Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai is a shounen (?) (apparently it was a light novel.) harem-comedy anime. I watched it at thirteen. It was one the first non-Pokemon/Bleach shows I saw. Now that I'm going and trying to watch anime without subtitles, I figured I would rewatch it. My memory of it was: blonde girl, black haired childhood friend, harem, lots of fanservice, mediocre. And that's pretty much correct. Except...

It could have been good!!!! The first episode genuinely surprised me. Not that it was a masterpiece or anything, but I thought it was legitimately funny. I liked the characters and their dynamics. It seemed like the plot might actually go somewhere. Of course it didn't, because it's an adaptation of a harem comedy, but I still hoped.

After the first episode things went downhill. I remember disliking the scientist genius girl, and yes I still do, though I do admire her willingness to go for what she wants instead of internally whining about it for a whole season. Yukimura-kun is cute.

Somewhere in the middle of episode two I had a thought: Kodaka (male MC) has no chemistry with either of the female leads. Absolutely none. He's more like an exasperated dad breaking up his kid's fights than any kind of legitimate love interest for either of them. Of course they're in love with him because that's the kind of show this is BUT, it feels incredibly contrived. Which of course it is. Where I was going with this is that I started shipping Sena and Yozora around the fifteen minute mark. Oh, they "hate" each other and constantly tease & insult each other yet they don't just literally leave the club instead of staying and suffering? They genuinely interact with each other more than with Kodaka. And that's another thing - I have a hard time Kodaka entertains any romantic feeling for either Yozora or Sena, because they're both absolutely obnoxious. I want to write a fic where Kodaka and Yukimura-kun get together and Kodaka is fed up with Y&S's nonsense, locks them in a room or something til they kiss and make up.

(Don't watch this show. It's not good.)