Forum - View topicREVIEW: My Little Monster Episodes 1-7 Streaming
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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After this very positive review I was hoping for a final grade of A-, which is what I'd rate it as. Maybe even a straight A.
This is definitely one of the best shows currently airing and I strongly advise anyone who isn't watching it to pick it up. The fantastic humour, the lovable characters and the wacky but endearing chemistry between them, the quiet moments of reflection, the sincerity, the amazing pacing which gets through a ton of material each episode; all are great reasons to watch this show. Don't be put off just because it is a Shoujo. |
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RyanSaotome
 Posts: 4210 Location: Towson, Maryland |
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Weird to see this as a negative, since thats one of the main reasons I'm liking it more than most shoujos. Character driven stuff is always far more interesting to me. Anyway, its quite a good show and this is coming from someone who doesn't traditionally like shoujos. The big thing for me is that it has a very attractive artstyle, while shoujos typically all look pretty bland (if I didn't know it was a shoujo and just saw the artstyle, I wouldn't have guessed it was one.. thats a big plus). Plus like I said earlier, the characters are all very interesting and I actually care about their development and the situations due to this. This could end up my favorite non magical girl shoujo when its all said and done. <3 Natsume. |
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potatochobit
 Posts: 1373 Location: TEXAS |
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most shoujos have horrid plots like peach girl......
most of the shows this season have been good |
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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All three Shoujo series this season have been in my top ten (out of something like twenty-four or so shows that I checked out). It's a pretty good result, and proof that a well-written show is watchable no matter what the genre. |
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tuxedocat
 Posts: 2183 |
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Say "I Love You" is just as much of a soap opera as Peach Girl was IMO, even down to the spoiler[sneaky rival who will do anything to steal the protagonists boyfriend.] I'm really enjoying My Little Monster. Much more than I thought I would after watching the first episode. |
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Animerican14
 Posts: 963 Location: Saint Louis, MO |
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So happy to have finally caught up on (7/8) the series these past few days, after only seeing the first one on the family's Roku player during a short break from school a little over a month ago. though it was me that introduced the show to my sister just after that first episode, she's actually been keeping up with it every week-- a big rarity for her indeed. Having gotten pretty much as far as her, I can really see why. I'll earnestly echo dtm42's (and Carls') appreciation for all the characters, humor, wonderful writing put into this show-- and for only following a few shows this season (which is more than usual, actually), I'm glad I've picked what looks like to be a winner. I also really appreciate how character-based it is; looking at the review, it seems more like a point to just emphasize more within the review than put it in a plus or minus column at the end.
This show is really given the Shoujo moniker, eh? I guess I kinda knew it peripherally, but it never made me think "ah, so this is illustrative of X genre" or "what tropes can I expect to pop out of this one..." Basically, it seems like one of those borderline shoujo anime that seems to take into consideration a wider audience without losing any emotional or intellectual appeal in the process. Seems that thought is widely reflected elsewhere, as according to some relatively recent Big Globe poll, My Little Monster (となりの怪物くん) placed 4th among a list of top shoujo anime that even guys would like. That praise being said...
Yeah, I think I can quite sympathize with this, and the whole feeling of "like random chunks of a larger tale rather than meaningful units of their own." I love continuity as much as the next guy, but I feel shows always have a longer shelf life (or at least more time spent in the video player) when they have episodes that can both really stand out and still tie heavily into the overall plot. Here... well, maybe it's partly a matter of my having rammed through episodes 2-7 on Saturday and Sunday, but aside from when a few key events and introductions of characters, I don't think I can really make solid distinctions between the episodes. (Especially with how up and down Shizuku's and Haru's relationship is!) It's a beautiful uniformity, but a fairly constrictive one. Maybe I'll gain a deeper appreciation for the individual episodes if I take them in at a slower rate... |
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504NOSON2
 Subscriber Posts: 647 Location: Body:Santa Barbara, CA ~ Heart:New Orleans, LA |
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I pretty much agree with the review. I love the characters and their interactions, especially the contrast of the leads. Shizuku sort of overdoes her egoistic apathy, though.
And Carl, it's a high school-set rom-com, of course it's going to be more character-driven. Plus, I don't really think the episodes, so far, have ended in particularly odd places. Super climaxes and cliffhangers aren't a necessity. |
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maaya
Posts: 976 |
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I dunno, I'm finding all shōjo offerings this season to be pretty standard stuff, not bad, but still far from the best the genre has to offer. My Little Monster is better than Say I Love You, but I'd give it 7/10 at best (of course, Kimi ni todoke is barely 6/10 for me, if I'm in a good mood), for now anyway. Well, tastes ...
Huh, if anything I'd say that shōjo (and josei) series have more of a tendency to be character-based than shōnen or seinen. They're so often slice of life and / or romance stories, that necessarily put the focus on the characters, their emotions, character development etc.
