Anime: Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 4z3s4t

Nogizaka is a (too short) slice-of-life drama about an ordinary guy and a girl he meets. It turns out that the girl is the daughter of an important (never disclosed why) guy and is ungodly rich. However, he finds out about her little secret love of anime and agrees to to keep it a secret (thus forming the necessary bond to develop a relationship!).

The concept idea was really good (a girl who secretly is an otaku) and execution was fairly well done. It really isn't a deep or serious series and the length was definitely on the short side.

Overall, the series falls short on a few small expectations (could have used more substance / length to explore the concept more fully) but was still very well presented. The follow up second series expands on the characters considerably.

Animation:
I didn't find anything that wrong about the animation (then again I'm not that picky here...). Characters are well proportioned and are drawn distinctly. Colors are vibrant, possibly hinting that this show is meant for slightly younger audiences. There are a few "accidental" close encounters between our main couple but nothing significantly ecchi compared to series such as Kiss x Sis or B Gata H Kei.

Sound:
The OP/ED were fairly good and the BGM fit the series well. There are LOTS of notable VAs in this series lead by the trademark voices of Noto Mamiko and Ueda Kana. If anything, I think the main male character was a bit lacking but the female ing VAs more than made up for it. Mamiko's shy voice matches Haruka's personality perfectly.

Story:
This is where I think the show fell just a bit short. There were not very many deep sub-plots or intriguing plot twists, everything was pretty linear.

Basically, the main male finds a girl with a manga book. Big deal? Apparently it is a very improper thing for her to be having and apparently otakus are seen as creeps in the school. Therefore, he agrees to keep it a secret with her.

The two then become closer as he is forced to protect her secret in multiple occasions. Later in the plot there is also another girl that shows up but her role was minimal, much less than what was expected considering her appearance in the OP. There are a few connecting pieces with the two characters' pasts and a few other interesting relationships but they were plainly spelled out and left little to the imagination (though I could see how some people might find this a plus). This show is not meant to be realistic so expect lots of excessive "power" and use of money.

One of the other complaints I had with the show is with the utterly overkill showing for Haruka's birthday. I highly doubt even the richest of the rich pull off stunts of that magnitude.

Character:
Again, due to the length of the show, I believe further character development could have benefited the show. Very little time goes to the ing cast so don't expect much development there.

Haruka more than makes up for this flaw though as she is a very dynamic character in the series (think what Kirino in Ore no Imouto would have been like with a more shy and dere personality). Her interactions and behaviors are very cute and she is also somehow amazingly innocent. Throughout, she learns to be more outgoing/less shy.

The guy on the other hand is just another typical nice dude who happened to be in the right place at the right time. His behavior is fairly static though, until you get to Purezza.

Value:
The show was a fun watch considering all the otaku and anime references. However, the value isn't nearly as high due to the lack of enough length to fully explore the potential, Purezza fixes this.

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu[/b] initially appears as an ecchi. However, there are very few panty shots, the breast sizes are reasonably varied and rarely the focal point of the “camera”, and the typical misunderstandings tend toward the innocent rather than the lurid. Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu[/b] has more in common with a romantic comedy than it does with an ecchi comedy. Sadly, this distinction doesn't make Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu[/b] any better when it comes to storytelling, with a weak second half that makes the series difficult to recommend.

The series starts off teasing the viewer with a sister and teacher who are half-naked drinking buddies. After this scene, however, Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu[/b] veers sharply away from ecchi and into straight-up romance, with a “Meet Cute” between Nogizaka and Yuuto, with Yuuto learning Nogizaka's deep, dark secret... she likes anime! Apparently, being a girl and enjoying an anime makes you an outcast, and so Nogizaka has been hiding her hobby until Yuuto stumbles upon it. When Yuuto accepts her hobby as normal, sparks fly, and a friendship begins that eventually blossoms into... well, very little overall. The romance in Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu[/b] is muted at best, with the first 6 episodes feeling more like a slice of life anime rather than a romance (and definitely not an ecchi). Oddly enough, these were the episodes where I found myself becoming invested. It's too bad that the final 6 episodes are so poorly written, else I would have recommended Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu[/b] wholeheartedly.

Now for some technical aspects:

ANIMATION
The animation is fair for a television series. There are quite a few still frames with only the mouths of the characters moving, and even more panning shots of stills. There is still a decent amount of “smooth” 12fps motion though. The character designs, while not the most attractive I've seen, are distinctive enough that each character is easy to tell apart. The backgrounds are reused quite often, though the characters exist in only a handful of areas such as Yuuto's house or at school, making this easy to forgive.

