Saekano: How to Raise a Boring Girlfriend

Tomoya Aki is an otaku who has a dream. His dream is to create the best visual novel game ever. The main heroine for this game and the inspiration for this dream is a background character named Megumi Kato who somehow stumbles into main character-esque traits in his eyes. To complete the game in time he has to call upon the aid of his anime loving professional friends who aren't so keen on the choice of his main heroine.

AnimationComedy

Seasons

1. An Error-Ridden Prologue

Air Date: 2015-01-16

A chance encounter with a beautiful girl during spring break inspires Tomoya to make a dating simulation video game. He tries recruiting Eriri and Utaha to assist him.

2. A Girlfriend Without a Raised Flag

Air Date: 2015-01-23

Tomoya asks Megumi out and gives her a lecture on how a perfect heroine should be like. He invites her to his home for an even more detailed lesson!

3. Retake the Climax

Air Date: 2015-01-30

Tomoya continues to procrastinate despite a fast approaching deadline for his project proposal. Eriri and Utaha wonder if he's really serious about creating a dating sim.

4. Budget, Deadline and New Development

Air Date: 2015-02-06

Tomoya sets up a meeting with his recruits to discuss the game. After seeing Megumi with a boy, he can't help but feel jealous!

5. The Date Event of Crossing Paths

Air Date: 2015-02-13

Utaha manages to write out the plot of their game, but it might not be what Tomoya is looking for. Megumi and Tomoya go on a date.

6. Deciding the Night for Two

Air Date: 2015-02-20

Tomoya leaves Kato in the middle of their date to meet up with Utaha. She takes him to a hotel, and they spend the night together. Alone…

7. Friend, Foe or a New Character

Air Date: 2015-02-27

While Tomoya is preparing for the Summer Comiket, two familiar faces from his past show up. Will this affect his game and all the preparations?

8. A Wingman's Traumatic Recollection Mode

Air Date: 2015-03-06

Megumi makes a concerted effort to understand dating sims. Later, Megumi and Tomoya assist Izumi during Summer Comiket.

9. One-on-one Route After 8 Years

Air Date: 2015-03-13

After Tomoya hurts Eriri's feelings by praising Izumi's book, Utaha and Megumi urge him to make up with her in order to keep their group together.

10. A Melody of Reminiscing and Support

Air Date: 2015-03-20

After an argument with her dad, Michiru runs away and decides to crash at Tomoya's place for a while. In the circle meeting, it is decided that background music is needed for the game. Will they find someone to help them out?

11. Ready to Start Resolving the Subplots

Air Date: 2015-03-27

Tomoya continues his attempts to recruit Michiru to his cause. Her critical words, however, cause Tomoya to question the dedication of his circle's members.

12. The Ups and Downs at the End of Each Day

Air Date: 2015-04-03

The group goes to see Icy Tail's first-ever concert. Before performing, Michiru's bandmates reveal a startling secret.

1. The Way of Two Boring Rivals' Encounter

Air Date: 2017-04-14

One and a half years ago at Toyogasaki Academy. Utaha confirms that the library is carrying the light novel she wrote Metronome in Love. She leaves and gets stopped along the way by Eriri Spencer Sawamura. We finally get to see how Eriri and Utaha meet. What exactly happened between them?!

2. Turning Point of Earnest and Real

Air Date: 2017-04-21

Utaha and Tomoya go out on a date in Ikebukuro to celebrate the completion of the script. After going around to a book store and movie theater, they have dinner at a restaurant. That's when Utaha asks Tomoya whether she should attend a nearby university or one located in Kansai for college. Tomoya gives her his answer at the end of the date. Hearing it, Utaha decides to take a certain action.

3. First Draft, Second Draft and Great Long Thinking

Air Date: 2017-04-28

Tomoya and the others arrive to meet Izumi, but to their surprise, Iori is there waiting as well. Iori reveals that his Dōjin Team, Rouge en Rouge, is making a new game that is in the same genre as the game Blessing Software is working on, and that Izumi will be in charge of its art. Tomoya believes in his team members, but Iori tells him that he is confident his game's story will be better.

4. New Route of Two Nights and Three Days

Air Date: 2017-05-05

Tomoya has noticed a fatal flaw in the script Utaha had written. While her script reads amazingly as a novel, it does not hold up very well as a game script. As the director, Tomoya decides the script needs to be rewritten and begins revising it. Fortunately, Utaha comes in to help as well after composing herself, and the two of them work together to improve the writing as a game script.

5. Deadline or Awakening

Air Date: 2017-05-12

With the script rewrites and additional character route, game production has been significantly delayed, and it's becoming apparent that Eriri is running behind with the art. Utaha points out the quality doesn't reflect the time she's putting in. Even so, Tomoya trusts that Eriri will deliver in the end. So Eriri withdraws herself to her secluded family villa in Nasu Kogen to focus on her work...

6. The Deadline Buried in Snow

Air Date: 2017-05-19

Eriri finally finishes the artwork, but she collapses with a fever as she tells Tomoya she's done.

7. The New Plan of Revenge

Air Date: 2017-05-26

The game Tomoya and his colleagues completed "cherry blessing" gained a lot of popularity on the Internet because of Eriri's art and Utaha's script, leading them to sell out all their copies at their booth, and receive a massive amount of additional orders.

8. The Girl Who Didn't Break the Flag

Air Date: 2017-06-02

Replaying "cherry blessing", Tomoya notices details that makes him realize how dedicated Megumi had been to the game's development.

9. Graduation with a Twist

Air Date: 2017-06-09

Tomoya celebrates Utaha's graduation from Toyogasaki Academy, and tells her that he would like to continue making games with the current members of the team.

10. And the Rivals Will Challenge God

Air Date: 2017-06-16

After the meeting with Akane, Eriri had every intention of not working for Akane. However, Utaha points out that she agreed with her comment about her slump and that she should think about the opportunity this presents. Some time later, Eriri calls Utaha over and convinces her that she is out of her slump and is able to draw better than ever, while also letting her know that she has accepted the offer to work on Field Chronicles XIII. With Eriri joining, Utaha decides to join the project in more of a supervisor role resulting in both girls leaving the circle. While Tomoya discusses the future of his next project with Iori, Iori lets him know that he and Izumi have left Rouge en Rouge feeling that they could not do what they want by remaining in that circle. Tomoya goes up that slope where he met Megumi a year ago, and Megumi is waiting for him.

11. Resume and Start the Game

Air Date: 2017-06-23

Tomoya is heartbroken by Utaha and Eriri's departure from the Dōjin Team, but Megumi takes the opportunity to ask Tomoya out on a date again. Back at Rokutenba Mall, the two of them go around the different stores reliving their previous date here. They visit a hat store last, and Tomoya buys her a certain hat to thank her for cheering him up and to repay her for the glasses she gifted him earlier.

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