Geek It! Anime Review: Domestic Girlfriend

Love is a universal concept that makes the world go round. For most cases, love can be rosy, magical, and glorious. Yet, in some cases, love can also be complicated, challenging, and agonising as well.

Crushes, unrequited love, reciprocated love … each scenario comes with unexpected and unexplained feelings, and the way how we respond to these situations ultimately reflects who we are as humans. Here is our review of DOMESTIC GIRLFRIEND, a distinct example that reflects the adventurous and challenging sides of experiencing love as an adolescent. 

High school student Natsuo Fujii is deeply in love with his teacher, Hina, and tries his best to get over her but he unfortunately can’t. Going to a mixer with his friends, Natsuo meets an odd girl named Rui Tachibana. Coming in like a wrecking ball, Rui asks Natsuo to sneak out to her house and have sex with her.

A potential chance to get over Hina, Natsuo accepts the offer but little does he know that the one-off encounter would present awkward complications. It turns out that Natsuo’s father has decided to remarry — not only Natsuo will have a new mother but two stepsisters…. Hina and Rui. Yes, Hina and Rui. With both girls living under Natsuo’s house now, is this the beginning of a bizarre love triangle?

Directed by Shōta Ihata, Domestic Girlfriend is soap-opera drama at best. The story kicks off with typical romance elements such as harbouring a crush on a school teacher and a one-night fling with a random person.

However, the story soon becomes over-complicated when a remarriage takes place, and various events and complications arise. We’re talking about affairs, student x teacher relationship, a one-night fling that becomes more than what it is, and the taboo situation of step-sister x step-brother relationships happening under the same roof.

Domestic Girlfriend‘s storytelling and its series of events may seem far-fetched at times but the possibility of these events happening in the real world isn’t unlikely. With so many complications simultaneously taking place, the constant high-end drama makes great entertainment for the audience (not so much for the characters though!).

Beyond the hot mess that the show keeps giving, Domestic Girlfriend is a bland romance series from afar. With average animation and character designs, there isn’t anything exciting about this anime. If it weren’t for the taboo relationships and the input of polar-opposite cutesy girls, then this anime probably wouldn’t have faired well at all.

Surprisingly, Domestic Girlfriend had a sub-plot that distanced itself away from the drama — Natsuo’s writing career. While it seemed like a casual addition to the story, the sub-plot lingered in the shadows till it ultimately ended up being the dark horse. Not only did this sub-plot tie all loose ends, but it gave purpose and direction for Natsuo’s character. 

RATING: C / A

For many people, DOMESTIC GIRLFRIEND may just be another anime that loves to trigger the ‘best waifu’ debate amongst otaku fans. Focusing on taboo relationships and adolescent emotions, Domestic Girlfriend is not too bad of a series. If you’re looking for an anime to pass time, this one is for you!

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