Go for It, Nakamura! – Anime Review

Nakamura is a fifteen-year-old high school student who just started his first year at Hoshimi High. On his first day of school, he developed a crush on his classmate, Hirose. It was love at first sight. Nakamura finds everything about Hirose attractive, from the curly chestnut hair to those big sparkly eyes. Hirose's smile can just melt Nakamura's heart! However, Nakamura is painfully shy. Instead of introducing himself, he just admires Hirose from across the classroom. Nakamura sneaks glances whenever he thinks no one is looking.

A whole month goes by, but Nakamura still hasn't made a move. He keeps waiting for the perfect moment to finally talk to Hirose. In his head, everything plays out smoothly. He would stroll up to Hirose's desk and ask him out to some fancy cafe. Reality is a lot different. Once Hirose is actually in front of him, Nakamura turns into a nervous wreck. He overthinks every word and somehow manages to make a fool of himself. After making an embarrassing first impression, Nakamura is mortified. He's convinced Hirose now thinks he is a total weirdo. It's over for him!

At home, Nakamura lives with his parents and his younger sister Kana. He never tells them anything about himself. His sister gets annoyed with him sometimes, but his family mostly just leaves him alone. He doesn't have any friends either. His classmates probably don't even know he exists. Nakamura's only confidant is Icchan, the pet octopus living in his bedroom. Nakamura is obsessed with marine life, especially octopuses. Yet, he has learned the hard way that this isn't exactly a mainstream interest. Other kids used to call it creepy, so now he keeps his octopus love a private little secret.

Hirose has a kind and outgoing personality, so he's naturally popular at school. He usually hangs out with his friends, Takeuchi and Makai. During home economics class, Hirose and Nakamura finally share a small moment. It's their first real conversation, making Nakamura so happy. From there, the two keep having funny encounters around school. At one point, Hirose catches Nakamura with a BL manga. Nakamura, who's in the closet, denies that the manga is his. Hirose passes no judgment, even if a guy happens to like BL.

Hirose's open-mindedness only deepens Nakamura's crush on him. He hopes they could actually become friends. In his head, he already pictures the two of them hanging out and getting along effortlessly. Reality, once again, plays out differently. Whenever Hirose is nearby, Nakamura gets flustered and nearly dies of embarrassment on the spot. He also feels jealous whenever other people get close to Hirose. Despite all the awkwardness, Hirose never seems bothered. He keeps being kind to Nakamura. Eventually, they become close. Nakamura treasures every single memory with Hirose as if it were the best moment of his life.

Hifumi is one of Nakamura's classmates. She's a shy, soft-spoken girl in glasses. She's a very talented artist. Hifumi is also a massive BL fangirl, a hobby she shares with her friends Masako and Yuka. Hifumi doesn't notice Nakamura at first until he compliments her work during art class. Nakamura loves her sketches so much that he asks her to draw him and Hirose together. Hifumi is flattered, since it's the first time anyone has ever praised her art. Her friends tease her for having a crush on Nakamura. While she does like him, she also quietly notices that Nakamura seems pretty fond of Hirose.

As I watched Go for It, Nakamura, I turned to my imaginary younger self and asked, "Wait… is this anime about us!?" I'm a grown-up now, yet I still see myself reflected in the main character. Nakamura reminds me so much of my own experiences. Like, his story feels deeply personal. This series captures what it's like to grow up as a gay teenager. It understands the loneliness and the sadness that many LGBTQ+ youths carry around. The constant self-doubt… The spiralling over every social interaction… Yeah, this is what it feels like.

While there are some sad moments, Go for It, Nakamura is cheerful and super goofy. The story takes everything that sucked about being a shy closeted teenager and turns it into pure comedy gold. The humour comes from Nakamura daydreaming about ridiculous scenarios or overreacting to the smallest things. This lovable character feels every emotion at maximum volume. When he's happy… oh, he's bursting with joy! When he's sad… oh, he's sobbing his heart out! The best episodes are both hilarious and heartbreaking. Go for It, Nakamura is an incredible anime because it can have you laughing and crying at the same time.

This isn't a BL series where the leads end up together by the finale. Looking for a typical romance? Sorry, wrong anime! The whole story focuses on Nakamura struggling with his secret crush. Despite his hilariously delusional fantasies, he gets flustered and makes almost no progress. We're still rooting for him anyway! The moment Hirose does anything sweet, Nakamura lights up with absolute joy. His happiness is so infectious that it makes us wanna be hopeful about their relationship. As the viewers, we're the ones shouting at the screen, "Go for it, Nakamura!!!"

The retro art style is part of this anime's charm, as if it were restored from a few decades ago. I love how everything looks! The visuals aren't as slick or glossy as a modern series, but I prefer this simpler aesthetic. During important moments, like Episode 6, the studio cranks the quality up to eleven. It can pull off some stunning scenes. Also, I adore the soundtrack. The opening song is a total bop. Every episode has a unique ending sequence, which changes to match whatever music is playing. How cool! These little details are exactly what make the anime so charming.

I wish Go for It, Nakamura had existed when I was young. Back then, my BL options were either fluffy romances or erotic smut. There was nothing as relatable as this series. Growing up, I was Nakamura. An outsider. A lonely weirdo who never had the guts to express my feelings. In the anime, I love that many characters are kind and supportive to Nakamura. But in real life, some people say or do cruel things. And in those moments, my younger self would've felt comforted by Go for It, Nakamura. I could go home after a rough day, watch a silly episode, and forget about reality.

I didn't love everything. The teacher-student subplot is unfortunate. A few episodes are like generic high school filler. And while it's funny, the comedy isn't groundbreaking. If I'm reviewing it based on jokes, it wouldn't crack my top list. That said, no other anime has left a bigger emotional impact on me than this one has. I've lived through Nakamura's experiences, and this series captures the raw feeling so well. It's also brilliant at cheering me up and delivering uplifting messages. Go for It, Nakamura feels so meaningful. I consider it an essential anime for LGBTQ+ youths.