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  • Warning: Spoilers
    Tomoya Aki is an otaku, one obsessed with anime, manga, visual novels and such like, and he plans to create a dating sim of his own. He is inspired to do this by a chance meeting with a beautiful girl as he walked down the street. He has no idea who she is but that doesn't stop starting to create his game. He knows he can't make it on his own so sets about recruiting those with the talents he needs; Eriri, to do the illustrations and Utaha, who will right the game scenarios. At around this time he bumps into the mystery girl again; she is Megumi Kato, a girl who actually goes to his school but who is ignored by just about everybody else. Over the course of the series they will struggle to come up with a good story line, rush to meet deadlines and set about recruiting somebody to provide the game's music.

    This is a fun little series with fairly likable characters… it is also a harem show with all that entails; so expect misunderstandings between Tomoya and the girls and a few suggestive moments. The story is decent but definitely played for laughs… this does not do for dating sim creators what Shirobako does for anime creators and the fact that both series aired at the same time will lead to some inevitable comparisons. There is some fan service, especially in 'episode zero' which is almost a spoof of the series that follows, it isn't excessive though. The characters are distinctive from each other but are otherwise fairly standard in appearance and the animation is pretty good although some scenes which should be full of movement are reduced to a series of stills; a common way to save money but a little disappointing when it happens in what should be a memorable scene in the final episode. Overall I'd say this was a fun series that passes the time nicely without being too demanding.

    These comments are based on watching the series in Japanese with English subtitles.
  • Warning: Spoilers
    I like the idea of the guy trying so hard to become a pro, the charters are very well described and the episodes have their glorious moments of fun (e.g. Keep in mind your senpai can speak to you very seriously but also take pictures while you are asleep...).

    We have though some issues which I try to list here:.

    Fan service: You get the first 10min of the first episode, then it is more or less normal anime but later on you get unfortunately also Michiru: she is basically 90% fan service and she also misbehave when wrongly interpret the question from his cousin... (this is very bad).

    Speech speed: as usual not an issue in original/dubbed but can be annoying for some if you have a subbed version.

    Harem: Aki is popular, ok, but I can not expect he can attract all the best planets in range including sailor moon! There are too many female characters in general in this anime and again Michiru is a big fail also on this respect.

    Finally, I warn you most of the characters speak otakuish, can be ok or not depending on your experience.
  • IPyaarCinema1 November 2020
    Review By Kamal K

    dreams and goals you wanted to achieve when you get older. The anime tells the epic adventure it took our MC, Tomoya Aki, to achieve his goal of creating a game, complete with all the girl problems, and sexual harassments he receives each day from his devious co-workers.

    While I was scrolling through the notoriously long new anime section of an unnamed website "how to raise a boring girlfriend" caught my eye, then I thought to myself "better take some notes." At first glance Saekano looks like an average rom-com anime, and being your normal rom-com lover I decided to give it a try, and let me tell you I was definitely in for a treat. Saekano is one of those anime's that you just can't get enough of, not a single episode has left me without tears rolling down my face from laughter.
  • anulakhera25 August 2020
    This is one show that will truly make you feel emotions you haven't felt before in any other anime. The S1 was good but S2 is like a blast. This is the best harem anime I've seen. There will be many moments in the anime which will leave you very emotional.

    A must-watch if you love Harem.
  • (9/10) Not your average harem anime, a story about a group of creatives, their muse, and the journey to create a story so stunning it redefines a genre. This anime is full of moment that will put you on the edge of your seat eager to see what happens next. The combination of the characters snide remarks yet the the ability to put everything aside for a freind makes you feel like you're there with them making their ups and down that much more impactful.
  • As the fledgling game development team works to assemble itself and the dating sim they are creating, the in-universe characters discuss the many tropes the game is following, trying not to overuse, or outright violating. At the same time the viewer gets to enjoy the characters paralleling those tropes in their own lives. The show occasionally leans on or breaks the fourth wall and lampshades what it's doing as part of its thorough audit of popular anime tropes.

    Expect to laugh all the way through Saekano, and to interrupt your own linear watching by replaying scenes multiple times, so as to fully enjoy the layer cake of entertainment.

    Note that episode zero serves as an out-of sequence introduction to all the characters' fully developed personalities and relationships - couched, of course, as an in-story discussion of how to best introduce the characters in the game they're working on.

    Do yourself a solid and be sure read the lengthy TVtropes page for this anime only after having fully watched it once, unspoiled. Spotting the many subtle references and jokes for yourself is a big part of the fun.

    Brilliant work, through and through.
  • 300Megahertz24 September 2020
    Season 1:

    The plot, of course, doesn't make a lot of sense, but Aki's eccentrism and antics are fun to watch. Kato has no real reason to put up with them, but she does anyway, and her stoic remarks are priceless. But other than that, she lacks any real purpose other than to grow closer to Aki, and it feels somewhat forced.

    Aki's other friends, Eriri and Utaha, are much more central to the actual plot, but both of them are unlikable and moody. It's not clear what Aki sees in them.

    And then there is Michiru, Aki's cousin, whose only purpose is to be another girl in Aki's life. I think they overdid it with female characters.

    But all in all, I had some good laughs.

    Season 2:

    Character development comes to a hold, Kato's screen time is much too short and meaningless, every single conversation is about the McGuffin (the video game they are working on), and there just is too much forced conflict. Aki is the typical dense protagonist. It feels annoying and the humor of season 1 is gone. The last 4 episodes feel super, super rushed, and there is no meaningful conclusion.

    It also is very ironic how the protagonists condemn typical anime cliches while being typical anime cliches.
  • joeyx-0452114 May 2022
    It mainly talks about being there for friends and be helpful I liked the determination in this one,and love talking about the games industry plus animation making.
  • Season 1 one was good but Season 2 was epic x 100. Best thing about anime is I felt emotion which I haven't felt in any other anime. This anime became my one of my Fav anime.
  • Again.... Harem genre.... Ad same sadness ..... Why our boy(MC) choose her.. Why not the other one... But in the end it is what it is.... So can't say anything on this... Cause this is very contradictory..... Anyways.. This whole series is very good and interesting...... But be prepared for the last few episodes ad the finale movie as that is very .....see I'm not against why tomoya choose megumi but he has the better option than her.....megumi is also very kind ad good person but those two utaha ad ERI were too good...especially ERI who always loved him right from the childhood days......(if i was the mc then I would probably go for MICHURU)...If u guys have seen OREGAIRU then u can understand what I'm trying to tell..... Good luck.