Amakusa Kanade’s life isn’t easy. He’s afflicted by a curse that prevents him from functioning normally in society. From time to time, he hears a voice in his head forcing him to make difficult and often absurd decisions. Each scenario offers him two options: the first, at best, embarrasses him in public, while the second is even worse. He cannot refuse, as the penalty is an unbearable headache. To make matters worse, these situations almost always occur in public places.

One day, a being claiming to be a god takes pity on him, sending a beautiful girl to Earth to help lift his curse. The problem is that she has lost her memory, and the only things she excels at are eating sweets and being obedient. Shortly thereafter, the higher being contacts Kanade again, informing him there is a way to remove the curse – but it won’t be an easy task and will further complicate his already difficult life.

Ore no Nounai Sentakushi ga, Gakuen Love Comedy wo Zenryoku de Jama Shiteiru / Noucome (2013) – Audiovisual Design

Video

I must genuinely commend the animators at Diomedéa studio. The character designs are simply beautiful and richly detailed. The shading is very pleasing, the color palette is fairly vibrant, and the expressive animation of emotions makes the show a joy to watch. The backgrounds also deserve praise, especially the outdoor scenes.

Audio

The cast includes several stars, although not among the main characters, where relatively new voices dominated. Nevertheless, they performed exceptionally well in their roles. Sadohara Kaori, voicing Chocolat, sounded somewhat like a combination of Tamura Yukari and Chihara Minori. To be clear – this comparison is a significant compliment from me.

I was familiar with the opening song long before watching the series. It was the second track by the idol group Afilia Saga (who changed their name to Junjou no Afilia a few years ago), which I first heard about nine years ago and remains on my playlist to this day. The song I’m referring to is S・M・L☆. This group is associated with a chain of maid cafés, which they actively promote.

It’s also worth mentioning that the girls from Afilia Saga didn’t just perform Noucome’s opening theme. They also had a few seconds in each episode to comment on events and preview the next episode.

Ore no Nounai Sentakushi ga, Gakuen Love Comedy wo Zenryoku de Jama Shiteiru / Noucome (2013) – Plot and Characters

Introduction

I’m not sure why I didn’t watch Noucome when it first aired. The series practically screams watch me on every possible level. As they say, good things come to those who wait, and finally, it was Noucome’s turn.

A Brief Overview of the Ore no Nounai Sentakushi ga, Gakuen Love Comedy wo Zenryoku de Jama Shiteiru / Noucome (2013)

Amakusa Kanade’s life isn’t easy. He’s afflicted by a curse that prevents him from functioning normally in society. From time to time, he hears a voice in his head forcing him to make difficult and often absurd decisions. Each scenario offers him two options: the first, at best, embarrasses him in public, while the second is even worse. He cannot refuse, as the penalty is an unbearable headache. To make matters worse, these situations almost always occur in public places.

One day, however, a being claiming to be a god takes pity on him, sending a beautiful girl to Earth to help lift his curse. The problem is that she has lost her memory, and the only things she excels at are eating sweets and being obedient. Shortly thereafter, the higher being contacts Kanade again, informing him there is a way to remove the curse – but it won’t be an easy task and will further complicate his already difficult life.

What is the series about

The creators introduce viewers to the series in the first half of the episode, showing a series of choices that shaped the world over millennia. It includes many historical figures whose decisions and achievements significantly changed human life. As events unfold, we learn more details about the characters, and Kanade is forced to undertake various missions aimed at lifting the curse. The stakes are high – if Kanade fails any task, his curse will become permanent. Each of these challenges requires specific interactions with characters, leading not only to humorous situations but also deeper character development for supporting characters. The show uses these moments effectively to expand character depth without losing its comedic essence.

Characters

Amakusa Kanade has a decent presence but is regarded as an oddball at school due to his curse, forcing him into embarrassing decisions at the worst moments. His life changes dramatically after choosing an option labeled “a beautiful girl falling from the sky,” leading him to meet a lovely girl he names Chocolat because of her memory loss and love for chocolate. Given her circumstances, she becomes Kanade’s housemate. Chocolat completely lacks situational awareness and common sense, frequently causing comedic moments, particularly when juxtaposed with Kanade’s attempts to appear normal.

The protagonist primarily spends his time with a group labeled social outcasts by their peers. Among them is Yukihira Furano, a girl with a peculiar sense of humor who loves teasing Kanade with various nicknames. Although she initially seems mean-spirited, especially when constantly coming up with new nicknames for Kanade, it quickly becomes clear this is just her façade. Significant attention is also given to the incredibly energetic and shameless girl named Yuuouji Ouka.

Each character represents a personality archetype frequently encountered in Japanese pop culture. In addition to those mentioned, the series includes a wealthy ojou-sama type, a character referring to herself as everyone’s younger sister, and a youthful-looking teacher Kanade labels a legal loli. Noucome doesn’t merely copy these archetypes – it pushes each to extreme levels.

Trivia

Noucome includes numerous references to other anime series, both classics and contemporary shows from around the same period. Some references are clear, like nods to Shaft studio’s animation style in certain scenes or Yuragi’s behavior referencing Strawberry Panic, while others require more keen observation.

I also enjoyed the mid-episode breaks showing two possible viewer decisions – one being keep watching and the other drop the series. After laughing out loud, my choice was obvious. Another interesting detail was the brief portrayal of alternative outcomes had Kanade made different choices during the episodes. Although brief, these segments effectively and humorously illustrated the consequences of different decisions.

Ore no Nounai Sentakushi ga, Gakuen Love Comedy wo Zenryoku de Jama Shiteiru / Noucome / Noucome (2013) – Evaluation and Summary

What sets Noucome apart from other romantic comedies based on absurd premises is its skillful balance between absurd humor and genuine character development. The series isn’t afraid to be exaggerated while maintaining narrative consistency and ensuring viewers genuinely care about the characters’ fates. Noucome is simply a very successful comedy, with beautiful visuals and well-executed fanservice that complements rather than overshadows the main content. I’m glad I found Noucome among the many series waiting to be watched. I watched the entire show in two sittings and regret it only has 11 episodes (including a special one).

Finalny werdykt

Final evaluation

Which translation do I recommend to watch Ore no Nounai Sentakushi ga, Gakuen Love Comedy wo Zenryoku de Jama Shiteiru / Noucome (2013)?

• Crunchyroll – definitely the best option. It’s still slightly more localized than necessary, but compared to fansubs where translators rewrote dialogues entirely, there’s no competition.

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