Relationships are complicated, especially in high school. Aside from outright rejection, the worst-case scenario is probably a love triangle. They are full of secrets, misunderstandings, unfaithfulness and broken hearts. All in all, depending on those involved in it, they often range anywhere from wholesome to toxic, rarely ending well. But what would happen if those involved were to embrace their predicament? Welcome to the world of Kanojo mo Kanojo.
‘‘Not wanting to two-time in secret, Naoya proposes a compromise.”
Naoya Mukai is a high school student who is finally able to date his childhood friend, Saki Saki, after trying for many years. While he might be somewhat overbearing, and Saki a tsundere, their relationship seems to take off until Nagisa Minase confesses her love to Naoya. After hearing all the effort Nagisa had put in preparing her confession, Naoya found himself unable to reject her. She said nothing would stop her and she would confess to him again, even though she knew he already had a girlfriend.
Not wanting to two-time in secret, Naoya proposes a compromise. He would date both Saki and Minase with their permission. While Minase accepts right away, Saki only agrees after the other two begged her. After formalising their three-way relationship, Naoya invites the two girls to come to live with him, as he lives alone, in order for them to get to know each other better.
While the premise of the show may sound slightly dubious, it’s actually one that encourages the audience to look beyond conventional romance. Naoya put everything on the line to get the consent of both girls. This isn’t out of carnal desire, but instead, respect for both of them. He further encourages the two girls to get to know each other, thus establishing an oddly functional triangular relationship.
In a way, Naoya’s honesty eliminated most of the problems inherent to having more than one girlfriend, with the biggest being the secrecy. Of course, depending on a viewer’s beliefs about monogamy, they can either see Naoya as an honest guy trying to make something work or as an indecisive two-timer.
‘‘The surreal art of Tezuka productions fits the show like a glove!’’
One of the more eye-catching details about this anime is the surreal visuals. The colours and contours are very pronounced, compared to the more matte aesthetic of other anime. This artistic choice gives the show a strange feeling that goes perfectly with the characters’ over-the-top personalities, ridiculous situations and extreme transitions.
One can almost forgive the first episode for going from a normal high school couple to a three-way polyamorous couple living together. The surreal art of Tezuka productions fits Kanojo mo Kanojo like a glove.
Romance is one of the more successful genres in anime, but Kanojo mo Kanojo’s take on what romance consists of is deserving of praise. What do you think about Naoya’s decision? Let us know below!
You can watch Kanojo mo Kanojo (Girlfriend, Girlfriend) here.