4/5 MAKING FRIENDS WITH GIRLS
  by Sesho (Pasadena, TX USA)
Akari and Hiroyuki have been friends since they were kids but now that they're in high school, Akari wants things to move to a more romantic space. But it seems Hiroyuki doesn't see her as girlfriend material. Not because he thinks she's ugly or anything, but they've been around each other so long that it's more like a brother/sister vibe between the two. It also doesn't help that Hiroyuki is too lazy and inattentive to notice little subtleties like the looks of disappointment Akari flashes when she can't hang out with him. It's also hard to notice Akari's feelings when their friend Shiho is always in his face, talking loudly and trumpeting her many talents for all the world! The more subdued Masashi rounds out the quartet of friends and he's just the opposite of Shiho, preferring to remain in the background and serving as a cool head. Hiroyuki has a knack for making girl friends, most of them an otaku of one form or another. For instance, there's the rich heiress Serika, who is the only member of the school's Occult Club and barely speaks above a whisper. Aoi is another girl whose obsession is Extreme fighting. Hiroyuki ends up helping them all in one way or another, not knowing that Akari is beginning to feel a bit threatened about all these females hanging around Hiroyuki.

To Heart is a harem comedy at its core, but it presents the form in such a laid back and subtle manner that it rises above its own genre. For instance, the girls in the show are not all desperately in love with Hiroyuki and wanting to sleep with him. At this point he's just doing nice things for them from the heart and forming friendships. He's helping them with their problems, not being pursued by them. Even Akari's feelings aren't really out in the open. It's left to the viewer to decide what the characters are thinking instead of one of the girls or guy narrating over the animation. None of the girls have been very annoying yet, so I hope that trend continues. The symphonic score gives To Heart a bit more class that most anime of this stripe. You've probably seen shows with a similar premise but To Heart just does everything better. This looks like a promising series.