Waifus everywhere!

Hey, my fellow otaku! Are you looking for a new harem anime to watch?

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You, or simply, The 100 Girlfriends or Hyakkano, is a romantic comedy anime adapted from a homonymous manga written by Nakamura Rikito and drawn by Nozawa Yukiko. It aired on October 08, 2023, and new episodes are released on Crunchyroll weekly.

I recently watched episode one, and in this post, I’ll tell you my first impressions of the show!

About the Anime

As the name suggests, The 100 Girlfriends is a harem anime where the main character, Aijou Rentarou, has collected 100 rejections by the end of his middle school days.

Trying to change his luck, he goes to a shrine to pray for a girlfriend. However, he is told by the god of love that his failures were a mistake, and Instead of having a single soulmate like everybody else, Rentaro is destined to meet 100!

But there’s one big catch: if he doesn't return their feelings, they'll die in horrible accidents.

Can you imagine a hundred cute waifus depending on you like that?

The Main Characters

Rentaro Aijo

Rentaro is the classic, good-looking, easygoing male lead, struggling with rejection from previous love interests. I like that he’s considerate and honest, and he didn’t have any choice since one of the girls’ lives was at risk (more on this shortly). Plus, he made an effort to make up his mind overnight instead of taking an entire season (often more) to pick his partner.

Hikari Hanazono

Hikari has a gorgeous curvy body and pink hair and acts sweet and polite. Instead of being bland and innocent, she is quick-witted and not afraid of using her feminine charm to get closer to Rentaro. And that beauty mark on the back of her thigh is so charming!

Karane Inda

Karane is the blond tsundere that couldn’t be forgotten in an anime harem. She is stubborn and won’t admit her feelings, but she doesn’t let opportunities pass by pretending to be uninterested. If you need to remember what a tsundere is, check this post.

Episode One: The 2 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really Love You (98 To Go)

The Episode begins on the day of the Graduation Ceremony. Rentaro Aijo confesses his love for his classmate. She replies, explaining that although she has feelings for him too, the idea of being his girlfriend sickens her, and she runs away.

On his way home, Rentaro and his friend discuss what happened. Rentaro is visibly sad, but his friend isn’t surprised and even makes fun of the situation. When asked how often he had been rejected up to that day, Rentaro said that was his 100th rejection, with the first occurring when he was still an 8-month-old.

After they part ways, Rentaro goes to a shrine to pray for a better love life, where he has an odd encounter with the God of Love. The god tells him he is destined to meet his soulmate at high school and that, unlike most people, he doesn’t have one soulmate but a hundred of them!

One month after the high school entrance ceremony, Rentaro bumps into two beautiful girls with opposite personalities. It is love at first sight!

To catch Rentaro’s attention, one of the girls, the delicate Hikari Hanazono, quickly pretends to be hurt and asks for help. The second one, Karane Inda, despite being embarrassed and stubborn, doesn’t want to let her love rival win and does the same.

As Rentaro walks them to the infirmary, the trio overhears a conversation between two students about a love superstition revolving around the school’s pink clover field, and the girls run away, leaving Rentaro confused.

Long after classes are over, leaving school, he spots Hikari and Karane in the clover field. He realizes they went there because of him and takes drinks to them to show appreciation for their efforts. In their clumsy second encounter, both girls confess their feelings and ask him out.

Shocked and cornered by the two love confessions, Rentaro asks for some time to think and promises to give them an answer the next day. At night, as he struggles to decide, he talks to the god of love again and learns his problem is worse than simply choosing between two pretty girls.

Every soulmate he rejects is going to die!

With the girls’ lives at stake, Rentaro is even more troubled by the decision he needs to make, and when he meets Hikari and Karane the next morning, he’s in a terrible state.

After the shock of seeing Rentaro bruised and covered in dirt, they demand his answer, and he is very clear about it: he wants to date them both!

Despite the shock of such immoral suggestions, Hikari and Karane are deeply in love and can’t resist Rentaro’s kind words and considerate attitude. They finally agree with him, but that’s only the beginning. There are 98 other girlfriends for Rentaro to meet and fall in love with!

Liz’s Verdict

What an adorable first episode! The 100 Girlfriends is a comedy show, and it’s meant to parody other anime. It brings lots of the well-known cliches from romantic harems, and I loved how they were applied in a well-executed, fun, and light-hearted way!

It even has an ending theme performed by the seiyuus or voice actors of the main female characters!

The three characters introduced in episode one follow the well-known formula for their tropes, both in appearance and personality, but with small twists that make them so much fun!

The episode contains jokes, characters breaking the fourth wall, and cute shots. Every otaku, ladies and gentlemen alike, will find a good portion of wholesomeness watching The 100 Girlfriends!

It’s Your Turn!

After watching The 100 Girlfriends episode one, I really, really, really, really, really recommend you give this anime a chance!

With a hundred girlfriends to meet, your next waifu is on the next episode. And I want to know your thoughts on this harem anime as well!

How did you like the characters? What about the animation?

Feel free to join The Otaku Community and leave your opinion. And while you’re there, talk to other otakus like you and me about your favorite anime.