Haganai

Haganai

Cover of the first Japanese novel published by MF Bunko J showing main characters Kodaka Hasegawa, left, and Yozora Mikazuki, right
僕は友達が少ない
(Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai)
Genre Harem, Comedy
Light novel
Written by Yomi Hirasaka
Illustrated by Buriki
Published by Media Factory
Demographic Male
Imprint MF Bunko J
Original run August 31, 2009 – August 25, 2015
Volumes 11
Manga
Haganai: I Don't Have Many Friends
Written by Yomi Hirasaka
Illustrated by Itachi
Published by Media Factory
English publisher
Demographic Seinen
Magazine Monthly Comic Alive
Original run March 27, 2010 – present
Volumes 14
Manga
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai+
Written by Misaki Harukawa
Illustrated by Shouichi Taguchi
Published by Shueisha
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Jump SQ.19
Original run November 19, 2010 – June 19, 2012
Volumes 2
Original video animation
Directed by Hisashi Saitō
Written by Tatsuhiko Urahata
Music by Tom-H@ck
Studio AIC Build
Released September 22, 2011
Runtime 12 minutes
Anime television series
Directed by Hisashi Saitō
Written by Tatsuhiko Urahata
Music by Tom-H@ck
Studio AIC Build
Licensed by
Network TBS, MBS, Funimation Channel
English network
Original run October 7, 2011 – December 23, 2011
Episodes 12
Light novel
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Universe
Written by Various authors
Illustrated by Various illustrators
Published by Media Factory
Demographic Male
Imprint MF Bunko J
Original run November 11, 2011 – February 22, 2013
Volumes 2
Game
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Portable
Publisher Namco Bandai
Genre Visual novel
Platform PlayStation Portable
Released February 23, 2012
Original video animation
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Add On Disc
Directed by Hisashi Saitō
Written by Tatsuhiko Urahata
Music by Tom-H@ck
Studio AIC Build
Released September 26, 2012
Runtime 25 minutes
Light novel
Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai CONNECT
Written by Yomi Hirasaka
Illustrated by Buriki
Published by Media Factory
Demographic Male
Imprint MF Bunko J
Published December 25, 2012
Anime television series
Haganai NEXT
Directed by Toru Kitahata
Written by Yomi Hirasaka
Music by Tom-H@ck
Studio AIC Build
Licensed by
Network TBS, MBS
English network
Original run January 11, 2013 – March 29, 2013
Episodes 12
Live-action film
Directed by Takurō Oikawa
Written by Takurō Oikawa
Studio Times-In
Released February 1, 2014 (2014-02-01)

Haganai (はがない), short for Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai (僕は友達が少ない, literally "I Don't Have Many Friends"),[note 1] is a Japanese light novel series written by Yomi Hirasaka, illustrated by Buriki, and published by Media Factory. It has been given several manga adaptations; the first incarnation, its title and basic plot unchanged, began serialization in 2010; it was written and illustrated by Itachi and published in Monthly Comic Alive. A retelling of the series, written by Misaki Harukawa and illustrated by Shuichi Taguchi and called Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai+ was published in Jump SQ.19. A 12-episode anime adaptation by AIC Build aired in Japan between October and December 2011. An original video animation episode was released on September 26, 2012. A second anime season, Haganai NEXT, aired between January and March 2013. A live-action film adaptation was released on February 1, 2014.

Conception

Yomi Hirasaka had been working on Light Novel Club (ラノベ部 Ranobe-bu), which consisted of short stories about everyday life. In developing Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai, or Haganai for short, Hirasaka contrasts the main characters as opposites of the ones in the Light Novel Club which had good relationships to begin with. Hirasaka drew influences from personal experience: "This novel is a story about myself who also had few friends, bad communication skills, negative thinking, lacking life experiences and useless delusional habits." Hirasaka also considers the setting of the stories to be less restrictive. The anime was directed by Hisashi Saito, who had previously directed the fan service romantic comedy Heaven's Lost Property.[1] Hirasaka noted that the Itachi's portrayal of the characters in the manga are "all so cute" and "their faces are full of life", especially the expressions of the heroines Yozora and Sena.Vol. 1

