I’m sure that this anime sparks some memories from our childhood. The Wallflower is an anime that will bring back 2000 babies in time. This romance-comedy anime gives off that Princess Diaries moment with a pinch of a gothic presence.
Most of us may have watched plenty of good reverse harem today like Kiss Him Not Me or My Next Life as a Villainess. However, for fans who have seen The Wallflower, this show was probably the one that got them hooked on reverse harem shows, and for good reason.
The Wallflower, also known as Yamato Nadeshiko Shichihenge, is a shoujo romance-comedy anime by Tomoko Hayakawa. The original manga of the series was serialized in the year 2000 and it finally got its anime adaptation in 2006. Its theme revolves around male harems, bishounen, a gothic girl, school life, and a pinch of parody. The anime adaptation has a total of twenty-five episodes while its manga is already complete with thirty-six volumes.
Romance animes have been all around lately, specifically this spring of 2023. In these shows, we have seen different types of creatively written female protagonists. For instance, Haruhi Fujioka from the ultimate classic romance anime Ouran High School Host Club. But among these popular seminal shoujo characters is an underappreciated female protagonist. The protagonist of The Wallflower is a hidden gem for she has defied all the standards of classic female characters by being who she is and is supported by her insanely lovely male friends.
What is The Wallflower Anime About?
This underrated reverse anime follows the story of a girl who is like Sawako Kurunoma from Kimi Ni Todoke but is more badass. Unlike the prim and proper Sawako-chan, Sunako Nakahara is a gothic shut-in who prefers to stay in her dark room together with her creepy skeletons. It centers on Sunako who was pushed to live with insanely beautiful boys who were given the task of making her life upside down by transforming her into a well-mannered lady.
The four popular and beautiful boys in the series are currently living as a tenant in the mansion of Sunako’s aunt named Mine Nakahara. As their landlord, Mine Nakahara is aware of how popular his tenants are leading her to ask them for a huge favor. In exchange for their free living expenses, the boys need to manifest their inner fairy godmother and transform their landlord’s niece. However, if they fail to do this their rent will abruptly increase to triple.
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Being the most popular guys in the school and having a hoard of fangirls, the boys thought that they had it covered but all confidence was washed away when they met Sunako Nakahara. Sunako Nakahara is a peculiar girl who finds peace in isolation, murder or gory movies, and creepy dolls. But she wasn’t born this way, Sunako-chan also lived a normal like like most ladies; however, love changed her.
It is normal in high school to start liking someone and if you’re brave you might as well get to confess. Sunako-chan took that risk. She once admired one of her seniors and decided to convey her feelings but what she didn’t know is that the guy isn’t the way she perceives him to be. Unfortunately, Sunako fell in love with a rude and arrogant person. Therefore, instead of accepting her feelings or rejecting her respectfully, the guy chose to call her ugly.
Rejections are normal and hard, but shaming them is unjustified. The words of her former crush took a huge toll on her life; hence, she started to distance herself from beautiful people. But as dauntingly smooth as her life was going, the four men unexpectedly comes in and adds color to her dark and isolated life. The question now lies in whether they can make her a respectable woman or will the boys pay triple their monthly rent.
Four Reasons That Makes The Wallflower an Anti-skipped Anime
The Wallflower is an anime that also deserves the recognition that well-appreciated romance-comedy anime gets. It has plenty of potentials that will convince those who are unaware of it to dive in. This might not be a talk-of-the-town but it can still reach the standard of the rom-com animes of today. To fully convince you more in giving it a try, here are four reasons that will surely make you click it:
- The Characters are Immaculate: Yes, they are! Based on the information about the characters below, you can simply deduce that their combinations will take you on one crazy journey. Although they are just high school students, their individual struggles in life and how they solve it as a team are endearing to watch. The relationship between the four boys with Sunako may have started on the wrong foot. However, they will soon become her greatest defenders. Even with the boy’s popularity and privileges in life, they never fail to make Sunako feel that she is included every step of the way. The way their relationship grew from strangers to best friends living under the same roof makes it more interesting to watch.
