’Medaka Kuroiwa Is Impervious to My Charms’ premiere review: Episode 1

Medaka Kuroiwa is Impervious to My Charms is almost in on its own joke enough to make it work. Based on the manga created by Ran Kuze, Episode 1 runs amok with fan service. Fan service, the protagonist, is self-weaponizing to break the resolve of the boy she’s set her sights on, but with low camera angles all the same. Directed by Yoshiaki Okumura, the direction leans into this element, from ogling chests to long pans and held frames. It knows exactly what it’s doing, why, and who it’s trying to entice. It’s one thing for the protagonist to feel assured in herself and utilize her charms to gain the attention of a potential suitor. It’s another for the direction to stand amongst the leering students. 

Admittedly, sometimes, I must sit back and recognize that a series isn’t for me. Medaka Kuroiwa Is Impervious to My Charms? Not for me. 

What is Medaka Kuroiwa Is Impervious to My Charms About

Mona Kawai (Yū Serizawa) charms everyone she meets. She wins hearts and turns heads naturally as she bustles through her day-to-day life. However, her effortless, walking-on-air life is upended by the arrival of a transfer student, Medaka Kuroiwa (Ryota Iwasaki.) Much to her chagrin, Medaka doesn’t blink twice at Mona despite her best efforts. From easy flirting to more abrasive tactics, Mona desperately tries to earn his affection, even as he sternly asks her to leave him alone. 

Unbeknownst to her, Medaka is a monk-in-training, and Mona is very much having an effect on him. He works diligently to stomp down any affection lest it disrupt his training. The series follows Mona as she tries to tear down his walls in an unlikely rom-com premise. 

Initial thoughts. 

At first glance, there’s some fun to be had in the premise. This is coming from someone who gets a laugh out of the “most perfect girl” trope following the chaotic escapades of The Disastrous Life of Saiki K. A series told from the golden girl perspective, the one who knows she has admirers and is confident enough to utilize her charms to get ahead? Wonderful. Lovely. But, unfortunately, Medaka Kuroiwa Is Impervious to My Charms Episode 1 fails to capture the necessary magic. 

Broken into two segments, there’s not enough to grasp beyond its more distasteful attributes. The comedy isn’t funny enough, the animation isn’t strong enough, and the characters aren’t defined enough to chase away those lesser components. My Dress Up Darling is riddled with fan service, but the characters themselves are so lovably awkward, and the animation is crisp and vibrant that it makes up for it. Komi Can’t Communicate makes a joke of it. Medaka Kuroiwa Is Impervious to My Charms lacks those elements that make its contemporaries flourish. 

It’s just all kind of dreary, isn’t it? The lighting bleaches out any color, and the character designs lack any impact. There’s nothing bold in the visuals. That said, Yū Serizawa makes an absolute meal out of these characters. Her vocal range is immense as she yo-yos between Mona’s sweeter public presentation and the more venomous internal monologues. It’s a fantastic portrait of how a voice actress can heighten the characters they’re playing, even in an otherwise lukewarm series. 

Continue or quit. 

Quit. At least for now. There’s a chance that, down the line, there will be chatter about how this series is better than expected. Especially considering the comedy involved and the opportunity for the characters to develop over time. And, if that’s the case, I’ll humbly return to see what all the fuss is about. But 2025 is a significant year for anime releases, and there’s only so much time in the day. There’s potential for fun in Medaka Kuroiwa Is Impervious to My Charms, but repetitive gags and plain animation chase it away. 

Medaka Kuroiwa Is Impervious to My Charms is out now on Crunchyroll. 

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Images courtesy of SynergySP.