The Café Terrace and Its Goddesses

The Café Terrace and Its Goddesses (Japanese: 女神のカフェテラス, Hepburn: Megami no Kafe Terasu) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Kōji Seo. It has been serialized in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine since February 2021, and has been compiled in 18 tankōbon volumes as of January 2025. An anime television series adaptation produced by Tezuka Productions aired from April to June 2023. A second season aired from July to September 2024.
The series is set in Miura, Kanagawa, and follows Hayato Kasukabe, an orphan who had moved to Tokyo for high school. After passing the exams for the University of Tokyo, he returns to Miura after being notified of the death of his grandmother, with the intention to close her struggling café, Cafe Terrace Familia. There, he discovers five women who had been working for the café, as well as living under his grandmother's care. After seeing their struggles and learning of their bond with his grandmother, he decides to re-open the café for business.
The Café Terrace and Its Goddesses is written and illustrated by Kōji Seo. It began serialization in Kodansha's Weekly Shōnen Magazine on February 17, 2021. The first tankōbon volume was released on May 17, 2021; as of January 17, 2025, the series has been compiled in 18 volumes. A special edition of the tenth volume was released to celebrate the character Akane Hououji topping the popularity poll, and is accompanied by a pamphlet titled "Akanebon", which features illustrations and bonus comics.
In September 2022, Kodansha USA announced that they licensed the series for an English digital release; the first volume was released on October 18.
An anime television series adaptation was announced on September 8, 2022. It was produced by Tezuka Productions and directed by Satoshi Kuwabara, with scripts written by Keiichirō Ōchi, character designs handled by Masatsune Noguchi, and music composed by Shu Kanematsu and Miki Sakurai. The series aired from April 8 to June 24, 2023, on the Super Animeism programming block on all JNN affiliates, including MBS and TBS. The opening theme song is "Unmei Kyōdōtai!" (運命共同体) performed by NeRiAme, while the ending theme song is "Dramatic" (ドラマチック) performed by Miki Satō. Crunchyroll streamed the series worldwide except Asia.
Following the final episode of the first season, a second season was announced, which aired from July 5 to September 20, 2024, on the Super Animeism Turbo programming block. The opening theme song is "Charge!" performed by Hikari Kodama, while the ending theme song is "Nacchatta!" (なっちゃった！) performed by VTuber Aglio, Olio e Peperoncino (a.k.a. Pepechi).
As of April 2023, the series has 1 million copies in circulation.
Anime News Network had three editors review the first episode of the anime: James Beckett found nothing "actively terrible or migrane-inducing" with the series opener but felt it was "played out and low effort," saying it lacked more lively animation to make it a "pure, shameless comedy" and recommended that people seek out "funnier comedies and sweeter romances" throughout the spring season. Nicholas Dupree commended the first half for giving its audience the cheesecake fanservice with "professional efficiency", but criticized the second half for Hayato's "extremely hackneyed" family story clashing with said fanservice, noting the cast were not "well-rounded" and "too unlikable" to deliver the drama and comedy respectively. He concluded that "there doesn't seem to be much else in the way of ecchi shows this season, so if that's your bag, I guess you can do the opposite of reading Playboy for the articles." Richard Eisenbeis respected the premiere for being an unashamed "good ol' fanservice harem rom-com" and singled out Akane as the most interesting out of the female cast, concluding: "With solid character designs, and at least one character that genuinely intrigues me, I might give this show another chance next week. I mean, it's definitely a fanservice anime, but part of me wonders if it might be something more."
Eisenbeis reviewed the complete first season in 2024 and gave it an overall C+ grade. He criticized the first half for being "painfully cliché" with its tired setup and one-note, cookie-cutter caricatures, but praised the second half for Hayato's "arrogant asshole" character helping to guide the female cast to confront their personal issues and make them more than stereotypes, concluding that: "Ultimately, The Café Terrace and Its Goddesses has left me conflicted. The first few episodes are so boring and uninspired that I can't, in good conscience, recommend the anime. However, at the same time, the back half is good enough that I am honestly looking forward to the second season."
Anime News Network had two editors review the first episode of the second season: Eisenbeis was positive towards the girls' conversation over their yearning to win over Hayato, the "solid comedic twist" involving Ouka's relationship with Hayato, and the overarching plot points set up for the season. Kennedy felt it was off to "a promising start" by delivering its brand of humor from the first season and planting seeds for the rival café plot, concluding that: "I find that watching this show as a comedy—as a weird, ironic performance art of sorts—is incredibly fun. And if this episode is indicative of what the rest of this season will be like, then it'll be absolutely delightful." Kennedy reviewed the complete second season and gave it an overall A grade. While observing that the "aggressively corny" barrage of "ecchi harem clichés" will come across as "boring and played-out" to some viewers, Kennedy praised the self aware maturity of Hayato and the "distinct personal narratives" that each girl has throughout the episodes, critiquing that "Funny both ironically and unironically, it's found a way to be a perfectly balanced blend of unoriginality and freshness."