Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines!

## Season 1

### Soundtrack

The opening song is amazing, it's really good. Pretty much S tier, it's amazing. The animation is one of the best, too. It's a fast-paced opening, but it doesn't feel rushed at all, if that makes sense. The visuals are really good, too. The colors are really vibrant, and the animation is really fluid. Overall, it's a really good opening.

On the other hand, the ending songs are excellent. Almost unskippable. My favorite was LOVE 2000. What a banger song, with incredible instrumentals coupled with a surprisingly good performance from the VA of Anna Yanami. I also really liked the visuals, with the "real" footage used along with what is arguably the best ending song out of the 3 used. It's genuinely one of the best simple credits sequences I've ever seen in an anime. The other 2 are fine, they're very good but not like amazingly good. Overall, you shouldn't really skip the credits ever when watching Makeine.

### Thoughts

When I first came across this anime, I thought this was going to be some slop style anime with a quiet type main character and a harem of teenage girls. I was proved wrong in the first episode. Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines is a romance anime, but it's not a harem anime. It's a romance anime that focuses on the "losing heroines" trope and how the characters deal with it.

Nukumizu (the main character) is not a self insert. He's his own character, not just a quiet shy guy or anything. I don't even know how he doesn't have "friends". He just seems like a regular guy with ordinary interests, like reading light novels. I also really like the occasional inner voice narration he does. It gives you a lot more insight on how he really feels about the plot. I also find it really enjoyable how flawed he is. It's probably his best most relatable aspect.

I really enjoy the 3 main side characters, Yanami, Lemon, and Komari. They feel like real, separate people with unique personalities that are excellent. I know what you're thinking, it's not a harem at all. Maybe the harem aspect is baited sometimes, but Makeine doesn't feel like a harem anime. I just didn't feel the romantic attraction that I expected from a harem anime. Other than their own separate personalities, I also like how they all interact with eachother. There isn't a single interaction where it feels forced. I really like how (almost) every single interaction in this anime is somewhat realistic.

When I finished this first season, I wasn't left with a sense of longing. It was very clear how there isn't really some big "arc" from the first episode to the last. The story mainly consists of the main 3 side characters' arcs, which was a breath of fresh air. I enjoyed all of the arcs equally. They all offered a different perspective on what it meant to be rejected and how to react to it. I wonder what's gonna happen in the second season.

The romance aspect is amazing. Obviously there's the aspect of the "losing heroines". Each heroine's story is explored upon excellently, even before and after their arc starts and finishes. It really makes the episodes kind of blend together. Also, there's an obvious backburner romance between Nukumizu and Yanami, but it's explored so shyly and naturally that you don't even notice the slow burn until you get to the final few episodes. To me, that's what makes this a 10/10 anime. It's a slow burn that doesn't feel like a slow burn.

Finally, I'd like to talk about how amazing the animation is. I didn't expect an anime with this plot to have really good animations. Every single shot is genuinely amazing. The cinematic shots are even better. I don't have anything more to say regarding the animation that wouldn't undermine it.

Overall, there isn't really anything to complain about, so I give Makeine S1 a 10/10 as it was really cleanly enjoyable. I was able to finish it in 2 days! Even though the review's so short, Makeine is genuinely one of my favorite romance animes. I'll give it a quality rating of Gem-Gem. It's a pretty subversive romance anime that does things in a novel yet familiar way. I highly recommend this anime.

### Additional Thoughts

After rewatching during 26-27 June 2026

After watching Makeine for a second time, I can confidently say that this is one of my favorite animes of all time. I honestly don't know how the showrunners did it. Makeine doesn't seem like an interesting anime at all, yet it captivated me throughout the 12 episodes of the first season. It's so hard to describe, but I'll do an attempt at it.

I feel like every single character in Makeine is really well written. From the serious, energetic, comedic, and various other adjectives to describe all of the characters, I can't seem to find a complaint at all. They're all so good. I can't find enough adjectives to describe them fully. Sometimes they're endearing, realistic, believable, charming, lovable, heartwarming, emotional, engaging, enchanting, appealing, you name it. I got to see how captivating a high school anime can be. I started watching for the premise, but stayed for the plot and the characters. All of the characters really made for a cozy anime that's not about sending a particular message, but rather a certain theme about losing heroines. Incredibly captivating, to top it all off.

Speaking of theme, I think my favorite trope from any anime is the losing heroine trope. You might think that an anime wholly about them would be boring, but clearly that isn't the case here. Every single storyline was excellent. The plot moved fast, yet it had an incredible impact on me. To be honest, I didn't even realize the first two heroines' storylines were executed in such a quick manner. Because of that, the anime felt a lot longer than it actually was, especially with the inclusion of Komari's storyline as a whole. It really made for an excellent experience that I can't say I felt when watching other animes. The plot is boring in a philosophical way, yes, but clearly that's not the main aspect the anime's trying to emphasize. The plot's endearing and that's what makes it linger in your mind.

I'd also like to say that the art style and animation is among the best out of any slice-of-life adjacent anime I've ever watched. Obviously, the character designs are eyecatchingly unique, but I think the beauty of the art style extends beyond the characters. For instance, the shading in this anime is gorgeous. You really feel the difference when looking at something in the shade, indoors, or outdoors. It's gorgeous. I can't say I've ever seen animation that good in non-action animes.

Oh, and let me just say again that the opening is incredible. It is perhaps one of my favorite opening songs of all time combined with one of my favorite opening animations of all time. It's uniquely vibrant. WOW!

Obviously, my rating won't change. Makeine: Too Many Losing Heroines, at least from the just the first season, is the easiest 10/10 Gem-Gem I've ever given an anime. I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE SECOND SEASON. So much so that I might start reading the LN. Makeine is peak.