First Impression: Senpai Is an Otokonoko

Second-year high schooler Makoto Hanaoka is waiting in the classroom at the end of the day for the author of a mysterious note to show up. Who will it be? The note almost sounds like it could be the lead-up to a confession, but that’s impossible, right? Sigh. Just as Makoto decides to give up and head home, a veritable ball of chaotic energy bursts through the door: it’s first-year Saki Aoi, who sits on the student council with Makoto. She promptly confesses her undying love for Makoto, whose gentle eyes, height, and slightly deep voice she has always admired—er, for the few weeks they’ve attended the same school, that is. Anyhow, she’s devoted. She also thinks she’s confessing to another girl, which she isn’t, as Makoto is quick to reveal, lifting the top of his sailor uniform and dislodging the long-haired blond wig that he covers his short brown hair with. “This is horrible!” exclaims Aoi, only to add, after a dramatic pause, that had she known, she’d have confessed all the sooner. She’s pretty stoked at the thought of both a girl and boy version of Makoto. And so begins her enthusiastic pursuit of her senpai, who is worried about the social consequences for her of being seen with an “otokonoko” (or feminine-looking guy or cross-dresser) and outcast like himself. He also has no interest in romance, so it’s all a bit awkward. Meanwhile, Makoto’s childhood friend, Ryuji, is downright paranoid about the fervent chibi now dogging his friend’s every step, emanating serious Golden Retriever energy. Turns out he has a secret of his own, which Aoi promptly uncovers and guilelessly exploits to her advantage. And so the not-quite love triangle begins.

This is the kind of premiere where it sounds like there are going to be some real, substantive issues to engage with, but it turns out to be pretty vapid. And I’m using that term quite pointedly: Merriam-Webster defines vapid as “lacking flavor, zest, interest, animation, or spirit,” and this is exactly what’s going on with this episode—quite literally, in the case of the animation. Roughly half of the runtime is animated in chibi style, but rather than being cute and dynamic, it’s pretty flat with thick, crude linework and non-existent backgrounds. This lack carries over into the regular animation sequences too, so that it’s clear that studio Project 9 is cutting some corners, which is not a good sign.

When it comes to the themes of the series, gender identification and sexuality are critical issues in our societies today, and there is a genuine need to engage with these topics in ways that go beyond surface-level tautologies like “you do you” and “love is love.” Senpai is an Otokonoko, adapted from the webtoon, has the potential to do this, but I fear that the weak artistic treatment may foretell a superficial plot and lack of character development too. Will Aoi mature enough to see beyond Makoto’s physical traits as the inspiration for her ardor? Will the roots of Makoto’s struggles with gender identity be explored more deeply than the flashback—to when he wanted something cute as a child and was told that cute things were only for girls—implies? Or is this going to be a breezy reassertion of common clichés that shy away from actually engaging with the wounds, pain, and brokenness in our world that make coming of age so often challenging and confusing for this generation? One flicker of hope for the series is the positive effect that Aoi’s unhesitant affection is already beginning to have on Makoto, who is otherwise isolated and alone, with his “friend” Ryuji being nowhere in sight when others are mocking him. Aoi breaks through all that nastiness with her exuberance, and it is really sweet, and potentially powerful and even redemptive too. We’ll have to wait and see if it amounts to anything though. I won’t be tuning into this one every week, but I do plan to check in again later to see how things are going, and whether there’s something of substance to be found here. I’m not holding my breath though.

Senpai is an Otokonoko is streaming on Crunchyroll.

For insight into our approach to LGBTQ anime as a Christian site, check out this post.

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