I love a good Shoujo from time to time, and I'm sure you've probably enjoyed some too. They are entertaining, comedic and touch your heart. But what exactly goes into making such a work? Welcome to this review of Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-Kun, a comedy series about the production of a Shoujo manga
Nozaki-Kun is one of the better comedies from anime that I've seen in years, primarily because it's a well executed subversion and lampshading of the Shoujo manga genre. It's focused on being an entertaining comedy, which does it to a level that many would find absurd, but that's the charm of it. Nozaki-kun takes what would normally be a regular scene in a shoujo manga, and make it into an hilarious and entertaining gag. A great example would be the scene in the picture above: it started off with discussion about how Nozaki should put a scene about walking home, but Suzuki, the hero in the manga of the show, typically rides a bike home. Due to the fact that riding on the back of a bike they typically show in shoujo is illegal, we get this: A two seated bike that nobody can take seriously, and it creates a gag so absurd that it's amazing.
Hilarities will ensue.. They execute it so well that you can't help but laugh! It's focused on putting a smile on your face, and due to the fact that this is a 4coma adaptation, it has a lot of focus. They take a joke, and then focus on doing that joke. Everything that they show is for a purpose, and this focus makes the show great. Every aspect of the show contributes to the hilarity of the show, which includes the amazing cast.
A Cast of Awesomeness