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- Well-written Plot: The story of The Wallflower is similar to a bird who finally gets to break free from her cage. This is not your typical shoujo anime that sometimes offers only entertainment. This is because the plot was written to teach a lesson to its audience, particularly in appreciating your own beauty and being confident with it. The humor is top-notch and will literally make you genuinely laugh through it all. The good thing about The Wallflower is that even if you do not relate to the struggles of the characters, the writer made sure that you will still be able to watch and enjoy it.
- The Song Sticks With You: The opening song of the anime is one of those that you will surely listen to instead of skipping. As someone who has watched the series way back, every time that I get to hear it, it definitely brings back all the feelings I felt while watching. The opening song has the power to bring out all sorts of emotions leading you to re-watch it again and again.
- The Animation Will Grow On You: Like some animes produced in the early or mid-2000s, The Wallfower has some minor lacking in the animation department. However, this is not a reason for you to back down. The art style of this anime was still able to execute the plot and characters well which will make it unnoticed as the story progresses. Moreover, since it offers a lot of comedy, the animation adds up to the effectiveness of the numerous worthy-laughing scenes.
Get to know the Main Characters in The Wallflower!
This anime from the mid-2000s is unbelievably underrated. It is not only considered an underappreciated anime because of its plot but also due to its characters. So, let’s get to know the main characters whom you’ll meet when as you binge-watch the series.
Sunako Nakahara
A person whom we can define as a literal hidden gem. Due to the unbearable heartbreak that she went through, Sunako stopped paying attention to her looks and started liking some scary stuff. She lacks confidence and prefers darkness and solitude.
When around beautiful men like her housemates, Sunako tends to have a nosebleed because she cannot handle the beauty they possess. Often times we see Sunako in her chibi form but can also transform into a beautiful lady in a matter of seconds. She is respected and loved by the boys, specifically because of her exceptional chef-like skills.
Kyohei Takano
Kyohei Takano always acts as the knight in shining armor of Sunako. Although he appears to be blunt and arrogant towards her at first, a real man will not ignore a girl in need. Sunako is not like your ordinary girl who always needs the saving. However, Kyohei never hesitates to help her.
Among the four, Kyohei is hailed as the most popular and handsome one. He is also the closest one to Sunako among his friends. He possesses great empathy, particularly towards Sunako. Thus, among the four he understood her most leading him to become her shoulder to cry on in most scenes. Sunako-chan also sees him as the most gorgeous man calling him God’s most beautiful creation.
Ranmaru Morii
The playboy of the group. Ranmaru Morii is basically the guy who entertains all the girls he is capable of entertaining. Unlike his friends, Ranmaru always makes it so that he has time to flirt with the ladies. If Kyohei Tanako is the most gorgeous among the four, Ranmaru is the one blessed with oozing charm and sex appeal.
These characteristics of his make him confident in knowing what to do in their mission to make Sunako a respectable lady. He has all sorts of beauty and dating suggestions because of his experience. Also, his popularity allows him to get all the girls he wants. Despite his lover-boy aura, he is as understanding and kind as the others.
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Takenaga Oda
The one blessed with great intelligence. Takenaga Oda often acts as the brain of the group. Among the four, he is the only one who is taken, and no… not to Sunako Nakahara. Because of his wits, Takenaga shows the least surprise at Sunako-chan’s scary and creepy behaviors. Therefore, he can enter her room without any fear.
Takenaga is considered to be caring and reserved on most occasions. He was born into a prominent and wealthy family. But, the pressure of becoming his family’s heir drove him to live in the mansion together with his friends. Takenaga is a reasonable man who others turn to when they cannot solve their own problems.
Yukinojo Toyama
The baby boy of the group. Yukinojo Toyoma appears to be the one most frightened about Sunako. Before meeting the boys, Yukino lived the simplest life among the four. His cuteness is so irresistible that even Sunako cannot resist. He appreciates her cooking which is why Sunako sometimes favors him more than the others.
Yukinojo Toyama possesses insane cuteness. Therefore, he is the one frequently tasked to cross-dress when needed. His facial features make him a beautiful man and even a very gorgeous woman. Growing up in a middle-class family resulted in him being down-to-earth, bright, and most of the time, bubbly.
