100 Girlfriends

100 Girlfriends is BACK!!!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , , ,

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2 Premiere Review

Everyone, the GOAT harem anime where no one loses has returned! After what felt like an eternity, The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You has returned to grace our screens once more!

It should come as no secret by now, but I am a big fan of 100 Girlfriends. Of all the harem anime that I’ve seen over the years, it’s one of the funniest and most wholesome in the entire genre. More importantly, it’s about a protagonist who’s got an actual personality, but who is proactive in how he treats his girlfriends. Rentaro is the gold standard that every boyfriend should aspire to be, and I love seeing him and his growing family enjoying their lives together.

So, despite it not being my intention, I’m going to be reviewing every episode of this new season as we watch and laugh at all the hilarity. And the show comes out of the gate swinging like it’s Karane’s killer left hook.

Freaky Friday or Your Name?

After the new OP (which is one of the series best parts), rather than jump into the story of the manga, the series decides to come up with an original story for the first half of the premiere. And it doesn’t hesitate to resume its fourth-wall-breaking by having the girlfriends acknowledge that it’s been a year since the last episode. So, to shake things up, Hakari had Kusuri develop a drug to alter their personalities…only for it to somehow make them switch bodies. It’s a scenario straight out of Your Name, and not only does the anime acknowledge this, it even recreates it one of its famous montages.

If that wasn’t funny enough, what makes it funnier is the fact that they try to avoid getting sued for name-dropping it. As well as Rentaro trying to figure out who’s in what body based on their mannerisms.

I think what makes it even better is that they didn’t switch seiyuu’s for this like other anime would. They got to act out of character as much as they wanted, and I can’t wait to hear this in dub.

In any event, it’s up to Rentaro to figure out how to get them back in their bodies, and this is one of those moments where the show just chooses to ignore realism in the name of comedy. In this case, the girlfriends each have to kiss Rentaro, making them feel so ecstatic that their souls leave their bodies. I cannot make this up!

Girlfriend #7 Comes to Feast!

Once that’s done, though, the anime gets back to following the plot of the manga. That means that it’s time for Rentaro to get his seventh soulmate. And the winner is…

Meet Kurumi Haraga, a third-year middle schooler and the big eater girlfriend. She and Rentaro meet when she sneaks into high school cafeteria to get some lunch. And, as with all the other girls, Kurumi has her own issues that serve to make her unique amongst the growing Rentaro Family. In this case, her big eater tendencies are not by choice. She suffers from an abnormally high metabolism, meaning she burns through calories like crazy, so she has to eat a lot to keep going. Worse, whenever someone mentions a specific food, she’ll start craving it and will remain grumpy until she has it. In other words, combine the eating habits of a Saiyan with the eating disorder that Big Mom from One Piece has, but without destructive tendencies.

Because of her unique issue, Kurumi has a hard time opening up to people, as she will lash out at others when she’s hungry. And since she’s hungry all the time, she has no friends. Thus, despite bonding over lunch with Rentaro after they meet, she lashes out at him the next day when she can’t get the food she wants.

Thankfully, Rentaro, being the CHAD he is, manages to soothe her hunger pains…and win her heart.

Did I mention I like her design? The headphones and hoodie are a cool combo.

Prepare for Lots of Foodservice Next Episode

The episode ends with Rentaro introducing Kurumi to the Family, only for Kurumi to say she’s not interested in being friends with them. So, to break the ice, Rentaro has them all sign up for an eating contest with a special gelato as the prize, setting us up for the next episode!

This entire episode, from start to finish, was an absolute blast. I love 100 Girlfriends for how unhinged it can be with its premise, and it’s the comedic moments in this episode that provide a good example of why. It doesn’t care about being hated; it’s only interested in having a good time. I’m really glad it’s back…and I love the ED just as much as the OP.

I Give “Her Name” a 5/5

Yes, 100 Girlfriends Just Went There

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Anime REvisited, Blogging , , , , , , , , ,

RJ Writing Ink’s Recap of Season 1 of The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You, Pt 3

Last time on 100 Girlfriends, Rentaro continued to meet more soulmates and grow his family of lovers. First, there was Nano Eiai, the kuudere who values logic and efficiency only to discover the value of bonds and emotions. Then, there was Kusuri Yakuzen, the genius chemistry girl who looks young most of the time, but was actually this beautiful 18-year old! Just as the Rentaro Family was enjoying their growing bonds, Hakari asked Rentaro to break up with her. Having learned her daughter was dating a five-timer, her mother decided to forcibly separate the two. Not wanting this to happen, the Rentaro family mounts a daring rescue mission straight out of Mission Impossible, complete with similar music and everything!

