Aharen-San Wa Hakarenai - What We Know So Far
Typically, shonen anime — which merely refers to series marketed toward boys — are fantastical in nature, chronicling an ambitious boy's journey to becoming the most powerful warrior in the universe. "Naruto," "One Piece," "Demon Slayer," "Jujutsu Kaisen," and plenty of other mega-popular franchises fall under this broad classification. However, shonen series can likewise take place in entirely realistic settings too. For example, the volleyball anime "Haikyuu!!" is about a high school boy's attempt to overcome his short stature and become a star volleyball ace.
"Aharen-san wa Hakarenai" began as a comic serialized in the pages of Shonen Jump+ (via MyAnimeList), which is an online spin-off of the popular Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, in which "Naruto," "One Piece," and almost every other widely-known shonen series first debuted (via Anime News Network). "Aharen-san wa Hakarenai" skews closer to "Haikyuu!!" than "Demon Slayer," given that it takes place in a lifelike high school environment rather than an invented fantasy world. Furthermore, "Aharen-san wa Hakarenai" is a comedy, forgoing epic battles or tense sports matches for social misunderstandings and situational comedy.
"Aharen-san wa Hakarenai" will soon be adapted into an anime using the original comic book series as its source material. Here's what we know about the "Aharen-san wa Hakarenai" anime so far.
When will Aharen-san wa Hakarenai be released?
News that "Aharen-san wa Hakarenai" would be adapted from a comic into an anime series was first announced in July of 2021. Anime streaming service Crunchyroll, whose report at that time characterized the series as appealing to fans "of comedies that are bad at judging personal boundaries," includes numerous details about the show beyond just news of its adaptation. Crunchyroll noted, for example, that the show will be helmed by Chief Director Yasutaka Yamamoto and Director Tomoe Makino. Yamamoto's past work as a director includes episodes of series like "Noblesse" and "xxxHOLiC: Kei" (via Anime News Network). Makino, meanwhile, has directed episodes of "Fairy Tail" and "Pokemon Sun & Moon," among others (via Anime News Network).
Also included in the writeup is when "Aharen-san wa Hakarenai" will premiere. It looks like Episode 1 of the series will air in Japan in April of 2022 on a specific date that has yet to be announced.
Who are the principal characters in Aharen-san wa Hakarenai?
As Crunchyroll detailed in its article announcing the "Aharen-san wa Hakarenai" anime, the series revolves around two principal characters: Reina Aharen and Raidou Matsuboshi.
Aharen is a short, blue-haired girl, whose face almost always bears a neutral expression. The character's voice will be provided by Inori Minase, a prolific anime voice actor. Her past credits include the voices of Hidomi in "FLCL: Progressive," Shoko Makinohara in "Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai," and Rem in "Re: Zero, Starting Life in Another World," among others (via IMDB).
Raidou, meanwhile, is a relatively normal-looking teenage boy, with few features to distinguish him from similar characters in other high school anime series, likely by design. He notably appears to be about twice as tall as Aharen. He will be voiced by Takuma Terashima, whose past work includes the voices of Saburo Togusa in "Durarara!!" and Eita Semi in "Haikyuu!!" (via IMDB).
What is the plot of Aharen-san wa Hakarenai?
According to a plot synopsis for "Aharen-san wa Hakarenai" on MyAnimeList: "Reina Aharen, a small and cute student with a quiet voice, is quite bad at determining distance and personal space. Sometimes she's inches away from your face, and at other times, miles too far! The only one who tries to understand her antics is Raidou Matsuboshi, who is seated beside her in class. He has a menacing face, but in reality, he is a kind boy with an imagination that can run wild at times."
In the short trailer that has been released for the series, Raidou introduces himself to Aharen in light of the fact they sit next to one another in class. While Aharen initially appears unreceptive, Raidou then picks up an eraser she dropped, prompting her to begin whispering to him well within what might be considered his bubble of personal space. This appears to be a microcosm of the dynamic that will be showcased between Raidou and Aharen come the series' April 2022 premiere, and it'll certainly be fun to see how their personalities contrast.