I’ve got to hand it to Vanilla this time. I could never accuse Girl Next Door of having a generic-looking loser, who gets all the girls, for a protagonist. Masahiko is anything but generic. He has that unique homeliness that kind of makes you think he must’ve come from a 70s comedy. And no, he doesn’t really get all the girls. Sure, he makes love to them in his fantasies, and he has a lot of close calls ranging from blow jobs to titty fucking. His heart is still pure, however, as he only chases after his one ideal woman. Everything in this little package is for that girl who had helped him out when he was a sniveling little toddler. Unfortunately, all he could remember was her dress and her straw hat. Throughout the two episodes, he struggles to keep his virginity intact until he finds her. Cute. Very cute.
The women are as odd as they come. Two of them are Masahiko’s neighbors—pretty sisters Kyoko and Asuka—and the object of his constant wet dreams. Another is a Shinto shrine maiden who gets possessed by a horny ghost hell-bent on satisfying herself. At home stays a guest of exotic Chinese beauty, coming all the way from America just to learn martial arts from Masahiko’s dad. She unknowingly worms her way into Masahiko’s heart.
Work is toxic as the kid resists the advances of a boss hungry for the attention of an absentee husband. School isn’t too safe either, as a college professor is on a mad mission of collecting “excellent” sperms. Plus, a female stalker appears right out of nowhere to either give him head or masturbate in his face. All for the love of Masahiko.
The bedlam doesn’t stop there. You have your signature blonde best buddy, who curiously isn’t as jaded as expected. He envies Masahiko for the strange luck with women. Who wouldn’t? Especially for a guy who isn’t treasuring celibacy as much as Masahiko does. And I haven’t even begun to describe Masahiko’s perpetually masked father. He looks more like a Western wrestler than a dojo owner.
Does our lead find the girl he has been searching for? As unrealistic as it may seem, the ending still manages to make me go, “Awwww!”
Artwork and animation are digitized, of course. I don’t really appreciate it much; I find the colors too loud and the rendering doesn’t exactly blend well with the background. On the other hand, they work perfectly with the comedic atmosphere. Once in a while, you’ll see characters in chibi super deformed (SD) mode, which has been quite a rare sight in h-anime these days. Voices, both the Japanese and the English dubbing, are crisp and clear. Hentai scenes are of normal breed. You don’t have to worry about rape or violent tentacles. It’s just pure adult fun that’s sweet and entertaining.
Notes on DVD: I like the way Critical Mass releases their anime (even though I hate buying from their online store and prefer to get their products via Amazon.com or HKFlix). They’re not too stingy with the episodes, which means more value for your buck.
Individual Rating: Art/Animation: 8 Story/Plot: 8 Characters: 8 Sounds: 8 Ecchi Level: 7