Mission: Girlfriend Impossible

As the group arrives at the Hanazono family mansion, they work together to overcome the security and make it inside. Shizuka offers herself up as bait to distract the guard dog, quoting Gandalf in the process. Thankfully, her natural smolness means the dog refuses to harm her, licking her instead. Next, they must get past a hallway with infrared sensors, prompting Kusuri to use a drug that lets someone see in infrared (and only infrared). She was going to use it to apply for a big pharma company, but this was more important. With Rentaro and Karane working together Tom Cruise style, they get past the sensors with minimal issues!

Sadly, as soon as they reach Hakari  they get caught by her mother’s security guards. After that, they are forced to meet face-to-face with Hahari Hanazono, Hakari’s mother at 29 years old.

Hahari’s age is important because it doesn’t just make her an example of the absurdly youthful mother. Hakari is 16 years old, meaning that Hahari had her daughter at the tender age of 13, which in and of itself is terrifying. The reason why is just as tragic, though. When she was 13 and fell in love with Hakari’s father (who was the same age), he was dying from a terminal illness. She was so desperate to have something to remember him by that she used her family’s wealth to artifically inseminate herself with his DNA. Tragically, he died before Hakari was born, leaving Hahari to raise her daughter alone. Which she could do since she was super rich. But she could never replace her deceased lover, and she knew how much Hakari was like her, so she didn’t want her daughter to fall in love with someone who would take advantage of her.

To put it simply, Hahari is being a good parent and trying to look out for her daughter’s well-being. Rentaro is reduced to tears, washing out the eyedrops and letting him see again. And the second he and Hahari’s eyes meet…ZING!

Girlfriend #6-The Absurdly Youthful Mother

Yes, the sixth of Rentaro’s soulmates is the mother of another one of his soulmates. And by this point, it becomes obvious that 100 Girlfriends is different from other harem anime. It’s not afraid to do things that others would find controversial, like pairing up the underage protagonist with an actual mother. As for Hahari, how does she respond to this new feeling?

She was blinded again by love. It takes Karane’s straight-man routine to bring the two to their senses, at which point Hahari still refuses to let Rentaro date her daughter. To prove his sincerity, she forces him to take a lie detector test, even using Karane as a guinea pig to prove its validity. After Karane embarrasses herself at the others expense, Rentaro passes the test so easily that the anime decides to abridge it. However, things grow dire when word reaches them that Hakari is threatening to throw herself out the window!

Karane restrains Hahari so Rentaro can make it in time, and he manages to convince her that ending her life not going to solve anything, only create more misery. Unfortunately, Hakari winds up slipping and falling out anyway. But thanks to Rentaro diving after her and using his CHADtaro powers, he protects her from the impact and manages to land them both in a fountain below, saving their lives.

Seeing him save her daughters life, Hahari is now convinced that Rentaro’s feelings for her daughter are real. Thus, she gives him her blessing to date Hakari. Rentaro, in turn, sees how good of a mom that Hahari is, and vows to make them both happy.  Which means that Hahari now joins the Rentaro Family as girlfriend #6, much to Hakari’s utter exasperation. She now has to share her boyfriend with her own mother! A literal mommy-daughter double whopper!

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And to make it even crazier, the episode she starts dating Rentaro has a special ending dedicated entirely to her and how much she loves Rentaro-Chan! Complete and utter chaos!

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Well, this is Happening Now

Hahari wastes no time in joining in on the family’s antics, allowing them to stay the night so they can bond. And she proves to be as perverted as her daughter is, as she uses the night to try and get closer to her new boyfriend. She dresses up all the girls in pajamas and costumes she has, and then makes Rentaro dress like a girl for her own enjoyment! He winds up fainting from embarassment, and has to be woken up by Nano dressed as a prince like a reverse Sleeping Beauty!

Then, Hahari and Hakari convince all the girls to try and peep on Rentaro while he’s bathing, with Shizuka being the only one who refuses. Both their attempts fail miserably, though, but because she was trying to stop it, Shizuka winds up being the only one who sees by complete accident.

