Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai a.k.a. "Haganai" (the "ha" there is an alternate way of transliterating the は kana) is an adaptation of a light novel series that has been ongoing since 2009. This anime's 12 episodes cover volumes 1-3 with a few chapters skipped. While there is no complicated jargon or sci-fi/fantasy element in Haganai, this series still has many of the staples of light novels: a wide variety of moe and ecchi character types, with cosplay, beach episodes, otaku culture, nuns, comic SM undertones, bakabaka, etc.
So what sets the story apart from tons of other light novels, making it a top seller in Japan? Two things.
1) The character types and their fanservice are constructed masterfully. You will not think "just another nun" or "just another tsundere" if you are someone who appreciates the potential of those character types.
2) The writer is very talented, creating likable and funny characters who thrive in a quirky atmosphere that succeeds in portraying these friendless people in a sympathetic light rather than as ideals of any sort.
And the studio succeeds in delivering this. I had read the novel translations already, so I was impressed that I ended up watching the whole anime. The anime doesn't try to end the story prematurely when it only covers part of the novels, but the last episode was really well-done, better than I'd imagined possible, by adding clever filler (or maybe an actual flashback from a later novel chapter I haven't read?) that doesn't divert from the novel's canon. As a reviewer, I imagine that I will represent the typical perspective of someone who liked this anime without going crazy for it.
Art & Animation (Very good): Haganai's strength is in the character interactions, and light novels don't have the guidance for facial expression and posture that manga provides. But the studio really got it right, as all of the characters are really expressive and I found myself actually quite drawn to their expressions every once in a while. That specific bonus aside, I observed no issues with how the animation flowed, and the OP and ED animations were the nice standard fare.
Sound (Good): The seiyuu were very good. I would rate the seiyuu alone an 8. Sena's character in particular is frequently feeling a mix of emotions, and the seiyuu did a nice job bringing her to life. The OP and ED music were, like their animations, standard fare. I can't remember the background music at all, so I assume it was just decent or good quality without standing out too much, as BGM should be in a typical anime.
Story (Good): There is ongoing exposition of the backgrounds of the characters, but it never really "comes to a head" in this anime. The focus of Haganai is on the character interaction and on the character development. Although you can tell that the setting is actually well-considered by the author, and the author's not just making up background that sounds plausible--which I appreciate because it shows me that the author is inspired and attached to the story. But the setting's potential is unused at the moment. So do not look to Haganai for plot, as it doesn't even have character-centric plot. That said, it's not a story that is designed to require plot to be good, so the story itself is still good.
Character (Excellent): Haganai's strength is in the characters. They can be adequately referred to as "the ojou-sama tsundere" or "the loli nun" or "the fujyoshi mad scientist kouhai" but those brief titles do them no justice because every character has a lot of other little quirks that show up frequently and the way they express themselves is never repetitive.
Take Sena, the most popular character among fans and the second main heroine of the story. She's the ojou-sama I mentioned earlier in this section, but don't expect a typical ojou-sama. As a friendship-obsessed tsundere, all of the ironic ways she tries to figure out how to become friends to Yozora, the main heroine, effectively characterize Sena as a lovable dope. On top of that, Sena can't read the atmosphere and often complements herself and espouses money when those subjects are relevant, which is why she can't make friends, but she makes those statements with naively good intentions, because those are just speaking habits rather than real complexes, since at heart she's a kind person who just really wants to experience friendship but is totally awkward. Another fun point is how Sena ends up getting obsessed with dating sims (i.e. galge) because she wants to feel what it's like to befriend the virtual girls (though the games' protagonists are going beyond that and romancing them) but she always embarrasses herself trying to defend to Yozora the presence of sex scenes in them.
There's also Sena's father, a tsundere who is good at making the protagonist Kodaka feel REALLY awkward, as an example of a Haganai-style character who is funny and likable but doesn't fall under any kind of moe or ecchi character type. Anyway, these characters should all be pretty likable to you if this is the series for you; if you don't like the characters after a couple of episodes, drop it without looking back, because the characters just experience more and more exposition as the series goes on. Haganai is truly all about the characters.
Value (Good): So according to the review guidelines, "value" might mean rewatchability, sentimental value, or historical value. Some of its observations on modern culture (like cell phones) are amusing, but Haganai is not metaphor-heavy / tragic / historical fiction like something out of noitaminA... It is a school life comedy about relating with other people, with few hints at romance here and there, that doesn't take itself too seriously and desires to entertain its viewers. Rewatchability, for me at least, would be proportional to how much I like the characters. Well, I just finished watching it, so I'm not gonna do so again.
Enjoyment (Very good): Characters who articulate themselves in detailed and considerate ways that show the author really has an understanding of their own complexity are really enjoyable to me. As a vehicle of the characters, the story itself never felt stale. Haganai is not a top-tier anime for me, but I still really enjoyed it.
True overall rating (because I'm anticipating AniDB averaging everything with equal weight): 8.5 (Very good / Excellent). Characters, seiyuu, and art/animation are what really count in an anime like this one, and Haganai doesn't falter in any respect. Plus the anime actually ended on a high note. It's simply well-done, and has earned its acclaim. :thumbup:
