My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 Review: From Games to Girlfriend

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With so many great hits this anime season, My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 was a wholesome and heartwarming rom com to balance out the rest of the shonen anime running around.

My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 is worth a watch if you are into the rom com genre. Contrary to other rom coms, where predictable tropes are used to force the characters together, the relationship between our two leads develops in a natural way that leaves a warm feeling inside you. With great leads, strong supporting casts, and many wholesome moments, this show is worth giving a shot.

My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 was a surprisingly fun anime to watch. When I first started this show, I only tuned in since I saw some clips from YouTube. I watched some heartwarming moments, and I thought I should give it a shot. After finishing the first season, I have to say that this anime was worth a watch.

There’s so much that this anime does well, that it doesn’t feel like a drag to watch. I think the best part of this rom com has to be the nature of the anime. Most rom coms run with the trop of will they or won’t they. In the case of Yamada, the question isn’t will they or won’t they, but rather when will they admit their feelings.

Now, getting into specifics, I’m going to talk plot first. When it comes to the story of Yamada, the story itself is quite simple. Girl gets dumped by boyfriend, meets someone new, makes a connection with them, then they start developing feelings for each other. In this case, I appreciate the simple plot because it gives more time and space for the characters to develop.

In the case of a rom com, I have to say that this well worth the trade off. Alongside the actual story, I really enjoyed the pacing for the show. Everything developed at a nice pace, where nothing was dragged on for too long, or things were rushed.

Episode by episode, I was satisfied with the amount of progress that was happening. Besides the story moving at a great pace, the romantic development between the two leads was perfectly paced as well. Honestly, the whole thing felt natural, which was a great feeling.

Now, for all rom coms, there’s always something that defines the show. In the case of Yamada, the binding event is video games, or more specifically, an MMO called Forest of Savior. Along with being a fun rom com, I liked the small bits of gaming that blended into the story. Using some video game elements to explain some of the developments in the story were really fun. Not only that, but the actual scenes with video game gameplay was a nice change of pace as well. After watching the show, I have to say that I want to play an MMO like the one in the show.

The final area I want to cover about Yamada has to be the characters. First thing’s first, our protagonist Akane was a great lead to follow. Not only is she a character that’s kind and  a bit of an airhead, she has enough social awareness to realize the situations she’s in. I know in most rom coms, once the protagonist finds out they have feelings for the other lead character, they go into denial and try to fight the feeling.

In Akane’s case, when she eventually realizes her own feelings, she doesn’t run away from it. Yes, it causes her some embarrassment, but she doesn’t deny and run away, which I appreciate. By the same token, the male lead Yamada first appears cold and distant. This gets explained later by mentioning that he doesn’t know how to act around women.

Besides that point, I also appreciate how his character changes slightly throughout the whole show. As Yamada and Akane interact more, it’s clear that Akane brings Yamada out of his shell, which was satisfying from a character development point of view. Either way, the lead protagonists were very fun to watch.

When it comes to characters, I don’t think I can miss talking about the supporting cast. One of the earliest characters we meet is Momo, who is Akane’s best friends. Perpetually single, I think her extra flare and personality helps highlight the differences between herself and Akane. Even though they have different personalities, I also loved the support she had for Akane. As the story progresses, and Momo notices Akane falling in love, I appreciated that she set her pride aside a bit to support her friend.

The other supporting cast are found in the guild that both Akane and Yamada are a part of. The first great supporting character is Eita, Yamada’s friend, and the co-creator of the guild with Yamada. I think the best part of his character is that he feels a bit like a supportive older brother to Akane.

One, he notices that Yamada is changing because of Akane, and two, when Akane finally comes to terms with her feelings, Eita supports her. Even without supporting his friend’s relationship, his actual inclusion in the show felt natural and fun. He added a bit more energy that shine that Yamada’s cold exterior doesn’t provide.

After that, Runa, Eita’s younger sister, also brings a nice balance to the cast as well. Acting as a spoiled younger sibling of the group, it was interesting to see her influence on the group as well. It was also interesting seeing her development because of Akane as well. This just supports Akane’s character as a kind and caring person.

So, after all that, I have to say that My Love Story with Yamada-kun at Lv999 was a surprisingly heartwarming and wholesome rom com. With a great cast of characters, solid yet simple plot, and great moments, this anime is one you should watch if you enjoy rom coms. With great pacing and development, it all leads to a satisfying and happy ending.

If you happen to be looking for another great anime with a bit more adventure, go give Suzume a look!