The school relationship between Sakuramori Akane and Houjou Saito is far from the best. Constant bickering occurs between them, even over the simplest trifles. One day, they both receive messages from their grandparents and unexpectedly meet for a joint dinner. There, Saito’s grandfather and Akane’s grandmother explain that there were sparks between them in their youth, but due to a foolish argument, their relationship never progressed. Now, in their old age, they have finally been given a second chance. To fulfill their unrequited love from the past, they decided to arrange a marriage for their grandchildren. Akane and Saito are given an ultimatum—either they get married and move in together, or they will face serious consequences.

Class no Daikirai na Joshi to Kekkon suru Koto ni Natta. – Audiovisual Design

Video

From a technical standpoint, the anime Class no Daikirai na Joshi to Kekkon suru Koto ni Natta. looks very good. This is generally the norm for Studio Gokumi in collaboration with AXsiZ. The character designs are truly adorable (especially the female characters). The backgrounds (particularly those showing environments outside of buildings) are full of detail and color. I also really liked the play of light in many scenes.

The animation is solid, though without any major “fireworks.” After all, this isn’t a genre that requires incredibly fluid animation. What matters most—the emotions, facial expressions, and reactions of the characters—was executed flawlessly. Some scenes were realized using chibi versions of the characters, which highlights and emphasizes the tone of certain situations.

Audio

The voice actors once again did a magnificent job. Yano Hinaki in the role of Akane is simply world-class. The combination of a tsundere personality with the polite speaking style of a well-bred young lady (sentence structures using desu wa and the intonation typical of that style) is definitely a weakness of mine. I could listen to her for hours. The way she was able to portray the entire range of often contradictory emotions expressed by Akane is truly admirable and deserves significant recognition.

The soundtrack contains several interesting motifs, though it doesn’t stand out as anything extraordinary. However, both the opening—Koibito Ijou, Suki Miman (performed by ＝LOVE) and the ending—Suki Kirai mo Oikoshite (performed by the voice actresses of all the main female characters) will find a permanent place on my playlists.

Class no Daikirai na Joshi to Kekkon suru Koto ni Natta. – Plot and Characters

Introduction

Class no Daikirai na Joshi to Kekkon suru Koto ni Natta. is a series that asks a simple question: What happens when two school rivals are forced into marriage? This is, without a doubt, material for a classic romance. The anime fully utilizes well-known tropes. We have a feisty tsundere female lead, forced cohabitation, and even the seeds of a love triangle and a younger sister who is a brocon. We’ve seen all of this before, but it turns out the strength of this series lies in the way these motifs are presented and in the characters themselves.

A Brief Overview of the Class no Daikirai na Joshi to Kekkon suru Koto ni Natta. Plot

The relationship at school between Sakuramori Akane and Houjou Saito is not the best. They constantly bicker, even over the smallest things. One day, both receive messages from their grandparents and unexpectedly meet for a joint dinner.

There, Saito’s grandfather and Akane’s grandmother explain that they were in love in their youth, but a stupid argument kept them apart. Now, they’ve decided to realize their unfulfilled love by arranging a marriage for their grandchildren. Akane and Saito are given an ultimatum: marry and live together, or face the consequences.

What is the series about

The starting point of the story is absurd but also charming. The school relationship between the main couple—Sakuramori Akane and Houjou Saito—is far from ideal. Akane is a perfectionist and a top student, while Saito is a laid-back guy blessed with a photographic memory, which allows him to get top grades without much effort. It’s no wonder their rivalry over class rankings leads to constant squabbles. Sparks fly between them in practically every lesson.

Fate (or rather, their grandparents), however, has a sense of humor. One day, both are lured to a family dinner where they learn that their grandfather and grandmother were a couple years ago. Regretting lost chances, they decided to fulfill their old love… by arranging a marriage for their grandchildren. Akane and Saito get an ultimatum: marry and move in together, or face serious consequences.

Characters

The central pillar of the anime is the characters and their dynamic relationship. If the protagonists don’t win over the viewer, they won’t be able to appreciate the characterization—which is the most essential element of Japanese stories. Fortunately, the relationship between Akane and Saito delivers. Their chemistry feels natural, and the pace at which their relationship evolves from hostile barbs to mutual understanding is satisfying and believable. A decade ago (maybe a bit more), a tsundere lead might have annoyed me, but after all these years, I really appreciate this character type in Japanese stories. It is these types of characters that give titles a good dynamic.

Sakuramori Akane

Akane meets all the traits of a typical tsundere (though she is more of a “modern” tsundere than a classic one). She is proud, explosive, and hates to lose. Some viewers might have thought after the first episode that she’s just another annoying character who spends half her time screaming “Baka!” at her partner. However, it’s worth giving her a chance, because with each episode, she shows more and more charm.

