Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun

Chiyo Sakura is a high schooler who works up the nerve to confess to her crush, Umetarou Nozaki, only to have him think she wants an autograph. When she tells him she wants to stay close, he asks her to come by his house and help with drawings. Chiyo then learns Nozaki secretly writes popular shoujo manga under a pen name, so she volunteers as his assistant to be near him. As they collaborate on his series "Let's Fall in Love," classmates drift in and out of their orbit, supplying awkward inspiration, offbeat support, and a steady stream of misunderstandings that keep the tone light and funny without revealing any major twists or finales.

Released in 2014, the anime adapts Izumi Tsubaki's manga, with Yoshiko Nakamura credited among the creators, and features voice performances by Ari Ozawa, Yuichi Nakamura, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Yuki Ono, and Ryohei Kimura.

It didn't win major industry awards, but it developed a loyal following and continues to be recommended by fans looking for a comedy-driven anime with strong character interplay.

Characters like Nozaki and Mikoshiba quickly became fan favorites, spawning plenty of fan art, cosplay, and online memes that highlight the show's comedic beats. Its playful take on shoujo conventions made it easy to quote and reference in anime communities, keeping the series alive in fan discussions years after broadcast.

Critics and viewers often praise the show's timing, ensemble chemistry, and how it satirizes romantic manga tropes while remaining affectionate toward them. With a community vote average around 7.2/10 from 130 voters, it's seen as a smart, funny slice-of-life comedy about friendship, creative work, and the awkwardness of teen crushes handled with a wink rather than melodrama.