Quiet Please – Anime Review & Episode Guide

Yi-hyuk is a university student from a wealthy family who has finally moved into his own place. He has been so excited to experience independence away from his parents for the first time. However, he has been losing his mind over the loud music blasting from next door. His neighbour plays heavy metal songs day and night. Since the walls are so thin, Yi-hyuk can hear every single note. The constant noise is totally ruining his peace. Yi-hyuk is at the point where he can't get a wink of sleep.

After many sleepless nights, Yi-hyuk finally decides to take matters into his own hands. He comes up with a plan. He's going to guilt-trip his neighbour with kindness. The idea is to head over with a housewarming gift, turn on the charm, and strike up a friendship. Yi-hyuk figures that once they're on good terms, he can politely bring up the noise problem. In this hypothetical scenario, his neighbour will feel too guilty to keep blasting his music. According to Yi-hyuk, it's the perfect way to get his peace back. Honestly, what could go wrong?

Yi-hyuk shows up at his neighbour's door, gift in hand, hoping to make a great first impression. When he knocks, there's no answer. The music is too loud, drowning him out completely. He stands there awkwardly for a while, knocking again and again, but his neighbour keeps ignoring him. By this point, his patience snaps. Getting pissed off, Yi-hyuk starts pounding on the door with his fist. Yi-hyuk is so caught up in the moment that when the door finally swings open, he doesn't realize it. He ends up accidentally slamming his fist right into his neighbour's face!

Mid-eum is completely blindsided when he opens the door, only to be greeted by a knuckle sandwich. For a second, both men just stand there, totally stunned into silence. Yi-hyuk looks mortified by what he has done. Before he can apologize, Mid-eum's instincts kick in. He swings back, landing a punch of his own as payback. Their fight lands them both at the police station to file a report. While no one actually presses charges, this isn't exactly the friendly introduction Yi-hyuk had in mind.

After leaving the police station, Yi-hyuk still tries to move past the misunderstanding. He tries to make casual small talk, hoping they can still be friends. Mid-eum is still holding a grudge. He's in no mood to play nice with the guy who just decked him. Mid-eum shuts him down, calling Yi-hyuk a spoiled brat who's just living off his parents' money. He expresses zero interest in being friends. That hits a nerve, and Yi-hyuk is deeply offended. Now, the gloves are off. Yi-hyuk vows right then and there to make him his sworn enemy.

Quiet Please has a funny story about two neighbours who don't get along. Their feud becomes hilariously petty. Damn! They woke up and chose violence against each other! In real life, that noisy guy next door seems like a pain in the ass. In this story, the conflict is pure entertainment. The cheeky comedy made me laugh throughout the series. A silly visual gag here, a ridiculous overreaction there. Everything is playful enough that each episode puts me in a cheerful mood. I have a feeling many of you will enjoy this humour too.

You wouldn't guess it at first glance, but Quiet Please actually has a bit of emotional depth. Once you learn more about the neighbour, you'll realize he's not just a jerk. He's a jerk with a sympathetic backstory. Surprise! This anime has layers! I like that the series isn't wacky all the time. Instead, it tackles a meaningful storyline about mental health struggles. Quiet Please finds a good balance between silly comedy and serious drama. It can tug at your heartstrings in one moment and then crack a joke to make you laugh right afterwards. Don't worry, the angst never gets too heavy to drag down the mood.

At first, I was skeptical about the romance. The leads hated each other so much! How could they ever fix their relationship!? Surprisingly, the story finds a smooth way to clear the air between them. All it takes is one genuine conversation and some blushing to totally change the vibe. Suddenly, I've activated my BL vision! I see the potential in this enemies-to-lovers arc! However, the series rushes the process of them becoming friends. It only gives us a quick montage of the couple spending time together. I wish we got more scenes showing exactly how they grew closer.

For a twenty-minute anime, Quiet Please does a great job with the storytelling. The fast-paced plot has no dull moments, and I'm enjoying every second of it. With that said, this series feels too damn short! Each episode includes two lengthy theme songs, so the actual content is even less than it looks. I want a much longer version of the story. Can we double-size it? Triple-size it? Keep the same plot, keep the same humour. Don't change what already works. Just give me more time with these funny characters and more scenes developing their romance.

Between the warm colours and the charming little details, I like how Quiet Please looks. It's also great at using funny visual gags to amplify the humour. Admittedly, this isn't the flashiest anime. Most scenes just involve the characters staying still and talking to each other, but everything is still chic in a minimalistic way. I love Mid-eum's design. Sometimes, he seems effortlessly cool. The piercings, the earphones, the messy hair, the scornful gaze… It gives him an edgy vibe. Other times, there's an air of melancholy to him, like a tragic hero in a black hoodie.

Quiet Please finishes strongly with an excellent finale. The last episode packs a lot of drama, humour, and romance into just a few minutes. It takes serious storytelling skills to combine these different elements and still make everything flow so smoothly. I laugh at the jokes… I blush over the couple's kisses… Oh, my heart is thumping with excitement! Overall, I'm super impressed. Despite its short length, Quiet Please delivers an entertaining enemies-to-lovers arc with a surprisingly emotional plot. The BL genre definitely needs more enjoyable anime like this series.