Wholesome in Fall 2023 - Crash Course + Goofy Boss Eps First Impressions

Written by Rei Caldombra 10/27/23.

Healing/Iyashikei anime has been a favorite of mine for a long time. I wouId often watch one every season. I can get depressed fairly easily and often, and it's nice to be able to turn on something wholesome and suddenly start feeling fuzzy inside. It can be very cathartic to just watch a bunch of characters be happy together and look into a world where a lot of normal troubles don't really matter. Or worlds where deep emotional issues can be alleviated with just some basic human kindness (which is relevant to both shows). Healing anime won't solve all your problems, but it's a much healthier way of making yourself feel better for a bit than many other options.

This season we have 2 shows that I feel can give you a solid wholesome fix- I'm Giving the Disgraced Noble Lady I Rescued a Crash Course in Naughtiness (which I will refer to as Crash Course) and My New Boss Is Goofy (which I will refer to as Goofy Boss). This is based off of watching the first 3 episodes of each anime and no outside knowledge of either. There will be some spoilers.

Goofy Boss Specific thoughts

After being horribly abused by his previous boss, Momose is left is severe anxiety that gives him health issues. But it turns out his boss is actually super nice and clumsy. This shows does succeeds at being heartwarming in two ways. One by being directly and obviously cute. The two leads are cute characters, they are cute together, and they add a cat that is cute. Secondly, we see Kentarou get over his past trauma. These two have a very nice relationship that just feels good to watch. Over time he is able to forget about those past experiences and move forward thanks to his healthy relationship with Shirosaki.

I think this show is very solid overall. Its jokes land pretty often, and Just within the first 3 episodes we get a good amount of backstory for both the main leads. It actually hit me pretty hard in the heart when Momose learned that Shirosaki was the one who came up with the advertisement that inspired him. I also really appreciate this point because it shows someone getting inspiration from something very untraditional. I don't have any particular love for advertising, even the harmless kind like the ones we see in this show. But it's important to recognize that inspiration can come from absolutely anything. When so much of media uses the same avenues for inspiration, like nature and famous people like heroes, it's nice to see something mundane like an ad for a random business having a strong emotional impact on someone.

Sorry if this immediately makes you close out of this post- I personally don't ship them. I like them as a couple but not romantically. I've always been put off by large age gaps. They are both old and mature enough where I would not call an actual romantic relationship between them problematic though. It's just not my thing. All the power to you if you ship them, the show succeeds at making you want to ship them, so I totally get it.

Crash Course Specific thoughts

After being abused by her family and ousted from her home, Charlotte is taken in by the "demon lord" of a nearby area who wants to teach her how to be "naughty". Don't let the title fool you, in general the naughtiness here is more akin to a kid doing things they "shouldn't" do on purpose. At its core this "naughtiness" that Allen is trying to teach her is about helping Charlotte do the things she has been conditioned not to do and selfishly pursue her own happiness. I really vibe with this message. Most people won't have as extreme of a bad experience as Charlotte, but many people can relate to feeling like they are in the wrong for desiring more happiness. My favorite scene is when Allen buys her a table covered in sweets and basically tells her to pig out. For me seeing Charlotte be able to eat tasty food that she was never able to experience really hits. I really agree with the message he tries to convey to her there, about how it's ok for her to be given something expensive and to enjoy it to the fullest. Imo pigging out on great food is one of life's best pleasures (in moderation). And is a great way to reward yourself and make yourself feel better during a tough time. This show succeeds at being heartwarming through this message trying to be conveyed to Charlotte. Its cathartic to see a character who deserves a to be pampered get pampered. That is the primary appeal of this show. And down the line when we very likely see her properly embrace this philosophy, it'll probably feel really good then too.

When you step away from this general theme, the show starts to lack a little. The art and animation are not particularly noteworthy in any way. As characters they also do not have a lot of charisma or interesting qualities. Like with Goofy Boss I also do not ship this two, but for different reasons. I don't think they have particularly great chemistry. The jokes are also not funny as often in my opinion. If I didn't have a stronger appreciation for the theme that I mentioned I would say it's pretty boring. Among the many healing anime I have seen, I would put it pretty low on the list. If I had to say a #1 its Demon Girl Next Door. To give some other favorites- Barakamon, Non Non Biyori, Lucky Star, and Girls Last Tour. But I've watched many others too that can be considered healing anime, so let me know if you'd like to see more posts about them.

Both of these are relatively simple and formulaic shows, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. The goal of both in my eyes is just to make you feel happy with wholesome characters interactions that help someone overcome their past trauma. Series that have a simple goal makes sense to have simple execution. Both have solid emotional cores that most people can empathize. They may not stand out as anything amazing, especially Crash Course, but they are succeeding at making me feel warm and fuzzy every week. For that reason, I will continue to watch both. If you just wanted to check out one of them, I recommend Goofy Boss as it has stronger characters and comedy.

Thanks for reading!

My Patreon: patreon.com/ReiCaldombra