Office romances usually have a quirk to them, and in Bukiyou na Senpai (My Awkward Senpai), things are no different. Depending on the quirk, things can work out to create a truly memorable experience, or they end up trying too hard to force the quirk, and it ends up ruining the entire show. After the first episode, I know which category this one falls into.
Let’s go!
First Episode Synopsis
Azusa Kannawa excels at her job. She is in the good graces of the company, and one of her advertisement posters recently won an award. She is truly the model employee that everyone aspires to be; however, there is one thing about her that people don’t admire, and that’s her sharp tongue. She is very cold and direct with her wording, which is quite off-putting for her co-workers to the point where they would rather steer clear of her, or talk to her only when it is necessary. One day, Kannawa is asked to take on an apprentice as the company recently hired someone who scored the highest on their assessment test than anyone else they’ve interviewed. With this promising young rookie coming aboard, Kannawa is to see to his every need and train him.
This is where we learn Kannawa’s secret… she’s actually quite introverted, shy, worries a lot, and doesn’t think she’s fit to train anyone. The only reason she comes across as hard-nosed and vulgar is that she doesn’t know how to communicate properly! When the new guy, Yuu Kanegawa, arrives, he seems a bit immune to Kannawa’s sharp tongue. Wanting to make a good impression, he takes everything she says as instruction that’s vital for learning the company’s ways, all while remaining very laid back, yet respectful and eager to learn.
The thing is, Kannawa isn’t as cold as her miscommunicated words are… she takes quite a liking to Yuu and even wants to invite him out to lunch, but doesn’t know how! After failing, she stops off at a store to pick up some books on how to become a more effective and likable manager. She binges them so much that she’s almost late to work the next day! And thus, we come to the end of our first episode, which sets the stage for a nervous introvert who can only speak sharply meeting an eager and polite rookie, and the possible romance that is seemingly blooming between them!
Worth Watching?
YES – There was one thing that I was worried about with this show, and I am profoundly thankful that it didn’t happen. Typically, in shows such as these, whenever you have a character who speaks brashly, the humor tends to lean towards the characters screaming at one another nonstop. I cannot stand that style of humor and will most likely drop any show that goes that route, with very few exceptions. Bukiyou na Senpai doesn’t do that at all.
Kannawa’s angry moments are more blunt than they are yelling. She comes across very sternly when she talks to her co-workers. For example, instead of excusing herself to pass by people standing in her way, she says, “Move. You’re in the way.” All the while, her inner monologue praises herself for being able to successfully greet her co-workers, not even realizing what she said came across as insulting, demeaning, or just plain rude.
That seems to be the running joke, or quirk, if you will, for this series. Kannawa is a sweet girl on the inside who is thoughtful, considerate, and caring, but due to her communication issues, she comes across as the complete opposite. Then we have Yuu, who is just an eager-to-learn rookie, who just so happens to be soft-spoken and polite. You would think that these two would mix like oil and water; however, that’s not the case because Kannawa is the same way… just on the inside, where no one can hear her inner voice. Couple that with her awkward and truly introverted nature, and you have a recipe for a fantastic workplace romantic comedy.
While I can see Kannawa’s dual personality wearing a bit thin after a couple of episodes, that can easily be remedied with some character development. With this show only having 12 episodes, it’s hard to tell if there will be enough time for her to develop past one of the biggest pitfalls a series such as this can fall into, which is beating a dead horse with its one good joke, but if it does well enough, perhaps we’ll get a second season of it where the characters can take a few more layers.
It definitely has the potential to be something good. We’ll see if the quality of the first episode can carry forward and not fall off. That is the true test with most shows these days anyway.