SOUND
As usual, there were no real standouts in this category, either good nor bad. The seiyuu did a good job of playing their characters, the OP/ED is decent, though easily skipped after the first viewing, and the background music was never noticeable, which is a good thing. There was one thing of note: The seiyuu for Nogizaka is Mamiko NOTO, whom some may recognize due to her extremely soft voice. She did the voice of Ana Coppola in Ichigo Mashimaro. After finishing that sentence, I realize I have nothing more to add, other than that I like her voice. Er... um... anyway, next category! :)

CHARACTERS
The cast is large, but the number of characters with decent screen time is very small. Nogizaka, the female lead, is a soft spoken and delicate high school student who secretly enjoys anime and manga. Yuuto is the male lead and Nogizaka's love interest, if you can call him that, given how painfully slow their relationship progresses. Surrounding the two main characters are Mika, Nogizaka's younger sister, who enjoys butting in on them whenever they're about to do something even remotely romantic, Shiina, a fellow classmate and rival love interest for Yuuto who is so underused that she amounts to little more than a red herring, and Nobunaga, Yuuto's best friend who is portrayed as a rabid Otaku. I would have enjoyed a bit more character development for these side characters, but unfortunately what little development there is is left to Nogizaka and Yuuto's turtle-paced romance.

STORY
As in most slice-of-life anime, the story is almost inconsequential as long as what is happening on screen is interesting on its own, regardless of any overarching developments. This is the case with the first 6 episodes, as we see Nogizaka and Yuuto going shopping, hanging out together, and learning about each other. The final 6 episodes are a mere shadow of the first, and are noticeably worse with regards to writing and humor, and are just plain uninteresting. It feels like the writers, having gotten the unique moments out of the way, felt that they needed to fit in some clichés of the romantic dramedy for some kind of mass market appeal.

Among the final 6 episode's clichés are a false crisis and a false dawn followed by the real crisis and the real dawn, and a 2 episode “misunderstanding” that revolves around the Idiot Plot, where the entire situation would be resolved in 5 minutes if the characters weren't acting like idiots and simply explained themselves clearly. For instance, an idiot would say, “Nogizaka! Um... Ehh.... You see... well... uh...” and then wait 2 days to clear up the misunderstanding, while a normal person would say, “Oh, this isn't what it looks like. That chalkboard was about to fall on her so I pushed her out of the way and accidentally landed on her.”

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu[/b] could have been a lot better. The first 6 episodes showed real promise with the subtle relationship between Nogizaka and Yuuto being the focal point. The final 6 episodes switch from a character driven romance to a plot driven one, where the writers threw in obvious clichés and contrivances that were both insulting and uninteresting. While I would not recommend Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu[/b] to anyone other than a die-hard “Must see every single romantic anime ever” fan, I would recommend the first half of the series to anyone. They really show what this series could have been if the writers hadn't lost their way at the halfway mark and begun playing it safe.

RpldZero: concise reviews for the cerebral anime fan, sans-spoilers

When I first heard about Nogizaka Haruka, I felt like my eyes were opened. I'm not particularly used to seeing pictures of anime characters that I don't know, so when I found out about this show and realized that it was being referenced wholesale around me, I was quite surprised. The hype surrounding this show seemed nearly comparable to that around Suzumiya Haruhi, one of my favorite shows to date. I thought I'd check it out.

Boy was I disappointed.

First of all, if you're never seen a romantic/drama style anime before, stop reading now. This anime is cute and may very well be a good gateway for you.

Concept & Dominant Themes:
Girl is otaku. Guy doesn't care. Everyone else does.
And that seems to be it. There really wasn't much else to this show. It's otaku-aren't-that-bad theme grabs a few brownie points from me, but that's about all I can give it.
It also tried its very best to be a romantic/comedy/drama, failing so hardcore as to be predictable (to those who watch these genres).

Animation:
decent, but not spectacular. Features bright colors and only a few animation loops.

Sound:
fun, but not by any means catchy or memorable.

Story:
Cute, but predictable to anyone who either
a) watches romantic anime,
b) reads quasi-romantic novels, or
c) has average intelligence

Characters:
No annoying characters to speak of. At least there's that.
Characters tend to have nearly altruistic personalities, very little depth if any, and never change.

Value:
This show has 1 valuable lesson: stand up for what you believe in. Unfortunately this is an overdone one, even within the anime itself, and to make matters worse each and every time they pound this into our heads we find the main characters in a situation familiar to any romance fan.

Enjoyment:
Save for the few real anime references, none. I wouldn't watch this anime again and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone but those between the ages of 14 and 17 who are just getting into anime (and who have not seen any romance-genre anime yet).

