Lovely Complex Review: A Quintessential Shoujo Anime

Lovely Complex Review: A Quintessential Shoujo Anime

Pretty much everything that can be said about Lovely Complex (available on Crunchyroll)has already been said. Most of it is true, it is a genre defining shoujo story. Albeit, it is not without its flaws.

The author has crafted something really genuine here. The premise of having a reverse height couple, with a tall girl and a short boy is rare in real life, and it works wonders for the plot. I can’t really emphasise how much I loved this. I have always appreciated when love stories feature people or couples you don’t see that often in real life. Precisely because of that reason, this story feels fresh and unique.

The plot is fairly straightforward. It follows two teens- Risa, who is tall, and Otani, who is short, who are considered a comedy routine in their social life by everyone they know. But despite all the teasing, they get along surprisingly well. Their friends, knowing this, try to nudge them together. Gradually, they realise their feelings and fall for each other.

While the story does focus on their height differences, it’s not written in a way that’s derogatory to either of them. Of course, there are plenty of height jokes, but it’s realistic and it feels authentic. Teenagers are not sensitive about this, rather they are brutal. However, the show depicts this well without it coming off as mean spirited.

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A major praise of the story goes to the character dynamic between our two main characters. It is beautiful, funny, and a treat to watch. Their character development and personal growth over the course is well thought-out and handled almost perfectly. Although they do overcome their height complexes relatively fast, it’s done cleverly so the progression feels natural. As they express their honest feelings about each other, they come to terms with their own identities.

One of the weaker aspects to Lovely Complex is the side characters. Unfortunately, the supporting caste isn’t nearly as interesting as our lovely main duo. Occasionally, a love rival comes along who does spice up the story but even these characters also tend to lack depth. This is not particularly a huge issue, because overall they do serve their purpose well in the narrative. But it remains a noticeable minor flaw. The last couple episodes of the season focus on our somewhat forgotten side characters but they feel more filler than any genuine desire to explore them. As if their character arcs needed to come to an end as we are near the end.

One other flaw is related to pacing of the episodes in the middle. It takes unnecessarily long for Otani to realise his feelings for Rise, even after the latter confesses to him multiple times. This part comes off as very repetitive and stretched. It could have been a good opportunity to delve into the supporting characters.

Despite these minor flaws, Lovely Complex is a very solid romantic comedy and something you shouldn’t miss.

Grade: B+

Have you seen Lovely Complex? If so, let us know your thoughts in the comments below!

Hey, since this is my first review here, I wanted to introduce myself! I’m Shiv. I have diverse interests and you will find me obsessing over all sorts of things like movies, anime, video games, manga and hockey. I am not afraid of subtitles, so I enjoy media from all parts of the world. As a science nerd, I try to keep an open mind just about everything.

ED: Welcome on board Shiv.

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