SPOILERS BEWARE The premise of Amagami SS is rather simple. Our main protagonist Junichi Tachibana had his heart broken by a girl that stood him up on a date on Christmas Eve. Two years later now a secondyear student in high school Junichi is still wary of love because of his past and dislikes celebrating Christmas. However this Christmas his encounter with one of six girls from his school will finally open up his heart to love again. Essentially this anime adapts a dating sim VN which means its going to be a harem where each of the girls will have a chance to shine. Whats odd is that after each arc concludes we do a reset and return to the beginning as if none of the events had ever happened which makes sense since this would be the case in the VN for whoevers arc you would be reading. Essentially its all alternate timelines that cant actually happen at the same time. 800https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/635602177833959439/1077642149111267348/image.png The first arc and girl this anime adapts is Haruka Morishima. Im going to be perfectly real here when I first saw Haruka appear on screen I instantly knew shes not the one for me. I wasnt wrong but my reasoning on appearance alone wasnt actually correct. Shes the school idol whos rejected many boys and this was no different for Junichi who managed to gather courage to confess at the end of the first episode. I do have to give him credit where its due as many harem protagonists dont even confess let alone do it twenty mins into the anime but thats all the praise he will receive from me. Overall this arc is weird really weird... as the last two episodes get very cringey to be frank. Haruka has never been confessed to twice by the same person so when Junichi did this she didnt know what to do so in order to reward him she kissed him. But this wasnt on the cheek it wasnt on the lips either this was on the eyebrow...ummm sorry what? But it gets worse Junichi was so fascinated by this kiss that he wanted to be kissed on his eye brow again. Ok thats weird but thats barely scratching the surface of what happened in the shed. Ah yes the shed scene with Haruka and Junichi was not something Ive ever seen in five years of watching anime. Since Haruka kissed him earlier it was Junichis turn to kiss her and she wanted to be surprised so he had to think of an unexpected place and well he certainly did that... He kissed the back of her knee...? Honestly I thought the usual anime trope would interrupt this kiss up until its final moment but I was wrong as this actually goes ahead and he doesnt just kiss her knee nope he slurps the hell out of it like a happy dog would licking their owner... WTF am I even watching here This is also why I really dont like this MC once he had his eyes on Haruka and she paid him attention everything else around him seemed to have lost value whether it was his sister Miya speaking or the time he went window shopping and then just abandoned them due to his lust for his crush. Junichi is a very simple minded individual driven purely by his lust for the crush that gave him attention like she would a good puppy. I couldnt see him as anything other than a dog in this arc. By the end of this arc Junichi manages to end up in a hotel alone with Haruka and love obviously must have commenced this night as we get a ten year time leap to when we see the couple happily married. I do have to wonder how much of this route was cut from this moment since a ten year time leap is crazy. We didnt get to see Haruka After Story but skipped straight to Haruka endgame I do hope the rest of the arcs will be better since weve started with an absolute banger right... This anime may honestly have started with the worst arc but I sincerely hope this is as bad as it will get...its genuinely stunning that this relationship turned out to be a success because as Hibiki said it herself they are both weirdos and apparently attract. 800https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/635602177833959439/1077646522377846834/image.png The next arc this anime adapts is Kaoru Tanamachi and during this arc I couldnt believe I was watching the same show as in the past four episodes. Harukas arc was terrible but Kaoru is fantastic. This may be the greatest change in an anime Ive seen in a very long time if not ever since yes I understand the arcs are pretty much stand alone as they adapt different routes in the VN but man I couldnt believe this was the same Junichi that simply lusted for his crush in the last arc. Kaoru is Junichis classmate and friend from middle school however she is significantly better than Haruka could ever wish to be. Watching this arc was a treat from start to finish all four episodes we great. Kaoru reminded me of Kyou Fujibayashihttps://anilist.co/character/4605/KyouFujibayashi from Clannadhttps://anilist.co/anime/2167/Clannad/ with her laid back and chill personality towards Junichi. The two seemed like such good friends that can joke about anything the same Kyou does this with