The 100 Girlfriends Review Finds Surprising Depth in a Harem Comedy
The review suggests that a show dismissed as a gimmick-heavy harem actually invests in its characters, which could shift how audiences and critics talk about the genre.
Reporting from 1 sources: Japan Powered.
A review from Japan Powered examines the first season of The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You, finding that despite its harem rom-com trappings, the series delivers character development and a protagonist who avoids the usual blank-slate trope. The reviewer notes that the show satirizes character tropes while giving each girlfriend a backstory that adds depth, though some jokes wear thin by the end.
The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You is a harem romantic comedy that leans into its premise hard, but a new review from Japan Powered argues the series has more going on than its title suggests. The reviewer, who initially avoided the show, found that the male lead Rentaro Aijo is not a flat projection character and that the many girlfriends receive backstory and development beyond their assigned tropes. The God of Love forces Rentaro to reciprocate every soulmate's feelings or the girl will die, which the review says gives the protagonist a concrete reason not to choose one girl, unlike typical harem leads. The review singles out tsundere Karane as having the most visible character arc, and notes that Hahari's backstory involving IVF at age 13 adds a layer of tragedy to her personality. However, the reviewer also says the parody humor wears thin for some characters by the end of the season.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 1 cited source below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.