The stronger the rivalry, the tighter the connection. This can be applied to many things, ranging from sports teams and pro wrestling to even superheroes and their villains. But perhaps the area that we don’t see this in too often is in the romantic comedy realm. Well…to be specific, it’s done often, but the end product is almost never good. So I’m pleased as punch to see The Klutzy Class Monitor and the Girl with the Short Skirt not only do the rivalry concept, but pull it off with flying colors.

As you can guess, the rivals are the titular characters: the class monitor, Tougo (Junya Enoki), and the short-skirted gyaru, Poem (Riko Akechi). Tougo is all about abiding by the rules, to the point of telling other students to do the very same. But that doesn’t gel with Poem, who finds comfort in her looks, despite them going against the rules of the school. But the more they butt heads, the more they get to know each other. And we can all guess what kind of road this is heading on.

While the concept of “two folks who don’t like each other reverse course” has been done on many occasions, where The Klutzy Class Monitor and the Girl with the Short Skirt shines is in its characters. Rather than go the route of generic protagonists, the two main leads and their costars have the look, the attitude, and the heart of late 90s GAINAX characters. They’re over the top, brimming with the sort of personality that would make many other writers envious. On top of that, the show is both funny as hell and unpredictable!

Both Tougo and Poem have a solid “opposites attract” motif going for them. The more they butt heads, the more they discover something they like about each other. Tougo may be strict with the rules, but he makes up for that with his kindness and grace. Poem might look like a delinquent, but she’s both smart and caring about those around her. So while they have things that they don’t like about one another, they also have qualities that give one another the respect that they deserve.

But it’s not just these two that have amazing personalities in The Klutzy Class Monitor and the Girl with the Short Skirt. Izubuchi (Hayato Doujima) is on the health committee, but his delinquent past shines through in a way that makes classmate Akina (Yuina Itou) swoon like nobody’s business. Tsukishima (Jun Fukuyama) is a librarian heartthrob, but one step away from his precious books, and he transforms into a gremlin that screams to be punched in the face. As for class president Yamato (Yuuko Kaida), her personality clashes are so often-kilter that one needs to see it to believe it.

There are also the different scenarios that these characters get thrown into that make this show entertaining from start to finish. Case in point, Tougo finds himself in a rap battle of all things. How it’s showcased is not only over-the-top hilarious, but it delivers one of the best hip-hop scenes since Season 3 of Kaguya-sama: Love is War! (Odd how these rom-coms do better rap battles than the God awful Hypnosis Mic.)

However, it’s in the beach episode where The Klutzy Class Monitor and the Girl with the Short Skirt goes all in on the brilliance. Not only is it the least fan-service-y beach episode that’s come around in ages, but it makes up for it with some of the show’s best comedy. How Poem, Tougo, and the other friends act on the beach is a solid demonstration of why everyone in this show is as lovable as they are. (Okay, Tsukishima is still kind of a dick, but he gets his comeuppance!)

It’s wild that this isn’t a GAINAX anime nor a TRIGGER one, as this series has so many of its characteristics. But Zero-G (Grand Blue Dreaming, The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague) not only emulates their styles perfectly, but also those studios’ hearts and attitude. From the amazing color palette the world is splattered with to the expressions on these characters’ faces, I often feel like I’m watching a spiritual successor to His and Her Circumstances. And believe me: reaching that level of greatness with a rom-com is not easy in the slightest.

Where the series gives it its all is in the voice acting performances. Enoki first gives Tougo a very serious-sounding stoic voice, but it keeps adding more personality the more the character opens up. Akechi’s Poem goes the opposite route, first being a smorgasbord of mentalities, only to calm down and reveal her true kind mannerisms later on down the line. Doujima’s Izubuchi is gruff-yet-caring, whereas Fukuyama’s Tsukishima goes from suave to mutant with a snap of one’s fingers.

Even with all of these strong qualities, I still can’t call The Klutzy Class Monitor and the Girl with the Short Skirt the best rom-com of Spring 2026. And yet, that says something, as this season has been tremendous with smartly-written rom-coms. So I have no choice but to declare it one of the best rom-coms of 2026, thanks to its terrific humor, memorable characters, and retro visual style. However, I can’t help but feel like I’ll be saying the exact same thing as another rom-com airing this year…

The Klutzy Class Monitor and the Girl with the Short Skirt can be viewed on Crunchyroll, and has been licensed by Crunchyroll. Episodes 1-8 were observed for review. Promotional consideration provided by Crunchyroll.