Her lack of emotional maturity aside, though, Hahari is shown to have been deeply scarred by the loss of her first love. It gets to the point where Rentaro has to reassure her it’s not wrong for her to find happiness with someone else, which leads to their first kiss. Get used to it; this is how things will be.

Oh, and Rentaro meets the ghost of Hakari’s father, who’s been watching over the two girls all this time. Having seen how Rentaro has saved them both, Hakari’s father thanks him before finally moving on to the afterlife.

The day after the ordeal, everyone leaves the Hanazono mansion to head to school, with life returning to normal…is what you’d think would happen. Not wanting to be apart from Rentaro, Hahari used her money to buy their entire school, becoming its new chairwoman. All of this just so she can see Rentaro more!!

And with that, we reach the end of the first season of the peak of harem anime, The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You. It’s uncertain whether or not we will cover the next season on here. However, if you haven’t watched this anime yet, I recommend you do. Even if you think that harem anime are trash, the great thing about this series is that it knows it’s trash and embraces it. Every girl in this series is going to be best girl, and you can’t help but admire how absurdly dedicated he is to making his girlfriends happy. If the world had more people willing to do that much for their lovers, there would be no such thing as incels anymore.

And yes, I like this anime. It’s funny.

100 Reasons Why I’m Obssessed with CHADtaro

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Anime REvisited, Blogging , , , , , , , ,

RJ Writing Ink’s Recap of Season 1 of The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You, Pt 1

It’s a new year, and with that, comes new anime and returning anime with new seasons. And one of the anime that I’m most eager to see return also happens to be the pinnacle of the often-maligned harem genre. The reason why it’s the pinnacle is because it goes out of its way to avoid many of the pitfalls of that genre while also fleshing out the girls involved so that they are not cookie-cutter, one-note individuals. I’m talking about The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You.

I’m RJ Writing Ink, and welcome to my hilarious recapping of the first season of 100 Girlfriends to get you primed for the upcoming season. There will be major spoilers ahead, so either keep reading or go watch it on Crunchyroll.

Why Can’t Rentaro Get a Girlfriend? Because a god Messed Up

Rentaro Aijo is a boy who only wants to find love and get a girlfriend, and he’s spent his entire life bettering himself towards that goal. Unfortunately, despite being the ideal that every boyfriend should strive for, the poor boy keeps getting rejected. It’s gotten to the point that by the time he leaves junior high, his rejection streak has hit 100! Out of options, Rentaro goes to a local shrine to pray for love. Miraculously, he gets some divine intervention in the form of the shrine’s Love God. Said deity explains that he’s not destined to meet his soulmate in high school. He’s destined to meet 100 soulmates! He will know who they are because when they eyes meet, they’ll get that zing of love.

Rentaro then threatens to burn the shrine down if the Love God is lying (No cap)

Girlfriends 1 & 2: the Love Freak and Tsundere

Sure enough, on Rentaro’s first day of high school, he literally walks into his first two soulmates, Hakari Hanazono and Karane Inda. This is also when the story starts demonstrating how each girl serves as a deconstruction of their archetype. In this case, Hakari acts sweet and cute, but she’s really a girl whose very aggressive in her affections and willing to take things to the next level. In contrast, Karane is a tsundere, but that’s because she’s very shy and insecure about her feelings. That doesn’t stop her from acting as the straight woman to Hakari and the other characters craziness, though.

By the end of the day, the two girls wind up confessing their love for Rentaro and beg him to go out with one of them. At a loss, Rentaro goes back to the Love God for advice, only to learn something horrible. Getting a soulmate uses up all of a person’s luck, and if they reject them, that person will die. And the reason why Rentaro has 100 soulmates is because the Love God was distracted with his paperwork the day he was born watching a Miyazaki film. In other words, the Love God has put the lives of 100 people in danger!

Rightly horrified, Rentaro doesn’t know what to do. At first, he considers dating the two and any future soulmates behind their backs…but he punches himself for even considering that. In the first of many examples of why he’s CHADtaro, Rentaro understands how scary it is to confess your love to someone and fade reflection. Rather than let them experience that and face death, he makes the only move available to him: he will date them all.

