Lots of Kiss and Telling
Yamada-kun and the Seven Witches follows the story of the titular Yamada as he discovers one day that he has switch bodies with classmate Urara following an accident. At first, I thought this would be a Freaky-Friday style anime where they would spend most of the show in each other’s body. However, it turns out that when they fell they kissed, and that anyone Yamada kisses he can change bodies with. A student council member, Miyamura, sees this and wishes to use this to his advantage as he tries to become the next council president. He offers up the supernatural club to them both if they help him from time to time. The reemergence of the club attracts Itou, a devotee of all things supernatural. She too discovers Yamada’s ability following some hijinks and much “research” is done amongst the four. The plot thickens with additional powers being discovered and looming pseudo-political jockeying for being next council president. Saying much else would spoil some of the mystery behind the show, but rest assured kissing remains front and center.
I’m torn on how I feel about this show. I found it somewhat enjoyable, they at least do some semblance of character development and the humor is pretty alright. I did find it hard to really get into the plot, likely because its a bit of a slow burn in terms of actual development. It quite a few episodes to get to the main driving motivator. I can at least definitively say that it is trash. After all, its a show about lots of kissing and body swapping, with the usual tropes attached. Yamada does not hesitate to check out his female body, and the guy on guy kissing is definitely made for ship enthusiasts. Thankfully, at least in the episodes I’ve seen thus far, it doesn’t go too far in the sexual direction. The romance is actually played out a bit more genuinely, though I do feel like there’s the possibility of harem elements coming later. I’d say if you’re looking for some High School drama with a mystery and supernatural bent, you might find this enjoyable. It wasn’t totally for me, but I could see why someone would enjoy this show.
Is it trash? YES
Rating: ★★★☆☆