Plot

Kodaka Hasegawa, a transfer student to St. Chronica's Academy, has found it difficult to make friends because of his mix of brown-blond hair[1] (inherited from his deceased English mother) and fierce-looking eyes that make him look like a delinquent. One day, he accidentally comes across the equally solitary and very abrasive Yozora Mikazuki as she converses with "Tomo", her "air" (imaginary) friend. Realizing that they lack social lives and skills, they decide that the best way to improve their situation is to form the Neighbors Club (隣人部 Rinjin-bu), "an after-school club for people with no friends like themselves".[1] Other students with various backgrounds join the club: Sena Kashiwazaki is an attractive but arrogant idol who has no female friends and treats the boys as her slaves; Yukimura Kusunoki is an effeminate underclassman who idolizes Kodaka and strives to become manly like him; Rika Shiguma is a genius scientist with a twisted and perverted mind; Kobato Hasegawa is Kodaka's little sister who generally cosplays as a vampire; and Maria Takayama, a ten-year-old nun who serves as the club's advisor.[1] The story follows their adventures as the club tries out various school and outside social activities as practice for making friends.

Characters

Neighbors Club

Supporting characters

Media

Light novels

The original light novel series, written by Yomi Hirasaka and illustrated by Buriki, began publication on Media Factory's MF Bunko J imprint from August 31, 2009. Eleven volumes in the series have been published.[4] Hirasaka and Buriki also released the light novel Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Connect in December 2012.[5] Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Universe (僕は友達が少ない ゆにばーす) is a series of anthology stories by various guest authors, including Yomi Hirasaka, Yūji Yūji, Wataru Watari, Yū Shimizu, Sō Sagara, Asaura, Hajime Asano, Ryō Iwanami, Shirō Shiratori, Takaya Kagami and guest illustrators Buriki, Kantoku, Ruroo, Peco, QP:flapper, Miyama-Zero, Shunsaku Tomose, Yuu Kamiya, Koin, Ponkan8, Hanpen Sakura.

Two volumes were published on November 23, 2011,[6] and February 22, 2013.[7]

No.Japanese release dateJapanese ISBN
1 August 25, 2009[8]ISBN 978-4840128797
2 November 2009[8]ISBN 978-4840130950
3 March 2010[8]ISBN 978-4840132527
4 July 2010[8]ISBN 978-4840134576
5 November 2010[8]ISBN 978-4840135894
6 May 2011[8]ISBN 978-4840138819
7 September 2011[8]ISBN 978-4840142229
8 June 2012[8]ISBN 978-4840145985
9 August 2013[8]ISBN 978-4840151290
10 June 2014[8]ISBN 978-4040663920
11 August 2015[8]ISBN 978-4040677514

Manga

The first Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai manga series, written and illustrated by Itachi, has been published in Media Factory's Monthly Comic Alive magazine since its May 2010 issue, released on March 27, 2010.[9] Additionally, the series has been collected in 14 tankōbon volumes. Seven Seas Entertainment has licensed the first manga series in North America under the title Haganai: I Don't Have Many Friends.[10]

A remade manga series, Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai+ (僕は友達が少ない+), written by Misaki Harukawa and illustrated by Shouichi Taguchi, was published in Jump SQ.19,[11] from the December 2010 to the July 2012 issues. Plus introduces the characters in a different order and goes through different adventures. The series was collected in two volumes, which were published on October 4, 2011, and August 3, 2012.[12][13]

Three volumes of short stories, titled Boku wa Tomdachi ga Sukunai: Kōshiki Anthology Comic (僕は友達が少ない 公式アンソロジーコミック), have been published by Media Factory since October 22, 2011.[14][15] Each chapter of them is written and illustrated by different authors.

The series of one-shot stories Haganai: I Don't Have Many Friends - Now With 50% More Fail! (僕は友達が少ない ショボーン！ Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai: Shobōn!) written by Chiruwo Kazehana and illustrated by Shirabii; and Haganai: I Don't Have Many Friends - Club Minutes (僕は友達が少ない はがない日和 Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai: Haganai Biyori) written by Kiurian and illustrated by Bomi, were serialized in Comic Alive in 2011–2012 and 2012–2013 respectively. Both series have been licensed in English by Seven Seas Entertainment; their volumes are scheduled for release on July 1, 2014 and December 16, 2014, respectively.[16][17]

