My Teen Romantic Comedy SNAFU! - Episode 01
Following the recommendation of some people on AUKN's Discord, and following its mixed reaction, I gave SNAFU a try. I enjoyed it, but it has issues. It seems to understand its characters, especially Hachiman, on an intense, highly detailed level, yet veers intermittently between being far too subtle for it's own good and far too in your face for it's own good. The opening monologue contains some incredibly subtle details that I feel like will only be picked up on by those who relate specifically to Hachiman. Yet the cooking monologue from Yukino later on in the episode has all the subtlety of being bricked in the face. If you're picking up on these subtle relatable details in Hachiman, the show is highly relatable, however if you aren't, I can only imagine how painful the series must be. Much of the dialogue has this weird artificial quality, that if you can't relate to, probably makes the characters seem unlikable and insufferable, and there is a presumption you will relate specifically to each and all of Hachiman's previous romantic humiliations, even though most of the audience won't.
The first episode is a promising start, but provides potential for it to either way, especially if it pushes it's reliance on the audience relating to Hachiman too far, as it seems it might.
