Amagami SS

                                                      Amagami SS Review

   Harem anime are something of a bit of an oddball for me. On principle, I shouldn’t like them, and usually don’t. They are fan service ridden pieces of banality that usually have a main character that annoys me. They treat women like objects and usually send the message that all a woman wants and needs is a boyfriend. Now when I say harem anime, I mean shows that are built fully around the romantic story line of a bunch of girls chasing a main character. A show like Accel World or Haiyore! Nyaruko-san, which definitely has elements of a harem, is not included because the harem is not the purpose of the show. But there are quite a few harem shows I really like. The World God Only Knows is an excellent show that completely rewrites the details of a harem show, and I Don’t Have Many Friends is one of the funniest shows I’ve seen in a while. So when a harem show can transcend the boundaries of its cursed origins, then it can be good. Which segways perfectly to this little review. A show that is six romances in one, a show that goes far beyond that of any harem anime before it, a show that captures the heart and mind of its viewer. But I might be getting a bit ahead of myself. This is Amagami SS.

Amagami SS is about Tachibana Junichi, a second year high school student. Two years prior to the start of the series he was stood up on a date at Christmas, and since then he has not allowed himself to love. This does make him sound a bit more depressing then he really is. He is a normal teenager, possibly a bit more pervy then most, but average all the same. He is not looking for love, but one day, a month or two before his school’s big winter festival he falls in love with the most popular girl at school, a senior by the name of Morishima Haruka. Their love starts slow, but he is persistent, and she falls all the more for him. Their relations culminates on a kiss at Christmas eve, locking them together for eternity. Then the next episode starts and everything is back to how it is in the first episode and Tachibana is going after a different girl, this time a good female friend of his. And then four episodes later going after a friend of his sisters, and then four episodes later a member of the swim team, and then four episodes later a childhood friend, and then four episodes later the class president. This will take a bit of explaining.

Polygamy, the anime!

 Amagami SS is not like most harem shows. Instead of having a main character that multiple women fawn over, and in the end he chooses one (or more likely doesn’t choose at all), Amagami SS shows the character forming a relationship with six different women. But unlike School Days, he does it through six completely  separate stories. The way I like to think of it is that all six stories are alternate universes, where one decision or an action taken in that universe leads to a different outcome from another universe. It is quite an interesting take on the genre, and leads to one of the reasons I like this show. It actually has romance.

Romance through quantum physics. What isn't there to love?

While watching Katanagatari, a thought occurred to me. There are very few shows that I have seen that actually present us with a real romance. Most harem shows just like to yank your chain and set up shipping wars without resolving them. Most romances in anime are left unresolved, sometimes being used as hooks for a second season that will never appear. And some shows give us a heartfelt romance, just to kill off one of the characters to set up drama before the end. Now I am not saying those things cannot be good. It can lead to better storytelling and fandom and what have you. But it means that at the end of the day, there is usually not a good romance, where the main lead is in an actual romance with someone. Amagami SS kind of fixes this, by having six relationships that all end well, or at least are implied to end well. It is one of the few shows that I have seen that doesn’t cop out. And it is all the better for that.

I swear i watch this show for the plot, and not the miniskirt Santas.

Amagami SS creates great characters also. Each of the six girls are given vibrant personalities that you can find believable, and the main character is less of a spineless idiot then in other harems. The supporting cast is also great, having memorable characters that you want to see more of, like Junichi’s best friend Umehara. Seriously, that guy needs an OVA series with his own harem, I really feel for the guy. But it’s the girls that shine through. Each of them are vibrant and distinct, but it’s not difficult for any viewer to pick out a few favorites. And as a reviewer, it is my duty to tell you my thoughts on an anime, and it is totally not skeezy that I have favorite harem girls. My actual favorite girl in the show isn’t actually one of the main six, but instead only has one episode for her, while all the other girls got four in the first season and two in the second. But my favorite will still be Risa Kamikazi. She is the unofficial seventh girl, and is Junichi’s stalker ever since elementary school. She watches him form the shadows and makes sure no girl gets to close to her man. In actuality, this is because she saved him once form being devastated by a girl, and feels like she should protect him form the possibility of that ever happening. And the best way to do that is to date him herself. So she’s a bit crazy but well intentioned and I find her really funny.

Look at her. She won't go all yandere nice boat on Junichi. Probably.

The best arc of the main six girls, however, was the Sae Arc. An omniscient narrator, a cute girl slowly coming out of her shell who is also into tokusatsu, and Umeharu with his pink fish thing trying to win the best couple contest? It was nothing but pure win. Each other arc had something great about them also. The Kaoru Tanamachi Arc was a great story of slow friendship turning into love. The Ai Nanasaki Arc shows a mature relationship through mutual understanding of siblings, and then turns to love. The Rihoko Sakurai Arc perfectly shows the pain and pleasure of being in love with someone, and them having no clue. (The Rihoko Arc would have been my favorite also, if they hadn’t teased the ending and made the viewer wait until season 2 for them to finally get together) The Tsukasa Ayatsuji Arc shows beautifully how you can you can love a person for all their sides, their darkness and their light. The Haruka Morishima Arc showed how determination can lead to an everlasting relationship. And the Sae Nakata Arc, while being probably the funniest one of the six, shows how one person can do so much for another, and how it is always better to have someone to depend on.

I really liked Amagami SS and its sequel season Amagami SS+. It is one of the few harem shows that I feel has actually got it right. It is one of the few romance anime that actually goes about its romance right. This show has a lot of heart, and a lot of great characters. If you want something that will warm your heart on a cold winter night, or just want a show with some good laughs and some better romance, I fully suggest it. So until next time, have fun watching.