3ET: Kanojo ga Flag o Oraretara

It was at this moment that Souta and Nanami realized they were in a show with a complete moron.

Studio: Hoods Entertainment

Director: Watanabe Ayumu (Uchuu Kyoudai, Nazo no Kanojo X)

Writer: Aoshima Takashi (Minami-ke, Yuru Yuri)

Main Cast:

Oosaka Ryouta as Hatate Souta

Kido Ibuki as Nanami K Bladefield

Kayano Ai as Mahougasawa Akane

Hikasa Youko as Eiyuuzaki Rin

Asumi Kana as Shoukanji Kikuno

Hanazawa Kana as Touyokuzama Megumu

Character Design: Kaneko Shizue

Music: Hashimoto Yukari (Golden Time) and Kawada Ruka (Senran Kagura)

I think that a show about a boy who can see the "flags" commonly seen in forms of storytelling could be an interesting show. The fact he can see, and destroy, death flags, friendship flags, and romance flags makes the boy, named Hatate Souta, a powerful character. And with some basic knowledge of how harems are set up, his story could be a thourough skewering of the harem genre, complete with him shutting down all the harem girls in favor of some other outcome. Like maybe ending up with a girl who is an actual person. Sadly, Kanojo ga Flag o Oraretara doesn't do that at all. Instead, it tries to play the ability to see flags as a source of angst and dramatic tension; because when I think of harem shows, I think of the gripping drama. That could work, but only if the characters can get me to care about that kind of angst. And if they're the normal harem archetypes, that's a hard sale to make.

The reason for that is most harem girl archetypes don't feel like real people. That makes it impossible to feel for them as people when I'm supposed to, like when the sad music cues up and they start crying. Those moments don't do it for me when the girls are just the stock character types. Nanami is the princess who pretends she hates everyone. Akane is the rich airhead. There are two childhood friends in Rin and Kikuno. And Megumu is the trap. Yes, I just summed up their entire characters in a couple of words, because that's all there is. As for Souta, he's pretty dull too. He is forced to take no joy in his power, because he is bad luck and doesn't want to associate with anyone. And the only real emotions we see from him are in response to the antics of the other characters. Since he doesn't exist as an independent person, it's impossible for me to care about him either. And when I don't care about anyone in the show, that's a bad sign.

Do it, Megumu. Kill them all for constantly misgendering you.

There is also the fact that the story, or what passes as a story in this show, is completely rushed. Plot points that could have made the girls something besides a series of cardboard cutouts are glossed over and new characters are quickly introduced in a race to get to where the show wants to go. And where it goes is stupid harem antics. Oh look, the trap desperately wants to be seen as a guy but no one wants to acknowledge him except Souta. That's both unfunny and offensive! And let's not forget the smash hit of watching a girl beat up a guy for no legitimate reason! I mean, there can't be any innovation or intelligence in the comedy, because there need to be more boob jokes! We'll throw in some sad music about a childhood friend who thinks that Souta isn't the boy she looked up to when she was younger. But, surprise, he is! Isn't that funny? Isn't it? Isn't it?!?!

Ahem. No. It is not funny. It hasn't been funny for a long time. The only people who find this kind of stuff funny are the ones who are both emotionally immature and haven't ever seen a harem comedy in their life. But, since anime fans are full of the former and there are always cases of the latter, shit like Kanojo ga Flag o Oraretara will get made. As for the flags, I didn't mention them because they don't really matter. Aside from a couple of early jokes, they have no affect on what the show turns out to be. Without them, this would be a disposable harem show. And with them, it's a disposable harem show.