Masamune's Revenge

Summary: >

Masamune has good grades, he's handsome, and athletic. In fact he has it all. On the surface anyway. The truth is he was once a fat kid who was terrible at everything. Years later he's changed his name, and now seeks to take his revenge! The girl who tormented him most was Aki Adagaki, now a beautiful girl notorious for her devastating rejection of guys who confess to her. It'll be a tough job, but Masamune is determined to carry out his mission: To make Aki fall in love with him, and then dump her ass in the most humiliating way possible.

Things don't go as planned however, as Aki's maid knows his secret. Oddly enough she's willing to help with his plan. It remains to be seen if his schemes go astray, as he may be falling in love with Aki. Will he be able to follow through?

Thoughts: >

Masamune's Revenge had the potential to be something more than the average school romantic comedy, but pulling it off would require more skill anime studios today tend to demonstrate. But I can always hope. In the end it's another attractive show that ends up disappointingly mediocre despite an okay premise.

Initially I was curious about the characters. I found it annoying how Masamune would agonize over the smallest things, although it makes sense considering his traumatizing younger years which destroyed his self confidence - even if he tries to appear the opposite. But I actually found all the characters annoying and frustrating to some degree. Which makes it really fun watching things blow up in their face.

I didn't sympathized with anyone, but it was always fun to see how characters are taken down a peg when the situation turns against them. If this anime could have balanced a good story, characters that don't push too far, while having a good time messing with them; this could have been a darn good anime. Instead it becomes more flaccid and typical as the show goes on. Do I want Masamune to get with Aki? He doesn't deserve her. In fact he's actually an ass, and the antagonist who might steal her away is a FAR better guy even if a little dishonest. And what about Aki? She's a bitch so whatever is the worst outcome is what I'd prefer for her. Not a good showing for empathy in this anime is it?

You might expect Masamune's Revenge's underlying theme to be: It's what's inside that counts except this anime curiously shows the opposite. What is it about Aki that makes her worth pursuing? She's hot. For Masamune it was about revenge at first, but then he takes an interest in her for the same reasons guys keep confessing to her: she's hot. Aki on the other hand falls for a fake Masamune, because he's overweight like Masamune from her childhood. Her being a chubby chaser doesn't make it any less shallow, and her emotions are tied to the very weak "childhood friend" trope. It's disappointing how a show with so much promise is distilled into the same tired crap.

It looks nice, and has a few bright points but the way it falls back into the tired high school romantic comedy stuff is off putting. For this formula, anime needs to have a certain something to differentiate it, which Masamune-kun's revenge does not.

Screen Caps: >