LXXXIII: "Happy Lesson" series

I saw this title around the same time I was watching Comic Party. Happy Lesson is a soft comedy about teachers that become his surrogate mothers. This is bound to give someone trouble, living in the same household as a student. As comedic as it is, it does resemble a harem title, as in one guy surrounded by many females (I'm guessing that the trait is more or less in general.)

Chitose Hioitose is a troubled and indifferent orphan. He doesn't get the best of grades, and since losing his family, is quite upset when mocked about it. He moves in to the house his parents formerly resided in, hoping to stay to himself. However, things take a turn for the bizarre as each of his 5 teachers notices his slipping grades in his classes. These teachers: Mitsuki Ichimonji, Kisaragi Ninomai, Yayoi Sanzenin, Satsuki Gokajo, and Uzuki Shitenno, all think of this idea that if they were a motherly figure to him, it would help with his grades and he would become a productive student. In this regard, they move in and become his 'Mothers', though Chitose is more or less against the idea initially. Each day serves as a lesson it seems, despite how comical the outcome is. Over time, they gain knowledge of his adopted sisters, and much later, a person claiming to be the real child of Mitsuki's.

Happy Lesson is generally on the soft side of things, though it does have it's comedic moments, and it does have a small dose of violence in it (though it's clearly seen later in the series.) The manga contains generally the same characters, but another character, Susumu Arisaka, is introduced as the main character replacing Chitose, and while his background is the same, he differs in personality. Where Chitose is more so a slacker, irritable, and a bit of a jerk to shoe around him, Susumu is more studious, mild-mannered, and nicer in contrast. The now defunct ADV Films licensed the anime, at least the TV anime and the first OVA series, for the US, while Happy Lesson Advance and Happy Lesson: The Final isn't. The TV anime and HL Advance is 13 episodes long each, while the OVA associated with the first Anime is 5 episodes long, and HL: The Final has 3 episodes. It's noteworthy that the OVA is more or less connected to the first anime, mainly because: A) while they both introduced the adopted sisters, the OVA gives better insight to the two, at least for Minazuki, and B) early in the OVA is additional content not seen in the TV anime (the first episode of the OVA is that of the TV anime's pilot with added content.)

It may not be anyone's cup of tea, but I enjoyed it. While not action packed, it has a place in my heart as something to watch every now and then. Happy Lesson, in its entirety, gains a 7.3 of 10.