In the English manga, each chapter is numbered as a Club Activity Log. Translation is done by Ryan Peterson, and adaptation is done by Ysabet Reinhardt MacFarlane.Vol. 1

No.Japanese release dateJapanese ISBNEnglish release dateEnglish ISBN
1 July 2010[8]ISBN 978-4840133463November 13, 2012[17]ISBN 978-1-937867-12-6
  • Club Preparations: Something Resembling a Prologue! (AKA: Presenting the Characters!)
  • 1. "Hasegawa Kodaka"
  • 2. "Yozora & Sena"
  • 3. "The Hunt"
  • 4. "The Wonderful World of Bishoujo Games"
  • 5. "Little Brother"[note 5]
In the prologue, Kodaka Hasegawa enjoys a day at the beach, but it is just a dream as he is with a group of people called the Neighbors Club and they have been trying to eat some dark nabe. Prior to the eating event, Kodaka is a transfer student who has had trouble making friends. He encounters a classmate, the normally cold Yozora Mikazuki talking happily with a classmate, but the latter is revealed to be an "air friend". As they talk about their troubles in making friends, Yozora is inspired to make the Neighbors Club: dedicated to help people make friends, and recruits Kodaka as a charter member. She makes a poster that attracts Sena Kashiwazaki, a beautiful blonde who wishes to make female friends. Sena and Yozora do not get along, but they attempt their first activity: a cooperative monster role-playing game. However, Yozora and Sena end up attacking each other, causing the mission to fail. The next activity is a gal game. Kodaka questions Sena and Yozora's choice of responses. Suspecting that someone is stalking him, Kodaka searches the school, followed by Sena and Yozora, and eventually discover Yukimura Kusunoki, an effeminate boy who sees Kodaka as a role model. Yozora has him join the club.
2 May 2011[8]ISBN 978-4840137997February 5, 2013[17]ISBN 978-1-937867-17-1
  • 6. "The State of Affairs in the Hasegawa Household"
  • 7. "Soiled Sorrow"
  • 8. "The Legend of Momotaro"
  • 9. "The Pool (Part 1)"
  • 10. "The Pool (Part 2)"
At home, Kodaka attends to his younger sister Kobato, who thinks she is a vampire. Kodaka and Yozora stumble upon Sena as she plays a hentai game. When Sena tries to defend it as art, Yozora challenges her to read some of the dialogue out loud. The Neighbors Club practices their acting skills in role-playing a version of Momotarō. Sena invites Kodaka to a water park so she can learn how to swim. When Sena is confronted by some guys, Kodaka defends her. He thinks about his childhood best friend and his words about how having a real friend is more valuable than having a hundred friends, but when he mumbles it while resting, he startles Yozora. In the bonus chapter, Sena and Yozora engage in some non-verbal sparring as they wait in front of the school for Kodaka.
3 September 2011[8]ISBN 978-4840140355June 4, 2013[17]ISBN 978-1-937867-30-0
  • 11. "LOL"
  • 12. "Takayama Maria"
  • 13. "Shiguma Rika"
  • 14. "Fangirl"
  • 15. "Little Sister"
The Neighbors Club discuss how comedy could improve their social stature, and try out some wigs. Kodaka tries to tell some funny stories but falls flat. Kodaka discovers a ten-year-old girl in a nun’s habit, who turns out to be the club’s advisor Maria Takayama. Science girl Rika Shiguma joins the club after Kodaka rescues her from a lab accident. She shares her interest of robot manga with underlying sexual innuendos. When Kodaka offers to make lunches for Maria, Kobato becomes jealous and becomes the club's latest member.
4 December 2011[8]ISBN 978-4840140768October 15, 2013[17]ISBN 978-1-937867-70-6
  • 16. ”The Story of Saint Aniki-san"
  • 17. ”Romancing Saga Prefecture (Part One)"
  • 18. ”Romancing Saga Prefecture (Part Two)"
  • 19. ”Karaoke"
  • 20. ”The Unfortunate Club"
The Neighbors Club take turns writing a round-robin story. They don virtual-reality glasses and play a prototype role-playing video game called Romancing Saga Prefecture. They try to do karaoke as a group, but Yozora and Sena rent individual booths. They reflect on their inability to make friends, during which Sena invites Kodaka to her house.
5 April 2012[8]ISBN 978-4840144384January 21, 2014[17]ISBN 978-1-937867-86-7
  • 21. ”The Phone That Never Rings"
  • Side Story I: Binding Magic Release!
  • 22. ”A Day at the Pool"
  • Side Story II: The Manifestation of the Demon Astaroth!!
  • 23. ”A Visit to the Kashiwazaki Residence (Part 1)"
  • 24. ”A Visit to the Kashiwazaki Residence (Part 2)"