Rentaro Aijo manages to prove himself a step above almost all other harem protagonists. He will not only date all 100 women, but will love them equally and make them all happy! And to prove his sincerity, he gives Hakari and Karane two pink four-leafed clovers that are said to make a love confession succeed. The two girls are so in love with him, they wind up agreeing to this insane proposal.

And with that, girlfriends one and two are secured. The next step is deciding who will get to kiss him first.

The Perfect First Kiss

Since the two are his first girlfriends, Rentaro has yet to receive his first kiss. At first, the girls try to fight each other over the right to claim his lips first, but being the savvy man he is, Rentaro figures out what’s happening. Thus, he comes up with this convoluted scheme involving blindfolds and earbuds to make sure no one knows who kissed him first. It doesn’t go so well, and when the two start fighting again, he gets so upset he runs through the hallway to attract the inhuman vice-principal and recieve her unholy kiss of death. Thankfully, the girls threaten to get her fired, saving the day. After that, they just agree to kiss each other at once, and all is right with the world.

Girlfriend 3-The Mute Bookworm

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But then, they head to the library, and Rentaro gets another zing, heralding the arrival of the next soulmate. Meet Shizuka Yoshimoto, the shy, quiet, and sweet cinnamon bun girl who loves books. However, her quietness not by choice. She has a hard time speaking, so she communicates using phrases from her books. All that does is weird people out, including her own mother, making her even more isolated and insecure than she already is. So what does Rentaro do to help her? He commits his next action as CHADtaro: he takes her favorite book, transcribes it all onto a text-to-speech app by hand, and then has her download the app onto her phone, allowing her to finally speak with others! Once she confesses her love, Rentaro happily accepts.

And with that, girlfriend #3 has been secured.

The Harem Grows

After Rentaro introduces Shizuka to his other two girlfriends, their reactions are mixed. Hakari’s overjoyed to see how much love Rentaro has for all of them and thinks Shizuka is the cutest thing in the world. Karane gets mad at first but rolls with it because she loves Rentaro so much. The problem is that Shizuka remains uncomfortable around the other girls, so to break the ice, he has them all play old maid with the winner getting to tickle the loser.

Rentaro proceeds to win the first three rounds and tickles each girl, with comedic results. When Shizuka wins, though, she holds back, greatly irritating Karane. When Rentaro senses things are going wrong, he steps out, allowing the three girls to speak honestly. Karane tells Shizuka off for holding back her true feelings, and Shizuka tells them how insecure she feels to each of them for their beauty and confidence. The three talk their feelings out, and when Rentaro re-enters, Shizuka gains enough confidence to ask him for her first kiss.

Peace is restored!

And this is where we will end part one, as this is too long for us to cover in a single post. Part two will continue things as we head to girlfriends numbers 4 and 5.

‘100 Girlfriends’ is the Ultimate Sigma Harem Anime

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews , , , , , , , , ,

RJ Writing Ink’s Candid Review of The 100 Girlfriends Who Really REALLY Love You

Most anime watchers know, or at least have heard, of the premise behind the harem anime. An everyday protagonist suddenly themselves the center of attention amongst a group of attractive people. Said attractive people are all in love with or interested in them for various reasons. And hilarity ensues as they try to maintain some sense of normalcy in their lives. The formula gets tweaked somewhat, but the premise remains, and it can be a guilty pleasure because 

  • A.) their quality varies from amazing to absolute garbage, with the same going for the characters 
  • B.) the protagonist doesn’t pick their single partner.
  • C.) said chosen partner isn’t who the viewer considers best girl.

But what if there was a harem anime that didn’t do all that nonsense? A harem anime that goes out of its way to avoid the pitfalls of its counterparts while also playing the genre’s strengths to Mt. Everest levels of silliness? And most importantly, one with a protagonist who is a true CHAD and considers every girl to be best? That anime is here and it sets the new standard for harem anime: The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You.

The Beginning of CHADom

Meet Rentaro Aijo, a boy going into high school who only wants one thing in life: to experience love. Unfortunately, despite his good looks, friendly personality, and natural charisma, he’s been rejected by every girl he’s confessed to. All one hundred of them! So, he goes to a local shrine and prays to whoever’s listening to give him a girlfriend. Then, the shrine’s Love God appears and lets him know the good news. Hes not destined to meet his soulmate in high school: he’s destined to meet 100 soulmates!

