Nogizaka Haruka is the most popular student at the prestigious Hakujo School, not only for her beauty, but also for her innate talents and her family’s influence. However, Haruka harbors a secret, the revelation of which could destroy her reputation.

Unfortunately, an encounter with the shy Ayase Yuuto in the school library results in the secret being revealed. Yuuto promises to keep everything between them, which gives rise to their friendship. Nevertheless, with Haruka’s status as a school star and her friendly relationship with Yuuto, the two become the object of gossip wherever they go and whatever they do.

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu – Audiovisual design

Video

An animation studio, Diomedéa, was in charge of the animation. The series has two seasons and a story closure in the form of 4 OVA episodes (so watching them is mandatory). I personally loved the first season in terms of production quality the most. Although it was clearly created in lower resolution, I feel that there was more detail in the drawing itself. It premiered in 2008, so it still counts towards my golden age. The character design is just great. Attention to detail high no and beautifully realized shading.

The animation also deserves words of praise. Those were still the days when most series were done without the use of 3D graphics in the foreground. The case is no different in Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu. This also applies to vehicles of all kinds.

Audio

As for the audio side – the soundtrack somehow did not particularly stand out. It did a great job in basically every kind of scene, but it did not come out ahead. Openings and endings are an entirely different matter. All three (season 1, 2 and the OVA) were superb and memorable to me. I’m particularly thinking of 挑発 Cherry Heart? (Chouhatsu Cherry Heart?), a song from the season two’s opening credits that will probably stay on my playlists forever. However, there’s more to it than that.

The animation of the opening itself is simply a masterpiece. The whole thing was presented in the form of a color magazine describing the life of the stars and the process of preparing it in a program that imitates Adobe InDesign. That is, an application designed for the development of such publications, flyers and catalogs. Watching each successive episode, I discovered a lot of new things and tidbits there, which could easily be overlooked because of how fast everything is going on. I admire the creativity of those responsible for the animation of the opening and the motion designers. Here’s the aforementioned opening (and some screenshots in case it disappears from YouTube someday).

Of course – it is impossible not to mention the voice actors. In leading roles the legendary Noto Mamiko and the no less distinguished Hatano Wataru. The cast of supporting characters is no worse. Satou Rina, Tachiki Fumihiko, Kugimiya Rie, Hisakawa Aya, and finally Ueda Kana. Of course, most of these names will be rather familiar among veterans. This does not change the fact that in this respect the series really has something to boast about.

Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu – Plot and Characters

Direction Style

I have mentioned more than once in earlier reviews that I really miss in the current series the way the plot and characterization were carried out in the period of the second half of the 1990s and basically until the end of the 2000s. I have the impression that the creators had much more artistic freedom and a strong focus was given to the so-called fun factor. This was manifested, among other things, in the animation itself. Lots of creative insertions were used involving changes in the proportions of characters or exaggerations to change the dynamics of a scene.

The same goes for fanservice, of which there is quite a lot in Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu, and it is certainly not a flaw. The so-called casual fanservice was used here (as in many other series from this period). That is, scenes from everyday life were primarily used for fanserice purposes, so that this was combined quite naturally with current events. Crucially – this title is a really good romantic comedy. Strongly rooted in Japanese pop culture and the anime otaku subculture itself. In my opinion, very underrated. The series is an adaptation of a light novel of the same title. The first volume was published in 2004, which is also clearly evident in the adaptation, which premiered half a decade after the original release. I am mainly referring to the issues addressed by the author.

A quick look at the plot and characters

Nogizaka Haruka is the daughter of the owner of a major company in Japan. Her name is recognized by everyone. Everyone except the main character – Ayase Yuuto. The title of the series (The Secret of Nogizaka Haruka) refers directly to two things. First – her hobby, and second – the secret/promise between her and Yuuto. Yuuto is an average student. He has no hobbies and does not stand out in any way. However, his traits are a good heart and an unconditional desire to help others (which is often also his curse).

Haruka is very afraid of revealing her hobbies, as she was the object of mockery and alienation at her previous school. Therefore, she does her best to appear good from the side of a daughter from a rich family. She builds a flawless aura around herself, while remaining a very friendly and cheerful person. Everything changes when one day she borrows a manga magazine from the library. As a result of her nervousness, ends up dropping it on the floor after clashing with Yuuto on the way out. The girl already assumes that she has thus committed social suicide. However, Yuuto promises her that the whole event will stay between them. For the first time in her life, Haruka feels that she can open up to someone. Without fear of not being accepted for who she is and what she is interested in.

Throughout the series there are a host of secondary and tertiary characters who have a real impact on events. These include Yuuto’s older sister and her friend, who is also the teacher of the class Yuuto attends. On Haruka’s side, her younger sister Mika and their caretakers who are maids at the Nogizaka family mansion (primarily Nanami and Hazuki). Her parents (Gentou and Akiho) also play a significant role.

Other remarks

I really liked how the progression of Haruka and Yuuto’s relationship occurs. It is influenced by various seemingly insignificant everyday events. From episode to episode you can see how they get closer to each other and realize their feelings.

There was also no shortage of cliffhangers and more serious plot developments. Especially in season two and the accumulation of such events in the four OVA episodes. At a few of these parts I started to doubt whether the main character was definitely a guy. Then I quickly realized that the creators from the very beginning wanted to show their characters during their high school years. So a lot of things required the protagonists to realize certain things and rearrange their priorities. Sometimes they needed a serious kick in the rump and a push to the right path by the people around them.

Anime veterans will find quite a few references to other titles popular at the time. They are not so obvious as to be conspicuous in the foreground. Usually it is something taking place in the background or in situations where it is difficult to draw attention to it. Perceptive people will have no problem with this, however.

Evaluation and summary

Every time I feel like all the best series from the past have already ended up on my list of watched titles, I find an anime that makes me realize I was very wrong. Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu is a wonderful, nostalgic trip to the past and reminds me why I fell in love with Japanese pop culture shortly after consciously watching my first anime (Onegai Teacher and Onegai Twins fairly soon after their release).

Brilliantly written characters. Really well-run romance plot (taking into account the age of the characters and their often irrational behavior). Beautiful visuals. Sensational voice actors. Skillfully incorporated fanservice. A sizable focus on subculture related to anime, manga, games and doujinshi. And finally, a supporting cast with whom we also quickly become attached. Perhaps a bit biased, since series of this type from the period mentioned at the top are my soft spot, but in my opinion this title is not only severely underrated, but also far too little known. I will remember it far warmer than the widely glorified Toradora or Haganai (even though I like both of them).

Finalny werdykt

Final evaluation

Which translation do I recommend to watch Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu

• Doki – may not be their best release on the technical side, however, I really can’t complain about the translation itself and the rendering of the dialogue.

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