People often ask me about my favorite anime and I’d usually say something in the range of Pokemon, Yu-Gi-Oh!, or Naruto. However, those are all lies. I’m not what you’d call a "surface level otaku" or a "popular anime pleb.” No, what really got me into anime, especially in the early to mid 2010s, are the harem anime. Among the many unique genres and tropes of the medium, I have the most passion for harem shows and will unabashedly die on that hill (depending on the quality of the show of course). 

That’s why I was so excited to hear that The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You was getting its own anime. I didn’t read the manga beforehand, but heard a lot of things about it that convinced me to give it a chance. The basic premise follows an unlucky high schooler named Rentaro Aijo, who has been rejected by 100 girls in his young life. God, however, helps him to find his soulmate, but due to an error, Rentaro’s now destined to be with 100 girlfriends. 

Within its two seasons, the anime has leaned more into the comedy aspect of the romantic comedy genre, taken to the absolute extreme. However, it perfectly balances its comedic and romantic energies by giving us just enough genuine feelings mixed with unhinged comedic antics. It lends itself to the absurdity of it all by embracing its polyamorous premise, committing to the bit, and ramping up the jokes by 1000%. Because of this, the show isn’t afraid to take itself too seriously.

Every girlfriend in the show is a highly exaggerated take on a joke that is based on common personalities you’d find in any anime series. Each of them have their own unique/odd quirks and character traits that easily makes them memorable and able to take the spotlight when needed during a specific story arc. 

The overall cast from the past two seasons is well-rounded and includes: 

• Hakari — the affectionate Deredere girl with a secret horny side.
• Karane —the classic tsundere who can’t be honest with her feelings. 
• Shizuka — the shy girl who can only use text-to-voice technology on her phone to speak.
• Nano — A cold, distant kuudere obsessed with efficiency. 
• Kusuri — A mad scientist fascinated with drugs and who is able to freely change her form.
• Hahari — Hakari’s equally horny and somewhat deviant Mom who abuses her wealth and power to become school principal. 
• Kurumi — A glutton with a high metabolism and penchant for eating food. 
• Mei — Hahari’s maid who possesses very colorful eyes. 
• Iku — A member of the baseball team with a mean masochistic streak. 
• Mimimi — A self-proclaimed rival of Nano’s who's obsessed with keeping up her beauty standards. 
• Meme — An extremely shy person with excellent evasion skills and knitting skills. 

The anime isn’t kidding when it says there will be 100 girlfriends in the series. I don’t know how long it’ll take to get to that number, but I respect the original author’s commitment to keeping this series going and continue to pair up Rentaro with even more girlfriends. 

One recurring joke I find hilarious is when Rentaro introduced a new girlfriend to his growing harem at the start or end of a new arc. As the series progresses, Rentaro’s first two girlfriends, Hakari and Karane, aren’t surprised anymore and just casually accept a new member of the “Rentaro family.” And all of this always happens on the school’s rooftop, which will certainly get very crowded later in the future. 

There are several moments I could highlight to persuade you to check out The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You, but I feel none would do as much justice as Rentaro’s infamous speech at the end of season two. Among the manga readers, this was THE scene that they wanted to see adapted because of how insanely long and compact the text balloons in the manga were. The moment basically showed Rentaro professing his love and admiration for each of his girlfriends and talking about each of their qualities he likes them for.

The anime does a respectable job adapting the scene, placing Rentaro’s long wall of text in the background and gradually increasing the speed of his voice. Although the manga does a slightly better job at showcasing its impact and chaotic energy, there wasn't a better scene to cap off the second season with. Rentaro’s speech was so well-received that it actually received a Guinness World Record for the longest monologue ever, totaling to around 7,453 characters or 3,000 words approximately. 

All in all, The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You is a great example of a harem anime done right. It’s just a fun and hilarious anime that parodies a genre known for its fantasies and rampant fanservice and often viewed as a guilty pleasure. There's nothing else for me to say other than I’ll be seated during the moment when Rentaro finally meets girlfriend #100.