Season 1 – Hi Score Girl

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Ash P @AshParth Aug 7 As someone who does play games, unlike certain folks on the internet, how could I not include this anime on Netflix? I'd seen this a few years ago when I lived in Virginia and thought it was fine. Having seen this again in the present day, this was an interesting series. An anime that gamers would relate to. Relate to anyone with a sense of nostalgia since this series centers around the 80s to 90s aspect with arcade games to early gaming consoles like the SEGA Genesis, the Super Famicon, plenty of consoles that some folks would recognize. That would say the same for the games. The story takes place in the late 80s with our main character named Haruo Yaguchi playing his video games, minding his own business until he'd met his match with a young lady around his age named Akira Ono in Street Fighter II. Akira is actually the daughter of the Ono Zaibatsu who doesn't express her feelings too much and finds solace in video games, skipping most of the strict lessons she was given back home. They both don't get along too much at first until one day in a candy shop, playing video games, they start to connect to one another by interest in video games and soon start to bond. Yet, a few episodes later, Akira had to study abroad, yet Haruo will be waiting for the day she returns for a rematch. Later in the series, in their junior high school year, out comes a new girl named Koharu Hidaka, who starts to build a crush towards Haruo since he would come around her family's store since her father decided to add arcade machines to bring in customers. The more Koharu hangs out with Haruo, the more she starts to get into video games, dedicating herself to impressing him. Haruo doesn't know too much since he's more of a gamer than a lover. He does open up more to Akira and Koharu, shedding his ego down the road. What surprised Haruo more was that Akira has returned to town, but he can't get why she's been avoiding him when he was ready to have one more match. What he didn't know was that Akira was actually developing feelings towards Haruo since he's given her a toy ring that she'd cherished when they were kids before she went abroad. So, pretty much, this is a love triangle romantic comedy between the three. Of course, video games are part of their lives, meaning love is like a competition. Yes, it's all about gaming, but it's not all there is to it since their chemistry does develop as the series goes. Sure, Haruo was an egotistical kid, but that's what he was before he grew up. He was a kid when he met Akira back in grade school. He doesn't know much about love, especially when his mother insisted so much that it annoyed him whenever Akira or Koharu were to come over to hang out, yet opened up more to be a little more human. Actually, having that passion for gaming does make him friendly with other kids later in his grade school years and when he'd entered junior high, which also led Koharu into his life. Again, Haruo is dense on what love is, yet you have to give him credit that his character grows a little more mature as the series goes. What's funny is that he would get morale support from video game characters like Guile, his main in Street Fighter. Of course, this anime does have other characters, which does make some of them either likable or just being there. Like that kid who oddly has black stars sparkling around him. I don't hate the character. He's just there for the jokes when he's trying too hard to get hitched. I don't know why that pink hair girl exists, but somehow she scares the firck out of me, especially with her dialogue. Haruo's mother was a hoot. The driver who drives Akira around was fun. Most of the side characters are just there to support the main trio. Yes, this has comedy, and I'd admit that some of the humor feels weird as much as some of the dialogue that was added to this. However, the comedy does land whenever the joke plays out. The voice acting is good, to be honest. I even swap between Japanese and English three episodes at a time for the fun of it. Johnny Yong Bosch voices as Haruo. Christine Marie Cabanos voices Akira, even when her dialogue is mostly grunts and mumbles. And Erika Harlacher voices Koharu. I get the animation is not for everyone as it's pretty much in 3D. To be honest, I think the animation is fine. I give them credit for making their expressions as 2D as the characters still act like they're in an anime. I'll even be fair that I've seen worse 3D animation throughout all my years with anime and even animated movies/TV shows. Fun fact: the studio who worked on the animation was SMDE and J.C. Staff were the ones who produced this anime. What carries this series were the characters, their chemistry with one another, and the humor. Sure, the video games surrounding them also carry the anime despite bringing more on the nostalgia factor, yet without video games, they wouldn't have motivated Yaguchi to where he's at with both Ono and Hidaka. With that said, I've had a good time with this series. I play video games for the fun of it, and the characters of this show have shown the same interest as gamers around the globe would. Sure, we're not there yet for Haruo hooking up with either, but this is just the beginning of such until that time comes. I'll be giving this series eight and a half Haruo and Akira on a bike out of ten. 8.5/10. Question: Are you Team Akira or Team Koharu? I'm more of a Team Akira person myself. See more London H @Artworks 04/08/2023 Good first season, kind've hard to get into See more 05/17/2021 At the beginning I couldn't watch past through the first episode because of the animation, it was very unfamiliar and that's what I look for in animes. Eventually I tried again and got hooked. The artstyle was difficult to get used to still. The character development so far has been very minimal, which I enjoyed. It doesn't have those never ending edgy back stories that ruin the story, which most animes have. The plot, script, and characters are unique. Although Haruo is the stereo typical harem anime protagonist, the story and heart felt moments make up for it. I think that Ono being mute also make you more tuned in to the emotions, by looking for body language and facial expression. Haruo being able to understand Ono better than anyone else created a great bond and special connection between the two, which made them stand out and seem special. The connection through Ono and Haruo may seem to be video games on the surface, but it's much deeper than that. At first Haruo sees Ono as the person who stole away his safe haven, and destroyed the one thing he thought he could do best. Her being the top of the class, the most popular, the prettiest, and most talented girl at their school and having surpassed him in gaming skills gave him an inferiority complex. Video games was his only escape, and it was stolen by her. He saw her as care free and she saw the same in him. Once their bond grows stronger, Haruo and Ono begin to realize that they were more similar than they thought. They were both trapped by responsibilities that kept them miserable. They both found video games as their only escape from their troublesome school/home lives. The dramatic and violent scenes add more fantasy and a comedic ring to it, in a wacky way, which is the way most animes are like. The complicated feelings the show gives you really helps you understand what the characters are going through. The voice acting is also very well done, and matches the characters and their emotions very well. Easily one of the best shows I have ever watched. See more 12/30/2020 I oddly ended up hooked to this show! Perfect for someone who is into competitive or fighting games. See more 08/02/2020 While this is a fun show for the 90s video game nostalgia, there's something more going on here. The main character, Harou, comes across as having ADHD. He's not good at school work, not athletic, but get him talking about games and he's a passionate expert. Further, while he starts off as a bit gatekeeper-y, he moves past it quickly enough (even going so far as to introduce a girl who would later become a rival and third leg of a love triangle to gaming). The titular Hi Score Girl, Ono, is hardcore autistic. She's non-verbal; communicates largely through grunts, hums, and pointing. So, come for the video game nostalgia, stay for the awkward relationship between two neurally atypical teenagers. See more 04/28/2020 please Watch this show......this will make u happy See more Read all reviews

Hi Score Girl — Season 1

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