Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun - 03

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I love Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun. It's quirky, it's funny and it's cute; the ultimate combination for a shojo romantic comedy and this opinion still hasn't changed three episodes in.

The interesting thing about this episode is that it was 75% comedy and 25% romance. An interesting mix no doubt and if I were to watch this episode without having seen the first two, I could have mistaken it for a slice-of-life with a bit romance thrown in to make things interesting.

Certainly many romances have the slice-of-life/everyday life element in their stories, but even so Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun comes off as different. The sudden confession from Shizuku wasn't as big a factor in the comedy and that's what made the romantic development in this episode just as memorable as it was in the previous episode. It was the cast who really brought the comedy in a very similar fashion to what you expect to see in a slice-of-life series.

The task of building the chicken coop was definitely enjoyable to watch and we're gradually getting to see the Nanami and Sasayan becoming more integrated in the plot. For those who are familiar with the manga, you know why these two characters have to be integrated into the plot - no romance indicator here, honest - and I'm inclined to say it has been going smoothly so far.

As for the romance in this episode, I just love it. Sure there are so many moments when you might think the purpose of Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun is to be super moe with all those facial expressions given to us by Shizuku (so cute) but that is just a little perk if I'm being honest. Unlike Sukitte Ii na yo., Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun is having fun but at the same time hinting at more serious character development and romantic developments. Fans of straight-up pure romances with the "will they, won't they" plot going on might find this series a little strange for that reason, but that is just the series' style.

Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun has some more serious moments in store for us sometime in the future, as was hinted by the introduction of Yuzan at the end and Haru's reaction, but for now one should enjoy all the laughter that comes with this series.