LogFAQs > #968249521

122. Masamune-kuns Revenge
https://myanimelist.net/anime/33487/Masamune-kun_no_Revenge
Winter 2017 (12 episodes) plus 1 OVA
My Score: 6/10, MAL Score: 6.74/10
Best Character: Makabe Masamune

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqAy5sXmfoI

Premise: After a harsh rejection from Adagaki Aki when they were children, Makabe Masamune moved, changed his name, and worked out a lot. Now that he's hot, he has returned to get Aki to fall for him so that he can reject her this time.

The Good: Masamune-kun's Revenge is a romantic comedy with a premise I really like. Obviously in real life it would be sad to hold onto a childhood rejection for so many years, and it'd be terrible to toy with someone's emotions with the ultimate goal of breaking their heart. Everything in this is just so over-the-top that it becomes fun instead. Our introduction to present-day Aki is her on a building's rooftop hearing a confession from some guy down below, and she brutally rejects him in front of a crowd of onlookers by painting an offensive nickname for him onto a giant scroll that she unfurls. When the tone is zany like that right from the start, anything goes. It's also an excellent introduction to Aki's character as an ice princess, showing that Masamune isn't going to win her over easily. I'll cover Masamune below, but Aki was a great character too with some fun quirks like needing to eat a lot. I'm also a fan of Yoshino, her beleaguered servant who is always deadpan.

The Bad: There's one arc towards the end of the season that came very close to ruining Masamune-kun's Revenge for me. Basically as soon as Gasou showed up, all the fun dynamics disappeared and everything became terrible. I was only able to rank this as high as I have by deciding to ignore it. Supposedly there will be a second season someday. I really hope it goes back to how this anime was before Gasou.

Overall: Masamune-kun's Revenge is a fun story about a guy trying to win a girl's heart for revenge. The three major characters are all good in their own way. I enjoyed watching their interactions, which were full of cute moments and ulterior motives. The last few episodes kind of sucked, but when I rewatched this recently I was able to look past them.

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/user_image/5/7/8/AAcDcBAADtM6.png

CHARACTER: Makabe Masamune (Masamune-kuns Revenge)
https://myanimelist.net/character/81967/Masamune_Makabe
Voiced by: Hanae Natsuki
TOP 100 RANK: 93rd

(I couldn't find a good video for him)

SPOILERS FOR MASAMUNE-KUNS REVENGE

Makabe Masamune was fat as a child, which led to a lot of bullying. Aki was his only friend, and given how icy her personality was, even at that age, she was often harsh too. Masamune still fell in love, confessed to her... and had his heart broken when she called him a pig's foot. As much as that would sting at the time, most people would move on. Masamune instead lets that rejection alter the course of his entire life. And, you know what, I have an odd respect for a guy who changes his name and dedicates years to working out just to get even with a girl who slighted him. Never mind the reason why he's doing it, that takes real commitment.

When he moves back in high school, Masamune is a hunk who could have his pick of girls based on looks alone. He gets flustered at the attention, showing he's still an awkward guy underneath his toned muscles, but he resists these other women. All he cares about is revenge, and that leads to him trying to get close to Aki. She doesn't make it easy, however, so it's a good thing Masamune gets a powerful ally. Yoshino, Aki's servant, actually recognizes him as the fat kid they used to know. She's also willing to help him get revenge because Yoshino wants to take her haughty master down a peg.

With her help, Masamune has some successes, and this was my favorite part of the anime. It was cute watching the two interact. Aki keeps revealing new sides to herself beyond the ice princess persona. Masamune actually succeeds in reaching her sometimes. For Masamune, it's fun seeing how much of a dork he is. He reads popular romance manga for tips on winning hearts, and most of his schemes hilariously backfire. It also seems like, despite his revenge goal, that Aki is winning him over too.

This is why I hate the Gasou arc so much. Some guy turns up pretending to be Aki's childhood friend, and she's so nostalgic for that old friendship that she instantly falls for him and drops Masamune. All the cute little moments between them that I enjoyed didn't matter, I guess. They clearly weren't building anything or slowly winning each other over if Aki moves on this quickly. That's a problem with her character, though. Masamune is still fine. When circumstances lead to Aki onstage for a play, waiting for Gasou who won't be able to make it, she's guaranteed to be really embarrassed. Despite his desire for revenge, and despite how she treated him recently, Masamune still steps up to act in the play just to help Aki. I really hope the eventual second season gets their relationship back on track. Even with all the icy remarks and ulterior motives, I think Aki and Masamune are cute together.