Title: My Little Monster premium edition

Director: Hiro Kaburaki

Writer: Noboru Takagi

Studio: Brain’s Base

U. S. Distributor: NIS America

U. S. Release Date: June 30th, 2015

Format: DVD/Blu-ray/ 13 Episodes / 317 Minutes

Genre: Romantic Comedy, Slice of Life

Age Rating: T for 13+ (PG)

Overall Personal Rating: B

Synopsis:

Shizuku Mizutani, who has no interest in anything but her studies, delivers worksheets to Haru Yoshida, a boy known for being a violent and uncontrollable monster. Though he hasn’t been to school since the infamous bloodshed he caused on the first day of classes, during their fateful encounter he unexpectedly becomes attached to Shizuku and returns to school. Amid the fights with upperclassmen and all kinds of antics that follow, the two teach each other what it means to care for others.

Commentary:

With all of the slice of life / romantic comedies being released I am beginning to get the feeling that some writers have lost their way. As for My Little Monster I would say that there was a very special understanding of the internal workings of these characters that the story stood out as more of a reality tail rather than a romantic comedy. This pressure between the stress of doing well in your pursuits and finding love highlights the natural way that many people end up growing up. In my own life I can see my wife as being Shizuku and myself being Haru, just not as big of a punk.

I wanted love so much that I would forgo anything for it and this is the deletion that Haru live with, even if it is because all he ever really wanted was a true friend. My wife may have wanted love in her life but I have a feeling that grades meant even more to her. Shizuku is that kind of person is able to repress those teenage urges and focus on her grade, but she can’t suppress all of her feelings.

Overall Grade: B

My Little Monster is a series that brings plenty to the surface, but leaves even more hidden away. The fact that it gives us a glimpse of something from what it means to discover what a relationship is. Even with it providing a touch of reality that is still a lost promise as the series ends on a huge question.

I liked My Little Monster and as a slice of life it stays true to the genre. As for a romantic comedy I feel like it was a bit of a let down. I am looking forward to the OVA and I really hope it gives us a little more finality to the series.