All in all, nothing noteworthy here. You're better off spending your time learning how milk is pasteurized.

Rate me! It's just a lot more fun if you rate me! This review is based on the BakaWolf-m.3.3.w. fansubs, and after looking at the DVDs, I can call this fair and final. 


Quick Take: Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (Haruka Nogizaka's Secret) is a light-hearted, effervescent and fluffy romantic comedy, a short series that's perfect for a summer watch, especially if you're a manga or series otaku. It's about a high-school idol, Haruka Nogizaka, who has a dark secret: she likes manga! Her secret is accidentally revealed to a guy who adores her from afar, Yūto Ayase, and the series is about how he protects her secret at all costs. Haruka is attractive, intelligent, rich, and multi-talented, but clumsy, shy and innocent. All of which helps Yūto to becomes her close friend. Can love develop from such humble beginnings? Or just a comedy of interrupted love? There is mild fanservice, appropriate for ages 13+.


Note: Along the way, you'll get otaku in-jokes. The essence of in-jokes is that your average person won't get it, but those "in the know" will. I caught about 30 references (visual and aural) to manga, anime series or characters in the series, and half the fun is recognizing them. Indeed, the series even makes fun of the ending dance in everyone's favorite icon, Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, as well as Mikiru Asahina in one of the episodes. So, if you consider yourself an otaku, see how many you catch! Self-referential, indeed. There are some mild fanservice elements early on, and some risque situations in later chapters, but it's all in good fun and should be appropriate for ages 13 and up.


Animation: The Yasuhiro Miyama's manga adaptation of Yūsaku Igarashi's light novel Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu was the source for this series. It does not exhaust the material available, and stays mostly faithful to the manga (some deviations occur). Character design is slightly improved, as is color selection and backgrounds; there are 7 main female characters in the harem, and each looks different. The pastel color-selection is perfect for a summer-themed series, which takes the couple from spring into fall. There are very few cinematics used, and it is almost all fair 2D.


The animation by Studio Barcelona (Ghost Hunt,  Itazura na Kiss, Kodomo no Jikan, Nanatsuiro Drops) is odd, because they usually do good in-between animation, and I think the in-betweens are the major difficulty: there's not enough good in-between animation to put this into excellent, so I think it's only above average. Backgrounds are good at times, and poor at others (crowd scenes, city scenes).

Directed by relative newcomer Munenori Nawa (Da Capo Second Season, Galaxy Angel A), we are "treated" to a few too many static cels, static pans, and the like, obviously a cost-saving measure in an era when computer animation is cheap and fast. I can't say it's bad, it's just not quite as good as Ghost Hunt or Itazura na Kiss. It does remind me of Kodomo no Jikan, however, both in look and feel: cute characters, nice mix of action and talk, and super-deformation isn't used much at all. Nicely animated OP and ED (a closing harem-dance) round out the series.

I rate the animation a 7, because it sells the comedy as well as the romance effectively without any gee-whiz.


Sound: The sound technicals are at least as good as Kodomo no Jikan, placing it in the above-average category. Sound is directional, full, and soundstage is active (big rooms sound big, outside has ambient noises, etc). Foley is above average, and there are a many sfx that were effective. There are good uses of BGM throughout, but it's not obtrusive nor is it memorable. The ED is uptempo Chicago-style dance theme: "Hitosashiyubi Quiet!" by N's: Kana Ueda, Mai Goto, Rina Satou, Kaori Shimizu, Mamiko Noto. It's actually fun. I'd rate the technicals an 8.


Seiyuu are given a tough job: sell comedy, romance, and screwball in equal measures. Fresh off his win as Best Male Rookie Award at the 2nd annual Seiyuu Awards, Wataru Hatano  (Gyokuyou in Wagaya no Oinarisama) is Yuuto, earnest and endearing without being cloying or asking to be killed. Opposite him is Mamiko Noto as Haruka, about as moe as they come, and she's actually so sweet that my eye-teeth hurt. I loved her, but she needed some backbone. Surrounding the couple is a group of talented women who, one would suppose, are his vocal harem, but there is never any question of how it will come out, because Yuuto is not indecisive. They are each voiced differently, and with enough flair to warrent an 8 on seiyuu.

The sum of the parts is an 8 on sound.


