Aoharu x Kikanjuu

Tachibana Hotaru believes in fighting for the right. As the high school Student Council President she believes it is part of her duty to protect the weak from bullies and malcontents. She is sometimes mistaken as a boy because of her short hair and demeanor. It was therefore not surprising that she wanted to avenge her best friend Kanae when she was conned by a host. Hotaru looked for the host Matsuoka Masamune. She was challenged by Masamune to a survival game.

Tachibana Hotaru

Hotaru lost when she took a bullet from a toy gun so she was forced to join Masamune’s team Toy Gun Gun to pay the damages in the host club during the confrontation. She was introduced to the other member Yukimura Tooru, an erotic mangaka, who at first refused to accept her. When they won for the first time together, Yukimura relented and accepted Hotaru as a member.

Matsuoka Masamune

Yukimura Tooru

Hotaru didn’t think so badly about the survival game anymore. In fact she was starting to enjoy it. Toy Gun Gun was invited for a special tournament when they received a black envelop. But this is the start of troubles to come. Hotaru will be entangled in Masamune’s and Yuuki’s past where her sense of justice will be put to the test. Futhermore, she learns that Toy Gun Gun wasn’t supposed to take in a female member, but Masamune and Yuuki both think she’s a guy.

I enjoyed this 12-episode series for its humor and action. Hotaru’s antics were so fun to watch. She wasn’t a girl to be stepped on.

The series was also able to squeeze as much action as well because its highlight were the survival games. There were a lot of things to look forward to besides the result of the competitions. Will Hotaru improve and become the best in the game? Will Masamune and Yuuki finally discover that she’s a girl and still accept her? Will they be able to beat their worst enemy?

There were also hints of a budding romance between the characters. It was funny how Masamune reacted as he became close friends with Hotaru and developed feelings for her all the while thinking she’s a boy. I wish a TV series sequel is possible. Although masked as a boy, Hotaru is one badass female. She’s neither cute nor a vixen so I can easily identify with her as a normal girl with interesting hobbies. Seeing her enjoy the game made me remember that feeling I experienced when I played a shooter for the first time. Masamune and Yuuki were fun to watch as well.

If the mechanics of the survival game seems different from real life, remember that it’s fictionalized. Sports anime are still able to pull it off despite the exaggeration and superhuman feats. Nit-picking about the details of the survival game shows you don’t understand the purpose of fiction at all. Aoharu X Kikanjuu was fun and there were no boring moments.

Rating: 9 out of 10