Tomoya in Clannad. I do have to add that once again this arc shows us yet another kiss initially but again this isnt the face but thankfully its not the legs either... as this time its actually the belly button which is passable. It may still be odd to some but I can accept this as it can be kinda hot in some scenarios. The back of the knee has no saving grace whatsoever... So should I be speculating which body part the next girl will have kissed? The armpit or maybe the neck but the latter one is pretty normal and again hot in some scenarios. In the second half of this arc it is revealed shes been living with her mother for however long trying her hardest so she isnt a burden. She finds out her mother has met someone she didnt know and has even considered remarrying which resulted in Kaoru simply not knowing what to do. Junichi is actually a decent MC in this arc as he was there when she needed him. This relationship feels so much more natural than the previous one and Junichi doesnt feel like a dog but rather a cool character at times In the final episode Kaoru and Junichis feelings are mutual and come to light on Xmas Eve. Its genuinely impressive how this arc can be sooo different from the first one yet still be part of the same show. Junichi in this arc is fantastic compared to his feeble self in Harukas arc and Kaoru herself is genuinely waifu material. 800https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/635602177833959439/1078327767847948370/image.png The third arc that is adapted is Sae Nakatas. Shes a freshman who transferred in during the second semester. Shes very timid shy and doesnt speak a lot nor loudly but when Sae does shes honest with her feelings but has a hard time getting them across. The first episode of this arc may be a bit slow for some but the pace picks up at an incredible speed after it. From just the first episode Sae reminded me of Mikuru Asahinahttps://anilist.co/character/253/MikuruAsahina from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiyahttps://anilist.co/anime/849/TheMelancholyofHaruhiSuzumiya/ and I couldnt agree more specifically from her appearance and way of talking but thankfully thats the only similarity these two shared as Sae actually develops her own personality unlike Asahina whos just a pushover that allows herself to be bullied and abused time after time. There may not be an erotic kiss scene in this arc but what replaces it is Saes moans and groans during the footbath. Try closing your eyes and just listen and you can envision it multiple ways wink wink. Sae has glimpses of a kuudere but thats not quite her personality since although she speaks softly and not often she doesnt act cold as shes just wary of strangers until she opens up to them. For a timid looking gal from appearance she clearly knows what she wants when she proclaimed that she didnt want to be Junichis little sister or when she wanted him to be her instructor forever. To me thats a clear message saying I want you to stay with me forever. From her outlook alone I didnt anticipate this much development for her in a few episodes but then I remembered that each girl only has four episodes to impress so if not now then when? When she was initially shown briefly in the first episode of Harukas arc I already knew I wanted to see more of this shy girl with little confidence and this arc delivered the adaptation to satisfy my expectations. In the final episode the outfits Junichi and Sae wore to the Best Couple competition were stunning wedding attire which was sewn by Sae herself. I dont know what I was expecting to see but it certainly wasnt that. Im actually surprised they lost since I thought we would follow plot armor trope and guarantee their win but that didnt happen probably due to Harukas popularity hence people voting for her which still baffles me why she is so popular in the first place since shes kinda trash and I shall leave it at that... The director in the bathroom also completely took me by surprise since that may have been some of the best English I have ever heard in an anime. It was practically flawless Lastly Saes outfit for her Xmas date again took me by surprise this girl is really bold compared to her innocent appearance is what I learnt by the end of this arc. Picking between this arc and Kaorus is now giving me a headache since although the previous one was fantastic I usually tend to lean towards the shy and timid girls hence favoring the kuudere most of the time. In this case the first episode was ok and the rest were constantly ascending making this arc reach its peak in the final episode. Now here I am wanting more again but its time to reset and go forth to another arc. Yet again another fantastic arc. 800https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/635602177833959439/1079022124003504149/image.png The fourth and personal favorite arc of mine is Ai Nanasakis. Similarly to Sae from the few glimpses I saw of her in the previous three arcs I gathered she is also a character of few words but