The Neighbors Club decides to organize activities by communicating with cell phones; Sena scrambles to get one. To beat the heat, Kobato is inspired to strip/dress down from her gothic lolita outfit. When the club goes to the pool, Kodaka gets embarrassed by Yukimura’s bikini outfit. When the club meets in swimming gear, Yozora sports a horse head with her outfit. Sena invites Kodaka and Kobato to her house, where they meet Sena’s father, Pegasus Kashiwazaki. After dinner, the Kashiwazakis have them stay over where Kobato takes a bath with Sena, and Kodaka shares conversation and a drink with Pegasus.
6 August 2012[8]ISBN 978-4840147088March 4, 2014[17]ISBN 978-1-626920-11-8
  • 25. ”The Beach"
  • 26. "Ghost Stories"
  • 27. "Summer Festival (Part One)"
  • 28. "Summer Festival (Part Two)"
Ten years ago, Kodaka plans to tell his one-and-only friend that he has to move, but his friend does not show up. Back at present time, the Neighbors Club go to the beach and stay the night at Sena’s summer beach house, during which Yozora tells a ghost story about betraying friends that have many of the girls wanting Kodaka to escort them to the bathroom. Inspired to eat takoyaki, the club goes to the summer festival where everyone except Yozora wear yukatas. After eating and playing games, they set off fireworks. Afterwards, Yozora’s hair accidentally catches fire and has to be doused. A week later, she shows up to school with her hair cut, but Kodaka recognizes she is his childhood friend.
7 December 2012[8]ISBN 978-4840147675June 17, 2014[17]ISBN 978-1-626920-35-4
  • 29. "Reunion"
  • 30. "Pouf"
  • 31. "Yaoi Game Club"
  • Haganai Connect. "Time Keeps Moving Again"
Kodaka learns that Yozora had known they were childhood friends all this time, and that she did not show up on the last day because she was too embarrassed to reveal that she was a girl. They agree to keep their childhood friendship a secret from the other club members and treat each other as they always have. Yozora and Rika style up Sena’s hair into an elaborate pouf. When Rika changes her own hairstyle and goes without glasses, Kodaka is attracted to her. The club screens an anime ‘’Yaoi Game Club’’, which Rika insists is not adult, and find it rather interesting until the last scene where the guys kiss, which raises some emotions and discussion regarding kissing among the members. In the Haganai Connect chapter, Yozora tells her side of the story of her seeing Kodaka for the first time in ten years, and the formation of the Neighbors Club.
8 April 2013[8]ISBN 978-4840150477August 19, 2014[17]ISBN 978-1-626920-44-6
  • 32. "The Sister"
  • 33. "Fan Service Chapter! (Featuring Kashiwazaki Sena in a Nude Scene!"
  • 34. "Sisters"
  • 35. "Victory Party"
Kodaka and Yozora try the friends custom of comparing answers on their recent exams. Kodaka meets Keito, a nun at his school who turns out to be Maria's older sister, yet is only 15 years old (younger than Kodaka). Sena invites Kodaka to her bedroom to study, but Kodaka discovers Sena is stranger than he thinks. After an attempted study session, he stays over for a bath with Sena's father. Maria stays over at the Hasegawas. The Neighbors Club have a party to celebrate end of exams, and play the king game.
9 November 2013[8]ISBN 978-4040661155October 21, 2014[17]ISBN 978-1-626920-77-4
  • 36. "Amusement Park: The Invitation"
  • 37. "Amusement Park: Black Dragon"
  • 38. "Hot Springs"
  • 39. "Haves and Have-Nots"
  • 40. "Time Machine"
Sena invites Kobato to the Yokoshima Wonderland amusement park but it soon escalates to bringing the entire Neighbors Club. Kodaka's dad wonders if Kodaka and Sena are engaged but Kodaka denies it. At the park, the club tries the Black Dragon roller coaster but they get really sick. Kodaka, Sena, and Kobato attend the Iron Necromancer show where Sena gets mistaken for Kobato's mother. Yozora and Sena challenge each other to ride the Black Dragon again, while the others do milder rides. Yozora and Sena are so dizzy, they throw up on Kodaka. But in the men's bath, Kodaka discovers Yukimura is actually a girl after all, even to the latter's surprise. Later on, Kodaka remarks how Rika has changed her hairstyle. By Kodaka's request, Rika invents a time machine, where Kodaka experiences his last interaction with Yozora when he was a kid ten years ago. But the machine is actually a hypnosis gimmick and Kodaka was dreaming, but the club hears Kodaka mentioning Yozora's name. Yozora then admits that Kodaka and she used to be childhood friends.
10 March 2014[8]ISBN 978-4040665054February 3, 2015[17]ISBN 978-1-626920-93-4
  • 41. "A Birthday"
  • 42. "No Two Ways About It: It's a Date! (Right?)"
  • 43. "Birthday Party"
  • 44. "The Truth Is, I'd Already Figured It Out"