Nah, there are many "emotionally and intellectually appealing" shōjo series  For instance if you're talking only about love stories the works of Ai Yazawa, Hinako Ashihara or Setona Mizushiro come to mind.
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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There's nothing wrong with focusing on the characters; they are the show. I mean, there is no actual plot here bar the central romance. Haru and Shizuku are not going to save the world, they are not going to take down a criminal, they are not going to save a forest from being cut down. The only things they have to do is to attend school and interact with one another.
And you know what? That's perfectly fine. No-one expects a wider plot in a show like this; they're normal high-school students after all*, not pilots in a Gundam show fighting a war. We are watching for the characters and only the characters. That doesn't mean Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun lacks any themes; it has great themes and explores them very well using the characters. But it doesn't need to have a plot. Please note that although I said the show doesn't have a plot it does have plenty of stories to tell. Haru's dysfunctional family, Shizuku's over-reliance on grades rather than social contact, Natsume's worries, Chizuru's friendlessness. * Okay, they're kind of zany, but you know what I mean. No magical powers, no having grand pirate adventures, no getting transported to another world. |
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halochief_90
 Posts: 466 Location: Canada |
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My Little Monster was my favorite show of the season until Crunchyroll added Say "I Love You". It probably would still be my favorite if episodes 5-7 were as good as the previous episodes.
Anyway, good review. I agree with the scores in pretty much every regard. I hope there are more shows from this season reviewed. |
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dragon695
 Posts: 1377 Location: Clemson, SC |
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I think that Kamisama Kiss has been pretty generic shoujo, nothing to write home about. I'd prefer my youkai shows to be more like Natsume Yuujinchou. |
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Keichitsu0305
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My Little Monster, bar none, is my favorite show of the Fall 2012 season.
I have little to no complaints about the characters (most are likable and carry their own charm which makes them memorable), the atmosphere (even during contemplative moments with Shizuku, it never feels over-dramatic or heavy), and the pacing is great for this type of comedy which relies more on wit and a few slapstick moments.
Haru and Shizuku relationship is just so entertaining. Not only are they quite adorable around each other but they make a great comedic duo. I don't mind shows where the main couple are shy or lovely dovey but I really enjoy couples with a humorous chemistry between them. I'm still curious about the "dramatic" relationship Haru has with his brother, Yuuzan, and I want to see how the two romantic rivalries play out in the series. |
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dtm42
Posts: 14084 Location: currently stalking my waifu |
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Well Kamisama Kiss was definitely ranked the lowest of all three Shoujo in my list. It was #10, Say, "I Love You" was #5 and Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun was #2. Now sure, Kamisama Kiss has been very generic but it also hasn't put a step wrong. I give it props for being consistently okay. The sparkles and bubbles and gasps of breath whenever there's a Significant Hug or Significant Dialogue is a bit cheesy, but at least the central relationship has some good chemistry and the writing hasn't suffered problems like some some shows *coughPSYCHO-PASSandCODE:BREAKERcough*. Though to be fair, PSYCHO-PASS has gotten a lot better since that terribly clunky first episode. And comparing Kamisama Kiss to Natsume Yuujinchou is a tad unfair. I mean, that's like comparing a club side to the world champions, or an average soldier to a demi-god like Hercules. No Youkai show is going to look good when compared to the peerless Natsume Yuujinchou. |
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Exaar
 Posts: 279 Location: Delaware |
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This is a great season for romantic comedies, and My Little Monster is by far my favorite show this season.
For me, it's followed directly by The Pet Girl of Sakura-sou, which I think too many people wrote off too soon - it has evolved into an emotional drama with characters I care about nearly to the same degree as My Little Monster. Add in Say 'I Love You', which is still great if not quite so much as the other two, and I am a very happy person this season. |
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zensunni
 Posts: 1294 |
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A well written review. I also don't see the character driven nature as a flaw, but I can understand how someone might. I am a fan of slice-of-life, character driven shows though, so that is a strong point for me, especially when the characters are as fantastic as these!
The only issue I have with the show is the occasional word choice or action choice that tends toward misogyny. (spoiler[the rape threat early on, "I'd do you", etc...]) It doesn't bother me that much with this show, since it is pretty clear those moments are designed to further cement how horribly awkward and wrong Haru's social skills, or lack there of, are, but they detract a bit. Not nearly as much as the similar issues in the far more serious Say "I Love You" do, which has been slipping in my estimation while My Little Monster has climbed. Up to this point, I have been putting all three of the shojo romances in a tie in my rankings for the season, but that will change with the next edition, with MLM jumping ahead and SILY falling back. They all are still in my top tier shows list though. I love all of them! |
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