How I Attended an All-Guy's Mixer episode 1 review: Tokiwa discovers Suo's dual identity

Modified Oct 05, 2024 23:00 GMT

How I Attended an All-Guy's Mixer episode 1, titled That Time I Went to a Mixer and..., was released in October 2024 as part of the Fall 2024 anime season lineup. The anime is currently available for streaming on Ani-One Asia, Netflix, and Amazon Prime.

The story is primarily a crossdressing romance, comedy-drama series with a somewhat episodic structure. It is adapted from a manga of the same name, which began serialization in 2022 under Square Enix's Gangan Online magazine as a shojo manga.

The plot mainly follows a group of friends—Tokiwa, Hagi, and Asagi—who attend a mixer and discover that the other participants are girls who crossdress as guys due to their jobs as bartenders.

Disclaimer- This article contains spoilers for How I Attended an All-Guy's Mixer episode 1.

How I Attended an All-Guy's Mixer episode 1 highlights

Suou as shown in the anime (Image via Studio Ashi Productions)

How I Attended an All-Guy's Mixer episode 1 starts with Tokiwa arriving at the venue of a mixer after being invited by Suou, one of the main female leads. Upon arriving, Tokiwa and his friends are surprised to find handsome men sitting at their reserved table. This leads Tokiwa to call Suou, and it is soon revealed that the "handsome men" are actually Suou and the other girls who had been invited to the mixer.

Tokiwa and his friends’ confusion is quickly dispelled when the girls explain that their job as bartenders requires them to dress like handsome men and that they had just come straight from their shift. The mixer proceeds with various games, eventually transitioning to a karaoke bar. Tokiwa loses a bet to Suou during a singing competition, resulting in him crossdressing as a girl, which is humorously misunderstood by the bar owners.

The mixer and after-party end with Tokiwa beginning to develop feelings for Suou, while both of Tokiwa's friends establish real connections with Suou's friends. The next day, while attending university, Tokiwa is approached by Suou, who is still in her bartending disguise. It is revealed that her disguise as a handsome man, known as the "SSR Prince," is very popular among the girls at the university.

How I Attended an All-Guy's Mixer episode 1 review

Suou and Tokiwa as shown in the anime (Image via Ashi Productions)

How I Attended an All-Guy's Mixer is one of the few romance anime airing in the Fall 2024 season that is not a continuation of a previously released series. While the manga source material has gained a niche fanbase, the adaptation has yet to distinguish itself from the numerous anime airing alongside it.

Although the visuals and voice acting are phenomenal and tolerable compared to other typical romance anime, the overall animation, sound design, and story fail to make it stand out. Despite being a romantic comedy, the series adopts the atmosphere and character dynamics of a slice-of-life anime, with easily recognizable character tropes.

Overall, How I Attended an All-Guy's Mixer episode 1 serves as a decent introduction, but its production value and story setup leave much to be desired. It may serve as an enjoyable, lighthearted comedy with a romance subplot unless characters like Suou and Tokiwa are explored more deeply, instead of being reduced to interacting character tropes.

Final thoughts

How I Attended an All-Guy's Mixer episode 1 establishes the anime as one of the more lighthearted series airing in Fall 2024. While it has yet to capture a substantial fanbase, it is possible that it could gain widespread popularity due to its status as one of the few lighthearted college romance comedies featuring a cross-dressing female lead character.

How I Attended an All-Guy's Mixer episode 1 review: Tokiwa discovers Suo's dual identity

How I Attended an All-Guy's Mixer episode 1 highlights

How I Attended an All-Guy's Mixer episode 1 review

Final thoughts

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