Sena wants to have a birthday party for Kobato; and Kodaka agrees as it is good social practice. The girls join Kodaka in shopping for presents; on the way they discuss what everyone is wearing, which prompts some of them to change their attire. Sena asks Kodaka whether he wants a girlfriend. The party goes well. Afterwards, Maria and her sister Keito stay over. Kodaka has the club participate in the school festival. They ponder doing a maid cafe with the girls taking turns trying to serve Kodaka.
11 September 2014[18]ISBN 978-4040668512June 16, 2015[19]ISBN 978-1-626921-54-2
  • 45. "Fortune-telling"
  • 46. "The Third Meeting to Choose What to Do for the School Festival"
  • 47. "Is This a Date? No, It's the First Sign of the Bloody Battlefield to Come"
  • 48. "Natural-Born Princess"
  • 49. "We've Known Each Other Since We Were Kids"
  • 50. "The Second Time"
While brainstorming what to do for the school festival, Yozora tricks Sena into thinking the former is a fortune teller by using the Forer effect. After Kobato reveals that her middle school class is doing a film for their festival, the Neighbors Club decide to make one of their own. Yozora takes Kodaka to research a theater film, but their random pick of a foreign romance movie ends up being an adult film. Afterwards, they visit a cat cafe where Kodaka realizes Yozora is fond of cats. When student council treasurer Yusa Aoi expresses her jealousy of her academic rival Sena and her cool boyfriend, Kodaka thinks more highly of himself, until Sena says she not even know her. Yozora produces a compelling script about friendship, but the club has conflicts in the casting. Following a popular vote that recasts everyone, Yozora rewrites the script, leading to a heated argument between her and Sena over whether Yozora is using her childhood friendship with Kodaka to bias the script. Yozora asks Kodaka which is more important: their memories from ten years ago or what they have now.
12 March 2015[8]ISBN 978-4040672816September 22, 2015[17]ISBN 978-1-626921-74-0
  • 51. How She Responded
  • 52. Pegasus' Wild Fantasy
  • 53. The Fall of Mikazuki Yozora
  • 54. In the Science Room
  • 55. Hasegawa Kobato
Yozora presents a new script for the Neighbors Club film, and it looks promising that they start filming on it. When Sena's father asks Kodaka how their relationship is progressing, Kodaka discovers that he and Sena had pledged to be engaged when they were kids. The news shocks the other Neighbors Club members although they try to disclaim it. When Keito learns about the plot and says it is similar to an old film, Kodaka rents it and discovers that Yozora had plagiarized it. Sena pushes her own backup script, and the club has to film that one. Kodaka observes Rika editing the film, and admires her dedication as well as her collection of pictures of the club members. The Neighbors Club visits Kobato's middle school festival and are impressed by her film acting. Kobato's classmates tell Kodaka how they try to be friends with Kobato but that she withdraws from them. Yusa Aoi appears and is jealous of Kodaka and Sena.
13 October 2015[20]ISBN 978-4040678276April 5, 2016[17]ISBN 978-1-626922-22-8
  • 56. King Lear
  • 57. Warm-Up Act
  • 58. Turning His Back on the Light
  • 59. The Crescent Moon
  • 60. Seeing Red
On the sports day of the festival, Kodaka sees Yozora with a sour attitude, bitter at student council president Hidaka Hinata for being popular and normal. He meets with Rika who asks him about what he thinks of Sena and about a situation of a struggling lonely person. However, Kodaka brushes off those ideas and thinks she means Kobato instead of Rika. Rika then tells Kodaka "Aren't we all already friends?" but Kodaka doesn't hear the last part because of the fireworks. Later, Kodaka and the gang share a meal but Rika is not present. Kodaka discovers that Rika has collapsed in exhaustion in editing the film, and rushes her to the infirmary. They cancel the screenings of their club film and end up watching it in private afterwards. Yusa Aoi of the student council interrupts the club and questions their purpose. Although Yozora and Sena defend the club, Yusa Aoi comes up with a problem: Maria is not a real nun and thus cannot be qualified to be the advisor; she had merely been hanging out with Keito who thought it was cute that she dressed up and played along. However, Sena gets her father to make Maria a staff member, frustrating Yusa who vows revenge. Sena tells Kodaka in front of the gang that they should get married.
14 July 2016[21]ISBN 978-4040682587August 30, 2016[17]ISBN 978-1-626922-5-01