As soon as a situation forces Akane to let her true feelings through, we see that under the cloak of spite lies shyness and a sincere desire for acceptance. Her struggle with expressing feelings is endearing, especially in moments when she speaks quickly in a nervous tone, trying to act indifferent while being clearly embarrassed. It’s a classic case of a heroine whose actions and words are in conflict. She shouts that she hates him, but the blush on her face says otherwise. In her emotional clumsiness, one can see cute teasing rather than real dislike. Importantly, Akane is not a “fury”—we won’t see the kind of violence found in ironic tsundere parodies. Instead, her biting remarks are more like the prodding of a regular teenager who teases a boy because she doesn’t know how else to show she cares. As the plot develops, Akane definitely matures. She gradually learns to communicate directly and open up to Saito, making her transformation exceptionally satisfying.

Houjou Saito

Saito, on the other hand, is quite a surprising protagonist compared to many male characters in school romances. Instead of an awkward boy afraid to speak or interact with the opposite sex, we get a character who has a backbone and doesn’t let himself be pushed around. Saito can be lazy (especially in Akane’s eyes), but it’s hard to deny his intelligence and resourcefulness. His ability to assess a situation is a result of innate talent. His photographic memory provides an interesting contrast to Akane’s tyrannical work ethic.

Despite his innate intellectual advantage, Saito is not arrogant. He approaches life with a laid-back attitude, sometimes a bit too much so. However, when the situation calls for it, he can be responsible, confident, and honest to a fault. This is especially visible in his relationship with Akane. The girl repeatedly tries to unbalance him with her barbs; he usually responds with a calm, sharp retort, often achieving the opposite effect of what she intended. Saito is not a punching bag—he strikes back every now and then, leading to many comic situations. This is a completely different dynamic than in most romantic comedies where the tsundere heroine terrorizes the boy. Here, every argument between Akane and Saito is more like a duel of comments from which both sides often emerge victorious. Because they live together, they work out compromises. In moments when Akane falls into panic or doubt, the boy proves to be her support.

Supporting Characters

Although the main duo steals most of the attention, there is a group of supporting characters in the background who influence the fate of our protagonists to varying degrees. Ishikura Himari is Akane’s best friend. In the first scenes, we meet her as a laughing, perhaps slightly flighty friend who likes gossip and romance. However, it quickly turns out that under this “party girl” mask lies a good deal of sense and empathy. Himari introduces an element of romantic tension into the story. Her sincere interest in Saito makes Akane begin to feel jealous. This classic device adds a bit of drama to the series.

The second distinct character is Saito’s cousin, Shisei. Shisei is a bit of a contradiction. Her character type (strongly expressed through the voice direction) gives the impression of being withdrawn and quiet, yet she is everywhere, direct, and completely devoid of inhibitions (especially when it comes to showing her adoration for Saito). Her hyperactivity and ideas can be absurd, and her interactions with the more serious Akane are priceless. The cousin makes it clear from the start that she is also important in Saito’s life, which naturally unbalances our tsundere. Shisei also plays an important narrative role. She acts as a catalyst in Akane and Saito’s relationship. Thanks to her, the couple realizes certain things because Shisei says out loud what we, the viewers, are thinking. She sticks her nose into other people’s business and thereby pushes the hesitant protagonists to take a step forward.

More about the characters

Other people also appear later on. Among them is Akane’s younger sister, who bursts into the newlywed’s lives with great momentum. Her presence causes further complications and misunderstandings.

A separate paragraph (and perhaps even a spin-off series) is deserved by the grandparents, thanks to whom this whole situation happened in the first place. Although they appear sporadically, their motivation is the foundation of the story. The idea of two elderly people realizing their unfulfilled youthful feelings through their grandchildren is quite absurd, yet it gives the series a sense of freshness.

Class no Daikirai na Joshi to Kekkon suru Koto ni Natta. – Evaluation and Summary

Class no Daikirai na Joshi to Kekkon suru Koto ni Natta. doesn’t try to be revolutionary. It immediately throws the viewer into familiar tones and plays with genre clichés. For some, this will be a minus (because it’s been done before), but for others (including myself), it’s an advantage—we get exactly what we expect, served with the right dose of humor, warmth, and excellently executed characterization. For me, the characters matter most; meanwhile, trying to reinvent the wheel out of a forced desire to be unique usually ends in disaster.

The anime maintains a light, comedic tone. This doesn’t mean, however, that it lacks heart-wrenching scenes and valuable situations where the characters learn to live together and accept one another. Quite the opposite.

I don’t consider it a masterpiece (which is why it didn’t get a “gold” rating), but it is definitely one of the most important titles of the Winter 2025 season (though it must be admitted, this season was one of the best in the last decade, and many anime will end up on my “essence of 2025” list).

Finalny werdykt

Final evaluation

Which translation do I recommend to watch Class no Daikirai na Joshi to Kekkon suru Koto ni Natta.?

• The official translation is good enough. While there were a few details I could nitpick, they don’t cause the series to lose any of its quality.

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