Sometimes you start an anime thinking you’ll watch an episode or two before bed.

Then somehow you’re nine episodes deep the next day wondering where your afternoon went.

That was How I Attended an All-Guy’s Mixer for me.

I finished the entire series in two days, and honestly, I probably would’ve watched it even faster if life hadn’t gotten in the way. It’s charming, ridiculously funny, and filled with characters that are simply fun to spend time with. More importantly, it’s one of those rare romantic comedies where I genuinely cared about every couple instead of waiting for the show to get back to my favorite pairing.

But there’s one huge catch.

This anime is incredibly easy to recommend … As long as I also warn you that it doesn’t really have an ending.

Not BL … But It Knows Exactly Why BL Fans Will Love It

Let’s get the obvious question out of the way.

No, this is not a Boys’ Love anime.

Despite how the promotional art looks, despite the title, and despite some of the scenes you’ll see online, this is still a heterosexual romantic comedy.

That said…

It is incredibly BL coded.

The entire premise revolves around three college guys attending a mixer only to discover the “guys” they’re meeting are actually women working at a cross-dressing bar. Instead of dropping the gimmick after the first episode, the series fully embraces the comedy that comes from blurred expectations, attractive people in suits, and characters questioning exactly what they’re feeling.

If you’ve ever enjoyed the chemistry, playful tension, or aesthetic of BL series, you’ll probably understand why this one scratches a similar itch.

It’s less about labels and more about the energy.

Every Couple Actually Works

Normally, I don’t love romantic comedies that split their attention between multiple couples.

Usually one pair becomes dramatically more interesting than the others, leaving me impatient whenever the story shifts focus.

Surprisingly, that never happened here.

Each relationship has its own personality, its own rhythm, and its own style of flirting. Instead of feeling repetitive, they complement one another really well, and I found myself equally excited to see what each couple was up to next.

That’s probably one of the show’s biggest strengths. The chemistry feels natural across the board. No one exists just to fill space.

Asagi and Fuji Completely Stole the Show

If I had to pick a favorite, though, it’s Asagi and Fuji without hesitation.

Fuji is a BL manga author, and the writers absolutely have fun with that fact.

Instead of simply mentioning her profession, they build entire jokes around it.

She ropes poor Asagi into helping with “reference material,” has him pose for scenes, ties him up, puts him in handcuffs, even puts him on a leash at one point — all in the name of artistic inspiration.

The funniest part?

Asagi is so unbelievably down bad that he’s just thrilled Fuji wants to spend time with him. He happily goes along with whatever she asks without realizing he’s basically helping create material for an adults-only BL manga.

It’s ridiculous.

It’s adorable.

And it perfectly captures the show’s sense of humor.

Suo Is Cooler in Drag … And I Kind of Loved That

One thing that surprised me was how much I loved some of the female characters while they were presenting as men.

Suo, especially.

She has this effortless confidence that completely changes the energy whenever she’s on screen. She’s smooth, charismatic, playful, and somehow manages to make flirting look completely effortless.

It’s not that her personality changes.

If anything, dressing as a man gives her the confidence to fully express who she already is.

Honestly, I found that version of Suo incredibly entertaining.

The Comedy Never Really Misses

This is one of those shows where the comedy comes from personalities rather than constant punchlines.

Of course, it still includes plenty of familiar rom-com staples.

• The inevitable sick episode.
• A camping trip.
• Karaoke.
• A summer festival.
• Fireworks.
• A misunderstanding involving someone’s sister.

Normally those tropes might feel predictable, but here they become excuses to spend more time watching these characters bounce off one another.

Some of my favorite moments weren’t even romantic.

There’s an absolutely hilarious misunderstanding where someone appears to get caught cheating on his “boyfriend” with another girl.

The audience knows the boyfriend and the girl are literally the same person.

The people witnessing it, however, have absolutely no idea.

It’s wonderfully dumb.

The series also gets plenty of mileage from one character quietly having an existential crisis because he’s becoming increasingly attracted to one of the women while she’s dressed as a man, leading him to genuinely question whether he might actually be into guys.

Those kinds of moments are exactly why I think BL fans will find so much to enjoy here.

It’s Surprisingly Cozy

More than anything, this anime is just … comfortable.

There isn’t a lot of drama.

No love triangles threatening to implode everything.

No endless misunderstandings dragging on for episodes.

Just lovable characters slowly becoming closer while making each other smile.

I could easily see this becoming someone’s comfort anime.

It’s funny without trying too hard and sweet without becoming overly so.

The Biggest Problem: There’s No Payoff

Unfortunately, this is also where my biggest criticism comes in.

The season doesn’t really end.

It just… stops.

After twelve episodes of building chemistry between all three couples, I expected at least some meaningful romantic progress.

Instead, none of them are officially dating.

There’s an implied kiss, but it’s off-screen, one of the characters is asleep after drinking, and it doesn’t really provide the satisfying emotional payoff I’d been waiting for.

I wasn’t asking for weddings.

I wasn’t asking for dramatic confessions.

I just wanted something that felt like progress.

Instead, it feels like the story simply pauses.

That’s ultimately why I landed on a 7.5 instead of an 8.5 or even a 9.

The journey is fantastic.

The destination barely exists.

Final Verdict

I genuinely adored this anime.

I loved the cast.

I laughed constantly.

I binged nine episodes in one sitting because I simply didn’t want to stop watching.

And I absolutely don’t regret spending my time with it.

But if I’m recommending it to someone, I also feel obligated to include one important disclaimer.

Go in knowing this season doesn’t offer much closure.

If you’re okay with spending twelve episodes watching lovable characters, hilarious BL-coded comedy, fantastic chemistry, and some genuinely wholesome romantic moments without expecting an actual conclusion, I think you’ll have an amazing time.

If you’re someone who needs confessions, official couples, or satisfying romantic endings, you may walk away feeling exactly like I did.

Happy you watched it.

Just wishing there had been one more episode.

Score: 7.5/10