Anime

In May 2011, an anime television series based on the light novels was announced on the wraparound jacket of the sixth light novel,[22] with an original video animation bundled with the seventh light novel released on September 22, 2011.[23] Produced by AIC Build under the direction of Hisashi Saitō, the series aired in Japan between October 7 and December 23, 2011.[24] The opening theme is "Zannenkei Rinjinbu Hoshi Futatsuhan" (残念系隣人部★★☆, "The Regrettable Neighbours Club Two and a Half Stars") by Marina Inoue, Kanae Itō, Nozomi Yamamoto, Misato Fukuen, Kana Hanazawa, and Yuka Iguchi, while the ending theme is "Watashi no Ki-mo-chi" (私のキ・モ・チ, "My Feelings") by Marina Inoue. The anime is based on the first three volumes and the beginning of volume four. The anime was licensed for streaming by Funimation, who hosted the stream on the website and Nico Nico,[25] before licensing the series for home video release.[26]

A follow-up original video animation episode was released on September 26, 2012.[27] The ending theme is "Kimi wa Tomodachi" (君は友達, "You Are My Friend") by Inoue, Itō, Yamamoto, Fukuen, Hanazawa, Iguchi and Ryohei Kimura.[28]

A second season, titled Haganai NEXT, aired from January 11 - March 29, 2013.[29] It is based on the novels from volume four until the end of volume eight. The series is directed by Toru Kitahata whilst Hirasaka is in charge of the scripts.[30][31][32] The opening and ending themes respectively are "Be My Friend" and "Bokura no Tsubasa" (僕らの翼, "Our Wings"), both performed by Inoue, Itō, Yamamoto, Fukuen, Hanazawa and Iguchi.[33]

Game

A visual novel, Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Portable, was developed by Namco Bandai Games for the PlayStation Portable and released on February 23, 2012.[34]

Live-action film

On April 24, 2013, Ryukoku University posted a casting call for extras for a 2014 film adaptation of Haganai, to be distributed by Toei and produced by Times-In.[35] Hirasaka later confirmed the film's existence on May 2, 2013, stating that, whilst he initially didn't approve of the project, as he didn't feel the story was intended for live-action, he decided to approve it in light of a crisis in the light novel industry. Hirasaka will have a completely hands-off role in the film's production.[36][37] Takurō Oikawa, the film's director, chose not to watch the anime and told his cast members not to watch it either so that they can present a fresh interpretation of the light novels. The film was released on February 1, 2014.[3]

Reception

The second volume of the manga adaptation ranked seventh on the top 30 of Japanese Comic Ranking, for the week of May 23–29, 2011.[38]

Rebecca Silverman of Anime News Network found the first graphic novel “fairly entertaining” with artist Itachi’s illustrations “between beautiful depictions of the girls and messy sketches, which actually works well for the series”. While the premise “retreads familiar ground”, she noted the girls’ reactions in the dating sim chapter as the highlight of the volume.[39]

Tim Jones of THEM Anime Reviews gave the anime series three of five stars. He grouped the social misfits show as a “raunchy romp filled with lots of cheesecake and hit-or-miss comedy”, with “great leads, okay side characters”, and didn’t “need to be reminded every episode how huge Sena’s breasts are, thanks”.[1]

