REVIEW: ‘Pseudo Harem’ Episode 1 — “The Beginning Of A Story”

Pseudo Harem Episode 1 is cuter than it has any right to be. As someone who tends to avoid harem anime, the adaptation of the manga written and illustrated by Yū Saitō had a decent-sized hurdle to overcome in its premiere episode, “The Beginning of a Story.” Luckily, the series has enough charm and playfulness to keep us engaged throughout the premiere.

The saving grace of the narrative is twofold. First, there’s a playful charisma to the two leads, Eiji Kitahama (Nobuhiko Okamoto) and Rin Nanakura (Saori Hayami). Their dynamic is sweet and familiar as if they’ve been friends long before their initial meeting. Rin is in her first year of high school, and Eiji is her senior, whom she meets when applying to join the drama club. There, their friendship develops, and Eiji shares with her that he, too, wishes to be popular — so much so that even he would like a harem. It’s an odd declaration, but it plays out more tongue-in-cheek than expected.

It’s not that Pseudo Harem Episode 1 ever misleads us — we fully believe that Eiji honestly does think a harem would be great. Instead, we see it through the lens of someone who is half-kidding when he says it, not expecting Rin to latch onto the idea. And this is where the second part of the episode’s charm comes in. The fact that his “harem” is simply her adopting different personas to entertain him is a hilarious premise and shows her feelings immediately. Eiji might be clueless, but we’re well aware of her crush.

It’s hardly like Eiji is a catch, but he’s a relatable protagonist, all the way down to his severe eye bags. Pseudo Harem delivers strong characterization with our two leads. Neither are great academic students, but both have passions in the arts. Eiji is a dedicated hard worker and never takes advantage of Rin’s performances. Meanwhile, Rin is well-fleshed out even if she plays multiple alter egos. The cool, impish, tsudere, and spoiled girl personas all get room to shine as she plays up these performances in order to get closer to Eiji. Eiji, who, until one brief moment towards the end, never seems all that interested in Rin herself.

That helps ground the friendship even if Rin has a serious crush. The way the two make each other laugh and tease one another (such as when Rin catches Eiji’s disastrous bedhead) builds a necessary chemistry between the two. We don’t need them to jump straight into romance. It would actually be better if they didn’t and paced it out until they were both on equal footing.

A lot of Pseudo Harem Episode 1 plays with classic styling and comic strokes, with everything from reaction shots to transitional fades emulating old-school anime. The character designs, too, lean into a more traditional style and aesthetics that work with the straightforward story the series is telling. If anything, it gets too repetitive after a while as Rin swaps into different roles depending on both her and Eiji’s moods and the kind of interactions they’re going for. It’s not the most thrilling story, but charming and enjoyable. It’s just not certain if, at the pace it’s cruising on, the series will be able to maintain steady interest.

Pseudo Harem Episode 1 is a strong introduction that defies expectations regarding the genre. The feared trappings of the “harem” anime are avoided (for now, at least) as the series doubles down on ensuring we care about these characters regardless of the ridiculous premise that jump-stars the show. Fun and inherently silly, it’s a harmless if unsubstantial watch.

Pseudo Harem Episode 1 is out now on Crunchyroll.