Every anime season has hidden gems, whether they’re overshadowed by heavy-hitting shōnen franchises, their own bad advertising, or, in the case of I’m Giving the Disgraced Noble Lady I Rescued A Crash Course In Naughtiness, their name. In fact, this show’s title is so long that it would make the most self-indulgent light novels look tame. However, while the story gets a few jokes out of its titular naughtiness, it’s the antithesis of the stereotypical fantasy harem tale. A Crash Course In Naughtiness openly defies tropes that have become ubiquitous with fantasy anime by refusing to include a harem, largely avoiding fanservice, and giving one major conflict focus instead of divvying up the spotlight among several waifus. That said, the real hook of the show is the developing romance between the two leads and how they support each other.

Centered around the tale of a so-called “Demon Lord” (who is really just an over-dramatic nerd), A Crash Course in Naughtiness was written by Sametarō Fukuda and first released as a web novel on August 12, 2019. It soon received a manga adaptation on March 26, 2020, and the web novel was republished in light novel format with illustrations by Sakura Miwabe on March 27, 2020. An anime adaptation was finally released on October 4, 2023, and was simulcast by Crunchyroll. Likely due to the name, the show seems to have flown under the radar of many anime fans. While the misleading name is a purposeful joke, it’s a shame that it has caused lots of potential viewers to miss out on what is a wholesome, straightforward love story.

Charlotte Evans, Anime’s Latest Cinderella

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Charlotte Evans is having a bad time when A Crash Course in Naughtiness begins. First, her family forces her to work as their slave. Second, the prince she is engaged to purposefully blames her for trying to assassinate him. Finally, she’s on the run from the law for a crime she didn’t commit and has been forced by the Demon Lord to live with him. That last part would be horrifying if it weren’t for the fact that the Demon Lord actually rescued her from the royal guard, realized she was innocent, and dedicated himself to teaching her some self-respect.

Charlotte is a bit of a deconstruction of the Cinderella trope. Instead of starting as a plucky ingénue who keeps smiling in the face of oppression, she’s genuinely convinced that she’s worthless and is incapable of communicating what she wants. Allen has to force her at first to express any negative emotions towards those who hurt her by casting a spell on a boxing glove she’s wearing (long story). By the end of the season, while she’s still soft-spoken and self-critical, she’s also embraced her own talents and is no longer afraid to tell Allen when she thinks he’s gone too far.

The Cinderella comparisons don’t end with Charlotte’s backstory — she’s basically a Disney Princess with the serial numbers filed off. Episode 6 sees her discover her latent talent for taming and communicating with magical creatures, which is shown when she goes to a zoo and its residents flock to her. Meanwhile, while Allen has studied enough to speak to animals, the ones at the zoo give him a chilly reception. Charlotte’s innate talent for animal taming is a bit cheesy and can feel like a bit of a cop-out, but at this point in the show, the viewer has felt bad enough for her that seeing her finally come into her own feels much more like a triumph.

Allen Crawford, The Friendliest Misanthrope

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Allen Crawford is an asocial wizard living in his mansion in the forest. He keeps a distance from others, with the postwoman Miacha being his only consistent face-to-face interaction. Called the “Demon Lord” by kids from the nearby town, his misanthropy only stretches as far as having a mean face and liking his privacy; in short, Allen is an introvert. As much as he enjoys his “tortured loner” persona, he can only keep it up for so long. The real Allen Crawford is a hammy academic who can’t stop himself from helping whoever needs it, and his soft heart melts even more once Charlotte Evans shows up unconscious in his yard.

Despite his solitude, Allen is a very observant person. He almost immediately deduces that Charlotte is innocent of the crime she’s being chased for and decides to hire her as his maid for her safety. While his initial attempt to convince her to stay is a bit over-the-top (as in threatening to kill himself with a spell if she doesn’t quickly say yes), his true emotional intelligence shines as he realizes just how deeply traumatized his new maid is. Allen appoints himself as Charlotte’s therapist from then on out, teaching her how to advocate for herself and to enjoy the “naughty” things in life — like eating cake for dinner, punching a picture of her abusive fiancé, and staying up late playing games.

Shying Away From The Harem Genre

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While it’s unfair to paint the medium with such a broad brush, it’s also hard to deny that a lot of anime tend to incorporate a love triangle or, in many cases, an entire harem competing for the hero’s love. A Crash Course In Naughtiness brushes against the harem trope, but it never actually uses it. Most of the supporting cast is made up of other cute anime girls, but none of them ever show any interest in Allen. Allen is a nice guy, but he’s also wacky and doesn’t go out of his way to talk to others, which naturally explains why he doesn’t have any girls besides Charlotte after him.

As controversial as anime harems are, it’s refreshing to see a show that had the chance to use one go in a different direction. Spending too much time on the other girls trying to win Allen’s affection would detract from the romance between him and Charlotte. Instead of women falling over each other because the lead was nice to them one time, the viewer gets to see Allen and Charlotte’s relationship develop more naturally into feelings of love. While the novel and manga are still going, the show has only aired 12 episodes, so avoiding harem drama makes the pacing more natural by giving time to the characters who need it the most.

A Legitimate Justification For Two Characters’ Shyness

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Allen and Charlotte’s budding romance admittedly has its fair share of will-they-won’t-they clichés: moment killers, relationship faking, and more than one time when there’s only one bed available. Throughout it all, they’re always stopped from clarifying exactly what their relationship looks like to them. While Charlotte’s low self-esteem is the obvious cause of her shyness, Allen’s reason is surprisingly insightful. In episode 8, he admits to himself that he’s in love with Charlotte, but he also confesses that he won’t tell her because he doesn’t want her to feel obligated to reciprocate. Charlotte already feels she owes him her life and is still dealing with the repercussions of her abusive upbringing, so this isn’t just a sweet response — it’s a realistically thoughtful one.

Even though this internal monologue takes place as his mansion’s old owner is forcing the not-couple to act out cheesy anime romance clichés, Allen’s reasoning hits hard. Maybe it’s because, amid all the wacky fantasy antics, the audience has always known this is a story about two lonely people finding happiness in each other. The romantic tropes are both lampooned and embraced with glee, allowing the show to have fun with them without feeling any pressure to subvert them.

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Charlotte’s not a revolutionary heroine — she’s shy, modest, unfailingly kind, and has a tragic past. Allen’s not exactly unique either — he’s a male tsundere who becomes the catalyst for the heroine to overcome her trauma. However, as Charlotte discovers her self-worth and independence, she becomes more of an independent character, and Allen’s true kindness toward her serves as a heartwarming and hilarious contrast to the bombastic, hammy villain act that Tomokazu Sugita so heartily provides. While debates rage on about whether any given anime couple is actually in a toxic relationship, these two truly improve each other.

A Crash Course in Naughtiness isn’t groundbreaking, but it’s not boring, either. Allen’s status as a selfless guy who helps his love interest grow might not feel new, but it’s still nice to see him and Charlotte grow closer without interference from romantic rivals. This, as well as its feel-good comedy, engaging subplot about Charlotte’s family, and familiar fantasy tropes, help A Crash Course in Naughtiness become what people tired of harem drama need.