If Her Flag Breaks

What an ending. Flag Matrix: Harem Edition. Also known as "If Her Flag Breaks". I honestly feel as though they should have done something different with this show. I'm glad they tried something new, but it was way too obnoxious for me to appreciate it, at all. They should have stayed away from being a harem in general. The plot was intriguing and had a lot of potential, so why fill it up with annoying and cliche harem devices? The harem was way too big, too. Around 12 or 13 girls. Seriously? Come on, man. If this show was, instead of a silly and ridiculously largeharem, a serious series that actually took a darker look at Souta's condition and the story then it would have been much better. They sort of just compiled Matrix-esque story elements into the harem madness and boom, they created this show. With flags. That piece of text right there was part of a post I made after watching the last episode of this series. If Her Flag Breaks is an anime that had a good amount of premise, but eventually failing and falling into a pit full of burning flags and every single type of girl that could be included in any harem anime, ever. I was excited for this show when it first came out. The PV made me think "Oh my god! A romantic comedy about a main character who actually feels DEPRESSED from his supernatural condition? This is gonna be great!" and the actual series made me think "I don't want to be here anymore." With that aside, I'll split the review into separate paragraphs to explain my feelings for each aspect of this series. I'll try to be quick about it, since nobody likes reading long reviews when all they really want is an opinion on the show before starting it. Or they do want long reviews to learn about other people's feelings on the disaster we all just witnessed. Either way, here you go. Story: 5 I don't even know where to go with this. The story, for the most part, is fairly simple. At least we think it is. Hatate Souta has a sort of "curse" brought upon him, where he has the ability to see people's "flags". These flags mark a certain person's feelings and emotions or they simply predict the upcoming events of their lives. Death Flags, for example, will appear on someone's head if they're soon to, well, perish. Souta also has the ability to break these flags, giving him the ability to change fate itself. The only way he can break these flags are... uhhmm... what was it again? Oh, well, he has to know something... personal about said dying person and he has to... errr... Anyway, eventually Souta starts to learn about this power of his and along the way, more and more girls pile up at his dormitory and fall in love with him for absolutely no reason at all. Just like any harem. Or, if there is a reason, it's an extremely stupid one. For some odd reason, just like in any harem, these girls that Souta has just met care about him deeply. Why is this? Well, ask the plot, because it... sort of explains it. I think. Too much was going on, I... I couldn't really tell. I won't explain the story for you, because I just can't. All I can say is, like I said before, it basically becomes the Matrix featuring a harem. Well, not exactly, but something similar to it. The plot is executed horrifically. The show spends most of it's time trying to "develop" the outrageously large harem it's constructed, though all in all, they end up with forced personalities that are actually kind of annoying. Well, some of them are annoying. I'll just count this as part of my Character section, so I'll tell you I gave the characters a 6 out of 10. Although they weren't developed very well and their feelings were forced, some of them I actually liked. "Some of them" actually meaning two out of the 13 or so girls that were involved. Souta, on the other hand, isn't really an interesting character. Sure, I liked how he was actually depressed because of his power and his "past" was actually tragic enough to create a logical reason as to why Souta would be a big ball of gloominess, but other than that, his personality was bland. As are most main characters in a harem series. Well, that's it for Story and Character. Sorry for skipping around, sometimes I end up turning into a different direction when it comes to talking about certain topics. Art: 6 I didn't care for the artwork. The style was strange, as it made every girl look like they had, what I call, "babyfaces". Seriously, every single one of them looked like they were 9 years old or something. Don't get me wrong, I've seen plenty of anime where young girls are depicted to look MUCH younger than they actually are, but there's something about the way their faces look that makes them appear baby-ish. Other than that there's nothing to really talk about in this section. Sound: 10 This is literally the only thing I actually enjoyed throughout the entire show. The soundtrack was phenomenal. I loved every bit of it. I feel as though... this series does not deserve the music it had used. Give it to something better! Argh. On the other hand, I didn't care for the opening or ending. The opening is catchy, but not anything special. Enjoyment: 5 I constantly questioned where this show was going, over and over. This and that happened, and I'm just sitting here waiting for something to finally make sense! I only recommend this to people who want a chance to turn their brain off and enjoy a typical, senseless harem. Ignore the plot, because it's plain garbage. One more thing. The show isn't even that funny. When I saw the synopsis, before watching the PV, I figured it may turn out to be another genius romcom like Noucome. I was wrong. Horribly. This is partially, or I should say, mainly, a romantic comedy. It's neither romantic nor comedic. It tries but it fails. Well, my friends, the Spring season is over. Some shows are notable, and some are not. This show is the latter. While I have to mention, though, I did love several of the series this Spring and I cannot wait for the summer simulcasts to begin. Have a good day. May the harem gods rain mercy down upon your soul, for after watching this show, you're certainly going to need it.