she has a cold personality fitting the kuudere type as thats exactly what she is. It only took one episode for me to fall for this character as her introduction was pretty damn cool no pun intended with how put together she was for only a first year. Shes not one to get flustered easily and even played along with some of Junichis perverted scenes. Kuuderes usually are pretty distant and emotionless and rarely show emotions but once they open up to those they trust it really melts my hearts. This personality does a complete 180 and its not surprising Ai is the girl I fell hardest for as shes a calm girl of few words which are mostly meaningful in one way or another. Ive talked about my love for kuuderes in many reviews so I wondered if this anime was also going to fall victim to this after I saw glimpses of Ai in the early episodes. The concise answer to that is a hard yes as Amagami develops its kuudere wonderfully similarly to how I came to know some of my all time favorite anime characters which also happen to be kuuderes as my favorites list implies this further. Ais cold personality is very enjoyable but its her weaker side that kuuderes dont tend to show too often is what made me fall for her more than the other girls. Ai is bold similarly to Sae appearances dont mean anything in this anime as the kuudere went straight in for the kiss and it was normal...? It took four arcs but we finally got a normal kissing scene that wasnt even censored or teased...we got the real deal Its Ais flustered and weaker side which is damn adorable as the confessions at the end in the hot spring open bath were wholesome genuine and pure. There isnt too much more reasoning as to why this is my favorite besides the fact kuuderes attract me uncontrollably If I had to pick one of these four as a life partner then very likely I would pick the kuudere every time which means we likely have a winner for best girl of the show here. If it was hard deciding between Kaoru and Sae for me then Ai has completely settled that argument. 800https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/635602177833959439/1079383886666154136/image.png The fifth arc that was adapted is Rihoko Sakurais. She is Junichis childhood friend dating all the way back to kindergarten so they have known each other for years. Lets start with the beginning of the first episode its weird...stuck in a wall? Where have I seen that so often oh right hentai... Well anyhow on this occasion it was only her one sided crush Junichi who found her in this compromising position but if it was anyone else then you got yourself a hentai scenario Im not kidding. In this arc Junichi reminds me of Sakutahttps://anilist.co/character/127221/SakutaAzusagawa from Bunny Girl Senpaihttps://anilist.co/anime/101291/RascalDoesNotDreamofBunnyGirlSenpai/ in the way he ruthlessly jokes about Rihokos size and weight. Hes kinda savage but caring as he widened the hole in the fence to allow Rihoko to feel as if shes made progress with her diet. That was nice on his behalf its also Junichis words that motivated her to go on a diet once more because it is her long lasting crush that said such inspiring words. Rihoko is just your average girl who loves someone that doesnt realize it she is very pure and innocent but also a klutz. In this arc we got the founders festival in the second episode? Xmas Eve also happens in this episode yet they havent confessed to each other? This was new territory for Amagami as its the first time an arc went beyond Xmas Eve excluding any kind of time skips. Also I dont think we can go five mins per episode without food and Rihoko being mentioned... So now my main gripes with this arc. This is the first arc that does not have a romantic ending the childhood friends fate is sealed even in an anime thats all about dating girls huh? Dont get me wrong Rihoko is precious but her arc is just too weak to compete with the others and only beats out Harukas since thats not difficult... Well this is the only arc to show past Xmas Eve excluding time leaps but it just felt like there was no real progression in their relationship even after so much time. Childhood friends really are doomed even in an anime where all girls win in their exclusive routes huh? The other main issue with this arc is the latter half focused far more heavily on the legacy of the tea club then it did on Rihokos love interest. In one scene when Junichi was drinking tea with the senpais of the tea club he mentioned that music would be a nice addition which instantly sent me KOnhttps://anilist.co/anime/5680/KON/ vibes as thats an anime all about light music drinking tea. The last two episodes of this arc focused on ensuring the tea club lives on as much as it did on Rihokos feelings hence giving me a conclusion that doesnt really feel all that satisfying. It simply feels like there has to be more to this arc which wasnt adapted. Even Harukas route had a proper conclusion to the arc as terrible as it was. Rihokos arc isnt bad by any means but it isnt that great