It’s not often I’m transported to my past when I’m watching anime, but Go For It, Nakamura-kun took me all the way back to middle and high school as I was trying to figure out my feelings for guys at the time.
One of my friends placed their head on my lap for a few seconds with a smile, and then lay behind me during a game of Call of Duty. He was probably just teasing as a pal, but like Nakamura, I fell in love until I saw him with his girlfriend, breaking my heart a few months later in a million pieces.
A memorable love story
This anime is something special. The writing and scenarios are so natural, and the interactions between the characters feel genuine. The events that Nakamura experiences with his crush Hirose are relatable, especially if you are/were a gay kid in high school.
Even if you don’t relate to his situation, the shy Nakamura slowly gaining confidence to speak to his crush and then becoming his friend is genuinely precious. Go For It, Nakamura-kun takes its time to grow the relationship rather than rush into it.
I watched this with the original Japanese voiceover, and while the English performances sound decent too, I’m glad I went with the former option. Chiaki Kobayashi and Yuki Sakakihara do a sensational job of playing their characters.
Sakakihara is fantastic at showing subtle nods to how Hirose is feeling, while the usually shy Nakamura blurts out his love whenever he works up the courage, all in one go; it can be overacted sometimes for comedic effect, though. Regardless, it’s super charming and helps the writing immensely.
What also helps this anime is the superb animation style. The thicker outlines, expressive eyes, and 80’s-like style of the show make it truly pop. I also love the retro music at the end of each episode as Nakamura hangs out in his room.
Exaggerated facial expressions are well done, and you can see subtle changes in how the characters blush and interact. For example, one character runs away with their hat forward to hide their red face.
The elephant in the room
There is one particular scene that some Western anime fans are uneasy about. The teacher at the high school shares his LINE ID (WhatsApp, basically) with Hirose. Without too much context to go off (as I’ve only watched the anime), this scene seems to be fine with no romantic intentions from what I saw.
To me, it’s a bit overblown and unfortunate, as the creator of the series has shut down all their social media accounts and reportedly stopped working on the manga due to the hate messages she received.
She has also reportedly said that they do not condone relationships with a minor. To me, students have crushes on their teachers all the time, and it’s only natural that Nakamura would imagine them in a nightmare rival relationship. Context is king.
A Naturally Growing Friendship
Despite that hiccup for some, Go for It, Nakamura-kun hit me to my core. It made me reflect on my days as a shy gay child. The conversations between Hirose and Nakamura are awkward, adorable, and charming.
Additionally, there’s that subtle tension of whether or not Hirose has feelings for guys or not. And each episode gradually builds the relationship in a wonderful, human way, despite an occult club taking place in the school.
Unfortunately, there are some filler episodes that feel a bit tacked on. Also, it would have been great to have the conflict near the end of the season last a bit longer.
The ending may leave people wanting more, but hopefully, despite the abuse the mangaka has received, a Season 2 is on the way. You can watch the season on Crunchyroll. During the period I was viewing this series, I also checked out an Ani-May event in London, which you can read about.
9/10
Screenshots taken from the Crunchyroll YouTube channel
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