Domestic Girlfriend

Domestic Girlfriend

Domestic Girlfriend is a current anime title that caused a slight uproar over the fact that as one content creator put it, "its a dumpster fire and train wreck all in one...and it's one that you will want to watch." With that in mind, I decided to set down and watch it to see what could be so bad that it was...good? 

Well, it is exactly what it is...a dumpster fire that you're drawn too like a moth to a flame only to realize your about to become the victim of a train wreck that you later end up enjoying as hard as that is to believe. This anime is very spicy and takes on some subject matter that isn't as unique as some would think, but it's in your face approach is something that many do not do. That said it is tastefully done and the character development aspect is extremely well done. By the end of the season (as we are all very hopeful there will be a second season), you will find yourself enjoying the anime and in the words of Herbert the Pervert, "I want more...".

Domestic Girlfriend is about Natsuo (the protagonist) that is about as clueless as they come when it comes to girls, relationships, and reading between the lines. He is what you expect from many anime's anymore with the main character usually unable to put simple equations together and yet SOMEHOW they are able to garnish the attention of so many adoring hotties. To be honest I would have killed for it to be that way back when I was in school just saying. 

Natsuo is a single child that lives with his father who is a single parent and attends a high school where he excels in literature and aspires to become a famous writer of books. During his time at school, he has fallen hard for his teacher, a woman named Hina. He has a taboo crush on her and wishes more than anything that they could be together. 

Within the first episode, you find that Natsu has several friends that ask him to go with them to a high school mixer, (I didn't realize that was a thing) where students from different high schools and classes will get together and hang out and maybe spark up some romance. During this particular mixer, he is introduced to a quiet and antisocial like girl named Rui. During the mixer, Rui and Natsuo speak to one another away from the rest of the group and they decide to leave the mixer together. 

What happens next starts the rollercoaster ride and is the first building block in the house of cards that is Domestic Girlfriend it is the match that lights the dumpster fire and begins to draw you in. The girl Rui takes Natsu back to her house where there is no one there and proceeds to convince him that they should take each other's virginity, no strings attached just do it to be doing it. Of course, Natsuo agrees and within the first 10mins of the 1st episode, we have our first action.

After that he leaves and heads home where things get moving along fast...as if someone watching the dumpster fire said, "lets put some gas on it" and they did. His father tells him he has met someone and has been dating her for a while and that he has decided it is time for him to get remarried. Natsuo, of course, is indifferent to this as he is happy that his father is happy. Natsuo is told that he will be meeting the woman soon as well as her two daughters. Of course when the woman shows up Natsuo's father introduces them and he admits that she seems nice and kind and is happy to see how his father acts around her. Then she introduces her two daughters...and this is where the comedy and action again begins. Her oldest daughter is none other than Hina (the school teacher he has a crush on) and her youngest daughter is, of course, Rui (the girl that he has already deflowered within this same episode mind you.) And so begins a wild ride.

Natsuo the protagonist is an introvert high school student that has a dream of becoming a writer. He has a friend that he spends a great deal of time with and relies on his advice to help him with the issues and feelings he has for Hina. He is your picture protag in these animes as he is a bit on the shy and timid side. He over analyses some things and doesn't analyze others, he misses social cues and can be a bit over-reactive. He does have some pretty problematic personality flaws but despite all that, his character development is one of the most well done I've seen. Over the course of the anime, he has his share of highs, lows, and moments of complete mental and emotional breakdowns.

He ends up becoming the stepbrother to Hina and Rui and despite that, he still actively seeks to be much more than that to Hina. Much like the movie series Twilight seen the creation of two camps of who people wanted to see the main star get with, there are two camps in the anime and manga communities that are divided between Hina and Rui.

Hina is the teacher that Natsuo has a crush on and loves more than anything. She also is his stepsister. She is older than he is by a few years and has only recently become a teacher after college. She is young and vibrant and has some habits of drinking a lot and having meetups with a mysterious man from time to time. Though she calls him her boyfriend the guy in question has a secret of his own and one that later Natsuo and Rui calls both Hina and him out on. 

Hina is outgoing, openminded, smart, and pretty. She knows all these things and takes full advantage of them. She of course through the course of the anime figures out that Natsuo has a major crush on her and that over time she finds that she herself has taken a great deal of liking to him. Of course, through the course of this, there are different times where she attempts to rationalize these feelings and puts them into a perspective that is both accurate and yet seemingly void of emotion. 

