At A Glance – Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu

A cute story about a ditsy rich girl (Nogizaka Haruka) who happens to be a big anime fan. Hapless hero and all-round good guy Ayase Yuuto stumbles upon this secret, and promises to keep it a secret, which causes friendship and (eventual) romance to blossom between the two. Also, a word of thanks to Fuyu for bringing this to my attention, since I definitely would have skipped out on something that looked this cutsy.

The Good:
Slice of life. What else is there to say? It’ll be light, fun, and very enjoyable. Characters will probably receive more attention now that plot development isn’t a priority. It’s a suitable appetizer for School Rumble San Gakki.

The Bad:
Mamiko Noto is playing the female lead, but she tries too hard to voice Hauka’s cute, ditsy character. Her voice isn’t suited for ditsy. To me, she’ll always be associated with sophisticated but soft-spoken characters. Hearing the strain in that otherwise mellifluous voice is a little saddening.

The Future:
The producers didn’t make much use of wit, so humour will have to come from Yuuto’s brash sister and his amoral teacher-roommate. The surprising lack of fanservice in Episode 1 will likely be supplemented in later episodes.
Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu won’t be one of the gems that sometimes get unearthed, but it’s not horrible either. I’m expecting enjoyable mediocrity.

Note: This Haruka will never dethrone the current Haruka-goddess – Minami Haruka! (Must be said in Hosaka’s voice with an unbuttoned dress shirt and a bare chest.)

More notes: My love is stronger than his.