**Watari-kun’s ** Is About to Collapse Season 1: A Dissection of a Flawed Yet Fascinating Anime

Watari-kun’s * Is About to Collapse* (渡くんの××が崩壊寸前, Watari-kun no xx ga Hōkaisunzen), a 2025 anime adaptation of Naru Narumi’s manga, arrived with a provocative title and a premise that promised psychological depth, romantic tension, and a touch of mystery. Premiering on July 5, 2025, on Tokyo MX and streaming on Crunchyroll, the 12-episode first season has sparked polarized reactions among viewers and critics. This article dives into the core of Season 1, analyzing its narrative, characters, themes, and execution with a critical eye, aiming to unpack what makes this series both compelling and frustratingly uneven. This is not a promotional piece but a candid exploration of a show that dares to tread uncomfortable territory, often stumbling but occasionally shining.

The Premise: A Tangled Web of Trauma and Relationships

At its heart, Watari-kun’s * Is About to Collapse* centers on Naoto Watari, a high school student who has shouldered the responsibility of caring for his younger sister, Suzushiro “Suzu” Watari, following their parents’ death two years prior. Living with their aunt, Naoto’s devotion to Suzu earns him the label of “siscon” (sister complex) at school, a reputation he shrugs off as long as Suzu remains safe and happy. The story takes a sharp turn when Satsuki Tachibana, a childhood friend with a murky past, transfers to Naoto’s school, reigniting traumatic memories and unraveling his carefully constructed life. The mysterious “XX” in the title—never explicitly defined—hints at the fragility of Naoto’s emotional or psychological state, his family bonds, or perhaps something more abstract, leaving viewers to speculate.

The anime, produced by Staple Entertainment and directed by Takashi Naoya, adapts the manga’s early volumes, blending elements of romantic comedy, psychological drama, and harem tropes. However, its execution often feels like a tug-of-war between these genres, resulting in a narrative that is both intriguing and disjointed.

Narrative and Pacing: A Rollercoaster of Tone and Intent

Season 1’s narrative is ambitious, attempting to weave a story of grief, co-dependency, and unresolved trauma with lighter romantic and comedic elements. The show opens with a flashback to Naoto and Satsuki’s childhood, where she inexplicably destroys his family’s garden, setting the stage for their strained reunion. This incident, while seemingly trivial, is a pivotal trauma for Naoto and Suzu, symbolizing the loss of stability in their lives. The series uses this as a foundation to explore Naoto’s protective instincts and Satsuki’s enigmatic motives, but it struggles to maintain a consistent tone.

The pacing is a significant point of contention. Early episodes lean heavily into harem tropes, with Satsuki’s aggressive advances and the introduction of Yukari Ishihara, a classmate with feelings for Naoto, creating a love triangle that feels formulaic. These moments clash with the darker undertones of Naoto’s past and his unhealthy attachment to Suzu, making the show feel like it’s trying to cater to multiple audiences at once. By episode 4, the narrative begins to delve deeper into Satsuki’s reasons for returning and the secrets surrounding the Watari family, but the shift is abrupt, leaving viewers whiplashed by the transition from rom-com antics to psychological drama.

The season’s 12-episode run covers roughly the first four manga volumes, but it omits key context and rushes through character backstories, particularly Satsuki’s. The result is a story that feels incomplete, with cliffhangers that tease deeper revelations without providing enough resolution to satisfy. Critics on platforms like Reddit have noted that the manga’s early chapters were similarly chaotic, but the anime’s compressed timeline exacerbates this, making the plot feel like a “rollercoaster” that shifts from “trashy to wholesome to dramatic” without fully committing to any one direction.

Characters: Complex but Underdeveloped

The characters are the heart of Watari-kun’s * Is About to Collapse*, yet they are also its weakest link due to inconsistent writing and limited development within the season’s scope.

• Naoto Watari (voiced by Shûichirô Umeda, English dub by Abi Kumar): Naoto is a sympathetic yet frustrating protagonist. His dedication to Suzu stems from genuine love and trauma, but his lack of agency and tendency to monologue about his issues make him feel one-dimensional. The anime hints at his internal conflict—balancing his duty to Suzu with his unresolved feelings about Satsuki—but rarely allows him to grow beyond a reactive role. His “siscon” label, while played for laughs, raises uncomfortable questions about co-dependency that the show only superficially addresses.
• Satsuki Tachibana (voiced by Yumika Yano, English dub by Sarah Roach): Satsuki is the series’ most polarizing figure. Her aggressive pursuit of Naoto, including a sudden kiss in the first episode, borders on predatory, alienating viewers who find her behavior “discomforting” and “creepy.” Her mysterious past and connection to the garden incident are compelling, but the anime reveals too little about her motivations, leaving her as a caricature of a “yandere” archetype rather than a fully realized character. Moments where she shows vulnerability suggest depth, but these are too fleeting to redeem her.
• Suzushiro “Suzu” Watari (voiced by Jād Saxton in the English dub): Suzu is a complex figure whose intelligence and emotional manipulation of Naoto add layers to her character. However, her portrayal as a precocious 10-year-old who appears younger and engages in overly intimate interactions with Naoto (e.g., bathing together) has drawn criticism for being unsettling and unnecessary. Her attempts to hide her academic prowess to maintain Naoto’s attention highlight the siblings’ unhealthy dynamic, but the anime treats this as a quirky trait rather than a serious issue.
• Yukari Ishihara (voiced by Yurie Igoma, English dub by Kelly Greenshield): Yukari serves as the “normal” love interest, with her unrequited feelings for Naoto providing a grounded counterpoint to Satsuki’s chaos. However, her bland characterization and lack of screen time make her forgettable, a sentiment echoed by reviewers who describe her as “Purple Haired Love Interest #2.”