either since it doesnt really focus on the main girls feelings very strongly nor does it have a proper romantic ending as the previous four. 800https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/635602177833959439/1082012623740096622/image.png The final main arc adapted in this anime is Tsukasa Ayatsujis. At no point could I have expected this arc to take the turn it did when she revealed her true personality at the end of the first episode. From the past five arcs Tsukasa came across as a well mannered and responsible gal who carries out her duties as school rep as well as president of the Founders Festival Committee but this is only how she seems from the outside. The innocent persona of a perfect student is only an act as what lies underneath is genuinely incredible and entertaining. Once Tsukasas mask comes off shes a whole another character for us to enjoy. This arc can get pretty chaotic similarly to Harukas however its better in every way you can imagine as its nowhere near as cringey and painful to endure. I suppose its worth noting the random incident of the arc which would be a dog peeing on Tsukasa of all things...? First of all I cant really envision this actually happening IRL and secondly of all ideas thats the unexpected incident of this arc huh...? Well at least it wasnt licking the back of the knee. Tsukasa has many personalities one which is very prideful and stubborn about how she wants to handle the Founders festival but she can also switch personalities overnight from firmly rejecting the idea of help to suddenly asking for it the following morning. Tsukasa comes across as kind of an unstable girl with her emotions but one thing she is certain of is her honest feelings for whos interested in and ends up loving soon after. Tsukasa is the best when she speaks her thoughts with no filter as that roast in the classroom was fire This girl really knows how to speak for herself when cornered. In the end Junichi realised that he loved Tsukasa too much even if the side he fell in love with wasnt present anymore that quickly changed once he said his honest feelings towards her. The strong willed stubborn and assertive Tsukasa is still best. From unexpectedly revealing her serious side in the classroom the first time to literally letting off steam and talking no filter about whats on her mind Tsukasa without a mask is best as its her true personality at its core which can be hard to deal with but yields outstanding results once tamed. Lastly we get another ten year time leap but this one hit me with an overwhelming sense of wholesomeness when I saw their kid. I do have to say I prefer long hair Tsukasa though. 800https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/413017120733921290/1082048297402892379/image.png 800https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/635602177833959439/1082311202690060299/image.png The final episode of this anime adapts a seventh arc which is much shorter in the VN hence only getting one episode. This arc introduces Risa Kamizaki who hasnt appeared in the show yet makes her debut in the final episode but what a finale it was As the title of her episode states this episode reveals the truth behind why Junichi was stood up on Xmas Eve two years ago. It wasnt Makiharas fault that he was stood up as she essentially got the same treatment since Risa told her a different meetup location but this was all to protect Junichi as it is later revealed Makihara was going to meet Junichi with a group of friends to make fun of his confession. Due to Risas interference this never came to be which is probably the better outcome of the two as being humiliated in front of many girls could have scarred him far more. It is also revealed Risa was the one that repelled any girls that were potentially beginning to gain interest in our MC as it was all to protect him using a modified photo. Make of it what you want but Risa clearly had strong reasons for her actions and although they may come across as scummy she was only doing this in order to protect Junichi from potentially having his heart broken again but then the big question lies as to why she didnt confess herself? Although I can kind of answer that myself and its due to the fact Junichi was still unable to let go of his memories from two years ago. Once Risa realised that he was getting more friendly with girls again she gathered the courage to confess herself but didnt want to be seen together as she knew she hurt the other girls when she lied about the picture however she realized her wrongdoings and was ready to apologise for her actions so she had good intentions with questionable execution but she realized this and wanted to make amends even going as far as suppressing her feelings for Junichi if it meant him finding happiness without her being part of that happiness. She also fell in love with Junichi due to a simple reason such as the fact he was the boy that would always drink her milk off the tray which always needed to be empty in elementary school which seems like a bizarre reason to many but clearly it meant so much more to her. That in itself is kinda adorable. 