Makeine episode 1 review: An intriguing pilot episode promising a perfect romcom light novel adaptation

Makeine episode 1 was released on July 13, 2024, and despite being animated by one of the biggest animation studios in Japan, A-1 Pictures, this romcom series could be considered one of the most underrated anime in the Summer Anime Season of 2024.

The anime series took a turn from a normal adaptation as its source was a light novel of the same name. Where it was expected that the series would come out as a boring adaptation, the reverse happened, which was something that could be considered revolutionary in anime.

The anime not only portrayed the perfect feeling of a light novel experience, but the outstanding animation was a cherry on top. Unfortunately, this could be a problem for a part of the fandom that could face some problems digesting this romcom that portrays the feeling of a written book.

Disclaimer: This article contains potential spoilers from the Makeine episode 1 and has the author's opinion.

Makeine episode 1 review: The introduction of characters, the maturity of the plot, and everything else that can be considered a plus

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If anything Makeiene episode 1 did that was out-of-the-ordinary, it was the plot execution. The source of this series is a light novel series. Where this source is pretty common in the industry, it being used as a reference for a romance-comedy series is certainly something that fans do not get to see every day.

Romance and comedy are two genres that individually represent a separate feeling but when combined, they become something totally different. This combination is portrayed mostly as a more comedic series but Makeine episode 1 was more centered around the romance genre. This could be thanks to the series' composer and its scriptwriter, Masahiro Yokotani.

Kazuhiko and Anna as seen in Makeine episode 1 (Image via A-1 Pictures)

Converting a media (manga/light novel) to another media (anime) takes some effort and industry experience, all of which Masahiro Yokotani holds. In the past, the series' composer has written the scripts for some of the best, if not the best, light novel adaptations like Re: Zero, Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, and Devil is a Part-Timer. So maturity was expected from the plotline.

Other than the mature narrative of the series, the characters were also pretty interesting and lovable. Makeine episode 1 introduced the entire cast, but the key emphasis didn't divert from the protagonists, Kazuhiko Nukumizu and Anna Yanami. Their chemistry, despite being complete strangers, was perfect.

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Their first encounter was after Anna was rejected by her childhood friend and made Kazuhiko listen to her rant about her whole love story. As indicated by the climax of the episode, after spending a little time with Anna, Kazuhiko also realized that his relationship with his classmate could change pretty soon. So, the maturity of the plotline also affected the characters.

Lastly, there is the unreal animation which most of the fandom compared to movie-level animation. Makeine episode 1 featured some landscapes and wide views of the skies, which reminded the fandom of Makoto Shinkai's Your Name and Weathering With You. Other than that, the character visuals were also aesthetically pleasing, especially their expressions.

Makeine episode 1 review: The plot's majority might be what the fandom wants to criticize

Nukumizu as seen in Makeine episode 1 (Image via A-1 Pictures)

In the anime industry, the well-known romcom series are the ones that have slapstick comedy in them, unlike what Makeine episode 1 showcased. This could be due to the custom that this mixture of genres has become in recent years.

This could be one of the reasons why a part of the fandom is not ready to give this series a chance. Even though Makeine episode 1 didn't showcase any major problems, the series could change its pacing and make it slow, something that is normal for a light novel adaptation.

Final thoughts

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Judging the performance of this series from its first episode is not possible but all that can be said about Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines is that it had one of the strongest premieres from the anime of Summer Season 2024. It is also hard to pinpoint its flaws based on its first episode so more would automatically come to sight after more episodes come out.

But it is interesting to see how such a series that has all the industry professionals from the big giant animation studio A-1 Pictures is falling under the radar of anime fans. This could be due to a lack of promotion and the source material of this series is only popular among the Japanese fandom.

Anna as seen in Makeine episode 1 (Image via A-1 Pictures)

Music had a little impact in the Makeine episode 1 which could just be a first episode thing, but the fandom can expect music to become a key part of the series starting from the next episode.

Anyhow, the series has enough potential to become the top 3 best ones in the Summer Anime Season of 2024, but that could only be possible if the entire fandom opts to give this series a chance, just like how they do with the majority of the romcom anime series.

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Edited by Tiasha