Rascal Does Not Dream Of Bunny Girl Senpai Review

It's always the ones you least suspect.

With a title like "Rascal does not dream of Bunny Girl Senpai", the expectation is that we'll get a harem comedy about bunny girls, instead we get a show that deals with the darker elements of adolescence.
Sakuta sees a bunny girl moving around a library but no one seems to be able to see her but him. This is Mai, a teen actress who appears to be disappearing from the minds of the world; suspecting a phenomenon dubbed Adolescence Syndrome, something he himself has experienced following a rumoured incident, Sakuta decides to help Mai eventually developing romantic feelings for her, but Sakuta later becomes a magnet for more victims of this unusual condition, sometimes explained in theoretical physics including a reference to Schroedingers cat.
To list all the different phenomenon, we have: Becoming invisible to the world, repeating the same day constantly, creating another version of yourself, body swapping, creating a being as a coping mechanism and amnesia formed through a traumatic experience.
I concede that this anime is written incredibly well and all characters particularly Sakuta, Mai and Futaba are written very well but the subject matter can hit a few nerves if you've had similar experiences especially in the digital age of cyber bullying or feelings of being invisible which personally is something I've had trouble with since my breakup.
And although not highlighted by the anime directly there is a darker implication of suicide as well made all the more disturbing when you see the bruises appear on Sakuta's sister Kaede.
No dub, but would be worst for it as it really pays to have a gentle voice tone to amplify the plot elements something American voice actors lack at times.
Final Verdict: Don't be fooled by the title, you won't get what it says but you will get a show that really makes you question reality which depending on your taste in anime can either be depressing, thought provoking or surprisingly heart warming if a little bit tear jerker.
I promise a happier anime to follow this.

End