Title: Wolf Girl and Black Prince
Number of Episodes: 12 anime episodes – over 40 manga chapters – the anime ends with manga chapter 21; so you can continue the story by reading on from manga chapter 22.
Episode Length: Approximately 30 minutes
Genre: Shoujo, Romance, Drama, Comedy, Slice of Life
Where to Watch: http://www.crunchyroll.com/wolf-girl-and-black-prince
Story: 10/10 Erika is a typical highschool girl, worried about her reputation with her friends in her class. So when her friends all start bragging about their boyfriends, Erika decides that she’s going to make up a fictional boyfriend to impress her friends. Without thinking, she randomly takes a cellphone picture of a cute boy that she passes by on the street. When she shows her friends, they are shocked and don’t believe her, because it is the “prince” of the school; the one guy that all of the girls want to date, the most popular and most unobtainable boy in the school. Not wanting to get caught in her own lie, Erika approaches the “prince” to ask him if he could pretend to go out with her for a short time. He tells her he will be her boyfriend if she will be his dog. He tells her he likes dogs that follow him around and obey his every command. He literally treats her as if she were a dog. He makes her bark, turn circles, fetch, and sit and stay on command. She agrees to be his dog because she so badly wants to keep up appearances with her friends. While pretending to be dating, the two gradually draw closer. Erika almost instantly develops feelings for the prince, however, he does not trust women due to his own relationship with his mother and sister. He is afraid of being hurt and afraid that everyone will leave him if he gets too close. He is never honest about his feelings, and tries to deny that he also has grown rather fond of Erika. He slowly begins to change though throughout the series; his once playboy ways a thing of the past, as he refuses visits from other girls, and becomes increasingly possessive and jealous around Erika. He also at times shows her kindness that he never shows to other girls.
Recommended Age Group: 12+ The story is cute and completely “clean”, though it does seem a bit degrading for the girl in this story. If you just enjoy it for what it is, it’s a great anime, my favorite in fact from 2015; but if you think about it too deeply you may be somewhat offended by the fact that it “romanticizes” abusive relationships. I’m personally not bothered or offended by this series, but I think impressionable young children (7-10 yrs old) should maybe not watch it for this reason.
Characters: 10/10 Erika and Kouya (the prince) are exact opposites, their personalities are usually in conflict throughout the series, with Erika wanting to “win” the heart of Kouya, and Kouya cautiously protecting himself and pushing Erika away. Erika is a sweet and simple girl who is eager to please others (which is what gets her into this mess in the first place) Kouya is more rough around the edges, and has a bad temper and a known track record for being a playboy. Erika is more high energy, while Kouya is more reserved. He gets embarrassed easily and is less open about his feelings. Kouya is the typical Tsundere type of character, one who acts cold, but is actually very kind underneath his outward appearances.
There are also a number of minor characters who bring the show to life, including a love rival trying to win Erika’s affection (briefly) in the series. I actually liked him better for Erika – Let’s face it, Kouya does not treat her right at all. The love rival is very shy and timid, and that really endeared him to me even more. He was just too cute! There’s also Kouya’s friend who tries to give Erika tips and advice to impress Kouya, but usually ends up making things worse for them. And later on, a new student wants to make Kouya stray, to prove that all men cheat, and make himself feel/look better, but Kouya proves that he is a better person and resists the temptation. A lot of drama and a lot of character tensions in this anime, really keep things moving. I love a good drama.
Artwork: 8/10
Music: 8/10
Voice Acting: 8/10
Final Score: 44/50 88% Very Good Anime for Girls
You Might Also Like: Kaichou Wa Maid Sama, Kamisama Hajimemashita, and Blue Spring Ride
