Hello and welcome to Project Nitsuj. Over the years there have been awful anime that are so bad that you can’t help but find call them dumpster fires. A complete disaster but at the same time you can’t look away because you want to know just how bad it can get and enjoy the show. It’s like a tire fire, you can try and put it out but it’ll only make it worse. All you can do is just let it burn. Grab a drink, a chair, and just watch it burn. A good example of this is School Days. You can complain about it all you want but it’s not gonna change anything. So, all you can do is just sit back and enjoy the fire. One anime that seems to be giving it a run for its money is Domestic Girlfriend. Ah~, Domestic Girlfriend. So much hype and potential squandered for the sake of getting a reaction out of people. Based off a manga written by Kei Sasuga from 2014-2020, Domestic Girlfriend is a series that got popular for all the wrong reasons. It started off compelling only to go down thanks to its unlikable leads and an ending that was a major WTF moment. In 2019 Diomedea (Campione and Parallel World Pharmacy) turned the series into an anime and definitely achieved their goal of getting a reaction out of people both good and bad. Let’s sit back, grab a drink, and enjoy this fire. This is Domestic Girlfriend.
Opening and Ending Theme
The opening is “Kawaki wo Ameku” by Minami. Real talk, for all the flack this anime gets the one thing that everyone can admit they like is the opening. The way it is composed, the instrumental, the singer, and the visuals. This is a god-tier opening if I ever heard one and I’m not sorry I kept it off the 2019 Top 11 Openings list. That year was packed with great openings but I should have given it an honorable mention.
For the ending we have “Wagamama” by Alisa Takigawa. A great ending that does a good job of capturing the feelings of the characters in the anime perfectly. This ending got overshadowed by the opening but it’s really worth revisiting and listening to it.
Episodes 1-4
The anime starts with Natsuo voiced by Taku Yashiro, your typical high school boy who has a crush on his teacher Hina (take it from me man, it’s an unrequited love. The only way you’ll get with her is after you graduate) voiced by Yoko Hikasa (Rias from High School DxD). His friends invite him to a mixer where he meets Rui voiced by Maaya Uchida (Lili from Danmachi), a quiet girl who obviously doesn’t wanna be there and is just there to be there. Natsuo and Rui sneak out and Rui invites Natsuo to her apartment where they have sex because Rui wanted to experience it. After that, Natsuo goes about his days normally until his dad breaks the news to him that he’s getting remarried (way to keep your son in the loop. Why does this sound like the start to a hentai?). Thankfully, the mother isn’t a MILF nor is she Hina (no, that would be too cliché), instead, Hina is actually the daughter of Natsuo’s new mom as well as Rui (oh~ I have never seen a man get brother-zoned before). So the two families move in together where things are awkward for Natsuo. Not only is he living in the same house as his crush, but he’s living with a girl he just had sex with and has to keep it a secret. On top of all this, they’re his sisters now and he has to get rid of his feelings for Hina (the poor guy has it rough). When Hina passes out drunk on the couch (the woman knows how to drink) in a defenseless and provocative position, Natsuo can no longer hold back his feelings and moves in for one kiss (don’t do it man, she’s got that beer breath). Before he can kiss her, Rui walks in and sees just what he was about to do.
In episode 2, Rui transfers to the same school as Natsuo and Hina (family sticks together) where she has trouble making friends as she is socially awkward (we’re all awkward in our own ways). Natsuo manages to help her make friends by conversing with her in class and turning their whole conversation into a skit (a Japanese version of SNL) which gets the attention of everyone and she starts to make friends. A few days later, their parents go out for dinner leaving the new siblings at home with each other where Hina receives a call from a guy named Shuu, her boyfriend. He wants to talk with her outside, so she heads out to talk to him, only to return with tears in her eyes (you got dumped didn’t you?). Natsuo tries to figure out what’s going on, but the parents come home drunk and full of energy, so the mood gets killed quickly (parents. They ruin everything).