One month later, Rentaro’s at his first day of high school when he runs into two beautiful girls: Hakari Hanazono and Karane Inda. And the two fall for him on the spot and beg him to date one of them. Rentaro is over the moon! But he can’t choose. That’s when the Love God drops some harsh truths. Firstly, he was only meant to have one soulmate, but due to a clerical error via watching a Miyazaki film, he wrote 100. Secondly, rejecting one’s soulmate will rob a person of all their luck. And they will eventually die. 

So what does Rentaro do? Does he:

  • A.) Waffle on the decision like other harem protagonists?
  • B.) Only choose one and knowingly sentence 99 other girls to death?
  • C.) Date them behind each other’s backs like a scumbag
  • D.) None of the above

Play this:

The answer is D.) none of the above. In the first of countless moments that demonstrate his CHADness, Rentaro tells them that he’s gonna date both of them because he loves And just to prove how serious he is, he gives them these four-leaf clovers they spent hours looking for yesterday because they heard it would set them up with their love! 

And just like that, Rentaro starts his path toward gathering a harem of 100 girls so they won’t die. 

You’re not dealing with your average harem anime.

At first glance, 100 Girlfriends might seem like another harem anime. However, once one enters the story, they will find it’s anything but. It improves on many of the genre’s strengths for the sake of storytelling and comedy. At the same time, it also ensures that it avoids the many pitfalls people have with the genre. In other words, it’s built different, and here’s why.

Exhibit A-Rentaro is a CHAD among CHADS

There have been a lot of different harem protagonists over the years, but a big problem is that a lot of them seem like bland, uninspired, cookie cutter self-inserts. Some examples stand out, like Issei Hyoudou, Tenchi Masaki, and Yuuki Rito, but they can even have their problems. Rentaro, on the other hand, is built different.

Firstly, he’s not a dense kind of protagonist who isn’t unaware that the girls are in love with him. Rentaro’s fully aware of their feelings for him and schemes they come up with to get closer to him, and is openly receptive to them.

Secondly, he is not passive; he is active. He spent years bettering himself to be the ideal boyfriend, which shows. He will go out of his way to ensure each growing harem is happy, even at his own expense.

  • Argue about who gets his first kiss? He’ll devise a way to ensure they can all share the honor.
  • Have trouble talking out loud? He’ll transcribe your favorite book into a text-to-speech app for you to communicate. By hand!
  • Sees some creep trying to put hands on his girlfriends? He’ll come back from death to save them!!

Plus, unlike someone like Issei, he always acts like a true gentleman and treats his girlfriends with the utmost respect. He doesn’t play favorites; he loves them all equally. He is the ideal that every boyfriend or husband should aspire to. He is the true CHAD, the ultimate rizz-god, CHADtaro Aijo!

Exhibit B-The Series Deconstructs a lot of Waifu Archetypes

Given the series premise, its inevitable that it will come to include a lot of character archetypes. In a break from many harem anime, though, 100 Girlfriends doesn’t include them simply for the sake of it, but deconstructs them. It shows the real effects each archetype would have on people; not all are pretty.

Hakari acts prim and proper like the perfect girl on the outside, but on the inside, she’s very perverted and keeps imagining lewd ways to earn Rentaro’s attention. 

Karane Inda is a tsundere, which makes it hard for her to express her true feelings, even when she wants to. Imagine how hard that must be for someone to endure daily?

Shizuka Yoshimoto is a cute girl who hardly ever talks, but not by choice. Her natural shyness already made it hard to speak up, but getting bullied and called a freak by other people, including her mom, made it even worse.

Nano Eiai is like a Vulcan, suppressing her emotions in favor of logic. While that helps her natural intelligence, it also stunts her emotions to the point that she doesn’t know how to respond to love or friendship.

Kusuri Yakusen is a chemistry genius stuck in a loli form, a jab at the whole “legal loli” thing. On top of this, her mad scientist tendencies led her friends to abandon her. A drug she made that the girls accidentally ingest turned them into kiss zombies bent on making out with Rentaro at the cost of their personalities. 

And…I’m not gonna spoil who the sixth one is or her problems.

And unlike many other girls in harem anime, meeting Rentaro doesn’t magically fix their problems. Rentaro may help them, but they are still things they have to actively work on. That fact alone gives them way more depth than most girls.

