Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai!

Plot

Kawakami City is famous for its strong dedication to its samurai ancestors. A healthy fighting spirit is always valued and it is even an important factor for success at school. Yamato, the protagonist of the story and a second year student from Kawakami Academy, is always with his close friends (three boys and three girls). They have all known each other since they were young and have done many things together. While they have many other friends, this group of seven is a close-knit, inseparable group. They even have a secret base where they meet. With the new semester, they welcome two girls into their group and shortly after things begin to change.

Characters

Kazama Family

; : :The main protagonist of both the video game and anime, Yamato is the tactician of the group and loves to outwit others, mostly for fun but occasionally for material gain. He has an extreme love for his hermit crabs, Yadon and Karin. He is aware of all the girls being head over heels in love with him, but does not reciprocate their feelings at all, always avoiding their romantic advances and always rejecting them instantly, up to the point of being scared of them.

; : :The eldest of the Kawakami Family by a couple of years, Momoyo is seen as the older sister of the group. She effortlessly defeats anyone who challenges her, and is considered by many to be the strongest warrior in the world. She also loves combat more than anything, making her lack of worthy foes frustrating. Fights using her fists.

; : :The adoptive second daughter of the Kawakami family and nicknamed "Wanko" for her dog-like tendencies, Kazuko is known for her cheerful demeanor and dedication to what she cares about. She has been practicing for nearly her entire life to become a trainer at the Kawakami temple, but still pales in comparison to her sister. Fights using a naginata.

; : :A longtime classmate of Yamato's, Miyako is withdrawn & aloof, barely speaking to anyone outside the Kazama family. She has been madly in love with Yamato for years, but while Yamato cares deeply about Miyako, he does not reciprocate her feelings at all, and always rebuffs all of her romantic advances and continuously rejects her. Fights using a bow.

; : :A first-year transfer student, Yukie is shy to the point of conversing with her horse-shaped phone strap, which she has named Matsukaze and given a distinct personality; she often speaks to the Kazama family as Matsukaze. Her goal for the year is to make 100 friends. Fights using a katana.

; : :A transfer student from Germany, Chris is devoted to justice & fairness, looking down on Yamato for taking pride in being sneaky. She is not good at reading the room, but will readily jump into conflicts in order to defend her friends. She knows very little about Japan outside of what she has seen in jidaigeki dramas. Fights using a rapier.

; : :The leader of the Kazama Family and Yamato's longtime best friend, Shoichi is rarely called anything besides "Captain" by his friends. He loves having new experiences, and makes sure every member of the group is involved in the fun.

; : :The muscle of the group on the men's side, Gakuto is obsessed with finding a girlfriend but has no luck due to most women finding his antics repulsive. His family owns both the group's dorm and their hideout.

; : :The biggest geek of the group, Takuya is an otaku as he openly loves both anime and manga. He is also skilled with computers and can be counted on to keep up with the rumor mill, but like Gakuto has no luck with women. He is only the member of the Kazama family with no fighting capability.

Anime

An anime television series adaptation was announced on January 18, 2011. The series was animated by Lerche, directed by Keitaro Motonaga, and the scripts are by Katsuhiko Takayama. The anime aired on AT-X from October 1 to December 18, 2011. Sentai Filmworks licensed the series in North America. The series was simulcasted through the Anime Network as well as being streamed on Hulu, then released on home video via Section23 Films in 2012. the anime has one opening theme and ending theme. The opening theme is 'U-n-d-e-r-STANDING' by SV TRIBE, while the ending theme is 'Kimi no Maji o Chōdai'.

Reception

Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai! topped the Getchu Annual Sales Ranking for PC games in 2009, and was ranked highly by user votes, coming in 2nd place overall, 9th in System, 10th in Music, and 6th in Movie (referring to the opening and ending animations) among games from that year.

Thomas Knight of NookGaming highly recommended JAST USA's English release, praising the writing, characters, and comedy.

The sequel, Maji de Watashi ni Koishinasai! S, was awarded the Silver Grand Prize in the 2012 Moe Game Awards.

References

References

1. (September 25, 2011). "Sentai Filmworks Licenses Majikoi - Oh! Samurai Girls - Anime News Network".
2. (2012-10-28). "UK Anime Network News - MCM London Expo October 2012 industry panel news". [[UK Anime Network]].
3. "Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai! Game Gets Anime". Anime News Network.
4. "Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai! Refused by Chukyo TV Station". Anime News Network.
5. "Sentai Filmworks Licenses Maji de Watashi ni Koi Shinasai! Anime". Anime News Network.
6. link. Web Newtype
7. "Getchu.com ：PCゲーム館 2009年・年間セールスランキング".
8. "Getchu.com：げっちゅ投票「このゲームは"絶対"プレイしとけ!!」ユーザーランキング2009年決定版－投票結果発表－".
9. (9 January 2021). "Majikoi! Love Me Seriously! – Review".
10. link. Moe Game Award Executive Committee