is available only in 4:3 resolution and that makes it not very fitting for modern TV sets. Second, plot-wise and character-wise some of the motivations and turning points seem weird. Tropes are being too exaggerated for the comedy, and that sometimes leads to destroying the believability aspect of the show.
But one thing stays true: no one is going to change you against your free will. The people who are right for you will learn to accept you the way you are. If they don't then they are the wrong people.
And this thought did pass the test of time.
Some things stayed relatable.
The Wallflower, or, in some adaptations, Perfect Girl Evolution, is the 2007 anime adaptation of the romance manga of the same name that started serialization in 2000 and ended in 2015. It features something that at first seems like the premise for a reverse harem: one badly socialized girl is forced to live with four ultra-handsome boys. But, thankfully, that's not the case. Sure, it's a romance anime, but not all of the boys are interested in the main heroine; they have their own love troubles that have nothing to do with her.
The boys are tasked with making a lady out of the badly socialized and outright spooky Nakahara Sunako, the female lead, in order to avoid paying rent. And they are very eager to complete that task. At first, at least, until they learn just what kind of person Sunako is.
By modern standards the whole premise of the story seems off-putting: why would you change a person if they don't want to do that? But then you realize that this show is a parody of the usual shoujo staples, twisting the tropes with such humor that sometimes feels crass enough to fit the shounen demographic.
It's a hilarious show, one that mixes flowery shoujo elements with violence and guiltily funny moments, when you're laughing at something that you probably shouldn't, but the way it is portrayed is simply over the top. Nakahara Sunako is still understandable and, to an extent, relatable, and Takano Kyohei, the male lead of the show, at first seems like a typical bad boy, the archetype that was extremely popular in the 2000s, but opens up during the show and you don't want to punch him anymore. Segments with advice on how to be a lady featuring chibi-versions of the characters, Sunako's obsession with darkness, and everyone's reaction to it are still hysterically funny.
However, there are some things that are looking a bit dated. First, the show, being released in 2007, is available only in 4:3 resolution and that makes it not very fitting for modern TV sets. Second, plot-wise and character-wise some of the motivations and turning points seem weird. Tropes are being too exaggerated for the comedy, and that sometimes leads to destroying the believability aspect of the show.
But one thing stays true: no one is going to change you against your free will. The people who are right for you will learn to accept you the way you are. If they don't then they are the wrong people.
