Anime Recommendation: Ao-chan Can't Study!

Don't you hate it when your mind wanders and you can't help but think about...things ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Ao-chan Can't Study is about a high school girl, Ao Horie, who is very serious about studying and doing well in school, and she is absolutely disgusted by boys who only seem to think about sex. However, when Takumi Kijima, one of the more popular guys from her school, admits to liking Ao, she suddenly can't focus on school because all she can think about is sex. From there, Ao-chan Can't Study turns into a high school romantic comedy with Ao trying to figuring out the difference between lust and true love.

With that kind of premise, I went into this anime thinking it was going to be a comedy with nothing but lewd jokes and fanservice, and there is plenty to fit it into the ecchi category. But I think what surprised me the most about Ao-chan Can't Study is that it is also a sweet and charming romance anime that was actually kind of touching.

Sure, I don't think that Ao-Chan Can't Study is one of the best romance anime among series like Toradora!, Clannad, and Bloom into You, but I think it is still a series that will make you go "Aw, that's cute" more than once. Obviously, the main couple will make or break a romance anime, and I think Ao and Kijima are a truly cute couple.

Ao is a bit stern and doesn't really concern herself with relationships of any kind, but she is also easily flustered, has a wild imagination, and is also kind of clumsy. Kijima is a pretty boy who gets a lot of attention from other girls, but he's not fooling around with every girl he meets, and he's actually pretty innocent when it comes to things relating to sex.

Part of the joy of Ao-chan Can't Study, is watching Ao nervously and foolishly try and figure out her feelings for Kijima. And then there's Kijima who can be a typical dense love interest who doesn't understand why Ao is so flustered and when other girls try to steal him away. Based on my last anime recommendation on O Maidens in Your Savage Season, I guess you can say that I have a fondness for love stories where characters are so awkward that they don't get romance and love.

And another part of Ao-chan Can't Study that I found so much fun were Ao's reaction faces. Throughout the series, there are plenty examples of Ao making blank, confused and lovestrucked faces that are perfect for reaction images and memes. I would suggest checking out this anime for that reason alone.

So if you're looking for an ecchi romantic comedy about a foolish genius who doesn't understand love, or maybe you're just looking for some hilarious reaction images for when you're meme-ing with friends, I suggest you give Ao-chan Can't Study a chance. It's also a pretty short series, with each episode being only several minutes long. If you've already seen Ao-Chan Can't Study, let me know what you thought and feel free to suggest any of your favorite romantic comedies.