“Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games is off to a good start. The series premiere takes its time to introduce the setting and the characters.”
Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games is an anime based on the manga of the same name, written and illustrated by Eri Ejima. The series premieres on July 7th on Crunchyroll.
STORY
Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games takes place at the Kuromi private school for rich people. This is a fancy school that trains girls to become “ladies.” The story follows Aya Mitsuki, who has integrated into the school but doesn’t come from a rich family. Thus, she doesn’t feel like she belongs there. Everything changes when she meets Mio Yorue, the elegant new girl. Mio has a secret – she loves playing fighting games. She has to keep it a secret because this school forbids video games or anything that doesn’t align with the idea of what a lady should be.
The first episode definitely sets the tone: it’s a funny series that places Aya in ridiculous situations as she tries to become a lady in a world where she feels out of place. At one point, Aya removes a piece of glass from her forehead as if it were nothing. This is the type of comedy we are dealing with. Beyond that, it’s also a Yuri. There’s a clear lesbian subtext; it’s actually more than subtext at times and quite explicit concerning the feelings of the characters. The playfulness between the characters makes it really clear while also adding some ambiguity.
Now, I have to talk about the fighting games. Mio isn’t playing any games; she is playing Street Fighter 6. There’s actual footage of the game as she plays. Overall, this is a satisfying debut. The series premiere takes its time to introduce the setting and the characters. It skilfully sets the stage for what comes next.
VISUALS
Moreover, this series has good visuals – simple character designs yet very expressive. The scenery has vibrant colors with a highlight on the fancy, detailed food. It is fancy for Japanese people because it is foreign, but for us Europeans, it is food that we know from our culture. But the series sets itself apart visually through another unusual aspect. Usually in anime, when a character finds someone attractive, they get a nosebleed for comedic effect. But here, the characters are bleeding from their mouth. That’s quite original, and there’s a reason for this choice. In fact, this is a reference to the Street Fighter games when the characters are severely beaten. Here, the bleeding doesn’t represent a physical beating or injury; instead, it symbolizes the character being lovestruck.
VERDICT
Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games is off to a good start. The series premiere takes its time to introduce the setting and the characters. It’s a funny yuri series that heavily relies on the playfulness between the characters.
Young Ladies Don’t Play Fighting Games premieres on July 7th on Crunchyroll.
Collectables and Anime Editor for Future Of The Force.
Star Wars expert and Japan connoisseur.
