In my usual review style, this post will cover episodes 10, 11, and 12 of Ao-chan Can’t Study! Afterward, I consider the series as a whole and give it a rating.

Synopsis of Episodes

Episode 10 covered the Sports Festival at Ao’s highschool, where she competed in the 800-meter run, while Kijima participated in the cheer sqaud. Ao had a fight with her father over him being unreasonable and embarrassing. She forbade him from coming to the Sports Festival, and with good reason. He in turn forbade her from living alone in University. As if he could stop her. The fight wasn’t resolved until the day of the Festival. Ao’s dad showed up and apologized for saying she couldn’t live alone. However, he embarrassed her during the race by shouting that she should hold her G-cup breasts back to run faster.

Episode 11 was going pretty well–and by that I mean it was amusing to me– until the end. Kijima sets up a study session with Ao-chan alone together in his house. Of course, Ao-chan thinks his real motive is sex, and is fine with that. She even buy “silky panties” just for the occasion. However, no matter how she subtly encourages him, Kijima won’t make a move during the study session. Then the strangest thing happens. Ao-chan catches a cold because her stomach got cold because her panties were so low-rise. … … … Ok, as a woman who’s worn many kinds of underwear, I can tell you, it’s impossible to get a cold just from wearing low-rise panties. Facepalm.

Finally, we arrive at the last installment, episode 12. I have to admit that for most of it, I was amused, and I thought it was really cute. Basically, it’s just about Ao and Kijimi finally kissing. Actually, they kiss several times. And they both like it. The only bit of plot focused on Ao and Kijimi wanting to know each other’s history with kissing. Neither could stand the thought of the other having done it in the past. I can’t pretend to remotely understand that. When I was in highschool, I never cared about being someone’s first kiss– I only cared about sharing a good experience with the other person. That aside, episode 12 was a pretty neat and tidy ending. Of course, Ao-chan is still getting bad grades. xD

Plot Notes For These Episodes

The plot of each episode was stupid, but 11 and 12 were tolerable. They had some funny moments. As a series, Ao-chan Can’t Study doesn’t have much of plot except the slow and repetitive depiction of Ao’s interactions and misunderstandings with Kijima. But the plot is average rather than poor. I’ve never seen an ecchi show before that’s entirely told from the girl’s point of view. Cuteness and sexual humor improve my opinion, too.

Art and Sound Highlights

There were funny shots and visual effects here and there, and some sexy ones, too. I think the art is about average for a low-budget series, both in these three episodes, and throughout the show. The instrumental music was enjoyable and was a major part of what kept me interested in each scene. It always fit the mood, and yet it stuck out to me as memorable, too. The opening song, as I’ve said before, is catchy and upbeat. I like it a lot. The seiyuu performances were good. I especially like Ao-chan’s voice actress, Waki Azumi. Even though I don’t like the character of Ao’s father, his seiyuu, Tsuda Kenjirou, is very talented.

Thoughts on Characters

Much to my horror, there was an entire episode focused on the character that annoys me most, Ao’s father. Nothing was done to make the character less annoying. It was predictable that he would ruin Ao’s experience again, but still, it was aggravating to watch. The worst thing is that Ao’s father is supposed to be a funny character, but he’s utterly disgusting. I don’t mean because he writes erotica. I mean because he interferes with Ao’s life too much, and acts unseemly in public.

As for other characters, nothing more was done with the development of Yabe or Miyabi, and Ao and Kijima stayed the same as ever. They both have appealing quirks and personalities in my opinion. They are still pretty shallow, though. Basically, Kijima is a boy who is more of a gentleman than average, and Ao-chan is a girl who craves sexual experiences a little more than average.

Final Analysis

Story: 5/10. It would have been poor or 4/10 if not for some good humor and the somewhat fresh plot concept of Ao-chan wanting sex but not being able to express it. Art: 5/10. It’s not bad, but it’s cheap and pretty much like anything else you can find in ecchi or rom-coms from the last 3 years. Sound: 7/10. The instrumental OST is pretty and funny, and the opening and closing songs are catchy as hell. The voice-acting is fair. Characters: 5/10. They are utterly average, and often annoying. Enjoyment: 5/10. I enjoyed this show more than I expected, actually, mostly due to the cutness of Ao and some of the sexual humor.

Series Rating for Ao-Chan Can’t Study: 5.4/10.0 Average

I don’t recommend this unless you are looking for a silly, shallow, and repetitive ecchi romantic comedy. On the plus side, there are some genuinely funny moments, and the music, songs, and voice-acting are very enjoyable. This is Anime Rants. Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful rest of your day! Ja ne!