Given their apparent social ineptitude (we still don’t think it’s on them tbh), it’s no surprise that our new favourite oddballs began their friendship in the oddest way. With Raido shooting his shot for his mission to make friends, we were all ready to see the seeds of friendship bloom. Unfortunately, due to Aharen’s extremely soft voice (she’s a librarian’s dream), Raido had no way of even knowing he was being spoken to, let alone understanding what was being said. However, after some very creative and extra measures— all of which failed— he adapted to Aharen’s soft voice and these two finally took their first step towards friendship: communication (is anyone else getting Komi Can’t Communicate Vibes?).

Like many of the genre, Aharen-san leans on the side of cute and comedic. With no real overarching storyline, we just get slice-of-life vignettes looking into the daily lives of Raido and Aharen as they oh-so-slowly navigate their way through high school. From the characterisation and contrast between the big, strong, and ‘normal’ Raido to the doll-like, pint-sized package of weirdness Aharen, miscommunication is the only possible outcome, and how gloriously amusing said conundrum is! And what makes it all the more absurd, is the fact that in spite of being polar opposites, Raido and Aharen share one significant personality trait: they’re as stoic as it comes. Which, as you can imagine, doesn’t help the communication issue!

And so comes forth more comedy, in pursuit of this strangely adorable friendship, these two get up to all kinds of shenanigans to become closer and more communicative. Morse code, carrier pigeons, you name it, they’ve tried it, and we’ve laughed along to it all the while fawning over their cuteness. From silly antics like Raido trying to administer eye drops to sweeter moments like Aharen waking up early to make lunch for him, this anime is the perfect balance between sweet and silly, so if iyashikei is your vibe, it’s bound to hit your sweet spot.

Like most anime of its genre, Aharen-san is a pretty easy watch. No drama, no high stakes, no angst, no stress, it’s just wholesome content for your viewing pleasure. Even the aesthetic itself. From clean lines to simple colours, this show screams (well whispers, since it can’t possibly scream) soothing. Even its subject matter is easy to digest.

Centred around the social aspect of school life, we only see Raido and Aharen slowly building their friendship through their very amusing antics, and awkwardly sweet gestures. There’s literally no scope for even a modicum of a non-positive vibe, so you’re guaranteed to actually relax when you sit back and relax with this one.