Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu (Haruka Nogizaka's Secret) Review

I just watched an anime called Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu so I will now review it! (What else would I do?) Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu or Haruka Nogizaka's Secret began in 2004 as a 16-volume light novel written by Yusaku Igarashi. Igarashi then wrote a 4-volume manga which came out from 2006-10. Then it was made into a 12-episode anime in 2008 from Studio Barcelona currently Diomedea Inc. Additionally there is a second 12-episode season Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu: Purezza in 2009. Finally it is finished off with a 4-episode OVA Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu: Finale in 2012. Additionally, there are two games: Cosplay Hajimemashita (2008) and Dojinshi Hajimemashita (2010). Also, there is a very similar 4-volume 2005 manga, Menacing Dog's (Another Secret) written by Shaa the same illustrator of Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu with a very similar story and some of the same characters. I will be reviewing the anime series as a whole. Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu is a romantic comedy anime. I did enjoy this series, though there some cheesy and awkward moments I liked the concept overall.

Summary
Hakujo Academy is a private high school with a student body filled with elite students. At the top of this list is the beautiful Haruka Nogizaka, an intelligent and wealthy girl who comes from a prestigious family, and is by far the most idolized girl at school. Yuuto Ayase is a timid boy who has the unbelievable luck of sitting in class with Haruka every day. Like many others, he admires her from a distance, never even dreaming of approaching her. But with a sudden twist of fate, Yuuto's random visit to the school library brings Haruka's darkest secret to light, one which could potentially destroy her current repuation of elegance. As it turns out, the school's most beloved princess is actually a huge otaku. This revelation marks the beginning of a beautiful friendship between these two classmates.

Purezza (Purity)
Haruka's manga and anime hobby is still concealed by her dear friend Yuuto, but Yuuto's other female friend starts to feel affection and attraction towards him, so a feelings war begins among their circle of friends. Meanwhile Yuuto tries to make Haruka happy doing what she likes the most: drawing manga, watching anime, and attending special anime events.

Finale
Yuuto and Haruka are looking forward to spending time together on a school trip. However, Shina finally works up the nerve to tell Yuuto she has feelings for him. This event drives a wedge between Haruka and Yuuto and forces them to confront how they feel. 

My Thoughts
I really liked the concept of Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu although I do think it could have been executed a little better. For one thing we see many references to other anime, particularly Shakugan no Shana. I really love the concept of the popular girl with the a shy boy and I really wish there were more love stories like this as I am one of them and seem to fail at finding a girlfriend. Yuuto and Haruka are enjoyable to watch and they are quite a lovely couple as I mentioned in my 2018 Valentines Day Post. While I don't like the other characters quite as much they are pretty entertaining. There are some pretty cheesy jokes and some  mature content and awkward scenes so this anime is strictly for older audiences. However these scenes didn't ruin the anime too much for me. Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu may look like another romantic school comedy but it is still enjoyable and not too rushed with the development in each episode.

Oh yeah and Touka Tennouji look pretty familiar to Ruri Hoshino from Martian Successor Nadesico.

My Conclusion
I would give Nogizaka Haruka no Himitsu 4.5/5 stars or a 9/10 score. It has a nice concept and I would suggest anyone who likes romantic school comedy anime to watch this. While there are some "awkward mature scenes" it didn't ruin it too much for me and I still enjoyed watching it. In the future I will watch and review some other romantic comedy such as Yoake Mae yori Ruriiro na: Crescent Love, Lamune, and Mamoru-kun ni Megami Shukufuku wo! (Venus to Mamoru).