Some anime attempt to subvert expectations through some outwardly shallow or wacky title thats intended to catch an unsuspecting viewer by surprise. Bunny Girl Senpai certainly does that and much much more. Bunny Girl Senpai is about mental illness. Dancing around with the metaphorical Adolescence Syndrome it charts a path through the heart of teen angst and leaves nothing but warmth in its wake. A phrase often touted about certain anime is that it portrays mental illness realistically. Then you watch it and the male protagonist cries God forbid and gets a little depressed then approximately 60 seconds later hes back to his old self and never has any emotional issues ever again because hes stronger now. Theres no nuance they use trauma like a blunt force object to get a reaction and leave it in the dust as soon as its used up. Bunny Girl Senpai does anything but. In 13 episodes it runs the gamut between wholesome depressing terrifying bittersweet and just about everything between. The characters arent mere 2D typecasts with nothing more to them than the description of the word tsundere. They exemplify many of the situations and feelings that weve all gone through in our lives and the show remains relentlessly positive even when the main character himself is struck by despair. It doesnt glorify suicidal ideation or how awful everything is like some other realistic anime it also doesnt gloss over reality and how sometimes it sucks. All the little things are done right here. The dialogue is consistently witty with good delivery. Even things that seem like theyd become annoying after a while like constant jokes about the protagonists masochism never do because theyre used appropriately and in a way thats natural. The animation takes a backseat in such a downtoearth setting but that doesnt mean its bad or an afterthought far from it. All of the characters are very nice looking and never once did I once anything off putting or unintentionally hilarious. I also very much enjoyed the intro and outro songs. If youre in need of an anime that makes you feel good about enjoying anime in need of a sweet innocent romance or just want to know that something more subtle can be created in the medium Bunny Girl Senpai is your anime.