Story: At first, you think it's going to be a fanservice show. Nope. Then a harem comedy. Nope. But what develops is a standard romantic-comedy format with the screwball element of a secret that Haruka must protect. The theory is that manga, anime, and the like are otaku elements that are opposed by society; one wonders if this is actually the case when 100,000 people will go to Komiket or the like. It's a sweet, good-natured romp with a few you-gotta-be-kidding-me moments, and enough narrative drive to be interesting from start to finish. Yes, it's somewhat episodic, but the theme is never forgottten, and there is some material in the novel that is left undone at the end. It's not dark, it's not deep, it's not laughably funny (well, chuckles maybe), but it's sweet and somewhat romantic. Not a great outing, but not bad.

I'd give the story a 6 for narrative drive and continuity, a 6 for style, and a 7 for execution.


Character: Either you'll be sold on the characters, or not. It's not a standard harem comedy, because Yuuto is actually not indecisive or much swayed by the advances of other gals. He is actually not a stupid idiot, as are many harem romance-comedy guys, and you actually can see why someone might like him. Haruka is delicious and sweet, maybe too much so. The side-characters are perfect. The series is made by the main characters being sold, so if you buy them, you'll enjoy the series. The character design is cute, the leads moe, and the loli younger-sister is also a ton of fun. Also, if you have a maid fetish, this one is for you.

Characters get a 7.5 from me.


Value and Enjoyment: I think you'll finish it if you get to episode 5, as long as you like the characters. It's cute, fun, and short enough to warrent collecting in DVDs, especially if you like the otaku references and/or the ending dance. I think it could easily become a rewatch, and it's fun to watch with a friend. I'd rate value a 8, and enjoyment a 7, which is an average for me (mostly due to the animation spottiness). I enjoyed it enough to recommend it as a romantic comedy, but I it there are other shows that do it better.

Conclusion: Sweet and light summer romantic-comedy, a little screwball, a little harem, and a little short series. Not a fanservice show, really!  Enjoy it with a light heart.

There was a time when an anime didn't have to be conscious at every moment of the fact that it was an anime. But then The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya happened, and whether in the hope of obtaining some of its success, or just because playing certain styles of anime "straight" has become untenable, there has since been an intense self-interest verging on narcissism across the anime industry. Normally I try to review a work solely on its own merits, but it's simply impossible here: the legacy of Haruhi pervades Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu to its core, becoming most apparent in the dance-based ending sequence.

Haruka has set itself a high target; I came in expecting it to either become the most awesome anime of the year or (far more likely) to fail catastrophically. Surprisingly, while far from setting the world alight, it has turned out quite good. The show's overwhelming, effervescent pleasantness would melt even the stoniest of hearts. This is at its heart a celebration of childishness; the world is bright and friendly, and nothing in the characterization or tone is more than slightly nuanced or morally ambiguous. Rather, most of the conflict in Haruka is caused by the underconfidence, poor communication, nervousness and sheer boneheaded stupidity of the leads. The main characters of this show are superbly done: loveable yet flawed, consistent but still interesting. Their shyness can be infuriating, but also makes them the most realistic anime 16-year-olds I can . It would be easy to dismiss Haruka herself as a simple "moeblob", but this is unfair; there are more subtle elements of her character which are expertly revealed over the course of the series.

Unfortunately, all this lies in stark contrast to the ing cast, who are almost universally one-dimensional caricatures. This is exacerbated by the show being unsure what to do with the female non-leads. The cast is written like that for a harem show, but there's never a scrap of doubt as to who the final couple will be, which leaves two girls who were clearly intended to be main characters looking rather spare-part-ish, and means the series can only really summon two-and-a-half "proper characters".

Plot is equally thin on the ground. The romance of the leads is a joy to behold, but not enough to sustain interest through an entire series. With no other sustained plotline the show resorts to some special episodes, with mixed results; a brief excursion into Full Metal Panic! territory was highly amusing, but also felt forced and artificial, and the later episodes before the two-episode finale were undeniably substandard. However, the show manages to pull it back together for an ending, which despite being entirely predictable and unoriginal, nevertheless brought a huge smile to my face.

And that's the defining characteristic of this series. On paper it sounds mediocre-to-poor; the animation is good but never spectacular (though that said it would be hard to see where it could be improved; dazzling visual effects would be very much out of place in this kind of series), and the voice acting is similar (I feel like I'm neglecting my reviewerly duties, but there really is very little to say on these subjects), there are relatively few good characters while the story sounds - and to a certain extent is - stupid. But somehow these elements come together to produce a whole that is much greater than the sum of its parts: Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu is a joy to watch, and with some subtle touches to the characters and a plot that was obvious from the start, it's only going to get better on rewatching.

There is nothing groundbreaking or original here; this is not a megahit, nor a show that will be ed for a long time, not even one that will develop a small but devoted cult following. But none of these things are necessary to a show that is so sweet, so happy, and so much fun to watch.