High Score Girl : The crazy adventure of a gamer during the 90s !

It's been a long time since I left the world of manga and anime, not because it's a totally deliberate choice but rather because of lack of time. I must also confess that, in my opinion, this industry is undergoing a qualitative regression, with a strong emphasis on remakes of all kinds, but also on outrageous fan service. This is undoubtedly due to the arrival of a new generation that values this type of practice. Anyway, after a period when the seinen had delivered its full potential, in the early 2000s, with works such as Monster, Death Note, Tobaku Mokushiroku Kaiji, Parasyte and Gantz, I was somewhat diverted from this favourite field that I loved in my early years. Until I discovered Netflix and one of its exclusive series, known as High Score Girl.

Here we go again for a ride in DeLorean !

f like me, you are a child of the 80s and you experienced that period when game consoles were making their first steps in our living rooms, chances are you will become interested in this show. Remember that wonderful time, bathed in carelessness when the only desire was to let your obsession with this world of pixels. Because yes, it is indeed that, since High Score Girl is a title that will appeal to your nostalgic fiber of old gamer. So back in 1991, to meet Yaguchi Haruo, a young boy who devotes an unconditional love to video games.

A true journey back in time, here we are back to the golden age of arcade. Street Fighter II is now the master standard of these dark rooms and our hero's only desire is to perfect himself in order to become the undisputed champion of his district. It is then that an event, at the very least unexpected, will turn the life of this protagonist upside down : His meeting with Oono Akira, one of the most popular and richest girls in the school. It also turns out that she is an avid player because Haruo cannot defeat her at the cost of multiple attempts. While everything opposes them, it is by spending time together every day, that our two teenagers will start making friends.

The scent, the taste of childhood !

Based on Rensuke Oshikiri's semi-autobiographical manga, this anime adaptation is a pure delight, with a strong appeal to all those who have spent hours with the gamepad in their hands. It's up to you to relive the excitement of discovering the game of V.S Fighting, the arrival of the Super Nintendo or even the PCengine ! Despite the fact that the screenplay takes place on the Tokyo side, it is nevertheless quite easy to identify with the different characters, so much we sometimes recognize ourselves in the passionate side for this wonderful world.

High Score Girl has on one side both endearing and innocent, inviting the spectator to literally plunge into this comforting past where sweets, games and open comradeships were part of everyday life. You don't watch this anime with adult eyes. No, we regress for a while in order to remember our most beautiful video game moments. However, I would not say any more, except that I am looking forward to the three upcoming OAVs that will close these 12 episodes of pure joy ! In turn, watch High Score Girl and find your child's soul !