800https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/635602177833959439/1082739281392570478/image.png Throughout the duration of this anime I wondered whether these routes could theoretically happen in the same timeline and have noticed some incidents which prove this could be feasible. The only noticeable things I have seen between the arcs that prove it could happen in one timeline is during Harukas arc it was revealed he met her a year later after he was stood up on Xmas Eve in that same park. In Kaorus arc he met her right after he was stood up. In Ais arc he met her on the same day as when he was stood up but likely before he runs into Kaoru later in the evening. In Rihokos arc he asked her for advice on a present for the date that never showed which again could have occurred before he runs into Ai. I see all these events actually being feasible in one timeline. Lastly there is Risa who clearly appears in each of the other girls arcs when she repels them from getting closer to Junichi so all girls and their arcs are somewhat intertwined within one another. 800https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/635602177833959439/1082743544692879511/image.png I simply had to mention the second opening for this anime since its sublime. When I first heard this in the first episode of Ais arc I thought damn this is pretty good and then came the drop... The drop is outstanding I may be overexaggerating here but Im genuinely stunned at how amazing this singular opening is. Had it not been for this recommendation I would never have been introduced to Azusahttps://anilist.co/staff/106685/AzusaMitsu nor her songs which I am glad for. She may not have covered many songs for anime but the ones she did certainly left a mark on me and by that I mean just Amagami SS but still. This is such a gem I was able to find since never did I even hear about this dating sim anime had it not been for my good friend. Also if you paid enough attention then you would have noticed that whichever girls arc you are watching plays the main role during the opening sequence and also each girl gets her own ED with their seiyu singing it and some are pretty damn fantastic too. https://www..com/watch?v=VeV9HaTlIAabchannel=azusaTopic Finally we reach the conclusion for a review that is easily in my top five longest Ive ever written. Since this anime covered six main arcs seven if you want to include Risa which I wrote about as much as I did for the other girls anyway... I felt the need to cover each arc individually and this actually allowed me to watch the anime in many sittings where I could have watched one arc at a go. That in itself was great but the less good part about Amagami SS is that once my favorite girls arc ended I wanted more yet had to say goodbye to the arc. This is kind of a double edged sword since this anime presents many great arcs but also a terrible one so its great I dont have to suffer more than four episodes with Haruka. In conclusion this anime is adapted from a dating sim VN where each girl has her own route and in theory should find romance however this didnt happen in Rihokos arc? Why is a big question but I cant really find any answers besides the fact that there must be more of her arc which simply wasnt adapted here. The cast of this anime is genuinely fantastic if you can look past Harukas arc since both her and Junichi are genuinely trash in that arc. This anime started rock bottom making me wonder wtf I was recommended but it only got better and peaked midway through the season during Ais arc. Ais arc is easily my favorite of the bunch and I certainly wouldnt mind a life partner like her too. My soft spot for kuuderes once more shows itself but thats to be expected since Ive been fawning over them for years ever since Kanadehttps://anilist.co/character/22369/KanadeTachibana appeared in my life. Amagami SS is a harem anime where all girls win unless your name is Rihoko so you are bound to enjoy at least one of these arcs if you are a romance or SoL fan. Most of these arcs besides the aforementioned ones above are really good so there is something for everyone. 800https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/635602177833959439/1083176329391915059/image.png My final rating for the girls is as follows: 1 Ai Best arc and girl of the anime. 2 Tsukasa Her real personality seems like a breath of fresh air to be around so wouldnt mind a waifu like her. 3 Kaoru Genuinely well written semi childhood character that got a happy end? She seems like a lot of fun to have around. 4 Sae Timid quiet yet surprisingly bold for things she wants. 5 Risa If I rated her arc alongside the other main ones then she would place here. 6 Rihoko Never really got the justice she deserved in her arcs adaptation. 7 Haruka Was there really any doubt after how much I trashed on her arc and personality? S2 Reviewhttps://anilist.co/review/20502