Otani & Koizumi
At 172 cm (about 5'7"), high school student Koizumi is way taller than most other girls. This makes her very self-aware, which she tries to cover up by acting strong-willed and sarcastic, rarely showing her more sensitive side in public. That her name means "Little Spring" doesn't help much either.
Then she meets Otani ("Big Valley"), captain of the basketball club, although he is short for a guy at 156 cm (5'1"). Otani's personality is a bit rough around the edges, so he and Koizumi don't hit it off well at first. Most of the time they try to one-up each other with snide remarks, giving them the reputation of being the high school's "All Hanshin-Kyojin" (referring to a comedy duo with one tall and one short member).
Despite all this they become good friends, since they share the same musical obsessions and zany sense of humor. It is only a matter of time then before Koizumi discovers she might feel more for Otani than just friendship. But does he feel the same for her too, since she is way taller than he is?
The anime (and live-action movie) is based on the
shojo manga by Aya Nakahara and preserves much of the snark and energy of the original. The rollercoaster-ride of Koizumi's and Otani's relationship gains a lot of depth by way of a cast of lovable characters, which makes the series a pleasurable watch till the very end.
Tropes:
- All Girls Want Bad Boys: Otani surely isn't Mr. Sweet most of the time
- Almost Kiss: Koizumi and Kohori
- Aw Look They Really Do Love Each Other: Otani/Koizumi
- Beta Couple
- Bishonen: Suzuki, Otani, Haruka, Kohori, but especially Maitake and Seiko
- Butt Monkey: poor Kohori
- Class Trip: with a very central role to the plot
- Clingy Jealous Girl: Mimi towards Otani at first, though she gets better. Otani and Risa towards eachother, and Haruka towards Risa, though he later gets better too.
- The Dandy: Haruka
- Dogged Nice Guy: Or...girl—Koizumi
- Dropped A Bridget On Him: Seiko
- Falling In Love Montage: Koizumi imagines this would've happened, had she and Otani been of 'normal' height
- Huge Guy Tiny Girl: Inverted, to Otani and Koizumi's great irritation.
- Huge School Girl
- Jerk With A Heart Of Gold: Otani
- Kansai Regional Accent: most of the cast
- Karaoke Box
- Kimodameshi
- Lucky Charms Title: Lovely★Complex or Love★Com.
- Mistaken For Cheating: Koizumi, during several events involving her coworker Kohori. Later thought of Otani when he spends the night with a gold digger
- No Guy Wants An Amazon: quite literally
- Not What It Looks Like: Otani and Koizumi's first 'kiss' was a result of him passing out and falling on her face.
- One Head Taller Koizumi and Otani
- The Rival: Mimi
- School Festival
- She Is Not My Girlfriend: Both Otani and Koizumi say this, even after the former has kissed her of his own accord.
- Shojo: Though it tends to make fun of itself more often than most
- Slap Slap Kiss
- Skater Boy Syndrome: Subverted in that Koizumi's not actually going out with someone else but Maity-sensei takes it upon himself to make Otani jealous, getting him to FINALLY realize he likes Risa.
- Transsexual: Seiko
- Tsundere: Koizumi comes pretty close at times
- Unlucky Childhood Friend: both Haruka and Mimi
- Unrequited Love Switcheroo: Played with, as Otani starts realizing he has feelings for Risa just when she's deciding to give up on him for the last time.
- Will They Or Wont They
- Yandere: Mimi
