This is a rare occasion where I have prior knowledge of an anime before it begins airing. I’ve been reading Domestic na Kanojo mainly because I’m a fan of Kei Sasuga. I really loved her GE -Good Ending- manga and was pretty sad that it never got adapted into an anime. When I heard that Domestic na Kanojo was getting the anime treatment, I nearly lost it in a good way. I also became afraid because I know how the anime community feels when their favorite manga gets adapted and falls short of expectations. After the first episode, would those fears be justified?
Let’s Go!
First Impressions
Again, this is a rare occasion in which I can compare the anime to the manga. Those who know me know that I am an anime watcher first and a manga reader second. I’ve seen too many people get disappointed in the adaptation of their favorite series and I wanted to enjoy the anime for what it is without having to worry about if the studio is ruining the source material. I also hate making those comparisons but despite all of that, I don’t really feel that way with Domestic na Kanojo. Maybe it’s just the fact that I’m happy it got an anime adaptation or maybe it’s that more people will become aware of Kei Sasuga.
Either way, the first episode did scare me a bit because it opened up by skipping the entire Rave Party scene, sex scene, and just getting right to the aftermath. Thankfully, the anime did things in a bit of a reverse pattern and handled everything it skipped in the form of a flashback. After that, the episode adapted the manga pretty faithfully. Going out of order may give manga purists a bit of a scare but everything was there and nothing really important was left out… except the details of the sex scene which is for obvious reasons.
Natsuo ends up losing his virginity to a girl named Rui Tachibana at a mixer party. Rui never intends to want a boyfriend and simply wants to have the experience of knowing what sex feels like. Besides, Natsuo already has a crush on his teacher Hina but she made it clear she doesn’t date brats. On top of that, the rumors say she already has a boyfriend so Natsuo decides to wet his noodle and lose his cherryhood. When he gets home, his father tells him that he’s thinking on remarrying and that she’s coming over… RIGHT NOW!
Talk about moving fast! Natsuo is introduced but something unexpected happens, her daughters are Hina and Rui… his teacher/love interest and the girl he lost his virginity to! Oh, and his dad about a house and they’re all moving in RIGHT NOW!
And I thought I was impulsive.
Hina is a drinker. She loves a swig or two… or twenty. She ends up passing out on the couch and Natsuo goes for a kiss to end any aspirations of dating her… only to get caught by Rui! Episode over.
Bravo!
Worth Watching?
YES – Okay… so I might have a 214 chapter advantage over this anime so I if were to put that aside and watch this as a new viewer, I would still recommend it. The romance triangle has been done to death but this adds a little bit of a twist to it. Co-existing under the same roof as family while being torn between two girls just adds an explosive element to it. Hina is really fun while Rui is about as dark and emotionless as they come. Their polar opposite attitudes seem a bit trope-ish but it works. The characters are a little more down to Earth than more romcoms/dramas which makes them relatable. Very solid first episode that I think people would enjoy.
Now, as a manga reader, I just know how good this series is. Watch the HELL out of this!