Things get a little bit intense in episode 3. We find out that Hina is dating a married man (bitch! Homewrecking bitch. The guy’s no saint either). Things only get more complicated when Natsuo and Hina kiss when Natsuo finds out about the affair and she plays with his emotions by kissing him again only to turn around and treat him like a child (you are just making everyone hate you today, aren’t you?). Natsuo runs away to his friend’s house only to get found by Rui who joins Natsuo in his boycotting of Hina’s affair and together, the three come up with a plan to end it. At the end of the episode Natsuo and Rui return home where the relationship between Natsuo and Hina is rocky and Natsuo gets ready to set the plans into motion to stop Hina from being a homewrecker.
In episode 4 we meet the bastard Hina is dating behind his wife’s back, Shuu (who just has a face you want to punch), a biology researcher who works at a university lab (quite the prestigious job. How would you like it all to go away with one phone call?). He’s 32 years old, no children, and has been dating Hina for 2 years (one hit. Come on, just give me one hit, please). Shuu is the guy who initiated the act of them dating and says that even though he’s married he truly does love Hina (cut the crap! You’re a cheating asshole, Hina’s a homewrecking whore, and you’re both terrible people for having this relationship). No longer able to stand this bullshit, Rui throws a glass of water in his face and leaves with Natsuo chasing after her. He eventually catches up to Rui and she just starts crying in his arms (oh no not the tears, make it stop). The next day Natsuo goes to visit the grave of his dead mom where Hina and Rui show up to make an offering and introduce themselves to her. It’s here that Hina tells Natsuo that she broke up with Shuu (you swear? I don’t want this to be I’m secretly dating him behind everyone’s back kind of thing) saying that family is more important (bullshit, you just didn’t want to get the cold shoulder anymore).
Episodes 5-8
Things seem to settle down with the family in episode 5. We switch gears this episode and focus on Momo, a girl from school who befriends Rui despite being told not to get involved with her as she’s been known to sleep around (there’s even a rumor that she’s been in a 6-way. (Baron): DAMN! Was it 1 girl and 5 guys or. . . (Nitsuj): I’ll leave it up to your imagination. (Baron): . . .DAMN!). Despite the rumors, Rui ignores them and befriends Momo deciding for herself whether or not she’s good company. Everything seems to go alright between them until Natsuo catches Momo’s eye and she becomes interested in him (get ready to have a new sis, Rui). While Rui seems indifferent to Momo going after Natsuo, there is a part of her who feels conflicted about all of this (is it the part of you that slept with him and still longs for his touch, not as a brother but as a man? This family is weird). Natsuo doesn’t seem to mind Momo’s advances (don’t fall in the thot’s trap Natsuo) and things move fast when he goes to her apartment and they’re about do it until he stops noticing the scars on her wrist (possibly cuts herself) and finds out that her family isn’t all that great as her parents work, often argue with each other, and barely spend any time together. Rather than leave and end their relationship, Natsuo sticks around and has dinner with her (such a gentleman).
In episode 6 we see Natsuo’s harem continues to grow. He gets forced by the Japanese literature teacher Kiriya to join the literature club (hopefully it ends better than the Doki Doki Literature Club. Yeah, I know the joke has been made but it bears repeating). He along with a girl named Miu are the only official members of the club with Miu being on the shy side when meeting new people. The two however do become friends quickly as they both have a love for literature and are even writing their own novels about love. Rui and Momo become interested in joining where it’s hinted that Rui is a little jealous of Miu (aww~, someone wants to be doted on by her big brother). Natsuo gets invited to spend time with Hina on their day off and he takes it.