Exhibit C- It follows Through on its Premise, and Treats Everyone Equally

The title isn’t just for show. It fully intends to give Rentaro 100 girlfriends before the end of the series. By this point in the manga, CHADtaro is already at 27 girls. It’s likely that by the end of the series, it won’t include every kind of waifu. It might have to make some up. In addition, the story makes its intent known by the time the anime ends. It’s not just limiting the waifus to Rentaro’s age range. All types of waifus are on the table!

And remember what was said about every girl being best girl here? The series follows through on that, and so does Rentaro. He loves all his girlfriends equally and never favors one over the other. Even protagonists who embrace having a harem have a girl they love the most. But Rentaro is filled with so much love, he can love all of them. Nobody gets left out in the Rentaro family!

100 Girlfriends is the Pinnacle of Harem Anime

Harem anime hasn’t always gotten the best rep. At best, it’s wishful thinking. At worst, it feels like self-insert fiction for those who can’t find love. But 100 Girlfriends isn’t just wishful thinking or a mere self-insert story. 

100 Girlfriends is built different. It takes everything good about the harem anime and elevates it to new levels of romantic comedy. It makes fun of the genre while also furthering its evolution. That’s the feat that only a great story can pull off. And the main character has the kind of rizz every guy wants. 

In other words, 100 Girlfriends was one of the best anime of 2023. Go watch it on Crunchyroll. You will not regret it!

‘100 Girlfriends’ is the Ultimate Sigma Harem Anime

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Blogging, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , ,

RJ Writing Ink’s Candid Review of The 100 Girlfriends Who Really REALLY Love You

Most anime watchers know, or at least have heard, of the premise behind the harem anime. An everyday protagonist suddenly themselves the center of attention amongst a group of attractive people. Said attractive people are all in love with or interested in them for various reasons. And hilarity ensues as they try to maintain some sense of normalcy in their lives. The formula gets tweaked somewhat, but the premise remains, and it can be a guilty pleasure because 

  • A.) their quality varies from amazing to absolute garbage, with the same going for the characters 
  • B.) the protagonist doesn’t pick their single partner.
  • C.) said chosen partner isn’t who the viewer considers best girl.

But what if there was a harem anime that didn’t do all that nonsense? A harem anime that goes out of its way to avoid the pitfalls of its counterparts while also playing the genre’s strengths to Mt. Everest levels of silliness? And most importantly, one with a protagonist who is a true CHAD and considers every girl to be best? That anime is here and it sets the new standard for harem anime: The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You.

The Beginning of CHADom

Meet Rentaro Aijo, a boy going into high school who only wants one thing in life: to experience love. Unfortunately, despite his good looks, friendly personality, and natural charisma, he’s been rejected by every girl he’s confessed to. All one hundred of them! So, he goes to a local shrine and prays to whoever’s listening to give him a girlfriend. Then, the shrine’s Love God appears and lets him know the good news. Hes not destined to meet his soulmate in high school: he’s destined to meet 100 soulmates!

One month later, Rentaro’s at his first day of high school when he runs into two beautiful girls: Hakari Hanazono and Karane Inda. And the two fall for him on the spot and beg him to date one of them. Rentaro is over the moon! But he can’t choose. That’s when the Love God drops some harsh truths. Firstly, he was only meant to have one soulmate, but due to a clerical error via watching a Miyazaki film, he wrote 100. Secondly, rejecting one’s soulmate will rob a person of all their luck. And they will eventually die. 

So what does Rentaro do? Does he:

  • A.) Waffle on the decision like other harem protagonists?
  • B.) Only choose one and knowingly sentence 99 other girls to death?
  • C.) Date them behind each other’s backs like a scumbag
  • D.) None of the above

Play this:

The answer is D.) none of the above. In the first of countless moments that demonstrate his CHADness, Rentaro tells them that he’s gonna date both of them because he loves And just to prove how serious he is, he gives them these four-leaf clovers they spent hours looking for yesterday because they heard it would set them up with their love! 

And just like that, Rentaro starts his path toward gathering a harem of 100 girls so they won’t die. 

You’re not dealing with your average harem anime.

At first glance, 100 Girlfriends might seem like another harem anime. However, once one enters the story, they will find it’s anything but. It improves on many of the genre’s strengths for the sake of storytelling and comedy. At the same time, it also ensures that it avoids the many pitfalls people have with the genre. In other words, it’s built different, and here’s why.

Exhibit A-Rentaro is a CHAD among CHADS

There have been a lot of different harem protagonists over the years, but a big problem is that a lot of them seem like bland, uninspired, cookie cutter self-inserts. Some examples stand out, like Issei Hyoudou, Tenchi Masaki, and Yuuki Rito, but they can even have their problems. Rentaro, on the other hand, is built different.

Firstly, he’s not a dense kind of protagonist who is unaware that the girls are in love with him. Rentaro’s fully aware of their feelings for him and schemes they come up with to get closer to him, and is openly receptive to them.

Secondly, he is not passive; he is active. He spent years bettering himself to be the ideal boyfriend, which shows. He will go out of his way to ensure each growing harem is happy, even at his own expense.

  • Argue about who gets his first kiss? He’ll devise a way to ensure they can all share the honor.
  • Have trouble talking out loud? He’ll transcribe your favorite book into a text-to-speech app for you to communicate. By hand!
  • Sees some creep trying to put hands on his girlfriends? He’ll come back from death to save them!!

Plus, unlike someone like Issei, he always acts like a true gentleman and treats his girlfriends with the utmost respect. He doesn’t play favorites; he loves them all equally. He is the ideal that every boyfriend or husband should aspire to. He is the true CHAD, the ultimate rizz-god, CHADtaro Aijo!

Exhibit B-The Series Deconstructs a lot of Waifu Archetypes

Given the series premise, its inevitable that it will come to include a lot of character archetypes. In a break from many harem anime, though, 100 Girlfriends doesn’t include them simply for the sake of it, but deconstructs them. It shows the real effects each archetype would have on people; not all are pretty.

Hakari acts prim and proper like the perfect girl on the outside, but on the inside, she’s very perverted and keeps imagining lewd ways to earn Rentaro’s attention.

Karane Inda is a tsundere, which makes it hard for her to express her true feelings, even when she wants to. Imagine how hard that must be for someone to endure daily?

Shizuka Yoshimoto is a cute girl who hardly ever talks, but not by choice. Her natural shyness already made it hard to speak up, but getting bullied and called a freak by other people, including her mom, made it even worse.

Nano Eiai is like a Vulcan, suppressing her emotions in favor of logic. While that helps her natural intelligence, it also stunts her emotions to the point that she doesn’t know how to respond to love or friendship.

Kusuri Yakusen is a chemistry genius stuck in a loli form, a jab at the whole “legal loli” thing. On top of this, her mad scientist tendencies led her friends to abandon her. A drug she made that the girls accidentally ingest turned them into kiss zombies bent on making out with Rentaro at the cost of their personalities. 

And…I’m not gonna spoil who the sixth one is or her problems.

And unlike many other girls in harem anime, meeting Rentaro doesn’t magically fix their problems. Rentaro may help them, but they are still things they have to actively work on. That fact alone gives them way more depth than most girls.

Exhibit C- It follows Through on its Premise, and Treats Everyone Equally

The title isn’t just for show. It fully intends to give Rentaro 100 girlfriends before the end of the series. By this point in the manga, CHADtaro is already at 27 girls. It’s likely that by the end of the series, it won’t include every kind of waifu. It might have to make some up. In addition, the story makes its intent known by the time the anime ends. It’s not just limiting the waifus to Rentaro’s age range. All types of waifus are on the table!

And remember what was said about every girl being best girl here? The series follows through on that, and so does Rentaro. He loves all his girlfriends equally and never favors one over the other. Even protagonists who embrace having a harem have a girl they love the most. But Rentaro is filled with so much love, he can love all of them. Nobody gets left out in the Rentaro family!

100 Girlfriends is the Pinnacle of Harem Anime

Harem anime hasn’t always gotten the best rep. At best, it’s wishful thinking. At worst, it feels like self-insert fiction for those who can’t find love. But 100 Girlfriends isn’t just wishful thinking or a mere self-insert story. 

100 Girlfriends is built different. It takes everything good about the harem anime and elevates it to new levels of romantic comedy. It makes fun of the genre while also furthering its evolution. That’s the feat that only a great story can pull off. And the main character has the kind of rizz every guy wants. 

In other words, 100 Girlfriends is one of the best anime of 2023. Go watch it on Crunchyroll. You will not regret it!