Just when you think there couldn’t possibly be another way to tell a high school romantic comedy, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun throws its lot into the mix.

Sakura, the show’s sensible protagonist, flubs her love confession to an incredibly tall and stoic high school classmate by telling him she’s “his fan” and she ends up getting his autograph instead of a proper response. Turns out the eye of her desire, Nozaki, is actually a serialized shoujo manga author. 

Sakura ends up helping Nozaki ink the draft pages of his work due to the misunderstanding and her background with the school art club, and although they discuss things like the most romantic way for a couple to ride a bicycle, Nozaki’s blunt and unromantic personality makes all of their exchanges extremely comical. When the pair try to apply their theories in practice, it’s even funnier as the rest of the world observes them awkwardly riding a tandem bike together.

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun got all of the familiar fumbling towards a confession out of the way in the first two minutes of its first episode and while Sakura’s feelings still haven’t been properly communicated, the show’s set up could lead to a more original discussion around the topic of love in addition to its chuckle-worthy jokes.

(As a side note, the soundtrack heavily features the trombone during its gags. You can’t go wrong with a funny trombone. Ever.)

Rating: 3/5

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Check out this header post for more Summer 2014 anime previews and for more on why I’m taking a stab at them in the first place.