The Dangers in My Heart is... uncomfortable, not due to its subject matter, but because of its effective satirization of the inherent creepiness often found in male-led romance anime. It cleverly critiques the recent wave of school rom-coms featuring generic boys who mystically attract conventionally attractive girls through exaggerated narratives and voyeuristic direction. Kyoutarou Ichikawa, the average male protagonist, embodies the creepiness to the extreme with his lurking, antisocial behavior, and disturbing thoughts. However, the series takes an unexpected turn by juxtaposing his unsettling tendencies with moments of genuine kindness.
These anime tend to follow men who narrate about their love interests while staring at them longingly, usually as the anime's director ogles her leeringly. Is Kazuya a creep for staring at Chizuru and thinking about her? Yes, obviously. Kyoutarou Ichikawa the average male-led rom-com protagonist, with the creepiness cranked to eleven. He lurks in the dark library, avoids socializing, carries a box cutter at all times, and loves to ponder murdering his classmates. Oh yeah, he's also five-foot-nothing and shatters at the slightest confrontation. Initially, I had assumed this would be your average "loner guy gets hot girlfriend because she sees he has a beautiful heart." And it seemed that way, at first. Ichikawa's private sanctum, the library, is threatened when his model classmate, Anna Yamada, comes to secretly snack in private. Rather than announcing himself, he hides a foot away from her behind a bookshelf, and narrates his frustration and murderous desire to the viewers. But seemingly, Ichikawa can't help himself when she's in need. Like when she's crying, he kindly leaves her tissues, or readily defends her when she's in trouble with teachers. It's almost like the anime is attempting to make us overlook his stalker tendencies because he's a nice guy™... except, she doesn't actually need him. Everytime he attempts to help, it's clear she'd be fine on her own, or has already solved the problem herself. What keeps this formula refreshing is how Ichikawa's plans tend to fail in unpredictable ways.
Early on, Ichikawa witnesses a boy harassing Anna, as he is stalking her of course-but rather than step in to help, he throws his bike down a hill, landing it in a river, but effectively getting the attention of other students to draw away the harasser. Despite epicly failing to be suave, he helped Anna-at a major expense to himself. He's not smooth in any way, but his sincerity is earnest. Watching the series blindly, I worried Ichikawa would successfully rescue Anna at every turn, and make her fall in love with him. A cliche, tried and true romance trope.
In fact, it's the opposite. Ichikawa's well-meaning failures and adorable awkwardness are what endear Anna to him. Their relationship slowly develops into friendship, hinting at something more, and the ball is always in Anna's field. She has more power in their relationship, but not in an manipulative, abusive, Nagatoro-san kind of way. Considering she's an athlete and like a foot taller than him, capable on her own. Other anime about generic cringe-worthy teenage boys who somehow attract the hottest girl in their life usually treat their heroines like objects of desire. They're to be looked at, but entirely devoid of personality, conflict, and depth, Anna is the antithesis of them. The recent trend of male-led rom-com heroines may have flaws that make them 'not like other girls', such as sadism, inability to speak, teasing, but these supposed flaws fulfill a desire for some viewers. Anna is just a person-her idiosyncrasies aren't attractive qualities, they simply make her unique.
Yamada does some funny things occasionally that made me laugh out loud. Such as pulling a pound of candy out of her pocket randomly and covering other magazines with her own at the store. Sometimes she's a little ridiculously stupid. How don't you question why a random dude is always hiding in the library behind you, or wonder why he just has a box cutter on him? However, her foolishness never exists to make Ichikawa appear smarter. They're both dunces in their own ways. The perfect example of this is in a later episode when the two catch colds trying to care for one another; Ichikawa chases after Anna in the rain to return her forgotten belongings, then Anna visits his home after school, bringing him ice cream and showing her concern for his well-being. When Ichikawa passes out from a fever, Anna helps him and, in her genuine worry, cannot resist hugging him during his delirium. Unbeknownst to Ichikawa, Anna caught a cold from their heartfelt hug, highlighting her selfless and caring nature. Although I found it cute and accurate to his personality, his obliviousness to her affection may come off as frustrating for some viewers.
Ichikawa's insecurities and fear of rejection are vividly depicted, leading to his edgy behavior and rejection of Yamada's sincere care. In episode nine, Yamada's efforts to obtain Ichikawa's number go unnoticed until he realizes her intentions, but a series of misunderstandings further strains their relationship. Ichikawa's distorted belief that Yamada has been using him causes him to ignore her, until a heartfelt confrontation reveals Yamada's vulnerability and genuine affection. Their emotional connection deepens, as they begin to bridge the gap between Ichikawa's fears and Yamada's unwavering support, setting the stage for a potentially transformative chapter in their relationship. Notably, he sees Anna as above himself, however, it causes him insecurities rather than as a means to make her an ethereal, otherworldly being. The viewers see both of them as equals, mostly due to Anna's abundant screen time in the latter half and hearing her inner monologue. Also there's virtually no fan service. Even though Ichikawa is a normal, hormonal, teenage boy, the animators never sexualize Anna-and it PAINS ME to say this is refreshing.
The Dangers in My Heart anime seems uncomfortable at first, then the series takes an unexpected turn by juxtaposing Ichikawa's unsettling tendencies with moments of genuine kindness. Anna Yamada, the center of his infatuation, proves to be a well-developed character with agency and depth, contrasting with the typical one-dimensional heroines in similar anime. Yamada's flaws make her unique, while her caring and selfless nature shine through, even as Ichikawa remains oblivious to her affection. Their relationship evolves into a friendship where Yamada holds the power, challenging the usual power dynamics seen in male-led rom-coms. The absence of objectification and fanservice in the anime is refreshing, emphasizing their equal footing and focusing on their personal growth. Despite its discomforting premise, The Dangers in My Heart subverts expectations and delivers a refreshing take on recent romance anime, highlighting the importance of genuine connection and mutual respect between characters.
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