'Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out!' Is Mediocre, but Cute and Chill

Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! is a slice of life comedy anime series about a college sophomore named Hana Uzaki who, well, wants to hang out with her senpai, Shinichi Sakurai.  When Uzaki steps into college, she’s glad to discover that Sakurai, who was her senpai in the swimming club in high school, is also attending the same college as hers.  However, after observing him for an entire year laze around, she’s startled by the fact that he has seemingly turned into a pathetic, lonely introvert.  She becomes worried that he’s wasting away the prime years of his life.  Thus, in an attempt to force into him an exciting and active college lifestyle, she decides to badger him regularly into doing fun stuff together.  While her nonstop teasing and loud personality would persistently get on his nerves, a part of him comes to appreciate her companionship.

Meanwhile, their dynamic is a source of entertainment for the boss of the cafe that Shinichi (and later, also Uzaki) is working in, the boss’ daughter Ami, and Shinichi’s rich buddy Itsuhito.  They are greatly invested on whether the bickering duo will eventually develop into a couple, and will sometimes low key stir the pot in order to make things more interesting.  In addition, also observing them from afar is a strange cat with a flabbergasted expression on its face that constantly follows them around.

This anime is polarizing.  Your enjoyment for this anime series is hinged on how you find the eponymous character.  Uzaki, by design, is annoying.  Her voice and antics are purposefully irritating.  Her character design – short-haired, voluptuous but petite, and with a skin fang – is idiosyncratic.  Thus, if you ultimately find her insufferable, then you will totally dislike this anime.   However, if her blaring, zany characterization somehow charms you, then you will be pleased with this show.

I’m among the ones who find her adorable.   I don’t think she’s “Best Girl” material, but I honestly think that her character design is appealing and her personality is amusing.  In my case, she proves sufficiently magnetic as I watched all 12 episodes of the anime’s first season.

Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! isn’t exactly an outstanding anime.  It’s actually pretty mid.  However, during my summer 2020 anime watching, I actually liked it better than the more popular Rent-A-Girlfriend.  Many will argue that Rent-A-Girlfriend has more substance than Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out!, and those people are probably right.  Heck, I will even agree that Chizuru is superior to Uzaki.  Still, I was more pleased by Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! than Rent-A-Girlfriend.

This is because it served as my “chill” show.  Yes, as a comedy anime, it’s quite basic.  However, at the same time, it’s so effectively undemanding and diverting.   It was something that I don’t need to take seriously and prepare my brain for (unlike my experience with the excellent second season of Re:Zero, which also aired during summer 2020).  It was something I could just immediately pop in and relax to.

All in all, I got to enjoy Uzaki-chan Wants to Hang Out! for what it is.  As a comedy, it’s not a riot.  But it delivers chuckles with decent consistency, and it also has a handful of memorable (although somewhat unoriginal) ecchi gags.  Breezy and winning, this anime is a minor treat.