Sawaranaide Kotesashi-kun [Season 1 Episodes 1-12]

Alright, let’s talk about Sawaranaide Kotesashi-kun—or as the cool kids are calling it, Hands Off! Season 1, Episodes 1-12. If you’re into ecchi anime with a side of “wait, is this actually about physical therapy?” then this one’s for you. Let’s dive in, no holds barred.

First off, the setup: Kouyou Kotesashi is a high school student with magic hands. Like, literal magic. Dude can massage a girl’s shoulder and make her forget she’s supposed to hate him. His goal? Become a sports doctor. To get there, he needs a scholarship, so he takes a job as a dorm caretaker at Seiwa University Affiliated High School—a place where the girls are either athletes or just… really into being massaged. The dorm’s a dump, but hey, that’s where the “accidents” happen, right? Think broken stairs, slippery floors, and girls “accidentally” falling into his arms (or onto his magic hands).

Now, let’s get real—this is an ecchi anime. And by “ecchi,” I mean it’s walking the line between anime and softcore hentai. The first thing fans noticed? It’s uncensored on Crunchyroll. No blurs, no light glares—just… well, let’s say you’ll see more than you do in most ecchi shows. One commenter even joked, “1:50 UNCENSORED! LET’S GO! 🙌🏻” and honestly, that’s the energy here. The MC’s hands are basically a plot device for fanservice, but hey, if you’re here for that, you won’t be disappointed.

But wait—there’s a catch. Each episode is only 12 minutes long. Half the length of a regular anime. Some fans loved it: “Unlike other comments, I think 12 minutes is long enough for a show like this. It’s no masterpiece but I’m sure it will have a following.” Others? Not so much. “I need more than 12 minutes of this!” and “This was OK it would have been nice if it was longer than 12 minutes” were common cries. Let’s be real—12 minutes is like a snack when you wanted a full meal. You finish it and go, “Wait, that’s it?” But hey, maybe that’s the point. Short, sweet, and straight to the… uh, massage.

The characters? Classic harem tropes with a twist. There’s the bitchy blonde tsundere (voiced by Marin Kitagawa’s VA—chef’s kiss for seiyuu fans), the “titty monster” (her words, not mine), and the girl who’s actually a volleyball player with… assets that need “special care.” One fan summed it up: “The first two girls introduced are a titty monster and a bitchy blonde tsundere—giving me 100 Girlfriends vibes.” Fair. The MC, Kotesashi, is surprisingly likable, though. He’s not a perv (well, not intentionally), just a guy trying to get through high school and not die from nosebleeds. His “I’m here to help, not hit on you” attitude is actually refreshing—even if the girls don’t buy it at first.

Now, the animation. It’s… decent. XEBEC (the studio behind To Love-Ru) knows how to draw fanservice, so the girls look great, and the massage scenes are weirdly detailed. Like, you’ll see the muscles moving under the skin. One commenter laughed, “7:00 feels like I’m watching a Physical Therapy anime 🤣🙌🏻 right up my alley.” And yeah, if you’re into anatomy, you might learn a thing or two. But let’s not kid ourselves—most people are here for the fanservice, not the physiology.

The music? Nothing memorable, but the voice acting? Chef’s kiss. Hina Suguta (Marin’s VA) as the tsundere blonde? Her moans alone are worth the watch, according to seiyuu fans: “As a seiyuu fan, you put suguta hina, serizawa yuu and aizawa ‘noises’ saya together and make them moan? This is literally heaven.” Need I say more?

Now, the big question: Is it good? Well, that depends on what you want. If you’re here for deep character development or a complex plot, run. This is a “turn your brain off” show. One fan put it best: “I prefer a good story with lots of nudity and sex rationally integrated into the story, but I can still enjoy a trashy show which has lots of ecchi scenes and the thinnest veneer of a story overlying it.” Exactly. It’s trashy, it’s fun, and it doesn’t pretend to be anything else.

But let’s talk about the downsides. The episodes are short, so the pacing is rushed. The plot? Barely there. It’s just Kotesashi massaging a girl, her hating him, then loving him, rinse and repeat. One viewer complained, “If every episode is just him giving massages it’s going to get boring, well for me anyway.” And honestly, that’s a valid concern. By episode 5, you might start thinking, “Wait, have we seen this before?”

Also, let’s address the elephant in the room: the “Larry Nassar” comparisons. Yeah, some fans went there. “This is literally Larry Nassar’s career. This anime sounds like a doujinshi and ecchi story all mix into one.” Ouch. That’s a dark take, but it’s hard to ignore. The MC is a guy in a position of trust (caretaker) massaging underage girls. It’s a bit… sketchy, depending on how you look at it. But hey, it’s anime—suspension of disbelief is key here.

So, who should watch this? If you’re 18+ (obviously), love ecchi, and don’t mind short episodes, give it a shot. It’s a guilty pleasure, plain and simple. One fan summed it up: “Degenerates unite! 🤣🙌🏻” And honestly, that’s the vibe. It’s not for everyone, but if you’re in the mood for something unapologetically horny with a side of “I swear this is about physical therapy,” then Sawaranaide Kotesashi-kun is your new go-to.

Final thoughts? It’s a 6/10. Fun, but forgettable. The uncensored content is a win for fanservice lovers, but the short episodes and repetitive plot hold it back. Will there be a Season 2? Probably not—most seasonal ecchi shows fade into obscurity. But hey, enjoy it while it lasts. As one commenter said, “Why not enjoy it? xD”

So grab your popcorn (and maybe a cold drink), turn off your brain, and let Kotesashi’s magic hands do the talking. Just don’t tell your mom you’re watching this. 😉

P.S. If you’re a seiyuu fan, the voice cast alone is worth checking out. Marin’s VA as a tsundere? Yes, please.