Why You Should Watch Anime The Dreaming Boy is a Realist
Hey Anime Lovers,
If you are looking for a good romantic comedy anime to watch with a unique and unusual high school story theme with a twist, you might want to check out The Dreaming Boy is a Realist (Yumemiru Danshi wa Genjitsushugisha), a light novel adaptation that aired in the summer of 2023.
The Dreaming Boy is a Realist follows the hilarious and heartwarming story of Wataru Sajou, a boy who is hopelessly in love with his beautiful classmate, Aika Natsukawa, and his attempts to win her heart. However, one day he realizes that his feelings are not reciprocated and decides to give up on his childish crush and move on with his life.
But just when he thinks he has let go of his obsession, Aika starts acting strangely around him and showing signs of interest. What is going on in her mind? And will Wataru be able to handle this sudden change of events?
But beware, I would like to warn you from the start that this post contains many spoilers. Now that you know what this anime is about, here are the reasons why anime “The Dreaming Boy is a Realist” is worth your time:
Sajou Wataru (Protagonist)
The Protagonist, Sajou Wataru, is a blunt person and often says what is on his mind without further consideration. This includes what he thinks and feels when he is with someone. Maybe that’s why he was always rejected by Natsukawa Aika over and over again.
After being rejected dozens (or maybe hundreds) of times, he finally gave up and realized that he wasn’t worthy to be Aika’s boyfriend. He thinks that Aika has high standards for choosing someone to be her boyfriend or even to get closer and become her friend. Because Wataru felt that he was not worthy, he stopped following and pestering Aika, and started thinking about his future.
But soon after that, he met and became friends (and close) with many other girls at school, which ultimately made Aika feel jealousy, but didn’t want to express it. So… how about that…
Back to Sajou Wataru, after becoming friends with many other girls at school (with 1 girl from another school too), he also “coincidentally” had many events and incidents that made him closer to them, Wataru began to develop feelings for some of them.
He also learns more about himself, his feelings, his dreams, and his reality. After he faced various challenges and dilemmas that test his resolve and character, he eventually realizes what he truly wants and who he truly loves deep in his heart.
Natsukawa Aika (The Tsundere Heroine)
She is the tsundere heroine of the series, who starts off as a perfect girl who rejects Wataru’s confessions without any hesitation. She is beautiful, smart, and confident, but she is also cold, aloof, and sarcastic. She does not care about other people’s opinions.
She then notices that Wataru suddenly stops pursuing her and starts hanging out with other girls. She wondering why he begin to avoid her and becomes curious about him. Since then, she develop feelings to Wataru, but she does not know how to express them properly. So she starts to approach him in different ways.
Chasing Girl Excessively, Just To Be Chased Back
What do you do when you pursue and confess your feelings to a girl you want to date and get rejected? Do you give up, or do you keep trying hard to win her over? Most people would give up and some would feel resentment and hurt, and then take revenge. But not with Sajou Wataru.
He is tireless and shameless, and he doesn’t care about the feelings and situation of the woman he chases. After being rejected repeatedly (maybe hundreds of times) by Natsukawa Aika, he finally gives up and decides not to bother her anymore.
But when Aika realizes that she now feels lonely, craving attention, and jealous when she sees other girls getting close to him, she starts to chase Wataru back in her own way.
Although Aika feels embarrassed and has to lower herself (she used to be arrogant and proud) and she has trouble expressing what she feels, she is willing to try. Will Wataru notice that Aika is now chasing him? And can Aika be serious and confess her feelings even though she has to endure the shame because she was rejecting Wataru many times?
Not an Everyday School Romantic Comedy
Anime The Dreaming Boy is a Realist is quite unique because it tells the story of a girl who finally realizes that she also has feelings for a boy who (previously) chased her excessively every day. This can also happen in real life, not just in anime. But there is a special condition. The condition is, the girl must have liked or had feelings for the boy first, either while being chased or maybe from the first contact.
If the girl already likes him, why does she keep rejecting him? Well, this is interesting. There are some girls who always try to act cool, behave and don’t want people to gossip negatively about them. So she rejects him in front of everyone, but actually wants to accept him in her heart (because she is trundere).
She did not want people to make a fuss and talk negatively about her (because she was popular). She also unconsciously enjoyed the excessive approach and pursuit from the boy and felt special for getting such treatment. When he stopped approaching and chasing her, the girl’s brain and feelings went “short-circuited”. She could not accept it. She felt lonely, curious, jealous and eventually, without realizing it, she is chasing him back.
The Protagonist’s Persistence and Determination
The persistence and determination of the protagonist to pursue and approach the girl he liked for 2-3 years finally paid off. But it was not easy to keep liking the same girl when he had been rejected hundreds of times. Moreover, there were many other girls who were close to him and they also had feelings for the protagonist, with different degrees.
The protagonist is good at making friends with the opposite sex with many “coincidental” events, but I admire his persistence and determination that his feelings do not change toward the girl he pursues, even after being rejected and having the opportunity to get other girls in his school (and in other schools) without any trouble.
Many Other Girls Around Protagonist (That Make This Anime Almost Harem Themed)
Okay, there are many other girls who are beautiful and attractive besides Natsukawa Aika. Such as…
The protagonist here has the right morals and ethics and also has high principles. If not, this could be a harem anime with a usual harem story type (taking advantage of the situation or being forced to accept it). And another interesting thing is, Aika’s luck. Why is that?
Wataru can be so close and have many chances to date other girls. If you have read the previous reason, you will understand why Aika is so lucky. Right? 🙂
It Ends With…
Okay, this is the hope of the viewers who love romantic anime, even though there are a lot of comedy scenes, but this special scene is what we want to see at the climax of the story or in the last episode of this season. Whether it is short or “accidental” or done well, the important thing is that it exists. It will make we, the audience happy.
Looking at the PG13 rating, with a high school setting as the theme, it seems a bit difficult to create this special scene in season 1 (if there is a season 2 sequel, this scene might be there). It would be different if the characters in the anime were older, for example college students or office workers, this scene would be more possible to be made.
Conclusion
The anime is suitable for anyone who likes comedy-romance school anime with a twist. It has many humor, drama, romance, and surprises that will keep you entertained. The anime The Dreaming Boy is a Realist is available for streaming on HIDIVE and YouTube Channel Ani-One Asia.
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Thank you so much for reading, until next time and happy watching!
