Hi Score Girl

The year is 1991 and 6th grader Yaguchi Haruo only has video games to live for. He's not popular in school and he's neither handsome, funny, nice nor even friendly. The only thing he has going for him is that he is good at video games. One day at the local arcade, he plays Oono Akira, a fellow classmate but who's popular, smart, pretty and a rich girl that absolutely destroys him at Street Fighter II. Not only does he lose to her 30 times in a row, he can’t beat her at any game. Haruo can’t seem to shake Akira off as she follows him from arcade to arcade everyday after school and beats him every time. As weird as it sounds, the odd couple begins a strange bond and friendship.

Hi Score Girl (2018-2019) is a Japanese animated comedy-romance series produced by J.C.STAFF and based on the seinen manga by Rensuke Oshikiri. Set in 1991, it follows Yaguchi Haruo (voiced by Kohei Amasaki), an unpopular sixth grader whose only real skill is playing video games. His world shifts when Oono Akira (voiced by Sayumi Suzushiro), a popular and wealthy classmate, repeatedly crushes him at Street Fighter II and then follows him from arcade to arcade after school. Each episode is built around small contests, schoolyard awkwardness, and the slow formation of a strange friendship between two very different kids. Haruo's narration, delivered by Hochu Otsuka, frames the story with a wistful retrospective warmth. The series spans two seasons across twenty-one episodes, and its tone is breezy and nostalgic, balancing gentle comedy with quiet ache. Fans of Your Lie in April, Ping Pong the Animation, and The Wonder Years will find resonance in its coming-of-age sensibility, its competitive spark, and its affectionate look at childhood.

Critics and viewers broadly praise the series for its nostalgic evocation of early 1990s arcade culture and the warm, awkward bond between its two leads.

• Your Lie in Aprilshared nostalgic coming of age romance and video game obsession in a school setting
• Ping Pong the Animationshared slice of life tone with rivalry driven by competitive play and a bond between opposites
• The Wonder Yearsshared early 1990s setting with arcade culture and an awkward adolescent romance

Release Date

2018-07-14

Episode runtime

24 min

Rating

7.9 / 10 (197)

What is Hi Score Girl about?

A lonely sixth grader who lives for video games finds his match in a rich, popular classmate who keeps beating him at every arcade.

What is Hi Score Girl like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Hi Score Girl as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as simple.

Is Hi Score Girl violent?

No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Hi Score Girl.

What did critics think of Hi Score Girl?

Critics and viewers broadly praise the series for its nostalgic evocation of early 1990s arcade culture and the warm, awkward bond between its two leads.

Which shows are like Hi Score Girl?

Shows with a similar feel include Your Lie in April, Ping Pong the Animation, and The Wonder Years.

How long is Hi Score Girl?

Hi Score Girl: 2 seasons, 21 episodes.

Is Hi Score Girl still running?

No, Hi Score Girl has ended.

Where can I watch Hi Score Girl?

In United States, Hi Score Girl streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.