Carl Kimlinger of Anime News Network found the anime series interesting in that it starts with misfits finding friends and deferred the typical romantic comedy entanglements but was deflated that the series was “taking on harem baggage.”[40] The second half of series was "increasingly formulaic" and left him longing for a story. He found the episodes to have very little novelty: "Relationships change little, characters evolve not at all, and the message—that these outcasts have already found their friends and just refuse to acknowledge it—remains the same. We might as well be watching the first couple of episodes repeat ad infinitum."[41] Bamboo Dong found the series' strength to be in the character development, but its drawback was that such moments are far and few compared to the "recycled referential humor, like drawing the characters inside a video game, or drawing them inside a dating sim", and the same "bland paste of old jokes". She preferred the English dub as the characters insulting each other was better than the dull name-calling in the Japanese dub.[42]

Andy Hanley of UK Anime.net gave the anime series a 6/10, and called the anime a series of two halves, where the first half contained “great and hugely funny episodes” but the second half was “increasingly tired and even unlikeable” where “sure-fire comedy concepts such as a visit to karaoke or the swimming pool fail to do anything noteworthy with their subject material.” He found that the main characters undermined the series later on with “Yozora's snarky, bossy attitude which works so well in early episodes turns to bitchiness and then downright bullying” as Sena’s obsessions to “become something of a dead horse which the series insists upon flogging.”[43] He later gave the first graphic novel a 4/10. With Yozora and Sena as "massive bitches" more so than in the anime, he wrote that "a better title for the series might be It's Probably For The Best That You Have No Friends." He found the Seven Seas translation to be balanced and that its presentation was without complaint.[44]

Notes

  1. ↑ The abbreviation "Haganai" is defined in the author's afterword in the first light novel.[LN 1] Hirasaka noted starting to call it by that title, and that it has somehow become the official title.Vol. 1
  2. ↑ The only one spared this treatment is Rika, since Rika takes whatever insult she gives her and deflects it back with a dirty joke that leaves her tired.
  3. ↑ In the light novel, Yozora first calls Sena a cow due to her large breasts, but later nicknames her "Meat" (肉 Niku) when they play a monster hunting video game that has raw and cooked meat as items. Sena reveals she does not mind the insulting nickname because it is the first time she had ever received one.LN 1, Ch. 9
  4. ↑ According to the chapter footnotes regarding Rika Shiguma's name, "Shiguma" 志熊 translates to the greek letter "Sigma" and Rika, while being a typical girl's name when romanized, has a kanji 理科 that translates to "science" Ch. 13 translator's footnote
  5. ↑ At the end of the English version of manga volume 1 is a preview chapter for Mayo Chiki.

