A Work of Comedy and Drama: Hatsukoi Monster

Synopsis
This is the story of a young woman named Kaho Nikaidou, she has lived a fairly isolated life with her family until now. With her being a high school student now, she makes the decision to take residence at a dormitory. After moving in however, she nearly gets herself into a car accident but is saved by a handsome young male named Kanade Takahashi and she falls for him.
She confesses to him and Kanade agrees for them to become a couple. But things are not as they seem, for while Kanade may look like a handsome young adult, he is in fact… a fifth grade student?!

The Good

The art is on par for many good works in the series and the theme songs are enjoyable in their own way. The details on the character, background and props are easy on the eyes and presented in rather good detail. The writers did well enough that you can’t help but want to know what happened next. Case in point, the drama; with the uniqueness of the plot, the drama worked well enough on the perspective of the protagonist as the girlfriend of someone who may not even truly understand the relationship.

The Bad

While the art did a good job, the same cannot really be said about the animation work; though it is not necessarily bad, it could have been better as well. The main issue of the series is in the balance between the comedy genre and the drama genre. When the drama comes in you are drawn in want to know what happens, but then it cuts to the comedy as if to relieve the tension in the end and it is quite jarring as the comedy is an acquired taste. The same is also said for the characters, each colourful in their own way but also at the same time, rather disappointing to watch as well.

Conclusion

This is a series that will leave you scratching your head with how much the genre has a tend to switch to fit the plot. The main thing that may keep you watching is either the curiosity of what may happen next or the chance that the humor of the series might actually get to you. Overall, while the art was good and the voice actor did their best, the series is something that may only capture a certain audience with its crude humor and swinging drama. If for nothing else, the art is good, the music is okay and the rest could use some work.

Rating: 3/10