The Kawai Complex Guide to Manors and Hostel Behavior Review

“Senpai noticed me.”

Another internet meme born from the world of anime. Evolving from cases where a younger person has romantic interest in an elder / superior and attempts to get themselves noticed. Kawai Complex- as I refer to it because the full title is longer and more unnecessary than Shia Labeouf’s acting career- is “senpai noticed me,” the anime.

Now, such a claim about ties to meme humor would appear to be damning, but it turns out Kawai Complex is one of the bigger surprises of this spring season. As a comedy / romance, it centers around Usa, a highschooler who has recently moved into a boarding home. Usa soon finds out however that not only are his fellow tenants a bit out there, but his crush also calls the complex home. As you’ve likely imagined, plenty of hijinks ensue while Usa awkwardly attempts to woo Ritsu during the havoc created by the other residents.

Many, even among devout anime fans, aren’t keen on the more comedic realms. Admittedly, I’m quite picky because this area tends to be highly derivative and filled with many of the valid reasons why some avoid anime. By no means is Kawai Complex overflowing with originality. The premise, the sexual innuendo; both tricks of a genre whose foundations are trope filled pillars.

Wisely though, much of the show takes place at the boarding home where the cast is sufficiently diverse. Little twists to caricatures like Shiro the pervy masochist who posses a childlike love of life and is ultimately harmless, keeps things from getting too familiar. Occasionally these types of anime walk a thin line of sleaze. There’s an episode in which Shiro befriends a young girl. Much like the audience, the residents’ minds instantly suspect the worst. The script is quickly flipped when everyone realizes they’ve jumped to an unfair conclusion. Such details are interesting twists to keep the viewers from having everything figured out from the get go.

While an overarching plot exists, there’s a very slice-of-life presentation. The episodic and comedic nature mix for the usual hit or miss quality. There’s never a bad episode, but some develop to be more tertiary in the plot department. This issue isn’t localized to an episode or two as the finale builds to what can only be called resolution lacking. The trouble here is the light novels of which the anime is based on has yet to be finished, so a satisfying conclusion was likely never in the cards. Additionally, there’s a good chance Kawai Complex could end up like other anime and never receive a second season.

There is an OVA planned for later this year, and it’s quite possible to wrap up the story with a single episode. Hopefully this is the case as the awkward teen romance of Usa and Ritsu is amusing enough to warrant a proper finish.

My expectations were low as I began the series thinking it would just be another one of “those” anime. Things quickly turned around as I came to realize this wasn’t another pandering mess. Much of the humor can be crass but occasionally witty too. While not a thinking man’s comedy, there were several times I had to double take on an unexpected crack at Usa’s innocence by Mayumi, or Shiro’s overly earnest masochism. There are some genuinely heartwarming moments too, which aren’t played up to staggeringly cheesy levels. They simply serve their purpose and make way for the comedic relief.

Kawai Complex is the culmination of a studio’s work to do enough to separate itself from the pack. From its water color with a slight haze visuals, cast, and plot, rarely did I feel like I had seen an anime exactly like it before. Revolutionizing a genre isn’t a must and sometimes it pays to fine tune what you already have. Of the roughly half-a-dozen comedic anime I’ve seen this year, this is most definitely my favorite.

8/10