We get a Natsuo and Hina episode in episode 7. The two go on a trip and have somewhat of a date with each other. During this time we actually do get an explanation as to why Hina fell in love with Shuu (the bastard~). Back in high school the other girls were jealous of Hina because she got along with the boys so easily. She soon became an outcast and had nobody to talk to except for Shuu who was the science teacher at her school. Shuu became Hina’s rock so it’s understandable why she fell in love with the guy and wanted to be with him (that still doesn’t make it any less wrong). Shuu soon transferred to a different school and Hina met him again as she was finishing up college. After hearing her story, Natsuo shows Hina his novel he’s been working on where he re-confirms the fact that he’s been in love with her for so long. Hina makes the suggestion that they date in secret but knows they can’t keep it a secret from their family forever (hentais beg to differ) so she suggests they just commit suicide together (what the hell is wrong with this woman!?) or toss away everything to be together. Natsuo doesn’t have the resolve to do either of those things so they return to shore and go back to being siblings (who have serious sexual tension and need to sleep with each other). They return home where things seem to be normal between them and just in time for their exams. Hina tutors Natsuo and Rui at home where Natsuo gets a front row seat to Hina’s fingering session later that night (I swear to God that is true. Natsuo accidently watches Hina finger herself. I’m starting to think this anime is a hentai and they just forgot to put in the sex) where she says another man’s name (give up on her Natsuo. When a woman masturbates and doesn’t say your name it’s time to give up). Anyway, Natsuo stays up all night studying to forget what he just saw (can’t say I blame him) and it works to his advantage as he’s able to pass all of his exams with flying colors.
Things take an interesting turn in episode 8. We meet a new character named Al who comes from America and speaks Engrish (for our amusement). He seems to have a thing for Rui and asks Natsuo to hook him up where Rui is pissed that Natsuo would try to do something like that to her. Natsuo goes to apologize to her in her room only to wind up kissing her again where they get discovered by Hina (does nobody knock or close doors in this anime? Seriously, we got girls masturbating and step-siblings making out. Close the damn door and learn to knock). Hina is shocked by this and rather than be disgusted she’s actually jealous of how straightforward Rui is with her feelings for Natsuo (what the hell!? You reject him, call out another guy’s name while you masturbate, and now you’re jealous of him and your sister? What do you want, woman?). Hina decides she wants to move out and keeps a steady distance from Natsuo until they finally talk alone with each other at a festival and she confesses her feelings of jealousy (the sky is blue, Hina is bipolar). Natsuo is so happy about the jealousy that he can’t help but chuckle at it. He doesn’t give a definitive answer about his feelings for Rui but he knows that he still has feelings for Hina and hugs for a while until they finally break the hug and meet up with their family to leave all while holding each other’s hands as they leave.
Episodes 9-12
Nothing much to really say about episode 9. Hina moves to her own place but gives Natsuo a key to her apartment meaning he can come and go as he pleases since the two are now in a relationship with each other (the kind where they’re constantly avoiding other people and making out in private). Rui is of course sad about Hina moving out (then next time lock the damn door) but does her best to cope with the situation. Natsuo and Hina meet in private to make out a few times (they even take a big risk and kiss each other on school grounds to end the episode. This whole series is full of cringy moments, yet I want to keep watching. I want to know just how far they go).
Things get interesting in episode 10 and in this episode Natsuo becomes an idiot. The school has a cultural festival where the literature club sell their books containing their stories to the students. Natsuo finds out that Kiriya moonlights as one of his favorite authors (and he goes completely fanboy on us) and wants to put Natsuo’s story in a writing competition which could possibly lead to his work getting published. When teasing Miu at school, she accidently pushes him down a flight of stairs where he breaks his leg (it is becoming Doki Doki Literature Club. Ahhhh~). This upsets Natsuo as this means he can’t go over and make out with Hina (oh, and this whole thing is a secret from Rui who is under the impression that Natsuo has been going over to his friend’s house this whole time). Rui takes care of Natsuo by even taking a bath with him (dat ass Rui. Dat. Ass) where she accidently grabs his dick (and judging by her expression, it’s not impressive). Rui finds out about Natsuo’s lie and rather than come out and tell the truth he decides to lie again (I would normally say the fall from the stairs made him stupid but not even that would explain this level of stupidity). No longer able to take it, he sneaks over to Hina’s place where it actually seems like they’re going to do it (playing the sympathy angle. Low but effective) but Rui comes over who was concerned about Natsuo and sees him. She runs away crying and Natsuo manages to find her in the park where he confesses that he’s been in love with Hina for a while to end the episode.
In episode 11 Rui accepts Natsuo’s feelings for Hina and decides she’s going to keep her distance from him and make herself dislike him. Other than that, not much really happens. Rui gets an honorable mention in a writing contest making Natsuo a little jealous, but he bounces back from this and is now more determined than ever to become a novelist. They go on a school trip to Okinawa where Rui and Hina are able to make up with each other and Natsuo finally has sex with Hina (so now that you’ve slept with both Natsuo, who was better?). This moment of bliss is short-lived however as somebody snapped a picture of Hina and Natsuo kissing and has shown the picture to the school.
In the final episode Hina literally gets on her knees and begs them not to make this public saying that she’ll accept all the blame for this illicit relationship. So Hina transfers to a new school and keeps it a secret from Natsuo even going so far as to not tell him what school she’s going to and even moving away entirely (so is this a break-up or what?). Natsuo falls into a deep depression and locks himself in his room to mope (like a bitch) until his friend and a few others finally come around to knock some sense into him (where surprisingly nobody hits him). To get rid of his feelings for Hina he writes a long story and gives it to Kiriya who submits it for a contest and it wins an amateur award in writing (and all it took was being dumped by his stepsister). He returns home and sees Hina there and embraces her only to find out that it’s actually Rui in disguise (should have been obvious by their height). Natsuo goes to comfort her where she pulls him down and kisses him saying she won’t hold back anymore (oh for God’s sake man, start dating outside of your family).
Final Thoughts
Well guys, it’s a dumpster fire. You really don’t find yourself rooting for any of the main characters and find everything they do to be cringe or stupid. To their credit, they are flushed out. You get an idea of who they are but at the same time you really don’t care for them because they’re awful. Except for Rui, she’s passable. You’re just interested in how they keep messing up and making mistakes. The only joy to get out of this is choosing a side on who Natsuo should be with. Despite Rui being the overall better woman than Hina who is a homewrecker and constantly plays with Natsuo’s emotions because she’s crazy, Natsuo still runs to Hina because he’s an idiot. Rui isn’t much better as she has no idea what her feelings are for Natsuo either and keeps going back and forth between siblings and boy I’m in love with. Pick a lane and stay in it, women! The other female characters leave no impact on the story whatsoever. In fact, their whole presence is pointless. At first I thought they were going to be potential love interests as well but nope. They show up for like one episode and leave. Natsuo is selfish. He has no idea what he wants and when he does figure out what he wants he pursues it with tunnel vision ignoring the feelings of those around him or the consequences that come with his actions. Just when it seems like the anime is going to turn things and redeem itself it shatters that hope and brings things to zero again. It is so stupid that it’s laughable. That’s the worst thing about this anime. I can’t hate or get mad at it because of how laughably stupid it is. The whole point of this series is to get a reaction out of you and the author succeeds at doing that. Whether that be positive, negative, or somewhere in between this series will get a genuine reaction out of you.
The animation is good. From what I can tell it does a good job adapting the drawings and panels of the manga. The music is decent but where they put it makes no sense to me. Why are we playing sad music over a girl masturbating?
Final Score
My final score for Domestic Girlfriend is 3/10. I wouldn’t go as far as saying I hate this anime but I didn’t like it all that much either. It’s just a laughably stupid anime that gets good reactions out of me. I don’t see a second season coming out any time. The manga ended and people were not happy about it just like they weren’t happy this anime. Maybe a movie perhaps, but even that seems like a stretch. Thanks for reading and I’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj.