Love Lab was laugh out loud funny. And by laugh out loud funny I mean, “Oh, I have to rewind that” funny.
As always, I wasn’t sure what to expect with this one. Starting out with this first episode I wondered if we were getting another Maria-sama ga Miteru; thankfully, that impression quickly changed with the amount of genuine humor in this series.
Riko Kurahashi is the school tomboy, while Maki Natsuo is the all around perfect student and student body president. The two don’t have much of a reason to cross paths (though they know of one another), until Riko inadvertently stumbles upon Maki making out with a pillow in the student council office. Maki reveals that she’s practicing kissing, as she’s never been in love before. It eventually comes as no surprise to anyone when Maki mistakes Riko as a “love expert” and forcefully enlisted both in the student council and as her love coach.
The best thing about this series so far is the dynamic between Riko and Maki. Riko gets annoyed with Maki’s various contrived love schemes, but you never sense any actual meanness from Riko. Maki on the other hand is like every middle school girl, with grand daydreams about love, dating, and fate. Instead of letting things fall as they may, Maki is determined to prepare for love, whether that means practicing bumping into your crush in the hallway (played by Riko), making sure your hair is tied up just right (combed by Riko), or kissing a gigantic pillow (…not Riko). Maki’s naivety paired with Riko’s brusqueness makes for some laugh out loud moments in the first episode.
Love Lab itself looks nice enough, but the music is no particular standout. Riko’s character design instantly reminded me of Amu from Shugo Chara, yet another tomboy-ish girl with the respect and awe of her peers. And while not a ton of stuff happened in this first episode, an anime stands out for me when it makes me laugh out loud. I’m a little weary that Maki’s naivety will eventually wear thin, but for now it works. There were also some slight yuri undertones towards the end, so I’m not sure whether the series will head in that direction or not. I do know that if the series stays this genuinely funny and entertaining, this will be something I watch every week.
