Anime of the Week
It has been almost 7 years since the release of the first anime in the Bunny Girl Senpai franchise, which I consider the best anime of 2018. It might be a controversial take as 2018 had a lot of great anime.
Some 2018 Anime: Violet Evergarden, Hinamatsuri, A Place Further Than the Universe and more.
I remember watching Bunny Girl Senpai for the first time, a friend recommended it and I finished it in one sitting.
I actually forgot about the second season coming out this year, which is why it’s not on the Best Upcoming Anime of 2025 list. With the second season, Rascal Does Not Dream of Santa Claus, set to premiere sometime this year, let’s revisit the first season.
Check out the last Anime of the Week: Anohana The Flower We Saw That Day
Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai Review
Synopsis
[What is Puberty Syndrome?]– Abnormal experiences rumored on the internet to be caused by sensitivity and instability during adolescence.
This year, Sakuta Azusagawa, a second-year high school student at a high school near Enoshima, meets several girls that are experiencing this “puberty syndrome”
For instance, he encounters a wild bunny girl in the library. She turns out to be an actress on hiatus, Mai Sakurajima, who is a senior at the school. For some reason, no one else can see this enchanting girl. How did she become invisible?
As Sakuta searches for answers to help Mai, they spend more time together, and he eventually learns of her hidden feelings.
This is an unusual story that takes place in a town of bright skies and glistening seas, where Sakuta encounters various intriguing girls.
Taken from the Anime Official Website
What I Liked
Monogatari Series-esque Story
I’ve mentioned this many times before, Bakemonogatari is my all-time favourite anime. Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai has a similar formula to it.
‘The main character helps people with their problems’ is the basic formula. That’s the entire first season of the anime. Sakuta helps people overcome their puberty syndrome while fighting his own syndrome.
The backstory for Sakuta, his sister Kaede, Mai and the rest of the characters are amazing. They really hit you in the heart with how deep their trauma goes.
Main Duo
Mai and Sakuta have a senpai and kohai dynamic but their personalities are swapped from the usual dynamic.
Sakuta is a blunt, straightforward character, with a dry sense of humor. This is something I enjoy in characters because it’s very relatable to me. He is the one that usually teases Mai even though he’s the younger one.
Despite Mai being famous, she’s very shy and private towards Sakuta at first. Throughout the series she gets more comfortable with their relationship.
OP & ED
They’re very catchy, especially the OP by the Peggies. They make a lot of good anime openings, such as the Rent-a-Girlfriend Season 1 opening ‘Centimeter’.
Should You Watch Bunny Girl Senpai?
Yes you should. There’s a lot to watch if you haven’t started already. There are 12 anime episodes and 3 films, with season two on the way. If you like drama, rom coms with supernatural elements to the story, you will for sure like the Rascal Does Not Dream of series.
About the ‘Rascal Does Not Dream of…’ Franchise
Originally a Japanese light novel series that Hajime Kamoshida writes, and Keji Mizoguchi illustrates. They have been publishing light novel volumes since April 2014, and a manga adaptation since 2015.
In 2018 CloverWorks produced and released an anime adaptation of the first five volumes of the light novel. The focus of this article: Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai or Seishun Buta Yarou wa Bunny Girl Senpai no Yume wo Minai.
Other volumes that have been adapted:
Rascal Does Not Dream of Dreaming Girl (2019 film) – Volumes 6 & 7
Rascal Does Not Dream of a Sister Venturing Out (2023 film) – Volume 8
Rascal Does Not Dream of a Knapsack Kid (2023 film) – Volume 9