Works cited

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Jones, Tim. "Haganai". THEM Anime Reviews.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Funimation Reveals Haganai TV Anime's Dub Cast, Trailer". Anime News Network. June 1, 2013. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Nelkin, Sarah (2014-01-27). "Haganai Film Director: Never Saw Anime, Did Not Show it to Cast Members". Anime News Network.
  4. ↑ "僕は友達が少ない 11" (in Japanese). Media Factory. Retrieved 2015-08-30.
  5. ↑ "僕は友達が少ない CONNECT (MF文庫J)" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 2013-06-21.
  6. ↑ "僕は友達が少ない　ゆにばーす (MF文庫J)" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 2013-06-21.
  7. ↑ "僕は友達が少ない ゆにばーす2 (MF文庫J)" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved 2013-06-21.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 "僕は友達が少ない｜商品紹介". mediafactory.co.jp. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
  9. ↑ アライブ、「僕は友達が少ない」皮切りに続々コミカライズ (in Japanese). Natalie.mu. March 28, 2010. Retrieved March 6, 2014.
  10. ↑ "Seven Seas Licenses Haganai, Mayo Chiki! Manga". Anime News Network. February 29, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
  11. ↑ "Second Manga at the series official website" (in Japanese). Shueisha. Archived from the original on 2012-08-15. Retrieved June 2, 2011.
  12. ↑ 僕は友達が少ない+ 1 (ジャンプコミックス) (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  13. ↑ 僕は友達が少ない+ 2 (ジャンプコミックス) (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  14. ↑ "僕は友達が少ない 公式アンソロジーコミック　 (MFコミックス アライブシリーズ)" (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  15. ↑ 僕は友達が少ない 公式アンソロジーコミック3 (アライブコミックス) (in Japanese). Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
  16. ↑ "Seven Seas Adds 2 More Haganai Manga". Anime News Network. November 27, 2013. Retrieved December 16, 2013.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 ENTERTAINMENT, SEVEN SEAS. "SEVEN SEAS ENTERTAINMENT - Haganai: I Don't Have Many Friends". gomanga.com. Retrieved August 6, 2016.
  18. ↑ http://www.amazon.co.jp/僕は友達が少ない-11-MFコミックス-アライブシリーズ-いたち/dp/4040668510/
  19. ↑ "Seven Seas Titles - May-August 2015" (PDF). MacMillan Publishers. Retrieved 2014-11-02. - Haganai Vol. 11
  20. ↑ https://www.amazon.co.jp/僕は友達が少ない-13-MFコミックス-アライブシリーズ-いたち/dp/4040678273/
  21. ↑ https://www.amazon.co.jp/僕は友達が少ない-14-MFコミックス-アライブシリーズ-いたち/dp/4040682580/
  22. ↑ "Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Light Novels Get TV Anime". Anime News Network. May 17, 2011. Retrieved August 11, 2011.
  23. ↑ "Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Novels Get Anime DVD". Anime News Network. June 25, 2011. Retrieved August 22, 2013.
  24. ↑ "Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai TV Anime Slated for Fall". Anime News Network. July 26, 2011. Retrieved August 11, 2011.
  25. ↑ "Funimation to Stream Haganai on Friday". Anime News Network. October 27, 2011. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  26. ↑ "Funimation Licenses Haganai School Comedy Anime". Anime News Network. January 28, 2012. Retrieved January 28, 2012.
  27. ↑ "Haganai Gets New Original Video Anime on September 26". Anime News Network. May 6, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
  28. ↑ "Haganai Add On Disc Video Anime's Promo Streamed". Anime News Network. July 13, 2012. Retrieved September 9, 2012.
  29. ↑ "2nd Haganai Season Slated for January 10". Anime News Network. November 22, 2012. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  30. ↑ "Twitter / haganai_anime: ここで重大発表！「僕は友達が少ない」ＴＶアニメ第２期". Twitter.com. Retrieved 2012-09-28.
  31. ↑ "Haganai's 2nd Season Slated for January 2013". Anime News Network. August 18, 2012. Retrieved August 18, 2012.
  32. ↑ "2nd Haganai Season's Title, Staff Changes, Key Visual Revealed". Anime News Network. September 26, 2012. Retrieved September 28, 2012.
  33. ↑ "Haganai 2nd Season's Theme Songs Revealed". Anime News Network. November 9, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
  34. ↑ "Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai Release on 26th of January". Senpai Gamer. September 8, 2011. Retrieved September 20, 2011.
  35. ↑ "University Lists 'Boku wa Tomodachi ga Sukunai' Film by Toei". Anime News Network. May 1, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  36. ↑ "Haganai Creator Hirasaka Confirms Live-Action Film". Anime News Network. May 2, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2013.
  37. ↑ Yegulalp, Serdar (May 22, 2013). "Suddenly, There's A Ton of 'Haganai' News". About.com.
  38. ↑ "Japanese Weekly Comic Ranking May 23–29 at Anime News Network". Anime News Network. June 1, 2011. Retrieved July 9, 2011.
  39. ↑ Silverman, Rebecca (November 28, 2012). "Review Haganai: I Don't Have Many Friends GN1". Anime News Network.
  40. ↑ Kimlinger, Carl (December 9, 2011). "Review - Haganai - Episodes 1-5 Streaming". Anime News Network.
  41. ↑ Kimlinger, Carl. "Review - Haganai - Episodes 6-12 Streaming". Anime News Network.
  42. ↑ Dong, Bamboo (2014-02-12). "Friendship is Magi - Shelf Life". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2014-02-12.
  43. ↑ Hanley, Andy (February 23, 2012). "Anime Review - Haganai". UK Anime Network.
  44. ↑ Hanley, Andy (December 11, 2012). "Manga Review: Haganai: I Don't Have Many Friends - Vol 1". UK Anime Network.
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