Supporting characters like Tamayo Watari (Naoto’s aunt) and Shigenobu Tokui add little to the narrative, with Tamayo’s actions in episode 2—berating Naoto based on assumptions—feeling particularly forced and unlikable. The ensemble’s lack of chemistry and the show’s failure to flesh out their relationships contribute to a sense of emotional flatness.

Themes: Trauma, Co-dependency, and Unresolved Questions

The series’ strongest aspect is its attempt to explore heavy themes, even if the execution falters. Naoto’s devotion to Suzu reflects the real-world struggles of young caregivers, a topic rarely tackled in anime. The show touches on grief, familial duty, and the psychological toll of trauma, particularly through the garden incident, which serves as a metaphor for the destruction of Naoto’s sense of security. Satsuki’s return forces him to confront these buried emotions, raising questions about forgiveness and reconciliation.

However, the anime’s reliance on harem and rom-com tropes undermines these themes. The “XX” in the title, speculated by fans to represent Naoto’s sanity, family, or emotional stability, remains ambiguous, which some find intriguing but others see as a lack of clarity. The show’s flirtation with thriller elements—Satsuki’s obsessive behavior, hints of family secrets—creates an ominous atmosphere in early episodes, but this dissipates as the narrative pivots to generic romance, disappointing viewers expecting a darker story.

The sibling dynamic between Naoto and Suzu is the most polarizing theme. While the manga reportedly evolves into a more wholesome exploration of family bonds, the anime’s focus on their co-dependency feels uncomfortable, especially given Suzu’s infantilized design and behavior. Reviewers have criticized this as “cloying” and “problematic,” with some expressing discomfort at scenes that blur the line between sibling affection and inappropriate closeness.

Animation and Sound: A Lackluster Presentation

Staple Entertainment’s animation is a weak point, with flat visuals and minimalistic character designs that fail to capture the manga’s expressive art. The color palette is bright but often feels washed out, and action scenes—such as Satsuki’s confrontations—lack dynamism. Character designs, particularly Suzu’s overly youthful appearance, exacerbate the discomfort of certain scenes.

The voice acting is a mixed bag. Shûichirô Umeda and Abi Kumar deliver solid performances as Naoto, capturing his conflicted emotions, while Yumika Yano and Sarah Roach struggle to make Satsuki likable due to the character’s erratic writing. The English dub, available on Crunchyroll from July 18, 2025, is serviceable but doesn’t elevate the material. The soundtrack, composed by an uncredited team, is forgettable, with generic background music that fails to enhance the emotional weight of key scenes.

Critical Reception: A Divided Audience

The anime has received mixed reviews, with critics and fans split on its merits. Anime News Network’s Summer 2025 Anime Preview Guide calls it a “snooze-fest” with “flat and lifeless animation” and a lack of comedic spark, criticizing Naoto as a “pathetic bore” and Satsuki as a “horny bore.” Anime Feminist’s review is harsher, describing the premiere as a “horror story” disguised as a rom-com, with Satsuki’s behavior verging on “comedic sexual harassment.” These critiques highlight the show’s failure to balance its tonal shifts and its reliance on outdated tropes.

On the other hand, some reviewers find potential in the series’ premise. BeneathTheTangles.com praises its intrigue, comparing it to A Bridge to the Starry Skies for its harem setup but noting a unique “something” that warrants further viewing. Reddit discussions reflect a similar divide, with some users appreciating the manga’s early chapters and hoping the anime captures its initial mystery, while others dismiss it as a “generic rom-com” that squanders its darker elements.

The Verdict: A Missed Opportunity with Glimmers of Potential

Watari-kun’s * Is About to Collapse* Season 1 is a frustrating paradox: a show with a compelling premise and heavy themes that stumbles under the weight of tonal inconsistency, underdeveloped characters, and lackluster production. Its exploration of trauma and co-dependency is ambitious, but the reliance on harem tropes and awkward comedic beats dilutes its impact. The ambiguous “XX” and Satsuki’s mysterious past keep viewers intrigued, but the season’s rushed pacing and failure to resolve key plot points leave it feeling incomplete.

For fans of psychological dramas or harem anime, the series offers enough to warrant a cautious watch, especially if the manga’s later, more wholesome developments are adapted in a potential second season. However, those sensitive to themes of stalking, unhealthy relationships, or sibling dynamics may find it uncomfortable or off-putting. The anime neither fully collapses nor soars, existing in a liminal space that mirrors Naoto’s fragile world—teetering on the edge but never quite falling.

Ultimately, Watari-kun’s * Is About to Collapse* is a bold but flawed experiment, a series that tries to juggle too many genres and ends up dropping the ball. Its greatest strength is its willingness to tackle complex emotions, but its greatest weakness is its inability to do so with the depth and care those themes deserve. As the credits roll on episode 12, viewers are left with more questions than answers, wondering if the “XX” will ever be revealed—or if the collapse has already begun.¹