Can a Boy-Girl Friendship Survive Seems to be Fun

Article at a glance:

• The anime explores the blurred line between friendship and romance, a rarely tackled rom-com theme.
• Yuu and Himari’s relationship feels natural and sibling-like, with solid setup for future character growth.
• While the production is standard, the show has potential if it develops its characters and themes well.

Here’s a fun fact for you: This anime was announced almost three years ago, in August 2022. Yeah, I have no idea what took so long, but we are finally here. And I have to say, I enjoyed the first episode more than I expected. Can a Boy-Girl Friendship Survive brings up an interesting dilemma of where friendship stops and romance begins? I have not seen many rom-coms tackle this particular topic before and I think if handled well, it could be a great anime.

So welcome back to another first impressions article. I didn’t originally intend on picking up this anime but the concept seemed interesting so I decided to give it a chance. Today we are talking about Can a Girl-Boy Friendship Survive? Of course, spoilers for episode 1 ahead. So proceed with caution. With that said, let’s get started.

What did I think of Can A Boy-Girl Friendship Survive Episode 1?

The episode starts off strong. wasting no time in setting up the dynamic between the two MCs, Yuu and Himari. And then immediately goes on to establish Yuu’s interests and long-term goals. Yeah, it feels a little exposition-heavy but I think it is handled well as the interaction between Yuu and Himari is well-written and gets across what the audience needs to know about these characters well. Yuu wants to be a jewelry designer and have his own shop, basically. Himari for some reason decides to help him in his endeavor.

This also sets up Himari’s character arc nicely as she often wonders why she decided to help him even though she has no attraction towards him. That brings me to another thing I liked about the show, there is no tension in the interactions between Himari and Yuu lol. It really feels like two best friends or siblings messing around. And yeah, that makes sense. I mean they even go on to talk about how Yuu can’t get a girlfriend because Himari is around him all the time. Or why Himari doesn’t want a boyfriend who can’t appreciate Yuu’s talent.

I really like their dynamic and what it represents. But a wrench is thrown into the mix when Rion appears and shows interest in Yuu. So it will be interesting to see that affects Himari’s character. Aside from that, the animations and soundtracks are fine. I like the character designs but nothing has really stood out to me so far in terms of the production.

That is all for now

I really look forward to seeing more of this show. Yeah, sure the setting is cliche but I think if handled well, they could really do something with these characters. But yeah, let me know what you guys think in the comments. I will take my leave here, I am off to play more Injustice 2. See ya!

Also, check out my thoughts on Wind Breaker Season 2 here!