The hype train just arrived for the anime adaptation of Makiko Nagaoka’s light novel series, You Were Experienced, I Wasn’t, And This is How We Started Dating. The staff dropped an exciting promotional video, a cute key visual featuring the female lead, and even announced some fresh faces joining the cast. The video also reveals the anime’s October debut.
We can all agree that even if an anime disappoints, the theme songs can still be a banger. So, when we heard Maaya Uchida performs the opening theme song, Love You Tender!, we were more than hyped. The ending theme song, Kakurenbo (Hide-and-Seek), is performed by AliA, a Japanese rock band.
Is this peak anime? Well, some believe so. Anime fans have positively reacted to the announcement of this anime adaptation. Though it could be mocking humor, anime enthusiasts are, no doubt, calling this creative decision a good choice.
Is it a good choice? Or is it just jokes? Let’s take a look at everything we know about this light novel and then decide if it is worth adding to our watch list.
Everything We Know About ‘This is How We Started Dating
Produced by none other than Studio ENGI, can we expect this series to be a cute romantic story? Directed by Hideaki Oba, You Were Experienced, I Wasn’t, And This is How We Started Dating follows our protagonists, Ryūto Kashima, a brooding social outcast, and Runa Shirakawa, the queen bee of popularity, on a rollercoaster romance.
This light novel series, written by Makiko Nagaoka and illustrated by Magako, was first serialized in Fujimi Shobo’s Fujimi Fantasia Bunko imprint in September 2020.
The manga adaptation by Noyama Carpaccio debuted in Square Enix’s Gangan Online web service in February 2022. And now we expect an anime adaptation!
The anime scripts are written by Hiroko Fukuda, and the characters are designed by Yōsuke Itō. Kei Haneoka composes the music, Takeshi Takedara handles sound direction, and Pony Canyon produces the music.
The Plot and Characters
Do opposites attract? We’re about to find out in this story. Ryūto Kashima is a “social outcast,” and Runa Shirakawa is the school’s most loved girl. Ryūto is forced to ask Runa out as a result of losing a game, and Runa agrees, claiming, “Well, I’m free right now, after all.”
Their interests, hobbies, and friend circles couldn’t be more different. Yet, as they spend time together, they begin to like each other’s differences, using them to connect and build a relationship.
The newly announced cast includes Maria Kurose, voiced by Aoi Koga, a transfer student. She is Ryūto’s first-year junior high school classmate. Nikoru Yamana, voiced by Ayaka Fukuhara, is Runa’s best friend. She might look scary at first but is very kind. Akari Tanikita, voiced by Tomori Kusunoki, is Runa’s friend who says what she wants whenever she wants.
Yūsuke Ichiji, voiced by Fukushi Ochiai, is Ryūto’s classmate who excels at academics and likes watching gameplay videos. Ren Nishina, voiced by Daisuke Sakaguchi, is Ryūto and Ichiji’s friend. His grades aren’t the greatest because he spends too much time watching commentary videos.
Shūgo Sekiya, voiced by Tomoaki Maeno, helps Ryūto with his troubles and aims to go to medical school. KUN voices KEN, a famous and successful gaming streamer. The main cast includes Ryūto Kashima, voiced by Natsuki Hanae, and Runa Shirakawa, voiced by Saori Onishi.
Rated 10 out of 10 by a reader, we’re so very excited about the anime adaptation of this series. Releasing in October, don’t forget to come back for more updates and an exact release date!
