First Impression: There’s No Freaking Way I’ll be Your Lover! Unless…

High school is the perfect chance to reinvent yourself—so thinks Renako Amaori, an introvert who played the role of friendless loner all through middle school. But now, she’s part of her class’s “in” group, led by the “flawless princess darling,” Mai Ouduka. But change isn’t easy, and one day, feeling overwhelmed by social expectations, Renako rushes to the rooftop. There, she catches her breath and leans out over the edge to feel the breeze, but Ouduka, having followed her, thinks that her friend is attempting to take her own life and rushes to “save” her. This misunderstanding and the craziness that follows result in something even more unexpected—Mai falls in love with Renako, who doesn’t return the popular girl’s affection. After all, Renako just wants to have a friend!

There’s no freaking way this generic yuri anime can be good, unless…unless it’s surprisingly charming? And incredibly well-animated? Let’s start with that animation. You’ll notice immediately that Studio Mother—an upstart studio with an interesting backstory—goes all-in with the art. In fact, it felt a bit too much at first, with a scene animated from Renako’s point of view that moved so swiftly back and forth that I started to get nauseous. But I appreciated the effort because it was done to help us really feel Renako’s panic attack. The rest of the episode is also highlighted by interesting angles, beautiful and vivid colors, and very individualized expressions painted on the characters’ faces. There’s a lot of love being put into the series.

Speaking of love, romance is 100% at the center of this story; there’s no hinting at or skirting around the issue. Mai is a really interesting character; she isn’t just the picture of a somewhat cold school idol (a different friend character actually plays that role)—she’s confident bordering on arrogant, but in that naive, dense sort of way that’s usually played for laughs by the male romcom lead. She and Renako already have an interesting dynamic, playing the cat-and-mouse games that make so many anime romcoms a lot of fun. I like their interactions, and I like the setup—Mai will show Renako that being in a romantic relationship can be fulfilling, while Renako attempts to show her that friendship is best. That said, I do find it strange that the series lets Mai get away with a little more than a male would in that same role—I think it’s because she’s feminine, because it feels “softer” when a woman holds another’s wrist down and kisses her than when a boy does the same. It’s something to consider when watching this anime—is “romance” from Mai’s point of view meant to just be physical and about the doki-doki feels you get? Or will the series delve into how friendship is vital in a relationship? I hope some of that depth is coming, because the charming leads and wondrous animation could make this series a terrific one—or it could just be the GL version of a standard romcom that I get bored of and drop five episodes into every anime season.

There’s No Freaking Way I’ll be Your Lover! Unless… can be streamed for free (with ads) through It’s Anime powered by REMOW (YouTube).

Twwk
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