I've got to say, I noticed quite a few people bashing "Kanojo ga Flasg wo Oraretara" and I must say I truly believe it's not that bad of an anime. I actually really enjoyed this anime, and it was a great harem in my opinion, ^_^. Truthfully, I thought this show was going to be one of those happy-going anime with everybody always having a great time, smiling, enjoying life to the fullest, although I must say I was really surprised with how this anime was executed. Make sure to notice how I say "surprised" because I believe this is the reason people are bashing thisshow. It's actually much more dark than you'd believe and the story is actually pretty interesting. When I first saw this anime, I thought it was going to be about some kid who makes flags for a school club or something lol.. It's actually about a teenager who has an ability to see flags on other people's heads regarding various things such as a "love flag" where he can tell that she's falling in love with him. Or perhaps a "trusting flag" or something along those lines :P. The story actually gets pretty in-depth later on as the anime progresses, and as the story slowly progresses he has a great time with his harem Now, the art was a huge let down to lots of people. I see plenty of people complaining about the art all the time.. I personally didn't really notice anything but I am not that picky. I thought the drawings were cute and it was fine in my opinion. I enjoyed the art, I thought it wasn't that bad. The sound was pretty good actually. The opening was another factor that led me to believe this was one of those plot-less happy go going anime haha. I found the OP to be a little annoying at the beginning, but for some strange reason it grew on me and I love it now LOL. (yes I'm a guy) The characters were probably my favorite part, each really unique for his special harem. All the girls are different so you'll love some and hate some & there's sooooooooo many girls it's hard not to like one. For the most part they're all cute in their own way and you get to know each one better with each episode. I surprisingly really liked the MC, he's pretty sick. He goes through a lot of traumatic experiences and seems somewhat depressed, although has a cool attitude and has all the girls fall for him easily! I enjoyed this series a lot. I see plenty of people saying they didn't but I did! so make sure to give it a try just in case you're like me ;) Overall, the show is a nice mixture of genres & leaves you wanting more. Near the end of the show it gains the genre of action for the last 2 episodes, but I liked it tbh since I'm an action fan as well haha, it fits the plot holes pretty nice as well.

*Minor spoilers, but not really* /UPDATED 7-1-14/ Where do I start. This anime had a lot of potential with an interesting unraveling plot. But it just dragged on and had annoying moments. Story: 5/10- The main reason I started watching this anime was because of the Synopsis I read. I thought "oh cool, this sounds different!" And it started off pretty nicely. But I am not a fan of Harem, so this probably why I gave it a six. I love the underlining plot with Souta, the protagonist. I find his character interesting. He has a tragic past & not only that, he seespeople's "flags." But it's a curse. While trying to get by in school, he's also faced with a ton of girls that I wish had a more common sense. The only one that seems to be the opposite of the other girls is Nanami. I'm sorry, but the girls he lives with are annoying and always trying to flirt with him. It takes the seriousness away from the actual storyline. The main plot is definitely a win in my book if it weren't for the unnecessary scenes they have. But hey, the girls are devoted to him in sweet ways, so that's a plus and they were willing to do anything for him Let me talk about the last episode & more (spoiler free) It's a complicated plot especially towards the end. Somethings don't make 100% sense to where you have a relief to be like "OHH that makes sense." I feel like this anime was trying to do too many things at once. Comedy was mediocre and they really go heavy on the harem element of this. While they were trying to have funny moments, they also tried to splash a little depression your way! Not saying that's a bad thing. I love dark animes, but they did it in a way were it was kind of a turn off. If you don't pay close attention to every part, you'll be left confused. I know I'm not confident even to say I know what exactly happened. The ending was just like a "wtf just happened" type of feel. Episode 13 didn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Whether it was the random fighting or Nanami realizing who she actually was the episode before. I dunno. But Souta did realize something important at the end, so that was a bonus. But like I said, I think they were trying too much at one time. So somethings probably weren't as implied as other parts were. From what I hear from all sources, that the manga is better in ways of explaining and has better development. Hope that's true. Art: 5/10- Character designs are tacky and the animation isn't that great Sound: 5/10: I'm not usually picky on OPs & EDs. I almost 9/10 love them. But in this anime, I disliked them very much. It's cute, but it's just not my style. These types of things are usually a hit or a miss for anime fans. And this one was just a miss for me >.> Character: 5/10- When starting off with the two main protagonists; Nanami & Souta, you think "this will be good." And as the story progresses you get a sense for how Souta is feeling despite the smile he fakes. Which is something most of us can understand. I actually really love Souta's character. In the beginning he's kind of a jerk, but then you find out his reasons. And then a group of girls slowly, but surely changes his heart. With his stone-cold exterior changing, you realize he's a complex character. Once you think you know him, the story just twists it up and gives you a completely different perspective. You begin to question literally EVERYTHING you have been watching every week. That's what I like about this anime. Some of the emotions the characters are feeling seem pretty relate-able. And other times it's just "not even close to realistic." This anime really does fall flat for character development though. They did a decent job on Souta & Nanami, for the most part. but they too do have character flaws. But for the others, it was just maybe, if they were lucky, a few minutes of their past. Some of them were a little more in depth while others failed to have that chance. I really do understand that when creating anime, they do have a budget. But you have to be willing to spend a little more to get A LOT more. I feel like this anime could have been something great if more time was put into it. I honestly felt like everything was too rushed and left with so many questions. Enjoyment: 5/10- I started out loving it but as it progressed I was a little ify about it. I honestly thought I as going to be in love with this anime because of my first impression. I was sadly let down. There are so many characters being introduced left and right, that it's hard keeping up. I feel as if they are just kind of there, not really doing much besides trying to get with Souta every ten seconds. Though their love for him is sweet & all, it's just annoying at times. I am not the fan of Harem, so this probably why I think it is annoying. But I honestly think that girls throwing themselves at a boy who doesn't really pay attention to them is kind of childish. Now being a sister figure is different. you love him in a family way, not a "I want your kids someday" way. I think I would have enjoyed this anime a lot more if they focused just a little more on the underlining plot rather than pointless scenes that don't end up getting remembered by the time you finish the anime. Kanojo had an interesting storyline. I liked it a lot. Souta was a VERY important part in doing the things that needed to be done. But it wasn't as enjoyable as I would have hoped. Overall: 5/10- It had awesome parts(I guess?), but it's just not my cup of tea. Despite everything, if you can get past the girls I wanna slap sometimes and just pay attention to the unraveling plot, you might like it? Not saying everyone will, but it could happen.

