A new romantic comedy is coming to the fall anime season!
Samara “Sam” Young is a developer in Los Angeles who’s about to achieve her dreams with her first video game, Ruminate. That is, until a popular streamer gives the game a scathing review. Even worse, Sam finds out the troublesome critic is now her new neighbor! Get lost in a comedic, romantic, and all-too-real story about gaming, memes, and social anxiety. Come for the plot, stay for the doggo.
First off, I love this premise. As a video game fan/dog enthusiast, Sam is right up my alley in terms of finding an MC to love. I am not familiar with the Webtoon from Leeanne M. Krecic (aka Mongie) the series is based on, so I came into this episode fresh with no prior expectations. (I did search to see if it was a reverse harem–it’s just not my thing–and if you’re also curious, it is not.)
Sam is a perfectly adorable, quirky lead, and her dog, Bowser, is the perfect faithful companion. It’s easy to see a little of yourself in her even when it isn’t like looking right into a mirror. She’s a little socially oblivious (thus far), focused, driven, and tired of navigating a male-dominated field. In her introduction within the first episode, it’s easy to root for her and connect with her, a plus for limited amount of time one episode alone allots for.
The three main love interests shall we call them get brief introductions that highlight their roles in Sam’s life and differences in personality. It’s certainly a job well done to be able to create those clear lines so early, building a grounding setting around each of them and showcasing the relationship Sam has with each of them.
Another aspect I found truly delightful was Sam’s hopeless “wife guy” father, Samuel. It was absolutely unexpected and entirely flawless in execution. I cannot wait to see how his devotion and helplessness continue to blossom.
The seiyū cast does not disappoint either with Kana Hanazawa as Sam Young, Shimba Tsuchiya as Marshall Law, Yūichi Nakamura as Charles Jones, and Tomokazu Sugita as Link Hudson.
Let’s Play premieres on Crunchyroll, Wednesday, October 1, with new episodes releasing every week. OLM animates the Daiki Tomiyasu-directed season.
