Hajimete no Gal

Sometimes when you go to watch something a little more digestible than what I talked about last time, you get a pleasant surprise. What is supposed to be a silly, light-hearted anime winds up covering some more serious, and important topics that we don't often see in media. That being said, if what we talk about here does look interesting, be warned that some parts of this anime are also many worlds of not okay, so we're gonna throw a content warning on the series for pedophilia due to a side character being a creep.

Hajimete no Gal is at its core a harem anime. A boy starting a new year of school is determined to get a girlfriend, and is challenged to ask out a particular girl in his class. She happens to be a Gyaru, someone who fits a particular Japanese subculture known by their fashion and appearance, and also has a reputation for being incredibly sexual, whether or not that's true.

Throughout the first part of the series, while meeting the other Gyaru in the cast, you start to realize that this sexual stereotype is used for survival. A way to protect friends or not get hurt further, due to how many people think they can take advantage of them. Rather than being allowed the chance to be a complex person, they are viewed as being sexually active, with little to no care for safety or morals. At times, we even see how characters need to play up this stereotype to get out of dangerous situations, due to the treatment they get. We get to see, multiple times, how doing anything outside of social expectation pushes away their chances to be treated like a normal person with care and respect.

Within the entire series, we see the fetishization of the Gyaru stereotype. Creating the expectation to use those that fall into this group for sexual gratification, and dropping them like a bad habit. It's a depersonalization based only on appearance, which is a constant obstacle for our female ensemble. An objectification that we find in things like bisexual fetishizing, or slut-shaming cultures. Likewise, we see the same social shaming that many parts of society apply to sex workers, all because of some choices in appearance. The female characters have a small, tightly knit circle that is prepared to shove anyone else away more often than not, because they are so used to people abandoning them. They've given up on other people, so they push away anything that hasn't already proven loyalty.

While our male cast starts the series right in line with all of these issues, we get to see the growth involved with starting to see these Gyaru as people. They navigate early relationships, which are hard enough, while also learning to see past the stereotypes and initial expectation. Over time, we experience how they learn to see people as people, and go against what society and peers pressure them into thinking. It causes them to form stronger bonds, and eventually literally fight for the personhood of other characters.

I love this series, and after watching it a second time, realize just how many layers it has when you can look past the comedy, or edgier topics covered. It's a fantastic exploration of growing beyond societal fetishization and sexual exploitation, that I think almost anyone could get something from with a full watch of the series. With good writing, cute characters, and solid comedy, anyone comfortable with adult jokes should absolutely adore this one.