During an outing with just Hina and Natsuo, they find themselves at a beach where she walks out into the water and Natsuo follows her when they are out a little she poses a series of questions and thoughts about their relationship and how they could be more than they are now. At one point during this conversation, she asks him if he would commit suicide with her because the love they share and the relationship that he wats with her is taboo and would cause both of them and their family a great deal of dishonor. 

I won't spoil this storyline but let's just say you will need to hang on for the wild ride between Hina and Natsuo.

 Rui is an introvert much like Natsuo and speaks very little to others. She has a hard time in public and is socially awkward which Natsuo takes quick note of and spends time working with her to make her more socially acceptable and to have some friends. She is also the girl that took Natsuo's virginity and lost hers to him. She is also now his stepsister as well due to her mother marrying Natsuo's father. 

Her and Hina have always been close and after they moved in with Natsuo and his assistance with helping her in school she eventually begins to realize that she has feelings for Natsuo and at first it scares her. Overtime however she realizes and finds out that he has a deep love for Hina and she offers her advice and help to him even though it conflicts with how she feels. 

Eventually, she has to deal with the fact she is falling in love with Natsuo and that he also has feelings for her but that his feelings for Hina are stronger and in a sad twisted way unintentionally he strings Rui along and she accepts it. She, of course, feels conflicted by all the happenings at home, in school, and with Hina. 

After some time and different happenings, Rui gives the affection and attention to Natsuo that he needs and she lives in a balancing act of trying to be a supportive sister and a supporting lover.

While Natsuo is in school he befriends a girl called Momo. The girl Momo has a reputation for being the 'easy' girl and tends to have more than one boyfriend in a short period of time. She ends up setting her sights on Natsuo and through Rui (who she befriends) makes it known to Rui that she is wanting to hook up with Natsuo. Natsuo of course at first is taken back by this development but decides that he would at least entertain the idea of them having a friendship...and maybe one with benefits.

That said however during an episode in which Momo invites Natsuo to her house she sets up the moment giving him the chance to do whatever he wants to her. She is ready and willing to give herself to him, but Natsuo notices something and he realizes all too suddenly what is really going on. 

As to not destroy this arch I will say that Natsuo realizes that the reason for why Momo acts the way she does is because of the lack of any love at home. Because of that, she seeks love in other places...mostly in the bed of other men. He calls her out on it in a nice and meaningful way that impacts her and she begins to let that side of her go and instead seeks to become a better person thanks to the inspiration of Natsuo.

When Natsuo talks to a teacher about writing he finds out that the school has an unofficial Lit Club that is ran by a single girl named Miu. Clubs are required to have a minimum of 3 members before becoming official. The teacher who is also a well known and published writer himself makes a deal with Natsuo. He will read all the works that Natsuo submits and take him under his wing so long as he joins the Lit Club and help Miu. 

Natsuo, of course, jumps at this chance and through chance, Natsuo gets Momo and Rui to join the Lit Club with him. He also gets another student and friend that he meets to join as well which gives the Lit Club more than enough members to become an official club. Because of this the teacher that is the sponsor of the Lit Club honors his end of the bargain and begins helping Natsuo with his writings. 

Miu is a shy, introverted girl that is extremely smart but lacks social skills. (Which is a major theme of this anime and manga.) She is a good writer and has won the amateur status in writing circles. She also has a secret that Natsuo finds out about and one that like Natsuo can't be exactly talked about openly. But she finds in Natsuo a valued friend and companion that shares the love of writing and of forbidden love as well. 

This anime has more twists and turns than a maze and more ups and downs than a rollercoaster and I promise you that you will be on an emotional rollercoaster where you can't help but feel for the characters and their situation. Despite the odd situation that they are in and how it is seen by today's society, the idea is that this anime brings to light some serious difference in how society sees love and the relationships of people and how people view those same things. 

The anime is a must-watch and despite the emotional rollercoaster, there are plenty of comedic scenes other characters that play a big role in developing each of these main characters that I didn't mention and of course there is the part of the story that I have not told you that will leave you at the edge of your setting asking for more. Yes, that's right this dumpster fire is going from a single match and some paper to a blaze created by 5 gallons of gasoline and a road flare.