Shuichi Nimaru, the author of the light novels “Osamake: Romcom Where The Childhood Friend Won’t Lose,” has expressed profound dissatisfaction with the anime adaptation of his work premiered in the spring of 2021 and produced by Doga Kobo studios. Nimaru shared his frustration on Twitter, revealing that the animated series caused him considerable personal distress.
In his social media post, Nimaru admitted to only watching the first two episodes of the anime before feeling desperate and abandoning the series. Despite attempting to continue with the support of friends, he was again forced to leave due to his disappointment. This experience left a deep mark on the author, who admitted to being in shock for six months, facing difficulties in returning to his creative work and turning to alcohol.
The anime adaptation of “Osamake” also had an impact on the sales of the original light novels. Although the first volume had experienced notable success with 19 reprints in 22 months, sales stagnated after the anime’s release, with zero reprints even three years later.
Nimaru explained that his disappointment arose from the discrepancy between his original vision of the story and the interpretation made by the anime production team. The author was frustrated to see how key elements of his work were altered or misrepresented in the animated adaptation, affecting his emotional connection with the project.
Despite the challenges and emotional damage caused by this experience, Nimaru pledged to move forward and improve his work. He expressed his determination to continue writing and completing his work in the hope of overcoming this disappointment and reclaiming the success he had achieved with the original light novels.