High Score Girl II
Summary: The year is 1996, and second-year high school students Haruo Yaguchi, Akira Oono, and Koharu Hidaka live their lives as passionately about video games as they were five years ago. Brought together by arcade games, what began as a healthy rivalry and friendship has turned into something more. As they endeavour towards understanding their unfamiliar feelings, they work with allies, navigate high school, and find that, although life has its many challenges, there's always a game or two they can rely on.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Description
The year is 1996, and second-year high school students Haruo Yaguchi, Akira Oono, and Koharu Hidaka live their lives as passionately about video games as they were five years ago. Brought together by arcade games, what began as a healthy rivalry and friendship has turned into something more. As they endeavour towards understanding their unfamiliar feelings, they work with allies, navigate high school, and find that, although life has its many challenges, there's always a game or two they can rely on.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
High Score Girl II Trailers
High Score Girl II Pictures
High Score Girl II Review
High Score Girl II — The year is 1996, and second-year high school students Haruo Yaguchi, Akira Oono, and Koharu Hidaka live their lives as passionately about video games as they were five years ago. This overview is intentionally spoiler-free and focuses on tone and intent rather than plot specifics.
Thematically, It sits firmly within Comedy, Romance conventions as a TV work and has garnered attention (MAL score: 7.94). This work explores character dynamics, tonal shifts, and the interplay between narrative ambition and execution. The story's pacing and tonal choices are crafted to complement the central ideas, often emphasizing atmosphere and emotional truth over explicit exposition. The show's ability to evoke a consistent mood — whether melancholic, exuberant, or contemplative — is a recurring strength, and the scenes are constructed so viewers can infer stakes without needing explicit spoilers.
Characterization is a core pillar here. Protagonists and supporting figures are written with distinct motivations and narrative roles; even when archetypal, the series invests in small behavioral details that make choices feel earned. Character arcs are handled with an eye for gradualism: development often arrives through incremental beats rather than abrupt, expository shifts. The interactions between characters create texture, and relationships are used to illuminate both personal flaws and larger thematic concerns.
On the visual front, production values play a significant role. The animation quality varies by sequence but frequently showcases thoughtful direction and composition. Background art, framing, and color palettes are used deliberately to support tone — quieter scenes favor muted palettes while action or heightened emotional beats employ brighter, more kinetic visuals. Direction choices, such as camera movement and shot selection, often elevate scenes beyond their raw script, creating moments that linger in the viewer's mind.
The soundscape — score, incidental music, and sound design — complements the visual language. Music cues are placed to maximize emotional resonance without manipulating the audience with melodrama; this restraint often leads to more authentic emotional payoff. Sound design punctuates key moments, and when the series leans on silence, those quieter moments are given weight by measured audio choices.
Pacing and structure are handled with craft. Episodes are arranged to build tension and release methodically, and the narrative rarely rushes through important emotional beats. That said, the deliberate pacing may feel slow to viewers who prefer faster plot turnover; the reward is greater nuance and an accumulation of meaning across the series. Accessibility is generally good — one can appreciate surface-level pleasures, while repeat or attentive viewing reveals additional layers.
No title is without flaws. Occasional unevenness in subplots or variable animation across episodes can be distracting. Some tonal shifts might feel abrupt if you expect uniformity; others will argue that those shifts are purposeful. These are worth noting, but they seldom undercut the larger achievements of the work.
In sum, High Score Girl II offers a rich experience for viewers who value character-driven storytelling, considered visual design, and a soundtrack that supports rather than overwhelms. For fans of Comedy, Romance, this is an especially rewarding watch. It's recommended for those who appreciate layered narratives and artistry in animation, and best approached with patience and attention to nuance.
Characters & Voice Actors
Hidaka, Koharu
Main
Hirose, Yuuki
Japanese
Hidaka, Koharu
Main
Ponticelli, Benedetta
Italian
Hidaka, Koharu
Main
Cárdia, Jéssica
Portuguese (BR)
Hidaka, Koharu
Main
Harlacher, Erika
English
Hidaka, Koharu
Main
Heller, Karl-Line
French
Oono, Akira
Main
Suzushiro, Sayumi
Japanese
Oono, Akira
Main
Nicosia, Roisin
Italian
Oono, Akira
Main
Bueno, Raíssa
Portuguese (BR)
Oono, Akira
Main
Gatto, Cécile
French
Oono, Akira
Main
Cabanos, Christine Marie
English
Oono, Akira
Main
Lechtenbrink, Sophie
German
Yaguchi, Haruo
Main
Amasaki, Kouhei
Japanese
Yaguchi, Haruo
Main
Meli, Manuel
Italian
Yaguchi, Haruo
Main
Ringelheim, Aurélien
French
Yaguchi, Haruo
Main
Vestri, Alexander
Portuguese (BR)
Yaguchi, Haruo
Main
Becerril, Diego
Spanish
Yaguchi, Haruo
Main
Bosch, Johnny Yong
English
Doi, Genta
Supporting
Yamashita, Daiki
Japanese
Doi, Genta
Supporting
Alonso, Renan
Portuguese (BR)
Doi, Genta
Supporting
Liofredi, Matteo
Italian
Staff
Yamakawa, Yoshiki
Director, Storyboard
Aketagawa, Jin
Sound Director
Tomita, Yoriko
Script
Sayama, Kiyoko
Storyboard
Yakushimaru, Etsuko
Theme Song Performance
sora tob sakana
Theme Song Performance
Buchholz, Bob
ADR Director
Daayán, Irwin
ADR Director
Fukuyo, Shingo
Director of Photography
Funabashi, Mika
Color Design
Kuwabata, Mitsuru
Character Design
Oshikiri, Rensuke
Original Creator
Shimomura, Yoko
Music
Suzuki, Akira
Art Director
Tsubone, Kentarou
Editing