The concept of an Event Flag should be nothing new if you’ve watched enough media. After triggering a flag, the plot is set in a specific path. Death flags are the most common example. If a character starts talking about their family or what they’re going to do after the battle, you know they’re doomed to die. So what if we took this concept *literally*? And then we added a harem? And then we did whatever we wanted with the plot? That, my friends, is Kanojo ga Flag. Story: Kanojo ga Flag is about a generic harem lead, Souta, who can see event flags on top ofpeople’s heads. He transfers to a new school and immediately starts building a harem. Souta’s harem might as well be the harem to end all harems. It has basically every archetype: Tsundere, Airhead, Older Sister, Little Sister, Student Council President, Trap, Childhood Friend, Princess, Idol, Robot, Baby/Grandmother, Tsundere 2, and Teacher. The harem grows so fast that it becomes pointless to distinguish between the girls. They’re all obsessed with the MC for some reason and that’s really their only defining trait. It managed to work well enough. When a harem gets so big and it’s clear the girls aren’t actually going to win over the MC, you stick around for the pointless harem antics. Beach episode? Sure. Beauty contest? Let’s do it. Super serious plot? Totally—wait what? Kanojo ga Flag never needed a serious plot but it decided it was going to cram it in anyway. I don’t think the plot twist is necessarily that bad; the show definitely foreshadows it. The problem comes from the amount of time the audience has to comprehend what’s even going on. It’s introduced very quickly and you pretty much just have to roll with it and watch in confusion or look up an explanation. An additional episode might’ve helped solve the problem. Characters: There’s nothing interesting about any of the characters. The MC always has a bored look on his face that makes you wonder why any of the girls are so interested in him. The best I can say about the rest of the harem is that they exist. They fulfill their roles in their respective archetypes and in the greater plot, but otherwise there is nothing unique or memorable about any of them. If you’ve seen an anime before then you’ve seen this cast. Sound: The voice acting was pretty good overall. Of particular note is Nanami’s voice actress, who was only 17 when the show aired. I think she did a good job for someone so young and just getting into the industry. Akane, the airhead, easily has the most annoying voice in the show. She also finishes each of her sentences with “desu” because she’s cute and I personally find it more frustratingly annoying than anything else. There’s no real standout performances among the rest of the cast, though Kana Hanazawa playing a trap was pretty fun. The OP and ED were passable. “Nothing special” is the key to Kanojo ga Flag. The same goes for the OST: it did its job well enough while I was watching the show but there’s nothing about it that particularly stuck with me. Art and Animation: The elephant in the room is Kanojo ga Flag’s art style. The girls are drawn in a way that make them look several years younger than they actually are. Look at any promotional art for the show including the picture on MAL and you’d probably conclude that they’re (mostly) all elementary school students. Admittedly, it looks a bit better when it’s animated. By the end I didn’t mind it too much. The rest of the art is colorful and fits the mood of the show. When the show goes full seriousness, the art gets darker along with it. There were no significant distracting art errors. The animation gets the job done. There are no huge quality issues or outstanding animation sequences. This is a harem anime for the most part. It doesn’t need to do anything great so I can’t really demand too much out of it. Enjoyment: Kanojo ga Flag is not *good*. It is a train wreck in every sense of the phrase. But it is a beautiful, entertaining train wreck. The show is incredibly fast paced and it does a good job at keeping the audience engaged. It’s so stupid and ridiculous that you can’t help but keep watching. I had fun watching the show from beginning to end and honestly that’s the most important part to me. Conclusion: Kanojo ga Flag wo Oraretara will never win any awards for anything. The plot is a mess, the characters are uninteresting, the sound is decent, and the art/animation is bad to ok. BUT I had fun watching it. If you don’t take it too seriously then I think you can have some fun with it. 5/10